FARMVILLE — Ward A town council member Dr. Edward I. Gordon has decided not to run for reelection.

“I really thought long and hard, a long time, about this,” he said Tuesday morning.

“I’ve been thinking about whether I should run for another four years on town council and I feel I’ve worked with a group of people over the years who have been very good.”

The two-term council member, first elected eight years ago, had nothing but praise for his fellow town council members, Town officials and employees.

“I really enjoyed everything,” he said. “It was something I cherished.”

Dr. Gordon, who will continue practicing medicine, was particularly pleased that town council members were able to remain friends, whether they agreed on a particular issue or not.

“That has made it really enjoyable,” he said. “We may not have always agreed but I think we were an unusual group, compared to others (governing bodies), and basically when we did disagree we were still able to stay friends and shake hands, walk away with a smile, and that made it an experience you wouldn’t forget.”

The eight years on town council have been very rewarding for him. “I’ve been very proud to have been part of the Town and guide it and help make it what it is,” he said.

But Dr. Gordon describes himself as being ready to “open up another chapter” in his life while he can enjoy doing so “and basically visit other places and have a chance to vacation and relax and I’ve kind of got that built into my newer thinking. So I guess that the realization has taken place that I want to turn to a new chapter…It’s now my time to kind of stay on the sidelines and root for this place.

“The town was great before I started, I think it was great while I was there, and I think,” the physician said, “it’s going to remain great.”

As for being a doctor, he never plans to retire and will remain an active physician for as long, he said, as God allows him to.