Hinsdale Magazine October 2018

SERVING HINSDALE, BURR RIDGE, CLARENDON HILLS & OAK BROOK

OCTOBER 2018

HINSDALE’S FIRST MAGAZINE $5 US VOLUME 8 ISSUE 10

Inside:

MEDICAL PROFILES The area’s leading experts

MIKE DITKA HM’s NFL Preview

FALL FASHION & STYLE

DR. MILAN MRKSICH Northwestern U. professor, Hinsdale resident and leading expert in organic chemistry

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W H Y PAT I E N T S T R U S T H I N S D A L E D E N T I S T R Y AND DR. PETER HARNOIS FOR THEIR

SMILE MAKEOVERS

Hinsdale Dentistry transforms hundreds of smiles per year. Just why are so many patients choosing this practice for cosmetic dentistry? Because they know that Dr. Harnois is an esthetics expert—not just regionally, but internationally. Combine his authority with the top-tier technologies available at his practice, and the decision becomes crystal clear.

Hinsdale Dentistry has long been setting a standard for comfortable patient care, with the aid of multiple dental lasers and the iTero digital scanner for digital impressions. These tools provide more comfortable, precise and efficient treatment and give patients of all ages a new understanding of dental care. Whether Hinsdale Dentistry’s patients are children receiving fillings prepared with a water laser and no painful shots, adults prepping teeth for crowns or veneers, or anxious patients hoping to whiten their teeth without sensitivity or to avoid traditional impressions, the practice’s minimally invasive technologies revolutionize their experience.

Dr. Harnois’ mastery of these tools has led to him becoming a sought-out trainer for emerging dental technologies and techniques.

He travels throughout North America teaching other doctors to provide similarly exceptional treatment, sharing his skills as a clinician and esthetics authority.

DR. HARNOIS’ INTERNATIONAL LECTURING As a clinical trainer and lecturer for The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, and DenMat, the manufacturer of Lumineers, Dr. Harnois provides hands-on training and education to dental and medical professionals across the country. He shares his philosophy that every patient deserves the most gentle and minimally invasive cosmetic and metal-free dental treatments with natural results, and enables other dentists to elevate their patient care.

THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF COSMETIC DENTISTRY (AACD) Dr. Harnois is a 10-year member of the AACD, which is considered the highest body of knowledge of esthetic dentistry. He is also one of the main presenters at their annual educational symposium each year.

THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FACIAL ESTHETICS (AAFE) Dr. Harnois is the President of the Illinois American Academy of Facial Esthetics and trains dentists in Botox and dermal filler techniques.

He is a nationally recognized leader in minimally invasive total facial esthetic techniques. Dr.

Harnois has instructed thousands of healthcare professionals through both lecture and hands-on courses and is an outstanding instructor who is known for his coherent and interactive style.

DENMAT, LUMINEERS MANUFACTURER Dr. Harnois partners with DenMat to train other dentists in minimally invasive esthetics. He provides hands-on preparation and placement of minimally invasive, ultra-thin, highly esthetic veneers, and educates other dentists on smile design and case consultation and evaluation. He has also authored their educational platforms for the last four years.

As an educational leader for current dental technologies and minimally invasive procedures, Dr. Harnois is able to truly transcend and provide patients with unparalleled dental care.

If you’re interested in learning more about a non-invasive smile makeover or full mouth rehabilitation, reach out today to schedule a complimentary consultation.

We are offering specials on Lumineers smile makeovers—reach out today to learn more!

Peter T. Harnois, DDS Michael J. Kowalczyk, DDS Jon Asimakopoulos, DDS 911 N. ELM, SUITE 230 | HINSDALE | 630-323-4468 | WWW.HINSDALEDENTISTRY.COM

CAR 0718-00572

PUBLISHER’S LETTER Scott Jonlich FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

sjonlich@hinsdale60521.com

Experts in their field Last month, Hinsdale Magazine visited with Hinsdale resident Dr. Milan Mrksich, Henry Wade Rogers professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern University, at his office on the Evanston campus. Graduating from Argo High School in Summit, Mrksich was once unacquainted with the academic world, but after working as a professor for more than two decades, he has found his passion as a researcher and instructor at a university.

Today, Mrksich is helping pharmaceutical companies develop drugs to treat cancer and other diseases by cultivating technologies that simplify the clinical trial process.

Our staff is pleased to present our semi-annual Medical Profiles issue, highlighting the area’s leading medical professionals. Thanks to Dr. Mrksich for the personal tour of his lab, and his insight into the important work of understanding disease—especially cancer.

Be sure to read our next issue in May, when we will feature another professional in the medical field.

On opening weekend of the 2018 NFL season, HM contributing editor Mike Ellis and photographer Marco Nunez met with football legend Mike Ditka at his restaurant in Westmont, Grill 89, to preview the season. Ditka shared his thoughts on the Bears’ acquisition of Khalil Mack, as well as why he believes the New England Patriots have been such a successful organization for so long. He also recounted his own playing days and contemporaries, and explained how the game

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has evolved and continues to evolve today.

Hinsdale Magazine is happy to have Coach Ditka’s visiting with us for the third year with his take on sports and life. It’s always an interesting conversation with “Da Coach,” and we look forward to chatting with him again down the road.

Remember to support the Hinsdale Humane Society Pet Rescue & Resource Center grand opening celebration on Nov. 3. The evening will include a cigar and whiskey bar, pet adoption, music, dancing, auctions and a special VIP area. Tickets are $150 each, and additional VIP tickets are $50 apiece, including exclusive entry, welcome drink gift-bags and dining.

Get ready for the holidays and all the stories and events that go with them. HM is working on a very special holiday series with familiar faces and topics, beginning with our November Giving Issue. Our staff is writing features on local, regional and national personalities that all circle back to our greater Hinsdale community.

If you live outside of the Hinsdale, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills and Oak Brook area, you can also take Hinsdale Magazine with you anytime by tapping on the digital magazine link at www.HinsdaleMag.com, where you can read the current and past issues on any device. Share the link with out-of-town friends, so they never miss a single issue. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your comments!

CONTENTS | October 2018

44

10 PUBLISHER LETTER 18 TO-DO LIST

21

October/November calendar of events

21 FALL FASHION & STYLE

Soiree chic

30 COVER STORY Bio-chemistry trailblazer

35 MEDICAL PROFILES Special advertising feature

40 SPOTLIGHT

Tackling concussions

44 ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Room with a view

46 GIVING BACK

The grand opening

48 SPOTLIGHT

A Fifth Season

54 COMMUNITY SCENE

3-on-3 Tournament Clarendon Hills Fall Festival

58 SPORTS

A conversation with Coach Ditka

64 INSIDE HINSDALE

Wine pairing

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ON THE COVER: Dr. Milan Mrksich, a Hinsdale resident, is the Henry Wade Rogers professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern University.

Photographed by Marcello Rodarte

FOR THE LATEST NEWS, HAPPENINGS AND PHOTOS, VISIT HINSDALE60521.COM 12

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HINSDALEMAGAZINE

FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

Scott Jonlich sjonlich@hinsdale60521.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Mike Ellis mike@hinsdale60521.com CREATIVE DEPARTMENT

Cheryl Chrzanowski Julia Sinogeikina CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Julie Jonlich Janis Von Kaenel Kerrie Kennedy COLUMNISTS

Jim Fannin Dan Meyer FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS

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Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. 3 Grant Square, #201 Hinsdale, IL 60521 630-655-3400 Hinsdale60521.com Serving Hinsdale, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills and Oak Brook.

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. Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. 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 Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. Comments are welcome, but they should be on-topic and well-expressed. Copyright Š2018 Hinsdale Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Q&A

Michael Jankowski

Founder & President, Wealth Planning Network

A frequent seminar leader and lecturer, Michael has been a financial advisor in the area for over 25 years, and has successfully helped hundreds of high net worth clients achieve their financial goals.

