YOUR NEW ELMHURST PRESS York Community High School English teacher Andrew Bendelow cleans up after helping install raised vegetable beds Aug. 8 in Elmhurst. Steve Bittinger For Shaw Media
TEAMWORK Community joins York High School in transforming campus grounds By F. AMANDA TUGADE atugade@shawmedia.com ELMHURST bout 150 volunteers from the Elmhurst Garden Club, National Gardening Association and PT Holdings, an Addison-based company, arrived Aug. 8 at York Community High School to offer a helping hand, as the high school’s Garden Club began its journey to beautify campus grounds. The project is based on a longterm plan that provides different spaces for students and faculty to gather, grow and learn together. York English teacher Andrew Ben-
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delow and science teacher Lauren Yun are the club’s moderators. Working alongside their students, they crafted this plan about a year ago in hopes of achieving their recent end results. Bendelow explained throughout the school year, he and his students searched and applied for grants to raise money to improve, restore and build upon their school’s gardens and courtyards. In addition, the club set out to revive the school’s most prominent courtyard, which rests near the entrance of the building. Garden Club members Dominic Gatti and Abby Gundrum, both 16,
See TEAMWORK, page 3
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ELMHURST – Microbreweries and brewpubs now will be allowed in Elmhurst’s commercial districts after the Elmhurst City Council approved a series of zoning changes Aug. 3. The recommended changes, which came from the Development, Planning and Zoning Committee, reflect a desire to benefit existing and new businesses that may be interested in settling in the city. “We try to be proactive and look at trends,” committee Chairman Scott Levin said, adding microbreweries and brewpubs have become popular, and should those types of businesses come to Elmhurst, the city now is prepared to handle them. Levin initially presented a report July 20 to the City Council that discussed zoning restrictions in the city’s districts. A microbrewery, as defined by the committee, primarily would produce malt beverages, but the facility may have a tasting room and retail space to sell its products to the public if it receives a liquor license from the city. In addition, microbreweries can only manufacture between 100 and 15,000 barrels of beer every year. Following the same model with the potential for a tasting room and retail space, microwineries and microdistilleries are allowed to produce as much as 35,000 gallons of spirits every year. Brewpubs are restaurants that feature beer brewed on site, and patrons may enjoy their drinks on site as well, Levin said. Another zoning change made is local car and motorcycle dealerships
SUBURBAN LIFE MEDIA ELMHURST – Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 will launch Focus 205, a new program aimed at getting the community more involved with their schools. The program will begin Sept. 2 with a presentation from Superintendent Dr. David Moyer at York Community High School Commons, 355 St. Charles Road. The purpose of Focus 205 is to create a conversation among teachers, faculty, students, board members and families and build a better learning environment for all, according to a district news release. The program will host workshops dedicated to exploring different teaching techniques to keep students engaged and prepared for higher education. Focus 205’s end goal is to produce a set of ideas and suggestions to improve district schools that will be presented to the Board of Education, the release stated. “The relationship between high-quality public schools and community vitality is clear,” Moyer said in the release. “I look forward to a dialogue about how we can ensure that Elmhurst District 205, and the community it serves, remain vibrant for decades to come.”
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now are able to display new models in available retail spaces in downtown. Third Ward Alderman Michael Bram, who previously expressed concerns about the idea, maintained his position and did not choose to support the change. “It doesn’t match our comprehensive plan for the downtown area,” Bram said at the Aug. 3 meeting. He previously questioned at the July 20 meeting whether those displays would encourage community members to visit local car and motorcycle dealerships and purchase from them, especially since “the goal of downtown is to generate sales tax.” “It’s just a way to generate enthusiasm and interest,” Sixth Ward Alderman Michael Honquest said at the same meeting. Fitness centers also now can be constructed in downtown. Levin said that decision is unrelated to the Fitness Formula Club coming to Addison Avenue, as the committee was already in discussions to allow fitness centers downtown before the city’s approval of that proposal. Another committee recommendation that was approved by the City Council is that no extra parking spaces will be created for gas stations with a mini-mart. Levin said the committee determined vehicles parked at the fueling stations are considered parking spots for customers. Third Ward Alderman Dannee Polomsky, Fourth Ward Aldermen Kevin York and Noel Talluto, Fifth Ward Alderman Chris Healy and Mayor Steve Morley were absent for the vote at the Aug. 3 meeting. Seventh Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner led the meeting as the mayor pro tem.
