[April 23, 2012]    

Saturday evening the dining room at the American Legion transformed into an elegant and sophisticated arena for a houseful of diners there to celebrate the achievements of scores of District 27 graduates over the years.

Seated at candlelit tables with black cloths, guests enjoyed a classic Guzzardo menu that included top round of beef and chicken marsala with wine sauce, a variety of side dishes and salads, and a buffet of cupcakes designed by Deb Rohrer.

The purpose of the night was to introduce a new recognition program at District 27. The district has for the last several weeks taken nominations from the public for outstanding graduates. The criteria for the nomination were based on the career achievements of the graduates. In the end, there were so many nominees, the committee working on the project decided to divide them into two categories: Distinguished Graduates and Most Distinguished Graduates. Six nominees were chosen from the entire list to receive the highest honor.

Pictures by Nila Smith

The dinner buffet offered some of Guzzardo's best dishes.

District 27 Superintendent Mary Ahillen.

 

Mayor Keith Snyder and wife Beth, who is an educator in the District 27 school system.

Keeping it in the family. Attorney Jim Grimaldi and his grandfather Jim Moriearty were both on the list of distinguished alumni.

 

Jean Anderson, regional superintendent of schools for Mason, Menard and Logan counties and a former LJHS educator, was recognized as a graduate in the Class of 1965. 

Steven Rohrer, District 27 school board president, and wife Susan, who is an educator in District 27 and a distinguished member of the Class of 1968.