By Gary Achterberg

Mayor Dan Abendroth paid tribute to Pukaite, presenting her with a plaque, a city street sign with her name and a resolution that declared Tuesday as “Connie Pukaite Day” in the city.

Pukaite stepped down from the dais and asked to speak for a few minutes. She said she appreciated the opportunity to serve the community again when she was elected to the Common Council as a write-in candidate. She was mayor from 1986 to 1992 and served four years prior to that as an alderman.

Hosting an exchange student can be incredibly rewarding for your family, bringing an international experience directly into your home. Host families provide room and board and share their lives with our female exchange student, involving her in family, community, and cultural activities.

Do you, or someone you know, have an interest in becoming a host family for the 2017-18 school year? The ideal candidate is someone who lives in Mequon or Thiensville, since the exchange student will be attending Homestead High School. Being on the bus line is convenient! She will need to have a room of her own, and meals need to be provided.

We are looking for 3 host families. The commitment is a period of 3 months per family (flexible).

Please direct all inquiries to our Rotary Youth Exchange Officer, Jennifer Sutherland, at 262-387-8840 or by email at jsutherland@newcastleplace.com.