Home Care In Downers Grove, IL

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Tells the story of vocal harmony from the early 20th century to today!

Community Contributor

Chicago a cappella, one of the most renowned musical ensembles in Chicago, is set to thrill and amaze audiences in April 2024 with their concert program entitled History of Harmony. The diverse repertoire showcases the rich history of vocal harmony from the early 20th century to today. From barbershop quartets through doo-wop and boy bands, these layered musical sounds have permeated pop music and our entire culture.

The program is co-created and narrated by Deke Sharon, the heralded “Father of Contemporary A Cappella.” Sharon was the music director of “Pitch Perfect,” the popular 2012 musical motion picture about an all-girl a cappella group.

Sharon says, “I'm super excited about teaming up with Chicago a cappella for this concert! Imagine hearing these world-class voices singing these well-known pop harmonies. It's going to be epic. And we're not just stopping at the tunes–we're throwing in some cool stories about this music's history. Oh, and I've got plans to get everyone in the crowd singing along too!"

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Chicago, IL 60601

Sunday, April 28, 2024, 3:00 PM

McAninch Arts Center

425 Fawell Blvd.

Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

On-Demand Concert Replay

A full on-demand concert replay will be available for streaming during the week of May 6, 2024.

About History of Harmony

This much anticipated concert presents a dazzling collection of a cappella arrangements that begin with early 20th century styles, including a barbershop quartet, a college glee song, and a tune by the famous German group the Comedian Harmonists (recently the subject of a new Broadway musical).

Then it moves through the decades of the 20th century. Beginning with the swinging harmonies of the 1930s and 1940s made famous by the Andrews Sisters, the Mills Brothers, and the Boswell Sisters, the program then journeys to the early days of rock and roll, with doo-wop and the vocal group balladeers of the 1950s.

Chicago a cappella then turns its talents to the 1960s with the soulful, urban vocals of Motown’s pop vocal groups as well as the “fun in the sun” yet often touchingly sentimental harmonies of the Beach Boys. Moving to the 1970s, the ensemble tributes the iconic pop vocal harmonies of the Carpenters, Eagles, the Bee Gees, and others.

As History of Harmony moves to the 1980s, the ensemble’s mesmerizing vocal gymnastics will be delightfully on display. The jazz stylings of Manhattan Transfer and Bobby McFerrin are saluted as well as the intricate vocal styles of South Africa—isicathamiya and mbube—as performed by groups like Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Moving to the 1990s—a decade of boy bands and girl bands—the ensemble will “get down” with the fun, danceable grooves from Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys, and Spice Girls.

The concert will end with the finale from “Pitch Perfect.” The ensemble will present a medley Deke Sharon arranged to be performed in the film by the renowned a cappella group, the Barden Bellas from Barden University. Although a simplified arrangement was published, Chicago a cappella will be the first ever to do the whole thing live, exactly as the Bellas learned it over a decade ago.

For the full program lineup, information about the vocalists and to buy tickets, visit https://www.chicagoacappella.org/concert-event/history-of-harmony/.

About Chicago a cappella

Chicago a cappella is a dynamic ensemble comprising ten exceptionally talented singers who passionately celebrate every music genre. With remarkable voices, charismatic personalities, and an unwavering commitment to ensemble singing, their creative concert experiences forge deep connections with audiences, inspiring both awe and laughter.

Founded in the early '90s, Chicago a cappella has traversed the nation, collaborating with esteemed guest artists, and earning accolades for their CDs. More than just an ensemble, Chicago a cappella is an organization dedicated to advancing the art and appreciation of ensemble singing. Initiatives such as the Youth Choral Festival, ¡Cantaré! Chicago, and HerVoice underscore their commitment to inclusivity and mentorship.

John William Trotter assumed the role of Artistic Director in July 2020, following a successful tenure as a guest music director since 2013. An acclaimed choral leader, he fosters connections between musicians and audiences, celebrating the transformative power of music in human identity.

