 Hi, I'm Rob Cussner, the candidate for Amherst Town Council, seeking one of your three at-large votes. We're about to embark on a new experiment in governing the town, so it's important to elect counselors who have experience serving the people of Amherst, who work constructively and persistently to accomplish long-term goals, but who also can think critically and independently about the future of our community, both within the borders of Amherst and beyond. If you've walked or cycled an erotic rail trail recently, you've seen a good example of my efforts and accomplishments in this direction. Back in 2006, then-Congressman John Olver called upon me to revitalize the advisory committee that would oversee the redesign and reconstruction of this 12-mile-long conservation, recreation and transportation corridor, serving Amherst, Hadley, and Northampton. I was unanimously elected chair by representatives of these three communities, and then over the next decade led the committee through a complex regulatory and design process, negotiating consensus among multiple conflicting interests, listening carefully to, and working with public and professional individuals and officials from throughout the Commonwealth. After several years of monthly meetings, we arrived at a design which we and the public were very happy, and then we worked to ensure its implementation. I hope you enjoy the results next time you're out on the trail. I've also served on the Amherst Select Board between 2005 and 2008 on the Conservation Commission between 2000 and 2003, and as chair of Amherst's Public Transportation BISEL Committee. On the Select Board, I take some pride in helping to negotiate the agreement between the town of Amherst and the UMass police department to cooperate on coverage of the town and the university, which saved the community a great deal of resources. I helped with former town manager and then finance director John Musanti to turn around some of the problems with the Health Claims Trust Fund that were present at the time I took office, and I led efforts while on the board to acquire farmland and conservation land for the town, among many other things. During my time on the Conservation Commission that was during the era of Pete Westover, I worked on both the implementation of various trail projects, including the Swift Way, what's now called the Swift Way, and that was done with Arthur Swift and Pete over many years of discussion and planning and design, and also the routine work of enforcing the wetlands laws of the town and the Commonwealth. On the Transportation and BISEL Committee, I served with Arthur Swift for a number of years and then chaired the Transportation Committee during the last couple of years, and during that time we essentially designed the present bus system and the bicycle infrastructure of the town. I've been a town meeting member since the early 1990s. In fact, my maiden speeches to town meeting concerned both the public schools where I was advocating for universal preschool and also for world language in the elementary schools and also petitioning for bus service. One of those worked out pretty well, the other one didn't. Professional I'm a mathematician who's conducted research worldwide and observed how people live and organize their societies. I've been on the faculty at UMass since 1988, raised a family, my son attended the preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools here at Amherst. If elected, I predged to bring my long experience, my creative skills, my intimate knowledge of the town, and my deep passion for Amherst to serve you as a counselor. Thanks for your attention. Thanks to Amherst Media for this forum, and thanks to all of you for coming out to vote on September 4th and November 6th, and please stay active in governing our community. Thank you.