April 10, 2013

Watford third grader is city’s “Mayor for a Day”

By Kate Ruggles
Farmer Staff Writer

Being the mayor of Watford City is not easy for many reasons. But perhaps the job would be easier without the constraints of adult life and adult rules. And if, instead, the job could be viewed through the eyes of a child.
It is this very thought that makes Watford City’s annual third grade essay contest, ‘Mayor for a Day,’ so exciting. And though many of the city’s third graders expressed what they would do if they were to be the Mayor of Watford City, only one student, eight-year-old Raven Reeves, was chosen as Watford City’s honorary ‘Mayor for a Day.’
Reeves mother, Tammy, states that Reeves discussed the essay with her.
“We talked about what the mayor does and I told her that the mayor looks out for the town,” states Tammy. “But when it came time to write the essay, I asked her if she wanted help and she said that she knew what she wanted to say.”
A few days after that conversation, Reeves excitedly brought home the news that her essay was the winning essay.
“She was so excited and so proud,” states Tammy.
Not only that, but she is the second of Tammy’s children to become ‘Mayor for a Day.’ The first one was Reeves’ older brother, Jared, who is now a seventh grader at Watford City High School.
“It was fun,” states Reeves, who not only enjoyed following in her brother’s footsteps, but all the duties that came with the title she earned.
Reeves’ day as ‘Mayor of Watford City’ started with an escorted ride to school by the Watford City Chief of Police.
As part of her mayoral duties, she was given the opportunity to read her essay that describes what she would do as the Mayor of Watford City.
“I would go to the Good Shepherd Home and play with the residents, I would make more restaurants because our restaurants are always so crowded, I would plant more trees and bushes, and I would invite the police, firemen and ambulance crew to a party because they are always there for us,” states Reeves.
It was these ideas that won her the contest and allowed her to call the meeting to order and bang the gavel at last week’s city council meeting. She also, after reading her essay to her classmates, read it to the group of adults present at the meeting. And according to actual Watford City Mayor Brent Sanford, she did a great job.
“Raven wrote such a heartfelt letter and hit the nail on the head with our community needs,” states Sanford. “Cleaning up the streets and garbage, recognizing our ambulance drivers and firemen, and visiting the elderly.”
Sanford states that this was his third time taking part in the ‘Mayor for a Day’ Contest and it is always fun to see not only the student’s enthusiasm, but the awareness that all the students who participate show in what their city government does for them and their community.
 

WATFORD CITY WEATHER