Stories for you
Field 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…
Roadrunners Soccer Club
Photos by Madeline Craig In January, the Roadrunners Soccer Club hosted their eighth annual “Kickin’ Up Some Laughs Comedy Show” at the Tivoli Theatre in downtown Downers Grover. Featuring hometown comedian Kevin Bozeman along with national headliners Chastity Washington and Joe Kilgallon, almost 900 packed the theatre for a night of laughs. All proceeds from…
Anchored in Gratitude: Allison Rosati
NBC 5’s Allison Rosati talks farm life, faith and fame By Anna Hughes | Photos by Victor Hilitski For some, 5 p.m. signals the end of the workday and the commute back to the comfort of home. For others, it’s cooking the kids’ dinner or settling down for the evening on your family room couch,…
Hungry to Help: breaking down barriers to food assistance
West Suburban Community Pantry’s Sue Armato, other staff, and volunteers break down barriers to food assistance in DuPage County and beyond By Valerie Hardy Last year, West Suburban Community Pantry provided approximately 3 million pounds of food to community members facing food insecurity. Located in Woodridge (6809 Hobson Valley Drive, Suite 118), the Pantry has…
House & Home — Chad Esslinger: Esslinger Design Company
Reality television can make it seem like design and renovation are faster and easier than they genuinely are. Chad Esslinger knows this firsthand as a designer on an episode of HGTV’s House Hunters Renovation a few years ago. He also knows otherwise. Working in the industry for the last 27 years, he understands good design…
House & Home — Laura McGreal: @properties Christie’s International Real Estate
Visiting a college fair changed the course of Laura McGreal’s career trajectory. A finance major, a career in banking was put on hold after meeting a national builder by chance. She took a leap of faith in joining the industry, which paid off. While there, she acquired valuable knowledge regarding sales and mortgages, construction, product…
House & Home — Natalie Weber: KW Experience Realty
Hiring the right real estate agent makes all the difference when making your life’s most important sale or purchase. That’s where Natalie Weber comes in. She’s been the #1 Individual Agent in Downers Grove for the last three years and ranked #10 in DuPage County for New Construction Sales in 2023. And she has come…
A business on a mission
A granola brand created by Downers Grove’s Kiley Fields tastes good and does good By Valerie Hardy According to food historians, granola was initially created in the early 1860s by James Caleb Jackson, a nutritionist from New York. Originally called “Granula,” Jackson’s invention is often considered the first dry, whole grain breakfast cereal. About 15…
House & Home — Brita Pagels: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago
There are some things we’re born to do. Just ask Brita Pagels of Pagels Group. As a fourth-generation broker, she’s been immersed in real estate since birth. “Real estate has always been a part of me,” says the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago broker. While her path began by sketching buildings and gardens in pre-Kindergarten, crayon…
Great Escape: Glenhagen Farm Retreat
Glenhagen Farm Retreat offers youth and adults a rich camp experience right here in Illinois This summer, it will be a full family affair for the Kupisches at Glenhagen Farm Retreat. Kup will continue to serve as the primary director, and his son, Andrew Kupisch, will be joining the directorial staff as well. Kup’s daughter,…
A Local Legend: Catching up with “Kup”
By Valerie Hardy Meeting with Will Kupisch at Panera was like sitting with a celebrity. Every few minutes someone would come up to greet him with a hello, handshake, or hug. One of these people was Carey Greene, a 1993 Downers Grove North High School graduate, who lives in New Hampshire but was in town…
House & home
Homeownership is a significant undertaking, whether buying or selling a home or renovating or building one. It is a major life purchase that significantly affects personal and financial levels. Whether you are a first-time buyer or a seasoned homeowner, the journey towards achieving home ownership – and making it your own – can be both…
House & Home — Tracy Driscoll and Diane Crisp: Platinum Partners Realtors
Tracy Driscoll and Diane Crisp form a powerhouse realtor team with a collective experience of 43 years in guiding buyers and sellers through the real estate landscape of the Western Suburbs of Chicago. For the past 14 years, they’ve seamlessly collaborated to deliver exceptional service, culminating in over $150,000,000 in real estate transactions at Platinum…
House & Home — Mary Braatz: RE/MAX Enterprises
There are a multitude of things to know when selling your home. Mary understands this market and her community from 37 years of real estate experience. Mary explained, “When I started in real estate, I wanted to work the area near my home in Downers Grove, and since then, I have come to know it…
A Local Dance Lord
OMG School of Irish Dance’s Ronan Kristufek joins Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance By Maureen Callahan Local resident Ronan Kristufek is currently performing on the world stage. After landing a spot on the high-energy Lord of the Dance North American show tour, he will dance in 36 cities over seven weeks. Kristufek got his…
Out & About: Looking to get outside this spring? Local activities abound.
