To the Editor:

It is the height of absurdity that the Newtown Community Center Commission has decided to put the bulk of the GE gift money to build a 50 meter Olympic size swimming pool.

This idea was originally brought up by Selectman James Gaston about a year ago at a community meeting and was met with confused looks from community members with Pat Llodra quickly escorting him off the meeting floor.

Now, a year later after much upheaval over how to use the GE money, the competition-sized pool is once again at the center of the plan.

Sorry Newtown Police. Sorry Parks & Recreation. Sorry Newtown youngsters. Sorry seniors.  We need to train some future Olympic swimmers.

Llodra has reiterated again and again that GE stipulated the gift money was intended for Newtown to  create a building unlike any other that already exists in town, such as a police station. This is untrue.

While reporting for The Patch last year, the spokeswoman for GE told me the town could use the money for whatever type of building or structure they wanted. I asked her, "You mean if we wanted to build a giant ball field, GE would be okay with that?"  "Yes," the spokeswoman replied.

Pat Llodra was quoted in the press as saying after the shooting tragedy that it was apparent that Newtown needed a central place to congregate in a time of need.

I hope everyone in town is good at treading water should we ever need to use our new giant commu-nity center pool to join together for support in the future.

Having to deal with people like the decision-makers in Newtown, it's no wonder GE has fled the state.

Rebecca Carnes

150A Hanover Road, Newtown         February 16, 2016