COVER STORY
E-EDITION
MARCH/APRIL 2026
First Audience
How music begins at home and grows into a lifelong passion BY LAURA MICHAUD AND MELISSA G. WILSON The Living Room Debut Before there are stages, spotlights, or packed auditoriums, there is almost always a living room. Or a kitchen. Or the back seat of a car. For many performers, the first audience is family—people…
Renovations Worth Every Dollar
The home upgrades that bring the biggest return COURTESY OF MAINSTREET REALTORS® We’ve always known that first impressions matter, but did you know the same is true of your home? Replace an outdated front door with a new steel door, and you’re likely to recoup 100% of the value when it comes time to sell.…
Built for the Times
A look at how homes evolve with us BY HINSDALE MAGAZINE GROUP STAFF Home styles reflect how people live at different moments in history. From early formal houses to today’s flexible layouts, architecture has changed alongside family life, technology, and cultural priorities. These familiar home types trace the evolution of suburban living. Colonial &…
Jens Jensen
The internationally recognized landscape artist left his mark on the American Midwest BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN If you live in the Chicagoland area, you’ve probably seen the genius of visionary landscape architect Jens Jensen. His designs of outdoor spaces are nothing less than masterpieces. Born to a prosperous family near Dybbǿl, Denmark, in 1860, he grew…
History in the (Re)Making
FoundersFest celebrates the early days of Downers Grove BY VALERIE HARDY Downers Grove returns to its roots during the annual FoundersFest celebration. Commemorating the village’s opening chapter and featuring its founding fathers and mothers, the weeklong series of events is a time-honored tradition for residents and merchants each spring. The 2026 FoundersFest will open on…
Keeping the Grove Green
The Environmental Concerns Commission strives to keep our village on a green path BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN Did you know that Downers Grove has an Environmental Concerns Commission (ECC)? The group of seven members is from different backgrounds. Some have worked for the EPA, and some have business experience. Just as important are the members who…
Building Up a Sport
DG’s Janowiak, COD, hoping to bolster junior college volleyball BY JEFF VORVA Big things are happening in the world of junior college men’s volleyball and the College of DuPage. And Downers Grove’s Adam Janowiak is going to be a big part of it. Let’s face it, college men’s volleyball is low on the food chain…
Rustic Elegance
Luxury treehouses for those in search of an outdoorsy, upscale getaway BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN Downers Grove resident Mike Ambrose is a lifelong tree house expert. “My dad was a carpenter, so my buddies and I were always building forts in our yards using the odds and ends of wood he didn’t need. One actually had…
Titanic – 40 Years After Discovery
A deeper dive into the mission that yielded one of the century’s great discoveries By Maureen Callahan The location of the RMS Titanic – the largest and most opulent passenger steamship of its day – was one of the great mysteries of the twentieth century. The ship set sail from Southampton, England, on April 10,…
Potempa’s Potential
‘Underdog’ volleyball star skips final HS semester to get a jump on college career BY JEFF VORVA Downers Grove’s Bella Potempa was fully aware she was going to miss out on some fun. The Timothy Christian High School volleyball standout made an important decision. With enough credit hours under her belt, Potempa had the opportunity…
More Reasons to Give
Understanding today’s tax incentives and the lasting impact of charitable generosity BY DAVE MCGOWAN The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted on July 4, 2025, includes a charitable deduction for cash gifts worth up to $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. Starting in 2026, the new tax break is available…
First Audience
How music begins at home and grows into a lifelong passion BY LAURA MICHAUD AND MELISSA G. WILSON The Living Room Debut Before there are stages, spotlights, or packed auditoriums, there is almost always a living room. Or a kitchen. Or the back seat of a car. For many performers, the first audience is family—people…
Mahjong Madness
A captivating game, equal parts strategy and social, is sweeping its way through the suburbs BY VALERIE HARDY Step back, bridge, and bunco. There’s a new game in town—mahjong—and it’s spreading like wildfire across the western suburbs and throughout the nation. The History of the Game Many Americans only recently learned mahjong, but the game…
