This week's Patch Portraits also highlight the top priorities for Glenview's fire chief and New Trier's senior class president discusses life outside the bubble. “Downtown Des Plaines needs a destination,” said Gay Meizen, who has been tirelessly working to renovate the neighborhood gem that is the Des Plaines Theatre. “This could be a destination.” With little funding, progress on the theater mostly depends on the kindness of volunteers.  Meizen is hopeful that the city will soon take notice of the interest of the community and help to speed up the massive amount of work that it will take to…

This week's Patch Portraits also features a farewell from Highland Park's mayor. John Szostek has been putting on the Custer Fair for 30 of the 40 years it has existed. "I used to be an entertainer in the fair. I did mask and comedia dell'arte. Out of that experience it was offered to me to manage the event," Szostek said. During one of his early stunts, Szostek badly injured himself. After healing, he called the previous owner and asked if he could preform a new act, only to discover that the fair was slated to be canceled. But by the end of the phone call, Szostek was asked to take over the…

This week's Patch Portraits were produced and edited by Lisa Cisneros, Philip Downie, Jacob Nelson and Allison Williams. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased, a Highland Park resident who sculpts athletes' busts and an Evanston chef who makes a fine burger. Life Span has been serving victims of domestic violence in the north and northwest suburbs for more than 30 years. Hear from Director of Development Anne Marquez and Domestic Violence Advocate Susana Ocampo about the non-profit organization. This unique social service organization not only helps victims to …

Father Sunny Francis loves animals—except maybe deer. That’s because they strip the bark off the 39,600 trees he’s planted on the Divine Word Society’s property. “They go after the best trees,” he says. Since 2006, Francis has led a project to reforest 40 acres of land that priests and brothers of the missionary society formerly used for farming. Those 40 acres are one small piece of the Techny Land Development—742 acres of land owned by the Divine Word Society, most of which is leased out to developers. Willow Festival, Crate and Barrel’s corporate headquarters, Five Seasons Sports Club and …

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Lisa Cisneros, Andrea Hart and Allison Williams. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased is Mary Adair, a long-time volunteer at the Wilmette Public Library with a big mouth for good causes. In honor of Women's History Month, we are featuring Des Plaines resident Mary Long, creator of Herstorynetwork.com. A staunch supporter of women and the mother of a teenage daughter, Long gradually found herself discouraged with the way women are portrayed in the media and the idea that we all have to be toothpick-thin to be …

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Philip Downie, Carrie Porter, Quintin Slovek and Allison Williams. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased, an entertainment operations manager who talks to Skokie Patch. Microphone in one hand and vinyl record in the other, Cliff Benson has been calling out moves for square dancers since he was 14 years old. About four decades later, square dancing continues to footprint his life: He practices on Tuesday nights; calls on Friday nights; and sees his wife every day (whom he met through square dancing). The 55-year-…

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Philip Downie, Carrie Porter, Quintin Slovek and Allison Williams. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased, an entertainment operations manager who talks to Skokie Patch. Microphone in one hand and vinyl record in the other, Cliff Benson has been calling out moves for square dancers since he was 14 years old. About four decades later, square dancing continues to footprint his life: He practices on Tuesday nights; calls on Friday nights; and sees his wife every day (whom he met through square dancing). The 55-year-…

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Pam DeFiglio, Jenny Fisher and Allison Williams. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased, an animal control officer who talks to Northbrook Patch. Many people who meet Conchita Goldberg think she's in her 60s or 70s. They'd never guess she's 91. Goldberg isn't sure whether to attribute her health to the fact she swims four days a week and performs in a synchronized swimming group, or the fact she never drank or smoked and has always eaten a lot of healthy Puerto Rican food. Goldberg's parents brought her to the …

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Sara Fay, Andrea Hart, Carrie Porter and Allison Williams. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased, a 27-year-old Iraq War veteran who talks to Winnetka-Glencoe Patch.  In Tom Roddy's 80 years, he has escaped mental asylums five times; raised nine kids; and worked as a disc jockey, used-car salesman and journalist. These days the Evanstonian leads a simple life. At 5 a.m. he reads at Starbucks; at 10:30 a.m. he brunches at the Sher-Main Grill; and at 3 p.m. he takes a nap. Roddy grounds his day in a mixture of …

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Lisa Cisneros and Jacob Nelson, featuring photos by Allison Williams and Philip Downie. Check back on Mondays for the next installment. Also showcased, a comedic duo who talks to Highland Park Patch and a youth service coordinator who open up to Glenview Patch. Spiegler's Department Store, opened in 1900 by Louis Spiegler, was one of the oldest family owned businesses in Des Plaines until they sold in 1986, as more corporate businesses found their way into the city and independent businesses found their way out. Cousins Roger Spiegler, 87…

For 23 years Libertyville resident Daniel Brame has been the band director at Deerfield High School. “I had a love for music and so becoming a high school band director seemed to be my life calling,” he reminisced of his decision to get a degree in music education back when he was a teenager. Ever since, Brame has been fine-tuning the music department at DHS and hopes his students enjoy their time with him as much as he enjoys his time with them. “I love being able to share things that I’m passionate about and to show students why they can be passionate about it too.”   Check back on Monday …