A round of applause is in order for our Crescenta Valley Youth Town Council members who have made quite a splash in our community this year. The purpose of the Youth Town Council is to engage the youth in our community, and to represent the voices of their peers.

This year the group is entirely made up of Crescenta Valley High School students: Jennielyn Bazan, Lisa Chik, Lauren Harvey, Sena Lim, Elektra Mirzakhanian, Abigail Sheklow and Jessy Shelton. These young ladies, who are all between the ages of 14 and 17, bring a fresh perspective to the CVYTC and work hard to focus on issues that will empower their fellow students.

The current CVYTC members have only been on the council for three months but have already done quite a bit of work. Their first order of business was to put together a memorial in honor of our fallen soldiers for 9/11 at Two Strike Park. In addition to frequent volunteering at our local community events, they were this year’s judges for our local most spirited award for the best holiday décor. You may even have seen them merrily making their rounds during the judging process.

Just last Saturday, this group of amazing students put together a very heartwarming talent show for a local convalescent hospital where the residents were able to relax and enjoy the entertainment with their families.

The CVYTC has several events they want to tackle in 2015. Under the guidance of myself as their mentor, and Harry Leon, vice president of the CV Town Council, the group will work together on an event called Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow where they will encourage students ages 12 to 18 to sell their handmade items at the Harvest Market in Montrose on Feb. 22. The idea behind this event is to give students a taste of the business world.

Even with all of these things completed or underway, the CVYTC is looking to the future, working on several other unconfirmed events. It has been an honor and a real pleasure to work closely with this group, and have the opportunity to watch them grow. They have a great deal to be proud of, and I am excited to continue to work with them in 2015!

Mariam Barnes, member

Crescenta Valley Town Council