To the Editor:

Thank you Newtown. Thank you to the thousands of citizens who took the time to vote on Tuesday. Given the recent upheaval in all of our daily lives, it was no small effort for people to spend the time and energy to become informed and to vote.

Many thanks to all the candidates who stepped up, willing to serve and try to make our community a better place. Newtown continues its 306-year tradition of being governed by volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent. Serving is an honor, sometimes stressful, occasionally frustrating but overall very rewarding. It requires a substantial pool of willing volunteers.

Thanks to the 1,076 voters in District 1 who cast a vote for me. It has been an honor and pleasure to serve. It is gratifying to see my vote count increased by 128 or 13.5 percent, despite a overall reduction in voter turnout of -21.6 percent.

Amazingly, six Legislative Council members broke the elusive 1,000 vote barrier in 2011. This is especially noteworthy with the lower turnout. This is gratifying, but there will be no victory laps for the winners, as we must refocus our efforts on governing Newtown during these very turbulent times.

While I don’t often quote scripture, I think Luke 12:48 will provide us all with some solid guidance: “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” President John F. Kennedy made the condensed version of this famous: “ For those to whom much is given, much is required.”

Thank you again. Yes it is, nicer in Newtown.

George Ferguson

Legislative Council, District 1

49 Taunton Hill Road, Newtown                            November 9, 2011