The Riverside Kiwanis Club awarded four scholarships totaling $3,500 to four local students in May. The club received 16 applications from area high school seniors, and selected four winners based on community service, leadership, scholastic achievement and economic need. This year marks the 22nd year the Kiwanis Club has awarded cash scholarships to graduating seniors.Emily Franzen of Riverside, a graduate of Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park, will attend Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, where she will major in English and French. Franzen was president of Nazareth’s Environmental Activist Club and sings in her church choir at St. Mary’s in Riverside. She is also an accomplished student with a 3.83 grade-point average, and has tutored disadvantage youths every Saturday for the past five years.
Kristin Marie Jastrzebski of North Riverside, also a Nazareth Academy graduate, will attend DePaul University, where she will major in secondary education. She was involved at Nazareth in many capacities: as Student Council treasurer, editor of the Announcer, a member of the drama costume crew and raffle sales, teaching assistant at Forest Road School and as a member of the Adopt-A-Grandparent Club. In addition, she has done fundraising for Mater Christi Parish, 9/11 victims and Children’s Memorial Hospital.
Jastrzebski has won numerous awards, including the Girl Scout Silver Award, National Honor Society, Illinois State Scholar, Who’s Who and Chicago Metro History Fair finalist.
Elizabeth Ann Maskill, is a Riverside resident and graduate of Riverside-Brookfield High School. She’s headed to Loyola University in the fall to study elementary education. She was the director of communications for the RB Student Association, blood drive organizer, dance organizer, student of the month, Special Olympics coach, Student Service aide, soup kitchen volunteer and a gymnast at Sokol Brookfield.
Nicholas Stephen Riha, a Riverside-Brookfield High School grad and a resident of Riverside, will attend Bradley University to study civil engineering. A member of the RB cross-country team, he also is a member of the Ecology Club and a member of the National Honor Society. His GPA of 4.334 puts him near the top of the senior class.
Filled with PRIDE: Painted Board studio, owned by Riverside residents Jennifer Taylor Henderson and Dina Glardon, was selected as a recipient of a Forest Park PRIDE award in the commercial category during a May 4 ceremony hosted by the Forest Park Main Street Redevelopment Association. The studio, located on Madison Street in Forest Park, specializes in one-of-a-kind, hand-painted furniture. The PRIDE awards, co-sponsored by Main Street and the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce, acknowledge and recognize businesses that have made a significant investment in the community. The business opened in July of 2004.
Outstanding! Brookfield resident Pat Speirs, dietitian and certified diabetes educator for Loyola University Health System in Maywood, has been selected as Outstanding Diabetes Educator of the Year for 2005 by the Diabetes Educators Chicago Area/American Association of Diabetes Educators (DECAADE). Speirs, who is also a certified lifestyle counselor, has more than 20 years of professional experience in the field of nutrition and dietetics.
Welcome aboard: The financial services firm Edward Jones has hired Kevin Frontone as the new investment representative for North Riverside’s branch office located at 7806 W. 26th St. Prior to coming to the North Riverside branch, Frontone was an Edward Jones investment representative in Springfield. He is a graduate of Greenville (Ill.) College with a degree in organizational leadership. Margo Parsons will now serve the North Riverside branch office administrator.
Decades of service: Richard Dolejs was recognized for over 40 years of service to the Riverside Township Lions Club at the club’s March meeting. Austin D’Sousa, Lions District 1A governor, presented Dolejs with a certificate recognizing his service.
Dolejs as been a member of the Riverside Township Lions Club for 41 year, the longest tenure among current club members.
In addition, Bill Scanlon will be installed as the new president of the Riverside Township Lions Club at the club’s annual installation dinner at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, June 14, in the William Tell Inn, 6201 Joliet Road, Countryside. He succeeds Dennis Sadilek.
Other new officers are Jon Jansky, first vice president; Dale Heilenbach, second vice president; Shirley Misare, third vice president; Chuck Courtney, secretary; and Al Rossel, treasurer. Elections were held at the May meeting.
The Riverside Township Lions Club was founded in 1948 and meets monthly. Involved in civic activities in Riverside and North Riverside, the club also provides annual financial support to charities and community organizations.
Exec training: Riverside’s assistant chief of police, Thomas Weitzel, was chosen this spring as one of 30 law enforcement executives from across the country to participate in the first-ever National Law Enforcement Leadership Institute on Violence Against Women hosted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
During the three-day institute, Weitzel explored innovative approaches for investigating crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking.
In addition, Weitzel graduated from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute on May 25. The 200-hour executive development program focused on modern police management systems and practices, strategic approaches to patrol and investigations, human resources issues, technology, organizational communication and executive responsibilities.
Top scout: The Illinois Crossroads Council bestowed its highest honor, the Girl Scout Gold Award to 24 Chicago-area Girl Scouts at its 2005 Celebration of Achievements ceremony. Among the Gold Award winners was Brookfield resident Leila Stehlik-Barry, who was also given a 2005 Teen Scholarship Award.
On campus: Riverside-Brookfield High School student Julia S. Goldberg, of Riverside, was named a National Merit Scholarship winner in May.
? Christina Peluso of Riverside recently participated in the Graduates to Leaders (G2L) Workshop in Communications, educational seminars in New York City for Italian American undergraduate and graduate students majoring in communications. Peluso attends the University of Illinois.
? Andrew Viscariello, a Monmouth (Ill.) College freshman from Brookfield, joined over 135,000 students from 50 states and 14 foreign countries in taking the National Latin Exam this spring. Viscariello, the son of James and Pam Viscariello, earned a silver medal by achieving a maxima cum laude score on the Latin I exam. Students in each level answer 40 questions on Latin grammar, mythology, Roman life, history, geography, derivatives and readings.
