Mayor for a day winner tours Grand Island

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - The City of Grand Island awarded several middle schoolers for their essays on how they would improve the city in May.

On Tuesday, 13-year-old Saybel Raez Almaguer, the winner of the contest, toured several agencies within the city.

Saybel’s day start out at the Grand Island Fire Department station one. While there, he rode in one of the fire trucks and went up in a ladder truck. Saybel said that was cool, even if it was a little scary.

The mayors headed down South Locust Street to the Platte Generating Station where Saybel learned about the process of getting electricity to residents.

Saybel said the day put into perspective how much work goes into making the city run smoothly.

“It was a nice experience to get information about how being a mayor is and how the works are here,” Saybel said.

Saybel said his winning essay had a simple message written in it.

“To give all the resources they need to firemen, police, and all the people who are our daily heroes, so they have everything they need to save our life every day,” Saybel said.

Mayor Roger Steele said he likes the idea of showing kids all the city does for them.

“City government delivers so many services to children and families all across the city with our parks, with our firefighters, with our police,” Steele said. “So it’s good for them to see what great people we have to work for the city.”

Saybel also got to visit the police station, and Mayor Steele said he would like to have this contest and give this experience to a kid every year.

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