Students from P.A. Walsh Elementary and St. Catherine School
arrived at City Hall Thursday morning to learn more about Morgan
Hill’s Public Works Department and Public Works Awareness Week.
Morgan Hill – Students from P.A. Walsh Elementary and St. Catherine School arrived at City Hall Thursday morning to learn more about Morgan Hill’s Public Works Department and Public Works Awareness Week.
P. A. Walsh Elementary School teacher Tirzah Smith was full of enthusiasm about the event.
“I think this is a wonderful way to promote all of the functions of the city’s department,” she said. “I think it’s a great way for the city to show what happens behind the scenes.”
Events and displays included storm water information, an engineering survey truck on display, a demonstration of hazardous materials handling, a lawn mower demonstration, a sewer line camera, “streets sign alley” and “battling backhoes.”
One of Smith’s students, Brandon Garcia, 9, hopes the city puts on the event again next year, saying it was both educational and fun.
According to event coordinator Mori Struve, deputy director of Public Works – Maintenance, the goal is to acquaint students with the activities of the department.
“Giving them a behind-the-scenes glimpse of services such as roads, parks, water, sewer and storm drain function helps them see how a community functions and to understand a bit more about civic responsibility,” Struve said.
Saint Catherine and Walsh students have created works of art out of city donated fire hydrants, according to Jay Jaso with the Department of Public Works, which were on display. City officials decided to install all of them near the schools as well as in other locations in the city, rather than one hydrant from each school as originally planned.
National Public Works Week is observed each year during the third full week of May. Instituted as a public education campaign by the American Public Works Association (APWA) in 1960, events during the nationally-recognized week are designed to call attention to the importance of public works in community life.
