It All Comes Down To Fairfield Hills

To the Editor:

It’s sad to feel every day that your town is going downhill. Wonderful people that you admire because they speak up, vilified by others. Editorials so slanted that you buy the News-Times to get a more honest picture of what is taking place in Newtown.

It wasn’t this way when we moved here eight or nine years ago.

In my mind, it all comes down to Fairfield Hills.

So let’s take the first of Mr Magniafico’s generous offer that the selectmen answer our questions three times a year.

Herb Rosenthal: Herb, why in these economic times, do you continue to support and spend for a new town hall when the Board of Education is considering laying off teachers that are critical to the children’s development? What we take away from these children can never be replaced, but a building can be postponed with little or no impact on this community.

Paul Magniafico: Paul, you once spoke strongly against building a new town hall at the expense of education. What changed your mind?

Bob Geckle: Bob, many of us are confused about your responsibilities as chairman of the Fairfield Hills Authority. When asked for an accounting of expenditures by category, you refer these questions to others. When asked what the current plans are to complete Fairfield Hills, and at what cost, we are referred to the town’s website or told that O&G is doing the accounting. What may we expect going forward? You have constantly stated your intention to lease the remaining buildings, so please walk us through the specifics of the two leases made to date so that we can determine their benefits to the town, and if this is truly the way to go in the future.

Then one final question addressed to all the members of the Board of Selectmen: Aren’t you obligated to keep the taxpayers of Newtown informed about the current activity and future development at Fairfield Hills? Few of us, if any, can tell what plan is being worked on. I got left behind when you walked away from a plan that included seven or more playing fields.

It is my hope that we can go back to what we once were. A beautiful town, composed of lovely people who could make a friendly wave to someone passing…and mean it!

Richard Cole

72 Main Street, Newtown                                                  April 1, 2009