Newtown Is Not ‘The Best’ For Seniors

To the Editor:

Could it be true that Newtown is the best of all of the surrounding towns? I’ve been told by many that it is. It would seem that to be “the best” would mean providing all a town is willing to offer all of its residents. It is a sad commentary that surrounding towns have so much more to offer their senior residents than the “best” Newtown is willing to provide. Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, Shelton, Oxford, Southbury, just to name a few, seem to care more about providing the “best” for their senior citizens than Newtown.

The almost 40-year-old Newtown Senior Center is in dire need of a new development. The current center is the smallest and most inadequate compared to the other facilities in the towns mentioned here. Newtown seniors are being turned away from popular exercise and yoga classes due to overcrowded scheduled activities. New activities cannot be planned due to the lack of space to accommodate new programs while the current full schedule load of programs is running. Our seniors have to go to the centers of the surrounding towns to enjoy some of the programs they cannot participate in Newtown. Many go to the larger Bethel or Brookfield Senior Centers to participate in their Zumba classes or other exercise classes due to the lack of space in Newtown.

There are over 5,000 Newtown seniors and the tally continually increases. All of our younger residents will be seniors one day, some of them within the next few years. The seniors are the fastest growing population in town, yet they seem to receive the least attention and lack of adequate and timely resolution to this problem. These are the same seniors who have fought our wars and lost loved ones in wars, who gave their lives so those who survived would have the ability to grow older with grace and dignity. There is no grace and dignity afforded to our senior population when it is necessary to beg to be counted important enough to be given priority status. There always seems to be more important projects planned. We pay high taxes, but there never seems to be enough money.

Is there a wonderful philanthropist out there who would be willing to provide funds specifically targeted to build our seniors a center we could all be proud of? The name of such a benefactor would be emblazoned on the center walls!

Carol Bistany

43 Elizabeth Circle, Sandy Hook                                  April 17, 2012