Bill McLean

‘Spek’-Tacular Construction

Karl Spektor’s 21-year-old company, MOD Construction, and 11-year-old son, Brooklyn, have something in common: Both are “batting” 1.000. “Brooklyn,” Spektor insists, “has never had a bad day in his life. You should see him. He’s always smiling, always happy.” Chicago-based MOD Construction, meanwhile, has never failed to complete a project—commercial or residential— since its launch

Picture Perfect

AN ASSIGNMENT in the second grade was an easy one for Valerie Gonzalez decades ago. Too easy. The task: take home a piece a paper and draw what you want to be when you grow up. Gonzalez wanted to be a professional dancer. She had been an avid student of the artistic form since the

Sox Redux

Charles “Charlie” Walsh Jr.’s favorite youth baseball story is the one about the short, thin outfielder who always stood way, way back on defense because the boy from Elmhurst was afraid of getting smacked by a screaming baseball. That same player struck out often. Then, one day, every ball that had ever fallen in front

Savoring Screen Time

Mila Furman was 11 years old, maybe 12, when she first watched the Food Network show “Essence of Emeril” with her mother, Dora. Mila and Mom kicked back at home on that seminal day for the youngster, as celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse shared his “kicked-up” recipes with his viewers. Mila’s eyes grew, grew, and grew

Strong-Armed & Generous

Former Iowa prep quarterback Tom Serpento has never thrown a pass in a National Football League game. But he’s been the prolific signal-caller— the executive director, actually—for both the NFL Players Association, Former Players (Chicago Chapter), and the group’s charitable arm, the Retired Professional Football Players of Chicago (RPFPC), since 2014. The main function of

Iron Will

Two women, two arduous journeys. Lois Gibbons’ trek began with a cancer diagnosis in 2018. Her daughter Kate Neal’s journey began shortly thereafter, with a commitment to train for her first full Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, 26.2-mile run). Neal lives in Winnetka with her husband, Matt, and their sons, 11-year-old Ryan and 7-year-old

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Bill McLean

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