Brooklyn Avenue kids become mayors

Two Brooklyn Avenue sixth-graders had the chance to play mayor on Feb. 19 for the Village of Valley Stream’s annual Mayor for a Day.

Sara Sierzega and Gary Quispe won the opportunity out of dozens of Valley Stream students through an essay contest. Sierzega wrote about the various programs in the village, and said that she would make a good mayor “because I am committed to helping the community and volunteering my time to help others.” Quispe also wrote about how Mayor Ed Fare tries to improve residents’ quality of life and to keep the village safe. “I am very thankful for all that our mayor has done for our community,” Quispe wrote.

As a reward for their essays, the two sixth-graders had the opportunity to tour Village Hall, see how trucks are weighed at Arlington Yard, fill their own potholes, visit the new courthouse on Rockaway Avenue, see how the pool and playground are maintained and meet with the Silver Threads.

Sierzega said she enjoyed “all of” the tour and in particular liked filling the potholes and visiting the greenhouse at the pool complex. She also said that being mayor would take a lot of hard work.

Quispe said his favorite part of the day was the construction depot and also filling the potholes. He also said he was not sure if he would want to be mayor in the future, but would want to become a technology engineer who plays soccer.