CORRECTIONS Accuracy is important to the Elmhurst Suburban Life, and we want to correct mistakes promptly. Please call errors to our attention by email, editorial@mysuburbanlife.com, or by phone, 630-368-1100.
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Patty Chirumbolo Elmhurst teacher and “Hollywood Game Night” contestant the game progressed, she and her teammates made a comeback and “demolished the other team” in the next four rounds, which moved her to the bonus round where she met her next challenge: celebrity name game. In that challenge, Chirumbolo and a teammate of her choice had to name 10 celebrities correctly off a list in less than 90 seconds. Chirumbolo said she chose Long as a partner because he was a fast talker and could spit out more clues, which is crucial to winning that game. “I got all 10 correct under 90 seconds with 15 seconds to spare,” she said. Chirumbolo said she has yet to decide what to do with the prize money. “Winning was great, but this was such an exciting experience,” she said.
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Julia ParkerDickerson, director of Youth Education Programs for the National Gardening Association, works on a flower bed Aug. 8 at York Community High School in Elmhurst. Steve Bittinger For Shaw Media
News to your phone Visit http://shawurl.com/ texts to sign up for news and weather text alerts from Suburban Life. Peterson said the goal was not to fill up the space with pretty flowers but to fill up the space with various types of plants that would engage students’ curiosity and interest. She chose plants that are known to be fragrant, make a sound when a breeze passes through or have a certain texture that would grab the attention of passersby, Peterson said. Plants that attract pollinators such as butterflies, bees and insects also were scattered throughout the garden.
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Now, the courtyard looks like a still from a fairytale book. At the center, a tall, wooden arch stands with raised wooden beds placed at both sides that were constructed by volunteers. Those beds are now home to new vegetable plants. Volunteers also built 12 small benches, which will serve as seats for outdoor classrooms. With the school year set to begin shortly, the club’s next step is to teach one another how to maintain the growth and progress of their plants, Bendelow and Peterson said. Members of the club also are looking to recruit new students, as well as label all new additions of flowers, shrubs and vegetables around the school to further educate one another. “It takes teamwork to make a dream work,” Bendelow said.
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ELMHURST – Patty Chirumbolo’s family and closest friends gathered in her basement Aug. 11 to watch her TV debut as a contestant on NBC’s “Hollywood Game Night.” Leading up to the episode’s premiere, her friends and family had no idea she was on the winning team and earned a $25,000 cash prize, said Chirumbolo, a teacher in Elmhurst and Lombard resident. The game centers on five rounds of party games that test participants’ knowledge of movies, TV shows, Hollywood couples and pop culture. Two contestants are placed on two teams with three celebrities. Actors Kevin Smith, Justin Long and Haley Joel Osment completed Chirumbolo’s team. Her rivals included comedian Jay Pharoah and actors Brandon T. Johnson and Elisha Cuthbert. “I had a good team, but I’m really good, too,” Chirumbolo said. “I was confident with my skills.” Chirumbolo recalled her team struggled in the first round of the competition. As
“I had a good team, but I’m really good, too. I was confident with my skills.”
said that area, which is only open for the high school’s seniors to use, is a place where they should want to hang out and grab lunch with friends, but in recent years, it has been an eyesore. Bendelow said the club looked to make that space available for all students and teachers to enjoy and to host outdoor classes, taking a lesson from “the greats” like Epicurus and Socrates, who were known to use gardens as classrooms for their students to think, discuss and collaborate. This spring, the club received funding from Whole Kids Foundation, an organization sponsored by Whole Foods Market that is dedicated to improving children’s nutrition and well-being. The National Gardening Association, which recently took on the school’s project, and PT Holdings donated various sets of gardening tools. The Garden Club turned to the Elmhurst Garden Club’s Lisa Peterson, a local landscape designer, to know which plants would work best in the courtyard, Bendelow said. He and Peterson said plants initially placed around the school’s buildings just needed some tender, loving care. Volunteers helped place mulch, plant a few native species such as shrubs and flowers, and pull out weeds. However, a different plan was in store for the courtyard.
