The Riverside Township Lions Club presented at the club’s May meeting the Bill Jansky Distinguished Citizen Award to Evelyn Scott, president of the Riverside Golden Agers.
Scott has devoted nearly 60 years of community service to Riverside, also volunteering with the Girl Scouts, Ames School PTA and Riverside Woman’s Club. She also organized day trips for the Riverside Recreation Department and has been in charge of the senior drop-in program at Town Hall.
Other honors she’s received include the Golden Rule certificate of appreciation from the American Red Cross and J.C. Penney; Riverside Township’s most outstanding volunteer award; a certificate of appreciation from the Suburban Area Agency on Aging; a Leaders Award from the Kiwanis Club of Riverside; and the Cook County Sheriff’s Senior Medal of Honor. In addition, the village board recognized her contributions by declaring Evelyn Scott Day and she also served as grand marshal of the Riverside Fourth of July Parade
Dr. David Bonnette, former Riverside Grade School District 96 superintendent, received the award in 2006.
The award was named in honor of longtime Lions Club member Bill Jansky, who died in November. He was a past president of the club and Riverside Man of the Year in 1979 and received the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship Award in recognition of his many contributions to the club and to the community.
“Bill Jansky lived his life through service to others,” said his son, Jonathan, the incoming club president. “Many people called him ‘Mister Riverside,’ from the Riverside Chamber of Commerce to Bill’s Finer Foods to Riverside Presbyterian Church to the Shriners, Masons and American Legion.
“He was a man like many others before and after, destined to lead. Leading came natural to Dad. He would always say the success of any event hinges on the people supporting it. So we all are distinguished but someone must lead.”
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with nearly 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in 193 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world.
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.
Movin’ on up
Dan Wharton, 60, has been named senior vice president of animal programs for the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS), which manages Brookfield Zoo.
In this new position, Wharton will oversee the society’s Animal Programs group, which consists of animal care, veterinary services, conservation science, and applied research. He will be collaborating with staff to enhance and maintain high-quality standards for animal care and husbandry and will manage the society’s Center for the Science of Animal Care and Well-Being.
Prior to joining CZS, Wharton served as the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) director of New York City Zoos, namely the Central Park Zoo, the Prospect Park Zoo and the Queens Zoo.
Wharton is the executive editor of the zoo science journal Zoo Biology and is an adjunct scientist and associate professor with the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC) program at Columbia University. He holds a Ph.D. in biology from Fordham University and a master’s degree in international administration from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont.
As a Fulbright Scholar to Germany, Wharton studied population genetics and zoological garden management of German zoos. Earlier in his career, he lived and worked in South America, Europe, and East Africa.
The Chicago Zoological Society (CZS), which manages Brookfield Zoo, has also announced the hire of Geri Unger, 52, as the new director of regional and local conservation. With more than 25 years of scientific, educational and environmental experience in administration and an extensive list of accomplishments, Unger will further cement the society as a world leader in conservation.
Unger’s position will focus on developing various strategies to inspire long-term changes in conservation behavior for zoo visitors as well as changes in conservation and protection on a local and regional basis. As part of the Zoo and Aquarium Partnership for the Great Lakes, Unger will be working with nearly 40 zoos and aquariums to determine what needs to be done for the restoration and conservation of the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Most recently, Unger worked with the Chautauqua Institution as the vice president for education and planning in promoting new programs on topics such as environmental sustainability. A resident of Oak Park, Unger received a bachelor’s degree in natural resources from University of Michigan, and a master’s degree in environmental biology from Hebrew University.
At the Village of Brookfield’s July 23 meeting of the Board of Trustees, several members of the village’s police and fire departments received promotions. Police detective Paul Lanzi was promoted to the rank of sergeant. In the fire department, Scott Saulters was promoted to captain, while Robert Shamasko was raised to the rank of lieutenant.
On campus
Riverside resident Nora Rose Wengerski was one of 2,500 students graduating from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. last spring. Wengerski received Bachelor of Science degrees in secondary education and physics, graduating magna cum laude. She was also a member of the Sigma Pi Sigma national physics honor society. She is the daughter of Brigid M. Pope of Riverside.
Margaret Kelly, a Riverside resident, was one of 29 North Central College (Naperville) students inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education at a ceremony held last spring. Kelly was junior during the 2006-07 school year.
Brookfield resident Dijana Keljalic, currently a senior at Lyons Township High School, scored in the 99th percentile on a national German foreign language exam, while Brookfielder Julie Mohedano placed 10th at the chapter level on a national French exam. Meanwhile, on the Latin I exam at the state level, Brookfield resident Constantin Roman was awarded a silver medal, or maxima cum laude.
Riverside resident Vince Arvis, a sophomore at Riverside-Brookfield High School and member of Boy Scout Troop 60 (St. Odilo, Berwyn), has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. The accomplishment will be acknowledged at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor on Sept. 16 at in the St. Odilo Parish hall, 23rd Street and Clarence Avenue.
Only 5 percent of boys enrolled in scouting ever reach this highest rank. Through its long history at St. Odilo Parish, the scouting program has helped 51 boys earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
Arvis began his scouting career in 1998 as a Tiger Scout, then joined Cub Scout Pack 1 at Irving School, and eventually joined Boy Scout Troop 60 in 2003. As part of his Eagle requirements, Arvis planned, led and, with the help of scouts from Troop 60, completed a massive Eagle service project for the Village of Riverside-painting more than 250 fire hydrants.
A member of the RBHS football and water polo teams and avid member of the Ski Club, Arvis also plays guitar in a local band and will pursue classes in theater this year.
He is the son of Steve and Jodi Arvis.