Thanks to Peru
TO THE EDITOR: Thank You, Peru! I would like to thank everyone in Peru for participating in what will be remembered as one of the most interesting elections in our community's history. I also want to thank you for the support and help I received during my part in it.

I wish to also publicly send a sincere congratulation to Sue Polhemus and Jim Douglas on their wins. They both showed real integrity during the campaign, and I have come to consider them friends. They will make great councilors. Good luck and God bless to them both.

I may not have won the election, but I walk away from the experience more enriched than when I started. I met so many people and learned so much about Peru that I can say it was absolutely worth every ounce of energy I poured into it. I want everyone to know I absolutely have no hard feelings by the results, and will continue to serve this wonderful community in any capacity that presents itself with all the enthusiasm and vigor I provide to any endeavor. I'll see you around town.

Don McBrayer

Peru

Getting out the vote
TO THE EDITOR: Volunteers from Voters for Change were active phoners for Bill Owens. Up to the last weekend, we had made well over 1,000 calls. And many more were made to get out the vote in the last few days.

When he visited Saranac Lake at lunch time on Election Day, Bill asked me to express his personal thanks to each person participating in the phone bank for all their hard work. They were Nancy Bernstein, Yvona Fast, Diane Bryjak, Alan Brown, Susan Moody, Dave Ryan, Linda Gertsch, Pat Willis, Denise Griffin, Linda Madon, Pat Manchester and Ellen Beberman.

In the first four weeks of calling, most people did not realize there was an upcoming election or certainly had not focused on it. Frequently, we left messages on answering machine and suggested that the voter check out Bill's website. Then came the unpleasant avalanche of robo-calls and TV ads from organizations outside the Adirondacks. At the end, we just reminded folks to get out and vote. Our goal was to encourage people to be informed about the issues (hopefully seeing it our way!) and to participate.

This campaign follows on our activity in previous years, trying to make a difference: 10,000 calls to Pennsylvania for John Kerry; 3,000 calls for Kirsten Gillibrand's first Congressional race; and 3,000 calls for Jeanne Shaheen's Senate race in New Hampshire. Is it fun? It's fun because we have winners (even Kerry won in Pennsylvania). And it's great when we actually get to talk to someone instead of leaving messages. Almost everyone is pleasant; many have stories to tell about why they are voting one way or another. And we have the satisfaction of participating in the great process of democracy.

My thanks to all of you who participated.

Nancy Murphy

Vermontville