Harper students show it pays to go green
Some Harper College students have earned a little green by demonstrating ways to be green.
The environmental club produced a 60-second public service announcement, part of a contest sponsored by the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County. It won first place and a $150 cash prize.
The video, dubbed "Green on the Go," features a dozen or so hungry environmentalists. They go to lunch clown-car-style, squeezing into a single sedan. Then they happily dine over eco-friendly lunchboxes, thermoses and utensils.
"Live a green life wherever you go," says a voiceover. "Reduce. Reuse. Recycle."
Area students learned of the contest after teachers attended the agency's January workshop on solid waste technologies and waste reduction solutions. The 23-town intergovernmental agency provides recycling collection events.
Winners were announced on Earth Day. The videos will be aired on cable access channels. You can also check them out at swancc.org.
Going green, take 2: Paddock Elementary School may be implementing a few green programs following its first annual Earth Day contest put on by parent Jill May.
I helped judge more than 75 entries, which included a song, Power Point presentations and puppet show.
The grand prize went to fourth-grader Elizabeth Bolthouse, whose "Spaceship Earth" project featured eight ideas that could be implemented at school such as shutting off bus engines and putting plants in classrooms. Bolthouse gets to select a tree that will be named after her and planted somewhere on Paddock's campus.
First-place prizes went to students in three age groups: Kindergartner Katie Souden exhibited the benefits of a school toy swap, while second-grader Eli Kluiszo and showed creativity with practical ideas including custodians using white vinegar and baking soda as cleansers.
The contest was sponsored by Noland's Landscaping and Whole Foods.
Mozart, Chopin and O'Toole: Back by popular demand, nearly 20 young musicians will perform classical chamber music Saturday at Palatine's Tamarack Retirement Residence.
Sisters and Fremd High School students Nancy and Olga O'Toole work as servers at Tamarack and in the past put on concerts featuring just the duo.
The ensemble grew when some friends got involved for a February performance, and Nancy said the residents have been begging for more ever since.
"We know that a lot of the time they have nothing to do and can't go anywhere for entertainment, so we decided that we would bring the entertainment to them," she said.
Most of the musicians attend Fremd, while a couple go to Plum Grove Junior High and Paddock Elementary.
Earl Grey and scones: The Palatine-Inverness Arts Council will host high tea from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Emmett's, 110 N. Brockway St., Palatine. The event, which is open to the public, will feature traditional high tea fare and music by acoustic guitarist Merv Collins. Tickets cost $25 and may be purchased at the door. Call for reservations at (847) 963-6451.