Neighbors in the News
• The Business Ledger, a weekly Chicago suburban business newspaper, presented Arts in Bartlett with its Notable Nonprofit award March 25, as part of the newspaper's annual Awards for Business Excellence. The ceremony was held at the Danada House in Wheaton. Arts in Bartlett was also recognized in March at the Hanover Township clerk's annual Community Service Awards dinner, as one of the organizations that help make Hanover Township an outstanding place to live, work and raise a family.
• Rolling Meadows High School teacher Nathan Aslinger was one of 11 educators from around the U.S. presented with the 32nd annual Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. Aslinger was honored for inspiring the next generation of business leaders through innovative education programs.
• Rebecca Parvin, daughter of Scott and Pam Parvin of Arlington Heights, won the Trinity International University, Deerfield, 2008-09 Aria Contest. A dean's list student and vocal performance/music education major, Parvin has participated in many musical opportunities. She has traveled to Europe with the Trinity International University Choir and participated in opera programs with Midwest Young Artists and VOICE Experience in Orlando, Fla. Parvin is also a past member of Music on Stage, Christian Youth Theater, the Schaumburg Youth Symphony and the Orchard Free Church Orchestra.
• Fr. Bill Zavaski, pastor of St. James Catholic Church, Arlington Heights, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his priesthood. The parishioners at St. James congratulate him and the parish invites all to celebrate the milestone with him at the 5 p.m. Mass on Sunday, May 17, in the newly renovated St. James Parish Center, 820 N. Arlington Heights Road. A celebration will follow Mass. For information, e-mail parishoffice@stjamesah.org or call (224) 345-7200.
• The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Gamma Gamma Chapter, announced that Nicole Dingraudo of Elk Grove Village was the recipient of its $1,000 scholarship. Dingraudo is a student at James B. Conant High School, Hoffman Estates. She will attend North Central College in Naperville to major in education. Delta Kappa Gamma promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.
• The Barrington Chapter Lyric Opera of Chicago will host a brunch and musical program April 26, at the Inverness Golf Club, where Lake Barrington Shores resident Catherine Cartland Mura will be honored for her 26 years of service to the chapter as its community relations chairwoman. Mura joined the Barrington chapter board after first serving on the advisory board of the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee, Wis. Once on the chapter's executive board of Lyric Opera, she designed and produced an art deco all-chapter brochure and ran the yearly publicity workshop for the other 19 chapter community relations chair people. Currently Mura and Glenne McMonigal of Crystal Lake are co-chairs of community relations for the Barrington chapter.
• Rohan Dasika, an eighth-grader at Aptakisic Junior High School in Buffalo Grove, won the regional spelling bee at College of Lake Country on March 20 earning him the right to represent Lake County in the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Dasika has participated in spelling bee competitions since he was in third grade and studies spelling words year round.