Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 32, No. 7

Things to Do Places to Go People to Meet

C R E A T I N G

A

M O R E

P O S I T I V E

R E H O B O T H

July 8, 2022 Volume 32, Number 7 camprehoboth.com

inside

THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 32, NUMBER 7 • JULY 8, 2022

4 In Brief

32 CAMP Stories

78 Training CAMP

6 President’s View

RICH BARNETT

JON ADLER KAPLAN

34 Dining Out

80 Q-Puzzle

MICHAEL GILLES

82 The Real Dirt

WES COMBS

8 CAMP News 10 Getting to Know You Lisa Evans, Interim Director WES COMBS

Posture

Shady Characters

I Found You Just in Thyme

Go Blue!

38 Celebrity Interview

ERIC WAHL

Lynda Carter

86 The Sea Salt Table

MICHAEL COOK

14 Community News 16 LGBTQ+ YA

Philly Pride March 2022 JULIAN HARBAUGH

18 CAMP Couples MARJ SHANNON

20 It’s My Life

How Does Your Garden Grow MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

Grilled Sticky Shrimp

42 Words Matter

ED CASTELLI

We Can All Enjoy Summer

90 Visiting View

CLARENCE FLUKER

This Is How We Roll

44 You May Kiss the Bride

ROBERT DOMINIC

Photo: Shelley Pauls, Unslpash

See page 52.

Me, Married?

BETH SHOCKLEY

46 Pop the Question National Ice Cream Day

48 Historical Headliners Eat Hearty

ANN APTAKER

22 Volunteer Spotlight

52 Veggies by the Basket

SUNFESTIVAL Leads

26 The Way We Were

It’s Raining Men, and Women

28 Health & Wellness Paddling a Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe

The Imaginary War on White Men

68 CAMPshots

Celebrating Pride Month!

58 All Good Things Must End

RICHARD ROSENDALL

CHRIS AZZOPARDI

106 More CAMP News

ERIC PETERSON

72 View Point

Love, Victor

PATTIE CINELLI

64 Out & About

Parsnips, Potatoes, and Peas, Oh My! MICHAEL GILLES

FAY JACOBS

104 We Remember

A Watch Tower on a Beach, a Walk on the Moon

ON THE COVER

On the Boardwalk. See page 5.

Photo by Murray Archibald

74 CAMP Arts DOUG YETTER

76 Booked Solid

30 Guest House Chronicles

LGBTQ Books for Kids TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Meeting Murray TOM KELCH

See page 46

Letters from CAMP Rehoboth welcomes submissions. Email editor@camprehoboth.com.

Photographs must be high resolution (300 dpi).

Documents should be sent as attachments in Microsoft Word®. Deadline for submissions is two weeks prior to the issue release date.

Letters 2

JULY 8, 2022

EDITOR Marj Shannon EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE Matty Brown DESIGN AND LAYOUT Mary Beth Ramsey ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Tricia Massella DISTRIBUTION Mark Wolf

CONTRIBUTORS: Ann Aptaker, Rich Barnett, Matty Brown, Ed Castelli, Pattie Cinelli, Wes Combs, Michael Cook, Robert Dominic, Lisa Evans, Clarence Fluker, Michael Thomas Ford, Michael Gilles, Julian Harbaugh, Mitzi Harp, Fay Jacobs, Jon Adler Kaplan, Tom Kelch, Tricia Massella, Eric Peterson, Mary Beth Ramsey, Richard Rosendall, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Marj Shannon, Beth Shockley, Eric Wahl, Doug Yetter

Letters from CAMP Rehoboth is published 13 times per year, between February and December, as a program of CAMP Rehoboth Inc., a non-profit community service organization.

CAMP Rehoboth seeks to create a more positive environment of cooperation and understanding among all people. Revenue generated by advertisements supports CAMP Rehoboth’s purpose as outlined in our mission statement.

The inclusion or mention of any person, group, or business in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth does not, nor is it intended in any way, to imply sexual orientation or gender identity. The content of the columns are the views and opinions of the writers and may not indicate the position of CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. © 2022 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved by CAMP Rehoboth. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the editor.

CAMP REHOBOTH

MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE MISSION CAMP Rehoboth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community service organization dedicated to creating a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Rehoboth Beach and its related communities. We seek to promote cooperation and understanding among all people, as we work to build a safer community with room for all.

VISION We create proud and safe communities where gender identity and sexual orientation are respected.

PURPOSE Promoting the health and wellness of our community through a variety of programs including HIV testing and counseling, mental health support, fitness classes, mindfulness classes, support for LGBTQ youth, and building community and support.

Promoting artistic expressions and creative thinking, and giving aid to artists and craftspeople with an emphasis on the works of LGBTQ people.

Advocating for our community to build a safe and inclusive community through voter information, education, and registration; and analysis of issues and candidates.

Education and outreach to the larger community, including sensitivity training seminars, and printed materials to promote positive images of LGBTQ people and our allies.

Networking resources and information by publishing a newsletter, and functioning as an alternative tourist bureau and information center.

PRESIDENT Wesley Combs VICE PRESIDENT Leslie Ledogar SECRETARY Mike DeFlavia TREASURER Bea Vuocolo AT-LARGE DIRECTORS Chris Beagle, Jane Blue, Pat Catanzariti, David Garrett, Jason Darion Mathis-White, Natalie Moss, Tara Sheldon, and Leslie Sinclair

From the Editor

BY MARJ SHANNON, EDITOR

AH, SUMMER! STILL A SEASON TO SAVOR, EVEN IN THESE CONTENTIOUS TIMES. MAYBE especially in these contentious times. So bask on the beach, bake under the sun (metaphorically speaking—don’t forget the sunscreen!), and treat yourself to some great beach reading in this issue.

For example, speaking of the beach and the sun…maybe a beach umbrella would be a good idea? Rich Barnett tells us all about those on page 32—it’s a fun (and informative) read. And National Ice Cream Day (July 17) is nearly upon us. Many of our readers shared with us their plans to celebrate (Pop the Question). We’re especially envious of the ones who will celebrate it in Denali National Park—I mean, wow!

Figure you should have something more substantial (even nutritious?) to go with the ice cream? Michael Gilles reports in on community supported agriculture—CSAs—which offer an appealing alternative to the grocery store produce aisle. Ed Castelli has an idea: grilled sticky shrimp. And Eric Wahl not only recommends adding some blueberry bushes to our landscapes, but also offers up a great way to use the resultant bounty. (His cookies might make a great accompaniment to that ice cream….)