ED • Friday, August 14, 2015 • mysuburbanlife.com • Suburban Life
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Elmhurst woman, 84, competes as triathlete By F. AMANDA TUGADE atugade@shawmedia.com ELMHURST – For Dorothy Sinson, age is nothing but a number. In the past six years, the 84-year-old Elmhurst resident has competed in 14 triathlons. Last year, Sinson joined Team USA in the ITU World Triathlon, which was hosted in Edmonton. She recently participated in the 2015 National Senior Games, which were hosted in Minneapolis, Minn. Overall, Sinson has been awarded first place in 11 out of 14 competitions. Sinson’s journey to becoming a tri-
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athlete began in her mid-70s, she said. After a back injury, she attended physical therapy sessions in Elmhurst and on one of her visits saw a small sign posted on an events wall about the Super Sprint Triathlon in Chicago. Without hesitation, she signed up. In its most popular form, a triathlon is a three-tiered competition that involves distance swimming, cycling and running. Swimming and running were two activities she enjoyed doing on a regular basis, but biking was a different story, Sinson said.
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• TRIATHLETE
Continued from page 4 To say the least, it had been a long time since Sinson had ridden a bicycle, but she learned practice does indeed make perfect, she said. Over time, she learned how to properly sit on a bicycle and how to place her feet on the pedals to maximize her speed. “You can win a triathlon even if you’re not a decent biker,” Sinson said. “But you can lose a triathlon if you’re not a good swimmer,” she added, noting that is an important lesson she has learned about the competition in recent years. Sinson said as far as training goes, she keeps it simple. “It’s all in how I feel,” she said, noting each day she takes on at least one of the three activities. She tries to split her time by running two to three miles or riding her bike for a couple of hours at Busse Woods in Arlington Heights, as well as swimming a few laps at a nearby pool. Karyn Augustyn, a personal trainer at Courts Plus, has worked closely with Sinson for about a year. Her role in Sinson’s training is to “keep her strong and balanced” and, more importantly, to challenge her by introducing new ways to strengthen her body, especially since age does play
“You can win a triathlon even if you’re not a decent biker. But you can lose a triathlon if you’re not a good swimmer.” Dorothy Sinson 84-year-old triathlete from Elmhurst a factor in conditioning, Augustyn said. “So much happens to our bodies from 60 to 70 to 80,” she said. “The body takes longer to get results, but that also happens with the brain.” She said in Sinson’s case, she has created a curriculum centered on balance, meditation and relaxation. Sinson said the reason behind her transformation into a triathlete came from her lifelong love of sports. She also remembers a time when girls were discouraged to participate, so she remained on the sidelines. As a teen in the 1940s, she noticed women were limited when it came to being independent or pursuing their own dreams – an observation that never sat well with her, she said. While Sinson said “times have changed,” her attitude to strive and achieve has remained. When asked what message she would leave for any up-and-comer, she said, “Don’t give up. You have to keep moving.”
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While Mario noted his daughter’s natural ability to command an audience and to perform, Mary recalled her daughter’s health at the time was failing, and Julie was placed on the transplant list in hopes of receiving a pair of healthy lungs. “She put on an amazing performance with limited reserve,” Mary said. As the months after graduation progressed, Julie looked forward to attending Elmhurst College in the fall, but her health continued to pose an obstacle. Six weeks into the fall semester, Julie received word she would get a new set of lungs, and the surgery was successful, Mary said. Julie made her screen debut in the documentary “Miracle on South Street: The Julie D Story,” which was directed by family friend Giancarlo Iannotta. The movie, which is available for viewing on Hulu, shared her story and centered on her double-lung transplant, as well as the importance of organ donation. “She did well for about 15 months,” Mary said, noting her daughter showed signs of improvement. However, as 2014 began, Julie’s body rejected both lungs, Mary said.
