Dear Editor:

I’m finally getting around to writing this letter I’ve been saying I’d write for the past couple of years.

I’ve been a resident f Massapequa all my life. I remember as a child when the Sunrise Mall was first built. Who could forget going to Farrell’s?

My issue is that the Sunrise Mall is not family friendly. I find myself traveling all the way to Roosevelt Field Mall for a day of shopping with my family. The Sunrise Mall has not kept up with modern times. When I go to malls out of state, I am amazed at all the child-friendly areas these malls include. In Maryland’s Annapolis mall, there is a very large sunken-in carpeted area for the kids to run around. There is modest climbing equipment and areas for care givers to closely view the kids. Equally important, around this "kid pit," there are various treats and coffee stands for us grown-ups.

The Sunrise Mall has that big silver fountain...whatever it is, across from J.C. Penney’s. Thirty years ago it might have been considered "modern art." However, now it is extremely outdated. It serves no real purpose and is in my opinion an eyesore. Why can’t that be removed and some sort of a carpeted "kid pit" take its place. The kids could run around, have fun while their care givers watch and relax with a cup of coffee.

Bonnie Petrone, Massapequa