South Side St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 17 @ 12 PM southsideirishparade.org Calling all lads and lasses! Experience the luck of the Irish and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at one of the largest community-based celebrations outside of Dublin, Ireland. It will kick off at noon at 103rd and Western Avenue, marching south to 115th and…
The Greatest Gift: Organ donation saves lives daily
Organ donation saves lives daily, as Amy Kilner and John Hickey know first hand BY VALERIE HARDY March holds National Awkward Moments Day and April National Read a Road Map Day. Fittingly, March is National Umbrella Month (and, less fittingly, National Noodle Month). Poetry and Car Care Awareness are both nationally recognized in April. Some…
Downtown Downers Grove Ice Festival
Photos by 726 Visuals The Downtown Downers Grove Annual Ice Festival was held in early February. Despite the unseasonably mild weather, attendees enjoyed live ice carving demonstrations all weekend long. More than 50 creative ice sculptures lined the sidewalks in downtown Downers Grove. Thank you to the Downers Grove Downtown Management Corporation for bringing this…
Peak Performance: Alex Pancoe reaches new heights for a cause
By Anna Hughes Meet Alex Pancoe: husband, father, philanthropist, and adventurer. Pancoe, a Highland Park native, is not one to shy away from a challenge. He’s scaled all seven summits, faced near-death experiences, braved inhumane temperatures, and more, all while raising money and awareness for Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he was treated at only 18…
Spring Break Travel Essentials
As the days get longer and trees start to bloom, we know that spring and summer travel are right on the horizon. Whether you’re planning a weekend couples getaway, a road trip, or a beachy spring break vacation with the family, having the right travel essentials can make your journey smoother and more enjoyable. In…
Letter from the Associate Publisher: Breakthrough
The theme of this issue is breakthrough for several reasons. More daylight, the sun is out, the grass is greener, and flowers are blooming. You catch the drift. We take it a step further. In this issue, we feature many individuals who break through the clutter. It is loaded with unique stories about those in…
Making a Comeback: The Return of the Cicadas
By Anna Hughes | Photos courtesy of the The Morton Arboretum A rare ecological event is happening this spring and summer, but it comes with lots of crawly legs and beady eyes. For the first time in 221 years, two broods of cicadas (Brood XIX, which arrives every 13 years, and Brood XIII, which comes…
Stan Mikita’s Hockey School helps Deaf players gain skills while building community
By Maureen Callahan Each June, 80 kids from every corner of the country come to Itasca to participate in Stan Mikita’s Hockey School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. It’s a one-of-a-kind summer camp for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students to participate in an instructional hockey program while just being themselves among…
Chicago Auto Show’s First Look for Charity
This year marks the 116th edition of the Chicago Auto Show, North America’s longest-running auto exposition. First staged in 1901, the show brings thousands of people together to showcase hundreds of different vehicles including domestic and imported passenger cars, trucks, sport-utility vehicles, minivans, and experimental and concept cars from more than two dozen manufacturers. The…
