Whiting Celebrates Municipal Government Week

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Whiting celebrated Municipal Government Week(May 14-18) with a wide variety of activities that familiarized students with local officials and current events. “If I were the Mayor” essay contestants from Whiting Middle School’s 6th grade class visited with Mayor Joe Stahura on Monday. The seven participating students indicated that, if elected Mayor, they would focus on public safety, economic development and streetscape beautification. Vaytta Arroyo, who was awarded a gift certificate for her winning essay, noted that she would like to make “our community a cleaner, safer and appealing place to live.” Each of the students received a certificate of accomplishment recognizing their participation in the contest. Ms. Denise Buck’s kindergarten class visited City Hall on Tuesday. Twenty-two children toured the building, had pictures taken in the Mayor’s chair, learned about what various city departments do, and enjoyed reading a story with Mayor Stahura. A lively question-and-answer session focused on duties the Mayor’s job included. On Thursday, Whiting High School students from Mr. Don Adkins’ social studies courses met with Community Development Director Brian Lowry. Lowry talked about the value and importance of civic engagement, provided updates on current projects around the city, and fielded questions about the process of municipal governance. Municipal Government Week events concluded Friday with community service projects performed by junior high school students. Mr. Alex Evon led his 7th graders in a clean-up of Standard Diamonds Park while Ms. Jane Laurincik’s 6th grade class swept Whihala Beach clean of debris and trash. Municipal Government Week is celebrated every may by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.