City of Waynesboro awards contest winner

Mayor George DeLoach, right, presents essay contest winner Dalton Smith with a plaque. Staff - Elizabeth Billips

The City of Waynesboro's annual "If I Were Mayor" essay contest provides local sixth graders a chance to tell city officials what Waynesboro would be like if they were elected mayor. The top four competitors received prizes and were honored by Mayor George DeLoach and council members at a special city council meeting Monday. All week, city officials will be hosting events in celebration of Georgia Cities Week.

2nd Place: Colby Gandy, EBA

3rd Place: Stephanie Cucci, Burke County Middle School

Honorable Mention: Sammie Jo Evans, EBA

UPCOMING EVENTS: Through Thursday: Open House at city hall, tours of fire and police departments by appointment

Ongoing: "Revealing Our History's Mysteries" photo exhibit in storefronts of the Neely Building and Anthony Wayne Hotel Thursday, April 24 3-5 p.m.: "I Partied DOWNtown with the Mayor": free snow cones and popcorn for kids of all ages and "Draw the Mayor" sidewalk chalk contest in Good Day Café parking lot. Sponsored by DOOR.

Friday, April 25 10:00a.m.: Arbor Day tree plantings at City Park Noon -2:00 p.m.: Hotdogs at the Park: free picnic for all residents

WINNING ESSAY

If I Were Mayor ….

By Dalton Smith
Edmund Burke Academy

If I were mayor, I would work to improve the city in the following ways. I would try to decrease the number of gangs and gang activity by giving the police department better equipment. I would also try to raise money to restore Waynesboro's history. The third thing I would do is increase the number of parks and playgrounds. I would also building walking tracks and biking tracks around our current city park.

I would try to decrease the amount of gang activity because people don't want to live in a city or move to a city that has a lot of gangs. People want to live in a city where they feel safe and secure. I would reduce gang activity by supplying the police department with better and more hightech equipment. That would help police better perform their jobs. It would also help protect them more when they were on the job. My hopes would be that these steps would also help reduce the amount of illegal drugs in my community.

I would try to restore Waynesboro's history because there is so much important history that occurred in Waynesboro. There is history all the way from Indian-made arrowheads to an important battle in the Civil War. The battle from the Civil War was called the Battle of Waynesborough. I would apply for grants for the museum in Waynesboro to develop programs to educate people about the interesting things that went on in the "olden days of Waynesboro."

I would try to build more parks and playgrounds because people want to be in a child-friendly environment. I also think that building parks and playgrounds is a smart and constructive way to spend money. People from all age groups would benefit. If there were walking tracks and bike tracks around the parks and playgrounds, then parents could go to the park and get their exercise while watching their children play. Parents would save money by not having to hire a babysitter, and they would be spending more quality time with their children.

Now, I have told you what I would do if I were mayor. The ideas I have shared are just a few of the many things that could be done to enrich our great city. If I were mayor, I would take my job very seriously because my decisions would affect the daily lives of many people. Lowering gang activity, restoring Waynesboro's history and building parks and playgrounds with walking and biking tracks are just a few of the things I think would help a community like mine.