Betty Balanoff a model citizen of Hammond. She has dedicated 25 years to educating students at Roosevelt High School in East Chicago. Not only was she a devoted teacher, but a concerned citizen as well. Over the years, she has worked on a number of projects that involve preserving the rights of the community. When the Hammond, East Chicago, Gary Sanitary Districts released raw sewage into the Grand Calumet River, she was there to lobby for a new and well-deserved Sanitary District.  When the Rhodia Corp., a organic sulfuric acid recycling plant,  wanted to obtain a permit for handling hazardous waste, she was there to make sure that the City Council implement tougher rules and regulations.