I’m sure we are all keeping up with the discussions about the town center. One of the important facts we keep hearing is we need a town center like our surrounding towns — a center that would give the town another supermarket, which I truly do not believe we need; a huge shopping mall with upscale stores, which would probably be too expensive for the majority of the town to shop at; a new gymnasium, which we already have several in town.
Also, a school for kindergarten through first grade and for learning disabled students. If I am not mistaken, one of the major problems with redistricting is the fact that we want to keep our neighborhood schools. Who do we want to be the closest to home but our kindergarten and first-grade students?
These are the students we are talking about putting on a bus and sending them across town. Special education students by law must be mainstreamed into regular classrooms for their age. Therefore, the only special education students who would be attending the new school would be the kindergarten through first graders.
I know this tract of land will be developed, but does it have to be so large and something we really do not need? So what is it our town really needs? What could be built that would make other towns around take notice?
The center of town could really be something spectacular. What about building a huge teen center? The teens of Middletown do not have a place to go if they are not interested in sports. This could be developed into so much.
What about a senior citizen center? My grandmother lives in Neptune, and it has a great senior center with many activities for them. What does Middletown offer the growing population of seniors?
My last suggestion would be an open-air stage. This could be used for our summer concerts; maybe a performing arts program could be developed, and for graduations from high school and middle school.
This facility could be built with this in mind, and we would be saving $20,000 a year on graduation. Instead of giving that money to PNC Bank Center, we could put the money to better use for education. Just think of the amount of money that has been paid out for the past 30 years of graduations.
There has been more than $250,000 that has been paid out for graduations. Just think of the educational benefits we could have given to the students of Middletown.
So my question is: Are the Azzolinas really thinking about their town or about the increased money they will make off the town center?
Please take the time to ponder these ideas. I pray you make a decision that will benefit the people of Middletown, not just the Azzolinas’ pocket.
Debby Mrykalo
Belford section of Middletown