ASK THE EXPERT

Creating Tax-Free Retirement Income Tax-free retirement. This sounds like everyone’s dream, right? To live a comfortable life in retirement without the obligation to pay income tax comes as the result of planning for your future retirement early on. With the right planning in place, you are able to control most if not all of your taxes in retirement, so you can keep more of what you make. Some of these strategies include contributing to Roth IRAs. Sometimes, a Roth conversion may be advantageous. Additionally, cash value life insurance can be implemented to also provide tax-free retirement income. Let’s take a closer look at these options below.

Roth IRA contributions are a great way to accumulate savings that will be withdrawn tax-free in retirement. Essentially, investors contribute after-tax dollars to their Roth IRA account. Because that money has already been taxed, you can withdraw your contributions at any time without owing tax on that withdrawal on both the contributions and the earnings. Earnings are what those contributions make from your investments within your Roth IRA. If you withdraw the account’s earnings after reaching age 59½ (assuming the account is at least five years old), the earnings are tax free. These tax-free withdrawals are one of the biggest benefits of a Roth IRA compared to a 401(k) retirement plan.

Many common questions arise when the topic of investing in Roth IRA’s come about. Here are a few points to be aware of: n n

n

n

You are unable to deduct contributions to a Roth IRA. You are able to contribute to a Roth IRA even if you are contributing to your 401k You are able to make contributions to your Roth IRA after you reach age 70.5.

You are able to leave amounts in your Roth IRA for as long as you live (RMD’s are not required for the original owner).

Roth conversions are another topic to be familiar with. One of the primary benefits of using a Roth IRA is that you don’t pay income tax when you withdraw funds in retirement, as just discussed above.

Unfortunately, not everyone meets IRS standards to contribute to a Roth IRA. The primary reason individuals are not allowed to contribute is because their incomes exceed the Roth IRA income limits. In 2018, the Adjusted Gross Income phaseout for taxpayers making Roth IRA contributions is $189,000-$199,000 for married couples filing jointly. That’s when it makes sense to consider a Roth IRA conversion.

The alternative is that many individuals who do not qualify for income reasons ultimately invest in 401(k) plans and Traditional IRAs. With a Traditional IRA, you receive a tax break today, but will pay what you owe in taxes in retirement on the withdrawals. This is opposite of what happens with a Roth IRA. The IRS has always allowed certain individuals to convert their Traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs as long as they met specific qualifications and paid income tax on the conversion. But highincome earners were unable to convert until recently.

In the past to be able to convert from a Traditional to a Roth IRA your income needed to be under $100,000. The IRS rules have changed and there is no longer an income cap in place.

With the cap removed, high-income earners can now convert as long as they pay the appropriate tax on the conversion, which has lowered since the inception of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. There is no 10% early withdrawal penalty if the funds move from a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in a 60-day window.

Lastly, one of the best ways to create tax-free retirement income includes implementing cash value life insurance into your retirement planning. A few types of permanent insurance can provide a living benefit. These policies have a feature called a cash value. These products are designed so that the premiums paid exceed the costs of insurance, and the amount of premium left over after paying the costs of the policy is placed in the cash value. This can happen year after year, allowing policyholders to accumulate cash value in their life insurance policies. Depending on the type of policy, the cash value can be invested in either interest-bearing, market-based accounts or market indexes.

Unlike traditional IRAs and 401(k)s, where every distribution is taxable during your lifetime, and the balance is taxable to your heirs, a life insurance policy with a cash value allows the policy owner to use cash from the policy tax-free during their lifetime and leave a tax-free benefit to their children and grandchildren.

As always, I encourage everyone to seek out a financial professional, as everyone’s situations are different, and retirement planning should be done by a trusted advisor. If you have any questions regarding living off of a tax-free income, please contact our office at 708-481-4000.

If you have any questions regarding living off of a tax-free income, please contact our office for a COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION today.

ONE PARKVIEW PLAZA, SUITE 117 | OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL | 708-481-4000 | WWW.WPN360.COM This article is not intended to provide any specific tax, legal, or financial planning advice, and is meant solely for informational purposes only. If you would like more information, please contact Wealth Planning Network to speak with an advisor directly at 708-481-4000.

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W W W. W P N 3 6 0 . C O M

TO•DO•LIST

10/3 & 10

Jazzin’ at the Shedd

Every Wednesday evening, move to the rhythms of Chicago’s top jazz musicians in Shedd’s new special exhibit, Underwater Beauty. Combine a cocktail with music, the city skyline and fireworks. www.sheddaquarium.org

10/5-6

Oktoberfest

Be part of an annual fall event that celebrates Naperville’s heritage. Enjoy live musical entertainment ranging from classic German oompah music to classic rock, along with German beer and cuisine. il-napersettlement.civicplus.com

10/5-7

Scarecrow Festival

Over 100 handmade and mechanical scarecrows will be on display. It’s pure family fun.

Shop the arts and crafts show, dance to live music and spin on carnival rides. http://scarecrowfest.com

10/5-7

Fall Bulb Festival

Buy bulbs to plant now, and

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

your spring is guaranteed to be alive with color. There’s live music, a harvest market, cider, wine and beer to purchase, and the gourd mountain for selfies.

Local vendors will offer baked goods and much more. www.chicagobotanic.org/bulb

10/6

Bacon and Beer Classic

Enjoy bacon-inspired tastes from local restaurants, craft beer, music and interactive games at Soldier Field in Chicago. www.baconandbeerclassic.com

10/7

KLM Wine Mixer

With 100 wines to sample from wineries all over the region, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment, this is an event you won’t want to miss in Katherine Legge Memorial Park. www.villageofhinsdale.org/ departments/parks_and_ recreation

10/13-28

Boo! At the Zoo

Brookfield Zoo’s annual Halloween celebration provides

a haunting good time for the entire family. czs.org/events

10/19

Family Night

Dust off those costumes early.

Come to Cantigny for some trick-or-treating and pumpkin decorating. We will have a “teal pumpkin” stop for all of those not wanting candy as well. cantigny.org/events

10/20

Fall Family Festival

Dress in your best Halloween costume, and join us for a free day of fun. Enjoy pumpkin decorating, inflatables, carnival games and entertainment, courtesy of the Hinsdale Public Library. www.hinsdalechamber.com/ events/details/fall-familyfestival

10/20

Cider and Ale Festival

Savor hard cider and seasonal beers from more than 45 local breweries and cideries, while listening to live music. Bring a

lawn chair, and breathe in the crisp autumn air. http://www.mortonarb.org/ events/cider-and-ale-festival

10/27

Wines in the Wild

Sample exquisite wines and liquor from around the world, accompanied by hors d’oeuvres. czs.org/events

11/3-4

Grand Opening Celebration Weekend

Join the Hinsdale Humane Society as it steps into the future with its new Pet Rescue & Resource Center, located at 21 Salt Creek Lane in Hinsdale, opening this fall.

It’s a fun-filled weekend of celebrating the human-animal bond in this brand-new space. www.hinsdalehumanesociety.org

11/17

Toy and Game Fair

The fair will feature new toys and games, tournaments, costumed characters and stage entertainment at Navy Pier. www.chitag.com/fair

Hinsdale Magazine’s event calendar is provided as a service to the Hinsdale area community. Hinsdale Magazine does not endorse or certify any of the community events listed herein or the accuracy of the listing of said events including dates. Please confirm dates and times with other sources. The information contained in this section is a simple listing of events happening around the area that the staff believes may be of interest to the general community.

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Let’s talk today. (630) 257-9300 19 N Grant St, Ste 2A Hinsdale, IL 60521 1011 State St, Ste 100 Lemont, IL 60439

HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC. | Hinsdale60521.com

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Photograph by Andrea Raffin

Betsy Drake with Cary Grant in the 1948 film Every Girl Should Be Married.

