An Unimpressive Senior Center

To the Editor:

I moved to Newtown five years ago, not knowing too much about Newtown. One of my first excursions was the Newtown Post Office, which was quite impressive. I thought if the post office was this impressive so should the Senior Center. When I went to sign up for my exercise class, I was very disappointed when I saw how little space was afforded to seniors to do the things they needed to do to stay healthy and the crafts that many of them love to do. Many of the rooms are cut off and therefore spatially smaller with very little sunlight. The main room is quite dreary and this is where they do everything: eat, watch TV, crafts, etc. The ladies who run the Senior Center do a marvelous job of decorating it and trying to make it more cheerful.

The exercise room is in the back, which is the brighter room but we are allowed only 21 people (including instructor) to attend this class, which is a strengthening class and quite important to us seniors. We have to arrive 45 minutes earlier to be assured a chair and equipment and many times we reach the maximum before 10:30 and have to turn people away.

The parking lot is another serious problem; it is too small to accommodate the cars so cars are being parked on the sides of the parking lot which is very dangerous for anyone, much less seniors considering the condition of the parking lot. The past five years that I have been exercising at the center, I have seen a tremendous growth and I think its about time something is done about it.

Tina Von Tanhausen

123 Louis Hill Road, Sandy Hook                                  April 3, 2012