LI kids interview the Rockville Centre mayor
Kidsday reporters Bridget Swanson, left, and Elizabeth Darcy with Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray. Credit: Darcy family
The Village of Rockville Centre is an amazing place to live. However, what really makes the village special is Mayor Francis Murray and his wonderful staff. We had the opportunity to visit and interview Mayor Murray and public works co-director Gwynne Feiner at Rockville Centre Village Hall.
In our interview, the mayor told us some things about his history with Rockville Centre. His family has lived in Rockville Centre for about 100 years. Mayor Murray was elected in 2011. Before becoming a mayor, he was a businessman. When he won, he became mayor just like his father had been.
He says the town is like running a business. There are many different elements that go into running it. You have to take care of the plumbing, the electricity and many more elements. To run a good business, you must make your customers happy.
Mayor Murray supervises the roadwork and the water towers that are being fixed. He told us that every summer he tries to redo as many roads as he can. They try to replace the old pipes underground and then pave the road over so it is smooth for many years to come. He answers citizens’ questions about what is happening in the village and helps to solve issues.
He likes to go over to our school and read stories to the students. Even before he became the mayor, he was the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, in 2009. Mayor Murray still marches in the parade in Rockville Centre with his grandkids, and he loves seeing the whole community come together to celebrate. Mayor Murray said he considers it an honor and a pleasure to represent the citizens of Rockville Centre.
One of the many special things about Rockville Centre is the amazing volunteer work of the Mayor’s Youth Task Force. Led by Feiner and Mayor Murray, the youth task force is a volunteer program for students from sixth grade through college. They help out around the community and do a lot of volunteer work. One of the projects is to clean up all our parks and gardens. Another thing they do is go to Mill River and clean up all the garbage along the shore. They also participate in food drives and other projects.
Feiner told us that the kids once participated in a diaper drive at Mercy Medical Center. They collected diapers, bottles, pacifiers and much more from village residents. It is such an amazing sight to see a community come together for a cause. For more information or to sign up for the task force, visit the village website, rvcny.gov
Frances Barricelli and Joan McLean’s sixth-grade class, St. Agnes Cathedral School, Rockville Centre
