Downers Grove Magazine November 2020

PAYING IT FORWARD

Three local women share their inspirational stories of bravery and victory

#WeAreDG: IN FOR THE LONG RUN

ARTS AND THEATRE: STAGES OF GRIEF

LIFE & STYLE: NEWCOMERS TO DOWNERS GROVE

Lucy Hilt Elaine Pagels Laura Michicich Brita Pagels

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

In June 2007, my husband and I moved to our house in Downers Grove from downtown Chicago. It was a difficult and complicated time. Beyond figuring out what home ownership entails, I was also pregnant with my firstborn, had recently started a new job involving much out-of-state travel, and my mother was battling for her life.

When I was a senior in high school, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite her best efforts, she succumbed to the disease in December of 2007—a week after my son was born. She never was healthy enough to visit Downers Grove or my home, but I made sure to take her on a virtual tour by filming every nook and cranny of my house and the downtown area.

When approached earlier this fall to do a story on breast cancer survivors, it certainly hit home with me—not only due to the experience with my own mom, but because of the many stories I have heard over the last few years from women near and far. On the heels of breast cancer awareness in October, this issue features three women who have created their own tribe that welcomes members to their club with open arms, even if nobody would choose to belong to it. Hear their battle cry: they certainly understand the meaning of paying it forward, and have bravely stepped up to help other women who are currently on their own personal journey to recovery.

a local resident and his or her impact on the community. This issue features two: a courageous 4-year-old girl and a remarkable octogenarian.

According to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, more than 400 heart transplants are performed in pediatric patients each year. We also visited with our very own Sofia Sanchez, the local recipient of a heart transplant at Lurie Hospital, two years later. Many remember her story being featured on the Today show and local news outlets, and we were grateful to catch up with this bubbly teen now reporting on her healthy outlook on life.

PAYING IT FORWARD

I commented to our editorial team that this issue makes me want to be a better person, and realize the power of this community is amazing. As we head into the holiday season, let’s all remember that one random or small act of kindness can go a long way. Paying it forward can be as simple as holding the door for the next person, to donating perishables to FISH Food Pantry.

The power of giving is in its selflessness. It is always a delight to receive something from somebody who is motivated by compassion, rather than a sense of duty or obligation. Continue to pay it forward, Downers Grove.

The theme of gratitude continues throughout the issue. How many marathons have you run over the years? Meet Ron Williams. He is one of only four runners to have completed every Chicago Marathon since 1977. A feat in itself, he also fundraises every year by dedicating his run to a local cancer patient. Ron has supported 4-year-old Regan Ulaszek, a member of a family he only met a few years ago, as she combats acute leukemia. #WeAreDG always features

Sincerely,

Anne Healy

Associate Publisher anne@hinsdalemag.com

Three local women share their inspirational stories of bravery and victory

49

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Candice Richmond, Amber Quirk and Lauren Loeb chat about their experiences with breast cancer.

Photograph by Carolina Menapace

be your brightest self

At Shine Pediatric Dentistry, we are deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our community. Our CDC-based protocols will ensure your visit is safe and enjoyable.

As a Downers Grove mother myself, I’m personally invested in our children. As a board-certified pediatric dentist with privileges at Lurie Children’s Hospital, we offer highly specialized care to help every one of our patients discover their healthiest and brightest smiles.

Lynse J Briney, DDS, MS Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry

FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

Scott Jonlich sjonlich@hinsdalemag.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Anne Healy anne@hinsdalemag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Maureen Callahan

Mike Ellis

Valerie Hardy

Julie Jonlich

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Larry Atseff

Mark Menapace

Emma Wolf

CREATIVE DEPARTMENT

Marco Nunez

Julia Sinogeikina

Dennis Stromberg

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Carolina Menapace

Brett Beiner Photography

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Hinsdale Magazine Group 3 Grant Square, #201 Hinsdale, IL 60521 630-655-3400 www.DownersGroveMag.com

No person, organization or publication can copy or re-produce the content in this magazine or any part of this publication without a written consent from the publisher. The publisher, authors, contributors and designers reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work. Downers Grove Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information. The information contained about each individual, event or organization has been provided by such individual, event organizers or organization. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Downers Grove Magazine. Comments are welcome, but they should be on-topic and well-expressed. Copyright ©2019 Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved.

InstaGROVE Timeless Memories

Avery Coonley School

Finn Ripper

Samantha Guldberg

Bailey Tlusty

Lola DelPercio The Erickson Family

It’s that time of the year. Vibrant foliage, pumpkin patches, apple orchards and the rustic beauty of fall make for some gorgeous backgrounds for family pictures and an opportune time to capture memories. Downers Grove Magazine asked readers to submit photos and they answered.

Sebastian Robinson

The Cooper Family

The Esslinger Family

The Boyle Family

The Cosentino Family

The Faber Family

The LaCassa Family

Joseph McIntyre

The Reynolds Family

The Sevcik Family

Chance McIntyre

The O’Connor Family

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Anne Healy had the opportunity to interview Laura Crawford, president and CEO of Chamber630, on how the organization has evolved throughout the years, its unique partnership with local businesses facing extraordinary challenges of today, and its ability to find creative ways to support the community of Downers Grove.

When was Chamber630 started, and how has it evolved over the years?

In 1951, after a group of Ellsworth Park business owners gathered, seeking “a voice that would represent their businesses,” the Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce & Industry was incorporated. As the downtown and Ellsworth Park grew, so did the chamber, eventually adding the word “area” to its name. On my first day as president and CEO of [the] Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry, April 2, 2007, Ralph Grandle, then owner of Tricon Industries, made a welcome call to ask me to host a meeting for the businesses in Ellsworth wanting EPA information and knowledge on how they would be affected. That was the start of a great relationship, where I learned much of the Downers Grove history, and I fully understood that members were the key to the knowledge necessary to fulfill the position of president of the chamber.

How many members does Chamber630 have?

Still in touch with many of the founding fathers, the chamber expanded to one of the largest in DuPage County, with 700 business members. In July 2015, the Woodridge Area Chamber and Downers Grove Area Chambers merged, and the organizations became Chamber630. Today, its footprint spans through 75 Zip codes and nine counties.

It is apparent that business has no borders. Why do businesses join Chamber630?

The commonality of all Chamber630 members is that they want to conduct business within the vibrant corridor of I-88, 294, 355 and 290. Businesses look to Chamber630 for economical marketing venues, referrals and referral groups, advocacy, workforce development and networking opportunities. While promoting our members, Chamber630.com welcomes over 7,000,000 visitors each year. We offer a plethora of venues and opportunities for businesses and not-for-profits, and we even operate a separate 501(c)3 called 630 Workforce Education Foundation, which prepares students of District 99 for their first work experience. For the last ten years, two scholarships have been awarded to District 99 students, furthering their education.

During these times, how has Chamber630 remained integral to our community?

With the onslaught of the pandemic, like many businesses, the Chamber630 staff quickly pivoted meetings to Zoom and a remote workplace. We always learn from our members, so the staff reached out to gain an understanding of work concerns, and to learn how we could assist. Clearly, the restaurant industry was at high-risk, so we initiated a campaign to encourage people to order meals-to-go, and offered the restaurants and other members free advertising in E-communications and social media outlets.

Mayor Bob Barnett also invited me to join the Downers Grove task force for opening business. Over a brief period, a plan was implemented, and the chamber shifted as an informational portal. A few of the issues that we broadly communicated [were] information on the CARES Act, liquor laws, healthcare options for furloughed employees, workplace

safety, PPP, SBA, free safety certification and Business Interruption Grant opportunities, as well as resources for PPE, one of which was being manufactured by a Downers Grove company.

Has Chamber630 been able to help in any creative ways?

