by Newberg Mayor Bob Andrews

In collaboration with the Oregon Mayors Association, Mayor Russ of Dundee and I (Mayor Bob Andrews of Newberg) co-hosted this year’s annual "If I Were Mayor, I Would..." student contest. This contest allows students to share their creative ideas about what a mayor could/should do. We selected a first, second and third place winner in each categories; each of the local winners received a cash award to purchase a U.S. Saving Bond. The first place local winners are entered into the state contest for a chance to win an iPad Air. 

The three categories comprise of:

Elementary School Poster (grades 4-5),
Middle School (grades 6-8) Essay, and
High School (grades 9-12) Digital Media Presentation (e.g., video, PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.)

We received 45 entries from four Newberg Public Schools and one private school. In selecting the winners, the judges, the two mayors and three citizens at-large, considered the following: the creativity, the clarity/sincerity of thought, proper use of grammar, and subject relevancy.

The local winners are:

Abby Bingham, First Place Essay Mountain View Middle School $100 = $200 US Savings Bond
Claire Faucher, First Place Poster Mabel Rush Elementary School $50.00 = $100 US Savings Bond
Mya Stigall, Second Place Poster Mabel Rush Elementary School - $37.50 = $75 US Savings Bond
Emily Negra, Third Place Poster Dundee Elementary School - $25.00 = $50 US Savings Bond.

Congratulations to all of our student participants! And with the First Place Winners Abby Bingham and Claire Faucher they will advance to the statewide competition. Good luck to these two students.
 
These young students had varying ideas or concerns that could/should be addressed. For example:

They were concerned with the condition of our streets conditions, 
Location of the sewer plant in proximity to the schools, 
Other concerns included homelessness and poverty; 
A belief that a mayor should be visible in the community.On the lighter side, they would work for more recreation location for kids, including a bowling alley, playgrounds and a Lego Store. They also suggested less homework and no homework on weekends.  

The mayors will visit all of the participating classrooms with a special thank you gifts for all students who entered the contest, Abby Bingham,Claire Faucher, Mya Stigall and Emily Negra.