Dear Editor:

Marty Klein's international experience may have been overlooked in the run up to the November election. His experience in that area will serve him well if he is elected First Selectman for Killingworth.

I have known Marty for 10+ years. I grew to respect him during my tenure with him on the Democratic Town Committee, and I find him to be a man of passion and commitment: someone who really cares about his community and wants to change things for the better. I admire his willingness to jump into controversial issues, his strong moral compass and sense of right and wrong, his outspokenness, and his ability to lead others.

Marty's experience in international affairs will come in handy if elected First Selectman. Having traveled as extensively as Marty has means that he has come into contact with all sorts of people across all sorts of cultures. His ability to get things done-he is an international advisor in the care, feeding and marketing of farm animals-in numerous types of unique circumstances will serve him well in Killingworth because our community is also unique. We live in a town with a diversity and breadth of ideas and points of view that is out of proportion to the small size of our town. Whoever is elected to serve as our next First Selectman will need experience in the care and feeding of our varied populace. Marty has this know-how, and I believe he will need it in Killingworth, as surely as I believe we will never find WMD in Iraq in my lifetime (I'm 52).

Marty Klein cut his teeth solving problems in Connecticut as well as overseas. I have found him to be fearless in his pursuit of answers to pressing questions; and he is likely to confront many of them if elected, such as "How can Killingworth maintain its present rural character, and at the same time anticipate the future?" He will advocate for our town, he will be there to talk to us when his office door opens, and he will improve the quality of our lives. I recommend that we vote to elect him as our next First Selectman.

Rick Berzon
Killingworth