“You think you know what love is, and then you love Julie. She’ll always be my little hero.” Mario D’Agostino Father
Her daughter was eligible for another transplant, but this time it would be for only one lung. While Julie again showed signs of improvement, other health complications “impacted the lung,” Mary said, and Julie’s health began to decline by this July. “(Doctors) were moving heaven and earth to save that lung, but they just couldn’t,” she said. “She gave up the battle Friday night.” When news broke of Julie’s passing, her Facebook profile page was showered with love and support from teachers, friends, classmates and people she had touched throughout the years. Their heartfelt messages were sealed with the hashtag #BreatheEasyJulieD. “You think you know what love is, and then you love Julie,” Mario said. “She’ll always be my little hero.” Julie is survived by her parents, Mario and Mary, and her siblings, Michael, Kevin, Elizabeth, Carly and twin sister Natalie.
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POLICE REPORTS • Alexis Sakellarides, 33, of the 100 block of Goldeneye Lane, Bloomingdale, was charged at 2:47 p.m. July 26 with retail theft at Whole Foods Market, 215 S. Route 83. • A Honda compressor and Hitachi coil roofing nail guns were reported stolen from a motor vehicle at 4:33 p.m. July 26 in the 400 block of West Fullerton Avenue. • Several items of jewelry were reported stolen at 10:49 a.m. July 23 in the 500 block of South Cottage Hill Avenue. • A wallet containing several credit cards, identification cards and cash was reported lost at 1:20 p.m. July 26 at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, 155 E. Brush Hill Ave. • Tereso Doradoo, 45, of the 300 block of Granville Avenue, Bellwood, was cited at 1:25 p.m. July 28 with a city ordinance violation for theft at Adelaide Street and Adell Place. • A cart full of unknown alcohol bottles was reported stolen at 1:51 a.m. July 27 at Jewel Osco, 944 S. York St.
Patricia Wilki (nee Wagner) age 83, of Elmhurst, passed away EVELYN M. HUBBLE peacefully on August 10, 2015. Patricia was the beloved wife of Evelyn M. Hubble, age 89, passed Donald for 59 years; the cherished mother of Carl (Jeannette) Wilki, away August 11, 2015. Susan (David) Venchus, Thomas Beloved wife of the late Ralph H. (Michelle) Wilki; the loving Hubble; Cherished mother of Alan (Marti) Hubble and Rebecca (Kevin) grandmother of Carla (Kyle) Bell, Jason Wilki, Jacob (Kara) Venchus, Overend; Proud grandmother of Samuel Venchus, Rachael Venchus Brendan Hubble and Rebecca, and Gabrielle Wilki; greatRachel and Timothy Overend. grandmother to Caiden Bell; and Interment private. sweet aunt to many nieces and nephews. TODD JOHNSON She was preceded in death by Todd “TJ” Johnson, infant son, Donald Jr.; great granddaughter, Kayla Bell; sister, Eleanor age 46, formerly of Tracy; and godson, James Tracy Jr. Elmhurst, passed She was a longtime member and away August 1, 2015, patron of Immaculate Conception in Frisco, Colorado, where he resided for over 20 years. Parish and a resident of Elmhurst. In Todd is the loving son of Don and addition to her role as homemaker Marge Johnson of Lombard; brother and family caretaker, Patricia was active in various organizations of Rick (Jayne) Elmhurst, Kim throughout her life. She was a USO (Larry) Wheaton, Gregg (Teri) of hostess, employee of the First Houston; and Uncle of Melanie, Zack, Kelly, Caitlin, Elise, and Claire. National Bank of Chicago, American Legion Auxiliary member of Post TJ was born in Elmhurst in 1968 187, den mother in the Boy Scouts, and attended Elmhurst schools and Girl Scouts, room mother at graduating from York High School Field School. She was active in the and then on to Illinois State cardiac care group through University with a B.S. degree in Elmhurst Memorial Hospital. The English. He was a firefighter in American Heart Association honors Breckenridge, Colorado for many Patricia as a Paul Dudley White years. He was stricken with brain cancer seven years ago but fought Legacy Society member and a Cor Vitae member for heart and stroke hard to continue to enjoy his research. She was a resilient