If you believe a community should spend money only on necessities, don’t read this. If your personal vision for Newtown has no frills, avert your eyes. If the frosting on the cake offends you, you’re in the wrong place. For this week we are talking about the merits of spending money on something we could do without – the 1924 Hall Pipe Organ in the Newtown Meeting House.

The organ was badly damaged by water in September 1999 during Hurricane Floyd, compounding problems it already suffered at the hands of age and use. So the Heritage Preservation Trust of Newtown lived up to all the noble words of its name and launched a restoration project to breathe life back into the organ and its 325 pipes. The project went ahead on faith that when it came time to pay the bill, the people of Newtown would step forward, either individually or in groups, to lend their financial support.

The bill has come due. Specialists from Foley-Baker, Inc., of Bolton spent ten weeks making the repairs, including disassembly, complete refurbishing, and reassembly of the complex instrument. According to Lenny Manz, who has played the pipe organ at the Meeting House, formerly the Congregational Church, for 50 years, the pipes absolutely sing. The price for the resurrection of the old and venerable organ is $75,000.

The Heritage Preservation Trust of Newtown, which administers the town-owned Meeting House, is not without resources, but the money it does have is needed for the continuing maintenance of the Main Street landmark. So a special campaign is needed to pay for the pipe organ. To reach out to the community in this campaign, the Trust has arranged for this week’s Bee to carry an envelope that simplifies the donation process for townspeople.

As we mentioned before, a pipe organ in the Meeting House may not be at the top of our list of priorities for the community. It is not a necessity, just as sparklers on the Fourth, pinwheels on the handlebars, and marshmallows on the campfire stick are not necessities. These are, however, the things life’s best memories are made of. If you doubt it, we invite you to take a seat at the recital on September 30, when selected organists will put the new Meeting House organ through its paces. These kinds of experiences are what make life so good in a town like Newtown. They have value even though it is possible to survive without them. We urge you to pull out that envelope this week and think about how much value they have for you.