To the Editor:

It is with great enthusiasm that I endorse Paul Lundquist for the position of Legislative Council in District 1 of Newtown.

Paul has been a longtime friend of mine. Not only is he incredibly intelligent, a fantastic father to two young boys, and husband to his lovely wife, Elaine, but also a generous neighbor and friend, a talented musician, and a successful businessman. He is also a person who has the same desires as many families in Newtown. Paul seeks a Newtown with superior schools, a town with a vision for the future, improved communication between local government and residents, and continued recognition that it’s truly “Nicer in Newtown.”

It is in Paul’s nature to reach out and make things better wherever his strengths can benefit. In 2007 and 2008, Paul volunteered his personal time and company’s resources to survey Newtown residents on a range of topics affecting the town (2007/2008 Survey of Newtown Residents: The Way Things Are In Newtown). Paul provided this project free to the town. Although he ran the project completely independently from the town government, he worked diligently to seek input and consensus from a wide range of organizations in town. including the Board of Selectmen, Legislative Council, The Pootatuck Watershed Association, Economic Development Commission, Newtown Parks and Recreation, Newtown Youth & Family Services, Newtown Senior Center, WeCan, Friends of Fairfield Hills, The Newtown Bee, and individuals from various school PTAs.

The survey focused on the attitudes, needs and desires of town residents, and covered topics like the quality of life in Newtown, priority of initiatives the town could potentially plan in the future, perceived quality of education and school facilities, knowledge and perceptions of town government; what Fairfield Hills should provide for the town; and opinions about how commercial and residential development is impacting the town, experience with Lyme disease, among other topics. Results were presented first to the general public in January 2008, and later to the Legislative Council, Board of Selectmen, and the Long Range Strategic Planning Committee. While running the study, Paul attended the majority of Legislative Council meetings throughout 2007 and early 2008.

Paul and I are fellow parents of elementary students at Hawley School. As an involved father for his children’s resources, Paul committed his time in 2008/2009 to represent Hawley’s PTA as the liaison to the Board of Education. He reported valuable information from the BOE meetings back to the parents of Hawley, providing details that most families would not obtain unless they, too, were able to attended these meetings themselves. This immediate knowledge of budget deliberations was a real benefit, not only to the PTAs who developed quick turn-around communication strategies with parents, but also to the parents whose children were directly affected by decisions made at those meetings.

Paul Lundquist will be an effective Legislative Council member, representing District 1. I ask you to join me and my family in voting for Paul this November. Paul Lundquist is the Right Person for the Job!

Betsy Paynter

182 Hanover Road, Newtown                                    October 12, 2009