Soiree CHIC

How to pull off event season with panache

BY KERRIE KENNEDY

HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC. | Hinsdale60521.com

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Hinsdale Magazine | Fall Fashion

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Black IS BACK Midnight blue too

1. Make an over-the-top statement with a pair of overthe-knee suede and crystal Jimmy Choo boots. $2,150 at jimmychoo.com

4 5

2. Your LBD doesn’t have to be boring—go all edgy with Alice + Olivia’s leathertrimmed sheath dress. $395 at Nordstrom in Oakbrook Center, nordstrom.com 3. Make a stunning entrance in a illusion lace and taffeta gown by Rickie Freeman for Teri Jon. $920 at Neiman Marcus in Oakbrook Terrace, neimanmarcus.com 4. Chanel Le Vernis nail polish in Mariniere pairs perfectly with black. $28 at Chanel in Oakbrook Center, chanel.com

Emily Ratajkows

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ki in midnight blu

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5. Give your guy some true Italian tailoring with the Milano Fit Shawl Collar navy and black tuxedo. $1,198 at Brooks Brothers in Oakbrook Center, brooksbrothers.com

Hinsdale Magazine | Fall Fashion

1 2

Sarah Hyland in

burgundy

BURGUNDY

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Is the new red 1. And the winner is, Naeem Khan’s strapless-sequined flocked gown in gold and burgundy. $1,195 at Neiman Marcus in Oakbrook Center, neimanmarcus.com 2. Stop the show in this MAC DUGGAL halter-neck satin gown. $538 at Nordstrom in Oakbrook Center, nordstrom.com

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3. For your dashing date, Tom Ford’s velvet Shelton Jacket in Oxblood. $3,520 at tomford.com 4. Add some drama to your look with a tube of Mac Diva lipstick. $18.50 at maccosmetics.com 5. Elevate the simplest of dresses with a chic and iconic quilted YSL clutch in burgundy. $495 at Neiman Marcus in Oakbrook Center, neimanmarcus.com

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Hinsdale Magazine | Fall Fashion

2 1 3

1. It takes a confident man to wear pink—and confidence makes everyone more attractive. Pink parquet square silk bow tie, $59.50 at nordstrom.com

Think PINK

2. A satin wrap dress in begonia pink is surprisingly seasonless.

Jill Stuart April Slip Dress, $445 at Neiman Marcus in Oakbrook Center, neimanmarcus.com

Magenta and blush this fall

3. Nothing makes a statement like a pale pink gown in a sea of black. Alfred Sung Dupioni Trumpet Gown in pearl pink, $231 at Nordstrom in Oakbrook Center, nordstrom.com

4. Add a pop of pink with Yves Saint Laurent Le Fuschia lipstick. $38 at Sephora in Oakbrook Center, sephora.com 5. Go all Jackie O with a pale pink satin clutch. $29.99 at J. Crew in Oakbrook Center, jcrew.com

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Reese W itherspoo

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n in hot pink

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Hinsdale Magazine | Fall Fashion

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2

4

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Make some MAGIC With metallic 1. Add some sparkle to your lids with Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Eyeshadow Palette. $27 at urbandecay.com 2. Treat your man to a pair of 18-karat gold Tom Ford Striped T Cufflinks. $4,590 at tomford.com 3. Be a golden girl in this DRESS THE POPULATION Karina Plunge Mermaid Gown. $308 at Nordstrom in Oakbrook Center, nordstrom.com

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4. Dressy up a deceptively comfortable jumpsuit with metallics. Halston Heritage halter top metallic jumpsuit, $375 at bergdorfgoodman.com 5. Match your feet to your phone. Manolo Blahnik leather pumps in rose gold, $625 at Neiman Marcus in Oakbrook Center, neimanmarcus.com

Kate Moss in silve

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r

Hinsdale Magazine | Cover Story

HOW THIS PATENTED TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING < FIGHT DISEASE

Biochemistry

TRAILBLAZER Dr. Milan Mrksich of Hinsdale talks with Hinsdale Magazine about the drug discovery process, technology and innovations in cancer therapy

BY MIKE ELLIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCELLO RODARTE

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d

Mrksich and his colleagues have employed the technique of mass spectrometry to simplify the clinical trial process for pharmaceutical companies.

iseases of the body are an inevitability of human existence. No man or woman, regardless of how healthy or strong their physical constitution may be, can completely avoid disease over the course of a lifetime.

When most people encounter disease of a more serious or irritable kind, their interaction is with physicians or medical practitioners whose responsibility it is to diagnose the pain, and prescribe a remedy to cure or ameliorate it at the very least.

But obviously the myriad of doctors that patients might visit are not individually developing medicines for each and every individual they evaluate. Rather, they identify the disease by the symptoms manifested, and prescribe remedies that have been approved for public use, and developed through an arduous process of trial and error.

Dr. Milan Mrksich, a Hinsdale resident, is the Henry Wade Rogers professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern University, and works with pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs.

“I’m trained as an organic chemist, but our work now is a real mix of chemistry, cell biology, materials and engineering and automation,” Mrksich said.

Although no stranger to higher education today, having served as a professor at Northwestern and, before that, the University of Chicago since 1996, the notion of college was at one time quite foreign to Mrksich, who attended Argo High School in Summit.

“Nobody went to college, really,” he said, “and I didn’t know what college was, because I literally had no relatives that went and no family friends that went to college.”

After graduating from Argo, Mrksich enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and started down the path of a major in chemical engineering.

“I liked math, I liked chemistry; I thought engineering would be a good degree to a job,” he said. “I took chemistry courses as part of that, and I just loved organic chemistry.”

Mrksich said he enjoyed what he was doing still more after he began working in a lab, describing the exhilaration of “when you’re the first one to do an experiment and see the result, before anybody else in the world has seen it.”

“I really got interested in being a professor, where you have

the freedom to do research on problems that are interesting to you, and you get to work with young people who are incredibly motivated [and] smart,” he said.

After finishing up in Champaign, Mrksich proceeded to attend graduate school at Cal Tech, followed by a two-year fellowship at Harvard University.

Today, he works as a professor at Northwestern and as the head of the Mrksich Group, which consists of roughly 25 Ph.D. and post-doctorate students.

“We’re really developing technologies that support drug development and drug discovery,” Mrksich said, “and a lot of it’s tied to therapies for cancer.”

In order to develop drugs or in Mrksich’s case, technologies that support their cultivation, one must first understand the disease under consideration, as well as strategies that might be employed to treat it.

“In disease, the first step is understanding what’s gone wrong,” Mrksich said. “Cancer is a disease that people aren’t born with; it develops later in life. Usually, it’s because of a mutation at the DNA level that has the effect of changing a protein’s activity. And in the cell, it’s proteins that really do all the work.”

Mrksich explained that at the microscopic level, cells frequently divide, such as when we suffer a cut, and they continuously split until the ensuing wound is closed. But in the case of cancer, this division becomes incorrigible, and a sort of hyper-growth of cells occurs. Hence, Mrksich defines a tumor as a “mass of cells that keep growing.”

“Cells have this switch that they can turn growth on and off, and it’s an important thing in development...and it’s important in how we deal with wounds and tissue regeneration Continued on the next page HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC. | Hinsdale60521.com

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Hinsdale Magazine | Cover Story

“People need to remember, cancer isn’t one disease, and so it’s not one drug; it’s many different [ones].”

and things like that,” he said. “Cancer cells acquire a mutation that breaks that switch, and cells no longer can turn growth off.”

Mrksich said a tumor is different from an ordinary inflammation that the body suffers, as the latter is “the body’s way of mounting a response to kill bacteria.” With inflammation, once the bacteria is destroyed, equilibrium is typically restored within a few days or weeks; but with a tumor, it continues to grow and spread unless it is treated.

“What we’re trying to do is come up with a small molecule—a drug—that will bind to the enzyme that’s lost its break, bind to the enzyme that can’t be turned off,” he said. “And if we can come up with a molecule that binds to that enzyme and blocks its function, (prevents it from doing what it’s normally doing to drive cell growth,) that would be a candidate drug.”

But Mrksich stressed the importance of understanding that the idyllic notion of a “cure for cancer” is fallacious, because it is not a single disease.

“People need to remember, cancer isn’t one disease,” he said, “and so it’s not one drug; it’s many different [ones].”

Developing drugs is quite expensive, as it really is an experimental process of trial and error, after the method of Lord Bacon.

“When they have a new enzyme that they’re trying to block, they’ll literally run three million experiments or tests,” Mrksich said.

During Hinsdale Magazine’s visit with Mrksich, he showed us the types of plates that are employed in such tests.

