Evil Came to Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012. My name is Richelle Ward and I have blogged about life in Newtown, CT for several years now. I blog about local happenings, my observations of the town and I sprinkle in real estate happenings such as homes I’ve listed for sale and real estate statistics. I post items that present Newtown in a positive light and that show the beauty of my town. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to put a positive spin on the tragic events that occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. I feel that as a Newtown blogger, that I have an obligation to post about this subject, but I don't really want to.
The media has done a wonderful job in portraying Newtown as a nice place to live, a place with a sense of community. They’ve even talked about the wonderful school district and how people have flocked to Newtown to take advantage of it for their children. I’ve heard words like: peaceful, bucolic, picturesque, idyllic, affluent and quintessential. These are all great words that describe Newtown in its purest form.
Yesterday, I was afraid to leave my home. I was not afraid for my safety. I was afraid to see how much my town had changed. Finally, I worked up enough courage to leave my home and check things out. I came down to Main Street and there were news vehicles in front of Edmond Town Hall. Traffic (yes traffic in Newtown) was moving slowly on Main Street.
I decided to go to Bagel Delight, a place that I often frequent. It is always busy in there with the hubbub of a small town eatery. I walked in and although there was a long line, it was quiet. Those of us who knew each other gave a curt nod to each other, looked into each other’s eyes and said nothing. Overwhelming sadness was present.
Out of curiosity, I drove down to Sandy Hook Center to have a look and see what was going on. There was a massive traffic jam and I decided that I didn’t want to get involved. So, I turned around and meandered through Newtown on my way home.
I discovered yesterday that Newtown, the town itself, hasn’t changed. The roads and homes are all the same. Everything looks the same … it is still a beautiful place to live in. The people of Newtown are shell shocked and a tremendous hole has engulfed Newtown for the moment. Newtown has been in existence since the early 1700’s and it’s not going anywhere.
The people of Newtown are a resilient bunch. We will band together and support each other through this nightmare. We will find our way through and most of us will recover from these tragic events. The outside world is looking in and we are being offered everything.
I have many questions and concerns. As a resident of Newtown, my greatest concern is the long term effects of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. How far reaching and pervasive will the effects be? As a Realtor, I cannot help but think does this one event stigmatize Newtown forever? Has Newtown now become a place where people no longer want to live? What will the impact on the real estate market be?
When I came out of Bagel Delight yesterday, a newscaster asked if she could interview me. I was asked several questions and I cried as I answered them. The one question that I couldn’t answer was “How does Newtown recover from this?” My response was, “I wish I had the answer”. Evil Came to Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012 and it has left its mark here.
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