Last week, City Manager West and School Resource Officers Gonzalez and Preston, along with city of Monmouth and Polk County Fire District No. 1 staff, joined Central School District students to celebrate National School Lunch Week, trading in their meetings and patrols for cafeteria trays and conversations.
Sharing a meal is one of the simplest ways to connect, and this was a chance to listen, laugh, and engage with the next generation of Independence.
These moments help strengthen trust, spark curiosity about local leadership, and remind us that our community’s future is sitting right at those lunch tables.