Often generated from challenging times comes opportunity. We contacted several local businesses that could easily shift to a different focus to accommodate new needs such as tents, masks, hand sanitizer, food and more. Chamber630 connected many generous members that went above and beyond to feed and support first responders, hospital employees, food pantries, families in need and others. An example is the partnership of Chamber630 and member non-profits, KOHA and the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58, [which] partnered with Shop & Save Market, State Farm Agencies in Downers Grove and ServiceMaster to collect funds for the District 58 family support fund. I know I am not alone when I cite the heartwarming experience and how very blessed we are in this community, to have witnessed the continued outpouring of support, despite extraordinary challenges. What is the future of Chamber630?

A chamber of commerce is nothing more than its members. Our region is vibrant, the members are brilliant, and they serve as the greatest resource for a sustainable and strong business community. The mission of Chamber630 is to serve its members by providing and protecting economic opportunities essential to a successful enterprise. We will remain laser-focused on that mission, and look forward to the day when the challenge of COVID-19 is no longer considered a health [or] business issue.

PHOTO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: BECKY NELSON PATSAIS (630 MANAGER OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT), TERESA PERCEFULL (CARLOTZ), MAYOR BOB BARNETT (VILLAGE OF DOWNERS GROVE), LAURA CRAWFORD AND LADALE PORTER (CARLOTZ) AT WASABI RESTAURANT & BAR RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY

Dr. Sam Allen

“A straight, beautiful smile is universally sought after. While it is an esthetically pleasing feature, it enhances a person’s overall wellbeing in many ways. When a person’s teeth are not in alignment, the function of the teeth and jaw are not optimal; therefore, food may not be digested properly, excellent oral hygiene is difficult, wear and tear on the teeth is advanced, and the pressure from the misalignment may cause headaches and facial pain.

Seeing these transformations in my patients, along with a renewed self-esteem and a new desire to smile, is by far the greatest reward of my profession as an orthodontist.”

Exceptional Academic Achievements, Leadership and Research

“The commitment to helping patients have a straight, beautiful smile started with my dedication to learning. Education was the gateway to my profession, and I optimized the opportunity to learn. With a desire to exemplify academic excellence, I graduated first in my dental class.”

In for the long run

Ron Williams’ philanthropic track record rivals his marathon achievements

BY VALERIE HARDY PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINA MENAPACE

Octogenarian Ron Williams is one of only four runners to have completed every Chicago Marathon since the series’ inception in 1977. But when the 43rd annual Chicago Marathon became a virtual experience due to the pandemic, Williams opted out.

He is not ready to commit to the 2021 race yet, saying, “I will decide next year about next year,” but he is definitely not hanging up his running shoes.

Williams said he ran back in high school and into the beginning of college at Wisconsin, “until fraternity life and beer-drinking got in the way.”

Years later, when a neighbor invited Williams to run, he accepted.

“He got me up to six miles and quit, but I kept going,” he said.

Soon after, the first annual Chicago

Marathon came along, and Williams figured, “Why not?”

“That was dumb,” he said; but he was not-so-secretly hooked. He read training books, set goals, and “got way too serious about it,” chasing the often-elusive Boston Marathon-qualifying time. Williams achieved his personal record of just under three hours in 1982.

However, Williams’ true finish-line is helping others and making his family— late wife Sue, three daughters and five grandchildren—proud.

“I didn’t know Ron before this. It’s a really great example of the community and neighborhood we live in.”

— JASON ULASZEK

RON WILLIAMS AT THE MORTON ARBORETUM

Twenty-six years ago, Williams boarded a flight to Australia soon after attending the funeral of a good friend who died of a stroke at age 52.

“It was a wake-up call to my mortality, and on the plane, I just kept thinking, ‘I’m so lucky to be alive, and there are so many things I’d like my daughters to know and hear,’” he said.

On that flight, Williams jotted down notes for his daughters, partnered those with various inspirational quotes, and assembled them into his inaugural “Positive Outlook Calendar.” He shared a copy of the calendar with his employer, and they ended up printing and sending the calendar to their clients at Christmastime. Williams also mailed a calendar to the wife and sons of the friend whose death largely inspired its creation.

When his 4-year-old great-nephew Russell Witek was diagnosed with

leukemia in 1999, Williams ran the marathon and began fundraising through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team-in-Training program in Witek’s honor. Donors received a copy of that year’s positive outlook calendar.

Witek remained Williams’ “patient hero” throughout his decade in

breast cancer, she was my patient hero,” Williams said.

Williams’ current patient hero is 4-year-old Regan Ulaszek, a happy-golucky, caring and strong little girl who lives just a few blocks from Williams in north Downers Grove. In January 2019, Ulaszek was diagnosed with the same form of acute leukemia Witek had, and she has been in treatment since her diagnosis. Her chemotherapy is scheduled to run through May.

treatment, but he ultimately lost his cancer battle due to collateral damage from a brain tumor. To this day, though, Williams keeps the fight alive through his annual fundraising efforts.

Each year, he dedicates his race and calendar to an individual undergoing cancer treatment.

“When [my wife] Sue was going through chemo for her second bout of

Ulaszek’s parents Meredith and Jason are honored and humbled by Williams’ efforts. Connected with Williams by a mutual acquaintance, Jason Ulaszek said, “I didn’t know Ron before this. It’s a really great example of the community and neighborhood we live in.”

Meredith Ulaszek said Williams’ fundraising is critically important, because “there is a lot of room for

“Volunteering at the Arboretum has allowed me to pay back for all the joy the Arboretum has given me.”

— RON WILLIAMS

REGAN ULASZEK ENJOYS SOME FALL FUN WITH HER BROTHERS.

improvement in the treatment of childhood cancers,” noting that Regan’s treatments are very similar to what Meredith’s brother—who also had leukemia as a child—received back in the 1970s.

To date, Williams has raised approximately $325,000 toward the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s acceleration of lifesaving cancer treatments. He has also traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby senators on behalf of the society.

Williams serves directly in the local community too. For the past seven years, he has coordinated and provided transportation to medical appointments for clients of Downers Grove Area FISH, a non-profit organization.

He is also a longstanding volunteer on the “Tuesdays in the Tallgrass” team in the Schulenberg Prairie at the Morton Arboretum.

Williams has run at the Arboretum for 40 years. He shared how he used to climb over the fence on Finley Road, and run all the way through to the tallgrass area during his 13-mile morning runs before work. These runs were among his favorites.

“Volunteering at the Arboretum has allowed me to pay back for all the joy the Arboretum has given me.”

Contributions to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Regan Ulaszek’s honor may be made by visiting https://pages.lls.org/ tnt/chi/yourway21/rwilliams.

RON WILLIAMS AND THE ULASZEK FAMILY OF DOWNERS GROVE

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Putting her heart into it

Two years post-transplant, Sofia Sanchez celebrates her second chance at life

BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINA MENAPACE

This year taught us to search for silver linings. We asked a struggling neighbor how we might help, noticed blessings overlooked in the past, and renewed our appreciation for the basics, i.e. personal relationships, employment and most importantly, health.

Few Downers Grove residents are more grateful in this season of thanks than Sofia Sanchez. The bubbly 13-year-old heart transplant recipient feels grateful for “another chance at life.” Downers Grove Magazine checked in with Sofia shortly after the second anniversary of her “heart birthday.”

“I’m so grateful for life,” Sanchez said.

Sofia’s mom Natalie Sanchez spent the beginning of 2018 shuttling her daughter to doctors’ offices around the greater Chicago area seeking answers for her daughter’s symptoms of pallor, shortness of breath and weight-loss.

“It was frustrating; I knew there was something very wrong,” Natalie Sanchez said.

Sanchez ignored incorrect diagnoses of asthma, malnutrition and psychological issues.

“As a mother, you know your own child,” she said. “I knew there was more to it.”

