By Amy Batista, Special Writer
Some young adults will be spending their summer vacation working for the city.
Mayor Joseph Malone said at the commissioner meeting on July 14 that the second annual youth work program would start on July 15.
”The real purpose for this is to give kids three things — community pride, a little bit of work skills and work ethic and the other is so they can make some money,” Mayor Malone said.
There are a total of 40 participants in the program this year, he said.
”It’s a little larger than it was last year,” he said.
Participants receive a yellow shirt and a hat to wear to work. Mayor Malone said they would be doing the same type of work they did last year.
”They will be doing a whole host of things,” he said, including painting curbs and fire hydrants, landscaping, working with the senior citizens, and more.
Participants work three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, for the next four to five weeks and receive minimum wage.
”It’s just a good experience,” the mayor said.
The program gets financial support from the Rotary and other resources but half of it is paid for by the city, which budgets $15,000 including a Clean Communities grant to help pay for the costs.
”It’s about giving the kids an opportunity to be a part of the community,” Mayor Malone said. “If you have kids and they fix something up, they get seriously annoyed when they see someone or their friends tear things up.”
This year, the city has teamed up with local businesses and organizations to help make the experience more than just work.
”We are going to have the bank come in and do a little seminar on banking,” the mayor said. “The kids are going to have a rotation in working in the office at City Hall with the ladies. We’ve talked to public service about bringing their truck that shows about electricity and what not to do so if you have a bunch of wires down. So we make it a work program, an educational experience and a community involvement.”
Adults including Mayor Malone, Commissioner Zigmont Targonski, Sally Miller, Carol Hill, and some city employees supervise the workers.
Some of the supervisors met with the young adults and their parents last Tuesday.
”We had a good talking with the kids regarding their conduct and their demeanor,” he said.
The mayor said the participants are a good bunch of kids.
”If you don’t have faith in the kids then it’s not worth being in office,” he said. “These kids have shown they have everything we want.”
