Downers Grove Issue July-Aug 2024
Ben’s Memorial Mile helps raise mental health awareness while remembering Ben Silver
By Maureen Callahan I Photos courtesy of Ben’s Memorial Mile May marks the 75th anniversary of Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a time to consider the importance of mental health in our daily lives. Tragically, each year, thousands of people commit suicide while battling mental illness. Every summer, Downers Grove pauses to remember Downers Grove…
Read MoreFostering Love: Two local families offer foster children a safe place to belong
By Maureen Callahan The second Sunday in May is the day we honor Mom. Hers is the first love we know in this world. There’s a special group of moms also recognized this month – foster moms. May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. Hinsdale Magazine Group takes its hat off to the foster moms…
Read MoreLauren Lakeberg blends a love of photography, nature, and disc golf to create a niche business
By Valerie Hardy Lauren Lakeberg’s first word was “light” – fitting, given that she grew up to become a professional photographer. “Photography has been with me my whole life,” she said. Lakeberg got her first camera from her mother, and said once she took it apart and understood how it worked “from the inside out,”…
Read MoreAnchor on Main Street: Remembering Mochel’s Hardware
By Maureen Callahan Sometimes, a community business becomes like a town’s anchor. For 111 years, that place was Mochel’s Hardware on Main St. Charles Mochel and business partner Levi Mertz initially opened the store as Mertz & Mochel in 1884. The pair quickly earned the trust of customers in need of hardware for home repairs…
Read MoreDr. Karen Wolowick & Dr. Susan Mitchell
This summer, Susan Mitchell, MD, is joining forces with Karen Wolowick, DO, to begin a new journey for Wolowick Women’s Health. Although the practice’s name will change, its focus on personalized healthcare for modern women will remain steadfast. Welcome, Dr. Mitchell, to Downers Grove. Tell us why you started your own practice in partnership with…
Read MoreDr. Michael Halkias – Naper Grove Vision Care
Tell us about yourself. I grew up here in the Western suburbs, and I have been an owner of Naper Grove Vision Care since 2008. Currently, I live in Hinsdale with my wife, Jessica, and three children. What is the formula for your success? Above all else…attitude. In my work life, success requires persistence, discipline,…
Read MoreBeaming on the Beam: Three DG gymnasts finish in the top 10 in the state balance beam event
By Jeff Vorva | Photos courtesy of Downer Grove South Genevieve Herion became just the second gymnast in Downers Grove South history to win a state championship. And to do that, she had to edge out one of her teammates for the honor. The Downers Grove co-op team, based at South and nicknamed the Trostangs,…
Read MoreThree local authors work themselves into three interesting and diverse book genres
By Maureen Callahan Kelly K. James – Downers Grove Ever wondered if you pushed the envelope too far at work? Worried you might get fired for saying what you think or for disagreeing with your boss? Not long ago, Downers Grove writer Kelly K. James found herself in the same position. Her upcoming memoir, The…
Read MoreThe Thrill of the Dill: The unexpected rise of Pickleball
By Cynthia Maquet For the third year in a row, Pickleball has earned the title of the fastest-growing sport in the nation. Is the pickleball phenomenon all that it’s cracked up to be? The rapid growth and increase in popularity seems to point in the direction of “YES.” But let’s get to know a little…
Read More