Meet the 2010 Mt. Prospect Shining Stars
Mount Prospect will honor residents and business owners who are the village's 2010 "Shining Stars," Feb. 6 at Bristol Court Banquets, 828 E. Rand Road.
Winners in eight categories will be feted in this year's awards, the 17th annual Celestial Celebration.
• Best Business Partner Award: Tom Nelson and Roberta Hamann from Byte Me Computers
More than just a community-minded Mount Prospect business, Nelson and Hamann are great examples of a proactive business. Byte Me Computers has hosted the Web site for the Northwest Suburban Council of Boy Scouts for many years. Involved with the Mount Prospect Downtown Merchants Association since 2005, and beginning his third year as its president, Nelson has worked tirelessly to organize the downtown businesses into a cohesive group. Today the association hosts numerous successful events including the New Year's Eve Party for Kids, the Halloween Fall Festival, and Oktoberfest. They also provide and maintain the downtown merchant's Web site.
• Champion for Youth Award: Jim Miller, Mount Prospect Fire Department fire and life safety educator investigator.
Jim Miller has been serving the youth of Mount Prospect for more than 15 years. He is well known for his ability to connect with children and convey the importance of fire safety. His tireless enthusiasm raises him head and shoulders above the call of duty. Employing innovative and exciting demonstrations of his own design, he captures the attention of young audiences and imprints lifesaving knowledge at the same time.
• Youth Service Award: Brian Krause, coach
||Brian Krause shares his love of sports with countless Mount Prospect children. He has coached or is coaching children's baseball, football and basketball. Along with his passion for sports, Krause imparts a sense of fair play, sportsmanship and team spirit to all who are fortunate enough to be on one of his teams. The best part of Krause's teams is how well they work together and treat each other. The kids, no matter what the difference in skill level, are always cheering and supporting each other. Parents are grateful for the life lessons he teaches know they will last long into adulthood.
• Good, Better, Best Neighbor Award: Brian Kiel, Neighbor Extraordinaire
Up and down the 2000 block of West Haven Street, residents recount Brian Kiel's selfless acts of good, old-fashioned acts of kindness. For example, the August 2007 storm left many Mount Prospect residents without power for an extended period of time. Kiel's own home was prepared for just such a disaster, but he traveled to his father's home to secure a generator for his neighbors. Staying up with them into the early morning hours to periodically switch power among numerous neighbors, they fought off the danger of flooding with his relentless loyalty to his neighbors in his small corner of the world.
• Hometown Award: Laura Haas, of Halo Hair & Nail Studio
Haas is one of those people who uses the resources available to her to impact the lives of families and children in her community. She identifies those with urgent medical situations and using her business, draws large crowds to her events. A busy day for Haas and all of her stylists result in sizable donations which are turned over in their entirety to the day's recipient. Her creative and generous approach to community involvement is all about the cause, not business.
• Rising Star Award: Martin Diaz, Hersey High School senior
Diaz is well-known around Hersey High School. His school spirit is enormous and he takes every opportunity to rally his school to the same level. Counselors and students say "He is a large part of Hersey's school spirit at games and pep rallies." Not only is Diaz a die-hard Hersey fan, he excels in his academics as well. Occasionally Mount Prospect sees a student whose approach to life belies their young age and stands as a preview of a life filled with opportunity. Diaz is one of those students.
• There Ought to be More People Like This Award: William and Dolores Shillington, Givers all the way
Bill and Dee Shillington have always put the needs of others ahead of their own. Longtime volunteers for the Salvation Army, the Shillington's have made countless trips for disaster relief in Illinois and beyond including numerous trips to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. At home, there are endless examples of their caring nature as well. During a trip to their summer home, Bill left early to visit the nearby home of a Mount Prospect resident's mother for some much needed repairs. Dee is a volunteer "shopper" for disabled senior citizens in Wheeling Township and led Girl Scout Troop 370 for 10 years. Dee is also a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the Funeral Luncheon Volunteer Group which provides funeral luncheons in the St. Raymond community room at minimal cost to parishioners.
•The World is a Better Place Award, Parenti & Raffaelli, Ltd., Architectural Woodwork & Custom Cabinetry
Parenti & Raffaelli have occupied their location for more than 20 years. Specialists in the art of fine woodwork, they have outfitted many a corporate office and boardroom with exquisite craftsmanship. Successful in their own right, it is their extracurricular activities which have earned them this year's "The World is a Better Place Award." They have created memorable gifts for visiting dignitaries through the Sister Cities Commission and the Community Band exchange programs. They also reproduced the facade of the old General Store, now Capannari Ice Cream, with historic accuracy. Not only did they accept these challenges, they provided them at no cost.
If you go
Mount Prospect Celestial Celebration, "Masquerade Ball."
When: 5:30 p.m.-midnight; Feb. 6, 2010.
Where: Bristol Court Banquets, 828 E. Rand Road, Mount Prospect.
Tickets: $45; at mountprospect.org.
Dress: Formal. Masks will be available, but guests are welcome to bring their own.