Home Care In Clarendon Hills, IL

Brian Herold has had a feeling that this might be a very special summer for the Clarendon Hills Little League Baseball team.

It’s a feeling that’s been growing for the last four years, and when it came time for tournament games leading to the Little League World Series, he was proved correct.

Herold is the manager of the 12-and-under team that won the league’s first-ever state championship at that level Wednesday, July 24 in Elgin with a 2-0 victory over La Grange Park. The win advances Clarendon Hills to the Great Lakes Region Tournament in Whitestown, Indiana.

Clarendon Hills opens play at 7 p.m. Aug. 2 against a team from Indiana. The Great Lakes group also includes teams from Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan. The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday Aug. 6. Several games will be shown on ESPN.

Clarendon Hills advanced to the 14-team State Tournament by winning the District 11 competition in Hinsdale and went on to dominate the state field in Elgin. Clarendon Hills outscored its opponents, 60-7, while compiling a perfect, 6-0 record.

“The differential is misleading,” Herold said. “We played some very good teams during the State Tournament, but managed to play mistake-free baseball. Our pitching and defense were outstanding and consistent throughout the tournament.”

Along with being the manager of this year’s 12U team. Herold was the manager two years ago of the Clarendon Hills team that won the State Championship in the 10-year-old tournament, and many of those players were part of this year’s 12U team. But Herold’s good feelings about these boys goes back even further, “since they were 8 years old.”

“We recognized their talent, willingness to work hard and get better, and an appreciation to work together as a team,” he said.

After losing in the district tournament to Naperville, which ultimately won the state title, the team has put in extra work to get better, he added.

While he felt his team was ready for success this year, Herold said he expected the District 11 competition to be challenging.

“Our district is arguably the most difficult in the state,” he said. “We knew we couldn’t take any team lightly and had to approach every game like it was the championship.”

Because bracket-play seeding from the first two rounds was determined by record and fewest runs allowed, making the right choices about the pitching rotation became very important, Herold said.

“When we achieved the number one seed in bracket play, we knew we had a better path, based on our pitching eligibility,” he said. “Everything lined up for us. Our pitching depth is a major advantage of our team. We used seven pitchers during the tournament and feel confident in each one of them in any situation.”

Player Luke Schaller was outstanding on the mound for Clarendon Hills in the state championship game. He pitched all six innings and gave up only four hits, while striking out three and walking one.

Clarendon Hills scored its first run in the third inning on an RBI single by Brody Herold, driving in Hudson Lauerman. The second run came in the fourth inning when Connor Lazar’s base hit drove in Liam Harrigan.

“We recognize that this is a very special group that has achieved something unprecedented for a town of our size,” Herold said. “We also have an appreciation for the investment that our town puts into the game of Little League and the opportunities it provides.”

Herold said the approach in getting ready for the region tournament is no different than what it’s been all season.

“We highlight ‘perfect practice makes perfect.’” He said.” The boys have committed to putting in the necessary work. Our goal is to win each inning of every game we play. We have a very balanced team with solid pitching and defense. We certainly hope the journey continues beyond the Region, but we are going to play one game at a time.”

Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – The Clarendon Hills Village Board delayed a decision Monday on a subsidy for a proposed American-style restaurant that would fill two downtown vacancies.

The owner promised to open six months after the village approved the $265,000 for renovations, according to a village memo.

But village trustees had issues with granting five on-street parking spaces for outdoor dining.

"Five is a lot," Trustee Omar Chaudhry said. "To start off with five right away, I have a problem with that."

Trustee John Weicher said he was uncomfortable with adding the five spots for outdoor dining under the village code.

"That's contrary to what we have been trying to do the last two years to get dining out of the street," he said.

Owner Chase Lofti, who operates other restaurants in the Chicago area, said he wanted to get what the other two casual dining restaurants have – between 18 and 20 tables.

"If we can do that in four spots, I would be OK with that," he said.

Lofti said all his restaurants have large outdoor patios.

"They're always filled in the summer," he said. "If people come to me and I don't have a patio, they're going to go next door, where there's a patio. I just don't want to lose that opportunity."

