A Message from the Mayor

Mayor’s Message

Through my activities as Mayor, I have the opportunity to connect with people all throughout Happy Valley. I listen to resident ideas and concerns and help make decisions that encourage our community’s success. One group I enjoy listening to most is our youth.

Students in Happy Valley have a long history of participating in the “If I Were Mayor” contest. This is a statewide program promoted by the Oregon Mayors Association. Depending on grade level, students create posters, write essays, or submit multimedia projects detailing what they would do if they were mayor. Not only is this an opportunity to help educate our youth in local government and the responsibilities of the mayor, but it provides an avenue for the City Council to learn more about what our youth deem important.

As always, I was blown away by the ideas from these kids. Please join me in congratulating the winners, Adriana Draskovic and Lauren Puerta. If she were the Mayor, Adriana would find ways to bring people together with a community center focused on a variety of recreational activities. Her poster serves as a visual for how nature and community go hand in hand. In her essay, Lauren said she would focus on strengthening inclusivity and encouraging more acceptance amongst community members through meaningful services and programs geared toward students.

Our youth are filled with hope and positive energy, and their desire to help others is a good reminder to myself to stay focused on days when there is conflict or frustration. I am excited to see what paths these students take as they continue to learn and grow. I know they will be doing some great things.

I want to thank all the other students who participated. It was tough to pick winning submissions. To learn more about the “If I Were Mayor” contest, be sure to check out next month’s issue of the Happy Valley News as we celebrate our local winners.