Lakewood Elementary Fourth-Grader to Be 'Mayor for a Day'

From the City of Rockville: If she were mayor, Samhitha Maramreddy would design a community center to serve all community members, with special features for people with disabilities.

Samhitha, a fourth-grader in Adria Johnson's class at Lakewood Elementary School in Rockville, will get to see what it's like to be mayor when she serves as the city's honorary "Mayor for a Day" on Thursday, May 25. She earned the honor after her essay was selected as a winner in the "If I Were Mayor" statewide essay contest sponsored by the Maryland Municipal League (MML) and the Maryland Mayors' Association (MMA).

On her day as mayor, Samhitha will tour the Rockville City Police Department and Croydon Creek Nature Center, attend the city's Department of Public Works Equipment Show and have lunch with Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton. Members of the media are invited to interview and photograph the "mini-mayor" at work on May 25. To arrange to do so, call Director of Communication Marylou Berg at 240-314-8105.

Samhitha's essay was selected as the top essay in the Howard/Montgomery County district and one of 11 statewide winners selected from over 2,100 entries. Each statewide winner receives $100 cash, a governor's citation and a boat cruise of Annapolis, where they are honored at a ceremony at the State House.

The essay contest asked students to design a community center that anyone in their town could use. Samihitha's community center would be free to use and would offer after-school programs, including sports, chess, arts and crafts, music, and science programs. "Part of the library would have braille and audio books so people with disabilities can get both education and entertainment," she wrote. "There will also be special games for them to interact with others."

In addition to her day as mayor, Samhitha and three contest semifinalists will be recognized at the Mayor and Council meeting that begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 22. She also will participate in Rockville's 73rd Annual Memorial Day Parade at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 29.

For more information on the "If I Were Mayor" contest, visit MML's website at www.mdmunicipal.org or call the City Clerk's Office at 240-314-8280.

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