Admitting That Times

Have Changed

To the Editor:

Moving town hall to Fairfield Hills may have seemed like a good idea a few years ago, but it is a bad idea today. Moving town hall to Fairfield Hills will waste money and destroy the heart of Newtown.

We have a splendid building on our beautiful historic Main Street, which can be  adapted and upgraded to continue serving as our center of government. If modern electronic record keeping hasn’t already reduced storage space needs, it will soon. If every single town and education office can’t fit into the central location, they can be still connected by computer from other locations. Besides, there is room for expansion.

Of course there are competing needs: the volunteers of Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 may not want to move from their station; or perhaps they might enjoy the long-empty Grand Union — a proven dog in terms of economic development — which boasts an enormous indoor space with a vast parking lot and multiple exits. Similarly, people who book the gym and the Alexander Room for events might find ample space at Bridgeport Hall.

As for the wonderful auditorium, it can put to more use than only projecting movies by flying the screen out of the way to clear the stage for theater, music, dance, lectures, and town meetings.

Saving Edmond Town Hall, saving money, and saving Main Street, will take bold leaders who are willing to admit that times have changed and that yesterday’s dreams are becoming tomorrow’s folly.

Justin Scott

Parmalee Hill Road, Newtown                                         June 5, 2007