Dear Reading Residents,

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincerest gratitude for the incredible support I received during my recent campaign for the Select Board and the subsequent recount process. I am thankful for all residents that came to the polls and cast their vote on April 4th.

Although the result was not what I hoped for, I am proud of our campaign. We remained committed to the issues and ideas that we believed in, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this democratic process.

I want to thank all town staff, town election staff, and, especially, Laura Gemme, who worked tirelessly to ensure a fair and transparent election. It is because of your dedication that our community can have faith in the integrity of the process.

I am incredibly grateful for the support of my campaign team. It is because of your unwavering assistance that I was able to run a positive campaign. Your help and encouragement were invaluable in getting our message out to the community and ensuring that every vote was counted accurately. I am indebted to all the residents that hosted signs, held signs on the common, even in the pouring down rain, wrote LTEs in support of me, and volunteered in any capacity to assist with my campaign and/or the recount.

I would like to congratulate Carlo Bacci and Karen Herrick on their Select Board seats.

Although I will not be serving on the Select Board, I remain committed to being an active and engaged community member. Together, we can work towards a better future for our town.

Sincerely,

Melissa L. Murphy