Robert Sica, a sixth grader at Wilmington Middle School, read his winning essay about best practices in municipal management during the MMA Annual Meeting on Jan. 20 in Boston.

“I would make sure we have a strong, well-balanced and always-ready emergency team to assist our community in time of crisis,” he said, showing impressive composure in front of nearly 300 local officials. “I would review the request of our community and then talk with the team to hear their ideas.”

Natick Selectman Joshua Ostroff, in one of his final duties as the president of the MMA, presented Sica with a certificate of achievement and a $500 savings bond for his first-place finish in the MMA’s sixth annual sixth-grade essay contest. Sica and his family also won a complimentary overnight stay from the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

Cam Neely, who also spoke at the dinner event, signed Bruins memorabilia for Sica and his younger brother, Thomas.

Sica’s essay was chosen from nearly 1,300 entries in the statewide contest, which had 100 participating communities. The student essays covered a range of local issues, including healthy living, improved recreational services, green energy, wildlife protection, enhanced public safety, and new technology.

Sherborn Selectman Paul DeRensis, one of four essay contest judges, was impressed with the quality and creativity of the essays.

“Everyone who took the time to prepare for and write an essay should be commended,” he said. “I saw many good ideas, stated with enthusiasm, and I could see that a lot of work went into writing these, making the selection of winners very difficult.”

The contest was also judged by Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke; Dina Siegal, deputy director of the Boston Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; and Westborough Assistant Town Manager Kristi Williams.

“It’s always interesting, and sometimes eye-opening, to find out what the youth of our Commonwealth want to see happen in their communities,” Hawke said. “They expressed numerous great ideas.”

Judging criteria were creativity, clarity, proper use of 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 Great Barrington’s Katherine Sheridan, a student at the Monument Valley Regional School District. Sheridan will receive a $250 savings bond.

The third-place finisher, Celia Child from the Leverett Elementary School, will receive a $200 savings bond.

Sheridan and Child will receive their awards in ceremonies in their respective town hall.

The essay contest is made possible through the support of the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association.

Winning Student Essays

First Place: Robert Sica
Wilmington Middle School, Wilmington

If I were elected leader of my community, I would make a difference by helping the residents with the hope it would become a better place to live.

I would first review the major roads and bridges, including checking their structure so they are safe for the residents to drive on. I would repair any roads and bridges needing repair while doing my best to stay on a town-friendly budget. Safety on our roads and bridges may prevent additional accidents caused by bridge collapses or roads giving way.

Secondly, I would make sure we have a strong, well-balanced and always-ready emergency team to assist our community in time of crisis. I would review the request of our community and then talk with the team to hear their ideas. This would allow me to take everyone’s thoughts into consideration. Then, I would be able to decide what issues to address first that are budget-friendly. I would get to know the emergency crew well and assist them if they needed it so they can focus on assisting others when needed. I would also review the emergency vehicles they use for safety and if they needed to be replaced I could find vehicles that are safer and cost-effective.

Finally, I would make sure we have a solid foundation for the future leadership and generations. I would make sure that we have a system of record that would easily inform future leadership and the generations what we did as a community, including what worked and what didn’t work. I would make sure that the system of record is safely stored and categorized electronically.

I would do my best not to raise taxes, but unfortunately prices continue to rise and so does the need to pay for additional costs. I would do my best to keep costs tight and save money where I could.

Second Place: Katherine Sheridan
Monument Valley Regional School District, Great Barrington

If I were elected leader of my community, I would make a difference by talking to as many citizens as I could and getting their opinion on how our community could become a better place. One way this could happen is if we had a pleasurable large park where the old fairground used to be. This park would have an open space for the town to use at its own advantage. There would be picnic tables, green areas, a playground, soccer fields, and a charming, big gazebo and stunning gardens. The gardens would be full of color-bursting flowers, radiant vegetables, and endless orchards. As a town I believe we could all help out by tending the gardens.

Another thing we could do to make this town more appealing is to have more parking. Business-wise this will attract more tourists and citizens. While driving, people will look into store windows and find something astonishing that they must have; they reach for their purse or wallet and go to turn, but then realize there’s no parking. Tons of people these days are lazy and won’t walk a block to go back to the store to buy the item they had to have. If we had more parking, we’d get more money to fund the town in taxes.

One thing that has always bugged young adults is the fact that every single decision a town makes is governed by adults. Adults never ever ask younger people what they think is right. I’m well aware that every person in the USA needs to be 18 years of age or older to be able to vote. We could have a “Children Council” where young adults could have a say in our town government. We have fresh ideas, new knowledge, and a respect for our community. We are the next generation and we are here to help.

Third Place: Celia Child
Leverett Elementary School, Leverett

If I were elected leader of my community, I would make a difference by creating a town common. The common would have picnic tables and a small playground so both parents and kids could enjoy themselves. Hadley is a small town with lots of open and productive farmland, but there’s no identifiable place for people to meet and hang out.

A town common could benefit our community by being a fun place to interact. Parents could get a few moments of relaxation while their kids play and make friends. It would be easier to have community events. Friends wouldn’t have to drive all the way to each other’s houses; they could gather at the common instead of traveling across town.

Having a town common would mean less traffic because it would be easily accessible by means of public transportation. With less cars racing down the streets, it would be safer for a family to ride bikes and get more exercise. Citizens would be happy to find that they could save money from not buying so much gas.

If Hadley had a town common, parents could let their children run around free in an environment that they feel is safe for their children. Parents wouldn’t be so stressed and would have more time to play with their kids because their children would be playing at the common instead of bugging them so they can get their work done early. Most importantly, kids would have yet another reason to get away from the TV.

To go about doing this, I would apply for a grant and make a proposal saying that I wanted to have a town common. I would bring my idea up at Town Meeting for the community to vote on. Finally, I would form a committee to oversee the project. I believe having a town common would make Hadley a better place to live.

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