“What they’re looking for is, which well doesn’t have enzyme activity anymore,” he said. “If you find wells that don’t have active enzymes, that’s probably because the small [material] that’s in that well is binding to the enzyme and blocking it. That’s called a ‘hit.’”

According to Mrksich, varying rates at which individuals metabolize drugs in their livers make it increasingly difficult to refine them.

“Each of us has different enzymes in our liver,” he said.

“So this is a problem, because you may have enzymes that act on a drug that you’re taking, and I may not. That means if I give you a dose of it, your enzymes will clear it, and you’re not going to have enough of it, and so it’s not going to help you.

My enzymes may not clear it, and my dose may get too high.”

Mrksich described the process as analogous to “solving a maze.”

“The round number is, it’s $1 billion to develop a drug,” he said. “That number includes the failures. Most of the time

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Hinsdale60521.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC.

—DR. MILAN MRKSICH

you’re developing it, you’re going to get pretty far through the process, and then the drug is going to fail in clinical trials.”

For more than a decade, Mrksich and his fellow researchers have been developing and enhancing a method to render this process simpler for pharmaceutical companies.

“Typically, you have to learn how to design the test so that if the enzyme is active, there’s a fluorescent signal,” he said.

“That can be hard to do, and there are a lot of enzymes where people haven’t figured out how to visualize the activity.”

Mrksich and his colleagues have patented a method to achieve this that doesn’t require visualization, which incorporates a technique called mass spectrometry to measure the infinitesimally small weights of molecules.

“If the enzyme is active, it will change the weight of a molecule,” he said.

After developing this method, Mrksich founded a company about eight years ago called SAMDI Tech, which now works directly with pharmaceutical companies.

According to Mrksich, SAMDI Tech, which is based within a tech park on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology on the South Side, possesses technology that can screen roughly one million compounds in a week.

“We’re working with pharmaceutical companies through SAMDI Tech, and we’re giving them the technology to get to the starting point—the first compounds, that they can then tinker and tweak to get to an actual drug,” he said.

Mrksich believes that with the help of technologies like the one he has engineered, the future of disease treatment is “personalized medicine.”

During his meeting with HM, he furnished an example of a person attempting to start a car to no avail, and attempting to fix the defect without knowing its cause with certainty.

“That’s how medicine is practiced,” Mrksich said. “And the problem with that in cancer is, if you lose three months, you’ve really lowered your odds.”

Mrksich said the traditional approach is to start a patient on the drug that is most likely to be effective, and then report back within a month.

“In that time, the tumor’s growing, the cancer may metastasize, it may spread, and then it’s extremely more difficult to treat,” he said.

Through new methods of genetic testing and cell biopsies, Mrksich believes researchers are already improving upon the concept of personalized medicine.

“This is the future of cancer treatment and diseases outside of cancer,” he said, “but it’s really being driven by cancer.” n

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Restless legs: Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is characterized as a throbbing, unnerving sensation in the legs. Even with the elevation, the legs may experience unpleasant sensations (e.g. creeping, tugging and pulling) and temporary relief may only be found by constantly moving them about- RLS can be accompanied by an irresistible urge to move the leg.

This syndrome, for many, is often the result of the central nervous system malfunctioning. But varicose veins, a secondary cause, can contribute to RLS symptoms in about 25 percent of patients.

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Hinsdale Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

MEDICAL PROFILES SP EC IA L

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FEATURING Nicholas Brown, MD Loyola Center for Health 6900 N Frontage Rd Burr Ridge, IL Loyola Outpatient Center 2160 S 1st Ave Maywood, IL WWW.LOYOLAMEDICINE.ORG/ DOCTOR/NICHOLAS-BROWN 888.584.7888 Armando San Juan, MD 133 E Brush Hill Rd Suite 308, Elmhurst, IL 8 Salt Creek Ln Suite 301, Hinsdale, IL WWW.EEHEALTH.ORG 331.221.9006

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The exceptional caregivers in the Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation program at Loyola Medicine are nationally ranked for their medical expertise and known for their well-established reputation for compassion. This includes Nicholas Brown, MD, one of Loyola’s leading orthopaedic surgeons, whose areas of clinical expertise include hip, knee and joint problems, as well as partial knee and total hip and knee replacements. To provide the highest level of treatment, he combines the latest in medical technology with supportive, personalized care.

“I work with patients to come up with a treatment plan that is tailored to their individual needs,” Dr. Brown says.

“Depending on the patient and his or her condition, the treatment can be surgical or nonsurgical.”

Dr. Brown offers joint replacements to patients who have not experienced sufficient symptom relief from lifestyle modifications, medications and physical therapy. New, customized techniques and devices are improving outcomes for joint replacements. For example, Dr. Brown offers hip replacements using an anterior (from the front) approach that is less damaging to muscles and tendons.

“Hip and knee replacements last 20 to 25 years and help patients resume active lifestyles with significantly less pain,” explains Dr. Brown. “I recently treated a woman who is 82. She was previously very active, went on walks a lot. She looked miserable before joint replacement surgery.

But a few weeks post-surgery, she was back to walking and doing stairs. Her face just brightened up. There are countless stories

like that. You see people with such low quality of life and you give them their life back.”

Dr. Brown earned his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery at Rush University Medical Center and a fellowship in hip and knee replacements at Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic in Alexandria, VA. Dr. Brown is an assistant professor in the department of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

To learn more about Dr. Brown or to schedule an appointment, visit www.loyolamedicine.org/doctor/ nicholas-brown.

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HM MEDICAL PROFILE S PE CI A L

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Armando San Juan, MD OBSTETRICS / GYNECOLOGY

“My goal is to implement a platform for a patient’s continued well-being now and in the future. I spend a considerable amount of time getting to know a patient so I can provide an evaluation and treatment precisely tailored and concisely planned for optimal healing.”

133 E Brush Hill Rd, Suite 308, Elmhurst, IL 8 Salt Creek Ln, Suite 301, Hinsdale, IL WWW.EEHEALTH.ORG | 331.221.9006

Armando San Juan, MD, an obstetriciangynecologist (OB-GYN) with Elmhurst Clinic, is accepting new patients at his offices in the West Medical Office Building, 133 E. Brush Hill Rd., Suite 308 on the Elmhurst Hospital campus and Edward-Elmhurst Health Center in Hinsdale, 8 Salt Creek Ln., Suite 301. The Center is located at the intersection of Ogden Ave. and Salt Creek Ln., just west of I-294.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. San Juan, call (331) 221-9006.

surgery (including da Vinci robotic surgery for hysterectomies), fibroids, abnormal uterine bleeding and other gynecologic issues, breast diseases, hormone replacement therapy, infertility, menopause, osteoporosis and women’s health.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Dr. San Juan speaks English, Spanish and Tagalog.

Dr. San Juan received his medical degree from Rutgers Medical School in Camden, NJ. He completed his internship at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, PA and residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago.

In addition to Dr. San Juan, at EdwardElmhurst Health, moms-to-be and their babies are cared for by some of the best medical, nursing and ancillary experts available.

Dr. San Juan’s clinical interests consist of minimally invasive gynecologic

Your dedicated care team includes boardcertified OB-GYNs and neonatologists,

specially trained nurses (including advanced practice nurses, labor and delivery nurses and neonatal nurses), nationally certified midwives, maternalfetal medicine specialists and pediatric subspecialists. Both Edward and Elmhurst are Magnet-recognized hospitals for nursing excellence.

Edward-Elmhurst welcomes more than 5,500 babies into the world annually.

With our individualized approach, you guide your birthing plan your way. From innovative, specialized labor and delivery services, including midwifery at Elmhurst Hospital, to private birthing suites, deluxe family amenities and highly-equipped nurseries, our Family Birthing Centers combine state-of-the-art technology with personalized, expert medical care — all wrapped in the comforts of home.

Dr. San Juan’s clinical interests consist of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (including da Vinci robotic surgery for hysterectomies), fibroids, abnormal uterine bleeding and other gynecologic issues, breast diseases, hormone replacement therapy, infertility, menopause, osteoporosis and women’s health.

