By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Decatur Mayor Dan Rickord was pleased with the turnout for a recent meeting he set up to gain thoughts and ideas from the community’s young adults.
“We had a little over 30 young adults turn out,” the mayor told city council at its recent meeting. “I was hoping for around 30.”
“I think it worked out very well,” added Councilwoman Abby Wilder, who helped organize and run the event.
“My goal is to keep our young people here; this is just the beginning as I want to do (similar events) this again,” the mayor told council. “We need to do this.”
He thanked Wilder and Community Coordinator Jamie Gephart for their efforts to setting up the event, promoted as a Young Adult Bowling Night for 18-24 year olds.
The event was held at Villa Lanes over two and a half hours, offering free food and bowling. No admission was charged.
Rickord, who established a Mayor’s Youth Council now in its third school year of operation, said in announcing the special meeting:
“It goes back to the idea that I believe most of us would love to see our children and grandchildren choose Decatur as the place they call home and raise their families.
“I’ve often been told, if your community is not growing, it is dying. In order to grow, we need to retain many of the young adults who have grown up here.
“My goal is to gain some insight into what our 18-24 year-olds are looking for in a place to call home …”
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