Their desperate search ended in the emergency room of Lurie Children’s Hospital in June, 2018. The doctor who examined Sofia diagnosed her with cardiomyopathy. She credited Natalie’s persistence with saving her daughter’s life. In heart failure at time of admittance, Sanchez was the sickest patient in the hospital—if not the entire state—with only 12 percent of her heart working, according to her doctors.

With her mom by her side, Sanchez spent a long summer waiting in Lurie’s critical care unit on a VAD (ventricular assist device)—a mechanical pump used to support cardiac function and blood flow in patients with heart failure. The Gift of Hope, an organization that coordinates organ and tissue transplant donors with recipients, helped her move up on the waitlist due to her level of illness.

If it’s darkest just before dawn, light came in the form of a visit from Canadian rapper Drake. A huge fan, Sanchez had appealed for a visit with him through a taped video message. Her 11th birthday was celebrated with a party of about 20 friends in the hospital. One week later came the greatest gift of all: a new heart!

Not one to slow down, Sanchez holds Lurie’s record for walking the furthest distance the day after surgery. Her skateboard also got a workout that day. Although she will be on anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life to maintain compatibility between her bodily systems and new heart, it has not stopped her from returning to her passions of cheerleading, gymnastics and softball. Sanchez is more than aware of necessary adjustments to live a normal

for those waiting for transplants. When asked for her advice for waiting donors, she advised to “do whatever it takes to hang in there. Find what keeps you busy in the hospital.” While Sanchez has not yet met the donor of her new heart, she knows that he was a 14-yearold-boy. Unfortunately, circumstances did not allow them an anticipated meeting with his parents.

life going forward.

“I just have to be careful to warm up and cool down while being active, because I’m missing some arteries,” she said.

With appearances on local news outlets and the Today show, to several YouTube clips, Sanchez is a bright light

“I hope it works out to thank them in person one day,” Natalie Sanchez said. “I would love for them to see how happy they made us. We’re so, so thankful. I couldn’t live without my baby girl.”

“Do whatever it takes to hang in there. Find what keeps you busy in the hospital.”

— SOFIA SANCHEZ

SOFIA SANCHEZ WITH HER ADOPTED DOG REMI

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Making her mark

The Paper Peony founder Jennifer Larkin makes her mark—literally—in the letterpress printing industry.

BY EMMA WOLF PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINA MENAPACE

In the tech-savvy world of 2020, the days of mailing paper greeting cards seem to be over for many. But this is not the case for The Paper Peony founder Jennifer Larkin.

Larkin cherishes the good oldfashioned feeling of opening an envelope to reveal a paper greeting card with a message printed on the inside. Her love of paper communication is what prompted Larkin to start her own letterpress greeting card company, The Paper Peony.

Before moving to the suburbs, Larkin and her husband lived in Chicago, where she sold custom, handmade wedding invitations from 2003 to 2007. During this time, letterpress printing, (which dates back to 1900,) became increasingly popular. Looking to expand her wedding invitation business, Larkin began taking letterpress classes at Columbia College in Chicago.

Taking these classes taught Larkin that she had a knack for what is considered to be a hefty task.

“I realized that letterpress printing was something I really enjoyed doing, and I wondered if I could make a career out of it,” she said.

It turns out, Larkin could. In 2007, she began creating her own handmade letterpress cards, ranging in occasion from birthdays to holidays to weddings. Seeing how much potential they had, she started selling her cards on Etsy as a side-hustle.

As her business began picking up and her family life was also bustling after the birth of her son, Larkin and her growing family moved to the suburbs.

Now residing in Downers Grove, Larkin has expanded her business, The Paper Peony, so much that she now has her own website.

“I never knew how high of a demand there was for hand-pressed cards, but people love them,” she said.

Larkin loves running her business in Downers Grove, because of the support she gets from other small businesses in town.

of many of her cards, some of her top sellers include her “Real Housewives of Downers Grove” pencils and her “maybe swearing will help” vinyl sticker.

Larkin recently expanded her line to include cards that contain uplifting messages of encouragement, which seems to be what everyone could use right now.

“I wanted to add cards that remind people that there is hope even in

“Being small business owners, we feel each other’s successes and challenges, because we face many of the same ones,” she said. “It’s about collaboration, not competition. I get strong support and positive vibes from people in Downers Grove.”

Her line of products includes greeting cards, notepads, vinyl stickers, pencils, tote-bags, wine-bags and her self-care line that is coming soon. Given the playful, witty nature

challenging times—COVID included,” she said.

Working out of her studio that is attached to her garage, she uses her 1950s Vandercook letterpress machine that she bought from Kentucky and rebuilt after starting her business. As a bonus, she helps the environment along the way by only using 100-percent cotton paper

Continued on next page

JENNIFER LARKIN CONTINUES TO EXPAND HER LINE OF UNIQUE PRODUCTS.

Continued from the previous page

that is made via wind power.

Don’t be fooled by the flawless appearance of Larkin’s cards; the letterpress printing process is more complicated than one would imagine.

“It seems simple, but it’s actually intricate,” she said. “Doing it by hand makes for a time-consuming process, but it also makes me appreciate it all the more.”

The meticulous work that goes into hand-pressing each card is why Larkin only sells her cards in small batches. Because the process requires the use of heavy-duty machinery, letterpress printing was traditionally a maledominated career field in the 1900s.

“It’s exciting for me to be a female printer working in a masculine line of work,” Larkin said. “It’s rewarding that I get to break those boundaries, and show people I’m just as capable of doing this as men are.”

That feminist spirit carries over into Larkin’s products, such as her card and pencils that read “women empower women.”

As for what’s next, Larkin hopes to continue growing her product and open her own studio outside of her house, where she can teach printmaking classes to those seeking to test their crafty side.

“It’s truly an art,” she said. “I want to teach others to do what I do. I want them to feel the satisfaction I feel when I finish making a single card.”

Based on the growing popularity of her business, Larkin seems to be headed in the right direction towards literally making her mark in the letterpress industry.

CARDS WITH UPLIFTING MESSAGES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE PAPER PEONY.

Fall back in love with your home!

We’ve spent a lot of time at home this year. Adapting to an ever changing reality, while learning to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.

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Welcoming others to an unwelcome club

Brought together by breast cancer, three Downers Grove women are here to help others facing their own tough times

BY VALERIE HARDY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINA MENAPACE

It is a Thursday afternoon in October; the sun-soaked garnet and gold leaves stand in brilliant contrast to the green ones, stubbornly clinging to summer. It is the epitome of sweater weather and the perfect backdrop for Candice Richmond, Lauren Loeb and Amber Quirk to catch up over a bottle of Rosé beside the serene water feature running through Loeb’s yard.

The three women have eight schoolaged children between them, so their happy-hour conversation might easily ring of the woes and silver linings of

remote learning, or whether holiday travel is in the cards this year. However, listening in, one would instead hear the animated swapping of stories about incorrect medical bills, gratitude for health insurance, whether to get fake toenails to compensate for lasting nail damage resulting from chemotherapy, and trouble with word-recall, a residual effect of “chemo-fog,” as Quirk called it.

The women more solemnly discuss how their children reacted to the news of their illness, and how hard their cancer chapters must have been for their husbands.

“They think they’re going to lose you,” Loeb said.

Quirk recounted how, months after she completed cancer treatment, she asked her husband what her oncologist said to him when they stepped into the hallway on the day of her diagnosis. After he asked her if she really wanted to know, he told her that the doctor said if they had found the cancer any later, she probably would not have survived.

Though living through breast cancer involved many dark days, a number of unexpected gifts came along with the

CANDICE RICHMOND, AMBER QUIRK AND LAUREN LOEB CHAT ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH BREAST CANCER AND HOW GRATEFUL THEY ARE FOR EACH OTHERS’ SUPPORT OVER WINE IN LOEB’S GARDEN.

disease.

“I hung out with my parents and family more than I ever probably would have,” Richmond said.

