The Learning Center has served the community teaching computer-related skills to beginning and advanced users on all platforms, tablets, smart phones and cameras for 14 years.

TLC is supported by the town, volunteers and students. The town provides the use of a dedicated Community Center room at a reduced rental rate, the volunteer instructors have donated in excess of 3,000 hours a year and students pay for classes.

With this combined support TLC breaks even while paying their own expenses, purchasing and upgrading equipment and licenses without any town expense.

There is discussion at the Community Services Advistory Commission level to terminate the TLC room lease and raise the rent by some eight times while reducing the room available to TLC from five to three days.

This action is contemplated independent of the TLC service value to the residents or the financial burden that it will impart on future students, raising class fees from $15 to over $40.

The incentive for this action is to avail the Community Center of TLC room space for recreational activities. TLC offered to only occupy the room between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., three days a week, and remove their equipment each day.

The room, along with TLC’s overhead projector, would be available for other activities during the off-days and all evenings.

Last year TLC had 186 classes attended by 600 students. The students pay the class free and also much purchase an Activity Center membership paid to the town. The TLC students make up a large percentage of the 1,200 Activity Center members.

During the past CSAC meetings it appears that at least one individual is lobbying to burden TLC’s outstanding service with insurmountable obstacles. I, along with others, find this perplexing mindset inconceivable in light of the commendable TLC value we should be promoting.