Maybe summer means outdoor fun to you? Pattie Cinelli introduces us to the joys of paddling a Hawaiian outrigger canoe—a pleasure she once enjoyed in Honolulu that is now available locally. And Robert Dominic reports on the AIDS Lifecyle 2022 event— cycling from San Francisco to Los Angeles (545 miles) in just a week’s time—yikes!

CAMP Rehoboth has some big news of its own this issue: there’s a new Interim Director, Lisa Evans, in place at CAMP. You can get to know her better on pages four and 10.

And see Wes Combs’ President’s View for a quick intro to CAMP’s new Development Manager, Laurie Thompson. (More on her in a future issue—she just arrived on site a few days ago.)

Last issue, we met two wonderful CAMP Couples; this month, we meet two more.

One couple are long-term, Founders’ Circle members; the other, very new members of CAMP—and also new arrivals to this area. The visibility of the LGBTQ+ community was one of the factors they considered in moving here with their two young children.

Read all about both couples on page 18.

There’s all this—and lots more—to enjoy in this issue. We’re glad you’re here at the beach; even “gladder” you picked up a copy of Letters. If you have story ideas or topics you’d like to see us cover—please reach out to me at editor@camprehoboth.com. I’d love to hear from you. ▼

CAMP REHOBOTH 37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 tel 302-227-5620 | email editor@camprehoboth.com www.camprehoboth.com

CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to CAMP Rehoboth are considered charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes and may be deducted to the fullest extent of the law.

A copy of our exemption document is available for public inspection.

JULY 8, 2022

3 Letters

Welcoming Interim Director Lisa Evans

C

AMP Rehoboth’s Board of Directors is excited to announce the appointment of Lisa Evans as Interim Director.

Lisa had been serving as Acting Manager of day-to-day operations since mid-April.

The CAMP Rehoboth Board chose to hire an Interim Director to proactively chart a course that ensures it continues to meet the needs of today as well as the future and to help provide the next Executive Director with a strong foundation to carry the organization forward.

Following a two-month search and after interviewing a nationwide group of highly qualified candidates, Lisa was selected because of her nonprofit management expertise. She most recently served as Executive Director of the Baltimore nonprofit One House at a Time. Lisa and her spouse have had a home in Rehoboth for 25 years and moved here full time in 2020.

“Because CAMP Rehoboth is the largest community center serving the needs of LGBTQ people in Rehoboth, greater Sussex County, and throughout the state of Delaware, our number one priority was identifying the best candidate who could help assess the current and emerging needs of CAMP in this rapidly changing world,” said CAMP Rehoboth Board President Wesley Combs. “Not only does Lisa bring more than 40 years of nonprofit and government experience leading transformational change in her previous roles, but she also has a long history with CAMP Rehoboth as a volunteer,” added Combs.

“The issues and challenges facing the LGBTQ community make CAMP Rehoboth as relevant as ever. CAMP’s mission of creating a more positive Rehoboth through an inclusive and positive environment for all resonates strongly for me. I hope that my experiences in the nonprofit world can add value to that mission,” said Lisa Evans. “After spending two months as the Acting Manager, the dedication of the staff, the Board, our donors and supporters, and CAMP’s amazing history reinforced my decision to apply for and accept the Interim Director position. Rehoboth has been my weekend and now permanent home for over 25 years and CAMP has been my community. I am very pleased to be an active member of that community.”

With Lisa on board, the Board will next engage in a strategic planning process that it plans to accomplish over the second half of 2022. The Board is committed to engaging members of the community to help the Board develop a roadmap for the future. In addition, The Board will work with a search committee and the community at the appropriate time to begin the process of hiring a permanent Executive Director. Get to know Lisa better on page 10. ▼

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JULY 8, 2022

CAMP Rehoboth Statement on SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade

C

AMP Rehoboth Community Center Board of Directors and Interim Director Lisa Evans issued the following statement in response to the six to three United States Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturns the constitutional right to abortion as recognized for nearly 50 years in the landmark cases of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey: Celebrating diversity, building a strong sense of community, and ‘creating a more positive’ environment for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities has always been at the heart of the CAMP Rehoboth’s mission. That is why CAMP Rehoboth Community Center is devastated and angered by the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion formerly guaranteed by Roe v.

Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This decision will have devastating consequences for LGBTQ+ people, who all need safe access to reproductive care.

Additionally, it is abundantly clear that the table is now set for more SCOTUS opinions that may allow states to eventually reverse marriage equality, outlaw contraception, criminalize same-sex relations, and even ban interracial marriage. Because reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and social justice are inextricably grounded in the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Dobbs decision raises alarm about the Court’s ability to dismantle other rights related to LGBTQ+ families that are also grounded in the 14th Amendment and for which LGBTQ+ people have fought long and hard to win, including the right to marry.

“The Court’s opinion is appalling, shocking, and frightening because it opens the doors for a dangerous assault on all constitutional rights involving privacy, liberty, and autonomy,” said CAMP Rehoboth Interim Director Lisa Evans. “At a time when the introduction of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country is at an all-time high, we need to ensure that every person has access to the care they need, and the power to control their own body and life.”

CAMP Rehoboth Community Center is incredibly thankful that Delaware’s General Assembly has already codified Roe v. Wade and marriage equality in our state law. Now it is up to members of Delaware’s LBGTQ+ community to further safeguard rights by standing with all persons who fear the dangerous consequences of this decision, many of whom are already organizing a response. Anyone having their rights threatened will always have an ally in CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. CAMP Rehoboth urges all to use anger to advocate in the legislatures, in the courts, and in the streets, while still continuing to provide a safe and welcoming space in the heart of Rehoboth Beach and in the heart of Delaware. ▼

CAMPsafe in the Community

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n June 23, CAMPsafe staff member Patricia Clear visited the Laurel Commons’ Appreciation Luncheon for its Senior Community. “The residents appreciated the information provided on the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center and other vital resources,” said Sant’ea Taylor, Community Manager at Laurel Commons.

While CAMPsafe was built to promote sexual health and well-being through county-wide HIV testing and counseling, our staff members understand the importance of connecting community members to other resources as well.