Richmond’s parents and other loved ones regularly accompanied her to chemotherapy appointments. She said her treatment days were surprisingly fun. Richmond would don her “chemo overalls,” committed to looking youthful, despite having lost her hair and feeling like she “looked so sad, scary and sick,” and savor quality time talking and laughing with family and friends, while hooked up to the five-hour chemo drip.

Loeb recalled the many people who “came out of the woodwork” to support her and her family when she was undergoing cancer treatment. She said people dropped off meals, and sent her bracelets and “wonderfully-written cards.” She keeps a “cancer box” with all of the written well-wishes, prayer cards and other keepsakes right next to the memory box she has from when she and her husband were dating.

Despite the pains (and drains) associated with mastectomy surgery, Richmond highlighted a corresponding perk: “Now my boobs are perky!” Loeb explained her post-reconstruction breasts to her children as “boobs like Barbie.”

Overall, the cancer experience was bittersweet for each woman.

“You feel so down, but you’ve never felt so loved,” Richmond said.

Yet receiving a cancer diagnosis— especially as a mother of young children— felt really isolating to the women.

“[At chemo appointments], you are often the youngest person by 30 years,” Loeb said.

Loeb was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, still a few years shy of her 40th

birthday; Richmond had just turned 40 when her breast cancer was discovered in the summer of 2019; and Quirk—at age 44—was diagnosed about a month before Richmond. The women were all relatively young at diagnosis, and all opted for or required partial or full mastectomies; but the means by which they discovered their cancer differed.

Richmond was in the process of moving homes, and was temporarily sleeping on an air-mattress. One morning, she woke up to the mattress having deflated. She rolled over onto her arm, and with no padding beneath it, she thought she felt a lump in her breast, which precipitated her first-ever mammogram. Expecting the mammogram to come back benign, Richmond attended the appointment straight from work. When she was asked if she had someone there with her, she knew the news was not good.

Quirk typically went to her OB-

concerns were her “travel tennis ranking, joining the PTA as a new kindergarten mom and keeping up with a toddler.”

At the time, Loeb did not know anyone who had breast cancer, besides her grandmothers. It was a lonely time for her, despite the overwhelming support of family and friends. Loeb made it through, but not without, as she called it, some “PTSC— post-traumatic stress cancer.”

GYN every year on or right around her birthday, but she got busy and missed an appointment or two. As a school principal, “work was taking priority,” she said. When she finally went in and had a breast exam, she was referred for a diagnostic mammogram. Quirk had no family history of breast cancer, though, so she was not concerned.

“I always assumed since I was flatchested, I was not going to get breast cancer,” she said. “I just didn’t know.”

Loeb, on the other hand, had two grandmothers with breast cancer. She was supposed to start getting mammograms at age 37, ten years before her youngest relative with breast cancer was diagnosed. Yet as she sat at her annual exam still a couple years away from that target mammogram date, her doctor said she felt a lump. Soon after, Loeb went for a mammogram, and even after that showed not one but three lumps, she was in denial that it could be cancerous. However, when the phone rang the next Friday morning, and it was the radiologist sharing her cancer diagnosis, Loeb knew it was a life-changing day. Prior to that, her only

“You don’t feel the weight of it fully while you’re in it…it hits after,” she said.

She worked through the cancer aftershocks, and when a mutual friend connected Loeb and Richmond soon after Richmond’s diagnosis, Loeb was eager to offer what was missing during her own cancer battle: a friend and mentor who had traveled a similar road.

“She was my guiding light,” Richmond said of Loeb.

Loeb would check in frequently and drop off gifts to ease various side-effects of chemo—for example, bath salts for when her bones ached and Lemonheads to offset the metallic taste from the medications.

Soon after connecting with Loeb, Richmond learned that Quirk—who lived in her neighborhood—was also undergoing breast cancer treatment. Quirk initially kept her diagnosis private, “but [Candice]’s daughter and mine are little besties,” Quirk said, and she knew her daughter would likely confide in Richmond’s daughter, so she alerted Richmond about her illness.

Continued on next page

“You feel so down, but you’ve never felt so loved.”

— CANDICE RICHMOND

WEARING A COLD CAP TO PREVENT HAIRLOSS, AMBER QUIRK RINGS IN THE NEXT STAGE OF HER BREAST CANCER RECOVERY PROCESS DURING HER FINAL ROUND OF CHEMOTHERAPY.

LAUREN LOEB CELEBRATES HER BIRTHDAY DURING ONE OF HER ROUNDS OF CHEMOTHERAPY.

From there, Quirk and Richmond— like Richmond and Loeb—became “breasties,” women joined in a sisterhood of sorts through their cancer commonalities.

“I remember texting Candice that we were lucky that we were diagnosed at the same time,” Quirk said. “We had each other to talk to…to just get together and agree that [cancer] sucks.”

“We all joined this club that we didn’t want to be a part of, and unfortunately, we’re not the last,” Richmond said.

At present, an estimated one in eight women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. Even in the time since Loeb, Quirk, and Richmond achieved N.E.D. (no evidence of disease) status, each has encountered other local women facing breast cancer at far too young an age, and they do not want anyone to have to navigate it alone.

“We know that women without a social

support network have increased risk and a more negative cancer experience,” Richmond said. “Now that we’ve lived it, we want to be there for others.”

The women are committed to paying it forward, especially early in other young women’s experiences with breast cancer. As one of Richmond’s doctors said, the first month post-diagnosis is “an emotional emergency, not a medical emergency.” Just a few weeks ago, Richmond visited a newly-diagnosed local woman the day before her first round of chemotherapy. She sensed it was helpful not only for the patient, but also for her children and parents, to “see me doing okay and ask me questions.”

As a way to help support other women in town who are beginning their own breast cancer journeys and could benefit from the perspective of someone who has been there, Loeb, Quirk, and Richmond set up a shared e-mail. If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and would like to reach out, e-mail dgcancergroup@gmail.com.

CANDICE RICHMOND SPORTS HER CHEMO UNIFORM: OVERALLS, PINK SHOES AND A WIG. RICHMOND MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO FIND FUN IN HER BREAST CANCER TREATMENT.

LAUREN LOEB, CANDICE RICHMOND AND AMBER QUIRK FOREVER BONDED AS PART OF THE BREAST CANCER CLUB TO WHICH THEY DIDN’T ASK TO BE INVITED.

STAGES OF GRIEF

How the theater industry is coping with COVID

BY MARK MENAPACE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINA MENAPACE AND BRETT BEINER PHOTOGRAPHY

If you know a professional actor or actress, take a moment to think of what words you would use to describe them. Talented—passionate—patient— determined. Each of those probably come to mind. But Roberta Duchak, musical director at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, offered up what may be the most accurate term of all: adaptable.

“We are the most adaptable industry that exists,” Duchak said.

Every ounce of that adaptability has been tested and required over the past seven months. The theater industry lies dormant, another casualty caught in the destructive path of COVID-19. With gatherings of greater than 50 people prohibited in Illinois and likely

to remain that way until a vaccine is available, the timing of a return is uncertain. Numerous theaters, including the Mercury Theater in Chicago, have been forced to close. The performers, directors and crew

determination and adaptability are on display now more than ever.

members who earn their living by entertaining us are stuck in a surreal limbo, forced to put their careers onhold, find new sources of income and live without the thing they love most.

But in speaking to several renowned local performers, it is clear that the talent, passion, patience,

For accomplished Chicagoland actors and husband and wife Matt Crowle and Erin Parker, the shutdown happened as each were about to open a new show. Crowle, having just wrapped the production of Mary Poppins at Drury Lane in January (he played Mr. Banks), was set to star in Lost in Yonkers at the Farmers Alley Theater in Kalamazoo, Mich. Opening night was scheduled for March 13.

“I was living my storefront theater dreams, really enjoying the small-town aspect of things,” he said.

