LAYTON -- Wednesday was a Day of 1,000 Stars at Layton Elementary School, as "stars" from throughout Davis County read to the students and encouraged them to learn to enjoy reading.
Layton City Manager Alex Jensen, Mayor Steve Curtis and Davis County commissioners were there, as well as a policeman, a fireman and a football player. Retired schoolteachers also read to students.
"To do well in school, you need to read. Read books you like to read, and then other books will become interesting," Jensen told a fifth-grade class.
"Reading will help you be a better writer and a better speaker."
After reading a book from the school's media center, Jensen told students to dream what they want to dream, because they could become president, a fighter pilot, a teacher or anything they desire.
"Believe in yourself," he said.
Retired kindergarten teacher LeeAnn Marble brought books from home to read to kindergarten students.
Marble remembered that, when she retired, she donated some of her books to the school and took others home.
"I took most of my favorite books home. I brought some back to share, because I want you to love books," Marble said as she showed the books about eggs she had taken from her bag.
She said the book "Extraordinary Egg" is one of her favorites because it is silly.
While Marble read the book, student Ethan Parking said, "I'm telling you, those frogs are silly."
Ethan also liked the other books Marble read.
"They were so funny. The chicks looked like Easter eggs."
Laura Cheney, another retired teacher, taught in Canada before coming to teach at Layton. She read to first-grade students and got a very positive response.
"I am happy," said Phoebe White, who listened to Cheney read. "The books were funny and exciting. I had never heard those books."
Cheney said she tries to read at the school every year because she misses teaching.
Policeman Lloyd Davis sat in a chair with a Head Start class seated on the floor in front of him. After retiring from the Layton Police Department, Davis went right to work for the Utah Transit Authority Police Department, riding on FrontRunner and Trax.
The children's eyes widened as Davis showed them his equipment -- handcuffs, flashlight, dispatch radio -- and then talked about Tasers and his gun.
In a second-grade classroom, a special stool was placed in front of the class for County Commissioner Bret Millburn to sit on.
But he didn't use it; instead, he stood and read, with an overhead projector displaying pictures from the books for the students to see.
"I really liked it," second-grader Kamryn Moore said after listening to Millburn read. "I learn new stories, and I learn about new people."
Kamryn said she likes chapter books and has some of her own to read at home.
"I have Boxcar Children and Junie B. Jones books," she said.
As Millburn was leaving the classroom, one Layton Elementary School student stood up and hugged him.
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