“Our seniors need resources they can reach out to in crisis counseling and sexual assault services as they are sometimes afraid to tell family members that are closest to them. Again, thank you for introducing your services, your compassion, and confidentiality in the programs,” said Taylor. ▼

Handmade Market Kicks Off Summer Season

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n June 10, CAMP Rehoboth celebrated the return of the Handmade Art Market in its courtyard. Ten artists exhibited their works for sale, whether it was stained glass, beaded bracelets, jewelry, digital photography, or CBD body care products. Plus, Robb the Uke Guy provided the perfect summer soundtrack with acoustic covers of classics like “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man

After Midnight)” and “Like a Prayer,” of course each with Robb’s own Hawaiian flair.

This monthly arts event runs on the second Friday of each month, from 5:008:00 p.m. at CAMP Rehoboth. Are you a craftsperson, vendor, or musician who’d be interested in participating? Please email matty@camprehoboth.com for more information. ▼

ON THE COVER On the cover this issue, René Smith and her sons Tony and Lucien. René and Lucien are active in CAMP Rehoboth’s YouthUp program. As summer gets into full swing, the family enjoys Funland—which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year—on the merry-go-round, which was one of Funland’s original five rides.

Some of their Rehoboth and Funland favorites:.

RENÉ: Favorite boardwalk food/treat?

LUCIEN: Who doesn’t love Thrasher’s fries and bubble tea?!

R: Favorite Funland activity?

L: Probably crane games! It’s always so satisfying when you can finally grab the prize you want.

R: Beach or pool?

L: The beach, by far. Love making me a good sandcastle.

R: Favorite beach or pool toy?

L: As cliche as it is, beach balls. Nothing hits like being able to mess with your friends by throwing them at ‘em. As well as the normal way of using them, but that’s not as fun! ▼

Read more about Lucien and René in CAMP News, page 106.

JULY 8, 2022

5 Letters

President’s View

BY WESLEY COMBS

Taxation with Representation

L

ast November my husband Greg and I officially became Delawareans when we made our Rehoboth home our primary residence. As I have said many times in the past, it is because of CAMP Rehoboth and its 33-year history of Creating A More Positive Rehoboth that made this possible.

In addition to being the “Home of TaxFree Shopping,” an important benefit of being a Delaware resident is having our vote count at the Federal level, something that was not possible when we lived in Washington, DC. Even the DC license plates reminded me of this fact because the slogan, “Taxation without Representation,” is printed on each one.

That my vote counts became abundantly clear during my first visit to Delaware Legislative Hall located at the state Capital in Dover.

I, along with fellow board members Leslie Ledogar, Leslie Sinclair, and Chris Beagle, were among the invited guests who attended the June 9, 2022 signing of a proclamation officially recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month by Governor John Carney.

I followed Leslie, Chris, and Leslie’s lead as we climbed the stairs on our way to visit Speaker of the House—and great friend of CAMP Rehoboth—Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf.

As many of you know, Pete lives in Rehoboth and has been a longtime supporter of CAMP Rehoboth over the years; he was one of the eulogists at Steve Elkins’ celebration of life.

While visiting Pete’s office, we reminded him that CAMP Rehoboth had applied for an appropriation through the State’s Community Reinvestment Fund for Fiscal Year 2023.

Pete said he is supportive of our request, even though he does not sit on that subcommittee. Throughout the day, we had the opportunity to spend time with a half-dozen legislators who are on that subcommittee, and each one had nothing but praise for the work of CAMP Rehoboth.

We then headed over to Governor Carney’s office for the proclamation signing and ran into Lt. Governor Bethany HallLong. She thanked us for our work as board members, because CAMP Rehoboth’s work in the community is so valued by the State.

One program in particular is the HIV testing and education CAMP Rehoboth does in Letters 6

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TRANSITION

[We] were among the invited guests who attended the June 9, 2022 signing of a proclamation officially recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month by Governor John Carney. western Sussex County, where IV drug use is a growing problem. The state attributes its ability to get people who test positive quickly into treatment to the outreach conducted by CAMP Rehoboth.

During the ceremony, the Governor invited the LGBTQ caucus to speak: Sen. Sarah McBride, the first transgender state Senator in US history, and openly LGBTQ Reps. Marie Pinkney and Eric Morrison. Each highlighted Delaware’s protections for LGBTQ people in the state Constitution and what a difference these laws make in the lives of LGBTQ Delawareans. The Governor thanked them for their role in making Delaware a place that welcomes everyone and then signed the proclamation.

Given the swift changes happening with recent Supreme Court rulings on gun control and overturning Roe v. Wade, combined with growing efforts in Congress to prevent and undo anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, the new battlefield is on the state and local level. I have a new-found gratitude for the access CAMP Rehoboth has to local and state legislators, as we continue the ongoing fight for equality—especially to ensure a woman’s right to choose remains the law of the state.

Wesley Combs is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.

Our new Development Manager, Laurie Thompson, celebrated her first day with CAMP Rehoboth on July 5, and we could not be happier. The Board provided Laurie with background information about CAMP Rehoboth’s current fundraising programs to enable her to hit the ground running. With SUNFESTIVAL just around the corner (Labor Day weekend), we look forward to leveraging Laurie’s experience to ensure our biggest fundraiser of the year is a huge success.

With Lisa Evans on board as Interim Director, the Board will now begin mapping out the process to revisit the strategic plan developed just prior to COVID and never implemented. We recognize that many things have changed since then, including the demographics of our region, the needs of our community, and what other organizations exist that may be potential partners to deliver services to address those needs.

The Board remains committed to engaging members of the community to help develop a roadmap for the future. We hope to announce a definitive process in the coming weeks and that we will have a completed strategic plan by the end of November.

The output of the strategic plan defines CAMP Rehoboth’s mission, community needs, what services/supports best meet those needs, and what resources are necessary to achieve goals. Both the process and the resultant plan also will inform the job description of the next Executive Director.▼

JULY 8, 2022

7 Letters

CAMPNews CROP at National Trails Day

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hat an amazing time the CROP volunteers had on June 4, National Trails Day, at Cape Henlopen State Park (CHSP)! That Saturday, CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) volunteers turned out to help clean a local beach.

Meeting at the Hawk Watch at CHSP, volunteers picked up trash for a few hours before enjoying a delicious “thank you” lunch provided by the Village Improvement Association. Many groups participated in the clean-up day, totaling at least 80 volunteers. ▼

CAMP Theatre Brought the Laughs Outside The CAMP Rehoboth Theatre Company brought laughs and camaraderie outside in the CAMP Courtyard June 23-25 during the performance of its two one-act comedies: Ponce de Leon is Dead and Auto Erotic Misadventure by F.J. Hartland.

