NEW GARDEN: Meeting Rep. Sappey

On Jan. 24 our new state representative, Christina Sappey, hosted a timely lecture about bridging the divisions between people that seem to plague our polarized society.
The speaker, school psychologist Dr. Kirby L. Wycoff, Psy.D., talked about how our brain's instinctive fight-or-flight response to perceived danger gets in the way of reasoned discourse. She said it's important to ask questions and truly listen to the other person's point of view without focusing on what our snappy comeback is going to be and to try to find some common ground no matter how divergent our opinions seem to be. All of which is not, she acknowledged, an easy process. (You can watch the talk on Rep. Sappey's Facebook page.)
Rep. Sappey told the audience at the New Garden township building that she will soon be opening her district office next to Sovanna Bistro at the intersection of Routes 82 and 926. The wide-ranging 158th district comprises Avondale, East Bradford, East Marlborough, London Britain, New Garden, Newlin, West Bradford, West Marlborough and parts of West Goshen.
Rep. Sappey, a Democrat, ousted former Rep. Eric Roe, a Republican, in the November election, by a 53% to 47% margin. The seat was held from 1997 to 2016 by Republican Chris Ross, and before that by Republican Joseph Pitts (from 1973 to 1996).