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ROYAL OAK, Mich., September 9, 2009 – November’s Detroit mayoral election won’t be the only hotly contested race in town. The Detroit Zoo’s Amphibiville, a two-acre wetland village that is home to the National Amphibian Conservation Center, is seeking a new mayor for a two-year term.
To join the race, candidates 6-12 years old who live in Michigan must submit an essay of 100 words or less on why they should be Mayor of Amphibiville. All entries must be submitted by October 9, 2009, to PR1@dzs.org or to Mayor of Amphibiville, Detroit Zoological Society, 8450 W. 10 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, Mich. 48067. Entries must include the candidate’s name, age, address and daytime telephone number. The winner will be announced on Election Day, November 3.
The new Mayor of Amphibiville will be officially sworn in and receive a plaque inscribed with his/her name displayed in the National Amphibian Conservation Center, a certificate acknowledging his/her position as Mayor of Amphibiville, a plush frog, recognition on the Detroit Zoo’s website and a one-year family membership.
Amphibiville elected its first mayor, Nicholas Wrobel of Orion, in 2000. The focus of his administration was middle-class tax cuts for newts and a better social security plan for frogs. He was succeeded in 2002 by Kristina Gulock of Farmington Hills. She dedicated her term to universal health care for all amphibians (excluding dental) and banning frog legs as a meal in local restaurants. Amphibiville has not had a mayor since 2004.
Amphibiville opened in 2000 featuring the award-winning National Amphibian Conservation Center, a state-of-the-art facility that boasts a spectacular diversity of frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians. The Wall Street Journal dubbed the attraction “Disneyland for toads”.
The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak. The Detroit Zoo is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through Labor Day (with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. day after Labor Day through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March. Admission is $11 for adults 15 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 14; children under 2 are free. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org. The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. Admission is free. For more information, call (313) 852-4056.
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