Unfortunately, since that time, Councilwoman Deaver’s conduct on the council has rankled her colleagues and made her a less effective advocate for her district. It also seems her personal agenda far exceeds the mandate she won in 2008. She has consistently worked to erase history and traditional Sussex County values from the council chamber; culminating in her most recent antics at the Tuesday, Oct. 24 council meeting.

Ms. Deaver’s election was a reaction to the flood of up-zoning and rezoning applications streaming into council, but those were boom times. The full scope of the financial and real estate collapses had not yet been realized. Many of us had hoped that with her small business background Ms. Deaver would know when to switch gears, how to temper her activism with a few pro-economic considerations. Instead, it seems Councilwoman Deaver has closed her mind to the real-world economic consequences of her decisions.

I certainly don’t approve of every zoning request that comes before the council, but I believe they deserve thoughtful and reasoned consideration of both their negative and positive attributes. Some of these folks bringing application before the council are trying to generate desperately needed economic activity when no one else is. A summary dismissal by Ms. Deaver does them, and her constituents, a disservice.

It is this single-mindedness that makes it impossible for the councilwoman to deliver on the issues that are most important to the people who sent her to the council. Our waterways and natural wildlife habitats are vital to our way of life and our well-being, but by being an automatic “No” vote, Joan Deaver has marginalized herself, and us. Perhaps if Ms. Deaver would give real consideration to some of the matters before the council, she could find an ally or two, build political capital, and leverage her single vote into winning some of the environmental and development concessions she’s asking for. Instead, she’s going it alone, and without much success.

Not content to fail only on land use issues, Joan Deaver has also attempted to foist upon us her far left social agenda. This came as a nasty surprise after an election that centered almost exclusively on land use. Ms. Deaver, in an apparent attempt to pressure the council, revealed information that had been discussed in executive session about the prayer at the start of council meetings and a national organization who opposed it. Ms. Deaver was the only councilmember who did not attend this year’s annual prayer breakfast. On her website, Joan Deaver calls herself a “Community Organizer” and breaking with council tradition, she has attended political rallies protesting applications that are before the council. This Tuesday, she tried again to scrub out traditional values from the council chamber.

Joan Deaver made a motion to remove the word “Easter” from the council vacation schedule and to replace it with “Spring,” citing unnamed constituents who were offended by it. Instead of vowing to try again next year, I think this community organizer needs to take a look at the community around her.

For the most part, Sussex Countians are a hardy bunch who believe in traditional American values, and when they do come across something or someone who disagrees with their viewpoint, they are respectful, tolerant and slow to take offense.

Joan Deaver has gone off the deep end. Her unwillingness to consider the current economic climate, along with the environmental and lifestyle impacts, when reviewing land use decisions has made her an ineffectual politician. Instead of the many small victories she could win through a give and take with her counterparts on the council, Councilwoman Deaver has alienated them and squandered our voice on the council. Our county deserves a balanced, thoughtful and reasoned approach to government. One that encourages economic activity, protects our environment, respects tradition and eschews rabblerousing in favor of deliberative debate. The councilwoman has lost her way, and left us wondering, “Who’s looking out for us?”
Bill Wong
Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Art League deserves praise
As someone with over four decades’ experience teaching art on every level from elementary to post-grad medical, I am writing to salute the Rehoboth Art League for its outreach classes reaching disadvantaged children in nearby Sussex County communities.

I was able to observe these classes on several occasions. The teachers and their lesson plans were first-rate. At a center in Lincoln I visited a class of 45 students age 2 to 17. The tables were set up with different activities at each one.

Every person there was utterly attentive, organized and engaged with their chosen enterprise. A number of the teenagers were helping the smallest children. It was a joy for me to watch and interact with such an amazing group of kids.

This is an ever more important community service by the Rehoboth Art League as school administrators in Delaware and elsewhere struggle with curriculum choices enforced by state budget deficits. Too often art is curtailed.

This is particularly unfortunate as many recent studies show that art classes not only improve socialization, discipline, problem-solving and an appreciation of the natural beauty of things, but they also have a positive effect on math and reading scores.

The Rehoboth Art League has long been a marvelous cultural magnet within our community, has probably the best permanent collection of Delaware artists in the state, and every year helps support the careers of hundreds of artists in Delaware and nearby states.

Their outreach art programs to Sussex County children also represent the best kind of partnership in community, and I think they should be commended (and supported) for their commitment.
Betsey Heuisler
Rehoboth Beach