Autumn Taliaferrow and Mary Olsen (photo by Robert Ford)
Calling it one of his “favorite things to do,” village Mayor William Murphy handed out certificates to four students recognized with Saugerties Community Youth Awards at the Dec. 15 Village Board meeting.
The awards “reward the young citizens of the Saugerties area who are caught making good choices and doing good deeds,” according to Mary Olsen, who helps run the program. “Our goal is to reinforce this positive behavior in our youth as well as to instill community awareness of the positive contributions of these young citizens.”
Honored were:
Ten-year-old Autumn Taliaferrow, a fifth grader at Cahill Elementary School, who was nominated by AnnChris Warren of the Boys and Girls Club. Taliaferrow joined the club last spring and during that time “has been an excellent example of what it means to take pride in the Boys and Girls Club and the community,” Olsen said.
Taliaferrow is a member of the Torch Club leadership program, which volunteers at the club to help staff run numerous activities and programs, and in the community, such as at the Ivy Lodge Senior Center. She also sang at this year’s car show with other members of the club’s performing group, The Royals.
Alex Mooers, 11, a sixth grade student at Grant D. Morse Elementary School, was nominated by Don Dieckmann, Joe Defino, Hope Craft and Stefanie Tucker.
While at Morse, Mooers “has been a model student both academically and socially,” said Olsen. “He has shown tremendous leadership among his peers and ensures his fellow classmates are treated fairly and respectfully.”
Jacob Monroe, 8, a second grader at Cahill Elementary School, was nominated by his teacher MaryAnn Hart, who describes her student as “very talented and able. He sits next to a child that has some educational needs,” and he “is always willing to go over and above to help his… friend.”
Danielle Frederickson, 17, a senior at Saugerties High School, was nominated by her science teacher Ara Krom, who says that, “Danielle has a great gift. She tutors other students on her free period at school, encourages everyone she comes into contact with and she is also one of the top three students in her class.”
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