Huntingburg Mayor’s Youth Council taking leadership role in city’s future
Plans for a new park along Progress Parkway are underway thanks to the Huntingburg Mayor’s Youth Council. Approximately four acres of land, donated to the city by Jane Hendrickson of Boxer Girl, LLC, have been designated for the new park.
The council allocated significant portions of the land for a community garden space and a wildflower garden. According to club sponsor John Schneider, the park project is intended to be ongoing and may take a couple of years to complete. In the future, the council aims to construct a gazebo, water stations, and a walking path with exercise stations, which Schneider noted would be similar to those found in the Jasper Parklands.
Formed in November 2016, the council has been helping shape Huntingburg’s vision and development. This project is the most recent the youth council has taken on.
Ruthie Sherer, a junior at Southridge, serves as club president and youth representative of the Huntingburg Common Council. Sherer mentioned that the park will be a great amenity to those residing in the neighboring subdivisions, saying, “It will be a very good place to ride your bike or walk to with your kids if you live nearby.”
The council serves a role in providing Huntingburg’s youth with representation in the city’s government. To Mayor Schwinghamer and club sponsor John Schneider, the most important reason for having youth representation is because they want to encourage the youth population to continue to live in Huntingburg after graduation.
“Young people are residents of Huntingburg, too,” said Schneider. “We want them to share their ideas and give their feedback on what makes Huntingburg a great place to live. After high school and college, we want them to return to Huntingburg and raise their families here as well.”
Sherer emphasized the same. “We are the people that are going to be living here in the future. Ultimately, the decisions we make now will impact our generation later.”
The overpass park project is an example of how these students can implement change in their communities while gaining knowledge about the political system and their local government at the same time. “Not only is it a way to have the youth in our community involved through their voice, but it’s also a way for them to learn how the city operates—and the steps necessary to get things done,” said Schwinghamer.
He also noted that there is an advantage to having the youth perspective, adding, “Young people often see things that older citizens overlook.”
Echoing Schwinghamer’s comments, Sherer said, “For me, planning the park has taught me the importance of building strong relationships with the community when working on projects that will provide benefits to everyone.”
Sherer finds the experience valuable because she plans to pursue a political career after high school. “It has also given me insight on the processes necessary to get projects and legislation approved,” she added. “Any experience involving city planning and environmental impact will greatly help my future career in politics.”
In addition to the new park project, the youth council has also helped plan the expansion to Northside Park, which will include a new playground. The first installation of the park included the construction of a basketball court, which former council member Jafette Cruz spearheaded, Schneider said.
The council also assembled gifts for the city’s police and firefighters last year.
Seeing this progress makes council member Gabe Boeglin optimistic about the future of the council. “I think the club is expanding… in the future, the club will continue to voice ideas to the mayor and the city to better the town of Huntingburg,” he said.
When asked about the council’s overall goal, Schneider’s response was simple. “We hope to give back to the community and make sure that Huntingburg is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Author: Brayden Reimann, a senior at Southridge High School, is the editor and founder of The Southridge Gazette. He plans to study Computer Science at Purdue University but hopes to continue his journalism career by contributing to the Purdue Exponent. Brayden believes local journalism is crucial in the age of social media and aims to provide quality reporting to his community.
Article has been corrected to reflect that Jane Hendrickson of Boxer Girl, LLC donated the land to the City of Huntingburg.
