More than 200 students submitted essays for the contest. Eddy and ToniRaquel said the sixth-grade teachers at Carbonaro required all students to submit a piece.

Eddy wrote that if he were mayor, he would continue to improve the parks and recreation centers, and would listen to the residents of Valley Stream. He said he would also thank everyone that makes the village great, from the workers to school board members to local business owners.

ToniRaquel wrote about her desire for more activities for Valley Stream’s children and teens. She wants a youth center that could host basketball and volleyball tournaments, dances and exercise programs.

Beyond that, ToniRaquel said she doesn’t know what she would change if she were the mayor. “I think everything’s awesome,” she said.

Eddy said he liked seeing how the village works and learning about what the mayor does, but he doesn’t think he would actually want to be the mayor. “You have a lot of problems to solve, a lot of challenges,” he said.

When he grows up, he wants to be a neurosurgeon. ToniRaquel wants to work for the FBI. She doesn’t think she would want to be the mayor either, noting how much paperwork is involved. However, she still planned on raving about her day to her jealous classmates when she returned to school on Monday.

Fare said he enjoyed spending the day with the two children. “It was very productive,” he said. “It just flew right by. There was so much to do and we still just scratched the surface.”

The purpose of Mayor for a Day, Fare said, is education and communication. He said he hopes that Eddy and ToniRaquel will share with their family and friends what the village does. Many people don’t realize just how many services are provided by local government, he explained.

“This was a very real day,” Fare said. “There were very real items going on. They got to see the practical end of it. These kids are going to talk about this for a long time.”