Edward-Elmhurst provides a full range of pregnancy and baby services, including: Innovative, specialized treatment: You’ll have access to ultra-innovative technology, enhanced birthing methods and specialized care for high-risk births and multiples.

Medical expertise: You’ll have your own dedicated birthing team, including boardcertified obstetrician-gynecologists, specially trained nurses and nationallycertified midwives, who are advanced practice nurses.

Personalized care: A nurse will be assigned to you one-on-one during active labor. We truly listen to you and let you guide your birthing plan.

Comfortable private rooms: You’ll have your own private, deluxe, fully-equipped birthing suite and mother/baby room so you and your family feel at home.

Fully-equipped nurseries: Your baby will have access to the highest level of care provided in the Level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Edward Hospital, and extended capabilities in the Level II Special Care Nursery at Elmhurst Hospital.

Helpful resources: You’ll have access to a variety of classes and support groups to help prepare for pregnancy, childbirth and caring for your newborn.

For more information, visit www.

EEHealth.org/services/pregnancy-baby.

Elmhurst Clinic is a multi-specialty physician practice with more than 115 professionals who have served Chicago’s western suburbs since 1952. Elmhurst Clinic physicians practice in more than 20 specialties at 12 locations in Elmhurst, Addison, Bloomingdale, Lombard, Oak Park, Hinsdale and Westchester. For more information, visit www.EEHealth.org/ ElmhurstClinic.

In addition to Dr. San Juan, other primary care physicians and specialists providing services at the Hinsdale location include Robert Anderson, MD, pediatrics, Elmhurst Clinic; Ronald Cheff, MD, internal medicine, Elmhurst Medical Associates; Roger MacDuff, DO, OB-GYN, Elmhurst Clinic; Kimberly McKinnon, DO, family medicine, Elmhurst Memorial Medical Group; Anna Sorokin, MD, neurology, Elmhurst Neurosciences Institute and Michelle Sweet-Albores, MD, family medicine, EMMG. The $20 million, three-floor, 33,000-square-foot Center in Hinsdale, which opened in 2016, provides numerous other services, including Immediate Care, primary care physicians and specialists, Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, imaging, physical therapy, occupational health and lab.

For more information about the Edward-Elmhurst Health Center & Immediate Care in Hinsdale, call (331) 221-2500 or visit www.

EEHealth.org/hinsdale.

Hinsdale Magazine | Spotlight

Tackling CONCUSSIONS Impact Physical Therapy provides direct access to treatment

BY JANIS VON KAENEL PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL GARCIA

Left: Nationally recognized concussion expert Tim Rylander performs an oculomotor examination on a patient after a concussion; Right: Co-founders of Impact Physical Therapy Maria Dussias PT, MBA and Sarah Jensen PT, MPT, DSc, COMT

Football season is upon us, and the excitement of touchdowns, tackles and tailgating take over, bringing together all fans alike.

Even for those not into the sport, the mere tradition of a Super Bowl party can get them cheering.

Despite the thrills, football can prove to have its cons, such as the physical injuries a player may incur, which can have short- and long-term effects. Contrary to some beliefs, physical therapy is not just for post-operated patients or those afflicted with chronic pain. Athletes and the like that have suffered head injuries are also prime candidates to seek treatment. As fall contact sports commence, one such common yet serious injury that suggests physical therapy is concussion trauma.

Impact Physical Therapy, located at 777 N. York Road in Hinsdale, specializes in treating concussions and other sports-related injuries, including spinal conditions. Through their concussion rehabilitation program, headed by managing partner, board-certified orthopedic specialist and vestibular and brain injury specialist Tim Rylander, patients can receive an evaluation that’s both multidimensional and comprehensive.

Tim and his wife Kamila, director of clinical operations, both share more than 20 years of experience specializing in concussions and head injuries.

“That experience affords us the ability to gain a significant amount of information from an individual’s history and current list of symptoms,” he said. “[It] helps us to formulate a physical therapy diagnosis and a working clinical profile.”

From there, a physical examination on multiple subsystems including vestibular, visual processing and oculomotor systems and the cervical spine are conducted.

“We develop an individual treatment plan with the patient’s goals in mind, with the intent of returning them to all of their prior activities without limitation,” Rylander said.

Physical therapy treatment for concussions addresses an individual’s specific impairments. As one progresses with treatment, both physical and cognitive exertion increase, with several layers of multitasking and divided attention tasks.

Although a concussion is a very serious injury, it is also a very recoverable one.

According to the Mayo Clinic, common symptoms of a concussion include headache or feeling pressure in the head, temporary loss of consciousness, confusion or feeling as if in a fog, amnesia surrounding the traumatic event, dizziness or seeing stars, ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, delayed response to questions, fatigue and appearing Continued on page 42

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Continued from page 40 dazed. Concussions can occur at any age from a variety of causes. Impact Physical Therapy notes that concussions can be caused by automobile collisions when head impact and whiplash occur, accidents at the workplace and playground, sportsrelated injury to the head or neck, or any sort of fall—which is the leading cause of non-sports-related concussions.

“Contrary to belief, there is no helmet, headband or mouth-guard that will prevent a concussion,” Rylander said. “Sports helmets do a great job of preventing skull fractures, but they do not stop inertia.”

To diminish risk of head injury, Rylander recommended using protective equipment like helmets or seat-belts, performing proper techniques in sports or activities, while being aware of the signs and symptoms of concussions.

Illinois recently became the 45th state to pass legislation allowing direct access to physical therapists and their services.

Before this ruling passed, those looking to get physical therapy required a referral or prescription from their physician to get treatment. With this new provision, it’s now possible to bypass the long wait time to see a doctor, and instead get immediate evaluation and relief through a physical therapist.

Impact Physical Therapy was founded

by Hinsdale resident Maria Dussias. She opened the Hinsdale location, located in Gateway Square, in December 2017, alongside co-founder Sarah Jensen. Dussias and Jensen created the brand two years ago, leaving their corporate lives behind them, and opening the flagship location in Chicago’s South Loop. Now there are six locations throughout Illinois, also in Champaign, Norridge, Oak Lawn and the Lakeview neighborhood.

“Our goal is to create a boutique physical therapy company whose passion is to get quick results for our clients by providing individualized care and hands-on manual therapy,” Dussias said.

The team of physical therapists and athletic trainers all possess advanced clinical specialties.

“Ultimately, we strive for the best outcomes that will keep our clients healthy and active,” Dussias said, “[and] living a pain-free life.” n

WE’RE HIRING If you have 5-10 years experience in direct sales in newspapers and magazines, we are now hiring territory sales managers in your community.

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Hinsdale Magazine | Architecture & Design

Enduringly fresh, and the pinnacle of comfort and style, take in the view in the iconic Eames chair. www.hermanmiller.com

Room with a view Designing around a gorgeous view?

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Lighten up with this classic minimalistic glass and steel SM coffee table, featuring a continuously-looping base with no apparent beginning or end. www.knoll.com

Establish neutral ground while adding sumptuous texture with this solid-cut pile rug, interrupted by looped lines of varying width and length. www.hollyhunt.com

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Make a statement while reflecting and maximizing space with this perspectiveshifting mirror. www.hollyhunt.com

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Carefully selected pieces and smart design elements make for the perfect view.

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Hinsdale Magazine | Giving Back

The GRAND OPENING Hinsdale Humane Society ushers in 65 years with the grand opening of its new facility this fall

Left: Pet Rescue & Resource Center (PRRC) lobby; Top right: Interior Puppy Bowl; Bottom right: PRRC exterior

In conjunction with the Hinsdale Humane Society’s 65-year anniversary, it will host the grand opening of its new Pet Rescue & Resource Center with two community events on Nov. 3 and 4.

The new building is three times the size of the non-profit’s existing facility near downtown Hinsdale, and will allow for the rescue of more than double the animals currently helped.

“We can’t imagine a more ideal way to celebrate our 65th year than by debuting our new Pet Rescue & Resource Center to the public this fall,” executive director Tom Van Winkle said. “This is going to be a place not only for healing, comfort and care for the animals, but also a place for the community to come together to bond with and learn all about animals in need.”