The three-night run couldn’t have asked for better weather, and audiences laughed till their cheeks hurt. Special thanks to director Russell Stiles for spearheading all the efforts, promoting rich artistic expression of the performing arts, and raising funds for CAMP Rehoboth in the process.

Next up for CAMP Theatre: Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche, co-written by Andrew Hobgood and Evan Linder, set to run September 29, 30, and October 1, 2022 in the Elkins-Archibald Atrium.

Casting requirements are five women and one man, at all ages. Winner of the 2012 NYC International Fringe Festival as Best Overall Production, Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche is a tasty recipe of hysterical laughs, sexual innuendoes, unsuccessful repressions, and delicious discoveries. ▼

Welcoming New Volunteers

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n June 8, CAMP Rehoboth’s Volunteer Development Committee welcomed new volunteers as part of its regular volunteer opportunities meetings. The meeting’s focus was on SUNFESTIVAL 2022 volunteer needs, but also reviewed regular volunteer needs and oriented folks as ambassadors for CAMP Rehoboth’s mission to create an environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities. CAMP Rehoboth Youth Peer Leader Julian Kay Harbaugh joined the meeting virtually to review cultural competency regarding topics and subjects surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, including the gender unicorn (stop by CAMP to ask!).

“It’s always a pleasure welcoming new volunteers to our orientation and volunteer opportunities meetings,” said Chris Beagle, chair of the Volunteer Development Committee. ▼ More CAMP News on page 106.

CAMP REHOBOTH THANKS OUR PREMIER SPONSORS

For information on how to become a CAMP Rehoboth Annual Sponsor, email development@camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620.

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JULY 8, 2022

SUSSEX is Our

COUNTY Specialty

It’s a new day for surgical excellence in Sussex County.

For more than a century, Beebe Healthcare has been singularly focused on the health and well-being of our community. We are proud to demonstrate that commitment once again with the opening of your new Specialty Surgical Hospital. Conveniently located at Beebe Healthcare’s Rehoboth Beach Health Campus at 19161 Healthy Way, this state-of-the-art surgical hospital is purpose-built to deliver the best short-stay surgical care and experience available to those who live, work, visit and seek care in Sussex County.

Scan for more information on services offered at the facility.

beebehealthcare.org

The Best Care is Here.

MEDICAL GROUP Letters 7.5 x 10

JULY 8, 2022

9 Letters

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

BY WES COMBS

Lisa Evans

CAMP Rehoboth’s Interim Director

I

sat down with Lisa Evans dring her first week as the new Interim Director of CAMP Rehoboth to see what was on her mind as she begins her journey with the organization. While I have witnessed firsthand the value Lisa brought to the role of Acting Manager over the past two months, this interview is designed to introduce our members and readers to the qualities that made Lisa our candidate-of-choice.

wanted to help in any way I could. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is very scary—is our community next? CAMP is as relevant as ever and its voice is critical.

WES COMBS: Why have you made Rehoboth Beach your place to retire?

LISA EVANS: I started visiting Rehoboth in the mid 80s and in ‘92, my partner and I bought a small cottage on Henlopen Avenue. We went from being just summer weekenders to spending most weekends all year round. Our circle of friends grew, and Rehoboth became where our social lives were. The beach just kept evolving as our home and became the natural place for us to retire. Rehoboth is such a calming and easy place to be.

WC: What do you love about the Rehoboth area?

LE: Being part of a community always has been important to me. This community has felt very welcoming and comfortable. I do not think any of us here should take this oasis for granted, and it makes Rehoboth incredibly special.

WC: What attracted you to taking on this role?

LE: Being a part of something bigger than yourself and being able to be of service is what has attracted me to every job. When I was approached about being the Acting Manager, it just felt right to me. In the first few weeks I became so impressed with the dedication of the staff, the Board, volunteers, the donors and sponsors, and CAMP’s rich history, I knew I wanted to stay and provide value if possible.

Positions in organizations with critical issues draw me in and keep me. When I looked at the issues and challenges in front of the LGBTQ community, I knew I Letters 10

JULY 8, 2022

CAMP is as relevant as ever and its voice is critical.

WC: What is your history with CAMP Rehoboth?

LE: Many a Labor Day Saturday evening was spent as a volunteer in the auction room at Sundance. We also assisted at New Year’s Eve dances through the years, emptying champagne bottles, stacking chairs, and all those good things. If Natalie Moss had a project, she would corral the cast of friends to assist. Of course, there was always the reading of Letters on the beach.

WC: How would you sum up your professional background?

LE: My career has been spent in the nonprofit and public sectors, developing affordable housing in Baltimore City for over 40 years. I have been an Executive Director and a Deputy Director to two founders in two different nonprofits. I have managed multimillion dollar government contracts and grants, led fundraising campaigns and special events, overseen legal services, done foreclosure and homebuy-

ing counseling, and worked pretty much every angle of housing development from lending and acquiring and rehabilitating properties. I loved living and working in Baltimore and being part of a strong, vibrant, and caring nonprofit community.

WC: What does success look like at the end of your term?

LE: Wherever I have worked, I have defined success as having left the organization in a better and sounder place than it was when I arrived. The goal is to take the areas that work well and keep them working well. Where programs or activities need improving, to tweak and repair.

My desire is to make sure there is a strong foundation for the permanent Executive Director to build upon. My mantra is, “nonprofits must be good businesses to succeed, and they must be businesses with a big heart.” It is what sets them apart. CAMP’s logo, with the wonderful heart, is a great and constant reminder to hold tight to that perspective.

WC: What should the board think about as we enter this strategic planning process?

LE: One of the first things is to examine the community. Who is in the CAMP community? What are our demographics?

What do we think the needs are? Are services and activities provided by other organizations? Have needs changed after the challenges of the past two years?

The next step is to examine the successes in the history of CAMP and determine if those services and activities are relevant today. Are there things we do just because we have been doing them for years? What are other needs in the CAMP community? Would new programs be within our mission? Are there the financial and human resources to support new programs? Does CAMP partner with others? How would CAMP implement new areas?

