Editor’s note: Efforts to reach Sondra Merrifield were unsuccessful before the publication of the Rockwell election story in Monday’s Post. She contacted the Post after the story was printed. 

ROCKWELL — One of the challengers in Rockwell’s Board of Aldermen race is placing her focus on attracting new business.

Sondra Merrifield, 52, is head custodian at Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Elementary School. Koontz said she wants to see Rockwell become a more family friendly place with more businesses. Adding business to Rockwell is her No. 1 priority, she said. She couldn’t be reached in time for a story published Monday about the Rockwell race and called the Salisbury Post later with her comments.

Merrifield said she likes Rockwell the way it is, but would enjoy a community that make it easy to walk from store to store.

She said it’s important for the town to attract youth-oriented activities. In turn, the town would keep a larger percentage of its young population after high school and college graduation. Festivals and walking tours were ideas she mentioned.

Merrifield said it’s possible to make Rockwell a walkable, youth-oriented community within 10 years.

A good way to find the best ideas, she said, is to form committees of people who would focus on specific issues.

“I care about Rockwell,” she said. “I’ve been here over 20 years and it’s really a place I care about. I would be very willing to listen to any ideas people have.”

In the Rockwell race, there are five incumbents and three challengers. Five seats are up for grabs.

Early voting is already underway, and election day is Nov. 3.