When the NBA season was suspended on March 11, it quickly became clear that live performances of all types were likely to be impacted.

PRODUCTION OF SIX LIVE IN ST. PAUL, MINN. AT THE ORDWAY THEATRE

“No one does this who doesn’t love it. Otherwise why would you?”

— ERIN PARKER

“I’ve seen the lights go out on Broadway.”

— BILLY JOEL, MIAMI 2017

Photography courtesy of Brett Beiner Photography

The next day, he went in for dress rehearsal, and was told the opening was canceled. They filmed one final run-through for archival.

“It was so bizarre to do a show the public was never going to see,” Crowle said.

Parker had just returned from a costuming job in Nashville for Reba McEntire’s national tour, and was scheduled to begin rehearsals for Freaky Friday at the Porchlight Theater on March 17—another show which never got started.

Still, in speaking to Crowle and Parker, there is not a trace of bitterness or self pity. To interact with the couple is to instantly recognize the joy and humor that infuses their performances.

“I think this has been a really lovely reminder that we married the right person,” Crowle said. “Even if it’s through tears, we still laugh a lot.”

They have been scraping by on a combination of unemployment, Parker’s work on audiobooks, phone greetings and parlaying her sewing skills into producing COVID masks, plus Matt’s work as a dance instructor.

“We’re rich beyond our means when it comes to what’s important,” Crowle said.

Through it all, their passion for performing is unwavering, and that is what helps them look ahead to a postvaccine world in which theater is back in full-swing.

“No one does this who doesn’t love

worked on Six had tested positive, so many of the cast and crew had been hesitant about carrying on even before the shutdown.

“We all thought the opening would just be delayed by four to six weeks,” Duchak said, “but it got really real, really fast, and I left to come back home three days later.”

The process of opening a Chicago-based production of Six , as well as a national tour, are also on-hold indefinitely; although virtual auditions are still being held.

it,” Parker said of the acting profession. “Otherwise, why would you?”

For Duchak, the March outbreak hit even closer to home. Sitting atop her crowded resume is her work as musical supervisor for Six: The Musical on Broadway . Opening night was scheduled for March 12—the same day New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shut down Broadway.

Duchak’s initial emotion was one of relief. That same day, a report had surfaced that an usher who had

As for Drury Lane, Duchak acknowledged that it is struggling. But, hearkening back to the notion of adaptability, she cited its recent expansion into outdoor dining, and hinted at potential sociallydistanced entertainment options for the holiday season. It is a uniquely optimistic mindset that pervades the industry and all of its participants:

“Nothing keeps us down,” Duchak said. “It’s one of the hardest industries to make money consistently. So when you do, you feel very lucky.”

Continued on next page

AT HOME WITH MATT CROWLE AND ERIN PARKER

“When we come back, it’s going to be fast and furious!”

— ROBERTA DUCHAK

ROBERTA DUCHAK, MUSICAL DIRECTOR AT DRURY LANE THEATRE

MATT AS BERT IN MARY POPPINS AT PARAMOUNT THEATRE

Photography courtesy of Brett Beiner Photography

Photography courtesy of Liz Lauren

Duchak offered some advice for actors and actresses.

“Typically, when auditioning, artists feel like they are behind,” she said. “This downtime is giving artists the opportunity to work on their craft. So prepare, because when we come back, it’s going to be fast and furious.”

If you are still reading, you likely have some degree of interest in the performing arts; and as such, you may be wondering how you can pitch in.

All of our sources said in no uncertain terms that the best way to help is to give local.

There is no shortage of local theaters in the Downers Grove area, and most are barely treading water. A

non-exhaustive list is included below.

“If there’s a theater where you’ve appreciated, their work over the years, no donation is too small,” Parker said. “Or, if you know a struggling actor, you can always send an anonymous card.”

BrightSide Theatre

Naperville

Naperville’s only professional theatre, performing in the historic downtown district

To Donate: https://brightsidetheatre.com

Theatre of Western Springs

Western Springs

Founded in 1929, it has created an immediate reputation for quality children’s and community theatre in suburban Chicago.

To Donate: https://theatreofwesternsprings.com

First Folio Theatre

Oak Brook

Premier professional theatre located in the Mayslake Peabody Estate

To Donate: https://firstfolio.org

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From the CLASSROOM To the COURTROOM

Circuit Court Judges Walsh and O'Toole reflect on education and community

BY LARRY ATSEFF | PHOTOGRAPH BY MARCELLO RODARTE

Against a backdrop of a contentious summer and early fall, a November election rapidly approaches in which we will vote, top to bottom, for virtually every public office. With all that in mind, not to mention a Supreme Court nomination under consideration, we decided to spend some time talking with two DuPage County Circuit Judges of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court: Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh and Monique Naffah O’Toole. Both are up for re-election. *Election results were unknown at the time of press.

We wanted to learn what it is like to be a judge, how they became judges and how they approach their considerable responsibilities these days.

The journey for these very accomplished women to become judges takes us from their early classrooms to their courtrooms. There are some remarkable parallels for both.

Both attended St. Isaac Jogues School in Hinsdale, where we had our conversation. They sat in the same classrooms they attended. They reminisced about teachers like Mrs. Anderson, Sister Joan Clare and Mrs. Dempsey.

“I especially remember Principal Sister Joan Clare," O'Toole said. "She ran the school with an iron fist, and no one crossed her. She always wore a skirt and heels, and you could hear her coming down the hall. All of us straightened up in our chairs for fear she would be coming into our classroom.”

They both credit the school with not only teaching “reading, writing and arithmetic," but teaching the importance of respecting “the other person," respecting authority and being involved in the community. When Walsh was in eighth grade, for example, she remembers her teacher Diane Feldman and her entire class had a special mass for her as she underwent surgery for an ear problem.

They laughed about going to Jimmy’s Sweet Shop after school.

“One day, as we were walking and talking, we both instantly and simultaneously realized we had to change sides in order to hear each other," O'Toole said. "We have shared lots of laughs since then.”

After Walsh’s ear surgery, it became difficult to play sports, and in looking for another school activity, she joined Hinsdale Central’s mock trial team. It was there that she learned to strengthen her public-speaking skills, and became enamored with idea of law. Walsh is very proud that the team won two state championships while she was a member of the team. In fact, to this day, she advises students who participate on highschool mock trial teams, including at Hinsdale Central and York High Schools.

“It was at St. Isaac Jogues that both of us made friends that to this day we stay in touch with," O'Toole said.— “Both of us even had our weddings at St. Isaac Jogues Church!”

Walsh comes from a family of seven children; O'Toole hails from a family of four children; and both have been very involved in school parentteacher associations and sports teams for their children. And early on, they were both law clerks and then assistant state’s attorneys after law school at the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office.

One more parallel that is a bit unusual: both are deaf in one ear, which they discovered sometime after they met.

After graduating cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa at Miami of Ohio University in 1994, she enrolled at ChicagoKent College of Law, and graduated in 1998.

In O'Toole’s case, she said, “I always seemed to be interested in law," as she went from high school at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, and then to University of Colorado, graduating in 1989. She then went on to graduate from John Marshall Law School in 1992. O'Toole also earned a Masters of law in health law from the Loyola University School of Law in 1998.

In the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s office, Walsh had extensive experience prosecuting criminal cases. She served in the felony trial division and the sex crimes/domestic violence and child abuse unit, from

“Above all, we uphold the law and do it with the utmost in fairness, so that after a decision is rendered, and parties walk out of their courtrooms, both sides will feel they have been treated fairly. ”

- JUDGE ANN CELINE WALSH

Continued from the previous page

2001 to 2012. She tried hundreds of cases to verdict, in which she directed or cross-examined expert witnesses on matters of DNA, forensic pathology, psychiatry, internal medicine, pediatric sexual assault/abuse and other evidence matters. Early in her career at the state’s attorney’s office, she also served in the misdemeanor and traffic division.

