Overwhelming Fencing

At The Monument

To the Editor:

Along with many other Newtowners, I, too, greatly appreciate and admire the sweeping openness and majesty of our famous Main Street. No other town or city in Connecticut can match the grandeur of our Main Street’s architecture or the crowning glory of our flagpole in the middle of the road.

Several things occur to me as I come up Main street daily and turn into Hanover Road and I see the overwhelming fencing of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in progress. I am greatly concerned about closing up the island and actually diminishing our view of the monument — Mary Hawley’s memorial gift to the town is a truly historic monument to be appreciated and it should stand unencumbered and proudly visible to all. I am also concerned about minimizing the space on the island where other war memorial plaques might properly be placed in the future. Such, for example, as the Gulf War Memorial which is currently under consideration.

Together with the historic architecture and grand flagpole, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Monument Island must continue to be an enhancement on our Main Street.

Sincerely

Mae S. Schmidle

Echo Valley, Newtown                                           November 22, 2004