To the Editor:

Andrew Clure for first selectman… words that have been echoing through my family now for many, many months. I have been by Andy's side through all his service to Newtown. From co-founding the Sandy Hook Arcade, the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers, the community center commissions, and the Board of Education - I have seen firsthand the dedication, passion, and effort he has put into all those positions and the many other ways he has worked for our community.

I can easily expound on the many qualities that should make Andy your choice for first selectman - his keen business sense, the sincerity of his motivations, the leadership and drive to move things forward. As a father, a husband, a friend, a neighbor he is unparalleled.

The one thing I want to impress on our voters is that he is a person of action. Andy looks at a situation from many angles; he doesn't simply talk about the pros and cons - he comes up with ideas and solutions and then leads them through implementation. Andy didn't just think about opening the Sandy Hook Arcade for free… he worked with our neighbor and did it; he didn't just think it would be important to have more sports for our middle school… he worked with the athletic director and brought it to fruition; he didn't just peruse the education budget and push it along, he scrutinized each line item and brought issues to the table; he didn't just talk about how nice it would be to bring a preview of a new release movie to Edmond Town Hall each Thanksgiving eve for free to our community… he did it. I could go on and on.

He has worked tirelessly on the Board of Education, which bears the responsibility of over 70 percent of our town's budget. It is time he takes this experience and his action-oriented character to serve at the level of first selectman.

Newtown is faced with many challenges right now both internal and external from our state. We need a leader who is going to be objective, driven, humble, team-oriented, and creative to guide this town through the next few of years. Andy is that person.

I ask you, on November 7, don't simply vote the party line - think about which candidate you want to lead in each position and check that box. I hope you will agree that it is Andrew Clure for first selectman

I proudly endorse Andrew Clure for first selectman. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Lori Clure

24 Winton Farm Road, Newtown         October 31, 2017