Artistry in Motion director honored by Des Plaines Park District

Laura Witter received the Des Plaines Park District's Dedicated to Excellence Award Sept. 22 at the park board meeting. Witter is the artistic director of the park district's award-winning in-house dance company, Artistry in Motion. The Dedicated to Excellence Award is presented three times each year to outstanding employees who have made a positive contribution to their department and the park district. Witter is also a member of the Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre in Chicago, and performed for many years as a founding member of the acclaimed Chicago Tap Theatre dance company.

• In appreciation for her work in initiating and hosting U.S. Naturalization Ceremonies at the Schaumburg Township District Library, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and The U.S. Department of Homeland Security presented a plaque to Patricia Barch, Schaumburg Library's Literacy coordinator, on Sept. 18. The plaque presentation culminated the library's seventh Naturalization Ceremony. For Barch, the event marked her last official involvement with Naturalization Ceremonies, as she will retire this December.

• Michael Roth has joined Palatine-based Lavelle Law Ltd. as an associate. Roth will focus his practice in the firm's Estate Planning and Probate practice groups. He brings a broad range of legal experience to Lavelle Law, having operated as a private practitioner, spending five years as the executive director of the Center for Disability and Elder Law, and serving as development director of The Community House in Hinsdale. Roth, who grew up in Palatine, attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette before graduating from Fairfield University. He then received his JD from John Marshall Law School. He is admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Illinois and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois.

• The Schaumburg Boomers have won top honors from West Chicago-based clothing recycler USAgain for "Commitment to Recycling at Events" after promoting clothing and shoe recycling at previous events. During the 2015 Green-T Award Ceremony at the Shedd Aquarium, USAgain recognized the team for its exemplary efforts in reducing clothing waste. The Boomers, a minor league baseball team playing in the Frontier League, partnered with USAgain to place textile drop-off bins throughout their stadium in Schaumburg on game nights. Fans who brought a bag of clothing received a free ticket to a Boomers' game.

• Send your 'Neighbors in the News' items to Norrine Twohey at ntwohey@dailyherald.com.