Strategic planning starts as question after question. Then you find the answers—which is essential to determining if our organization is on the right course. ▼

Save the Date

labor day weekend

Order Tickets Now

September 3–4, 2022 www.camprehoboth.com

JULY 8, 2022

11 Letters

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y 10 pm - 1 am

7 PM - 10 pm

Sunday, September 4, 7 pm – 1 am PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS Danny Sebright

Wes Combs and Greg Albright

SILVER SPONSOR

Bronze SPONSORS Lewis Dawley & Greg Becker

Natalie Moss & Evelyn Maurmeyer

Christine Lay & Dr. Mari Blackburn

Joe Filipek & Larry Richardson

Karl Hornberger

Jennifer Rubenstein & Diane Scobey

Kent Swarts & Chris Hughes

Leslie Sinclair & Debbie Woods

Gary Seiden & Ah Bashir

Denise Karas compass RE

Andy & Steven Jaskulsky

Jon adler Kaplan & Cliff Lassahn

Rex Varner & Tom Balling

Letters 12

JULY 8, 2022

Thomas Porter

Jay Chalmers & John Potthast

Chris Rouchard

Easy Rider Stable Chris & Daryl

End the summer with CAMP Rehoboth at SUNFESTIVAL 2022!

Labor Day weekend’s annual benefit for CAMP Rehoboth — Delaware’s largest LGBTQ community center!

General Admission: $50 per person General Admission each night $90 SUNFESTIVAL PASS: $90, includes one ticket to each night Saturday night : Cash Bar Sunday night : Open BaR HOSt: Individual $100 • • • •

HOSt: couple $200

Name listed as Host on: Recognition Board in lobby of Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, Thank you ad in Letters.

1 ticket to Saturdayʼs Judy Gold concert/live auction Saturday night (Seating in Front Section B, cash bar).

1 ticket to Sundayʼs Sundance (open bar).

1 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirt.

• • • •

Name listed as Host on: Recognition Board in lobby of Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, Thank you ad in Letters.

2 tickets to Saturdayʼs Judy Gold show/live auction (Seating in Front Section B, cash bar).

2 tickets to Sunday nightʼs Sundance (open bar).

2 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts.

Last chance to be a SUNFESTIVAL Sponsor and be recognized in the next two issues of Letters!

To learn more, or to sign-up to be a Host or Sponsor, visit www.camprehoboth.com/SUNFESTIVAL2022 or Contact CAMP Rehoboth at SUNFESTIVAL2022@camprehoboth.com

comedian

JUDY GOLD

Order Tickets Now

Saturday, September 3 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Rehoboth Beach Convention Center JULY 8, 2022

13 Letters

CommunityNews Rehoboth Beach Bears Award Scholarships

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he Rehoboth Beach Bears awarded $1,000 scholarships to three students during the Senior Awards Program held on June 2 at the Cape Henlopen High School. The deserving students were Erycca Curry and Leonora Demerutis, both of Rehoboth Beach, and Richie Dillard of Millsboro. Since the program was started in 2016, the Bears have awarded scholarships to 19 graduates of local high schools.

“The scholarships are merit-based, not based on financial need,” explains Kenny Mahan, Scholarship Committee Co-Chair and Board Vice-President for the Rehoboth Beach Bears. “We wanted to recognize these students for their commitment to make their school and their community a more welcoming place to be.” Applicants had answered questions about their involvement with Cape Henlopen’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), as well as their activities to promote inclusion and diversity.

Said teacher Greg Berman, “Leonora shows great interest in LGBTQ+ advocacy and is always interested in learning more about ways to show pride and support others.” Dillard has been an advocate for years, having been instrumental in starting a GSA at Beacon Middle School. Curry is very active in the GSA at Cape as a board member, as well as volunteering at Edwards Christmas Village and helping children with mental health issues.

Curry will be attending Delaware State University in the fall, while Demerutis will be studying at the University of Delaware. Dillard will head outof-state to attend the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. ▼

Celebrating PRIDE At Milton Theater

M

ilton Theater put on a week of PRIDE events and invited CAMP Rehoboth to be a part of the celebration. CAMP had a presence at the Pride Pre-Party at the Inn the Doghouse Tiki Bar, Quayside at Night event, Magnolia Applebottom drag show, Queer Queens of Comedy show, and the Elton John tribute concert. A huge shout out to our volunteer Kim Nelson and her wife Lori Simmons for all of their help during these events. We truly cannot do all that we do without our volunteers and amazing community support! ▼

Primetimers® Event Draws 100+

A

local chapter of PrimeTimers® is forming here in Southern Delaware.

Its first event—a happy hour on June 14, held at Shrimpy’s Bar and Grill—attracted more than 100 men.

The second event will be a happy hour at Shrimpy’s on Thursday, July 14; 4:00-7:00 p.m. To find out about upcoming events, send your name and email address to coastalprimetimers@gmail.com. ▼

Pictured above, students Richie Dillard, Erycca Curry, and Leonora Demerutis flanked by Bear Board members Rocky Bible (L) and Kenny Mahan (R).

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Letters 14

JULY 8, 2022

1

M WA LK

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SunFestival5k C AMP R eho b o th

Sunday, August 28, 2022 - 8:00am RACE: Start & Finish at the bandstand POST-RACE PARTY: CAMP Rehoboth 37 Baltimore Ave Rehoboth Beach, DE. 19971 To register visit seashorestriders.com and select 13th Sun Festival 5k & 1mi Walk CONTACT: Tim Bamforth, Seashore Strider Race Director at tim@seashorestrider.com

JULY 8, 2022

15 Letters

LGBTQ+ YA Column

BY JULIAN HARBAUGH

Philly Pride March 2022

T

he Philly Pride March of 2022 was a return to the roots of the LGBTQ community of Philly and you could feel it in the revelry of the marchers.

For those not familiar with the goings-on of the Philly Pride scene, there used to be a Philly Pride Parade.

But in 2021, the entire board collapsed and disbanded following strong criticism from community members, in particular BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) and gender-diverse folks.

I shared many of the criticisms, which included exclusion of marginalized members of the community, heavy corporatism, and the police presence, among others. The PHL Pride Collective, led by BIPOC and transgender folks, formed from the community to take Philly Pride back to its roots with a march through the city and a strong focus on events and safety for the most marginalized LGBTQ people.

Philly Pride 2018 was my first ever Pride Parade. I remember feeling a sense of jubilation on my way there— but was ultimately disappointed by the parade. I remember precious few community groups and non-profits marching in the parade by themselves or in groups. The vast majority of the floats and people were marching under corporate banners. And that’s to say nothing of the complete lack of BIPOCled groups and protest groups there.

