HM March 2015 Issue

HAPPY TO BE ME!

EMPOWERING DAUGHTERS & MOTHERS

+

HJWC

A MASQUERADE AFFAIR

BURR RIDGE

PART III: VILLAGE GROWTH

SHOWCASE OF HOMES

SPRING HOUSE-HUNTING

www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 1

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PU BLI S HER LETTER

SCOTT JONLICH

Bridge to Communities and a Bridge to Burr Ridge

FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

sjonlich@hinsdale60521.com

I

n this issue, we spotlight the Robert Crown Center’s annual luncheon, “Happy to Be Me!” The event focused on daughters and mothers, addressing the tendency to allow external messages to influence one’s actions and attitudes. It guided the audience through techniques for mastering one’s thoughts and being open to experiences, even when the prospect of those experiences required courage.

See the highlights of the third annual event, which took place on Feb. 21, and featured 340 women and girls who enjoyed lunch and words of wisdom from ABC7 Chicago news anchor Judy Hsu and professional health educator Barb Barrett.

This month, we wrap up our three-part series on Burr Ridge by taking a look at the village’s vision to make Burr Ridge a destination for local and regional shoppers. Print managing editor Mike Ellis takes you through the growth of the Burr Ridge Village Center and the “Burr Ridge bridge”--the County Line overpass at I-55. You’ll learn (p. 16) how the village hopes these two major developments will impact Burr Ridge in the years to come.

In this issue, Hinsdale Magazine introduces you to Brian and Bridget O’Meara of Clarendon Hills. The O’Mearas’ son Liam was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect in the womb, which prompted Brian and Bridget to start a foundation dedicated to raising money for research on heart

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defects: the Mend a Heart Foundation. Last month on Valentine’s Day, the O’Mearas hosted the foundation’s annual Heartfest fundraiser at The Community House, which you’ll read about on p. 48.

You will also read about Sophia Kwon of Oak Brook on p. 58. Sophia is a Hinsdale Central freshman and a talented rock-climber who competed in the national championships last month in Madison, Wisc., last month. You’ll read how an untimely ankle injury did not deter her from doing her best against some of the nation’s top rock-climbers in her age group.

St. Isaac Jogues is gearing up to host its annual auction later this month at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook. The school’s parent school association (PSA) will use the funds from the auction to support operations and programs, and is hoping to use additional revenues for a new one-to-one technology initiative that would involve bringing iPads into the classroom for student use.

Finally, we congratulate the efforts of the Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club, which hosted its annual, “A Masquerade Affair,” at the J.W. Marriott hotel in downtown Chicago last month to raise money for Bridge Communities. In 2014, the HJWC selected Bridge Communities as its primary philanthropy for the next two years. To learn more about the HJWC and Bridge Communities, visit www.hjwc.us, or www.bridgecommunities.org.

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MARCH

2015

features

10

COVER STORY Happy To Be Me!

16

SPOTLIGHT

Burr Ridge Series Part III: Village Growth

28

COMMUNITY SCENE

A Masquerade Affair Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare Healthy Driven Cupid Courts Seton Montessori

FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

Scott Jonlich

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

Mike Ellis

30

CREATIVE DEPARTMENT

Cheryl Chrzanowski Julia Sinogeikina COLUMNISTS

Jim Fannin Errol Janusz Dan Meyer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kerrie Kennedy Kristin Pedicini

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kyle Hampson Karen Hood Jim Prisching Marcello Rodarte

ADVERTISING SALES

Sarah Chase Rick Dahl Renee Lawrence

40

22 INSIDE 60521

St. Isaac Jogues 25th annual auction

30 FOOD & DRINK

Rising stars, old favorites and new finds

40 SHOWCASE OF HOMES House-hunting season

48 GIVING BACK It takes heart to be a hero

56 THEATER & ARTS Summer camp sign up

58 SPORTS

Climbing to a mountainous victory

60 TECH KNOW

“Useful sites” by Errol Janusz

62 PEAK PERFORMANCE “It’s March Madness!” by Jim Fannin

66 SPIRITUAL INSIGHT

“The sunset clause” by Dan Meyer

ON THE COVER

16

Hinsdale resident Sarah Martinath and her daughter, Serena, attended Happy To Be Me! at the Carlisle banquet facility in Lombard last month.

Photography by Karen Hood

Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. | 38 Blaine Street | Downtown Hinsdale, IL 60521 630-655-3400 | FAX: 630-622-1300 | E-MAIL: advertise@Hinsdale60521.com

PHONE:

Hinsdale Magazine is mailed to 18,364 homes and businesses.

THE ADVERTISEMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, LOGOS, AND ANY OTHER CONTENT INSIDE THIS PUBLICATION ARE NOT THE OPINIONS OF HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC., UNLESS SPECIFIED. THIS MAGAZINE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY WAY, INCLUDING ADS DESIGNED BY OUR GRAPHIC STAFF, AND REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC.

COVER STORY

Ellie Ranke, Katie Ranke, Jill Biegansky, Emma Biegansky

Ann MacDiarmid and Elizabeth Farah Jane and Ava Hartschuh

HAPPY TO BE ME! BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE

by Mike Ellis | Photography by Karen Hood

S

everal hundred local moms and daughters attended the Robert Crown Center’s third annual Happy to Be Me! luncheon at the Carlisle banquet facility in Lombard on Feb. 21.

Happy to Be Me! is designed to empower young ladies and strengthen their self-esteem through professional guest speakers that provide useful tips in a positive atmosphere featuring hundreds of moms and daughters.

The luncheon featured a number of raffle prize packages, including a Continued on page 12

10 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

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www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 51

COVER STORY

Continued from page 10

1

2

4

3

5 [1] Parker Urick, Donna Urick, Sophie Lundmark, Jennifer Lundmark, Lauren Courtney, Angi Courtney; [2] Judy Hsu on stage; [3] Paton Mehrhoff, Lynn Mehrhoff, Jane Wurster, Britt Nerad; [4] Emma Bixler and Darrah Bixler; [5] Bridget Kallas, Kelly AbateKallas, Rosilyn Thomas, Alyssa Aucoin, Caroline Aucoin, Ava Dillard and Stephanie Dillard

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six-month adult and 12-month junior membership to Hinsdale Racquet Club and “15 minutes of fame,” a behindthe-scenes tour at the WLS-TV Ch. 7 morning show with anchor and Hinsdale resident Judy Hsu. RCC health educator Barb Barrett served as the keynote speaker at this year’s luncheon, and was followed by celebrity guest speaker Judy Hsu. Barrett said she hopes to “empower the girls” through encouraging them to become the “heroes of their own journeys” amidst the distractions of an interconnected and image-focused society.

“We have a lot of chatter as women,” she said. “We’ve grown up with a lot of extreme influences—especially these young women here—, and we need to recognize that 90 percent of how we respond to the world is inside our little heads.

“So, we need to change that wiring, we need to change that chemistry of our brain; so, we talk about mindfulness, we talk about laughter, we talk about simple practices where we can really bring it back to thinking and becoming resilient.”

Barrett discussed external and internal influences on girls’ self-esteem, how to navigate and respond to them, as well as how to increase their selfconfidence to become stronger and more resilient in their individual journeys.

“I’m hoping that by the time the girls leave, they’re going to understand how significant what we do with our self-talk is, and how damaging it can be, and how strong it is,” she said. “I’m hoping to give them some tools and skills such as volunteering, giving back, practicing gratitude.”

At the podium, RCC CEO R.J. McMahon announced that the center will host its first Happy to Be Me! camp for girls this August. n

For more information about RCC, visit www.robertcrown.org.

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www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 13

BURR

PART III: VILLAGE GROWTH

RIDGE

Photo courtesy of Burr Ridge Village Center

The Burr Ridge Village Center

OVER THE PAST DECADE, THE VILLAGE OF BURR RIDGE HAS UNDERTAKEN TWO MAJOR PROJECTS WITH THE HOPE OF PUTTING THE TOWN “ON THE MAP.” IN THE FINAL PART OF OUR BURR RIDGE SERIES, WE TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BOTH PROJECTS, THE CHALLENGES THE VILLAGE HAS ENCOUNTERED ALONG THE WAY, AND THE ROLE THEY WILL PLAY IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF BURR RIDGE.

by Mike Ellis

T

he suburbs of Chicago are continuously growing and evolving places. In 1970, Naperville was a community of about 23,000 people—not much larger than Hinsdale is today. It now boasts more than 142,000 residents, having become the size of a small city over the past few decades. Similarly sprawling

16 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

growth statistics may be cited for a number of other west suburban communities, as acre upon acre of farmland has been transformed into subdivisions and strip malls west of the Tri-State Tollway.

More locally, while the Village of Burr Ridge may never span the extent of Naperville, it has seen considerable residential growth, and focused more

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recently on putting Burr Ridge “on the map,” so to speak, through attracting people from surrounding west and southwest suburban communities.

As discussed at large in Hinsdale Magazine’s previous article on the Bridewell Prison Farm, the village started out as a farming community, enticing to prospective buyers for large tracts of land at affordable prices.

Today, Burr Ridge is a quiet suburb that houses a bevy of high-profile professional athletes, local and national celebrities, as well as the United States Ambassador to Italy. Taking advantage of its proximity to Interstates 55 and 294, which afford easy access to and from both airports and the city, the village has embarked on two major projects that are changing the face of Burr Ridge.

“I don’t believe there’s a better location in the state,” Burr Ridge mayor Mickey Straub said. “People say, ‘Rosemont’s better;’ well, it’s not closer to Midway. ... We’re 30 miles away from probably five million people.”

