Like most Thanksgivings, we had family from out of town visiting. As always, hosting at the beach comes with sharing with others the beautiful place we call home. As with most gatherings, especially when the liquid refreshment is in full flow, conversations turn to politics. It is always interesting to hear how folks from other locales talk about their beloved, or not so beloved, elected officials.
What struck me most in listening this year was how disappointed folks are with all the one party versus the other party talk that, while constant at the national level, has slowly filtered down to most local areas. All politics is national now and seems to be the theme of the day, along with all the baggage that comes with it. How proud I was to pipe up when it was my turn to share that for over a decade our area had been represented by two of the finest public servants in the entire state. One is a Democrat and the other is a Republican. One is a member of the House of Representatives and the other is a state senator. Both are dear friends who demonstrated acts of friendship, not just toward one another, but in a sincere and genuine way toward the people they served.
If you had the pleasure, as I had on many occasions, of calling on them for help or meeting either separately or together, Pete Schwartzkopf and Ernie Lopez modeled the hard-working, thoughtful, bipartisan leadership that so many of my out-of-state relatives say they missed most in their hometowns. Sadly, many, including myself, have noticed that the local “team” approach to constituent service and supportive presence in the community has all but disappeared since Ernie’s retirement. Most of the time, it seems to be just Pete carrying the load all by himself. From Veterans Day at the Rehoboth Bandstand to Sept. 11 commemorations and countless civic and community events, it’s been noticed. With Pete’s upcoming retirement next year, that special ability to reach across party lines and show up on behalf of all constituents, regardless of political affiliation, will soon be history here locally.
We still need leaders today like Pete and Ernie. I’d like to offer them my personal thanks in this season of thanks for their dedication to bipartisanship and their constituents here in eastern Sussex County.
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