Courtesy photo Wyatt Sholten, 10 years old, was recently made the first honoree of Gladstone’s new Resident Recognition Program. He is shown with his mother, Sara Sholten, and Gladstone City’s George Sailer at Jones Elementary School after being presented with a gift certificate by Sailer. Wyatt was selected for the recognition based on the “dedication and entrepreneurial spirit” he showed while mowing lawns in town this past summer.

GLADSTONE — A 10-year-old entrepreneur with a bicycle and a lawnmower was recently recognized by the City of Gladstone as the first honoree of the Resident Recognition Program, a new initiative designed to honor individuals who have gone above and beyond to do something special in Gladstone.

The city had some “neighborhood enhancement” money earmarked for some time “with the hopes of launching a project such as this,” said George Sailer, who works for the city’s community development department, usually in the area of property maintenance code enforcement. He has been leading the charge for the program, which is facilitated by a committee that also includes Community Development Director Renee Barron and Downtown Development Association Director Patricia West.

Barron explained that the funds had originated as returned money from a previous neighborhood preservation grant program, and had been set aside for over 15 years.

“Funds that were loaned to residents for home improvements used to be reimbursed to the city (they now go back to the state), and the returned funds were earmarked for neighborhood enhancement,” she said. “Each year, approximately $2,500 will be set aside to honor and reward outstanding acts of community service and dedication by Gladstone residents to help build community pride.”

Those acts could come in many forms, said Sailer: “Basically, we’re looking … to recognize citizens, whether they’re in the community here in Gladstone, or even outside the community, if they’re doing something good for the community of Gladstone — organizing, volunteering, events, community initiatives, recycling drives, acts of kindness, helping neighbors, safety, etc. — anything positive that we see in the community.”

With the beginning of the program, Sailer explained, he had gone around to businesses in town and purchased gift cards that would be prizes for the stand-out citizens.

The honor of the first recognition went to 10-year-old Wyatt Sholten, who people began seeing in Gladstone in June towing a trailer behind his bicycle, advertising his services and mowing lawns, including that of Superbloom, the new coffee house on Delta Avenue.

“This summer, I saw him pedaling a bike — now, he’s ten years old, mind you, and he had a trailer on the back of the bike with a lawnmower on the trailer and a weed whacker, and his name and number,” Sailer said. “I thought the initiative and the drive of this young boy to do this was amazing to me.”

Wyatt, now in the fifth grade at James T. Jones Elementary School, said that the idea struck because his brother’s friend was making money mowing lawns, and it looked like something Wyatt wanted to try, too.

The first step, the boy explained, was to distribute some flyers door-to-door that his father had helped him make. The mower-carrying trailer, too, was a joint project.

“My dad had this trailer for his bike that he carried us in when we were little,” Wyatt said. “We just cut the top off and unscrewed some of it … put a platform … and then my dad put these metal rings on it so I could strap my lawnmower on there, and then put my weed whacker across the lawnmower.”

He acknowledged that it was heavy, “but I could get place to place faster than just pushing the lawnmower (while) walking.”

One goal that Wyatt had hoped for was to earn some money to buy a remote-controlled car. After the season of cutting grass for four clients, he managed to buy the toy and also was able to stow away additional earnings.

Beyond the cash, Sara Sholten, Wyatt’s mother, said that the experience was valuable because her son walked away having learned lessons in responsibility: one involved resisting temptation to spend money before the goal was reached, and the other was about fulfilling obligations.

Wyatt said that he had gained an appreciation for “how hard it is for parents or people with a job to get up and work when they when they don’t feel like it, or when it’s really hot … I had to go mow a lawn when it was like, 87 out.”

Sara expanded on that thought, noting the importance of carrying out a duty when there were “individuals relying on him to be there. Some of those days this summer were hot or he had had a sleepover the night before, so mowing was the last thing he wanted to do. But it’s a little different when it’s someone other than your parents, you know, counting on you to be there. So that was huge. And I think he recognized there’s more to doing something like that than just earning money.”

In this case, the perks of a job well done also came with a gift certificate to the Gladstone Dairy Flo, which was presented to Wyatt in front of his class at school in late September.

“It’s kind of inspirational,” said Sailer, “and I’m hoping that maybe some of the other kids would be inspired by his ingenuity and that drive and initiative.”

While there is not a set plan for how often this Resident Recognition Program will be employed, the city will keep eyes and ears out for other individuals to celebrate for their contributions and commitments to Gladstone.

Sailer said he’s got a few ideas in mind and is also open to nominations. He can be reached by email at gsailer@gladstonemi.gov.