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Thursday, November 12, 2020 • Hinsdale, Illinois • Volume XV, Issue 8 • 48 Pages • $1 on newsstands Community journalism the way it was meant to be A leafy season — Christian Hrubes was helping his dad rake some leaves Sunday morning, but he had much more fun taking time off, rolling and jumping into the piles. The record-setting warm weather over the weekend provided the perfect background to working and — more importantly — playing outdoors across the village. (Jim Slonoff photo) Two-part series on a Hinsdale No need to sweat when it Hinsdale teens garner selections treasures begins today. comes to Thanksgiving dinner. in NHL draft last month. Pages 4,5 Page 17 Page 46 Page 2 • November 12, 2020 • The Hinsdalean NEWS D181 board approves tentative levy By Ken Knutson window early next year for reducing based on the potential for long-term ing desires to implement full-day [email protected] the levy. savings. kindergarten and expand the world “If we notice we’re going to be “Depending on how much that languages program. “I think it’s The Community Consolidated above 50 percent in February, we building costs, it may affect how really important to keep those big District 181 Board Monday night can still make the correction,” he much we’re going to levy or abate,” projects in mind so that we have a approved a tentative 2020 tax levy. said. Engstrom reported. purpose for estimating to take the But the ultimate amount sought Engstrom also said an exploration Board President Margie Kleber ballooned amount.” could hinge on figures not yet of options for a permanent district said she favors the approach of Superintendent Hector Garcia known. administration center, which board requesting a “balloon” levy that can responded that the fund balance Board members unanimously members had approved earlier in subsequently be reduced. strategy addresses “how do we get approved a levy request for oper- the meeting, could have an impact. “We certainly don’t want to take money back to the taxpayers if our ating funds in the amount of $66.4 Administrators currently operate out more than we need, but we want priorities have been met.” million. That’s roughly 3 percent of 12,000 square feet of leased space make sure that we’re not hurting Board member Bill Cotter chal- more than the 2019 tax extension of in Clarendon Hills for $206,685 per ourselves by taking less before we lenged the need for a balloon levy $64.4 million and reflects the 2.3 per- year. The district is in year one of a really know how much money we’re when the district enjoyed a budget cent consumer price index and $22.2 five-year lease. The 20-year cost of going to get,” Kleber said. surplus last year and is projected to million in estimated new construc- leasing would exceed $5.5 million. Board member Meeta Patel again this fiscal year. tion, according to Richard Engstrom, The options are purchasing an agreed, saying the district has been “Why are we not looking at a lesser assistant superintendent of business existing building for an estimat- trying to be more proactive in levy?” Cotter posed, raising the idea and operations. ed $3.6 million, building on exist- addressing facility maintenance and of a flat levy. “It is a critical function Engstrom told board members ing land for an estimated $5.2 mil- upgrades. and a duty that we owe the taxpayers the district’s fund balance strategy to lion and building on purchased “We want to not overburden the to be very clear about why it is that target an audited operating fund bal- land for a projected $6.2 million. taxpayer, but it’s really important we’re asking for certain funds.” ance of no more than 50 percent of Administrators will research avail- to keep front and center the large After a period of public display, the total expenditures could dictate an able property over the next couple future projects as a driving force,” board is expected to adopt the levy at abatement to taxpayers during the of months and bring findings back she said, noting also the longstand- its Monday, Dec. 7, meeting. Lights, camera, masks, action! Students took part in a musi- cal theater class at The Community House host- ed by Stage Door Fine Arts recently. Participants — who learned songs and dances where wearing their masks — still managed to fine tune their skills and have a good time. Porter Cobb and Avery Brennan work on a number along with Grace Plankinton. Peter, Avery and Grace, along with Allison Cashman and Madeline Maggio, work on a scene. (Jim Slonoff photos) The Hinsdalean • November 12, 2020 • Page 3 NEWS Blaze couldn’t extinguish American Beauty Recent purchasers of historic home were determined to rebuild after major fire in 2018 By Pamela Lannom “I grabbed him and left the other two of smoke, it was just raging in that cavi- While all this was going on, Reenan [email protected] behind,” she said. “Broke all the car line ty,” she said. was also desperately attempting to con- rules that day, but my friends forgave Soon flames were erupting from the tact her husband, Neal, who was work- Jennifer Reenan was volunteering in me later.” windows and had spread to the back of ing in his Boston office. She eventually the art room at Avery Coonley School on They made the trip from Downers the house by the kitchen. Crews from got through to his secretary. By that April 11, 2018. Her phone was off. Grove to Hinsdale in record time. Hinsdale and 16 other fire departments time, TV news crews were on the scene, Meanwhile, workers at her home at “The firefighters weren’t even here soon were on the scene. showing live footage of the blaze. He 329 E. Sixth St. were in the final stages of yet,” Reenan said. “I believe it was just “I don’t even know how many we used it to his advantage when trying to replacing the roof on the 119-year-old one of the police officers. You could just had,” Reenan said of the many firefight- book the last flight out of Boston, his home. They were using a blowtorch to see little wisps of smoke coming from ers. wife said. seal the synthetic shingles on the porte the side of the house.” She was concerned for her black Lab “He showed them on his phone — cochere when the material caught fire. What she didn’t realize is that the Ruby, which firefighters were able to ‘This is my house! I need to get home.’ ” “When I came out (of school), I turned house’s balloon frame style of construc- rescue, the safety of the crews and her He arrived late that evening, just as my phone on and I had all these text tion, with gaps between floors ceilings neighbors. the last fire truck was driving away, she messages,” Reenan said. and interior and exterior walls, created “I knew everything else was just stuff,” recalled. Firefighters had been on the She and her youngest son, Declan, the perfect environment for the fire to Reenan said. “I didn’t want our neigh- scene for hours, ensuring all hot spots who had been dismissed first, left imme- thrive. bors’ houses to be damaged. There were had been extinguished diately. “Even though I was just seeing wisps some scary moments.” Reenan soon learned that the water used to fight the fire caused more dam- age than the actual flames. “Not that I’m mad at the fire depart- ment. They saved the house,” she said. Firefighters work to cause as little damage as possible, even as they are cutting holes in the roof and break- ing doors and windows to allow the fire to vent up and out, said Lt. Steve Tullis, public information officer for the Hinsdale Fire Department. “We try to minimize as much damage as possible because of the significant values of the homes and the amount of personal items and artifacts inside the house,” said Tullis, who was on the scene. “It was quickly determined this was a home of significant historic value. Reenan said firefighters did an amaz- ing job. “They went through on the first floor and covered up some of the antiques I Crews from Hinsdale and 16 other fire departments/protec- had inherited from my grandmother. tion districts responded to the April 11, 2018, fire at 329 We were actually able to save some E. Sixth St. These photos show the point of origin at 2:43 things,” she said. p.m., how the fire spread to the roof at 3:31 p.m. and the Her first call the next day was to David final damage at 5:15 p.m. The 3-11 alarm fire also drew Post, a fellow Hinsdalean who is pres- crowds of onlookers, said firefighter Steve Tullis, who was ident of EIS Group, a Burr Ridge com- stationed in the basket overlooking the scene for six hours. pany that specializes in fire and water “I looked out to the sidewalk and I could see hundreds of damage restoration. Post said he’s seen people on the sidewalk,” he said. (Jim Slonoff photos) some 1,300 fires in his 28 years on the job. “This was probably near the top if not at the top,” he said. “It presented a lot of challenges because of the size of the home, the extensive amount of damage, all the mitigation that was necessary to save the structure.” Time is of the essence, he said, if crews are to restore, refinish or duplicate any of the home’s features.

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