Winners

Details: Published: May 01, 2015

First Place

Mason Shockley
Mountaineer Middle School

How does my County Commissioner Make Life Better for me? One day, I was sitting on my front porch when a Cheat Lake fire truck went speeding by with its sirens blaring. From previous knowledge, I knew the Cheat Lake Fire Department was a non-municipal volunteer fire department. That was when I started wondering, who funds these lire departments? Another day. my family and I were at Chestnut Ridge Park sledding through the sparkling snow. Every direction I surveyed, the beautiful park was well maintained. That was when I started thinking, who is responsible for providing these services?

After some research, I learned that the Monongalia County Commission is responsible for these services. I was amazed to see the far reaching impact that the County Commission has on my everyday life. Other than providing fire protection and recreation, the County Commission provides for my safety through funding to the sheriffs department. Since I live outside a municipality, my house is not protected by a city police force. Instead, the sheriff's department is responsible for patrolling the area that I live. Without funding provided by the County Commission, the Sheriff would not have the deputies or resources needed to do this.

The County Commission is not limited to funding the Sheriffs Department, but includes providing the resources for the administration of the courthouse and prosecuting attorney. Without the County Commission, these important departments and positions could not function properly to ensure the citizen's safety. The County Commission also has jurisdictions over wills, allowing citizens to know that their estates will be properly administered upon their deaths. Additionally, the County Commission also implements ordinances for the county. Many laws that have been passed benefit the citizens of Monongalia County greatly. For example, the ordinance that prohibited smoking in county owned and operated properties helped discourage smoking and protect nonsmokers from second hand smoke. These helpful ordinances make Monongalia County a remarkable place to live, allowing it to be one of the fastest growing counties in the state.

In conclusion, the County Commission only consist of three members, but their work impacts daily life and helps create a great county to live in. Their schedules stretch on and their work never stops, which is why citizens should become more aware of the County Commission. A wide variety of skills is needed to be successful as a Commissioner. Planning the budget, maintaining parks, putting ordinances into operation, and funding different organizations are just some of the duties the County Commissioners are responsible for controlling. They work very hard for this county and citizens should too. This is what the County Commission does for me and for you.

Second Place

Nick Kirchoff

The County Commission is responsible for many things that impact the citizens of West Virginia. Some of these include managing the tax payer's money, handing the funding for the fire and sheriff's department, ensuring that standards are met in our courthouse buildings, and implementing measures that provide the best experiences for the community to enjoy our parks and recreation areas. To me, as a teenager growing up in Morgantown, two of the most important things that the County Commission provides are the management of the funding of our 911 System and the supervision of resources for our parks and recreation.

The County Commission helps implement the resources for our first responders to protect us. As I grow up in a single parent home, I am grateful that I have the ability to call 911 if something should happen to my mother. This is crucial to the safety and well-being of not only my family but the citizens of WV. Sometimes a person may take this for granted, but. I realize that this is a valuable resource in place in order to save lives. It is also the County Commission's position to ensure that members of the Sheriff's department are provided with adequate income to be able to support their families so that they can remain in their positions and help our community. Today's world is unfortunately filled with crime and misconduct and a person never really knows what will happen next. Daily reports in the newspaper and television reveal the arrests of drug users and other acts of wrongdoing. I look to our first responders to protect us from these issues, but the County Commission is the unseen personnel that are the backbone of our protection. Managing all of the resources to protect the public is an enormous responsibility, and I am appreciative of the County Commissioners who take the time to make difficult decisions which ultimately make my city a safer place. The County Commission ultimately provides me with a sense of security and I am able rely on them for peace of mind and safety.

Teenagers also need to be able experience the outdoors and enjoy what West Virginia has to offer. With the increase in drug abuse among teens, it is essential that there are recreational activities available. The County Commission takes this responsibility seriously. They examine what facilities exist. They examine existing facilities and solicit the opinions of the citizens as to how decisions regarding our parks should be handled. They hold public forums to determine additional needs which may need addressed. As I approach high school soon, I realize that this time can be frightening for many reasons. There are many temptations for teenagers, but having engaging outdoor facilities can help keep teens on the right path in life. In the event that a serious issue would occur, I can depend on the 911 System for assistance. This is something that the County Commission is dedicated to for the safety of kids of all ages.

Third Place

Malia Richardson
Westwood Middle School

Monongalia County Commission The Monongalia County Commission is ran by three commissioners, Ed Hawkins, Eldon A. Callen, and the president, Tom Bloom. It makes my community's life and mine better by hosting amusing entertainment, donating to charities, and protecting citizens. They also help fund many organizations which help solve problems around the county and make life more enjoyable for everyone.

