I wish Richard Claypoole all the best in his move to Pinehurst, N.C., as he described in his Nov. 24 letter, “Saying goodbye to Lewes.” I am sure he is looking forward to a wonderful new life there. I hope he finds in Pinehurst his Lloyd’s Market, Mr. P’s Pizza and the other wonderful merchants and friends he is leaving behind in Lewes.
What I hope he does not suffer in Pinehurst are the criticisms of longtime residents who have problems with the town he is excited to live in and which he thought was his eventual retirement community, as my wife and I feel about Lewes. I hope he is not subject to letters to the local paper which bemoan, lament and insult what Pinehurst may eventually become, just as Claypoole bemoans, laments and insults what he feels Lewes has already become: a town bloated by intruders from the north, invading what was once a lovely community, now congested with golfers and tennis addicts, a mini-Nags Head with hoards invading to enjoy the beaches and bars that beckon, only this time golf courses and tennis courts.
My wife and I moved to Lewes because we wanted to be near the ocean and its beaches, in a town rich with people, activities and restaurants, near boardwalks with shops, activities and games for families to enjoy in the spring and fall, as well as the summer; where we saw a quaint shopping quarter in downtown Lewes, an historic church, cemetery and other areas rich in the history of the state; where we could buy a new home at a reasonable price, in a community of friends of all persuasions and cultures, with activities giving us the chance to meet those people, not just play golf and tennis with two or three others; and where, despite road construction intended to alleviate problems, we could manage to get where we were going soon enough because our destinations were not nearly as distant as in the D.C. area from which we came.
I do not deny Claypoole the right to love, hate or simply not care about Lewes. He has the right to shout it to the world. He can lament the transformation of Lewes into an overdeveloped mini-Ocean City, and he has the absolute right to condemn all of the things he finds wrong with his former home. However, I believe that just because you can vent to the world doesn’t me you should. My wife and I are here for the same reasons Claypoole is moving to Pinehurst. It is upsetting, and demoralizing, to read an extensive condemnation of our new home. Leave, but don’t burn your bridges. And especially don’t ruin it here for others. I wish you happiness in Pinehurst just as much as I wish happiness for us, here in Lewes.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