Trustees decided to delay a decision.

"It would be inappropriate to codify this without a roundtable discussion," Village President Eric Tech said. "We need to have a discussion with existing businesses relative to how this impacts them."

The building in question was last occupied by La Pearl and I Want Candy. It has been mostly vacant since Sue's Cakery closed in 2019, according to a village memo.

The subsidy would come from the downtown tax increment financing district, or TIF.

Schools

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 board members this week criticized the superintendent's targets for student performance.

They said Superintendent Michael Lach should aim higher.

At Wednesday's meeting, board President Catherine Greenspon questioned why it took so long for Lach to present his numbers to the board.

"It's unfortunate that we didn't start talking about this in February or March or April or May," she said. "That is a shame. All of us could have been working really hard for the last couple of months together. That is highly unfortunate."

She noted the board has held two special meetings on the issue in July. The board originally planned no meetings this month, which is traditionally the slowest of the year for schools.

For next year, Lach presented 1 percentage point increases in student performance in a variety of categories.

For instance, Lach aimed for 84 percent of Hinsdale Central students to be proficient in the English part of the ACT next year, up from 83 percent. At Hinsdale South, the target would be 62 percent, up from 61 percent.

Board member Jeff Waters differed with Lach.

"Don't you want to shoot for the stars and be happy we wind up somewhere south of there?" he said. "There is no motivation to these targets."

Member Mary Satchwell agreed.

"It's disappointing to say the least," she said. "If we don't set a high bar, we're bound to be disappointed. I would rather see us aim high and miss than aim low and make a target that we should be able to make easily."

Member Baron Leacock said the 1 percentage point increases mean little, saying they could be the difference between "a handful of kids getting up on the right side or the wrong side of bed in the morning."

Member Liz Mitha said the "lowball" numbers "deeply upset" her.

She pointed out that one of the goals would be a drop from where Hinsdale Central is now. Last year, 98 percent of Central freshmen met the "freshman on track" standard. Next year's goal is "95% or better."

"That is a decline in expectations," she said.

Asked about the goals, Central Principal Bill Walsh said he "concurred with much of what (Lach) said."

He said he would be honored to set higher benchmarks, adding he likes working at Central because of its historically high expectations.

He said he probably should have asked more questions about what the board wanted.

"I interpreted this meeting about comparing me honestly from last year's numbers to this year's numbers. So I did. So if that was a poor interpretation on my part, I will own that," the principal said. "I only set those metrics, I'll be honest, probably out of a little fear and trepidation, but it was not meant as a backward step for District 86 or Hinsdale Central Red Devils. It was not that."

The board then asked Walsh and South Principal Kari Peronto to provide targets. For the various categories, they upped the benchmarks by a few percentage points.

Greenspon said it was important for administrators to understand what the board wants.

"Superintendent Lach, I hold you responsible and accountable because it's very clear you created this document," she said.

At a meeting a month ago, the board pressed Lach for quicker action on drafting a list of goals and ways to achieve them.

He proposed that the board come back to him at its August meeting with feedback on "where we need to go" and "how we can get there." This is reaching the district's "north star," Lach said.

He proposed getting the work done from August to January.

Greenspon and other board members disliked the timeline.

"If we wait until August, we're going to be spinning our wheels because, quite literally, we're missing another year," Greenspon said. "I'm not trying to rush the work. But if we could provide some feedback and direction right now, it would be great."

Board member Asma Akhras agreed.

"You've had a whole year," she said.

District 86 is missing a key official who would be involved in the process. The position of assistant superintendent for academics went vacant July 1.

The former assistant superintendent gave the district five months' notice. Officials now say it could take another year to get the post filled permanently.

Some Clarendon Hills residents are speaking out against the proposed addition of a downtown plaza on Prospect Avenue, an idea being considered by village officials.

The plaza would be between Railroad and Park Avenues and would include the elimination of the right-turn lane, or slip lane, from southbound Prospect onto Park. That turn lane now is part of what the village calls the Sloan Triangle, an area that would become a large part of the plaza and used for gatherings.