heart mountains and the many athletic patient who cared deeply about the activities that he loved. He was a AHA's mission. loyal Chicago Bears and Cubs fan A Funeral Mass will be held on and often joined the local group in Friday, August 14, 2015, at 10:30 Colorado to support the Chicago a.m., at Immaculate Conception teams. Church, 134 Arthur St., Elmhurst, IL, A CELEBRATION OF LIFE PARTY was held, in honor of TJ, on Sunday with visitation one hour prior to the Mass, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. August 9th at the Red Rock's In lieu of flowers, please donate to Trading Post Center in Colorado. In lieu of flowers please make any the American Heart Association -American Stroke Association (800donations to the National Fallen AHA-USA1). Firefighters Foundation, Sign guestbook at www.firehero.org. GeisenFuneralHome.com or for more information call 219-663-2500
Roman Catholic The Perpetual Adoration Chapel of Our Lady-Mother of Eucharist is available 24 hours a day for private prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, exposed on the Altar.
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Send information to obits@ mysuburbanlife.com or call 866-817-3278.
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• Jonathan Page, 30, of the 5000 block of West Washington Street, Chicago, was charged at 2:16 a.m. July 24 with DUI of alcohol, improper parking at the
PATRICIA WILKI
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Marilyn M. Laning, nee Music, 86, of Oak Brook, passed away. Arrangements by Ahlgrim Funeral Home, info 630-834-3515 or www.ahlgrim.com.
Barbara A. Boyce, age 68, of Villa Park, IL,passed away on August 10, 2015. Arrangements by Steuerle Funeral Home, 350 S. Ardmore Ave, Villa Park, IL 60181, 630-832-4161.
Controlled substance possession
• Francesco Cerasi, 20, of the 1800 block of Sunnyside Avenue, Westchester, was charged at 6:32 p.m. July 25 with possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence of drugs, speeding and two counts of failure to signal at Roosevelt Road and York Street. • Matthew O’Connell, 19, of the 1400 block of Speechley Boulevard, Berkeley, was charged at 8:01 p.m. July 28 with possession of a controlled substance at Fay and West avenues. O’Connell was with Frank Gaudio, 20, of the 200 block of Geneva Street, Elmhurst, who was cited with no brake lights.
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ED • Friday, August 14, 2015 • mysuburbanlife.com • Suburban Life
roadway, no valid driver’s license and illegal transportation of alcohol at Lake and York streets. • Desmond Conway, 23, of the 1000 block of Antram Street, Joliet, was charged at 1:17 a.m. July 25 with two counts of DUI Battery of alcohol and speeding at York • Joseph Slama, 58, of the 100 Street and Butterfield Road. block of Avon Road, Elmhurst, • Adan Sanchez-Francisco, 27, was charged at 5:51 p.m. July of the 1500 block of West Home 24 with domestic battery in the Avenue, Berwyn, was charged 100 block of Avon Road. at 9:08 p.m. July 29 with two • Joseph Monaghan, 32, of the counts of DUI of alcohol, no val700 block of South Cambridge id driver’s license and leaving Avenue, Elmhurst, was charged the roadway in the 900 block of at 2:45 a.m. July 29 with domes- South York Street. tic violence and 911 call interference and arrested on a failure to Theft appear warrant for DUI in the 100 • An Illinois license plate was block of West Butterfield Road. reported lost at 1:50 p.m. July 17 in the 400 block of South Burglary Prospect Avenue. • Dino Hernandez, 42, of the • Steve Giles, 25, of the 800 400 block of Melrose Avenue, block of Kedvale Avenue, ChiHillside, was charged at 7:39 p.m. cago, was charged at 5:09 p.m. July 23 with burglary to a motor July 26 with two felony counts vehicle and possession of burglary of retail theft, unlawful possestools at 155 E. Brush Hill Ave. sion of marijuana and no valid • Willie McGee, 27, of the 100 driver’s license at Walgreens, block of East Bailey Road, Naper- 160 N. Robert Palmer Drive. ville, was charged at 4:08 p.m. July 24 with armed robbery after entering a store with a handgun at Mr. Pawn, 591 N. York Road.
