Leetsdale council seeks 2 junior members
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Leetsdale teens who want a more hands-on opportunity to learn about local government can find one through the borough’s junior council program.
Candidates are being sought from high school juniors and seniors living in town to have a seat at the table and participate in meaningful discussions and projects. Students would serve throughout the school year.
Students do not have to be from Quaker Valley School District. However, they do have to be Leetsdale residents and in the aforementioned grade levels.
Junior council members cannot vote on borough business or participate in executive sessions, which are closed-door discussions routinely reserved for personnel matters and pending litigation.
There is no deadline to submit applications. However, council would like to appoint its youthful members in November.
“This position is open,” council president Maria Napolitano announced at a meeting Oct. 10. “We, as of right now, don’t have any applicants, but we are actively looking for students to join us.”
Junior council also involves a community service or research project.
Councilman Roger Nanni said he was not surprised by the lack of interest thus far this year but hopes things change.
“It’s hard to find one (student) to be active,” Nanni said.
Last school year’s junior council members were junior Reagan Fowler and senior Ryan James, both from Quaker Valley High School.
“Both attended council meetings, workshops, community focus groups and helped with events,” Napolitano said.
Reagan championed a historical marker project for his part of town.
Growing up on Washington Street in Leetsdale, about a block or so away from Kohlmeyer Community Park, the student spent several months researching what the neighborhood was like in the early 1900s.
His efforts resulted in a permanent marker honoring the community’s lost victory gardens.
Victory gardens, also called war gardens, were created at private residences and public parks during World War I and World War II. They were formed to help feed an expanded military and population during the international conflicts.
The marker was installed at Kohlmeyer Community Park. It was the closest greenspace they could get to the actual site, which is now an industrial park.
Ryan was a junior firefighter with Leetsdale Volunteer Fire Department. He completed a few training and certifications.
Ryan also completed a condensed Emergency Medical Technician class at the Center for Emergency Medicine, passed his National Registry EMT exam and participated in the high school’s mock crash exercise with other junior firefighters.
Napolitano said he also revamped the fire department’s website and integrated it with the borough’s website as part of his junior council efforts.
“Council is very proud of the accomplishments of our last year’s junior council representative, and is grateful for their work on behalf of our community,” Napolitano said.
This year’s junior council projects have yet to be determined.
“I think it’s very beneficial to have a junior council so we get a young perspective, and they learn local government early in life,” Mayor Sandra Ford said.
Students can submit letters of interest to the borough office, 373 Beaver St. They can also email Borough Secretary Jennifer Simek at simek@leetsdaleboro.net. More information about the junior council opportunity is available at leetsdaleboro.net.