The Oct. 4 letter from Valerie Wood and the attached headline “Schaeffer puts developers first” is completely at odds with my experience of Sussex County Council member Mark Schaeffer.
As a resident of Governors in Lewes, I have seen Schaeffer take time to listen and understand the issues we face as a community in the midst of so much ongoing development. When we expressed concern about plans for a connecting road from the proposed Village Center on Kings Highway to allow all traffic into our neighborhood, it was Schaeffer who first proposed and then convinced his fellow council members to require an electronic gate between the two communities. This would allow pedestrians and cyclists to pass freely, along with first responders as needed. It would prevent other traffic from bypassing the light at Gills Neck Road, which would create a big safety risk for the many families with children who walk along this road to our clubhouse and pool in the traffic-heavy summer months.
At no time has Schaeffer given us any indication that he was favoring developers in Lewes. Instead, he has shown a fair and balanced approach to residents and landowners. Perhaps above all, he has always been the very first member of council to respond to letters and calls – the hallmark of an elected official listening to his constituents. Letters supporting his opponent should focus on the credentials of that opponent, not on painting a one-sided and patently unfair picture of someone who goes to great lengths to represent our community. Please stop the hyperbole and excessive use of exclamation points to argue for a candidate by disparaging the character of another.
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