The new building will feature a veterinary clinic, a humane education space, a puppy bowl training center, enrichment for all of the animals and an eventual fear-free sheltering designation. The Hinsdale Humane Society (HHS) is training staff members on fear-free sheltering practices that nurture the emotional well-being of animals as much as the physical.

To welcome the community to the new building, a ticketed celebration will take place on Nov. 3 from 7 to 11 p.m., complete with entertainment, farm to table apps, an Adopt, DoNut Shop wall, a cigar and whiskey bar, wine and chocolate

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Hinsdale60521.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC.

tastings and more. Funds raised during this event will go towards operating expenses. Tickets can be purchased for $150 each at http://grandopen.givesmart.com.

Fifty VIP tickets will be available for $50 each, and will include exclusive entry, welcome drink, gift-bags and dining in the Puppy Bowl.

“This is going to be a truly spectacular grand opening,” events director Mistie Lucht said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring people together for an epic celebration that will be as awesome as the new building itself. You don’t want to miss this.”

On Nov. 4, the humane society will host a free family festival from noon to 4 p.m. with pet playtime, crafts, games, raffle prizes and festival treats. Nov. 4 marks the first official day of operations and adoptions in the new facility. n Visit www.hinsdalehumanesociety.org for more details on the building and grand opening festivities.

I CAN DO ADVENTURE

DISCOVER THE YOU THAT CAN DO Diveheart works to build confidence, independence and self-esteem in children, adults and veterans of all abilities through scuba diving, scuba therapy and related activities. Utilizing certified adaptive dive buddies, Diveheart provides safe and inclusive activities for adaptive divers to enjoy the wonders of the aquatic world. Diveheart focuses on abilities not disabilities to instill the can do spirit, it is our hope to inspire participants to take on challenges that before might have seemed impossible.

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Hinsdale Magazine | Spotlight

A Fifth Season

D. Hendrickson Photography

A fundraiser to unmask the journey toward a cure

A Fifth Season 2017

The Noah’s Hope-Hope 4 Bridget Foundation is hosting its eighth annual Batten disease fundraiser on Nov. 10 at the Marriott Oak Brook at 6 p.m.

A Fifth Season fundraiser will provide a casual, yet purposeful atmosphere, featuring music, live and silent auctions, dinner, dessert and open bar. Ben Bradley of WGN Ch. 9 will serve as guest emcee for the seventh consecutive year.

CLN2 Batten disease is rare genetic disease that is often referred to as ALS for children. Children with Batten disease develop normally as toddlers, walking, talking and laughing.

Unfortunately, they soon after experience ongoing seizures and loss of muscle control, including their ability to speak, walk and eat.

The Chicagoland area has devastatingly lost Noah and Laine VanHoutan of Downers Grove, Bridget Kennicott of Barrington and Ethan Gahlbeck of Elmhurst, all between the

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Hinsdale60521.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC.

ages of 10 to 12, to Batten disease. Currently, there is no cure for this fatal childhood affliction.

Noah’s Hope-Hope 4 Bridget is working to develop therapies that delay symptoms, to give the gift of childhood back to children with Batten disease.

New therapies supported by events, research, advocacy and fundraising now help to forestall symptoms of CLN2 Batten disease, but there is more to do.

All funds raised at A Fifth Season will go towards CLN2 Batten research via Noah’s Hope-Hope 4 Bridget, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide funding for research and education in efforts to find a treatment and cure for CLN2 Batten disease. n Tickets and sponsorships are available at www.NoahsHope.com.

HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC. | Hinsdale60521.com

49

CONSIDER DIVEHEART FOR YOUR CHARITABLE GIVING THIS YEAR

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES This year you can help children, adults and veterans with disabilities “Imagine the Possibilities” in their lives with a donation to Diveheart. Your tax deductible donation will help people of all abilities build confidence, independence, and self-esteem, while letting them escape gravity—many times for the first time in their lives.

Your donation can also be directed to our capital campaign that will help Diveheart build an indoor, warm water pool facility for research, rehabilitation, eduction, training, and vocational opportunities for those with disabilities. The Scuba Therapy Research & Rehabilitation that Diveheart helps facilitate is revolutionizing rehabilitation for not just those with disabilities, but for people of all abilities.

Help change the world for children, adults and veterans with disabilities today!

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D IVEHE A RT | 9 0 0 O g d e n Av e , # 2 7 4 | D o w n e r s G rov e | 6 3 0 - 9 6 4 - 1 9 8 3 | w w w. d i v e h e a r t . o r g / d o n a t e Diveheart is a volunteer driven 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is the provide possibilities for children, adults and veterans with disabilities through the Scuba experience. By instilling a “CAN-DO” attitude in the minds of people with disabilities, we can help them to improve their confidence and gain independence as well as change the mindset of people around them. More information about tour services and the individuals we work with can be found at www.diveheart.org. Private donations and 3 major fundraiser primarily fund our organization’s programs.

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Hinsdale Magazine | Community Scene

The Community House 3-ON-3 TOURNAMENT Photography by Mike Ellis More than 70 teams and roughly 300 local kids and community members participated in the fifth annual 3-on3 basketball tournament at The Community House (TCH) in Hinsdale on Aug. 25.

The tournament, initiated by Mike Devine of Clarendon Hills, has blossomed into a familiar late-summer event for locals, and is predominated by participants from Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale and surrounding towns.

The Community House’s annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament featured more than 70 teams.

Boys and girls from fourth grade through high school were eligible to enter the tournament, as well as men over the age of 35, the teams being arranged according to age group.

For the first time in 2018, a threepoint contest was held indoors in the fieldhouse, open to any event attendees at the cost of $10 per entry.

Mike Devine and Dan Janowick

Contest winners received trophies, while team champions earned commemorative T-shirts.

In addition to the basketball, TCH offered an art project at the front of the building supporting its Ly Hotchkin Arts Program, conducted by program director Jimmy McDermott.

Boys and girls from fourth grade through high school were eligible to enter the tournament.

Volunteers from the organization’s junior board and National Charity League also contributed to the event.

Volunteers from the organization’s junior board and the National Charity League operated a concession stand, which supplied needed snacks and refreshments to revitalize participants and their parents.

For more information about The Community House and its upcoming programs and activities, visit www. thecommunityhouse.org.

For the first time this year, the tournament featured a three-point shootout in the fieldhouse.

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Hinsdale Magazine | Community Scene

Clarendon Hills FAMILY FALL FESTIVAL Photography by Mike Ellis Hundreds of local families flocked to Prospect Park in Clarendon Hills for the annual family fall festival, hosted by the Clarendon Hills Park District, on Sept. 15.

Warm and clear conditions helped to bolster attendance at the festival, where children enjoyed choosing from an array of activities, ranging from inflatables to miniature golf to a petting zoo.

Petting zoo

Under the pavilion, kids stood in line to have their faces painted, and nearby, the “hay play” attracted a number of children, who delighted in covering their compeers with bails of straw.

In the northern portion of the park, families took a circuit around an open field courtesy of a horse-drawn carriage, another of the popular, recurring activities that the park district offers each year.

Joe Adkins of Wheaton, who has become a fixture at the festival in recent years, returned to dazzle newcomers as he carved his giant pumpkin.

Face-painting

Atop the sledding hill, park district superintendent of recreation Kelly Smith and recreation supervisor Val Louthan gathered a bevy of children for the “pumpkin roll.”

Towards the conclusion of the event, the Clarendon Hills Park Foundation auctioned off the bee sculpture that had been furnished by students at Walker Elementary School, which earned the title of best in show among the “bees on parade” that were scattered across the village this summer.

For more information about the Clarendon Hills Park District and upcoming events and activities, visit www. clarendonhillsparkdistrict.org.

Pumpkin roll

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Joe Adkins of Wheaton carves a giant pumpkin.

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Hinsdale Magazine | Sports

A conversation with Coach Ditka

Former Bears head coach Mike Ditka previews 2018 NFL season

BY MIKE ELLIS PHOTOGRAPH BY MARCO NUNEZ

MIKE ELLIS: Recently, we had some big news, with the Bears acquiring linebacker Khalil Mack from the Raiders. I wanted to get your thoughts on that acquisition, and what you think he can do for the team.

