Neighbors in the news
•The Palatine/Inverness Arts Council (PIAC) announced its 2010 board of directors: Bill Pohlman, president; Betty Flamm, treasurer and at large board members Barb Black, John Heng, Jeff Kreye and Liz Noe. Each member's term runs through December 2010.
The public is invited to meet the new board and learn more about PIAC activities at a free breakfast buffet 10 a.m. Saturday, March 13, at the American Legion Hall at 122 West Palatine Road. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by Friday, March 5. RSVP to info@palatineinvernessarts.org or (847) 963-6451.
In addition to the breakfast, PIAC is scheduled to host its annual juried art show, "Art Affair Around the Square," on Sept. 11 and 12 at Palatine's Towne Square. Information on the art show will be available at the breakfast.
• Arlington Heights native Katie Baird was selected as the spotlight artist for Millikin Blue Connection's "After Five Live" event held Friday, Feb 5, in the college's Madden Arts Center in Decatur.
The Blue Connection is a student-run retail art gallery that features the artwork of Millikin students, faculty and others connected to the University. Baird is a junior majoring in graphic design in the College of Fine Arts.
• The executive board of the Northwest Suburban Council Boy Scouts of America unanimously elected Marie Diffley as council president during its Jan. 21 business meeting.
Diffley becomes the first woman to hold that post in the 84-year history of the council that lists over 16,000 youth members and over 4,000 adult volunteers in 34 Northwest Suburbs.
Her election signifies the continuing diversity of American Scouting as it enters and celebrates its 100th Anniversary throughout 2010. She succeeds outgoing council president James Tierney, who leaves a noteworthy two-year legacy of council accomplishments in finance, membership growth, camp facilities improvement and quality youth programs.
• East Leyden High School assistant principal Mikkel Storaasli will take over as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction effective July 1. Storaasli, who began his career at Leyden in 1996 as a teacher in the math department, will replace Jack Denny, who is retiring on June 30, after 11 years in that administrative post.
Storaasli holds both a bachelor of science degree and a master's degree in the teaching of mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is currently working toward a Ph.D. in educational leadership at Concordia University, River Forest.