By Georgia Leonhart
Commissioners Dale Cooke and Claire Walsh are not seeking re-election to Dewey Beach Town Council.
Three-term incumbent Cooke informed the Cape Gazette on Wednesday, Aug. 20, that he will not seek re-election because two things of great importance were about to happen to him.
“The very first and most significant is that day [Aug. 21] I bury one of the most beloved people in my life – my mother. After very nearly 93 years of existence, her life on earth came to a peaceful end,” Cooke wrote. The second, he continued, is that Aug. 21 was the final day to declare if he would run for election as a town commissioner.
Cooke, whose mother, Mildred, died Aug. 13 after being plagued by Alzheimer’s disease and other medical conditions for many years, has a brother who has also been ill.
Cooke wrote that meeting his family and personal needs at this time would preclude him from fulfilling the responsibilities of a town commissioner. Dewey has entered rough financial times and the demands of doing a good job as a commissioner are great, Cooke wrote. “Because I feel I cannot right now properly serve both areas, I have decided not to run for re-election as Commissioner,” he wrote.
Walsh also cited family responsibilities, but she said the cause of her decision is what she considers a hostile atmosphere on town council. In a letter released Thursday, Aug. 21, for publication in the Cape Gazette, one-term Commissioner Walsh wrote that a group she later, in an interview, identified as Citizens to Preserve Dewey has misinformed the public about the controversial Ruddertowne redevelopment project.
She also wrote that the mayor and commissioners have removed many dedicated, long-serving residents from town committees and replaced them with nonresident supporters of a political action committee. Referring to Mayor Dell Tush and commissioners Diane Hanson and Rich Hanewinckel, Walsh said in an interview, “It has been painful for me to watch those three individuals conducting what I believe has been a systematic removal of all checks and balances in the town…”
Walsh concluded, “I hope that by sharing my concerns with each of you, I can bring to light the serious consequences facing our town. It will take a renewed interest and active participation of every citizen to make a difference as we move forward to reclaim our town in the coming years.”
Calls to Tush for comment were not returned at press time. Letters from Walsh and Cooke to the editor appear on our letters to the editor page.
Contact Georgia Leonhart georgia@capegazette.com