Williston Park’s Board of Trustees was temporarily replaced Saturday morning when fourth-graders took control of the village’s monthly meeting.
The annual “village officials for a day” meeting brought fourth-grade students from Center Street School, Jackson Avenue School and St. Aidan School to political prominence.
The six acting members of the board were chosen from hundreds of students at the three schools based on an essay competition. This year’s essay prompt was “Why Williston Park is a nice place to visit and a better place to live.”
The actual village board chose the best essays and chose a group of finalists, whose names were then picked out of a hat to determine what position they would assume.
Following brief introductions, the acting board conducted business as usual.
St. Aidan’s Church hosted a gala at Jericho Terrace which received great turnout despite the inclement weather last Thursday, acting Mayor Emma Flood said.
The village’s annual tree lighting will take place Sunday, Dec. 2, in front of Village Hall. There will be caroling, treats and a visit from Santa Claus, Emma said.
Construction of the village’s new water tower is in full swing and scheduled to be operational by June 1 of next year, she said. A public hearing will be held Dec. 10 to set new water rates based on the costs of the replacement tower.
Emma also warned village residents to remove their cars from streets when a snow emergency is declared for accumulation of more than two inches, or they’ll face a fine of $150.
Superintendent of Public Works Keith Bunnell reinforced her sentiments about parking during predicted snowfall in his report.
“There were cars everywhere,” he said. “Luckily Mayor Flood didn’t authorize a snow emergency, because a lot of people would’ve been in trouble.”
The village’s fifth annual 5K Family Fun Run and Walk will take place on Saturday, rain or shine, at Kelleher Field starting at a.m., acting Deputy Mayor Brianna Griffith said. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
Village Justice Kevin Kiley heard a total of 138 cases in October and collected fines totaling $10,238, Acting Trustee Christopher Tercynski said, sitting leisurely in Trustee Billy Carr’s seat. Carr was unable to attend the meeting, but members of the board remarked at how confidently Christopher spoke.
The six students chosen to sit on the acting board were Flood, Griffith, Tercynski, Susan Molloy, Adyson Laffey and Antonio Santos.
After the meeting, the acting board members stepped down from their positions and joined the trustees and families for cookies and refreshments.