Meanwhile, Brookfield resident Ed Jensen was named a fine arts scholar at Monmouth. A freshman math/classics major, he is the son of Joyce Jensen of Brookfield and Robert Jensen of Worth.
? Brookfield residents Arley Fulgencio, Antonio Hernandez, Claudia Valencia, Erika Tena and Rachel DeLeon, all students at Lyons Township High School, along with Riverside residents Christina Padilla and Allen Garcia and North Riverside residents Anthony Arenella-Bonilla, Yadira Martinez, Juan Ramirez, Marco Garcia, Alexis Pelayo, Luiz Amaya and Nubia Duarte, all students at Riverside-Brookfield High School, are participating in the 2005 National Hispanic Institute’s summer program. In July they will attend leadership seminars and compete in mock debates and elections that are designed to help prepare them for college and life after high school. The Institute programs will be hosted by Benedictine University, Augustana University and Dominican University.
? Kris L. Klesk of North Riverside recently received a bachelor of science degree in automotive technology at the spring commencement ceremonies at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Receiving a bachelor of science degree in fire science management at the same ceremony was Riverside resident Joseph T. Lyons.
? Heather M. Weir of Brookfield was one of eight recipients of the Northern Illinois University Outstanding Woman Student Award of 2005. During an April ceremony, Weir was presented with the award which recognizes departmental and university leadership roles, community involvement, awards and scholarships, goals and aspirations and obstacles overcome in pursuit of an education. Weir, who earned a Juris Doctor degree, served as Student Bar Association representative to the American Bar Association and as the executive lieutenant governor of the 7th Circuit Law Student Division. She was president of the Women’s Law Caucus and a fundraiser for the Public Interest Law Society. She is also the recipient of the ABA Law Student Division Silver Key Award for Leadership.
? Thirteen Brookfield residents were among the 75 Lyons Township High School students recognized by the Countryside Rotary Club as the most academically improved students as measured from the end of the first semester during 2003-04 to the end of the first semester in the 2004-05 school year. Those honored included Michael Cieniuch, Vincent D’Amico, Elizabeth Galik, Sylvester Lesiv, Robert Pomazal, Shaun Regains, Arianna Rodriguez, Cody Rothaupt, Jenna Rothaupt, Thaddeus Tala, Amanda Talesky, Aleksandar Vasilic and Daniel Yelen.
? Riverside resident Diana Lynn Hamilton was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society in April at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. A limited number of college seniors are selected for the honor each year, based on outstanding academic records in the liberal arts and sciences.
? Lyons Township High School senior Franz Atienza, of Brookfield, and junior Andrew Levinsky, of Western Springs, were named winners in the West Suburban Bar Association logo contest. The winner was announced at the Association’s recent Law Day luncheon. The winning entry will be used on the Association’s web site, stationery and other publications. More than 20 high schools in the west suburbs submitted entries. The entries were judged on originality, suitability of design, and relevance to the Association. The first place winner received $250 and the second place entry received $100.
? Samantha Michyeta of Riverside was among 150 Northern Illinois University students receiving leadership awards from the institution during a May ceremony. Michyeta received recognition in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities. Applicants are considered on the basis of leadership, scholarship, service and contributions to NIU.
? Catherine J. Melka, of Brookfield, a student in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, was named to the dean’s list for the winter quarter of the 2004-05 school year. Students on the dean’s list have attained a grade-point average of at least 3.70 on a 4.0 scale.
? Hauser Junior High student Taylor Dalton has been selected as winner of the Bruce Perryman Scholarship. Taylor will receive a monetary award to attend a summer music camp of her choice. The fund was established by the Perryman family in 2003 in memory of District 96 choral teacher Bruce Perryman. The fund is supported by the family, however, community donations are welcome. Please contact Hauser Junior High at 447-3896 for more information.
? Riverside resident Jamie Kresen was inducted into the Northern Illinois University Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society during an April ceremony. Over 1,000 students were eligible for membership at NIU, with 37 being selected this year. Induction into Mortar Board signifies high achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Nominees must have at least a 3.2 grade-point average.
? Brookfield resident Tim Jacobs, a senior at Lyons Township High School won awards in the 12th Annual Chicagoland High School Video Festival. Jacobs was part of a team that won two first-place awards in the Live Event Coverage-Sports category and a second-place award in the Live Event Coverage-Performing Arts category. He is a member of the LT-TV crew and student producers.
? Brookfield residents Al Navickas and Zhen Cheng were part of the Lyons Township High School Math Team that finished 12th at the recent Illinois state math tournament. Navickas was part of the Junior/Senior Relay team that finished first in the state. Cheng was part of the seventh-place Sophomore Written Team-Geometry.
? Lyons Township High School freshman Bridget Dooley, of Brookfield, earned a cum laude score on the state Latin I foreign language exam.
? Jean-Pierre Gary, a Riverside resident, finished his undergraduate studies at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., graduating with two bachelor’s degree, one in art and one in psychology, May 7. He also earned his fourth varsity letter as a member of the school’s track team. He is the son of Dennis and Martine Gary.
? LTHS student Beth Root, a senior of Brookfield, was recognized in the Best Illinois Poetry and Prose Contest conducted by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. Each year the Illinois Association of Teachers of English publishes the best poetry in the state of Illinois written by students. Root was one of the runners-up in the competition with her poem titled “Emily.”