Meanwhile, O’Toole prosecuted misdemeanor, juvenile and domestic violence cases, and then became an assistant attorney-general in the Illinois Attorney-General’s office in Chicago, where she worked in the civil appeals bureau representing various state agencies on appeal, and arguing in front of sundry appellate courts across the state. She then moved to the consumer fraud healthcare bureau, receiving her Masters of law in health law, advocating for the rights of consumers in their access to healthcare, and negotiating with insurance companies for appropriate coverage for those consumers. The healthcare bureau was one of the first of its kind in an attorneygeneral’s office in the country.

O’Toole then moved to private practice for ten years, before shifting back to the public sector as an assistant state’s attorney in DuPage County in the child support enforcement division.

All the while, as both were gaining great experience and an excellent understanding of the law in a full range of cases, they also earned the respect of their peers and DuPage Circuit Court judges in the 18th district in Wheaton.

Walsh and O’Toole both said it was quite flattering when some of these

judges suggested that each not only had the expertise and experience, but they also had the temperament to be a judge—an all-important consideration—because judges not only have to follow the law, but they also have discretion to make decisions.

So, how did they finally get to become DuPage County Circuit Court judges?

“You first have to understand how a circuit court in Illinois is made up,” Walsh said. “In a circuit court, there are circuit judges and associate judges.”

“An associate judge is appointed

Illinois Supreme Court may appoint a lawyer—who may or may not be an associate judge—to fill the vacancy. Circuit judges who are appointed to fill a vacancy must run in the first election cycle after they are appointed to hold their position.”

In 2019, both Walsh and O’Toole were unanimously appointed by the bipartisan Illinois Supreme Court to serve as circuit judges, which means they are running to hold their positions in the November 2020 election.

In Walsh’s case, she appeared before judges who mentored her for many years, such as the Hon. Kathryn Creswell, the Hon. Blanche Fawell and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Michael Burke. These judges encouraged her to apply for an associate judgeship after years of trial experience. The more Walsh thought about it, the more convinced she became that she could become an associate and then a circuit court judge. She accepted the appointment as an associate judge in 2014, and five years later, in 2019, she was appointed a circuit judge.

by the circuit judges, and serves a term of every four years, and then [is] considered for retention by the circuit judges. In DuPage County, there are 46 judges: 15 circuit judges and 31 associate judges. Circuit judges are elected for a six-year term and thereafter run for retention every six years.

“Essentially, the circuit judges act as the executive board of judges who appoint the associate judges. Circuit judges also assist the chief judge with policy and the administration of the judiciary, in addition to handling their courtroom assignments. If there is a vacancy on the Circuit Court, the

In O’Toole’s case, she impressed now-retired Illinois Supreme Court Justice Bob Thomas and others to the extent that she bypassed being an associate judge, and was appointed a circuit judge in 2019.

When asked how they feel about running in an election to maintain their position as a circuit judge in DuPage County, Walsh said although a circuit judge is an elected position in Illinois, “we do not consider ourselves politicians.”

“A judge’s role is to use their experience, to listen to litigants with fairness and impartiality, and to follow the law,” she said. “A judge

“A judge is the most important person that you, a family member or friend, will meet during one of the worst days of your life. We make decisions every day that directly impact people’s lives. These include child custody, personal freedom in criminal cases, guardianships, monetary awards, inheritance and so on. ”

- JUDGE MONIQUE O'TOOLE

should not allow any political views [to] influence their decisions on cases, and it is unethical to do so. That said, under Illinois law, circuit judges who are appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court are required to run in the election following their appointment. Therefore, we are running in the 2020 election to hold our circuit court judgeship.

“While some believe we could be considered politicians, because we are running campaigns, we strongly believe that judicial elections are different. Unlike someone seeking an office, neither of us has a platform or a political agenda.”

Fortunately for both Walsh and O’Toole, friends, neighbors and relatives have come forward to help them “campaign,” with signage and mailings explaining their expertise and experience in applying the law.

When asked about their observations about how people regard the law now, compared with years before, both said they wish more people would show more respect for the law.

“A judge is the most important person that you, a family member or friend will meet during one of the worst days of your life,” O’Toole said. “We make decisions every day that directly impact people’s lives. These include child custody, personal freedom in criminal cases, guardianships, monetary awards, inheritance and so on.

“As a result, we both have come to feel a great responsibility toward defendants and plaintiffs and their attorneys.”

“We fully realize that when a defendant stands before us, they know they are there, because they are

being accused of committing a crime,” Walsh said. “Our job is to ensure that they are treated with respect, laws are followed and that they understand the process and outcome.

“Above all, we uphold the law and do it with the utmost in fairness, so that after a decision is rendered, and [the] parties walk out of their courtrooms, both sides will feel they have been treated fairly.”

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES ANN CELINE WALSH (LEFT) AND MONIQUE O'TOOLE SIT IN THE CLASSROOM THEY OCCUPIED AS STUDENTS AT ST. ISAAC JOGUES SCHOOL.

Staying strong in the community

FISH Food Pantry celebrates 50 Years

BY THE VOLUNTEERS AT FISH FOOD PANTRY

Every Monday morning from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., the doors to the southern entrance of the Downers Grove Township office are wide open. Boxes full of fresh fruit and produce, loaves of bread and fresh corn from The Farm are stacked high. Volunteers from the Downers Grove Area FISH Food Pantry move quickly through an inventory check, while waiting for clients to arrive.

The Downers Grove Area FISH Food Pantry, commonly referred to as FISH (referencing an early Christian symbol), is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization serving local communities since 1969. FISH was started in a local church in Lisle. In 1987, it moved to its own home in the township building at 4340 Prince Street, and has been there ever since. The organization serves the communities of Downers Grove, Darien, Lisle, Westmont and Woodridge.

Since March, the FISH pantry has not missed a beat. Due to COVID-19, clients have not been able to physically enter the pantry. Therefore, on Monday mornings FISH provides both a drive-up and walkup operation. Upon arrival, they provide families with bags of groceries, paper goods, meat, produce and fresh vegetables. If a

client is unable to reach the pantry, FISH recently added an additional service: they can now deliver groceries each week to anyone who is housebound and notifies them of their needs.

Although a very well-known food pantry in the community, serving food is just one of the many services offered. FISH also provides clothes and financial assistance to those in need.

“Historically, volunteers have also been able to give rides to doctor appointments to help assist the elderly and handicapped,” FISH co-managers Lisa Rasin and Deb Aguzino said.

Like many organizations, during these very troubling and extraordinary times, FISH Food Pantry has had to make some adjustments to its services. Due to social distancing, Rasin said rides to medical appointments have halted, but she remains optimistic that this is a temporary situation.

In the early spring of 2021, FISH will move to a new home. Construction has begun on the new building, located next door to the existing site. FISH will remain open at the current location until the building project is completed. The organization will continue to depend on community partners for support as it transitions to the new location.

Aguzino, Rasin and the volunteer team sincerely thank the community for its support and generosity for the last 51 years. It takes a village, and FISH relies heavily on private citizens, school, church, neighborhood and business groups, local businesses, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, as well as the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Volunteers are the primary reason FISH helps so many neighbors in need.

According to Aguzino, FISH’s work is never ending.

“There is a year-round need for donations of all kinds, and continued support during these times is always needed,” she said. “The compassion for others in Downers Grove is unequaled; your understanding of the fact we’re all in this together is admirable.”

“We welcome all who need us; we thank all who donate to us,” Rasin said. “We are grateful to all for being partners in caring.”

FISH is an all-volunteer organization that exists to help those in the community. Individuals desiring to volunteer, requiring financial assistance or needing general questions answered may call the FISH help-line at 630-964-7776, or visit www.downersgrovefish.org.

