Small Town News

Smith will lead Lewes on right course

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Midge Smith is the brightest, most prepared person to come forward for public service in Lewes in decades.

Her abilities, and approach to Lewes issues, have been publicly tested by her years of leadership on the Lewes Board of Adjustment and a career as a PhD, tenured professor teaching management and evaluation, and owning a consulting business that successfully did that with a worldwide clientele - she is a known entity.

And what she is known for, as I and anyone who has observed her in action on the board can attest, is her ability to listen, actively and deeply, to all sides of an issue and then size up the issue, and speak by asking the salient question, that like a chess master, is several moves ahead of everyone else in the room.

She is a masterful quick study who puts all sides at rest by letting them know their position has been heard, absorbed and considered. She facilitates consensus-building. She is a good manager.

With Midge on the council, important topics like the wind turbine and the $3.5 million Bay Avenue work would have a much better opportunity to be fully discussed and vetted in public, and more of a community consensus achieved after all sides have had the opportunity to speak their peace. She professionally facilitates the emergence of the overriding, common interest.

But not only does she bring people together, she offers real vision and leadership of her own: she offers deeply considered support to keep the Lewes Public Library in Lewes, andpreferably right where it is, and for the city to hire a professional, certified planner with coastal experience.

After two years, except for lip service, the city council has not hired a planner. Midge Smith is the last, best hope for Lewes to get the kind of professional leadership to protect the interests of homeowners, the local business community and the city's tax base against another Lingo-Townsend regional shopping center type of proposal that could destroy all that we value in Lewes.

This whole community in donating $35,000 for over 1,200 radio ads, newspaper ads, buying at $10

apiece some 600 yellow lawn signs saying "NO" and a petition signed by 2,300 residents - has spoken on how they feel about that kind of proposal. Midge is the person who has taken it to heart.

She is ready to act with big picture, strategic vision, and that is none too soon: with the economy showing sings of revival so will developers' interest in the land surrounding Lewes.

The Lewes community defeated the Lingo-Townsend mal-develop-ment twice: we had a near-death experience and dodged the bullet. But having played our cards we may not be successful a third time without the kind of proactive, professional leadership that Midge Smith promises to bring to government.

Victor Letonoff also supports hiring a planner.

By contract, Fred Beaufait has told the community at the homeowner association meeting at the library, and in a private meeting with me, that he "would not favor hiring a city planner" and that he favors the private enterprise sector to bring jobs - exactly the line of the Lingo-Townsend developers.

All three candidates deserve deep thanks for putting themselves forward to serve the community, and their positions offer the community a real choice.





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