Ankeny Mayor Steven Van Oort paid a special visit to an eager group of Crocker Elementary second graders on Friday afternoon.

Van Oort spent about an hour with the students, telling them what it's like to be mayor of Ankeny and what makes a good community.

"Being a good citizen means being responsible, trustworthy, respectful, obeying the laws and taking care of others," Van Oort told the students. "These are things you can do to be good citizens, and we all have to work together to make Ankeny a good place."

The students had a chance to participate as Van Oort explained to them the different departments within the city and the roles the departments play in the community.

Students also got a chance to ask Van Oort any questions they wanted. The kids wanted to know a lot about the mayor, including what his hobbies are and how much he gets paid to be mayor.