Goodbye, Lewes. We are moving to Pinehurst, N.C., leaving behind the formerly small village of Lewes with its dated reputation as a key cog in the Slower Lower Delaware identifier. From our first visit in 2005 to today, Lewes has been transformed into an overdeveloped, bustling, bursting mini-Ocean City, but with charm. We’re moving because we don’t enjoy the pace of living here anymore. We’ll miss quite a few things; others, not at all.
We’ll miss friends and neighbors, but we won’t miss those who can’t accept that their glamorous careers are gone along with their hairlines and waistlines. Almost everyone here has past glories. Move on.
We’ll miss good political friends. We’ll miss Ernie Lopez and Steve Smyk who, along with Pete Schwartzkopf, worked seamlessly for the benefit of the entire area. We’ll miss our friend Ted Becker. His professionalism and dedication as mayor will never be matched. While three of these gentlemen may have concluded their careers, Ernie Lopez is too bright a star to have left politics. Delaware and the nation need politicians with Ernie’s skills, compassion and leadership qualities. Personally, we will miss long evenings with Ernie discussing family, friends and politics.
We’ll miss the Cape Gazette and its forum for malcontents who seem unhappy unless they can stir that tempest in a teapot. Last year, it was the placement of the menhaden net reel. If it were to be moved 1 inch, blatant racism had to be the cause. Not to be outdone, this year’s causes célèbres are names – road names and beach names. My God, with the Middle East on fire after the murderous attack on Israel, think about how sophomoric your concerns appear.
More cheerfully, there is much everyday good about the Lewes we are leaving behind:
• Lloyd’s Market - Lewes’ pantry where some of whatever you want can be found, including for us Dawn’s chicken salad and Fifer’s apple cinnamon donuts
• Mr. P’s Pizza, where everybody knows your name. Friday nights won’t be the same without pepperoni, half mushroom hot in the oven before the door has closed behind us. Great, friendly staff
• Hazzard’s gas station with its cheapest – a real oxymoron, these days – prices in the area
• Kindle restaurant where Linda, the hostess, can always find seats even on Thursdays when the filet mignon special packs the place. The best steak in town
• The early morning walks with my dog, Rory, in the wooded solitude of Cape Henlopen State Park
• Christmastime with Lewes’ holiday bedecked streets and Christmas parade enhanced by whiskey in a thermos, Touch of Italy grilled sausage, and the piece de resistance – the “beautifully” decorated Waste Management truck almost prancing down Second Street
• Developers – just kidding. Who will miss these marauders who think trees are bad and gridlock is good, and where the concept of development combined with supporting infrastructure is anathema
• Finally, I will miss the town’s graveyards where lie the bones of so many of my relatives. Here’s a fond adieu to y’all.
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