To the Editor:

I am enthusiastic in my support of Will Rodgers as Newtown's First Selectman and I strongly encourage voters to elect him to that office on Tuesday, November 7. Will has a long history of service to Newtown: 12 years on the Legislative Council, six as chair; and eight years on the Board of Selectmen. I have come to know him well during these years, my appreciation for his abilities growing as we faced, together, the many challenges and trauma that confronted Newtown over this past decade.

Will has the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for effective leadership. He is independent of mind, often bringing forth new thinking to debates about policy, drawing upon his personal and professional experiences in local government, the military, and in the law. Will is a natural leader, adding value to local governing. He is especially skilled as a problem-solver, seeking the course of action which best meets the needs of the community while respecting the issues and concerns of constituent groups. And Will has the disposition, the natural inclination, to seek common ground, to find a path for disparate groups to share. Governing well and in a way that moves a community forward while preserving mutually held values and core principles calls for a steady hand, a person of substance and quality, with a depth of understanding and life experience. I think Will Rodgers is that man. Vote Rodgers for first selectman on November 7.

E. Patricia Llodra, First Selectman

3 Primrose Street, Newtown         October 31, 2017