THE VILLAGE CENTER Opened in 2007, the Burr Ridge Village Center features a mixture of national retail shops, restaurants and luxury residential condominiums geared towards individuals looking to downsize. The center, approved by the village board as a planned unit development, has become the village’s downtown,

drawing a variety of shoppers and diners from Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Willow Springs, Lemont and other surrounding towns.

“We had our village for 50 years, and then we built our downtown,” said Gary Grasso, a DuPage County board member who served as mayor of Burr Ridge from 2005 to 2012.

The center is also home to the village’s summer concert series, Concerts on the Green, which draws more than 1,000 concertgoers per week in June, July and August.

Village administrator Steve Stricker said the center has become a “focal point of the village.”

“There’s so much more to Burr Ridge than meets the eye,” Stricker said. “There was no reason to come south of I-55 five or ten years ago.”

Some longtime residents like Dolores Cizek, a former village trustee who now resides in La Grange, say that the center needs more services, and would prefer to see the village focus more on serving its own residents, rather than concerning itself with drawing visitors from surrounding communities.

Grasso contended that, given climbing public service pensions, in order for the village to continue providing quality public services for its residents, creating a greater sales tax base was a necessity.

“The village has to grow,” Grasso said. “It had to grow from the ‘50s to the ‘60s to the ‘70s, and it has to continue to grow and prosper; and the only way it’s going to be able to do that is Continued on the next page

www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 17

S POTLI GHT Continued from the previous page

THE DECORATIVE MASONRY COLUMNS AND THE “BR” LOGO FEATURE IS A CENTRAL COMPONENT TO CREATE A “UNIFIED, IDENTIFIABLE THEME FOR BURR RIDGE.”

Photo by Mike Ellis

with sales tax, because that’s what local municipalities live on.

“We don’t live on property tax, even though there are people who believe that might be true.”

Stricker said less than three percent of residents’ property taxes go to the village.

“The village has never relied on the property tax,” he said. “As we’ve lost other sales-tax-generating businesses in our corporate parks, the fact that the village center is generating the dollars that [it is] certainly has made a huge impact.”

Officials said the center has yet to achieve its full potential, with 30 to 35 percent of the retail space currently untenanted, primarily around the village green area. One reason for this is, a year after the village center opened its doors, the recession struck.

“It’s amazing that it was as strong as it was to survive [the recession],” Straub said. “We are very blessed by geography.”

Grasso considered the timing of the recession from a different perspective.

“If we hadn’t built [the village center] when we did, that would never get built,” he said. “It would still be a vacant piece of property—probably for the next two decades. Everybody’s skittish now; it’s 2015, people say the economy’s back, but it’s not quite back.

“And nobody’s going to go down to

18 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

a 22-acre site and put a lifestyle center [in], and take the risk.”

As far as future tenants are concerned, the village board recently approved a dental office, but officials said ideally, they would like to see space leased to retail shops or restaurants, which are sales tax-generating establishments.

Both Grasso and Stricker said they think restaurants have flourished in the center to date, and would make better fits for the center.

“The one thing that has been extremely successful at the village center has been restaurants,” Stricker said. “We now are on the map in terms of Burr Ridge being a destination for restaurants.

You couldn’t have said that five years ago, but you can certainly say that today. ...

“We would like to see at least a couple more high-quality restaurants in our downtown area.”

A BRIDGE TO BURR RIDGE More than two years ago, Hinsdale Magazine reported on the village’s plan to transform the County Line Road viaduct over I-55 into a branded “Burr Ridge bridge.” After some initial hiccoughs, this concept has become a reality, with completion of the refurbished bridge estimated in late spring or early summer.

If you’ve headed south on County

Line Road past 55th Street and Plainfield Road recently, or sped beneath it along I-55, you may have noticed the four decorative masonry columns that surround the bridge, displaying a “BR” logo. This feature is a central component of the project goal of creating a “unified, identifiable theme for Burr Ridge.”

Grasso said the logo—the same one used in the village center—is symbolic of change in Burr Ridge. Prior to the construction of the village center, Burr Ridge used a leaf for its logo; but ever since the Opus Group developed the “BR” logo for use in the village center, the village has adopted it as its own.

“We are an initialized society now,” Grasso said. “We talk in ‘OMG’s’ and ‘BTW’s’ and ‘FYI’s,’ and so when you see the ‘BR’ up there, I think it will brand in people’s brains.”

With more than 150,000 vehicles passing underneath the County Line overpass on I-55 on a daily basis, the bridge will serve to attract prospective visitors from across the Chicago area to its new downtown area just blocks south on County Line. But Stricker said the notion of branding the bridge actually predated the village center concept, and originally related to the village’s ongoing beautification work along the DuPage side of County Line Road from I-55 to 79th Street.

“We all viewed it as a once-in-a-

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lifetime opportunity to do that,” Stricker said.

The idea of a village-branded bridge might seem foreign to Chicagoans, but it is much more commonplace in states like Wisconsin and Colorado. Grasso said he was introduced to the concept when taking his daughter on college visits in Colorado.

“I remember taking my daughter on some school trips,” he said. “She concentrated on looking at Colorado, and while we were driving around for a long weekend in Colorado, it just struck me how we came across a lot of bridges that were branded by the community.”

In 2009, the village learned the overpass was on a short list of bridges that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) had identified as “structurally deficient” and in need of repair. Seizing the opportunity, Stricker applied for a grant through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) that would allow the village to cover 80 percent of the prospective construction project through state funding. The ITEP enhancement grant application was successful, and the village was awarded more than $1.4 million through the grant, which Stricker said “allowed us to do a lot more than we had originally planned to do.”

To fund the remaining 20 percent of the project, the village discussed the prospect of raising its hotel/motel tax by one percent, with the increment going towards both construction and maintenance of the cloverleaf portion of the interchange.

Grasso and Stricker said all four Burr Ridge hotels supported

the tax increase, which was subsequently approved by the village board in February 2012.

“The thing that I think we’re very proud of is the fact that we were able to do this through grant funding, and also through our hotel/motel tax fund,” Stricker said. “So, the taxpayers in the village really aren’t paying for this.”

OBSTACLES TO CONSTRUCTION With the project expected to get underway the following year, local business owner Mickey Straub was elected mayor of Burr Ridge, replacing Grasso, who was elected to the DuPage County Board. Straub, who was approached by Grasso before the election, said the two driving forces behind his decision to run were helping the village center succeed and overseeing the completion of the bridge. Little did Straub or anyone else involved know that the latter would be far more difficult than originally anticipated.

There were individuals opposed to the branded bridge within the village, including former trustee Bob Sodikoff, one of Straub’s two opponents in the 2013 election. But the action that nearly forestalled construction was not initiated on a local level, but by IDOT. “After I got elected, but before I was sworn in, IDOT pulled the plug on it,” Straub said. “It was postponed at least two years, maybe four. They weren’t just thinking about it; they Continued on the next page

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Timothy P. Walsh, D.D.S. Re-Elected to American Academy of Periodontology’s Board of Trustees

DR. TIMOTHY P. WALSH, A RESIDENT OF HINSDALE, HAS BEEN RE-ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PERIODONTOLOGY (AAP). The AAP is the largest

organization of periodontists in the country with over 6,000 members. This is Dr. Walsh’s second term as a representative for the organization’s Fourth District, which includes Illinois and ten other Midwestern states. He is now the senior Trustee from the Midwestern states.

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www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 19

S POTLI GHT

BURR RIDGE’S VILLAGE CENTER AND BRIDGE HAVE BOTH LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF THE VILLAGE.

Photo courtesy of Burr Ridge Village Center

Continued from the previous page

said, ‘It’s canceled until ‘16 or ‘18.’ ” The day after he was sworn into office, Straub drove down to Springfield with Stricker to participate in the annual mayors and managers conference to lobby for village issues and causes.

“That really was the first time Steve and I had the opportunity to work together,” Straub said, adding that he knew more people in Springfield than the village at that time.

Using their local connections, Straub and Stricker approached state Sen. Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, and state Reps. Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, and Patti Bellock, R-Westmont, in an attempt to rescue the project.

“Without their help, it wasn’t going to happen,” Stricker said, adding that the village was “extremely appreciative” of their efforts.

Even with construction plans back on track by the latter part of 2013, Straub said the village still met with resistance after work commenced.

“IDOT still fought us as the bridge was going up,” he said, “and we had to go back [to Springfield] at least on two occasions to continue to get what was originally in the contract.”

STARTING A TREND? As local drivers know, the bulk of the construction on the viaduct occurred last year, as crews made needed repairs to the deteriorating structure, while adding the decorative columns and several other features that differentiate the bridge from most others in the region.

“I think the residents of this community are going to be

20 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

really proud of what’s been accomplished,” Stricker said.

Stricker said the village is hoping to hold a grand opening ceremony this spring, and that officials would like to invite newly-elected Gov. Bruce Rauner to participate.

Grasso and Stricker said they believe the branded bridge may beget future projects in other Illinois communities seeking to accomplish the same goal.

“It’s not only a feather in the cap of Burr Ridge, but also the State of Illinois, as kind of a showcase of what the state can do with its bridges like you see in other states,” Stricker said.

“I think it’s going to set the trend for doing something like this throughout the State of Illinois—especially when you’ve got a governor like Rauner,” Grasso said. “When you see how magnificent that bridge is going to be in the springtime—the stonework along I-55—, I think it’s really going to be fabulous.”

EYES ON THE VILLAGE CENTER Burr Ridge’s village center and bridge have both literally and figuratively changed the landscape of the village. Grasso said he thinks both new features will help to provide Burr Ridge with a “sense of community.”

