Mayor-Elect Martin Reads Dr. Seuss to Springdale Students, Fulfilling Promise

Stamford's Mayor-Elect David Martin got a jump start on keeping his campaign promises Wednesday morning, before even officially taking office, and made all 27 students of a Springdale Elementary classroom "stars" for the day.

During the campaign trail, Martin promised he'd return to the school to read with the students in the future if he was elected mayor, and on Wednesday, he held up his end of the bargain. He showed up Wednesday to read to Mrs. Jill Matturro's first grade class the Dr. Seuss' classic The Sneetches.

For the unfamiliar, The Sneetches is a study in socio-economics that breaks down how the snobbish Sneetches with stars on their bellies won't share their beaches with Sneetches sans belly stars. A mysterious stranger, identified later as Sylvester McMonkey McBean, arrives in town some advanced technology to exploit the Sneetches, providing those lacking belly adornments the opportunity to physically enhance their image by placing stars on them for the low, low price of $3.

However, when the uppity, already-bestarred Sneetches realize they're being infiltrates by formerly starless Sneetchs through body modification, they seek out an alternative to again signify their superior statues. McBean provides first-generation starred Sneetches the ability to have their stars removed to again separate themselves from the previously-unstarred-but-now-starred Sneetches. The cost for that procedure, conducted by a different machine, was $10.

Eventually, the children watched as the Sneetches are just throwing money at McBean in a cycle to distinguish themselves from one another until it's quite impossible to tell who was what class and when.

It was a riveting story of accepting one's self, as-is, and not discriminating against those who are different. The kids had a blast listening in with Martin. They were also pretty pumped about collecting the star glitter that fell from the book, and there would be a mad scramble every time some sprinkled to the ground from between the pages. At the end of the reading, Martin adorned each of them with their own star stickers.

"Be extra good for these people that take care of you everyday," Martin instructed before heading off. "This was fun. I remember when I did it with my kids."

With 27 children in the class and para-educator Mrs. Luci Santora assisting Matturro, Martin noted on his way out of the school that addressing overcrowding in the schools would be one of his next priorities on which to focus.

It is worth noting, however, that McBean, who exploited all the self-image issues and class separation of Sneetch Town, got away with a boatload of money. No word yet on whether a sequel will be made available to followup on the eventual karmic consequences.

Check out photos from Martin's visit above. Additionally, if you'd like someone to read The Sneetches to you, I've embedded a YouTube video above as well.