Resident Angie Sartori has been extremely outspoken against the plaza and has created an online petition at change.org, Stop the Plaza Plan in Clarendon Hills, IL, seeking signatures from others against the project. As of Monday morning, the petition had 540 verified signatures. She also has had signs printed, reading “No Plaza — Commerce & Safety First.”

Sartori, stated her case against the downtown plaza in the petition, stating it “threatens to close the efficient traffic triangle roundabout — a vital feature of our beloved village.”

“This roundabout currently provides much-needed and proven traffic relief, allowing for smoother vehicular movement and reducing congestion in our main commerce district. Removing it, along with its essential turn-off lane, could lead to nightmarish traffic jams, putting residents, commuters, and the 176 daily train services at risk. Residents who must cross the tracks in vehicles and on foot for work and school will find their daily routines severely disrupted,” the petition reads.

Sartori spoke out strongly against Village President Eric Tech, who has expressed support for the downtown plaza.

“The village leader refuses to listen to residents, but residents are at the top of the (organizational) chart in Illinois villages, not presidents, not trustees,” she said.

Sartori said residents who are strongly opposed to the plaza must be heard.

“The leader of Clarendon Hills has chosen to start a civil war about a plaza,” she said. “He is willing to trade safety for a plaza that will largely go empty, like the ones in Burr Ridge, Westmont, and the other two plazas that Clarendon Hills already has, one near Tierra (Distilling Co. at 211 Burlington Ave.) and the other in front of Village Hall. And the new Sparrow Coffee (100 Park Ave.) will now have more public space, so that is essentially a Sparrow Coffee plaza. How many plazas can one town have?”

Tech said he was aware of the petition.

“I understand that the petition circulating is a privately led initiative,” he said. “According to the website, 66% of the signatures come from just three zip codes—not exclusively from Clarendon Hills. Nonetheless, I welcome input from all our residents.”

Sartori said she has been reviewing petition signatures as they come in, and added they are from Clarendon Hills residents. She said some signatures show up as not coming from residents because those people set up their Facebook accounts before moving to the village.

“If this is the only thing (Tech) can say about the opposition, that our petition is not valid, he is wrong,” she said. “He is insulting residents who have signed this petition and who are vehemently opposed to any downtown plaza cementing over our safe and proven traffic and pedestrian passages.”

Sartori said Tech and the Village Board were elected to represent residents.

“They do not represent developers or real estate agents,” she said. “They represent residents, and they must do what is in the best interest of residents.”

Tech said while he is aware of opposition to the plaza, the Village Board has heard from many young families that support the idea.

“Transparency and community input are essential, but it’s equally important that public discourse remains respectful, so that everyone feels heard,” he said.

“Since taking office, the Village Board and I have prioritized pedestrian safety and improving the walkability of our town. We are drawing from existing plans with the goal of creating a public space that serves the entire community. This is a thorough and thoughtful process. We’ve already held a public listening session and remain open to suggestions and questions.”

Tech said the vision for the downtown plaza includes an attractive, small-scale, pedestrian-oriented shopping district with pocket parks and plazas, expanded streetscape amenities, and new housing, shops and restaurants.

“I believe this change will significantly improve safety, accessibility, and flexibility for hosting community events,” he said. “I’ve spoken with many local business owners and residents. While there’s been healthy debate, the majority of feedback has been positive, and I truly believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.”

Resident Margo Jablonski said she would love to see a plaza downtown, but not at the expense of the slip lane.

“The slip lane filters traffic to the south west of town and provides needed space for delivery trucks and Ubers,” she said. “With three new developments in the works, the slip lane is even more vital now.”

Jablonski mentioned the coming opening of Sparrow Coffee, Prospect Tavern — a restaurant planned for 27 and 29 S. Prospect, and Parkside Place, a four-story mixed-use building across from Just LiftFitness, along with new diagonal parking on Walker Avenue.

