ATLANTA – State Representative Lynn Smith (R-Newnan) recently honored the winners of the 2013 Water Essay Contest at the State Capitol on Thursday, November 14, 2013. The essay contest is an initiative conducted by the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (MNGWPD) to raise awareness for conservation efforts and preservation of water quality in metro Atlanta.
“Water is our most precious natural resource and my colleagues and I on the Natural Resources and Environment Committee work hard every day to develop policies to protect our water resources,” said Rep. Smith. “It is encouraging seeing young people passionate about our water resources and thinking critically about this complex topic.”
At the awards ceremony, Rep. Smith honored the contest winners from all of the 15-counties that make up the District and the City of Atlanta. Each county and City of Atlanta winner received a $100 prize. The District-winner received an additional $400 prize. Aubrey Gehle, an eighth-grader from North Gwinnett Middle School, was honored for her first place essay and Jennifer Deng, a sixth-grader from J.C. Booth Middle in Fayette County, was recognized for her essay which earned her the title of District-wide Runner-up. The contest winner from Rep. Smith’s district, Allison Vessell, was also recognized during the ceremony. Allison is in seventh grade at Arnall Middle School in Newnan.
This is the 12th year MNGWPD has sponsored the annual Water Essay Contest. Over the years, the Water Essay Contest has engaged thousands of middle school students and challenged them to think critically about water and our region’s water resources. This year’s contest was focused on water conservation. Students were asked to address the following question, “Why is water conservation important to you and our region?” Hundreds of students from across the metropolitan area submitted essays.
The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District is the planning organization dedicated to developing comprehensive regional and watershed-specific water resource plans to be implemented by local governments in the district.
Representative Lynn Smith represents the citizens of District 70, which includes portions of Carroll and Coweta counties. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1996, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Natural Resources & Environment Committee. She also serves on the Appropriations, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, and Rules committees.
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