MARILYN M. LANING
NEWS |
Information in Police Reports is obtained from the Elmhurst Police Department. Individuals listed in Police Reports who have been charged with a crime have not been proved guilty in court.
OBITUARIES
College athletic conferences find convenience in headquarters in Midwest By JASON ROSSI jrossi@shawmedia.com
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The Big Ten Conference’s headquarters in Rosemont are hard to miss from I-294. The conference’s prominent logo sits on the side of a building facing the highway from the east and is just across the highway from O’Hare International Airport. However, the Midwest’s biggest, most news-grabbing conference isn’t the only one based in Chicago’s suburbs. The Summit League, a Division I conference which claims Western Illinois as the only in-state member, is headquartered in a mixed-use office building on Butterfield Road in Elmhurst. The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, a Division III league which includes Elmhurst College, Wheaton College and North Central College among its eight members, is based in Naperville. So what drew these leagues to base themselves in Chicago’s suburbs? For the CCIW, it was a matter of convenience. The league moved its office to the campus of North Central College in Naperville in 2002, the same year that Chris Martin took over as commissioner of the league. The previous commissioner was a long-time athletic administrator at Millikin University and the league was based out of that school’s Decatur home until the move. Martin said the North Central campus in downtown Naperville has been a great host. “The office was moved to Naperville for two reasons – being close to Chicago and because it is centrally located,” Martin said. “All of the CCIW schools are within easy driving distance. We host nearly all of the conference meetings at North Central. … I don’t think it’s any surprise that our office resides in the area since the CCIW schools recruit heavily in the area.” The Big Ten has a history of being located in the Chicago suburbs. The conference was founded in Chicago in 1896 and has maintained its roots near-
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Tom Douple is commissioner of The Summit League, an NCAA Division I athletic conference based in Elmhurst. The nine-team league includes schools in seven states. by. The conference had a home in Schaumburg for 18 years before moving closer to O’Hare to a location in Park Ridge in 1991. In 2013, the league moved to its new headquarters in Rosemont, which is a short drive just southwest of the Park Ridge building. The reason for that move, as explained by Deputy Commissioner Brad Traviolia, was largely because they had outgrown the Park Ridge space. “We just needed to expand so we looked at options of leasing space and buying existing buildings and came across an opportunity to build a new headquarters in Rosemont,” Traviolia said. The new MB Financial Park at Rosemont, which includes the Big Ten’s headquarters, features hotels, restau-
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rants and bars, providing guests a good place to visit. “It’s the biggest market of Big Ten alumni in the country. We were able to attract and attain a very solid workforce with Chicago and Chicagoland being the backdrop, and with O’Hare being so close it’s easy to be a hub,” Traviolia said. “We have meetings and it’s easy to host them with all the accommodations here for them.” Given that the conference wanted to remain in the Chicago area and had enjoyed being close to O’Hare already, the number of potential locations seemed narrow. Traviolia said the factors included being able to handle the growth of the staff and improving the meeting experience for guests. “It’s a neat opportunity with Rose-
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mont,” Traviolia said. “They had to reinvent what this area was and it serves very well with the proximity to hotels and restaurants. ... It’s worked out really nice for us.” The market size and having two major airports was also a draw for other leagues. The Summit League was founded in 1982 and at one time included schools such as UIC and Valparaiso as members. The league has gone through some changes – it was once known as the Mid-Continent Conference and membership has fluctuated slightly over the years – but moving the headquarters out of Elmhurst was never a consideration.
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