1DG Cover Story
PLOTTING SUCCESS: Homegrown author David Ellis
By Valerie Hardy It is common advice to avoid judging a book by its cover, but it is rare to have the privilege of covering a book by a judge. Downers Grove Magazine got to do just that, however, when we caught up with New York Times bestselling author David Ellis after his recent novel,…
Read MoreTeen Trailblazer Ava Dorsey & Ava’s Pet Palace
Some of the best ideas are inspired by small things. For Downers Grove North senior, and founder of Ava’s Pet Palace, Ava Dorsey, that small beginning was a little orange tabby cat. “I was two years old when my parents adopted Pumpkin,” said Dorsey. “He was the first animal I ever had and the inspiration…
Read MoreSanta’s Workshop
What started in the basement of a suburban Chicago home back in 1998 as an idea to create unique items personalized for the receiver has become the leader in personalized gifts. With two facilities, including the corporate headquarters in Burr Ridge spanning 100,000 square feet and the primary production and fulfillment center in Bolingbrook covering…
Read MoreFollowing Their Lead
Meet the influencers behind @somethingwhitty and @whatgracebought By Valerie Hardy I Photos by Victor Hilitski With the advent and subsequent expansion of social media like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok over the past quarter century, many previously unimaginable professions have emerged. Among these are online content creators and marketers known as social media influencers. These predominantly female…
Read MoreAccepted! Despite competitive college admissions, triplets admitted at UofM
Despite the increasingly competitive college admissions process, local triplets all admitted at University of Michigan BY VALERIE HARDY The landscape of the college admissions process has changed significantly over the past few decades, becoming increasingly competitive as more and more students apply to attend institutions of higher education. In fact, according to Forbes, in the…
Read MoreA Page Out of History: Downers Grove’s Baseball History
BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN I PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOWNERS GROVE MUSEUM Baseball. It’s the American game. Not only is it the country’s earliest seriously organized sport (there were cricket leagues before it), but, as Civil War and baseball historian Bruce Allardice points out, the game helped heal a fractured country after a war. The Downers Grove…
Read MoreField of Dreams: White Sox Draft Pick George Wolkow
By Jeff Vorva This spring, 18-year-old George Wolkow will not be playing baseball against Downers Grove South, Hinsdale Central, Hinsdale South, York, or Glenbard West. The left-handed hitting Wilkow graduated Downers Grove North early, and this would have been his senior year in high school. He bet on himself and was drafted by the White…
Read MoreGripping Joy: Alison Miles jumped into socks one foot at a time
By Maureen Callahan About five years ago, Downers Grove resident Alison Miles began feeling tired and weaker than usual. Simple tasks such as lifting a laundry basket had become difficult. Shortly thereafter, she was diagnosed with Pompe disease – a relatively rare genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness. The body is unable to break…
Read MoreDoors Open: Transition 99 Celebrates New Facility
BY VALERIE HARDY PHotos by Carolina Menapace District 99 students, educators, and community members celebrated the expansion of the Transition 99 Center (4232 Venard Road) at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23. Construction began in the spring in order to provide space to accommodate the Transition 99 Program’s growing enrollment of students ages 18-22 who…
Read MoreCrushing It: Downers Grove native, Chrishon Lampley, celebrates her successful wine label’s first decade
By Maureen Callahan Wine shopping can be complicated and intimidating if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Former Downers Grove resident and owner of Love Cork Screw Wine, Chrishon Lampley, has changed that. She’s spent the last ten years moving ahead in a crowded industry by making wine shopping simple and fun. Her labels,…
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