Z-Downers Grove
Building Up a Sport
DG’s Janowiak, COD, hoping to bolster junior college volleyball BY JEFF VORVA Big things are happening in the world of junior college men’s volleyball and the College of DuPage. And Downers Grove’s Adam Janowiak is going to be a big part of it. Let’s face it, college men’s volleyball is low on the food chain…
Read MoreTitanic – 40 Years After Discovery
A deeper dive into the mission that yielded one of the century’s great discoveries By Maureen Callahan The location of the RMS Titanic – the largest and most opulent passenger steamship of its day – was one of the great mysteries of the twentieth century. The ship set sail from Southampton, England, on April 10,…
Read MorePotempa’s Potential
‘Underdog’ volleyball star skips final HS semester to get a jump on college career BY JEFF VORVA Downers Grove’s Bella Potempa was fully aware she was going to miss out on some fun. The Timothy Christian High School volleyball standout made an important decision. With enough credit hours under her belt, Potempa had the opportunity…
Read MoreMore Reasons to Give
Understanding today’s tax incentives and the lasting impact of charitable generosity BY DAVE MCGOWAN The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted on July 4, 2025, includes a charitable deduction for cash gifts worth up to $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. Starting in 2026, the new tax break is available…
Read MoreFirst Audience
How music begins at home and grows into a lifelong passion BY LAURA MICHAUD AND MELISSA G. WILSON The Living Room Debut Before there are stages, spotlights, or packed auditoriums, there is almost always a living room. Or a kitchen. Or the back seat of a car. For many performers, the first audience is family—people…
Read MoreMahjong Madness
A captivating game, equal parts strategy and social, is sweeping its way through the suburbs BY VALERIE HARDY Step back, bridge, and bunco. There’s a new game in town—mahjong—and it’s spreading like wildfire across the western suburbs and throughout the nation. The History of the Game Many Americans only recently learned mahjong, but the game…
Read MoreThe Avery Coonley School
Established in 1906, The Avery Coonley School (ACS) is known as a leader in gifted education and offers advanced learners in preschool through eighth grade a curriculum with the depth, pace, and complexity to challenge them to the fullest. Unlike most schools that only offer gifted education in pullout subjects, Avery Coonley is gifted all…
Read MoreDowners Grove Christian School
Enthusiasm and encouragement — two words that capture the energy and explain the academic success of Downers Grove Christian School. For over 55 years, DGCS has helped teach and develop children from Pre-School thru 8th grade. Each day, staff and teachers work with students and parents to “raise up” positive role models – kind, educated,…
Read MoreMontini Catholic
Being a teenager today is more challenging than ever and the Lasallian approach to education that Montini Catholic has provided since their founding – knowing, seeing, supporting, and loving each student – is more relevant than ever. Located in Lombard, Montini Catholic High School is a family-centered, coeducational, college preparatory high school rooted in the…
Read MoreSeton Montessori School
For six decades, Seton Montessori School has been a trusted partner for families seeking a warm, child-centered learning community. A Lab School for the Seton Montessori Institute, Seton has served children and families in Clarendon Hills and the surrounding suburbs since 1965, making it one of the oldest and most respected Montessori schools in the…
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