“It seems shortsighted to think these projects won’t impact traffic flow, especially given the density of Parkside Place,” she said. “The traffic study also ignored the effects of inclement weather. The conditions observed were ideal, and it’s concerning how traffic would be handled during storms.”

Another resident, Lori Thompson, said the essential concern is about safety, with the proposed plaza being so close to the railroad tracks.

“We only have one set of tracks within Clarendon Hills, and based on an understanding from past Village Boards, there is no way to find appropriate land to put in an additional crossing,” she said.

“This is our one crossing for the foreseeable future. If we lose the slip lane, traffic will back up. We must maintain any current safety we now have in place. I am not opposed to progress in our town or the notion of a plaza somewhere else for neighbors to gather. I am in opposition of the proposed plaza location next to the train tracks.

The Clarendon Hills Chamber of Commerce issued a statement that it supports the concept of a permanent plaza on Prospect Avenue, recognizing its potential to significantly enhance the vitality, safety, and functionality of the downtown district.

“At this time, there is no timeline for a decision,” Tech said.

That's to help make her case against a proposed plaza in Clarendon Hills.

In May, a second traffic study of Clarendon Hills' idea for a downtown plaza plan indicated "potential safety issues."

A top village official says the study's findings reflect existing conditions.

But a lead opponent of the proposed plaza contends the plaza would be dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.

As of Tuesday, more than 550 people have signed an online petition against the plaza plan.

The village is looking at doing away with the traffic triangle at Prospect and Park avenues. This is where the southbound leg of Prospect links to Park.

The space would be used for a new plaza, which officials say could be a go-to spot for residents and visitors.

However, petition organizers say the Sloan Triangle is needed for the smooth flow of traffic.

In May, Christopher Burke Engineering tested the closure of the southbound leg to Park.

The report indicated that southbound cars can back up to the nearby railroad tracks.

That is impacted by the railroad gate downtime, delivery vehicles blocking the lane, drivers backing up from diagonal spots, school buses dropping off students and stopping Uber drivers, according to the study.

During the test, the only instance of cars on the tracks was when a delivery truck blocked a lane, the report said.

When a school bus dropped off students at the triangle, the video showed the resulting line of backed-up cars getting close to the tracks, but not on them.

"(T)his may be due to drivers purposely stopping at the Prospect Avenue and Burlington Avenue intersection, and this could be a safety concern as well," engineer Liz Jensen said in the report.

In a text message to Patch, Sartori, the petition organizer, points to the study in making the case against the plaza.

"No matter how the village wants to spin this, there were dangerous conditions created when the safety lane was closed from May 12-18," Sartori said.

Past traffic studies, she said, show that 40 percent to 50 percent of southbound traffic in Clarendon Hills uses the special southbound lane next to the triangle. The village must have that "escape" lane, she said.

"It is NOT an option to cover it with cement," Sartori said. "They are measuring our lives in feet from the back-up to the train tracks and in wait times of clearing. Not acceptable."

In response, Village Manager Zach Creer said the delivery truck – the only time that traffic backed up to the tracks during the report period – was parked just north of the triangle area.

This means the village has an enforcement issue and that it has nothing to do with the road design, Creer said. The village has installed "Do Not Stop on Tracks" signs.

As for the school bus stop, it appears to be unauthorized, Creer said, adding that the village is working with the school district in question on that issue.

He said the special right turn lane from Prospect to Park is not needed to prevent backing up of traffic to the tracks.

In her messages, Sartori labels a crosswalk installed in 2024 from the old Starbucks to the triangle as unauthorized.

"It is dangerous, should NOT be there to confuse pedestrians and motorists, and was installed despite no traffic Engineer recommendation whatsoever," she said. "THAT is straight-up negligence. All for the plaza..."

Creer, however, said the village engineer recommended the crosswalk after the first traffic study to simplify the intersection and address two downtown crashes involving pedestrians and cars.

"The new configuration is safer, as pedestrians cross with a stop sign (a controlled intersection)," Creer said in an email.

The village is considering removing a midblock crosswalk west of Prospect on Park Avenue.

Information on the plaza proposal is on the village's website.