Stay connected with Chicago a cappella on Social Media:

# # #

Editor’s note: Deke Sharon will be available for interviews in support of History of Harmony. For in-person interviews, he will be in Chicago on March 14 and April 16 before returning to Chicago for the concert performances on April 21 and 28.

The team behind Vai's and Entourage in Naperville bring an inventive restaurant and bar concept with a focus on fresh, from-scratch cuisine.

Patch Staff

|Updated Wed, Apr 24, 2024 at 12:14 pm CT

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — "We want to be appealing to everyone," Anthony Vai told Patch of the Entourage restaurant he and his team are bringing to downtown Downers Grove. "Somewhere you can hang out daily."

The new Entourage location will serve up fresh, from-scratch cuisine and inventive cocktails in the space at 5101 Main St. that formerly housed Capri.

The family-owned Entourage Downers Grove is helmed by the same team behind Vai's Italian Inspired Kitchen and Entourage in Naperville.

"I’ve grown up in it, my dad grew up in it...our chef partner has been doing it since he was a teenager...our other partners have been doing it for a long time and have been owners of businesses in the industry as well," Vai told Patch.

He said Entourage Downers Grove will be modeled after Entourage Naperville, with world cuisine, modern American influences and "mindfully crafted American kitchen and cocktails."

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We like to have a little bit of a spark, a little bit of a vibrant feeling in our food and in the atmosphere.”

To that end, the menu will feature steaks that are dry-aged in-house and sourced from the Calumet City-based Linz Heritage Angus.

"They raise them, they butcher them, they package them, they ship them, they do everything before it gets to the door of the restaurant," Vai told Patch. He added, "It's a great product that we don’t have to charge steakhouse prices for."

The seafood will have a "Pacific influence," Vai said, with fresh-caught fish brought in daily and cut in-house.

Several raw seafood items will feature on the menu, including an "ahi tuna on crispy rice that is just phenomenal," Vai told Patch.

He said he won't forget the first time he tried it at the Naperville Entourage.

"The moment it happened, I will remember it forever," Vai said. "The moment you have it, you know you’re in a good place."

To accompany the Cuisine at Entourage Downers Grove, diners can choose from cocktails that put "an inventive spin on classics," Vai said.

Entourage's signature old-fashioneds and espresso martinis will be available on draft. Each is batched in-house and then cooled in a system that allows them to be poured at 20 degrees Fahrenheit into a pre-chilled glass.

Vai said the r-shaped tap, which comes up from the center of the bar, inspired the design of the Entourage logo.

"It’s consistent, it’s delicious, it hits the spot, and it’s really fun to see coming out of a draft handle."

Entourage Downers Grove will be situated just off the village's Metra stop, which Vai said will help make it a great spot for people who want to grab dinner after work or visitors who are exploring Downers Grove.

The vibe will be intimate, he said, with seating for 95 guests and some limited al fresco seating when the weather is pleasant.

Inside, the space will be transformed nearly entirely, Vai explained.

"We went down to the studs on the all the perimeter walls," he said, "ripped down 90 percent of interior walls and rebuilt them, moved some walls around."

The decor has been built "specified to order," Vai said. The building's signature windows will have a "custom fabricated banquette that curves all the way around."

To begin, Entourage Downers Grove will serve lunch and dinner. Vai told Patch they also plan to offer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Takeout will be available, along with private rentals of a room that seats up to 30 diners.

Vai said Entourage aims to be "appealing to everybody."

“We like to have a little bit of a spark, a little bit of a vibrant feeling in our food and in the atmosphere," Vai told Patch. "It’s a really fun thing that we get to do, to feed people."

Entourage aims to open by mid-Summer. Vai encourages residents to follow Entourage on Facebook to see the space as it transforms.

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Excitement is building in Downers Grove for the April 8 total solar eclipse. We’re not among some 32 million Americans living in the path of totality, but neither will we miss out on the celestial sensation.

In the United States, the path of totality extends from Texas to Maine, but each of the 48 continental states will see some of the solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon slips between our bright star and Earth. In Downers Grove, the moon will cover about 94 percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse, according to a NASA map that is searchable by zip code.