A property that once housed criminals, who worked off their time providing vegetables for Cook County Jail, is now the site of nearly 200,000 square feet of restaurants and retail shops. A village that was once a small, unheralded farming community has become home to celebrities both local and national, with a view to attracting consumers from surrounding suburbs in order to meet with escalating financial challenges

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facing municipalities across the state.

“The unfunded mandates and the requirements of what we need to have in order to sustain the villages keep going up from Springfield with no way to pay for them,” Grasso said. “The days of the small villages are rapidly coming to an end, because we just will not be able to afford the police, fire, park districts in the small communities. The tax base is just too small.”

Stricker said in order for Burr Ridge to be successful in the years to come, he thinks it will be important to get residents “on the same page.”

“We know what we are as a community, and we want to maintain that high level and high standard,” he said, “and there’s no question that that’s never going to change, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t move forward.”

Straub said one advantage Burr Ridge has over many other villages is geography, being situated near the I-55 and I-294 interchange within minutes of both airports.

“We are blessed with geography,” he said. “I feel a little bad for other villages that don’t have all of the things going for them that we do. We are in a great position to be able to offset any financial difficulties because of geography, and because of leadership.”

To Grasso, the immediate future of the village hinges on the success of the village center.

“Without that village center succeeding, Burr Ridge cannot succeed,” he said. “It’s a direct reflection on the value of your

homes and your community. ... The viability and the vibrancy of the village center is absolutely key to the future of Burr Ridge.”

But comparing the village today to where it stood ten years ago just before he took office, Grasso said he is “optimistic.”

“From ten years ago, [I’m] very optimistic, because the village center was built and that bridge was done,” he said. “And I think those two will bring the people to Burr Ridge and their sales tax dollars, to keep Burr Ridge a very vibrant community for generations to come.” n

This concludes Hinsdale Magazine’s three-part series on Burr Ridge. We would like to issue a special thanks to village trustee Len Ruzak, village president from 1968 to 1981, who preserved and shared numerous newspaper clippings that were invaluable to last month’s article on the Bridewell Prison Farm. Look for the first part of our series on Clarendon Hills in next month’s issue of Hinsdale Magazine.

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www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 21

INSIDE 60521

St. Isaac Jogues auction chair Yvonne Martello, principal Carol Burlinski, and PSA co-presidents Nanci Hyman and Emily Hargan

DENIM&DIAMONDS ST. ISAAC JOGUES 25TH ANNUAL AUCTION

by Mike Ellis | Photography by Kyle Hampson

S

t. Isaac Jogues Catholic School (SIJ) will host its 25th annual auction at the Hyatt Lodge on the McDonald’s campus in Oak Brook on March 21 from 5 p.m. to midnight.

The auction serves as the school’s primary fundraiser, raising approximately $250,000 last year for the parent school association (PSA) to contribute towards the SIJ operating budget and special program initiatives.

Located in Hinsdale, SIJ is a private school with about 450 students ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade. Unlike public schools, which rely on entire taxing bodies for funding, SIJ derives its operating budget from three sources: tuition (70 percent), the parish (19 percent) and the PSA (11 percent).

The tuition rate is about $4,650 per student, which principal Carol Burlinski said the school would like to “maintain” for the near future. Burlinski said fundraising “allows us to keep our tuition as low as possible.”

“Our parent school association is of great assistance to our

school in helping with the operating budget for the school,” she said.

Burlinski explained that the PSA is responsible for raising $300,000 to contribute its share of the operating budget this year, and any additional collected funds will go towards SIJ’s technology initiative, which will involve the purchase of Apple iPads for classroom use.

“Our goal is to eventually go to a one-to-one deployment of an iPad for our children,” she said.

PSA co-president Nanci Hyman said the association’s responsibilities have increased over time.

“In order to keep tuition low and try to level it out, PSA went from something that was more of just a fundraiser to enhance the school to actually contributing to that operating budget,” Hyman said. “The families have just been wonderful in being so generous with their time and their money.”

While the auction is the primary fundraiser for the PSA, co-president Emily Hargan said there are others throughout Continued on page 24

22 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

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INSIDE 60521 Continued from page 22

the year, such as the school raffle during the fall and a trivia night, which debuted at the beginning of last month. Moreover, because it derives revenues from other events during the year, the PSA does not have to raise more than $300,000 at the auction to contribute directly to the technology initiative.

“Our goal at the auction is to raise $250,000,” Hargan said. “Once we meet our operating budget goal with all of our fundraisers including the auction, any additional monies raised from families and people who contribute to the school will go to the technology initiative.”

Hargan said past special fundraising initiatives have included a mobile computer lab and textbooks. This school-year, Burlinski said SIJ was able to install a security vestibule to enhance student safety through recent PSA fundraising efforts.

THE SCHOOL

“THE SCHOOL OFFERS A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS TO BE INVOLVED AS A WHOLE COMMUNITY, AND RAISE MONEY TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF TUITION AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES.”

While the SIJ auction goes back to the early 1990s, the school itself dates to 1930. The average class size at SIJ is 21 students.

Burlinski said one benefit students derive from the school is a “Catholic identity,” built through weekly mass and other religious activities that accompany ordinary academic exercises.

“It’s forming that relationship that each of our children has with God,” Burlinski said. “It’s my hope that they would be able to use that relationship as they make decisions in their future, as they form relationships with others, as they navigate our world through social media.”

Because the school spans nine grades (kindergarten through eighth grade), Burlinski said many of the younger children look to older students as role models. Burlinski said SIJ’s fine arts program, which includes a competitive show choir, also helps the school stand apart.

“I think we have one of the strongest fine arts programs that exists within an elementary school,” she said.

“DENIM AND DIAMONDS”

This year’s auction theme, “Denim and Diamonds,” will provide a casual contrast to last year’s more formal “Casablanca” event.

“It’s nice to mix it up and have something a bit more casual,” Hyman said. “That way, you don’t have to go out and purchase something new, or take too much time to get ready.”

Morning radio host Eric Ferguson, an SIJ parent and Hinsdale resident, will emcee the auction.

24 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

The event will feature silent and live auctions, raffles and a wine auction. Auction chair Yvonne Martello said the PSA is still accepting donations for auction items and prizes. Hyman said there will be mobile bidding on silent auction items, meaning individuals do not have to be physically present at the auction to participate.

“Two years ago, I [bid on items] from my couch, because I couldn’t go,” Hyman said.

Attendees will have the chance to purchase chips to “gamble” with at six to eight blackjack tables, a roulette table and a prize wheel. Hyman said there will be no cash prizes. “Denim and Diamonds” will also include a sit-down dinner, DJ and afterparty highlighted by McDonald’s hamburgers—a signature at Hyatt Lodge events.

After dinner, Hargan said Ferguson will conduct a paddle raise during which guests can donate specifically to the technology initiative.

“We’ve been very successful in raising additional money above and beyond the contribution that we make to the school’s operating budget,” she said. “That’s an opportunity for parents to make an instantaneous donation at the dinner.”

Hargan said the auction will serve as both a fundraiser and awareness booster for SIJ’s goal to provide each of its students with an individual iPad experience in the classroom.

“The school offers a number of opportunities for parents to be involved as a whole community, and raise money to help offset the cost of tuition for the school,” she said. “The auction not only raises a significant amount of money, but it also gives a chance to showcase something like this new technology initiative, and get parents and the community excited about new things that the school is doing.” n

“Denim and Diamonds” will be held at the Hyatt Lodge on the McDonald’s campus in Oak Brook on March 21 from 5 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $100, and still available at https://sij.ejoinme.org/25th. Table sponsorships are available, and event organizers are still accepting donations for the prize auctions. For more information about St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School, visit www.sijschool.org.

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COMMUNITY SCENE

A MASQUERADE

AFFAIR

HINSDALE JUNIOR WOMAN’S CLUB ANNUAL BENEFIT

by Mike Ellis Photography by Marcello Rodarte

N

early 600 community members joined together to support Bridge Communities, a Glen Ellyn-based charity, at “A Masquerade Affair,” the Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club (HJWC) annual benefit, at the JW Marriott hotel on Feb. 7.

This is the first of a two-year partnership between the HJWC and Bridge Communities, a non-profit organization that has been providing support to homeless families throughout DuPage County for more than 25 years through transitional housing, mentoring, and employment and educational counseling programs. “[It’s] important to know that the need is great,” Bridge co-founder Mark Milligan said. “Our phone rings about 2,000 times a year with families that are in trouble and losing their housing in DuPage County.”

Milligan said the emphasis of the partnership will be on working with children and education. Over the next two years, Milligan said the HJWC is undertaking raising funds to remodel one of Bridge’s learning resource centers, which is used to offer tutoring services to program families.

“Our organizations are just meshing together perfectly,” he said. “We couldn’t be happier with being partners with the Hinsdale Junior [Woman’s Club]. ...

“I’m sure they’re going to make a lot of money here tonight, and we like that.

As important as that is that we get the opportunity to tell some 600 people in the room what we do, why we do it, and what the need is in DuPage County.”

Keeping with the “masquerade” theme, guests donned an assortment of masks, several of which made use of streaming peacock feathers.

Before the ceremony commenced, guests browsed dozens of silent auction items, which ranged from autographed jerseys

28 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

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by Chicago sports legends Dick Butkus, Bobby Hull and Dan Hampton, to rounds at premier local golf clubs like Butler National, Butterfield Country Club and Hinsdale Golf Club.

