05/25/11 Sixth grade students at Riverside Intermediate School in Plymouth recently participated in the 4th Annual Mayor For A Day Essay contest.
A few weeks ago Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter met with the 6th graders and discussed his job duties, responsibilities and the various city departments under his control. He also fielded a number of questions from the students who then were to write an essay titled “If I Were Mayor…..”
The 273 sixth graders did a great job and classroom teachers had the task of narrowing down the field, then members of the school administration read the blind essays and selected the top 5 and the overall winner.
On Tuesday these Top 5 Riverside Intermediate students joined Mayor Mark Senter on the What’s Your Opinion radio show and read their essays “If I were Mayor….” Joining Mayor Senter was Destinee Hartwig, Carter Sanderson, Brandt Bush, David Bacon, and the winner, Garret Garver. Follow the radio program Garret spend the day as Mayor of Plymouth. He toured several of the city departments and was even treated to lunch.
Mayor Senter explained that the Mayor’s Essay contest is conducted through the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. Plymouth’s winner, Garret Garver will be entered into the state’s contest and during the June Mayor’s Conference the top winners will be honored with the top essay winner receiving a scholarship.
The Top 5 Winner’s essays are below:
If I Were Mayor…
by Garrett Garver
If I were the mayor of Plymouth, Indiana I would work on my many problems. First, I would work to ensure our town’s enjoyment. I would strive to create a prosperous economy. I would also construct more efficient roads, so our community has less potholes. Better roads would help tourism and draw more businesses and industry to our wonderful town.
I would also do the best of my ability to fix the small problems that could turn into large problems. These problems would be similar to something such as littering on the side of a road. They happen way too often, so we should work to fix them. By putting more recycling containers around the city, we could alleviate much of the trash thrown along the roads. Educating the public about going green will help our environment for future generations.
I would work on budgets for city departments, making sure that schools had enough funding for extra-curricular activities. Our schools would be able to support sports, arts, and entertainment. I would make sure we have significant budget for stopping crime…in schools and community. I would budget for more staff to provide faster ambulance responses, so we could take care of injured people swiftly and save more lives.
In conclusion, as mayor I would do the best of my ability to solve community problems, and be someone people could always go to. Thank you Mayor Mark Senter for doing an outstanding job!
Mayor’s Essay
by David Bacon
If I were mayor, I would focus my priorities on improving the community by fixing our roads and sidewalks, improving the park facilities, and creating jobs. I feel these three priorities would help restore Plymouth.
Fixing our roads and sidewalks are important. There are many roads in Plymouth that are dangerous because drivers are trying to avoid hitting potholes. An example of this is Baker Street. It is heavily traveled during the mornings and mid-afternoon. I often see drivers swerve to miss potholes including school buses. This is dangerous because drivers are focusing on missing potholes instead of the children walking along the road.
Another area of focus is improving our park facilities. This would bring more public attractions to Plymouth with new sport leagues. The park has some nice baseball fields, but the girls’ softball field, basketball courts, junior league football, and C-League facilities need improvement. The Plymouth Junior Football League needs their own field. It’s not fair to be playing on the high school’s practice field with no scoreboard. I would try to improve and renew these fields.
Creating jobs in the most important priority. There are many Plymouth citizens that are unemployed and are having trouble supporting their family. If there was a way to start new businesses or get more jobs out, I would. I am lucky to have food and shelter, and I feel terrible when I see people that are not as lucky as I am. I want people to have the chance that I have been given.
If I were Mayor, I would…
by Brandt Bush
If I were mayor, I would try to make things easier for the people of Plymouth. I would start by expanding the state’s “road” budget and begin fixing the potholes in the roads and the cracks in the city sidewalks.
I would renovate public parks and provide them with new equipment. I would start a project to build homeless shelters and provide police people and fire people with more “high-tech” equipment.
Next, I would try so hard to give jobs to the unemployed people in our community. I would make school a number one priority, so that the kids of Plymouth would have a bright, educated future.
After that, I would try to get better homes for abused animals. I would talk to students about the importance of staying “drug-free,” and discuss with them the effects of shop-lifting and other things.
I would clean-up the town by telling everyone to stop polluting and to stop throwing garbage in the roads and fields. I would tell the kids to never throw away their dreams.
I I were mayor, I would be a mentor and tell the people of Plymouth to never let anyone else tell you who you are. That’s what I would do if I were mayor.
If I Were Mayor…
by Carter Sanderson
If I were mayor, I would make some important changes to our town, Plymouth. I will make our town more “green” and eco-friendly. Solar panels would be installed on the roofs of business buildings to make them self-sufficient, and we will have a volunteer clean-up crew to rid the streets and parks of litter. Windmills will be placed throughout the community, generating energy for street-side lights. Parks will also be re-landscaped and new sidewalks would be put in so people could walk safely. Together, we can contribute to our community.
If it were to cost $0.20 per watt, and every building used 1,000 watts, it would be $200 per building. There are about 300 businesses in Plymouth, so it would cost about $60,000. Although the cost seems high, it would surely reduce electricity prices. Our new volunteer clean-up crew would clean up the parks and streets, making people want to visit. The windmills would produce more than enough electricity for the street-side lights, and with the re-landscaped parks would be more attractive. Sidewalks would make walking in the streets and parks of our town safer, and more people would be inclined to walk, reducing pollution from cars.
Plymouth can become a thriving, eco-friendly, and safe town, but I can’t do it alone. I need your help and inspiration, and most of all, your opinion. Please consider the offer which I propose to our beautiful town of Plymouth, Indiana.
If I Were Mayor
by Destinee Hartwig
If I were mayor, I would try to do many things to try and help or make our community better. I would have a go green day every month where the community gets together to pick up trash around town. We would probably go to the park and plant new trees. I think that we should make an area of trees that cannot get cut down or you would get a fine.
I would make a big fenced in doggy park with toys, so dogs can be let of leashes at the park and meet other dogs. I would also make trash cans, doggy poop bags, and pooper scooper’s around the fence to stay clean. Don’t you think that is better rather than the dogs being cooped up all day on a chain? I think so. I know if I was a dog I would want to go to the park and play on a nice day.
I would try to have fundraisers to get money for new equipment for the parks and the schools. At Centennial Park some kids fall on the tires. They fall because they are broken. I would raise money for some new tires.
If I were mayor, I would make our community a better place to live. I want people to be able to come to Plymouth to have fun and not get bored and want to leave right away. That’s what I would do if I were mayor.