Partial eclipse begins: 12:50 p.m.

Totality begins: 2:07 pm

Maximum: 94 percent

Partial ends: 3:21 p.m.

The eclipse will last 2.5 hours from beginning to end in Downers Grove.

There are plenty of events near Downers Grove that will give you a chance to celebrate and witness this solar eclipse.

Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

MSI has a plethora of eclipse activities inside and outside on April 8. Watch the moon cross the path of the sun through outdoor telescopes, watch a NASA livestream with the Museum's own NASA Solar System Ambassador, or take part in family- and student-friendly hands-on activities. In case of cloudy weather, telescope viewing outdoors will not be available. However, a livestream of the total eclipse from southern Illinois will continue in the Giant Dome Theater. Can’t make it to the museum? MSI satellite viewing locations will be available at Millennium Park, the Michigan Avenue bridge, Oak Street Beach, or the DuSable Museum. All activities included with entry fee. Buy tickets online. Eclipse activities are from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

Adler Planetarium is planning a free Eclipse Encounter ’24 event, with activities around the outside of the planetarium where attendees will be encouraged to walk around, hang out, and observe the sky while the eclipse is happening. Features Safe solar viewing and eclipse photography through telescopes on the Telescope Terrace, solar viewer giveaways (while supplies last) and photo ops with Big Solar Eclipse glasses.Tickets are not required for this free outdoor (weather dependent) event. Indoor activities are available inside the planetarium, including the temporary Chasing Eclipses exhibit. Tickets must be purchased online in advance. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Trailside Museum of Natural History, 738 Thatcher Ave., River Forest

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is offering solar viewing at the Trailside Museum of Natural History. Learn about a partial solar eclipse and view the eclipse through a special solar telescope and eclipse glasses (weather permitting). Free. 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, 9800 Willow Springs Rd., Willow Springs

Watch this rare natural phenomenon at the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center. Telescopes ready for viewing, weather permitting. 1 to 3 p.m.

Whalon Lake Forest Preserve, 1490 Royce Rd., Naperville

Whalon Lake Forest Preserve has planned a Solar-bration Viewing Party that coincides with the eclipse. The event is open to all ages and kicks off at 1 p.m.

Viewers will gather in the "open, grassy area of Whalon Lake" to snag the best spots to observe the eclipse, an event description said. The first 50 attendees who arrive will get a complimentary pair of glasses for viewing the eclipse.

Right now, it looks like we could have cloud cover in the Chicago region for the big event according to NASA, but forecasts can change.

The total solar eclipse starts in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Tennessee and Michigan, before entering Canada in southern Ontario through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton before exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — “It is important for people to realize that their mental health is as important as their physical health” Tom Delegatto, Director of The Meadows Outpatient Services, Chicago, told Patch. For Delegatto, Friday's ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Meadows intensive outpatient facility in Downers Grove means his organization can bring holistic mental health care and awareness to even more people.

The intensive outpatient program at The Meadows is “very patient-centered and patient driven," Delegatto explained.

Clients attend the outpatient program four days a week, for three hours each day, for help facing depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues.

Delegatto said The Meadows' proprietary model hones in on trauma, including relational and childhood trauma and trauma.

“We take a holistic approach to the care that we provide," Delegatto explained, adding that patients work with licensed therapists and also have access to art therapy, yoga, neurofeedback, and optional tai chi and qigong.

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We integrate neurofeedback right into our treatment," he said.

The Meadows has its own neurofeedback equipment and an in-house brain center, where patients can become familiar with their neurofeedback patterns and slowly start to retrain their brains, so they can "be more settled in how their body is reacting and how their brain is reacting to stimuli."

Delegatto explained that some patients who have Parkinson's Disease have stopped shaking when they are in a neurofeedback session.

Since opening in November, The Meadows has treated five patients, all of whom have found the neurofeedback "very helpful," he said.

When clients finish their intensive outpatient program at The Meadows, they attend a graduation ceremony of sorts with those they've worked with and alongside in the program.

They also receive feedback from their peers, in addition to a coin that Delegatto said is "charged" with inspirational adjectives provided from each person in attendance.

