Town Meeting Etiquette

To the Editor:

This is for the person who sat on the floor in the right rear of the NHS Auditorium and allowed her two very young children to jabber between themselves in extremely loud voices as well as run up and down the side aisles during the Wednesday night “extremely important” town meeting to decide whether Newtown was going to approve buying Fairfield Hills from the state as well as build a new 5/6 school in town. I sat down in my chair at 7:15 pm. And left the auditorium at 8:40 pm because I could not ear any of the speakers up front from the time the meeting started. All I could hear were these children talking and running by me while you just sat there and did nothing.

Have you ever sat in a movie theater and had your experience ruined by those talking incessantly around you? Needless to say, when I left I was quite upset, and I will say that those sitting around me were not happy either. Whatever happed to common decency and respect for those around you? A town meeting that starts at 8 pm and is approximated to end by “midnight” is obviously no place for very young children. All I can say is that if you could not leave the kids at home or get a sitter, you should not have come. I can guess that you did not stay for the entire meeting anyway. Well, needless to say I did not get to cast my vote but I did show up.

Also, while we are talking about respect and decency for those around us, those of you who kept their cell phones on during the meeting after being told to shut them off (I heard one go off), if you can’t keep your phone off for a couple of hours, it’s very sad for you. You should not even have to be told of something that should be so common sense!

And just so everyone in town knows, my vote would have been Yes! for Fairfield Hills and Yes! for a new 5/6 school for our kids.

Karen Dugan

6 Fox Run Lane, Newtown                                                 June 8, 2001