DEB AGUZINO AND LISA RASIN, CO-MANAGERS OF FISH FOOD PANTRY

Home Retreats

In the chaotic world of today, where the demands of life are a constant struggle, and with many doing a lot more “living” now more than ever at home, there is a need for a convenient private retreat within a house for adults and kids alike. These homes in Downers Grove offer a special place to escape—for silence, fun or work—when needed.

Located in north Downers, this home offers plenty of space for working and schooling for the whole family. As a bonus, it features a finished basement with bar, gaming area, recreation room and fireplace. A retreat for the kids—or the adults?

1946 Hitchcock Ave. Michels Group $729,000

$579,500

Located in the Brookeridge neighborhood, this home features a luxury master bathroom remodeled in 2018 containing a skylight, whirlpool tub with jets, separate shower and double sinks. The home is located on a quiet cul de sac with easy access to walking paths and playgrounds.

19 W. 117 Millbrook Court Mary Braatz at ReMax Enterprises

$899,900

This custom home located in northwest Downers Grove features a fence for privacy and a beautiful brick-paver patio, outdoor kitchen area and builtin fire-pit. As many are heading outside to escape from indoors, this home offers a private retreat or a spot for some entertaining as the winter months approach.

4604 Forest Ave.

The Driscoll Crisp Team

Remodeling boom hits west suburbs

BY LARRY ATSEFF

You can’t go down a street these days without seeing construction vehicles or hearing the banging of equipment as people add additions and improvements to their homes. The activity in Downers Grove and similar communities west of Chicago (and all over the country) is one bright spot during these unprecedented and difficult times for many struggling businesses.

In the face of such adversity, we thought it would be useful to focus on this positive flurry of activity, and had the opportunity to speak with several people connected to the housing market in different capacities to find out the causes and highlight the successes.

According to Stan Popovich, community development director for the Village of Downers Grove, “Although the number of residential permits received is about the same as last year, the activity has shifted from new homes and larger remodels to smaller renovation projects.”

This certainly correlates with the ongoing theme of today. Because people are spending more time at home, owners are making their homes more multifunctional through various remodels and upgrades to accommodate their changing needs.

Dennis Jones, chairman of Hinsdale Bank & Trust, points to several reasons

improving the outside look of their home. Many in our community are fortunate to have jobs that allow for working from home. So, for some, a home office makes sense. Others are making additional space or converting space for their children, as they deal with remote learning. Still another reason is the fact that money that would normally be spent on vacations is now being spent around their homes.

“All of this, of course, adds value to homes, [and] adding value means more return when one gets ready to sell.”

for the activity.

“Obviously”, Jones said, “there is the fact that mortgage interest rates are very attractive these days. People are refinancing and are investing in their homes. With the pandemic, people have been home-bound much more than usual.

“They have been looking around and seeing things that they would like to improve, or they are rethinking how their homes can be used. Some are interested in

Brian Cochran, a Downers Grove resident and senior mortgage advisor for Preferred Rate, said positive trends in the residential market have produced a “continuous uptick” in construction.

“Many builders that stalled construction post-recession are now accelerating the housing market by building, due to a lack of units available,” Cochran said. “This, coupled with record-low interest rates, has allowed the construction

“Although the number of residential permits received is about the same as last year, the activity has shifted from new homes and larger remodels to smaller renovation projects.”

- STAN POPOVICH, community development director, Village of Downers Grove

Oakley Home Builders

boom to continue to excel. The dynamic of these ultra-low interest rates have catapulted people that may have jumped out of the housing search back into the market. There is also a high demand for people transitioning from the city to the suburbs.”

Bob and Maryanne Ligmanowski, owners of Norway Built in Downers Grove, pointed out that local residents have spent more time at home this year than ever before.

“The pandemic forced many people to slow down and take a break from the crazy demands of life,” Maryanne Ligmanowski said. “Throughout this experience, for many people, two things have happened. First, people want to invest in their homes, because they have found ways they want to improve their current environment. When you spend a significant amount of time in the same surroundings, you begin to notice aesthetic imperfections that you normally would not have noticed before.

“Second, the homeowner has developed new needs throughout their time at home. Many families have gone through vast changes in employment, childcare or personal hobbies; therefore, their home will need to match this need.”

“We have many calls from clients looking to remedy the lack of personal space amplified by working from home and tackling online learning at the time,” Bob Ligmanowski said. “People want

to transform empty basements into home offices, exercise rooms, wine cellars and craft rooms. Something profound happens when you take away the possibility of everyday distraction. We have learned to hit the brakes and enjoy quality time at home. As a result, people are inspired to transform their house into a home they are proud of, and one that fits their ever-changing needs. With financing at an all-time low, this is the optimal time to make your current home your dream home.”

John Habermeier, owner of Synergy Builders, also agrees that there is a lot of home construction activity these days, not only in Downers Grove, but in most of the western suburbs.

“With us, it has been a matter of preparation meeting opportunity,” Habermeier said. “I noticed that about every ten years or so, there is a spurt in home building, and in 2017, we

started planning to be more responsive to customers and more accommodating for our staff in anticipation of a boom. We saw how people were putting more focus on their homes, and how it could accommodate a lifestyle where husbands and wives were starting to work more from home. So, we started to orient our interaction with customers by offering virtual digital walkthroughs of what a design could look like, and once projects were underway, we could show them the progress that was being made. This approach made it easier for our staff to work from home and interact with each other, as well as with our customers.

“When the pandemic hit, with a lot of our digital/virtual services in place, we were ready. Today we are not only busier, but we have been able to handle the increase more efficiently.

How has the pandemic affected the custom new-home market? To get answers, we talked with co-owners Steve Sobkowiak and Ryan Dunham of Oakley Home Builders in Downers Grove.

“Custom home-building is alive and well in these times,” Sobkowiak said. “Fortunately, there are people who are still very interested in a home built just for them who have heard about us.

“It all starts with the properties and lots, which are becoming more and more scarce. Sometimes, because they live in Continued on next page

“We started to orient our interaction with customers by offering virtual digital walkthroughs of what a design could look like, and once projects were underway, we could show them the progress that was being made.”

- JOHN HABERMEIER Owner of Synergy Builders

Norway Built

Norway Built

Continued from the previous page

the suburbs already, clients have a lot and location, or they have an area in mind. Customers who want to move from the city will look to us to find a property. We have a good handle on desirable properties for sale out in the western suburbs.”

Dunham points out that there is a growing trend in designing homes with more efficient use of square footage, as well as a shift to focusing on outdoor space.

“People will see from our portfolio that we have the experience and creativity in-

house to deliver on these trends and more. We also put our talent to work on major remodeling projects. Downers Grove has some great options for these large-scale renovations where we can really breathe new life into an existing home.”

With many turning to the outdoors as an escape, they have used local landscape companies to help beautify their yards or create additional living space. Chris Schlueter, general manager of Cut Above Landscape, said his company has made an impact for customers by creating spaces for social distancing.

“After COVID lockdown in the spring, our customers needed to find a way to be

social,” Schlueter said. “Everything from simply re-arranging outdoor furniture to full-scale re-invention of their outdoor spaces, we created whatever was necessary to safely accommodate small groups, and organically encourage social distancing.

“Our design team welcomed these new challenges, and together with our clients, we were able to create solutions that made socializing not only possible, but as familiar and comfortable as well. Outdoor dining, outdoor movie night and outdoor workspaces are just some of the items we’re anticipating becoming traditions, and carried on for many years to come.”

Not only are people moving into Downers Grove, but some are moving out. Older people, getting ready to retire, are looking at rising home prices and remodeling, and thinking this may be a good time to upgrade their home and cash in on the boom and move to a retirement setting. If one wishes to retire in Downers Grove, there are quite a few options, including Lacey Creek Supportive Living, Saratoga Grove and Oak Trace. Other nearby assisted living settings include The Birches in Clarendon Hills and Villa St. Benedict in Lisle. With a potential babyboomer influx with long-term needs, these facilities provide an outlet for many ready to move on from homeownership. Lacey Creek Supportive Living offers senior housing with a financial assistance program for services such as meals,

Synergy Builders

Cut Above Landscape

housekeeping and laundry.

