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Politics & Government

Youngster Becomes City Mayor for the Day

All Saints Regional Catholic School seventh-grader experiences firsthand what life is like as Glen Cove's top elected official.

Not everyone gets to don Mayor Ralph Suozzi's hat and learn what he does up close and personal, but that's just what happened to Emma Flahive.  

Flahive, a student at All Saints Regional Catholic School in Glen Cove, was named mayor for a day and attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Glen Cove Ferry Terminal and Boat Basin on Tuesday as well as a luncheon at the Hempstead Harbor Club afterwards. 

"I think it was a wonderful opportunity for her to partake in a special event," said James Thompson, the school's principal.

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Flahive won the special privilege after her grandmother, Helene O'Brien, purchased the opportunity for $500 at a recent fundraising auction to benefit the school. Flahive believes that her grandmother bought the ticket with her in mind because she knows Flahive has an interest in local government. 

"I know a lot of people involved in city hall ... and I always wanted to see what the mayor has to do," she explained.

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Tuesday featured Flahive shadowing Suozzi all day in an effort to step in his shoes. She was able to, among other things, turn the soil at the groundbreaking ceremony with elected officials and developers as well as chat with the mayor about his daily duties in his office. 

The day even turned out to be much more than her mother, Helena, expected it to be.

"I thought it would be an honorary title and they would throw her in the corner, but the city really involved her in everything," Helena said. "She said the pledge at the groundbreaking and they gave her a shovel and she dug in the dirt. The mayor didn't leave her out of anything and everyone called her Madam Mayor."

The seventh-grader called the opportunity an educational one, contending that she now understands that Suozzi has to be a versatile person on daily basis because he has to help address all issues in the city—from the important to the trivial. 

"It was a great experience," she said, adding that Suozzi especially taught her that a mayor has to be a "good and fair person." "Mayor Suozzi talked about his job and how he helps everyone. He told me stories about people asking him all sorts of crazy stuff. He even said there was a man complaining about a cat pooping on his lawn and mentioned that the mayor has to deal with that too."

Flahive was also able to get an informal preview of Suozzi's vision for an improved Glen Cove.

"The mayor talked about recycling, going green and helping the environment," she said. "He said he's going to make downtown Glen Cove bigger and better with more restaurants and a friendlier place for everyone."

And although she is unsure if she wants to pursue a career in government in the future, Flahive said her experience will always be a memorable one.

"I think it was great," she said. "I learned all the things the mayor has to do and his job is not easy."

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