WGN-TV anchor Micah Materre served as the emcee for the evening, introducing dancer Aditi Katwala, now a high-school freshman, who participated in the Bridge transitional housing program with her mother.

Materre said the Katwalas were “just one of the many shining examples of the families that Bridge helps.”

Next at the podium, HJWC president Anna Fiascone thanked principal sponsor Wintrust, as well as benefit co-chairs Elizabeth Dziedzic, Janice D’Arco and Michelle Buchanan, and the 23 women who worked alongside them on the 2015 benefit committee.

The live auction featured a weeklong trip to Camogli, Italy, four club-level tickets to the Maroon 5 concert at the United Center this month, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle summer weekend drive to Milwaukee.

2

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5 4 [1] Beth and Bill Nordby; [2] Event emcee Micah Materre; [3] Allison Peters; [4] Tracy Parker and Mira Albert; [5] Kirsten Douglass, Amity Comiskey, Cindy Klima, Tracy Zoberis, Anna Fiascone and Danielle Tuck; [6] Amity Comiskey and Gretchen Matzelle

6 www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 29

Gerry Benetiz serves a flaming tableside dessert at Eddie Merlot’s.

HINSDALE MAGAZINE PRESENTS

RISING STARS

OLD FAVORITES

NEW FINDS

by Kerrie Kennedy | Photography by Jim Prisching

Old School

COOL Chalk it up to the popularity of Mad Men, but tableside service, popular during the dinner theater era of the ‘50s and ‘60s, is making a major comeback

30 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

at high-end restaurants all over the city, not to mention in Burr Ridge. The next time you head to Eddie Merlot’s for a steak, be sure to save room for a flaming tableside dessert. Whether you choose the classic Bananas Foster (Myers’s Jamaican dark rum, banana liqueur and bananas over vanilla bean ice cream), Eddie’s mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries,

FOOD&DRINK

raspberries, brown sugar, Bacardi Oakheart and raspberry liqueur over vanilla bean ice cream), or the totally decadent Vanilla cognac brownie (a double-layer chocolate fudge brownie, vanilla bean ice cream flamed with vanilla-infused cognac, topped with hot fudge, crème anglaise, pecans and raspberries), the heady mix of dessert served with a large dollop of theater is sure to provide a dramatic ending to your meal.

Tableside service has long been part of the tradition of a Brazilian steakhouse. At Chama Gaucha Steakhouse in Downers Grove, that “old-school” service extends to waiters (dressed as Brazilian cowboys) helping customers with their coats, pulling out

their chairs, putting napkins on their laps, accommodating their last-minute requests, and above all, making sure each customer’s meat is cooked precisely to his or her liking, then served sizzling on a skewer and sliced dramatically tableside. It’s that kind of service and attention to detail that recently landed this restaurant on Yelp’s list of Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. for 2015. The only Illinois restaurant to make the list, Chama Gaucha was ranked No. 51.

Eddie Merlot’s, 201 Bridewell Drive, Burr Ridge, 630.468.2098, eddiemerlots.com Chama Gaucha Steakhouse 3008 Finley Road, Downers Grove, 630.324.6002, chamagaucha.com

The Emerald Isle at Your

DOORSTEP THREE TAVERNS TO GRAB A PINT Ballydoyle Irish Pub. The celebrations start early at Ballydoyle, with a “kegs and eggs” breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by a full lineup of Irish bands, dancers, food and drink until the wee hours of the morning.

Ballydoyle Irish Pub 5157 Main Street, Downers Grove, 630.969.0600, ballydoylepub.com The Kerry Piper. This cottagestyle Irish pub features a full menu of traditional Irish favorites and a variety of Irish beer on St. Patrick’s Day, but the real fun begins the weekend before, in a 1,000 squarefoot tent housing Irish bands, dancers and bagpipers. This culminates in the St. Baldrick’s event on Sunday, a headshaving fundraiser for pediatric cancer that raised more than $200,000 last year.

The Kerry Piper 7900 Joliet Road, Willowbrook, 630.325.3732, kerrypiper.com Fox’s in Hinsdale. Grab the kids and head to Fox’s for a family-friendly party featuring face-painting, Irish step-dancing, bagpipers, balloonists, a magician and live Irish music. Fox’s also offers a full St. Patrick’s Day menu, plus Guinness and Irish coffee for the adults.

Fox’s Hinsdale 777 North York Road, Hinsdale, 630.734.1400, foxespubandpizza.com

Corned beef and cabbage at Fox’s in Hinsdale

www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 31

Contact Information 911 N. Elm Suite 230 Hinsdale, IL 630.323.4468 hinsdaledentistry.com Medical Degrees DDS Areas of Expertise Botox® Full Mouth Reconstruction Invisalign® Laser Dentistry Lumineers® Porcelain Veneers Six Month Smile® Teeth Whitening

“Having grown up in Hinsdale my patients feel like family to me,” Dr. Harnois said.

“We focus our full attention on you as an individual, so you get the best customized care that fits your needs, wants and desires.”

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Zivile Z. Chirban, D.D.S.

DR. PETER T. HARNOIS, a Hinsdale Central alumnus, is no stranger to the Greater Hinsdale community. A 1982 graduate of the University of Illinois’ College of Dentistry, Dr. Harnois has been practicing dentistry in Hinsdale for over 31 years.

Dr. Harnois is currently the President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Facial Esthetics. He lectures internationally to properly educate and train his fellow dentists around the country on emerging technologies in dentistry that he utilizes in his own practice, such as Botox® and Lumineers®.

His philosophy is to provide the most gentle and minimally-invasive cosmetic and metalfree dentistry with natural results; and he uses NuCalm®, a natural approach to relax his patients and eliminate their dental fears and anxieties.

DR. ZIVILE Z. CHIRBAN is in her 31st year of practicing dentistry, and her goal is to assist her patients in acquiring and maintaining beautiful smiles. She is passionate about keeping apprised of the latest developments in her field to ensure that her patients receive the best possible care.

Dr. Chirban graduated from the University of Illinois’ College of Dentistry in 1982, and is currently a member of the Illinois State Dental Society and American Dental Association.

DR. MICHAEL J. KOWALCZYK graduated as a valedictorian from Oak Park - River Forest High School in 2004. He graduated with honors

Michael J. Kowalczyk, D.D.S.

from Emory University in Atlanta and obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Kowalczyk completed a post-graduate residency at the University of Florida where he gained skills in wisdom teeth extractions, surgical implant placement and sedation dentistry.

In 2013, he received his Fellowship in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

HINSDALE DENTISTRY’S roots date to 1969, when it first opened its doors in Downtown Hinsdale. Dr. Peter T. Harnois grew up in Hinsdale, and is actively involved in the community.

Hinsdale Dentistry’s practice is located at a new state of the art, high-tech facility, overlooking Salt Creek and Fullersburg Woods at 911 N. Elm Street.

The dentists and entire team at Hinsdale Dentistry are committed to providing worldclass dental care for its friends and families in Hinsdale and surrounding communities. Hinsdale Dentistry utilizes the latest, cutting-edge dental technologies to supply the most gentle patient treatments. It also provides a broad range of treatments and dental technologies. They have the ability to save lives with early detection using Oral Cancer Screening and can now straighten their adult patients teeth in 6 months or less with Six Month Smile®, a cosmetic braces system.

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COMMUNITY SCENE

EDWARD-ELMHURST HEALTHCARE

HEALTHY DRIVEN

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Photography by Mike Ellis

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6 36 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

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undreds of area carracing fans turned out to watch NASCAR driver Danica Patrick assist in launching Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare’s “Healthy Driven” initiative at The Westin hotel in Lombard on Jan. 22.

Patrick, one of the nation’s most recognizable female athletes, headlined a program that also included moderator Marley Kayden, weekend traffic anchor at WMAQ-TV in Chicago.

“Being healthy is something that is of the utmost importance to me,” Patrick said. “There’s so many things that could go wrong with us that the only thing we really can control is what we put into our bodies and what we do with our bodies.”

Patrick is serving as the spokesperson for the Healthy Driven marketing campaign, which includes TV and radio commercials, billboards and full-page magazine and newspaper ads.

A native of Roscoe, Ill., a town north of Rockford, Patrick said “being local to the area” was one aspect that drew her to serving as the campaign spokesperson.

Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare’s Healthy Driven campaign begins about two years after the merger of Edward, Elmhurst and Linden Oaks Hospitals.

[1] Danica Patrick speaks on stage; [2] Becky McFarland, Alissa Detro and Elise Chewning; [3] Patrick addresses members of the media with a furry visitor, [4] Jackie Gill, R.J. McMahon, Barb Thayer and Rebecca Gee; [5] Marley Kayden speaks to the crowd at the Westin; [6] Doug and Sami Marecek; [7] Holly, Sarah, Matt, Tom and Jack Jordan

38 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

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HOUSE HUNTING SEASON With the spring real estate market in full swing, we checked in with some local experts to find out what’s happening in our communities.

by Kerrie Kennedy

HINSDALE MAGAZINE

R E A L E S TAT E

SPRING 2015

Photo by VHT Studios

One of Hinsdale’s classic beauties, this gracious and sprawling home not only has a place in Hinsdale history, but it boasts a piece of Hollywood history as well. Located at 134 S. Park, the “O’Neill home” was the site of the Ladies Home Garden Society in the John Hughes film Dennis the Menace (1993). Offering more than an acre of lush landscaped grounds, including a pool, cabana, outdoor kitchen, children’s playhouse and greenhouse, as well as original glass windows and doors, exquisite millwork, custom plaster work, original maple floors and crystal chandeliers, the home is currently on the market for $2,800,000.