MIKE DITKA: It doesn’t matter what I think he can do; it

matters what the Bears think he can do. If he’s the last piece in that puzzle that they need on that defense, then it’s a great get. He’s a heck of a football player. It’s a lot of money, but then again, the game has turned to that; if you want to get a star player, you’re going to have to pay him.

ELLIS: With a new offense under head coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky entering his second year, what do you feel fans should expect?

DITKA: Matt’s a very good coach; he knows offensive football very well. It’s a matter of executing, and that’s going to come down to the players on the field—especially, the quarterback. Mitch is going to have to go out and execute; he’s going to have to be the leader of that offense. ... It’s not about one individual or one coach; it’s about everybody being on the same page for the same reason [to] try to accomplish the same thing.

ELLIS: Examining the NFC North, it appears to be one of the deepest, most balanced divisions in pro football. Detroit has a new coach; Green Bay is roughly where they were last year, but has been competing for the playoffs the last number of years. I feel like the Vikings are the favorite, when you consider the addition of Kirk Cousins at quarterback, Dalvin Cook being back at running back, and the emergence of Adam Thielen at wide receiver last year, to go along with one of the best defenses in football. What are your thoughts?

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DITKA: I think it’s a good division. You’ve got Minnesota, Detroit, Green Bay—that’s six games you’re playing. You’ve got to come out of those six games 4-2. If you can do that, then that means you have controlled your division probably.

The rest of the games will take care of [themselves]. You’re going to scout everybody, you’re going to play everybody. ... Minnesota, Green Bay and Chicago are pretty good; I don’t know enough about Detroit, but they’ve got a good quarterback. I think it’s going to be very competitive.

ELLIS: You think for any team in the NFL, it’s important to try to focus on having a winning record in the division?

DITKA: If you can control your division, it gives you a better chance to take care of the teams outside your division. Not that it’s going to be easy, but you come out of there 4-2, 5-1, you’re probably going to end up winning that division.

ELLIS: The Eagles appear to be the class of the NFC East, but there are legitimate questions about the health of quarterback Carson Wentz, who suffered an ACL injury last December.

What challenges lie ahead for the defending champions?

DITKA: The hardest thing to do in any sport is to repeat.

You can ask the Cubs, you can ask the Yankees, you can ask the Bears, you can ask Green Bay. ... I was down in Dallas for awhile, and we had a pretty good dynasty there, but nothing lasts forever. You win because of the players you have, but you can only keep those players for so long; then you better start bringing in new players. ... I think that you’re going to see more upsets this year than you have in the past.

ELLIS: A team that is a bit more off the radar in the NFC that I think has the potential to surprise some people is San Francisco. Kyle Shanahan was the architect of the vaunted

“ I THINK THAT YOU’RE “WHEN YOU BECOME A GOOD GOING TO SEE MORE FOOTBALL TEAM, YOU’RE ON UPSETS THIS YEAR THAN EVERYBODY’S RADAR.” YOU HAVE IN THE PAST.”

Atlanta offense in 2016, and now has Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm for an entire season. Plus, they added Richard Sherman in the offseason. How do you feel about the 49ers?

DITKA: I watched San Francisco today, and I agree with you 100 percent. Garoppolo’s a pretty darn good football player; they’ve got some other people around him that are pretty good too. They’ve got the Rams in their division—they’ve got some good teams in their division also.

ELLIS: Shifting our attention to the AFC, the conversation

always—and rightfully—starts with [Bill] Belichick, [Tom] Brady and the [New England] Patriots. As you probably know, only two teams in the Super Bowl era have ever won their conference three straight years (Buffalo Bills, 1990-93; Miami Dolphins, 1971-73). From someone whose teams competed at the top of the NFC during the 1980s, what makes this type of consistency so difficult to establish?

DITKA: I think there’s a couple of reasons. It probably

doesn’t seem as important to the players once they win one.

Let me talk about New England. They’ve got some of the best ownership in the league; they’ve got the best head coach

“ I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE WHO PLAY THE GAME, AND DON’T RESPECT THE GAME

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in football; and they’ve got the best quarterback in football.

If you start talking about defensive players, people can’t name their defensive players; but they play as a defensive unit. The same way, the offensive line—you couldn’t name their offensive line. [Rob] Gronkowski, you could name. ...

They are the symbol of the word t-e-a-m: team. They play everything as a team, and that’s what makes them so good— and they’re going to be hard to beat; they’re going to be there at the end of the year.

ELLIS: What’s been so impressive about what they’ve done is their ability to win in the regular season, and then secure a bye and home games in the playoffs.

DITKA: They are very consistent. ... There’s a reason for everything. You play those games, because if you win the majority, you get home field, and you might get a bye. Those things all matter at the end of the year.

ELLIS: What they’ve been able to do, I don’t think we’ve ever seen—except for San Francisco in the 1980s and early 1990s.

DITKA: In their heyday with [Joe] Montana and [Steve] Young and those guys, they had a great, great organization, Continued on the next page

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Hinsdale Magazine | Sports

great coach, great franchise. But New England, I think they’ve really topped them all. They rank right up there with the Lombardi Packers in my opinion.

ELLIS: Now Brady will retire at some point.

DITKA: Not in my lifetime.

ELLIS: He’s 41, I think, this year.

DITKA: So what?

ELLIS: You don’t think eventually [he will begin to decline]?

DITKA: An athlete like Tom Brady keeps himself in the best shape. Eventually, yes, the aging system can get to you. But I would say probably, comfortably, if he wants to play four more years, he could.

ELLIS: I guess if he can avoid the hits.

DITKA: Yes, and you don’t see him take too many. A lot of

that credit goes to the offensive line.

ELLIS: And him getting rid of the ball quickly; they call a lot of quick pass plays.

DITKA: Getting rid of the ball, plus the fact they can run the football, which a lot of people don’t think—they can run it.

ELLIS: The team I really like to possibly unseat the Patriots in 2018 is the team we just saw play them earlier today: the Houston Texans. If DeShaun Watson and J.J. Watt can stay healthy, which is a very legitimate question, this team will be very potent on both sides of the ball.

DITKA: I agree with what you’re saying, but they played New England today, and they got beat. You don’t think every team’s going to look at that film? Not that they can duplicate what New England [did], but they’ll sure as heck try. When you become a good football team, you’re on everybody’s radar.

ELLIS: Don’t you feel like Bill Belichick probably told those players going into that game, “Guys, this could be the biggest game of our regular season. This could end up deciding who gets the home field [advantage].”

DITKA: I’m sure he might have said some of that, but it really isn’t that. I don’t think Bill does anything but play them one at a time. Every opponent is important. I don’t care if you’re playing Buffalo—they’re all important. Buffalo is a team that, I don’t know which direction they’re going, but it doesn’t seem like they’re going up.

ELLIS: Not after today against Baltimore.

DITKA: I watched the Pittsburgh and Cleveland game, and

Cleveland’s going in the right direction.

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ELLIS: I like some of the moves that Cleveland made in the offseason. They got Jarvis Landry at wide receiver, and Josh Gordon is back. (Gordon was traded to the Patriots on Sept.

17.) They’ve got a new quarterback in Tyrod Taylor who was in a playoff game last year. I thought they might win that game today.

DITKA: They could have lost very easily. Good teams find a way to get out of Dodge, and they played in Cleveland, so they got out of there with a tie. They’ll be okay. Cincinnati looked pretty good today. That division looks good; it looks very solid. Anybody can probably win that division.

ELLIS: Is there any other team you like in the AFC that you think we should keep an eye on? People have been talking about the Ravens, if they’re better offensively.

DITKA: I really like Joe Flacco a lot; I don’t know enough about their whole team.

ELLIS: One of the topics we talked about last year was the evolution of the modern NFL offenses, utilizing more receivers and spread formations. Do you think the linebacker position as we know it could become obsolete, and there will just be a bunch of pass-rushers and pass-coverers out there on defense?

