Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Colin Dale, a sixth grader at Hingham Middle School, told more than 400 local officials about his idea to improve waterfront access in Hingham during the MMA Annual Meeting on Jan. 22 in Boston.
“Making the waterfront more accessible and possibly more family-friendly will be beneficial to Hingham residents,” said Dale, reading, with remarkable poise, from his winning essay in the MMA’s fourth annual sixth grade student essay contest.
Franklin Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting, in one of his final duties as the president of the MMA, presented Dale with a certificate of achievement and a $300 savings bond. Dale and his family also won a complimentary one-night stay from the Sheraton Boston Hotel.
Dale’s essay was chosen from more than 2,200 entries in the statewide contest. The student essays covered a range of local issues, including recycling, energy, community gardening, cultural awareness, civic engagement, youth programs and healthy living.
“I was impressed with the variety of thoughts expressed,” said Stow Selectman Ellen Sturgis, one of three essay contest judges. “We also were very impressed with the quality of writing.
“It was clear that the students understood the need to balance the needs of the entire community, including a variety of economic issues, while also acknowledging that there are non-monetary factors that make up a community.”
The contest was also judged by Danvers Assistant Town Administrator Diane Norris and Quincy Councillor Doug Gutro.
Judging criteria were creativity, clarity, proper grammar, and an understanding of local government. All of the student essays began with the line: “If I were elected leader of my community I would make a difference by …”
Second place in the contest went to Reilly McNamara, a student at the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield. She will receive a $150 savings bond.
The third place finisher, Wilmington Middle School student Cameron Yuen, will receive a $100 savings bond.
McNamara and Yuen will receive their awards in ceremonies at their respective town halls.
“Narrowing down to the top three was extremely difficult,” Sturgis said. “Our three top finalists all demonstrated a real understanding of current issues facing our communities.”
All 2,200 students received a small participation gift, and every participating teacher was entered into a drawing for a special gift.
First place: Colin Dale, Hingham
If I were elected leader of my community I would make a difference by improving waterfront access in Hingham, Massachusetts. Hingham is a beautiful town located on the water, yet few people are able to access the public waterfront. The waterfront access we have is located adjacent to Route 3A and for that reason very few people even attempt to visit and thoroughly enjoy the beach and the large waterfront park.
I feel that making the waterfront more accessible and possibly more family-friendly would be beneficial to Hingham residents. I envision a beautiful summer day in Hingham where Hingham town members of all ages would be enjoying the day in a safe but fun manner.
I would fix this problem by proposing specific changes to the waterfront area. Installing pedestrian bridges over 3A would make people feel more comfortable about getting to the water. Also, if these bridges were placed near popular Hingham restaurants such as Stars, their businesses would likely improve. The bridges would end at the grassy beach park so pedestrians wouldn’t have to cross the dangerous road. On 3A, traffic lights are scarce. To slow traffic, I would suggest adding more traffic lights to force cars to stop more frequently, thus decreasing the risk of a child getting hit by a car.
In order to make the waterfront park safe for children, I would propose fencing the perimeter with attractive fencing. This would make the area look more kid- and family-friendly to passing drivers and occupants of the beach. To sustain a fun atmosphere for all, I would suggest playground(s) and possibly an ice cream stand or volleyball net to create fun 12 months a year.
Of course all of these proposals need to be funded and voted on by the generous and kind town of Hingham. I would propose these requests to be on the April Town Meeting warrant.
Second place: Reilly McNamara, Wakefield
If I were elected leader of my community, I would make a difference by convincing my colleagues on the board of selectman to create a centralized town recycling facility. This facility could be located in a vacant mill building or a closed-down school building. This would benefit the community by reducing the amount of trash and hazardous materials that make their way to the local landfill. Another benefit to the community would be that the recycling facility will create much needed jobs for residents in the community.
As a community leader, I would propose to establish a centralized recycling facility at the Town Meeting. I would speak to the selectmen about the value and benefits the town will gain from the creation of the recycling facility. A major benefit of the recycling facility would be a reduction in the amount of trash and dangerous items that make their way to the local landfill. This reduction would help reduce the land needed for containing this waste and help to protect humans and wildlife from exposure to the hazardous materials. This initiative, if successful, will enable Wakefield to be known as a leader in becoming a “green” community.
The creation of the town recycling facility will have another benefit to the community. The creation of these jobs will have a positive effect on the local economy. The workers at the recycling facility will earn wages and have money to support their family and local businesses.
My hope for the future is that the recycling facility will be a model of success and will lead to other communities establishing similar recycling facilities. Any initiative that reduces trash and hazardous materials from entering the environment is a good thing. This will establish Wakefield’s reputation as a clean and “green” community to live in.
Third place: Cameron Yuen, Wilmington
If I were elected leader of my community, I would make a difference by having a cultural awareness month featuring different events to bring people together in order to have a better understanding of one another. This month would be dedicated to teaching people in the community about the similarities and differences in cultures. If there is more understanding, people will get along better.
You can learn about cultures from books, but you can also learn a lot by meeting different people in the community. Monthly cooking demonstrations can teach people how to cook food from different cultures. Everyone likes to eat, so maybe this is a good way to start. People can ask questions, meet people of different cultures and learn how they do other things. They could discover that they do things in the same way. They might learn a new technique for doing similar things.
Sporting events are another way to teach cultural awareness. As a leader, I would organize a week-long sporting event where each sport played would represent a different country. Everyone in the community can participate. It will bring people of different cultures together and everyone will have fun. This idea is similar to the Olympics.
A cultural parade is another way to show cultural awareness. Floats can represent things from various countries such as clothing and music. During the parade we could have ethnic food stands. People in the community can taste food from different cultures.
Cultural awareness is how people will learn to get along in our community and in our world. They may want to learn a new language. Learning about cultures will benefit us when traveling to places for vacation or traveling to places for business trips. The more cultural awareness we have, the more prepared we will be in an ever-changing world.
