To the Editor:

In the wake of 12/14, the world looked at Newtown with admiration; we were kind, giving, gracious.  A model community.

As our community struggled to cope with the tragedy, GE kindly donated  $15 million to construct a community center.  The Newtown Community Center Commission has been hard at work for almost a year, and has done a phenomenal job considering they want to make as many people happy as they can.  It's a thankless job.  Thank you all.

The proposal is to construct a 30,000 square foot aquatic center, a 30,000 square foot ice rink and a 13,000 square foot community center (rooms for various community activities).  Please consider that sports rule in this town.  Our schools budget favors sports over any other school activity. I sent in brushes for my daughter's art classes.  She complains constantly that they do not have enough sup-plies.  Yet we have 30 sports fields, and more are needed.

So the new community center will be composed of 61,000 square feet that will serve about 20 percent of our population and 13,000  square feet that will serve the remainder 80 percent of our population. Or 80 percent of the space will serve 20 percent of residents, and 20 percent of the space will serve 80 per-cent of the residents!  As the NCCC describes this multipurpose, multi-generational facility:  the arts, music, teens, toddlers, infants, moms, dads,  mental health counselors, card players, knitters, crochet, cooks, jugglers, yoga, wellness classes, potters, dancers, tuba players, computer classes, wood workers, bikers, Lego builders, body builders, jewelry makers, books clubs, writers, the handicapped, grandma and grandpa can all share the 13,000 sq ft. One big happy family!   The arts that are so lacking in this community, have virtually no space.

Yet the most disturbing part of all of this is that there was no attention  given to the most vulnerable, fragile members of our society. Nothing for the mental and emotional needs, nothing for addiction counseling and treatment. Nothing for teens or seniors.  It shows a lack of character in a community not to think of its most needy, vulnerable members. It is very easy to picket the NSSF and lobby against guns.  It is extremely difficult to tackle the crisis of lack of access and treatment for mental health issues.  We have the opportunity to do it!

As I have said, Kevin's Community Center is our model.  We have been through undeniable trauma, and we can rise above this and think of others. Do something good. Something to be proud of.  Some-thing that the world will look at us again with admiration.  This is our wow factor.  Let us be unselfish. Let's do the honorable thing. Let's make this community center a model that takes into account those that need a community the most.  Don't throw this opportunity away.

Call Pat Llodra 203-270-4201, and tell her we want to do what's right.

Or we can heal through hockey.

Cris Carvalho

5 Sunset Hill Road, Newtown         February 10, 2016