For more information, contact Kitty Burns, (630) 240-9521.

Continued on the next page

Continued from the previous page

BURR RIDGE AVERAGE HOME LIST PRICE: $1,438,078 RECENT HIGHEST PRICED SALE: $3.1 million AVERAGE MARKET TIME: 188 days

REAL ESTATE EXPERT Beth Burtt, Brush Hill Realtors INVENTORY “There’s really a wide range of homes and price ranges available in Burr Ridge right now,” Burtt says. “Pricing depends on school district and lot size, but there’s a new home being built on an acre lot in the Hinsdale Central district that’s starting at $2.9 million. That’s a good price for that area and size.”

IN DEMAND “$1.5 million is the magic number—especially if the home is located in the Hinsdale Central school district. That location is highly sought after.”

WHAT’S HOT “It’s all about tranquil country estates that offer plenty of outdoor living space. Buyers want homes with pools, large yards and outdoor kitchens.”

IN DEMAND “Most people are looking for location first: schools, train.

Teardowns and empty lots also go quickly here. The builder who has the lots—well, that’s half the battle.”

WHAT’S HOT “Buyers want open kitchens that are more flexible for today’s families. They also want family rooms or a functional living room, and separate adult and kid space.”

HIDDEN VALUE “There are always good deals out there, but you have to be my client to know about them. I get a lot of listings that haven’t yet hit the market and are excellent opportunities.

I’ve been selling a lot of things offline lately.”

HINSDALE AVERAGE HOME LIST PRICE: $1,458,000 RECENT HIGHEST PRICED SALE: $4,960,000 AVERAGE MARKET TIME: 217 days

REAL ESTATE EXPERT Chris Pequet, Sotheby’s International Realty

HIDDEN VALUE “The Burr Ridge market overall is still slanted slightly in the buyer’s direction, so there’s a lot of value out there. Overall, Burr Ridge offers large lots, which means larger houses and more space between you and your neighbors. People move to Burr Ridge for that opportunity.”

INVENTORY “The current inventory in Hinsdale is a little low,” Pequet says. “There are 172 homes on the market, which may sound like a lot, but not when you consider that at the slowest time of the market, in 2008, there were almost 400 homes for sale.”

CLARENDON HILLS

IN DEMAND “Right now, all price ranges are selling. Anything under $1.5 million is selling really well, but even the high-end listings have been very active. In the last two months, six listings closed that were over $2 million. Price aside, Hinsdale is really driven by its school districts, so it’s all about location.”

AVERAGE HOME LIST PRICE: $780,182 RECENT HIGHEST PRICED SALE: $1,650,000 AVERAGE MARKET TIME: 266 days REAL ESTATE EXPERT Mike McCurry, Coldwell Banker INVENTORY “The inventory in Clarendon Hills is low—we have 63 homes on the market right now,” McCurry says. “Of those, 13 are under contract. But Clarendon Hills tends to have relatively low inventory anyway. People value living in this community.

They don’t move out very often.”

WHAT’S HOT “Buyers are really drawn to a streamlined-yet-traditional look—very clean and polished, with lots of whites and grays; kind of a transitional look.”

HIDDEN VALUE “If a home needs to be updated, it usually ends up selling for a lot less than it’s really worth, which can be a great opportunity for first-time homebuyers. With just a little bit of updating, you can add so much value to a home.”

Continued on page 44

42 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

SHOWCASE OF HOMES

Hidden Treasure

HINSDALE | 441 N ADAMS STREET | $2,850,000

Exceptionally private estate will surprise and inspire you in every way! 6,300+ square feet of elegant living, impressive array of features and fine finishes, plus the appeal of a soughtafter Monroe School neighborhood– this is one extraordinary opportunity. Gourmet kitchen, huge family room with adjoining sun room, 6 bedrooms, 5 baths, 4 fireplaces, finished lower level with media, gym and wine rooms. Artfully unified by magazine-quality decor!

Sarah Martinath Real Estate Broker

203.209.0863 smartinath@gmail.com SarahMartinath.com

Karen Swendsen Real Estate Broker

630.561.1851 kswendsen@koenigrubloff.com

Beautiful

BURR RIDGE | 1 HIDDEN LAKE

Sited on one acre of professionally landscaped grounds with a gazebo, a custom waterfall that leads to a pond is this beautiful home that is a world unto itself. Updated and offering a “Prairie Style” décor, you will be struck by the large room sizes, vaulted and cathedral ceilings and hardwood floors not to mention the outstanding outdoor spaces for summer sunsets and large scale entertaining.

Suzy Styfer 630.251.6232 suzystyfer@aol.com

35 S Washington Street Hinsdale, IL

www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 43

SHOWCASE OF HOMES

Continued from page 42

OAK BROOK AVERAGE HOME LIST PRICE: $1,673,033 RECENT HIGHEST PRICED SALE: $6,7500,000 AVERAGE MARKET TIME: 235 days

REAL ESTATE EXPERT Gianna Ricci, Coldwell Banker INVENTORY “Oak Brook is a very unique market,” Coldwell Banker agent Gianna Ricci says. “We have older properties, and then we have new construction that starts at $2 million-plus—although that represents a smaller segment of the market; there are 15 new construction homes available right now. The homes priced between $700,00 and $900,000 are what’s really moving right now.”

IN DEMAND “The sweet spot in Oak Brook—especially for buyers from the city—is anywhere [from] $600,000 to $1 million. Empty lots or teardowns are both in demand and expensive—a half-an-acre lot costs between $630,000 and $650,000, but can go up [to] as high as $2 million. Low taxes drive demand, and that’s why our new construction is much higher than in other communities.”

WHAT’S HOT “Across the board, regardless of price point, Oak Brook buyers want an open-floor plan concept with white cabinetry and darker wood floors. There is also an element of privacy that Oak Brook buyers tend to value. The entire community is set up as subdivisions, so it’s very spread out.”

HIDDEN VALUE “Oak Brook has the lowest tax rates in all of DuPage County. We have McDonald’s Corporation here, and Oakbrook Center, which represents an enormous business district that holds down our taxes. With that kind of savings, you can afford to put money into improving your house or your lifestyle. On top of that, Oak Brook offers some of the best schools in the state, a location that’s in close proximity to every major expressway (on a good day, you can be in the city or at O’Hare in 20 minutes), and a phenomenal sports court that draws many families outside of the community.” n

TEN TIPS FOR A QUICK SALE

Berkshire Hathaway real estate broker Megan McCleary, who is a top producer in Hinsdale, offers her ten tips for prepping your home before putting it on the market this spring.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT “Pricing is critical, because your first two to four weeks on the market are going to bring in the most interest and activity.”

DE-CLUTTER “Typically, the areas people need to de-clutter most are the closets. The goal is to demonstrate how much space you have.”

DE-PERSONALIZE “Take down the pictures, the children’s artwork, the memorabilia—anything that speaks directly about the homeowner. You want a buyer to walk in and feel like it could be their home.”

CLEAN SWEEP “If the home is immaculate, the perception is that it’s been well maintained. A dirty home is a turn-off, even if the house is stunning.”

THE COLOR OF MONEY “Painting is one of the cheapest things you can do to update the look of your home, and neutral tones (pale grays, creams, beiges) are most appealing. It’s hard for buyers to see past bright colors.”

REPAIR/REPLACE/REIMAGINE “Anything that is broken should either be repaired or replaced, because it will come up in the home inspection.

Simple things like changing cabinet knobs or switching out light fixtures can freshen up a kitchen or bath.”

FLOWER POWER “Pay attention to your landscaping when the season allows.

For a quick fix, put a couple of large pre-potted plants at the front door. And don’t forget to put fresh flowers in the house.”

LIGHT IT UP “Not only should every lightbulb in your house be working, they should all match. Prior to a showing, all the lights in the house should be turned on.”

EVERY HOME IS A STAGE “There are many different levels of staging, from rearranging the furniture to make it look more spacious, to filling voids when personal items are removed, to completely furnishing unfurnished homes. It doesn’t have to be a budget-buster.”

SECRET STASH Always have a laundry basket handy, where you quickly stash all your mail and other personal items. Put it in your car, and your house will be ready to show.”

44 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

SHOWCASE OF HOMES

Prestigious

BURR RIDGE | 9520 FALLING WATER DRIVE | $2,199,000

A palatial estate nestled in a woodsy setting in the prestigious Falling Water gated community, bespeaks a spectacular presence of elegance. With the walkout lower level, terrace, patio and palladium windows, you find yourself surrounded with awesome wooded views. What a backdrop! Inside this stunning home, quality oozes in the incomparable grand foyer and then skillfully unfolds around every corner. 9800+SF of excellence with indoor pool, open floor plan, home theatre and so much more.

Chris Pequet 630.327.5175 chris.pequet@sir.com 22 West First Street Hinsdale, IL ChrisPequet.com

Elegant

BURR RIDGE | 602 AMBRIANCE DRIVE | $2,150,000

A regal residence, smiling in the confidence of its own presence, this elegant beauty welcomes you at an address you’ve yearned for. Oh yes, the prestigious Ambriance gated community. Designed to reflect unforgettable moments and capture every luxury in this majestic home. The architectural detail, soaring ceilings and open rooms will amaze. Imagine a home that satisfies all your indulgences; the finest hardwoods, granites and marbles, home theatre, walkout lower level, first floor master and so much more. You won’t be disappointed.