In their place seemed to be police—a surprising number, which was visibly unnerving to many of the people there.

These feelings were compounded during the Festival part of the Pride Parade, which I had to pay $15 to get into. I thought that it would be, as the name suggested, a festival. There was indeed a stage where drag queens performed, but the entire rest of Penn’s Landing was covered with booths.

Now, if the booths all had been community members and non-profits, it wouldn’t have bothered me that much.

But I didn’t pay $15 to enter the Festival Letters 16

JULY 8, 2022

just to get a rainbow-colored wristband from a corporation. The whole affair was saccharine and sanitized, and I felt less like I was being celebrated and more like I was being sold to. After discussing the matter with other people my age, it seemed like I wasn’t the only one.

Marchers noted that the speakers illustrated the diversity of our community, with speeches from BIPOC and gender-expansive folks front and center.

Unfortunately, because I am immunocompromised, it was unsafe for me to join the 2022 March, given the levels of COVID-19 in the community.

This is not a dig at the March—large gatherings of all kinds with unmasked people, outdoor or otherwise, present too much risk for people like me. Rather, it’s part of a larger conversation about structural accessibility for such events during the pandemic. I am very hopeful that I’ll be able to join next year.

That being said, I do know people who took part in the March and who shared their experiences with me*. I have to say—I am quite envious of them.

The biggest theme that kept coming up in my conversations with marchers was “community.” There was a real sense of being a part of something bigger in the March, and the PHL Pride Collective’s goal of inclusion was felt. There was the March itself, which started in and passed through locations important to the history of queer organizing in Philly, and the Festival, a collection of community spaces and events in the historic Gayborhood of Philly.

One person I spoke with, who is autistic, noted that there was a “lowsensory space” with quiet music, comfortable seating, and accessible bathrooms for those who needed them. Marchers noted that the speakers illustrated the diversity of our community, with speeches from BIPOC and gender-expansive folks front and center.

Some who had gone to the Philly Pride Parades spoke to the lack of large corporations and police, which led to a much more communal and invigorated atmosphere. It felt like the March was designed around the needs of the marchers instead of the needs of sponsors and stakeholders.

Multiple people said they made new friends and found community spaces they weren’t previously aware of. Those I spoke with had almost exclusively positive things to say; what little negativity there was, was unavoidable: parking for any event in Philly is a nightmare, and the March was no different.

Having spoken on The Altern podcast (@thealtern on Instagram) with Dr. Scout, one of the co-chairs of the 1993 March on Washington, I’d hoped that the exhilaration and euphoria that he described would be recreated in this March. And by all accounts, it seems to have succeeded with flying rainbow colors. ▼ *Names withheld to preserve confidentiality of youth participants.

Julian Harbaugh (they/them) is the Youth Peer Leader at CAMP Rehoboth. When they’re not writing, they can be found teaching their four rats new tricks, walking their dog, and roaming garage sales looking for antique philosophy books.

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JULY 8, 2022

17 Letters

CAMP Couples

BY MARJ SHANNON

Nancy Kaiser & Mary McElhone

M

ary McElhone and Nancy Kaiser will not be attending SUNFESTIVAL—or Sundance—this year: They leave in early September on a long-awaited “glamping” trip to Africa and will be isolating for two weeks before departure.

They went to South Africa in 2008 and are eager to return; this time, they’ll be headed for Rwanda with hopes of seeing the silverback gorillas, and Kenya and Tanzania to see the Great Migration.

Though they’ll miss this year’s Labor Day weekend festivities, these Founders’ Circle members have been a part of CAMP Rehoboth for decades. Early in their association with CAMP Rehoboth, they volunteered for Sundance and on CAMP fundraising related to the community center. They worked also on the Splash dance for several years, a predecessor to Women’s FEST, and on LOVE, an annual July weekend event that included dances at the convention center and raised funds for multiple charities.

When the community center was being conceived and built, Mary was among those who volunteered to help review plans and move that effort forward.

Mary was a founding member of the CAMP Rehoboth Chorus and sang with it till COVID sent the chorus into hiatus. Though she was not quite ready to return to singing this year, she’s not ruled out rejoining the chorus in the fall when it begins rehearsals for its 2023

concert. Mary and Nancy also continue to engage with and support CAMP through their CAMP membership, and by attending various events.

So—how did these two long-time supporters come together? They first met late in 1999, at the opening night of the Rehoboth Film Society’s Film Festival, where they both were volunteering—Nancy as part of the Film Society’s Board, and Mary as a bartender for the evening. By spring 2000, both were single and they met again at dinners Nancy hosted at the time. They began getting to know one another better, discovering shared interests and common values. They married in 2011.

As with many of us, both Mary and Nancy moved to this area from elsewhere. Nancy arrived in 1996, following a career in Washington, DC, at the Smithsonian, where she worked as an administrator at the Hirshhorn Museum and at the American Indian “project”—the precursor to what became the National Museum of the American Indian. Mary moved here fulltime in 2006 (from Pennsylvania) after retiring from Verizon.

Once here, Nancy worked as a contractor, specializing in kitchen and bathroom remodeling; she just closed her business at the end of 2021. Mary did some contracting for a few years, ultimately working with Nancy; once they took another contractor into the business, she stepped away.

Nancy and Mary agree that “the original mission of CAMP Rehoboth was phenomenal.” They appreciate especially “the fabulous political work done with the General Assembly to secure LGBTQ rights. It certainly benefitted us personally—as well as so many others—but also helped make this a much more welcoming community.”

Asked about CAMP’s current efforts and future directions, they noted that “it’s wonderful to see the outreach to kids and young adults. It’s great that CAMP found a way to work with youth [e.g., through the schools’ Gender and Sexuality Alliances]. Today’s young adults may not need the same type of organization—and support system— CAMP offered our generation. But this generation has needs of its own that CAMP can help meet.”

They also applaud CAMP’s efforts to address the needs of transgender people. Mary noted that current efforts build on ones made many years ago: “When I owned a building in Rehoboth in the early 2000s, I rented to transgender tenants. Sometimes they were just getting started in their new lives and money was tight. Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald guaranteed the rents, supplying both the renters and the landlord—me!—with a ‘safety net.’”