“Within the community, our seniors have the independence of going to activities and spending time with their friends, while having the necessities of daily living covered by our staff,” said Heather Schultz, marketing and sales director at Lacey Creek Supportive Living.

Downers Grove is certainly not alone in the housing bustle.

In an interview with CNBC in early August, Zillow CEO Rich Barton said the real estate market is beginning to show signs of a “great reshuffling,” as people relocate to homes with more privacy and space to accommodate working from

home.

“People are spending an average of nine hours more per day at home,” Barton said in the interview. “Zoom meetings are changing the way families think about space and privacy. Home offices are in high-demand. Backyards are more desirable than parks and gyms. Workfrom-home policies are eliminating the commute for many. There’s an endless list of considerations.

“Millions of people are considering moves for a slew of reasons, mostly to right-size their living spaces or get closer to family. With some employers not expecting to bring workers back into the

office until there’s a COVID-19 vaccine, the work-from-home norm could last several more months.”

The pandemic also has accelerated trends of people fleeing large, expensive U.S. cities.

While home shopping is up everywhere, Barton said the company is seeing a “deceleration of migration” to cities, and expects it to continue.

Bottom line: while you may have to do a little more maneuvering to get through town these days, in the end, all the activity is good for the community and those who live in it.

Oakley Home Builders

Neighborhood newcomers

Eat, drink and be merry at two new local establishments this holiday season and beyond

BY VALERIE HARDY PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLINA MENAPACE

When Tom Beckmann quit his job as a technology sales manager to pursue his dream of opening a microbrewery, he never envisioned doing so amidst COVID-19. Yet Goldfinger Brewing Co.—located at 513 Rogers St.—opened on July 31, and was greeted by what Beckmann called “an amazingly supportive crowd and community.”

“I never imagined things would be so strong in light of a pandemic,” he said.

In fact, Beckmann said the lagerfocused brewery’s biggest struggle has been keeping up with supply and demand.

The Goldfinger taproom currently features four different lagers:

• Goldfinger Original – This lighter brew is the least bitter of the lagers on tap (5.2 percent alcohol)

• Goldfinger Pils – Unique to the area, this brew uses the slow-pour method that opens up its aromas and flavors (4.8 percent alcohol)

• Goldfinger Vienna – A slightly darker, more malt-forward beer (5.0 percent alcohol)

• Seasonal Rotation – Featured this fall was Goldfinger’s Oktoberfest brew (6.1 percent alcohol), and a “special collaboration beer” is coming in December

Beckmann’s interest in entrepreneurship started early. As a child, he and his brother briefly operated a pizza bagel business out of their Downers Grove garage. They would

go door-to-door selling them to neighbors.

Years later, along with his then fiancée Alison, Beckmann took to his parents’ garage again, this time to brew the recipe for Goldfinger’s original lager, which they previewed at their August 2019 wedding.

Beckmann’s ancestor Markus Goldfinger ran a sizable brewery in Krakow, Poland in the 19th century; hence the origins of the name Goldfinger Brewing Co.

“I always had this idea in the back of my mind to revive the family tradition,” Beckmann said.

Ultimately, he acted on the idea, completing his master brewer diploma via a rigorous six-month training through the World Brewing Academy, a collaboration between Doemens Academy in Munich,

Germany and Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Though Goldfinger serves only beer, local residents looking to trade in their beer crowler for a wine glass or simply to dine out can head to Gia Mia. Located downtown at 994 Warren Ave., Gia Mia is more than a restaurant, “it’s a culture,” said Josh Bales, director of operations for BG Hospitality Group, the business that owns Gia Mia.

Bales said the restaurant distinguishes itself not only for restaurateur and head chef Brian Goewey’s menu, “but also from hiring the right people to breed and breathe Gia Mia.”

The restaurant features made-fromscratch entrees, small plates, salads and pizzas made in Gia Mia’s wood-fired brick oven. On its seasonal menu, Gia Mia offers comfort on a plate via fall favorites such as beef short rib + gnocchi and butternut squash tortellacci.

Gia Mia is also known for its prosciutto dishes. Aged for 72 months and cut fresh for every order, general manager Nicole Skul said “it’s like eating beautiful bliss of buttery deliciousness in every bite.”

The menu further includes an extensive wine and hand-crafted cocktail selection, plus a half-dozen rotating flavors of gelato and sorbetto.

Gia Mia is open daily for lunch and dinner, does catering, and even has a mobile oven to support its offsite offerings. Customers can “come to us or we’ll come to you,” Bales said.

Those dining in will notice the warm and lively vibe, with wine shelves and furniture custom made from hickory out of Lombard. Light fixtures made of old wine barrels by an artist in Oregon adorn the ceiling, and an eclectic playlist runs in the background.

Deals include half-priced pizzas on Mondays and a discount for dining on the heated patio when patrons use their custom Gia Mia blanket purchased from the restaurant.

The restaurant’s name means “my Gia” in Italian, and its namesake is the head chef’s daughter Gia.

Family is at the heart of the restaurant.

“It’s not a white-tablecloth place,” Bales said. “Come as you are, and have fun.”

NICOLE SKUL AND JOSH BALES AT GIA MIA DOWNERS GROVE

TOM BECKMANN OF GOLDFINGER BREWING CO.

BEERTENDER JEREMY GOULDEY AT THE INAUGURAL GOLDFINGER OKTOBERFEST, WHICH WAS HELD THE FIRST WEEKEND OF OCTOBER

GROVE

Wedding Trends

BY EMMA WOLF

Local Downers Grove residents Ellen Solner and Steven Daoud originally had their wedding scheduled in May 2020 in Plainfield, but they were forced to cancel due to obvious reasons. According to Solner, “We did not want to wait another year to be married.” Therefore, they decided to host an intimate wedding in the backyard of the home of her sister and brother-in-law, Joel and Elizabeth Berger, in Chicago’s Randall Park neighborhood. Only immediate family and a few close friends were in attendance, but Solner and Daoud look forward to a larger celebration next May.

Due to the uncertain times of COVID-19, weddings are looking different this year for many like Solner and Daoud. From outdoor weddings to tying the knot via Zoom, there are newly-emerging trends for saying “I do” for brides and grooms.

1. Micro-Weddings

During the time of COVID-19, many couples are opting to join in on the “micro-wedding” trend. In microweddings, there are 50 or fewer guests.

2. Zoom Weddings

Being that 2020 has proven to be the year of Zoom for adults at work and kids at school, it only makes sense that so many couples have chosen to have their weddings via Zoom.

3. Doorstep Weddings

As the name suggests, some couples have chosen to tie the knot while standing on their doorstep as an ordained minister marries them. While social distancing, the guests are able to safely watch from the sidewalk.

4. Outdoor Weddings

Outdoor church services, outdoor concerts—now it’s time for outdoor weddings. Whether it’s on the beach, at a park or in your own backyard, outdoor weddings are an increasingly popular trend among brides and grooms during the pandemic.

5. “Courthouse Now, Church Later” Weddings

Instead of waiting to exchange vows and rings, some have decided to get married at a courthouse now, and postpone the church ceremony until it is safe to do so.

Photography courtesy of Cling & Peck DOWNERS GROVE MAGAZINE

BACKYARD WEDDING

DOWNERS GROVE MAGAZINE 65

MICRO-WEDDING

MICRO-WEDDING

BACKYARD WEDDING

Photography courtesy of Cling & Peck

Photography courtesy of Cling & Peck

Photography courtesy of Tandem in Love Photography

Photography courtesy of Tandem in Love Photography

Photography courtesy of Fox + Ivory

Photography courtesy of Fox + Ivory