 Hi, I'm Sharon Povinelli, and I'm running for Town Council in District 1. If you vote at the North Zion Church, the Korean Church in North Amherst, the old North Amherst Congregational Church, or the Emanuel Lutheran Church, you're in District 1, and you'll see my name on your ballot. When I tell people I'm running, the top two questions are, why are you running, and are you sure you want to run? The second question is easier to answer. Yes, I'm committed to this town. I've lived and worked in Amherst for 30 years. My wife and I own and operate a third-generation retail store in the downtown. And I'm also an active member of town government, including a current member of the finance committee and a multi-term town meeting member. Why I'm running is slightly more complex. I'm running because I feel a sense of responsibility to this community, not just the Amherst of today, but to the future of our town. When you think of Amherst, you might think of the downtown, the place you work, the neighborhood you live in, or the trail where you walk your dog. It's a college town, a first job, a place to start a family, a place to retire. Amherst is a co-mingling of farmers, artists, and engineers. We are educators, service workers, healthcare professionals, the list goes on. The texture of Amherst is who we are and how we live. It's a reflection of how we think of ourselves, how we interact with each other, and in the broader scope, what we want to say to the world. I'm running for town council because I've a vested interest in the vibrancy of downtown. In conjunction with that, our village centers, schools, libraries, and neighborhoods. Yes, Amherst is changing, but the changes aren't just buildings and demographics. Our whole culture is changing every day, including how we consume, educate, and entertain ourselves, even how we get from point A to point B. And you can see this not just in Amherst, but in communities all over Massachusetts and the country. Alongside these shifts are rising costs in education, healthcare, and the services we have come to expect from our town. Amherst has forward-thinking ideas about sustainability, complete streets, and affordable housing. We also have people that work in Amherst that can't afford to live here. Closing the gap between the values we project and the cost of those ideals, while keeping Amherst, Amherst is the main work ahead for our town and its governance. I'm running because I'm confident I can balance a long-term vision with a pragmatic approach to problem solving. As a small business owner, I have years of experience managing change with resiliency and taking calculated risks to both encourage innovation and sustain the livelihood of my employees. I believe in fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. I believe it's critical that our town's government encourage viable, meaningful participation from its residents. The Newtown Charter is designed to support this and it's incumbent on the counselors we elect to ensure that this is carried through. I'm running because when I came here as a college graduate, I found the hometown I had not experienced as a child. I believe in this town, and for me, it's worth working towards regaining and sustaining the community feeling we all benefit from. We're now on the cusp of another change, and I know I want to be part of building Amherst's future. Those two questions? Yes, I want to be your town counselor. And yes, with your help, I'm confident that we together can do a good job. I believe I have the skills to help us navigate through this next phase. And I hope to earn your support and trust as a town counselor. If what I've said resonates with you, please check out my website, SharonforNorthAmherst.org. And please consider voting for me on November 6th. Thank you.