When I was running for office, I often said I was honored to be a part of the process. I now feel honored and humbled by the support. I hope we continue to have contested elections for BPW and the city. The process of running for an election is.
Three new council members have been elected in two Sussex towns following elections on Saturday.
In Lewes, newcomers Carolyn Jones and Khalil Saliba beat out incumbent Rob Morgan for two available seats. Jones received the most votes with 583, while Saliba received 538 and Morgan received 449.
Lewes also held an election for the Board of Public Works. Four candidates ran for three seats. Two incumbents, Tom Panetta and Earl Webb, and one newcomer, Richard Nichols, beat out incumbent Robert Kennedy III. Webb received the most votes with 636. Panetta followed with 418 votes; Nichols, 414; and Kennedy, 407.
In Georgetown, Sue Barlow and Michael DiGiacoma ran a close race. Barlow won with 165 votes, while DiGiacoma received 159.
Mary Holland May 7, 2021
I was so heartened by having my first ever letter to the editor printed, I’m trying again, because these local elections mean so much to us and our future here in Lewes. I strongly support Tom Panetta and hope everyone will vote to keep him on our BPW. No one has the knowledge, skill and understanding Tom has brought to this position. We need people with his impressive technical abilities and integrity more than ever now. He is a truly dedicated and knowledgeable asset to the LBPW.
Mary Holland
Lewes
A letter to the editor expresses a reader s opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
Steve and Lorraine Walker May 7, 2021
If there is one person who doesn’t whine or complain about a problem, it’s Tom Panetta.
He takes the problem head- on and finds the proper way to solve it. His participation in the Lewes Planning Commission is a fine example of that. The WWTP failure was not Tom Panetta’s fault. Quite the contrary. It was Tom who, in consultation with experts in the field, produced the Root Cause Report. The report not only found the problems but included the ways in which to fix them and improve how BPW operates.
Tom is a man who gets things done through thorough investigation, collaboration, problem solving and action. We are proud to support Tom Panetta and hope you will as well.
Melanie Moser May 7, 2021
I have participated with Tom Panetta on the Lewes Planning Commission in many a contentious hearing, and have experienced the strengths he brings to the position, and which I am sure he exhibits on the Lewes Board of Public Works. He always comes prepared, listens to participants - whether the public, the petitioner or relevant experts - and carefully forms an opinion. I believe his engineering background leads him to make logical, fair and future-considering judgments on planning issues.
For these reasons, I encourage the Lewes community to support his run for the Board of Public Works this coming Saturday.