The Pride of Lions

CEO Sanjeev Ahuja guides the world’s largest service club BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN /PHOTO BY VICTOR HILINSKI Service organizations are a great way to find a place to belong, make friends and contacts, and serve in your local community. Lions Clubs International (LCI), the world’s largest service society, is headquartered right here in town at the…

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Passion Into Action

How one local teen turned old binders into a new schoolwide sustainability project BY VALERIE HARDY What ultimately became an extensive environmental effort started with a simple day of decluttering. The summer after finishing eighth grade, Kendall Kuntz, now a junior at Downers Grove South High School, was helping her family clean out their basement…

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The Downers Grove Historical Society

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DOWNERS GROVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY In recent months, the Downers Grove Historical Society has continued its mission to honor community leaders and preserve the village’s historic character. Historic Homes Program Engages Community On Sept. 24, residents gathered at Alter Brewing for a lively program on researching and preserving historic homes. Presented by…

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Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation Annual Luncheon

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DOWNERS GROVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION The Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation hosted its annual luncheon in September to celebrate local business development, recognize companies for their contributions, and discuss the state of the local economy. The annual Cornerstone Awards, which recognize businesses that have demonstrated significant development, were awarded to the…

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Building Momentum

How Downers Grove’s Economic Development fuels growth and opportunity BY HINSDALE MAGAZINE GROUP STAFF The Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation (DGEDC) is a driving force behind the village’s continued growth and prosperity. As a public-private partnership and separate 501(c)6 nonprofit, the DGEDC works hand-in-hand with the Village to attract new jobs and investment, fill vacant…

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Keeping Things Local

Life-long resident Erin Venezia heads up Downtown Downers Grove Management Corporation BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN  Downers Grove is a sort of gem among the Western Suburbs. We’re known throughout DuPage County for our many great attributes. A big one is our downtown. Linda Kunze, the founding Executive Director of the Downtown Downers Grove Management Corporation, was…

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It’s All About the Benjamins

Downers Grove North’s Nora Benjamins follows in her mother’s footsteps in sports and academics BY JEFF VORVA Like mother, like daughter. Downers Grove North senior volleyball player Nora Benjamins admires all that her mother, Maureen, has accomplished. Maureen is a senior research fellow at Sanai Urban Health Institute and is an associate professor of medicine…

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A Monumental Movement

The grassroots initiative to construct a commemorative “Macho Man” Randy Savage statue BY VALERIE HARDY “Macho Man” Randy Savage left a lasting legacy as a professional wrestler and pop culture icon. Equal parts charisma and chaos, he presented as a caricature. Beyond his multiple World Heavyweight Championships, “Macho Man” was best known for his raspy…

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Mahoney’s Mark

A tribute to Cathy Mahoney’s decades of service BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN | PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DOWNERS GROVE PARK DISTRICT Most of us will never know the feeling of having a building named in our honor. “I was flabbergasted when they told me!” exclaimed Cathy Mahoney, a recent recipient of such an honor. In May,…

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Global Impact, Local Roots

CEO Sanjeev Ahuja leads Lions Club International headquartered in Oak Brook BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN  Service organizations are a great way to find a place to belong, make friends and contacts, and serve in your local community. Lions Clubs International (LCI), the world’s largest service society, is headquartered right here in the neighboring town of Oak…

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