Thanks, Mary and Nancy, for all your work on behalf of CAMP Rehoboth. And best wishes for safe—and wonderful— travels! ▼

“Today’s young adults may not need the same type of organization—and support system—CAMP offered our generation.

But this generation has needs of its own that CAMP can help meet.”

L-R, Mary McElhone, Nancy Kaiser Letters 18

JULY 8, 2022

Heather & Cathy Rion Starr

L

ike many couples of a certain age, Heather (she/her/hers) and Cathy (they/them/their) Rion Starr met via a mutual friend on social media.

That was in 2010. At the time, Cathy was interning at First Unitarian Church in Portland, Oregon, where Heather grew up; Heather was in Oregon during her father’s final illness and was desperate to talk with someone about anything other than hospice. Fittingly, they went to see The Social Network on their first movie date.

Cathy and Heather are relative newcomers to this area, and recent members of CAMP Rehoboth; they moved here in June 2021 from Hartford, Connecticut.

Both are ordained Unitarian Universalist ministers; Heather is the minister at the Unitarian Universalist church in Lewes, and Cathy works remotely as a Leadership Development Specialist for the Unitarian Universalist Association. They have two elementary school-age daughters.

They learned of CAMP Rehoboth as Heather considered a career move, and they were investigating the area’s welcoming (or not) “vibe.” The family visited the area in late-March 2021 and Heather picked up a copy of Letters as she explored Rehoboth. The visible presence of an LGBTQ community was one factor they considered, and they were encouraged by their realtor’s mention that it is a geographically-dispersed LGBTQ community—not just “contained enclaves” of queer people. Heather accepted the position at UUSD, and the family moved to Milton, Delaware.

And they are delighted they did! They love living here—the proximity to the beach, their super-friendly neighbors, the presence of lots of LGBTQ+ folks, families, and allies, and so much for the kids to enjoy.

While they have yet to go into the CAMP Rehoboth community center, Cathy and Heather were able to enjoy a dance at Women’s FEST. “It was great to look around and see so many women across a real range of ages and presentations and dance styles,” says Heather.

She and their elder daughter took in the

“We’re in a very different place than we were 30 years ago. [N]ow it’s more about ‘you do you’; about a longing to be who and what you are...”

FEST Expo too; the cupcakes were a big hit!

Cathy and Heather also took in a performance of the CAMP Rehoboth Chorus which, despite some great music, they confessed they found a little disappointing: “It was jarring,” says Cathy, “to see so many straight-presenting musical numbers and none celebrating queer love. I was coming for some queer culture; I was coming to see myself represented.”

Their expectations, they realize, were influenced by their experiences with the Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus, whose concerts were “out, loud, and proud.” (But well-supported in by the entire community nonetheless.)

One of their dreams for CAMP Rehoboth is that it might become more kid-friendly—maybe a drag story hour?

CAMP Families is a program they’re hoping to connect with. They’re always interested in meeting and getting to know more LGBTQ+ families, believing it’s a very good thing—especially for their children—to have all sorts of family models in their lives.

The CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) surfaced during our conversation; they felt that program, too, might work well as a family entry point.

Another dream is that CAMP Rehoboth will be more celebratory of being LGBTQ+. Noting that “gayness” is much more mainstream than it once was, they’d love to see CAMP embrace a sense of playfulness; of being out, loud, proud, and openly queer.

Both Heather and Cathy spoke to the apparent generational shift underway at CAMP Rehoboth, as well as in the larger society. And to the challenges inherent in honoring and serving the generation which established and supported the organization, meanwhile making space for the current and oncoming generations.

“We’re in a very different place than we were 30 years ago,” they observed. In their own work, they’ve found it’s now more about “you do you”; about a longing to be who and what you are—not about fitting in or blending or assimilating.

Their ideal new executive director?

“Someone who will lean into and lead an evolving LGBTQ+ community center, embrace the both/and, and celebrate queer culture. Someone who values the culture (and people) who created CAMP Rehoboth, but who embraces and makes space for the current generation and the upcoming ones—be they LGBTQ or I or A or NB or….”

Welcome to CAMP Rehoboth, Heather and Cathy! I’m thinking there are many ways you can help us as we grow and evolve. ▼ Marj Shannon is the editor of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.

Pictured L-R, Robin, Cathy, Braden and Heather Rion Starr JULY 8, 2022

19 Letters

It’s My Life

BY MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I

blame Mary Poppins for the fact that it took me a year to plant the deutzia my neighbor Barb gave me last summer.

During that time, it lived, miserably, in a plastic pot on the back patio. Every time I passed by it—which was several times a day—I thought, “You really need to get that in the ground.”

But every day, I didn’t. Then summer turned to fall, and fall became winter.

The deutzia withered and turned to sticks. I thought I had killed it. Then, this spring, it leafed out. And finally, a month ago, I put it in the ground by the front porch. It happily grew new leaves, then flowered, and I wondered why I had waited so long to give it a home.

Actually, I know why. I wanted to find the perfect place for it. I wanted a spot where it would fit in well with the other plants, and get just the right amount of sunlight, and look fantastic when it was fully grown. None of the spots I considered ever seemed quite right, or I hadn’t decided on what other plants to put there with the deutzia, and so I kept putting it off. By doing so, I nearly destroyed it.

This is not a new experience for me.

Since childhood I have been a little obsessed with doing things the “right” way. And I blame Mary Poppins for this.

I loved P. L. Travers’ books about the mysterious nanny who was “practically perfect in every way.” I found her approach to life eminently sensible.

Order and perfection, clearly, made things easier all the way around.

Except they didn’t. All trying to be perfect did was result in disappointment. When only perfection will do, even the slightest deviation translates into failure. And after enough perceived failures, I would inevitably give up on whatever it was I was trying to do, as I assumed I just wasn’t good at the thing. Whether it was a subject in school (math) or an attempt to play an instrument (French horn, trumpet, drums), if I wasn’t good at it right away, I assumed I never would be.

Ironically, at the same time I Letters 20

JULY 8, 2022

somehow came to believe that if I was good at something, it must not be something that was all that difficult to do well. But that’s a whole other thing.

Right now, we’re talking about gardens.

We have several gardens on our property. Some were already here when we moved in. Most were not. And each one that we’ve put in was an exercise in fighting this lifelong belief that things have to be perfect. I researched plants.

I drew diagrams. I occasionally even bought actual plants. The one thing I did not do was put any of them in the ground.

