I must confess I am completely mystified by our mayor’s Newton Housing Strategy: A Blueprint to Promote Affordable, Diverse Housing and Economic Growth (“Newton mayor launches push for housing options,’’ June 26).

Despite all the recent political talk about creating “affordable housing’’ in Newton, the current teardown craze the mayor supports contradicts that intention.

In my neighborhood (Newton Highlands, south of Route 9), an area specifically cited in the Housing Strategy as ripe for “residential densification, we are already witnessing dramatic changes in the housing stock. Large numbers of smaller homes that actually would have been affordable are being torn down by developers and replaced with multimillion-dollar mega-mansions, creating an odd patchwork of modest Capes and small ranches overwhelmed by towering mansions.

Recently on my street, a single-family home was demolished and replaced with a two-family on a small lot, each unit priced at $999,999! By whose measure is this affordable?

The city also seems bent on allowing special-permitted, high-density, multiunit developments with only a few “moderate-income’’ units, eliminating much-needed green space that makes Newton the community so many of us moved here for.

Should I be embarrassed that I wanted to live in an area with single-family homes on a nice, tree-lined street? That’s why we moved to Newton. My small Cape was quite expensive for our budget, but it was attainable. I could never afford to move to Newton now, with so many smaller houses disappearing.

The mayor’s Newton Housing Strategy dramatically increases density and decreases green space. It seems to me the only “economic growth’’ winners are the developers who, with the mayor’s encouragement, work around zoning laws to make a profit — and, in the process, are destroying the Garden City.

S. Barbier

Newton

ROOTING FOR A CHAMPION

Go Brady! (“Back in the game and playing hard,’’ July 3) You are awesome! bocrane

I have had the chance to interact with Brady — what a great kid. His father’s push to kids in the area is very inspiring. He doesn’t want you to feel sorry for Brady; he wants you to see what an awesome chance we all have been given to live our lives to appreciate the good things. Brady just plugs along fighting every day trying to be like everyone else. Brady’s Bunch is a great story bringing kids together playing a great sport. Keep plugging along, Brady and family!You are very inspirational to all of us.Laxfan33

The story made my day.Rescue-3

Minuteman school woes

When six of the original towns vote to withdraw from the district, that should be a red flag to the remaining towns. (“Sept. vote to settle Minuteman’s fate,’’ July 3)Potlemac

If they were building anything but a palace, it would have passed; the day of the plain Jane school will return, I hope.kilted FF

CYBER BETTING

Online gambling is less controllable by the state than in-person gambling at your convenience store. (“The Argument: Should the state Legislature allow the Lottery to offer online gambling?,’’ July 3) nhhiker

This is the most insidious form of gambling. It’s too easy to access. Impulse control is the biggest vulnerability of the young.Local86