Blawnox officials appoint new junior councilperson

Blawnox Council has appointed its newest junior councilperson.

Jacob Anthikad, 16, was sworn in by council President Deborah Laskey on July 13.

The Fox Chapel Area High School junior said he was grateful for the opportunity to learn more about how his community government works.

“It was exciting to be a part of everything that’s going on here,” Jacob said about his first meeting. “It felt very official.”

Council Vice President Randall Stoddard said the junior council person position is open to incoming high school juniors, who serve a two-year term.

“They graduate (from high school) and move on and then we get a new one,” he said.

The junior councilperson does not get a vote, but can make comments about borough issues and actions.

“We really didn’t put out a ‘Help Wanted’ ad or anything like that,” Stoddard said about getting candidates. “Jacob came to us.”

Stoddard, a 1967 graduate of Bullis School, a private school in Potomac, Md., said he could not recall having such an opportunity when he was in school.

“I had no idea how government worked,” he said. “I didn’t go to meetings. You just don’t think about that, I guess. It’s nice to have young people involved. There is some input. We have some young people in the borough. They can give us more of an outlook. I grew up in the ’50s. It’s a whole lot different now than it was then.”

Blawnox’s junior council member program began in 2018 to help teens develop leadership skills and have a voice in their local government. Its first representative was Hannah Drum followed by Mona Gerges.

“I think it’s a great program because you’re getting the juniors to be able to come and interact with borough government and see how everything operates,” Laskey said. “Hopefully, when their time comes that they have to leave, they will encourage someone else to join the group.”

That is what happened in Jacob’s case.

“(Mona) was one of my neighbors, and she said it was nice to be involved with this sort of thing,” Jacob said. “She said it taught her a lot, and I was hoping it would do the same for me.”

“It looks great on a college resume. I think it would be interesting to look at something in politics (for my future). There’s a lot of things you can change if you do (get into politics).”

One thing Jacob plans to do as a junior council member is review regulations and restrictions on chickens in the borough. He said one of his friends would like to raise hens.

Jacob also serves as Blawnox senator on the Fox Chapel Area High School student council for the class of 2024. Each municipality in the school district has a senator on student council, Jacob said.

Blawnox is the second community in the school district to appoint a junior council person in as many months.

Roman Mason, 17, of Sharpsburg was sworn in to his new role by Mayor Brittany Reno on June 23.