Chris Pequet 630.327.5175 chris.pequet@sir.com 22 West First Street Hinsdale, IL ChrisPequet.com www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 45

Ask the Expert

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t’s the end of the first quarter, which means that the looming tax deadline is fast approaching. Hopefully, you’re almost done reviewing your statements and are finishing up things with your accountant to find out what your tax liability will be. In addition, you now also have a pretty good picture of your finances, which makes now a great time to perform your annual “Financial Checkup”.

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Have you ever looked back over the last year and had a hard time believing that so much happened in one year? Did you change jobs, receive a promotion, or start a new business? Did you buy or sell your home or another piece of real estate?

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Have Your Goals Changed?

While you’re looking at your retirement plan and brokerage statements, now is a good time to take a good look at your current investment selections. How are your investments performing compared to their respective indices? Are you taking on too much risk? Do you have enough money to retire?

All of these things are important to look at and review on an ongoing basis, especially as you get older. No matter how well your investments have performed in the past, as you near retirement, your risk tolerance decreases, and you need to ensure that your investments accurately reflect those changes.

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In the past year, have you welcomed any new members to the family? Have your kids recently gone off to college, gotten married, or had kids of their own? Have you experienced the loss of a family member or a divorce in the family?

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If your estate includes a trust, now is also a great time to review the ownership of your accounts and assets. A trust is a fantastic estate planning tool, but it is just a document, and if your assets aren’t properly titled into the name of the trust, then it will not provide the estate planning benefits that you intend for it to do. If you were to pass away prematurely, you may be subjecting your heirs to a lengthy probate process or a substantial estate tax liability if your estate plan is not well-laid out and up to date.

As financial advisors, we see these scenarios daily. Trusts are outdated, beneficiaries haven’t been updated on accounts in 20 years, retirement accounts and insurance policies are under-performing, and the list goes on. Now is a great time to perform your own financial checkup, and seek out a professional advisor with any questions you may have. We assist clients with estimating their net worth, addressing taxes, and updating their retirement and estate plans as needed. This “financial checkup” could turn out to be one of the most valuable things you do all year. Call us today to schedule your complimentary consultation!

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46 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

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www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 47

GIVING BACK

IT TAKES HEART TO BE A HERO THE O’MEARA FAMILY

by Mike Ellis Photography by Kyle Hampson

W

hen Bridget O’Meara of Clarendon Hills went for her 20week ultrasound in 2006, she had no reason to suspect that anything would be different than a couple of years earlier, before giving birth to her first child.

But the second time around was different, as doctors diagnosed the baby she and husband Brian were expecting in utero with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a congenital heart defect that compromises growth in the left side of the heart. According to the Centers 4 for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer than 1,000 babies are diagnosed with HLHS each year.

Brian’s and Bridget’s second son, Liam, would be born without a functional left side of his heart, thereby making it impossible for oxygenated blood to be pumped properly throughout his body.

“On its own, the condition is fatal,” Brian O’Meara said. “He couldn’t have survived without the surgeries.”

The O’Mearas conducted research on the condition, and stumbled upon a group at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee that specialized in the

48 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

Brian and Bridget O’Meara of Clarendon Hills with their three children, Finn, Liam and Seamus

surgeries that Liam required.

“It was terrifying,” Bridget O’Meara said. “I think one thing that we did not know before Liam came along is that heart defects are the most common type of birth defect. ...

“They’re more common than you think.”

The CDC confirms this fact, adding that roughly one out of four babies contract critical congenital heart diseases, and require surgery prior to turning one.

“It could be something as simple as a hole in the heart, to something as complex as Liam’s condition, where he’s missing a

“Heart defects are the most common type of birth defect.”

– BRIDGET O’MEARA

whole half of the heart,” Bridget said.

Bridget said she experienced no additional complications with the pregnancy, and just a week after Liam was born in September 2006, doctors performed a surgical procedure that reconfigured the way his circulatory system operates.

Ordinarily, the left side of the heart is responsible for pumping out oxygenated blood through the aorta to be distributed throughout the body. But for Liam, who lacks a left ventricle, the right ventricle needed to be readjusted to perform the task usually carried out by the left.

“They had to reconfigure his heart so that his right side does the job of both sides of the heart,” Bridget said.

Liam required two subsequent surgeries, one at two months, and another shortly following his second birthday.

MEND A HEART Like many parents entering uncharted waters with a defect in their child with which they were completely unacquainted months earlier, Brian and Bridget turned to their doctors for answers. While they were satisfied with doctors’ short-term responses, they soon discovered even the experts were relatively uncertain about what the more distant future would hold for their son. “[Doctors] are able to fix the shortterm,” Brian said. “What we would ask is, ‘What does it mean long-term?— What does it mean when he’s 20, when he’s 30?

“And a lot of the answers we got back [were], ‘We don’t know.’ ” Brian said the reason for that was because research concerning long-term solutions in pediatric cardiology is not very well-funded.

“The research up until that point had really been focused on immediate survival—saving these kids’ lives when they’re newborns, one-year-old, twoyears-old,” he said.

This stimulated the O’Mearas to set up their own foundation to raise money for additional research to be conducted Continued on the next page www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 49

GIVING BACK

Continued from the previous page

on congenital heart defects like the one that affects their son.

“Being in the hospital for such a long time around whether it’s the nurses, the surgeons or the intensivists who take care of the babies, some of them are so dedicated and are there around the clock,” Bridget said. “So, we really wanted to be able to support those people that

are doing research in their spare time.”

Bridget and Brian launched the Mend a Heart Foundation, establishing it as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization so that contributions they received would be taxdeductible.

In 2007, shortly after setting up the foundation, the O’Mearas resolved to hold a fundraiser, starting with their

Christmas card list to find friends and family who could assist them.

Later that year, they held the inaugural “Heartfest” at The Village Club of Western Springs.

Since the first fundraiser, Brian and Bridget said the annual event has grown considerably.

“We’ve grown each year,” Bridget said. “Our mailing list has gotten bigger; more people have stepped up to help us.”

The O’Mearas credited the community with being supportive from the outset. They said neighbors looked out for their oldest son, who was being babysat by his grandparents while his parents were up in Milwaukee with Liam undergoing surgeries.

“I think that neighborhood and community were wonderful support for us,” Bridget said.

Bridget said most of the Mend a Heart Foundation’s extensive volunteer committee members are Clarendon Hills residents or other “heart” families that they’ve met along the way.

“The ‘heart’ community is a pretty connected and interactive community,” Brian said.

The O’Mearas said it’s “pretty incredible” to see volunteers from the community step up on an annual basis.

“It’s a completely, 100-percent volunteer group,” Brian said.

HEARTFEST 2015 This year’s Heartfest, the eighth annual, was held at The Community House in Hinsdale on Feb. 14.

More than 200 community members came out to spend their Valentine’s Day evenings with the O’Meara family with the hopes of raising money to support research for congenital heart defects.

Heartfest, a casual contrast to many other fundraisers of the blacktie variety, featured a dinner buffet

50 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

donated by Casey’s Market in Western Springs, live musical entertainment and live and silent auctions. Silent auction items included an Ernie Banks autographed bat and a tour of the WMAQ-TV studios in Chicago, while the live auction featured several travel packages and a “super tailgate” experience for 30 people.

Guest speakers Connor and Kelly Awick of Hinsdale highlighted the evening at the podium. Bridget met Kelly Awick as her oldest son’s fourth-grade teacher at Prospect Elementary School this year, and learned that her son Connor also suffered from a heart defect.

Awick said Connor was born with a severe narrowing of his aorta, and required two open-heart surgeries in order to widen it. She said the compassion of others throughout the journey made her see the world as a better place.

“I have personally learned that with family and friends, you can get through

anything in your life,” Awick said.

Connor Awick reiterated his mother’s gratitude, and thanked guests for their support.

“The real heroes are you guys—the families who give and the loved ones who have children with heart problems,” he said. “The other heroes are the surgeons and the medical staff who work tireless hours doing research, diagnosing and performing surgeries to save lives and restore families.”

•••

Since undergoing his third surgery in 2008, Liam has not required any further invasive procedures. Bridget said he goes every six months to see his cardiologist for periodic tests like EKGs, echocardiograms and stress tests.

Brian said Liam takes medications designed to keep his heart rhythm regulated, as well as some blood thinners, but doesn’t require the assistance of any

external machines like a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator.

“He doesn’t have a lot of restrictions,” he said. “He gets tired, he gets fatigued pretty quickly.

“With runs and high-exertion [activities] of that nature, he’ll tire out pretty quickly.”

Now eight years old, Liam attends Prospect School, and according to his parents, lives essentially like any other boy his age.

“Unless you saw his scars,” Brian said, “you would never really know.” n

To learn more about the Mend a Heart Foundation, visit www.mendaheart.org.

www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 51

COMMUNITY SCENE

2 1

CUPID COURTS FOR MISERICORDIA Photography by Karen Hood

3

4

5 [1] Molly Hughes, Katy Lee, Sharon Theoharous and Elaine Hoffman at the KLM paddle courts; [2] Participants at the Hinsdale Golf Club paddle courts; [3] Donna Mittelstadt and Raydeen Neveril; [4] Match at the Ruth Lake Country Club paddle courts; [5] Luncheon at the Hinsdale Golf Club paddle hut

52 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

S

everal local women, led by Hinsdale residents Katy Lee and Maria Mohl, have hosted Cupid Courts, a day of paddle tennis to raise money for Misericordia for the past four years.

The event has raised more than $20,000 each year, and hosts upwards of 80 women from Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills and Western Springs, Burr Ridge and Oak Brook. More than 40 local businesses sponsor and donate items to this event each year.

Misericordia’s rich history of care is a credit to the kindness of thousands of generous supporters.