Patients also have a chance to share their own testimonials about their experience in the program.

“It’s usually pretty emotional because they’ve been together for eight to 10 weeks," Delegatto said. "They’ve learned a lot about each other in that time."

More than 100 people were in attendance Friday at the ribbon cutting event, including members of Chamber 630.

“We’re excited to be able to bring the Meadows model to the Chicagoland area, and we’re excited to be in Downers Grove because of its proximity to Chicago and surrounding areas," Delegatto told Patch.

“Any of us will talk about a triple bypass or high cholesterol or say, 'my doctor wants me to do this and that,'” Delegatto said. He hopes people will start to feel more comfortable talking about seeking and help for the struggles they face emotionally.

He's also working to get substance abuse treatment for patients at The Meadows.

“Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to ask for help," Delegatto said, "Take that next step."

He added that when people thank The Meadows for saving their lives, he says, "No; you saved your own life. You took the steps you needed to.”

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Restaurants & Bars

Local restaurant owners say video gaming is needed to keep good employees and stabilize menu pricing

Community Contributor

|Updated Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 11:13 am CT

Bryan Bentley, owner of the Bryan's American Grille

It is an all too often occurrence. A large party of people come into a Downers Grove bar and ask where the machines are.

They are, of course, referring to video gaming machines and currently video gaming is not allowed in Downers Grove.

“What is frustrating is that when this happens only a couple of people in the group want to play the machines but because we can’t accommodate them – the whole group leaves and goes somewhere else,” said Bryan Bentley, owner of Bryan’s American Grille. “Not only are we foregoing the revenue that every restaurant and bar in surrounding communities is getting from video gaming, but we are losing out on sales that should be ours. Downers Grove can fix this by simply allowing video gaming.”

The Village is considering a video gaming ordinance which would limit licenses to 10 and restrict the kinds of downtown businesses that could apply for licenses.

“This is a good compromise,” said Bob Taft, owner of Q Pub and Grill. “It gives businesses like mine the lifeline it needs to stay in business without creating a situation where there are an overwhelming number of machines in our community. The pandemic has hurt the hospitality industry hard, and we need the revenue these machines provide.”

Find out what's happening in Downers Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Taft owns and operates five different locations and all but the Downers Grove location has video gaming. He said video gaming helps keep prices stable and allows him to pay his employees more.

“It is getting harder and harder to keep good employees because large corporations are able to pay more,” Taft said. “With the price of all of the food supplies we need to serve our menu – the extra revenue from video gaming really is a necessity not a luxury. Everyone wins if we can put machines in our Downers Grove location. Our employees can get increased wages. We can stabilize our menu prices and the Village gets additional tax revenue. Everyone wins.”

One of the fallouts of the pandemic is the number of people working from home and no longer going into the office.

“We have had to do away with lunch service because so many people are working from home,” Taft said. “It just was not worth it to keep serving lunch. Losing an entire service has put a big-time strain on our bottom line. We need some additional sources of revenue. We need video gaming.”

The hospitality industry is the anchor of the business community, Bentley said. He noted food and entertainment are what bring people out.

“If we want our retail stores to continue to thrive, then we need to make sure our local bars and restaurants are doing well because you can’t sit down with your friends and enjoy a good meal online,” Bentley said. “People make plans to go out to dinner and while they are out, they go shopping and patronize other businesses. If we want to continue to have a vibrant business community – then we need a vibrant hospitality industry which is why video gaming is so important for not just my business but the community as a whole. I call on the Village Board to do the right thing and pass the video gaming ordinance.”

Taft said the effort to get video gaming in Downers Grove is more than just dollars and cents. It is about making his hometown community a great place to live and work and raise a family.

“I have owned Q Pub & Grill in Downers Grove since 1998,” Taft said. “I grew up in this community and graduated from Downers Grove South High School. What I want and what I think all Downers Grove business owners want is to ensure our community remains a destination for jobs and opportunities and to attract new families from across our region. I love this community and I plan on being a part of it for a long time to come.”