Mount Prospect honors best of best at village gala

Mount Prospect celebrated residents and business owners who have made the village a better place to live at the village's 16th annual Celestial Celebration.

Twelve awards were given out at the Bristol Courts Banquets at a gala dinner last weekend. The winners were nominated by fellow residents and business owners, who believed they deserved recognition.

Here is a closer look at the winners:

• Beautify Mount Prospect - Colony Apartments: The apartments are located on the south end of the village, near Elmhurst Road and Oakton Street. About nine years ago, Home Properties bought the complex, with one of its goals being to beautify it.

Every spring, the owners plants flower and spruce up the grounds

"If you have to live in an apartment, we wants ours to be the most beautiful," said Diane Daubenspeck, manager.

• Best Business Partner - Jennifer Martinez, Vino 100: Martinez has been involved with the Wheelchairs for Peace fundraiser with the village's Sister Cities Commission. With St. Raymond's Church, she helped create "Give Away a Cellar." Wine and a wine cellar were auctioned off as a church fundraiser. She offered discounts to the organization as well. She hosted a fundraiser for the Mount Prospect Historical Society to "Move the Schoolhouse" fund for Central School, which was built more than 100 years ago. The society was able to move the school next to its headquarters in the village.

"I have always contributed to my community," Martinez said. "That is just how I was raised."

• Champion for Youth - Steve Flowers: The River Trails Middle School teacher created the Bucket Band and the Steel Drum Band at the school. More than 100 kids try out for the Bucket Band every year. Also, he started the first steel drum band in the area. He appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004 with the Bucket Band.

In his acceptance speech, Flowers thanked former mentors, school administrators, his parents, wife and daughter. "There are so many people here tonight who have made me who I am as a teacher," Flowers said.

• Youth Will Be Served - Joanne Prifti-Nicolas:

She spearheaded an effort to help the police department learn how to deal with individuals with autism by helping to provide specialized training. The department is now trained to see the signs for someone with the disorder. Prifti-Nicolas has two children, one of whom has autism. "We have made progress serving others and we will continue to do more," Prifti-Nicholas said.

• Good, Better, Best Neighbor - Anita Herr: Herr organizes great block parties where most people on the block attend. She also organizes parents at Friday night get-togethers. She is co-president of the Parent Teacher Council at Euclid School. She has also served on many other boards and has chaired causes through church, school and work.

• Hometown - Sister Cities Commission: The commission began more than 10 years ago when the village became the sister city of Sevres in France.

The commission organizes many events in the village, including dinners, concerts and get-togethers.

There have been many trips to France by the group and the French delegation from the village's sister city has stayed as guests of the commission.

• Open Arms - George and Judy Studtmann: More than 10 years ago the Studtmanns decided to do something about homeless people in the area. They started a Public Action to Deliver Shelter program at their church, Trinity Methodist Church. Now Trinity is a PADS site. Every Friday night from October to April, volunteers help the homeless. "They became my family," Judy Studtmann said. "I thought about them, worried about them and prayed for them. It's a lot like having children."

• Rising Star - Jaclyn Gartz: Prospect High School student Jaclyn Gartz performs in the Marching Knights Color Guard, Chamber Choir, Show Choir Company and Mixed Company at the school. She plays volleyball for "Volley for the Cure" tournament to raise money for breast cancer. She is a member of the Knights Way Leadership Club and the Leading Incoming Knights, where she mentors five freshmen. She's also part of the Leaders Energizing Athletics.

• Unsung Hero - Glen Andler: Public Works Director Glen Andler joined the village's public works department in 1972 as a member of its maintenance crew. In 1995, he became the director. In his nomination, one of his employees said, "Glen leads by example. He is usually the first one on the street and the last one to go home. He is not afraid to get dirty when things need to get done."

• There Ought to be More People Like This - Bryon and Pat Garrett: The pair has been heavily involved with local schools for a long time. Pat has been head room mom 11 times. She has worked on the school's yearbook for so long that she's referred to as the "yearbook lady." The pair has run the food stand at the fun fair. Bryon also coached girls and boys basketball for the River Trails Park District. They have both been involved with scouting for the past 10 years. Pat has been a Girl Scout leader for 10 years. They have both been den leaders for Boy Scouts. They are also involved with Relay for Life and the River Trails Nature Center.

• Toast of the Town - Carolyn Story: At Lions Park Elementary School, she handles a boys' choir of about 60 students and a girls' choir of about 100. In 2006, she handed over responsibility to a new teacher for the 150-student Lincoln Choir. She oversees the 5th grade class musical.

"Music is my life and teaching children is my calling," Story said.

• The World is a Better Place - John Brennan: Brennan's work in social justice in Mount Prospect began more than 30 years ago.

At St. Raymond's parish, he raised awareness about the nuclear arms race and social justice. About 15 years ago, he joined the choir at a black Catholic Church in Chicago. He started the participation of the church in a program called Racism and Ethnic Sensitivity. He has been part of a medical mission which held poor in Nicaragua.

He stared the Suburban Mosaic Book of the Year program. The program focuses on racial and social justice. Now after six years, 12 libraries and 11 school districts participate in the program.