Founded in 1921, Misericordia currently supports 600 children and adults with developmental disabilities from diverse racial, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

This most vulnerable population lives in an environment of respect and beauty, in which they are challenged to be their best, thanks to the loving care of Misericordia staff and volunteers.

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COMMUNITY SCENE

SETON MONTESSORI KICKS OFF 50TH ANNIVERSARY Photography by Kyle Hampson

Place cards set in birch upon entry. The décor was inspired by natural materials, and hints of gold to symbolize the school’s fifty year anniversary.

S

taff, families and community supporters gathered to celebrate the kickoff of Seton Montessori’s 50th year at a special anniversary at The Westin in Lombard on Jan. 31.

The event featured live and silent auction, raffles, music, dinner and most importantly, gave the community a chance to

celebrate the school’s impact on local families.

“Seton Montessori offers such a unique educational opportunity right here in our community that many travel from all over the area to experience,” gala chair Allison Slingluff said. “We’re so fortunate that it’s remained in our community for five decades, and we’re really looking forward

to celebrating all the lives it has enriched in the past, and all those it will touch in the future.”

Seton Montessori is located at 5722 Virginia Ave. on the southside of Clarendon Hills.

For a complete history of the school and more about its mission, visit www.setonmontessori.org.

Anna Perry, executive director and Stephen Snyder

Allison Slingluff and Theresa Jarka, 2015 event co-chairs

54 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

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Final performances are scheduled on the second Friday of each session at approximately 11a.m. Tuition is $399.

56 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

T

he Children’s Theatre of Western Springs (CTWS) began accepting registrations for its summer program on Feb. 21. CTWS offers two camps for local students of all experience levels, both of which culminate in theatrical productions.

Summer Drama Workshop is designed for students entering second through eighth grades, and this year’s production will be Dr. Dolittle Junior. The musical tells the classic tale of a wacky but kind doctor who can talk to animals, taking the audience on a journey from the small English village of Puddleby-in-the-Marsh to the far corners of the world.

CTWS also offers a musical theatre experience for students entering their freshman years of high school through freshman years of college. High School Rep Summer Stock focuses on creating a full-scale musical production in only three weeks. This year’s production is the musical theatre classic, Godspell. Led by the international hit, “Day By Day,” Godspell features a parade of beloved songs, including “Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord,” “Learn Your Lessons Well,” “All For The Best,” “All Good Gifts” and “By My Side.” An eclectic blend of songs ranging in style from pop to vaudeville is employed, as the story of Jesus’ life dances across the stage.

One session of HSR Summer Stock is available from July 6 to 26. Camp meets Monday to Friday from 2 to 6 p.m.

Performances are July 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m., and July 25 and 26 at 2:30 p.m. Tuition is $435 and includes two tickets to the show. Space is very limited.

For more details, visit www.theatreofwesternsprings.com, or call (708)-246-4043.

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www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 57

SPORTS

CLIMBING TO A MOUNTAINOUS VICTORY OAK BROOK RESIDENT COMPETES AT USA CLIMBING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

by Kristin Pedicini | Photo courtesy of the Kwon family

F

or many people, the art of rock-climbing is just a distant memory of “that one time at Dick’s Sporting Goods or REI,” but for one local high-school student, it’s not a distant memory, but rather a daily activity.

After sustaining a sprained ankle during training, 15-year-old Sophie Kwon returned home Monday after placing eighth at this year’s USA Climbing National Championships.

Before beginning the competition, Kwon explained about two weeks prior to heading to Wisconsin, she had fallen while training. The fall resulted in an injured ankle, although Kwon said it felt alright by competition time.

“I [wasn’t] sure how much of a [hindrance] it [would] be, but I hoped it wouldn’t restrict me too much,” she said.

During the competition, held in Madison, Wisc., 40

58 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

rock-climbers fought their way to the top in what Kwon described as an “isolation-style” race.

Kwon said climbers were directed into a warmup area, where one by one, they viewed the climb for four minutes, and then were allowed to attempt the climb four times.

She said each day, climbers were eliminated, with the top 16 competing on Saturday and the final top ten competing Sunday.

Going into the national event, Kwon said she was merely hoping to finish in the top 16, let alone coming home after claiming eighth place.

“It’s the best I’ve ever done, so I’m really happy,” she said.

The Hinsdale Central freshman began rock climbing competitively when she was just ten years old.

“It really provides me with a nice community of people,” Kwon said. “And [I really enjoy] the concept and idea of improving yourself, and there’s always something to shoot for.”

To train for competitions, Kwon spends four or five days a week practicing with her team, along with doing yoga and running on the weekends.

The week prior to each event, Kwon said she sleeps a lot, drinks plenty of water and continues her running with yoga.

Looking ahead, Kwon said her next challenge will be this summer’s national competition, which focuses on climbing while using a rope.

Ultimately, it’s the various aspects of climbing—such as working with or without a rope—that have held Kwon’s interest year after year.

“There is always a distinct goal to work for, and climbing is really interesting,” she said. “And you can do it with friends; it’s [just] a chill environment.”

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www.hinsdale60521.com |Hinsdale Magazine 59

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SharbelLimoService.com 60 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

his early spring issue of techKNOW takes a different approach to technology and the Internet. We have compiled a list of single-serve and basic Web sites that you may or may not have heard of. A single-serve Web site is a site that contains a single purpose for its viewers, with many of the sites containing a single page. Some of these sites have become very popular over the Internet because of what they offer. Without further ado, let’s take a look:

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Errol Janusz

Useful sites that the Internet has to offer

www.rainymood.com Turn your sound up! When it is time to get down to work or simply read a book, this Web site will continuously loop a long track of a thunderstorm soundboard with rain. No other sounds or advertisements—just the calming relaxation of a summer storm. www.letslunch.com This Web site and smartphone app is your personal assistant to do more networking during your lunch hour.

You can organize and schedule lunches with strangers in order to expand your contact list. You may actually meet someone from a company you want to work for, or a beneficial contact within a particular industry. www.pcnames.com This site is great for anyone starting a Web site for their business. When you land on this site, you have the ability to check if your domain name is available. What is unique about this page is that it will instantly let you know if it is available or not as you type each letter. Similar to your Google searches, this site will also give you similar alternatives to your name of choice. www.10minutemail.com I use this site at least once a week. Since every other site on the Web wants you to give them your e-mail address for access, this site will instantly generate a working e-mail address for you for ten minutes. You can finally sign up for anything you wish without later receiving useless spam e-mail updates. Be careful, because your e-mail will self-destruct forever after ten minutes. www.fatwallet.com This site has been on the Internet for ages.

There may be thousands of Web sites out there that have coupons and deals, but the user forums are what sets this site apart. Each deal is accompanied by real-time comments and reviews. Real people will tell you if the deal works, and if a certain store will or will not honor the coupons. This can be a very useful site for bargain-hunters.

Errol Janusz is president and lead technician at Edward Technology. For more information, contact Errol at (630) 3339323, ext. 303, or e-mail him at ejanusz@Hinsdale60521.com.

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PEAK PERFORMANCE

Jim Fannin

It’s March Madness!

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

t’s not just about the wacky NCAA hoops tournament.

It’s not just about your alma mater’s best player’s season ending injury. It’s not about filling out your tournament bracket.

It’s about being cooped up all winter with boneshivering wind chill, near record snowfall and bleak, gray skies.

“When is spring break? Where do we go? Who wants to go away? Who wants to stay home? I need a break!”

It’s the end of the first quarter at work. “What happened?

My team blew this one; they weren’t ready. Now what do I do in the second quarter?”

It’s about the kids’ crazy schedules: homework, tennis practice, choir, karate, tutors, parties, dances, volunteering, clubs, soccer, carpool. “My house seems like Grand Central Station. The refrigerator looks like a commercial for post-it notes. I’m tired.”

It’s about having only a few months to get into last year’s bathing suit. “When do I start losing weight? Maybe I buy a bigger suit; maybe I won’t go swimming this year.”

It’s about St. Patrick’s Day. “How can I avoid embarrassing myself—again. I hope everyone forgot. I think my picture in a leprechaun hat and a kilt is still on Facebook.

It’s about enrolling the kids in summer camp. “How much will that cost this year? What if they refuse to go? Now what will they do? And if they don’t go, what will we do?

It’s time to plan for the outdoor patio that’s been on the agenda for a decade. “Will it get done this spring? We need to plan. Why don’t we ever agree on this?”

It’s the Masters in a few weeks. “Time to get my clubs ready—will I get to play enough this year? I’m sick of losing to what’s his face at the club. I think I’ll take some lessons.

My putting sucks; I still have the three-foot lip-out to lose the championship etched in my skull with indelible ink. Is it too late to get Masters tickets?”

Phew—there’s so much to do and so little time. It’s March madness!

What do the best in the world do? How do they manage the stress and strain of public opinion, the bright lights of fame, the significant “moments of truth” that decide the outcome, and the tremendous expectation that arrives with their new contract? How do they make it seem so easy? How do they appear to never sweat?

The best of the best at whatever it is, slow down the game.

You can see Derrick Rose at his best moving effortlessly, Continued on page 64

62 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

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PEAK PERFORMANCE Continued from page 62

knifing through the defense as if his opponents were standing still. At times, the basket appears to him bigger than it really is. A calm blankets the air; he slows down the game.

Chicago Bear great and hall of famer Gale Sayers told me over a casual lunch, “As soon as I was given the ball, everything slowed down. I could easily see the attack lanes open where the play was headed. It seemed like time stood still. Everything was in slow-motion, although film showed the replay in blistering speed.”

