Deerpath students tour courthouse

Students in the fifth-grade honors language arts program at Deerpath Middle School in Lake Forest toured the Lake County courthouse Tuesday.

Guided on their rounds by Deputy State's Attorney Daniel Jassica, the kids were getting a close-up look at the justice system they had been studying in class.

Jassica said the class had recently seen the movie "12 Angry Men" and had read the book "Crooked River" as a tuneup for the tour.

"They came prepared and really asked some very good questions," said Associate Judge Christopher Stride, in whose courtroom the group stopped. "They were very interested in the rights people have and how the trial process works."

And they could not get over what they called "the mallet" Stride keeps on the bench in front of him.

Stride let each of the kids come behind the bench and whack it a few times with his gavel, which seemed to be the highlight of the trip.

Scholarships offered

The Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center in Gurnee is offering a total of $5,000 in funding for survivors of sexual abuse to pursue creative expression.

The confidential funding can be applied to the cost of instruction in dance, film and video, graphic arts, music, painting or other creative arts.

Applicants for funding through the Judith Dawn Memorial Fund must be at least 18 and a resident of Lake, Cook, McHenry or Kenosha counties.

To obtain an application, visit www.zcenter.org or call (847) 244-1187.

Officer honored

Lori Sandquist, a Lake County juvenile probation officer, recently received the Lake County Juvenile Officers Association "Juvenile Justice Award" for 2008.

A probation officer since 1996, Sandquist has supervised the juvenile offender caseload for three years and is charged with working with social service providers to meet her client's needs.

The award citation says Sandquist "has significantly improved the lives of youth involved in the system and has made contributions to the Juvenile Justice System in Lake County."