Keep Newtown Special

To the Editor:

The daffodils are here… and so is our town and school budget referendum! Let’s all get out and vote on Tuesday, April 26, at the Middle School between 6 am and 8 pm.

I have a challenge for Newtown: we have approximately 17,000 registered voters yet only about 5,300 voted last year. Let the record show this year that many more of us will care enough to vote April 26 for the things that make our town so special: responsive and civic-minded fire and police, schools bursting with eager children and dedicated staff, diverse recreational programs for all ages, a fabulous library, an overcrowded but spirited senior center, a large, picturesque town with well-maintained roads, numerous behind-the-scenes community services, and all of the things in between that we take for granted every day of our lives.

And let’s not forget programs that assist those facing difficult challenges with their health and/or financial obligations, programs such as the food pantry, counseling services, senior tax deferment, and Kevin’s Community Center. Lastly, let’s support an educational system that provides the opportunity for every child to reach his or her potential, with no exceptions. Preparing our youth for the global economy in which they will live as adults is a necessity and a privilege, which I embrace.

 The budget has been through the steps outlined by our Town Charter…multiple reviews and reductions…and now it is ready to be passed…the first time around! If the budget does not pass on April 26, very large reductions will have to be made before another vote is taken, reductions that will be felt by each and every one of us. Our tax dollars will go toward maintaining what we have with a bit leftover to keep us inching a few steps forward.  After all, let’s heed our mother’s warning that “You get what you pay for.” We all know that keeping up with our obligations and paying along the way, rather than trying to catch up in some undetermined future time, is smart for our families, our town, our schools, and our community. Sound fiscal management such as we have here needs to be supported.

Isn’t it worth five minutes of your time to keep Newtown special?

Sarah Beier

7 Yogananda Street, Sandy Hook                                April 12, 2005