Frank Thomas told me, “I could see the ball out of the pitcher’s hand. I knew what he would throw me, and he did.

The ball appeared like a grapefruit and at times, it slowed down when it got to the plate.”

Peter Fleming, four-time Wimbledon doubles champion with John McEnroe, told me, “Although I was aware of the vast crowd, I felt peacefully alone. The game was in slowmotion, and the ball seemed to wait on me.”

Is this just for the superstar athlete?—Hardly.

You’ve had many moments like this in your life. It’s the day when all the stars were aligned. Remember?—everything fell in sync. The small stuff didn’t matter. You were awake and fully aware of all around you. Yet your focus was laser-like and full of energy. This “purposeful calm” feeling where nothing could go wrong occurred while taking an exam in school. You knew the answers; you could even see them on the pages within the book that was back in your room. You nailed your major sales presentation. You anticipated the questions, not just because of great preparation, but because you intuitively picked up all of the vibes in the room. You sold product after product. Everything clicked; everything was easy for you. Your hectic day did not matter. A permanent smile creased your face as you calmly handled family crisis after crisis. You were in total control. “I got this” was your mantra this day.

What’s one of the manor keys to success? Slow down— slow down life. Most of us walk around with 15 to 17 breaths per minute. “March madness” can easily raise that number well into the 20s. It’s here that life speeds up. Worry, anxiety and fear can begin to govern your actions. What’s the hurry?

What’s the rush? You’ll get there.

Let’s reflect on your life as if you’re in your late 70s.

•

•

•

•

•

•

You sprinted to the playground when you were let out of class in grade school.

You hurried in the hallways to get to your next class in high school. You couldn’t wait to be 16, and when you received your license, you drove very, very fast.

You couldn’t wait to be 21. You wanted to get there

quickly. College was a blur, although you had a blast.

You dreaded 30, but you still rushed to beat the

competition at work or get your kids to the right places on the right day and time.

You thought about slowing down when 40 arrived. Life as a couple was like two ships sailing past each other in the night. Then, you thought about your fading youthful body. You joined the local gym and hired a trainer.

You went to the doctor for anti-aging advice. You rushed to get fit and be young again.

64 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

•

•

•

•

At 45, you thought about your “bucket list.” It crept up on you with so little time left to accomplish your dreams.

Then, you put your mind in overdrive to get it all done.

You slowed down a little at 50, but the mid-life crisis called for the black Porsche. You rushed to see it, buy it and drive it away from the dealership—but you forgot to pick-up your daughter at the train station. You wondered many times, “What does she do up there in her room at night?”

You pondered and reflected on everything at 60, but you finally got on the floor and became lost with your grandkids in a game of “it doesn’t matter.” It was so much fun!

You panicked at 70. What if the insurance actuary was right? I’ve got how many days left? He doesn’t know me; I will slow life down. I’ll take in the scenery—and I’m talking people, not just places and things. I’ll look them in the eye; I’ll get in the moment. I really want to live forever—I do.”

But not if life goes too fast.

Slow down, Hinsdale. Where are you going? Breathe; take in the moment. Savor the day like a great wine or a candle-lit dinner with the love of your life. In fact, quit eating altogether—dine. Things will get done. Most decisions don’t need to be made—and the ones that do need to be made can be made in fewer than 90 seconds. Be a palm tree in life’s hurricanes. Get to really know your children. Look people in the eye, and that includes family. Court your spouse again. Be more tolerant and patient with your parents now that you’ve started to coach them. Let surprise and spontaneity govern your actions. Let your intuitive voice be the voice of reason.

Surrender to it.

When Luke Donald finally became the No. 1 professional golfer in the world, he adhered to a process. Yes, he was disciplined. He planned; he was prepared. But the key was being true to his beliefs. He really savored the moment during my six years helping him with the daunting quest of being the best in the world. That year, he took his time. He relished the moment.

March madness?—no. Luke won his first 72-hole professional tournament at the Honda Classic in March. I was there; he was in the moment; he slowed down the game.

The best in the world breathe six to ten breaths per minute. Their jaws are unhinged. They take in great inhales and exhales. They look effortless; they are calm and cool.

March madness? Slow down. n

Burr Ridge resident Jim Fannin is a world-class thought leader and coach with 42 years of experience in life, business and sports. To learn about his latest thought management program, go to 90secondrule.com, or visit jimfannin.com.

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SPIRITUAL INSIGHT

Dan Meyer

The sunset clause

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Anger Is Not Necessarily Bad

The emotion of anger gets a bad rap sometimes. A lot of us were raised to think that to be “good people,” we’ve got to be a bit like Mister Rogers. We’ve believed that the moral goal was to become perpetually placid persons who never get chafed about anything.

As Melvin Wheatley observed, however, “There are situations in life in which the absence of anger is [actually] the essence of evil.” For example, if someone came up to you on the street and slugged your mom in the face and you did not get angry, we’d have to say, “What’s wrong with you?!” To paraphrase Henry Ward Beecher, “People that do not know how to be angry over injustice do not know how to be good.”

If you’re not angry over what ISIS is doing, then something is wrong.

When our hearts and minds are working properly, anger serves like a helpful alarm system. It alerts us when something good is under attack.

Like the sensation of pain, a sudden flush of anger invites us to fight or flee, or do something constructive to change the conditions. Our anger can serve as a warning to others that they’ve stepped where they shouldn’t. And in this sense, anger is not only pardonable; it is essential to the preservation of what is just and good.

Anger Is Not Necessarily Good

The problem, however, is that sometimes our hearts and minds don’t work properly. Our hearts can get clogged with pride and selfishness.

Our minds can get filled with bad ideas about what other people owe us, and what life should be giving to us. The more this happens, the easier it is for anger to stop being a gift that moves us to creative action and start becoming a destructive force. It can become what moral thinkers call the sin of wrath. Patrick Morley suggests that wrath often wears one of three different faces (1).

Sometimes, it’s the face of “Freddie Flash”—the guy with the short fuse. Maybe you know Freddie. It doesn’t take much to set him off: people in his way, sloppiness or rudeness, poor service, sudden surprises.

Small irritations blow out of proportion for Freddie. He gets angry often, but because his rage subsides about as quickly, Freddie doesn’t think he has much of a problem. But it’s the frequency of his anger that makes others tiptoe around him and respect him less and less.

Then, there is “Cary Control.” Cary works hard to keep a lid on all the pressure and anxiety he lives with. He often feels underappreciated and even bitter. Because he has such a long fuse, however, Cary doesn’t explode too often. When he does blow, though, he says things that sear the soul of people. Sometimes he lashes out physically, scaring his family and even himself. Where Freddie Flash has a problem with the frequency of his anger, Cary Control has issues with the intensity of his rage.

But there is a third type of person—someone like “Gary Grudge”— who has a problem with the duration of his anger. Gary rarely has visible outbursts of wrath. He simply seethes and simmers, nursing the resentment he feels towards those who’ve hurt him, thinking about how to discredit them, imagining scenarios where they come to feel the pain he has felt. His blood pressure soars; his stomach acids churn. He doesn’t get over it.

66 Hinsdale Magazine | www.hinsdale60521.com

Wrath disfigures the soul of the wrathful, leading to a blind selfrighteousness. It consumes the health of the angry one, wreaks havoc on the well-being of those around, and destroys relationships. Unchecked anger continues the cycle of evil and pain. 25,000 people are murdered in the United States each year. 1,000 people are killed in the workplace, and a million more are injured each year by violent attacks from coworkers (2). This is just part of why wrath is called a “deadly sin.”

How To Handle Anger Constructively Wrath is anger inflamed by pride and channeled destructively. The question becomes, how to avoid it?

First, avoid hanging around with habitually angry people. There are social circles that thrive on encouragement, problem-solving and hope, and there are circles that feed on gossip, bitterness and complaint.

Choose your company wisely.

Secondly, instead of keeping a record of wrongs, make a decision to aggressively overlook minor offenses. Someone once said that there are two secrets to contentment. The first is not to sweat the small stuff.

The second is to remind ourselves how much of the irritations of life are really small stuff.

Thirdly, let feelings of anger move us to seek repair and not revenge.

A boy became furious with his father on a fishing trip. As they went out in the boat that day, the young man began to snicker. The father demanded to know what was so funny. Finally, the boy said maliciously, “I’m laughing because there’s a hole in the hull underneath your seat, and you’re going to sink.” As friends, families, nations and races, we are all in the same boat and will sink or be saved together. Choosing to repair and reconcile isn’t just a noble idea; it is essential to our survival.

Finally, remember to deal with anger daily. Taking a page out of Zig Ziglar, I remember a day not long ago when an afternoon storm blanketed my driveway with snow. When I got home, I saw the drifts there. I thought about getting out the snow-blower and shovel. But there was dinner to eat, kids to get to bed, and bills to pay. It’s too much work, I thought, “I’ll clear it off tomorrow.” The next day, I came home from work ready to take the project on. But it had gotten even colder the night before after the sun went down. Amy and I had driven our cars over the snow and packed it down. And now, rather than fluffy snow to clear, I was hacking at ice.

I’ve seen a lot of marriages, partnerships and friendships destroyed by subtle degrees. Haven’t you? Anger left unaddressed piles up and freezes into wrath, which is why the Bible teaches: “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” Instead, before this night falls, “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:26-5:2).

Dr. Dan Meyer is the senior pastor at Christ Church of Oak Brook.

(1) Patrick Morley, The Man In The Mirror, p.215 (2) ABC Morning News, March 15, 1996.

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