Maryland Municipal League Names 11 Fourth Grade Winners in Statewide 2013 ‘If I Were Mayor’ Essay Contest

Maryland Students Will be Honored by Lt. Governor Brown on May 14 at State House

Annapolis, Md. (April 25, 2013) — Eleven Maryland fourth graders have been selected as regional winners of the Maryland Municipal League’s 2013 “If I were Mayor, I would…” statewide essay contest.  The contest challenges fourth graders across Maryland to think like a mayor and share their vision for the future of their local municipal government. The district winners will be recognized by Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown, receive a Governor’s Citation, an award plaque and $100 cash in a private ceremony on Tuesday, May 14, at the Maryland State House.  Following the ceremony, the students along with their parents and teachers, will enjoy a boat ride on the Harbor Queen.

The 2013 winners are listed below, by school and municipality, with excerpts from their essays:

• Steven Bass, Hancock Elementary (Hancock)

“…we need more farms. So this way we would have more farmers so they can provide food locally to all the people in Hancock.” 

• Kiyia Johnson, Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School (Baltimore)

“…remodel schools…put in more street cameras. Then the streets will be safer for everybody.” Also… “…I would involve citizens by explaining to them why they would be doing things in the community.”

• Abbie Joyce, Tome School (North East)

“…set up a program where people can donate used household items and food, so people who need help can get some use out of them. This would help people who need it and get citizens more involved in the community.”

• Ella Keaton, Ridgely Elementary School (Ridgely)

“…I would do the best to make my town a better place…build more businesses…recycle the trash…have people come to the schools and help the kids out.”

• Madeline Oliver, The Banner School (Frederick)

“…encourage new businesses to come to my city. This is a good idea because it will bring in more people, bring in more tax money and create new jobs.”

• Ina Rill, Hampstead Elementary School (Hampstead)

“…build more parks and playgrounds…have a meeting in the town and convince everyone in the city to go so I could tell everyone about the changes once they were done.”

• Pedro Rolim, Pemberton Elementary (Salisbury)

“…bring more tourists to Salisbury…these initiatives would create new jobs for the city and create a better economy.”

• Caitlin Rosenberger, Cresaptown Elementary (Cumberland)

“…develop a committee comprised of local business representatives as well as representatives from the educational staff of our community…to obtain grants to increase the quality of education for our children.”

• Bianca Sanchez, St. Martin’s School (Gaithersburg)

“I would be supportive of all neighborhoods and communities in my city…put everybody’s problems and needs before mine, and I would make sure the people that need help get that before I added fun things into the community.”

• Amelia Talbot, Cardinal Hickey Academy (Chesapeake Beach)

“…start by proposing oyster beds in public parks on the Bay. The oysters would remove pollutants from the Bay…I would also propose an ordinance to control noise pollution.”

• Yomyra Villatoro, Hollywood Elementary (College Park)

“…make better transportation…have more sidewalks and streets that are safer to walk/ride bikes on, and more use of bikes instead of cars.”

Since 2001, MML’s “If I were Mayor, I would…” essay contest has challenged students to learn about municipal government through creatively sharing their thoughts on being a mayor.  Each 275-word essay had to open with the line 'If I were Mayor, I would...” and answer three questions based around the 2013 theme, “Vision for the Future.” The contest was open to any Maryland student enrolled in the fourth grade during the 2012-2013 school year. Each municipality decides if and how they would like to honor local participants.

“This contest challenges students to creatively share their thoughts on being mayor and engages them in civic duty from a young age, which is incredibly important as we look toward the future of our cities and towns,” said Scott A. Hancock, executive director of the Maryland Municipal League. “The contest’s theme, ‘Vision for the Future,’ empowers young students to dream big, make a difference and think about their city or town’s future from the perspective of a public servant.”

The contest was sponsored by the Maryland Municipal League, in partnership with the Maryland Mayors’ Association, Injured Worker’s Insurance Fund and Local Government Insurance Trust. Essays were judge based on: essay relation to contest topic; displayed knowledge about municipal government and the role of a mayor; creativity; and proper use of grammar. For more information, visit www.mdmunicipal.org/winners

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About The Maryland Municipal League:

Located at the Phipps Municipal Center in the state capital of Annapolis, The Maryland Municipal League (MML) was founded in 1936 and represents 157 municipal governments and two special taxing districts throughout the state of Maryland. A voluntary, non-profit, nonpartisan association controlled and maintained by city and town governments, MML works to strengthen and support municipal government through advocacy and the development of effective leadership. Through its membership in the National League of Cities MML offers legislative representation in Washington, urban research programs, and a national municipal government information exchange. MML is the only statewide organization in Maryland composed solely of municipal officials and devoted to the promotion of all branches of municipal administration.