Shocked And

Amazed  

To the Editor,

Like many people, I received an e-mail informing me that the new town hall project was being pushed through ahead of many immediate needs in the school system infrastructure and without a clear plan in place for Fairfield Hills. Last Wednesday I attended the Legislative Council meeting to add my presence to the other 400-plus individuals who were also concerned regarding this course of action. For two hours residents voiced vehement opposition to the new town hall, begged for funds to fix our schools, and asked for a clear vision of what is planned for Fairfield Hills.

At the end of that time, the council adjourned for ten minutes while a majority of the attendees left. When the meeting reconvened, what happened next shocked and amazed me. Mr Rosenthal stepped up to the microphone and restated his commitment to a new town hall. There was no hesitation in his statement what so ever. It was if he had not been there for the prior two hours. I would have expected an eagerness to address his constituents concerns or to at least seem sympathetic. That was not the case at all. 

To date, I have had a somewhat apathetic attitude regarding Fairfield Hills. I assumed that our elected officials would do the right thing. It seems that I was wrong. Now that other priorities have become apparent, they are just throwing up their hands, declaring nothing can be done, and moving on, regardless of what the populous wants. We need to be proactive for the sake of the children of this community.

As a native Newtowner born and raised here, I returned six years ago with a family of my own. I wanted to raise my daughter in a town that was well known for its quality school system, not because I thought we would have a grand town hall. 

Sandy (Scheibel) Schill

23 Gelding Hill Road, Sandy Hook                        February 14, 2007