Altasia Sockmonkey recently went to the Altus City Complex to visit our new mayor.

Children are important to Mayor David Webb. He has two sons, ages 18 and 16. He's enjoying watching them grow to be young men. Mayor Webb said, "As a father I have seen first hand the value of respecting children for who they are."

Kids, did you know that if you live in Altus, Mayor Webb is your mayor too? He said, "As Mayor it is my responsibility to listen to people of all ages and find ways to improve our quality of life based on what the needs of those people are.  Children are a vital piece of our population and their opinions and concerns are important and valued."

Mayor Webb believes it's the job of adults to help children grow and develop into the leaders of tomorrow. You could grow up to be on the City Council someday. You might even be Mayor yourself. Altus has had both women and men as council members and mayors.

Mayor Webb and the Altus City Council were proud of local students who belong to SWAT, Students Working Against Tobacco. They clapped for them at the May 17 City Council meeting. For SWAT photos, see the May 18 Altus Times. You can follow Altasia on Facebook.

Altasia will be going to various meetings, schools, businesses, and touring places here in Southwest Oklahoma to help young people learn about their community.