DITKA: You’re always going to have what you call the one linebacker—the run-stopper to go in with the front four. But the other ones are going to be DBs or people who have a unique ability to cover, because they’ve got to cover. First of all, you’re not covering a tight end; you might be covering a tight end in one spot, three receivers on the other side, and then a back. Say you move the back out, and you empty the backfield, move the back outside the wide receiver on the left side: somebody’s going to go out and cover him. Now if it’s a guy who’s strictly a linebacker, he’s going to have a really hard time.

ELLIS: Do you think those linebackers are going to be smaller, kind of like safeties or hybrid-linebackers?

DITKA: You’re going to see more teams playing 4-2-5— they’ll play five defensive backs, there’s no question about that. ... Unless you get to that quarterback immediately, these guys are too good. You’ve got to have people back there that can cover. A linebacker’s not going to cover these slot receivers.

ELLIS: Last year, in the Super Bowl, we saw the defenses really struggle, and were wondering if anybody was going to get a stop in that game for awhile.

DITKA: That’s what it’s come do. It’s just a bunch of mismatches—and that’s what you’re trying to create on

offense: a mismatch. When you get that mismatch, you’ve got to exploit it. ... Even if you say, we’re going to play everybody [manto-man], one guy behind. But by playing man, you’re very susceptible to getting beat.

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backfield, and you’re ending up with four receivers; what the hell [is the defense] going to do? How are you going to cover them if you play conventional defense? You have to go to a nickel or dime package.—That’s what football has turned into; it’s become a specialist’s game.

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ELLIS: I think the rule changes have mattered too—with defenders not being able to make as much contact, the illegal contact after five yards.

DITKA: That rule was always there, but they didn’t enforce it that much. But you’re right.

If you can’t touch the player—which is the rule—past five yards, it makes it awfully hard to cover. It becomes one-on-one football, and the best man wins. And the offensive guy knows where he’s going, and the defensive guy is trying to figure out where he’s going.

ELLIS: Do you think it would have been more fun to play offense as a tight end today?

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DITKA: I wouldn’t change it for anything. I had a ball playing when I played. We were one of the first teams in football to flex out the tight end, when I played for the Bears. Coach [George] Halas said [it was] the only way you can get a two-way release. If you play right next to your offensive tackle, they jammed you down. So we moved open, we opened up a little bit; we had a two-way release. And that’s all the evolution of the game. But the athletes today are bigger, faster, stronger—and in some cases, they might even be smarter, but I doubt that.

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ELLIS: A guy like Gronkowski—was there a tight end you’ve ever seen quite like him?

DITKA: He’s an NBA power forward playing

tight end. He’s outstanding. John Mackey was Continued on the next page

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Hinsdale Magazine | Sports

DITKA: No, and you look at Tampa Bay today; I was really impressed with Tampa Bay. They went out, and they kicked ass— period.

ELLIS: And that was one that none of the experts and I certainly didn’t think Tampa Bay was going to win that game against a good team in New Orleans.

DITKA: They beat a good team, but the team they beat doesn’t have a great defense. But to put 48 points up against New Orleans—that’s pretty impressive.

Ditka considers John Mackey of the Baltimore Colts “one of the best players that ever played football.” “The Sporting News Collection Archives” Sporting News Collection Hologram/MEARS Photo LOA

ELLIS: Mackey was a very tough cover.

DITKA: No, I played against Tony. He was a little bit after me, but I played against him in the early ‘70s; it was against the Steelers. He was a good player.

DITKA: Oh, yeah; he was one of the best players that ever

ELLIS: So he was on those “Steel Curtain” teams.

ELLIS: Is there any part of the game that you don’t think is

DITKA: Yes, he was part of the Steel Curtain—a good football player, and a smart football player.

great. There were a lot of them—Ron Kramer.

played football.

as strong today as it was in the past?

DITKA: I think you play the game, and you respect the game. I don’t like people who play the game, and don’t respect the game by acting like fools. People have the right to do whatever they want to do. Play the game, play it with class.

DIANA DITKA: They don’t tackle at all.

ELLIS: It’s hard, because the rules—and they were talking

about today on one of the plays I saw, the defender “launched” into the quarterback. It was just a normal play where he went into the quarterback, and took him down.

And they said there’s a point of emphasis this year in which they’re going to call that a penalty. And it’s like, if you can’t do that, I don’t really see what you can do. At some point, it becomes hard to play defense.

MIKE DITKA: It does. And they are tying the hands of the defense a little bit.

ELLIS: You never really know what you’re going to get from some of these teams.

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ELLIS: Did you ever play against this guy, Tony Dungy (on the television screen above the bar)—was he in the league, or was he after your time?

Hinsdale60521.com | HINSDALE MAGAZINE, INC.

ELLIS: You would have gone up against guys like Herb Adderley.

DITKA: Well, Herb Adderley was basically a cornerback. I went up more against linebackers and safeties. Richie Petty, those guys, they were really great safeties, but they weren’t cornerbacks. Against a cornerback, I would have never gotten open against those guys.

ELLIS: What quarterbacks did you play under? Were you under [Roger] Staubach at all?

DITKA: I played with Staubach and [Craig] Morton in Dallas. And with the Bears, Rudy Bukich and Bill Wade.

And in New Orleans, we had anybody who wanted to play quarterback played.

DIANA DITKA: Craig Morton introduced us.

ELLIS: Oh, really? Now he’s known for having a couple of rough Super Bowls, but he was a pretty good quarterback, right?

MIKE DITKA: Craig was really good. The only thing is, Roger Staubach was better. n

Hinsdale Magazine | Inside Hinsdale sommelier and wine educator to his curriculum vitae.

“Wines have been a great interest to me for many years,” Lorenzo Muñoz said. “I have had the good fortune that it has become a hobby I share with my fellow avid epicurean and wife, Christine.”

It’s no doubt one can enjoy wine without knowing much about it; however, there’s an elaborate system that consists of geography, climate and cultures to truly appreciate it.

“Not every sip has to be deconstructed into some cheesy poem,” Lorenzo Muñoz said, “but like all things of beauty, when one gets to understand them better, our appreciation is heightened.”

Enter Hinsdale Wine Academy, where his knowledge of wine combined with his passion translates into informative classes in a casual setting.

The courses include nightly tastings of premium wines, and features interactive lectures and workbook activities. The firstlevel course features classes on wine composition and chemistry, sensory analysis and the tasting process, viticulture, enology, white and red wine stylings and foodLorenzo and Christine Muñoz pairing strategies. Students earn a at Chateau Margaux Vineyard in graduation reception after passing Margaux, France the blind tasting test and theoretical exam, preparing patrons to host their next dinner party—just in time for Thanksgiving.

Level two’s course dissects where the wines come from, distinguishing the differences of regions, and taking students on a taste-bud journey through France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Local couple opens Hinsdale Wine Academy Germany, Austria, South America and back to the United States.

BY JANIS VON KAENEL The first-level course, lasting six weeks, is priced at $475 per person, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated Husband and wife team Lorenzo and Christine Muñoz have primarily to charities at the forefront of defeating brain a passion for vino—so much so, that they’ve turned their tumors and those afflicted. Due to popular demand and proverbial medicine into wine. selling out their debut course, a second session has been Lorenzo, a practicing neurosurgeon, and Christine, a added. There’s no need to bring wine glasses, as they will be former nurse, launched Hinsdale Wine Academy this past provided.

“I hope that through these classes, I’ll share my passion September, teaching weekly classes held at The Community for wine insofar [as] I want others to see it as something that House in Hinsdale.

The Hinsdale couple married in 2002 and discovered not brings people and food together,” Lorenzo Muñoz said. only did they fall in love with each other, but also fell for the Christine also plans to get her certifications, so she can further her appreciation of wine, and hopes to assist Lorenzo art of cooking. It became a hobby that naturally led them into in teaching the classes. the complex world of food and wine pairing.

“But [we] didn’t really know much about what we were “I look forward to seeing many familiar faces in the drinking,” Christine Muñoz said. “We just knew we liked it.” classes,” she said, “and also to meeting new people who have That’s when the neurosurgeon decided to add certified an interest in wine.” n

WINE PAIRING

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