It’s No Wonder

To the Editor:

This past week my friend and I decided to play tennis at Dickinson Park and take advantage of the beautiful weather on our spring break. Just after we started playing, a man came over to us saying that he had the courts reserved for his tennis camp and that he’d be done at 5. (It was now 4:40). We complied and sat at the picnic tables nearby waiting for his camp to finish. As we sat at the tables, however, we kept watching the courts, observing that for the next 15 minutes three of them were still not in use by the campers. Even though we were frustrated, after waiting 15 minutes, we felt we might as well not make the man angry and continue to wait until 5. Five o’clock came and we walked back up to the courts only to find yet another tennis camp full of kids come and take up all the courts. We ended up leaving, annoyed that we waited for no reason.

The most aggravating part of those 20 minutes was of course the fact that the man insisted that he had reserved the courts, but then did not use them. The town has great programs for little kids, such as this tennis camp. However, when two teenagers would like to spend some healthy time outside in the town park it is impossible. With no space for teenagers in the parks, and no indoor facilities, how do you think they spend their days and nights?

Drugs and drinking is much more than a small problem in Newtown. It seems the town is not doing much to help the situation. The SADD program at the high school is of course a fantastic program with enthusiastic leaders. It does not, however, make a huge impact on the use of drugs and alcohol by high school students simply because there is nothing else for the teenagers to do in Newtown. It is great that there are so many programs for children. I myself took advantage of the programs when I was younger. However, those children grow up, and the parents don’t necessarily move out of town.

It’s no wonder and it’s no secret that the teenagers in this town fall to drinking and drug use. At this point, it doesn’t seem like anything will change, either.

Nicole Borruso

7 Galilee Way, Newtown                                                 April 23, 2007