Friday, Nov. 14, 2008

Young Mayor for a Day Has 'Got It Down"

By Scott Price

Staff Writer

Colleyville’s winner of the Mayor for a Day Essay Contest took her job very seriously at last week’s City Council meeting.

During the workshop before the regular Council meeting, 11-year-old Lauren Gregory had many questions and some suggestions for city officials. With no prompting, she informed officials that she preferred the white stone option for the monument signs now being considered at Colleyville entry points.

Lauren said she was concerned about why there were no sidewalks on some streets on the route from her home to O.C. Taylor Elementary School, located at 5300 Pool Road, where she is a fourth-grader.

Stephanie Alsbrooks, Lauren’s mom, said she won’t let Lauren ride her bike to school because of no sidewalks.

In her winning essay, Lauren wrote, "My next idea is to build sidewalks for every road because cars wouldn’t have to look out for bikers. The kids would get to walk and the joggers would have a sidewalk .... It wouldn’t be that expensive to put sidewalks down," she said.

Lauren was sworn in as Mayor for a Day by Colleyville City Secretary Cynthia Singleton. She received a plaque, and some gifts from Colleyville Mayor David Kelly, and helped Kelly make some presentations. After that, Lauren waved at her family members and several friends in attendance, then turned and skipped up to the dais to begin her duties helping Kelly preside over the meeting.

Lauren used the gavel to open and close each item on the agenda, as she read each item aloud.

Lauren was Colleyville’s fourth Mayor for a Day in the annual program initiated in 2005 by Kelly not long after he was elected. He said he wants to encourage children to learn about government and get involved in their community. Lauren moved from Weatherford to Colleyville in early September with her mother, Stephanie, and step-father, Robert Alsbrooks.

"She felt like she could make a difference today," Stephanie said at the council meeting.

Fort Worth resident Beau Gregory, Lauren’s father, said that his daughter likes living in Colleyville and attending O.C. Taylor Elementary. He said she thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with Mayor Kelly and touring city facilities.

"What a great opportunity for them to experience the governmental process and see how government works," Beau stated.

Her step-father, Robert, asked Lauren after the council meeting if she had adjusted to being the city’s mayor.

"I’ve already got it down," she said, with a big smile.