Firefighter sworn in; ‘Wild About Nature’ award

Ÿ Christopher Jannusch was sworn into the office of Des Plaines Firefighter/Paramedic by Mayor Martin J. Moylan, on Wednesday, April 11, in the Mayor’s City Hall Office. City Officials, Fire Department personnel, family and friends gathered for the event.

Jannusch is currently completing a nine-week training course at the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy, in Glenview.

Ÿ To recognize excellence in middle and high school science fair projects, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County awarded Ann Rajan, a student at Plum Grove Junior High, Palatine, and Jordan Gregg, a student at Quest Academy, Palatine, the inaugural “Wild About Nature” award.

Rajan’s project, “The Water Quality and Distance” and Gregg’s project, “Griping about Grapes: Does Veggie Wash Remove Pesticides,” were recognized at the North Suburban Schools Science Fair last month as well as at a Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioner’s meeting earlier this month.

The awards program honors students in grades six through 12, who completed outstanding projects that used research, monitoring, observation or data recorded on Forest Preserve District property; or were relevant to natural habitats and species found in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

Ÿ Cynthia Hass, a broker associate with RE/MAX Suburban, 1808 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from RE/MAX recognizing her continued sales success in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market.

The award goes to those who have been part of the worldwide RE/MAX network for at least seven years and have completed 1,000 or more real estate transactions during that time. Hass has 26 years of experience as a real estate professional and joined RE/MAX in 1989.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of three honors that RE/MAX gives to affiliates for career sales success. The others are membership in the International Hall of Fame, an honor Hass attained earlier in her career, and the Circle of Legends Award, which recognizes the highest level of achievement.

Ÿ Four student journalists from Township High School District 214 were named to the Illinois Journalism Education Association’s 2012 All-State Journalism team: junior Julianne Micoleta of Elk Grove High School, junior Ashley Hawkins of John Hersey High School, senior Carly Evans of Prospect High School and junior Liam Brady of Rolling Meadows High School.

The students will be recognized at the IJEA’s annual awards luncheon on Saturday, June 2, at the Executive Mansion in Springfield. Their advisers, Alissa Prendergast of Elk Grove, Janet Levin of Hersey High School, Jason Block of Prospect High School and Stan Zoller of Rolling Meadows High School, will join the students.

The Illinois Journalism Education Association promotes scholastic journalism statewide through advocacy, programming and resource development.