Rockville Fourth-Graders to Share Duties as ‘Mayor for a Day’

If she were mayor, Allie Coffey would start school recycling clubs that earn rewards from local businesses for their efforts. If he were mayor, William Stewart would hold an annual festival for kids and parents to learn about all the fun and educational things to do in Rockville.

These two creative fourth-graders will get a shot at sharing their ideas with Rockville’s Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton when they act as “Mayor for a Day” together on Thursday, May 22.

William, who attends St. Raphael School, and Allie, a student at Ritchie Park Elementary School, were semi-finalists of the Howard/Montgomery county district “If I Were Mayor” essay contest this spring, and as a result were named as Rockville’s mayors for a day. The statewide contest is sponsored by the Maryland Municipal League (MML) and the Maryland Mayors’ Association (MMA).

On their day as mayor, the two young essayists will tour the Rockville Police Department and Croydon Creek Nature Center, attend the City’s Equipment Show featuring the big trucks and machines of the Public Works Department and have lunch with Mayor Newton.

The theme for this year’s “If I Were Mayor” contest was “Engaging My Community.”

In his essay, William wrote that his “Kids Rock Festival” would give kids a chance to make new friends, sign up for a variety of activities like camps and classes, and share their ideas about what they want and like with the mayor.

In her essay, Allie described recycling clubs that would look for ways to recycle more than just paper, plastic and bottles. “This project is important to me because I wish to have a beautiful world,” she wrote. “And I wish for following generations to have the same beautiful world as I do.”

In addition to spending a day as mayor, William and Allie will participate in Rockville’s 70th Annual Memorial Day Parade at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 26 and be recognized at the June 2 Mayor and Council meeting at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave.

About Staff Writer

View all posts by Staff Writer