Dumfries interns learn how government works

You can live your entire life in a town and not know much about it.

"The only things I knew about town hall was that it was the place to get your car decals and to pay your taxes," said 16-year-old Evan Jurgensen.

"I didn't know there was a town clerk or what she did," said 15-year-old Ashley Pacitto.

The Potomac High School students are spending their summer finding out not only what a town clerk does but what everyone else who works for the town of Dumfries does. They are the town's summer interns.

"A common complaint that we hear is that there is never enough for the youth to do in the town," said Cathy Holtzlander, Dumfries director of community services.

"I thought this would be a good way to get some kids involved in the town over the summer -- a learning experience to see first-hand how the town operates," Hotlzlander said.

With the approval of the Dumfries Town Council, town teens were invited to apply for the Summer Youth Intern-ship Program, the first time internships have been offered. They were asked to fill out an application, get two rec-ommendations and write a 500-word essay. They also needed to be town residents and possess a minimum 3.0 GPA.

The paid internships of $8 an hour and 30 hours a week started June 29 and run until Aug. 7.

Holtzlander said while response to the program was great, many who applied were not town residents and therefore ineligible. Evan and Ashley, however, did fulfill all the requirements and were selected for the jobs. In both cases, applying was their mothers' idea.

"She thought it would be a good first job experience," Evan said.

"My Mom said it would look good on a college application," Ashley said.

The students have been spending about a week working in the various town departments: administration; community development and planning/zoning; community services; police and public works. They also spent a week exploring county government.

They went for ride-alongs with Dumfries police officers. They learned about street inspections, zoning violations and how police officers

respond to calls and settle

disputes.

They also went on several field trips to the Weems-Botts Museum and the Potomac Landfill -- both places in town that they had never visited.

Ashley and Evan attended a Dumfries Town Council meeting, and they also met with their county supervisor, Mau-reen Caddigan. She gave them a tour of the county offices in the Ferlazzo Building and at the McCoart administra-tive complex. Then they attended a Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting.

"That was a lot different than the Dumfries Town Council meeting," Ashley said.

The teens said they have been enjoying their internships that also provided their first paychecks.

"It felt good to get paid," Evan said.

"It's easy to spend your parents' money, but you don't want to spend it when it's yours," Ashley said.

They also now know what a town clerk does.

"It's a lot of work being a town clerk," Evan said. "She has to take all the minutes for all the town council meetings."

Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at 703-878-8010.