One way they make my life better for me is the entertainment they put on or what they help pay for. Many parks like Marina and Bopark are funded by the commission. In the summer I have two nice pools, play grounds, ponds, trails, and other family fun activities which are there because of them. During the exciting night of the Fourth of July, they make the sky light up in colorful explosives. Theater productions such as ones at the MET are produced with money from them; if they didn't have the money they couldn't make the plays and musicals as wonderful as they are. I go to shows with my grandma and if they couldn't do the plays I would have less time to spend with her. I also love to read and the county commission makes it easier to get great books from the library.

A way that doesn't affect me directly, but warms my heart, is the charities and shelters that they give to. When it comes to donations like these even one dollar counts. Places such as the Bartlett House is available for homeless people to live until they can make their lives better and get jobs. The St. Ursula Food Pantry is an organization which helps feed the hungry, but without their help with that, many children and adults would go hungry every day. Another thing that is very uplifting is the animals' lives they make better with the "Animal Friends" program. It saddens me when dogs and other animals don't get the necessary food, shelter, and love that they need and the commission fixes that.

One of the last things that the County Commission does is keep our communities and towns safe. The VFD (volunteer fire department) is one that I feel is greatly helpful. About a year ago there was a fire which burnt down a whole apartment building that was neighboring my house. If it wasn't for the fire department my house could've easily burnt down with it. My school has had tragic events during my eighth grade year and the sheriff and deputies have been monitoring the halls to keep us safe. Even if nothing bad has happened since then, we are ready for anything else that might happen. We all feel safer and have less worries in school.

The Monongalia County commission is important and helpful in many ways. They make life safer, more enjoyable, and are helpful in many ways. They offer protection and make our county a safer environment. Without the Mon County Commission we sure would "miss-em"!

Details: Published: May 05, 2014

April is "National County Government Month" and the County Commissioners’ Association of WV (CCAWV) sponsors an annual contest among the state’s eighth grade students. Students are asked to answer “How does my county commission make life better for me?” in an essay.

While this is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the many functions of their county commission in depth, a prize of $300 for the best-written essay sweetens the pot for students. (An additional $300 is awarded to the first-place student’s teacher for encouraging participation, to be used to support classroom activities.) The second place winner receives $250, and third place gets $150, in addition to recognition by their county commissioners.

Details: Published: October 04, 2012

“How does my county government make my life better for me?”

Written by: Tori Varney 8th Grade
Burch Middle School, Mingo County, WV

Mingo County is the youngest county in West Virginia. Located in the southern part of the state, Mingo County shares its’ borders with Logan County, McDowell County and Wayne County. I’m writing to discuss Mingo County’s government and explain what it does for me and all residents of this county.

Kids in America have certain everyday needs. Needs they don’t recognize from day to day, such as toothpaste, toilet paper, and soap. Somehow, they are just in appearance whenever the need arises. While researching our county government, I came across some basic needs that Mingo County supplies that kids, including me, do not recognize. Our county government supplies essential services as: water, sanitation, waste management, and emergency services.

To explain my newly found views I have selected three of the aforementioned services provided by our county. I would like to begin with the water supply. Everyone needs water. Water is a renewable resource that is used for both health and hygiene. Because it is renewable it must be filtered, recycled, and replenished. Who would be the providers of this service? You guessed it, the county government. For a small monthly fee, city water is supplied to the homes and businesses of Mingo County for the wellness of society including members of youth such as myself.

The second item on my list above which is supplied by our county government is waste management. Once a week, just like clockwork, all of Mingo County is privileged enough to enjoy the weekly visit from the waste management. This is a service provided by Mingo County to ensure that garbage is deposed of properly instead of polluting our environment with harmful chemicals and bio hazardous waste, as well as everyday household trash. It’s not just a catchphrase on a sign seen in passing; we desperately need waste management of Mingo County to help “Keep our county clean.”

Last but certainly not least, emergency services. Our dedicated members of the police department and fire department provide all sorts of daily duties. The Mingo County Sheriff’s Department puts forth a lot of effort trying “to protect and serve” the citizens of the county. For instance, our police force works diligently to provide protection against drug activity, theft, reckless driving, and child abuse among many other important things. Many people teach kids like me to be afraid of the guys in uniform. On the contrary, we shouldn’t be afraid at all. Our fire department keeps our fires, which seem to be happening more frequently, down to a minimum. The citizens of Mingo County are very lucky to have such dedicated volunteers and members. As law abiding citizens, we should commend their work as they are simply attempting to keep our county safe.

I, as well as every other child in Mingo County, have certain everyday needs which go unrecognized. We acquire many needs, which are met with the help of the Mingo County government such as water supply, trash removal, and law enforcement. I would like to say thank you to my Mingo County Government for all they do to ensure well-being for our youth although it often goes unnoticed. Research on county government has given me a new appreciation for all that it does.