Plum Mayor Harry Schlegel believes the best part about his job as an elected official is honoring residents.
“Our community is really great. People step up and do things. I try to get as much out as I can,” the mayor said.
Trouble is, it can be difficult to recognize outstanding individuals if their accomplishments aren’t brought to the mayor’s attention.
“There’s a lot more going on in the community that I’m not aware of,” Schlegel said. “I want to put everything positive out there that I can about Plum and the people.”
Borough officials made it easier for people to get noticed through an online proclamation application.
The effort was launched on the borough’s website about mid-February.
“If somebody’s been married 25 years or 50 years, or retiring after a period of time, or celebrating a 90th or 100th birthday,” Schlegel said. “They can go online and put the pertinent details in, and I will create a proclamation and read it at a council meeting and take it to that individual … It goes by the accomplishment.”
Proclamations can also be for students who maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout the school year or were given athletic awards at the end of a season. Longevity is preferred.
“I did shopping for my neighbor one time, that’s not going to be recognized,” Schlegel said.
All proclamation applications are screened. Applications should be filed at least 10 days before a council meeting in order to receive them at that time. Those submitted earlier may have to wait until the following month’s meeting.
More information is available at plumboro.com or email hschlegel@plumboro.com.
The mayor said another online form to honor someone is in the works.
The next one will focus on service to the community, and a person has to be nominated by the one being helped. It can be for anything from providing meals to first responders for years to helping seniors with landscaping.
“You as the doer could not get it yourself,” Schlegel explained. “The person you’re cutting the grass for fills out that recognition form and says, ‘Joe Bag O’Donuts has been cutting my grass for a year now, and I’m 90 years old and can’t do it myself. Joe Bag O’Donuts should be recognized.’ I agree. I’ll recognize him.”
