To the Editor:

I’m writing to say thank you to the voters of District 1 for allowing me to continue my role as your Democratic Legislative Council representative. I truly appreciate the opportunity.

Big things are on the horizon for Newtown over the next few years, presenting a mix of opportunities and challenges that will require the best of your elected officials’ collective efforts and intentions. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to lend my voice to these discussions on behalf of the voters of District-1 and the town as a whole.  Many of these topics will absolutely matter to you, so please engage us with an email or attendance at our meetings whenever the issues suit your interests. And most of all please vote!  As we’ve seen, it’s not unusual that a mere 25-30 percent of voters decide our entire town’s future on major issues. That should make us all uncomfortable, no matter the issue or outcome. You owe it to yourselves and your neighbors to tune-in and participate through your vote. Do it.

I’ve found that we have an incredibly open and accessible town government, with lots of opportunities to get involved on town boards and commissions. You need only to step forward, and your talents and skills will likely be put to good use. We’ve seen a burst of new candidates throwing their hats in the ring this election season, with many finding great success. So as we begin our work, I offer the sincere hope that we see yet another new wave of Newtown residents step-up, get involved, and work toward trying to win a spot in 2017!

Paul Lundquist

Legislative Council District 1

148 Currituck Road, Newtown         November 4, 2015