Instead of Mary Poppins, I’m trying to be more like another favorite childhood character, Paddington the bear.

Finally, a neighbor who has been a landscape gardener for more than half a century said, “Take one of the plants and walk around your property with it.

Find a place you think it will look good and plant it.”

“But what if it doesn’t look good there?” I countered. “What if I do it all wrong?”

“Then you change it,” he said. “That’s the whole point of a garden. It changes from season to season and year to year.

But you need to start with putting one plant in.”

I eventually took his advice, and gradually gardens formed around those first plants. Now, the bad news is that not a single garden has turned out to be perfect. At least not in any strict sense. But each one is perfect for what it is—a habitat for pollinators, a refuge for snakes, a riot of color that reminds

me how wonderful summer can be even though I wilt in its heat.

Given the deutzia incident I mentioned earlier, I clearly haven’t quite gotten over the desire for perfection.

Just this morning I agonized over where to put a collection of rue, dill, parsley, and bronze fennel plants I picked up to make a garden for the swallowtail butterflies and their caterpillars. And right now, I’m looking out the window at the bed of milkweed and salvias that runs along the street in front of the house and resisting being annoyed that there are too many purple things and not enough white flowers.

But more and more, I’m learning to just enjoy the act of gardening, the process of planting things and watching them grow. Instead of Mary Poppins, I’m trying to be more like another favorite childhood character, Paddington the bear. Unlike Travers’ nanny, Paddington never had a plan. He floundered through life with marmalade in his fur and joy in his heart, getting into one misadventure after another. He was about as imperfect as it is possible to be, and yet he was always happy.

I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but I need to hear it pretty much every day: Stop waiting for things to be perfect. Stop worrying about doing everything the right way. Just try it. And if the result isn’t what you hoped for, or what you saw in your head, or what other people have told you it should be, well, maybe if you look more closely at what it is instead of worrying about what it should be, you’ll find out that it’s even better. ▼ Michael Thomas Ford is a much-published Lambda Literary award-winning author. Visit Michael at michaelthomasford.com.

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21 Letters

SUNFESTIVAL | Volunteer Spotlight

BY WES COMBS

Motivations and Memories

S

UNFESTIVAL would not be possible without the support of many dedicated volunteers who fill many vital roles. Those include contacting businesses and community members to be sponsors, promoting the event and helping sell tickets at pop-up locations and in partnership with local businesses, and identifying and managing the needs of our headline entertainment and incredible DJs. On behalf of the board and staff, I want to extend our deepest appreciation for all you are doing to make SUNFESTIVAL 2022 an event to remember.

We asked some of the committee volunteers to tell us why they decided to volunteer, and to share a memory of events past.

Why did you decide to volunteer for SUNFESTIVAL? Teri Seaton, Co-Lead, Entertainment: Being part of the SUNFESTIVAL team has always been a passion of mine.

The energy, commitment, teamwork that goes into producing this event is

Bringing this event to the community has always been one of my most valued volunteer opportunities.

amazing. Being a part of the volunteer committee allows me the opportunity to meet and work with an awesome group of people. The creativity and motivation from a diverse group of people is incredibly rewarding. Bringing this event to the community has always been one of my most valued volunteer opportunities.

Lewis Dawley, Co-Lead, Entertainment: Having been a proud supporter of CAMP for over 15 years, once I retired, I wanted to do more. So this new journey of hands-on support began when this event returned last year. I was, and continue to be, thrilled to support the events teams and this great organization, and also leveraging my skills and passion in service.

Hannah Simone, Co-Lead, Sponsorships: I am volunteering for SUNFESTIVAL because it’s a wonderful chance to spotlight CAMP and all the good work the organization does every day. And for the dancing.

John Hackett, Co-Lead, Sponsorships: We have been long-time members of

Teri Seaton

Lewis Dawley

CAMP (for two decades). This year was an opportunity to be more than a guest at a party or a function. The role I took on was a great fit with my business background and personality—corporate sponsorships. I am hopeful it goes really well.

Jon Kaplan, Co-Lead, Marketing/ Ticketing/Promotions: With the recent political attacks on the LGBTQ community, I feel it is my duty to get involved to reinvigorate social and political action.

CAMP has worked hard for LGBTQ equality and clearly the work needs to continue. As a new resident of Delaware, getting involved is a great way to meet new people and have fun at the same time.

Denise Karas, Co-Lead, Marketing/ Ticketing/Promotions: CAMP has been an organization I have wanted to get involved with for a while now. It is hard not to be enthusiastic and energized Continued on page 24

Letters 22

JULY 8, 2022

We are here for you.

We know these are stressful times, and we know that coming together and helping one another is how we get through them.

Jenn Harpel CFP®, ChFC®

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Associate Vice President Financial Advisor 55 Cascade Lane +1 302 644-6620 Jennifer.Harpel@morganstanley.com NMLS #1310708

Contact me to see how I can help you or provide a second opinion.

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JULY 8, 2022

23 Letters

SUNFESTIVAL | Volunteer Spotlight

John Hackett

Continued from page 22

when you see the tireless efforts of friends who have taken on some important responsibilities at CAMP. I have often praised our community as being a place for “givers” when I describe it to my clients who are thinking of moving here. By that I mean people who can always be counted on to help out, whether it is with their time, money, skills, or energy. It was time for me to become a “giver” myself.

Share a fond memory of attending SUNFESTIVAL and/or Sundance in the past.

Teri Seaton: 2019 Sundance and auction, to witness the community come together in support of CAMP Rehoboth, was incredible. SUNFESTIVAL/Sundance is such a mainstay in this community; I look forward to this event each year. The auction and the participation from so many are ultimately what motivated me to volunteer.

Lewis Dawley: My first memory was Sundance 2002 with beach housemates and neighbor friends, all 12 of us dancing and taking in the fun and community togetherness. It was a fantastic time and an evening I’ll never forget!

Hannah Simone: I contacted most of the sponsors last year about their participation and t-shirts, etc., and actually meeting so many of those donors in person face-to-face was great.

John Hackett: Some of my favorite memories are dancing to fun music with close friends under the disco ball in the Letters 24

JULY 8, 2022

Denise Karas

Jon Kaplan

center of the dance floor. I know not to touch that sparkly sphere. Can’t wait for this year’s celebration!

when I was on the dance floor with a bunch of friends. Even though we were sweating profusely, all we could do was grin at each other because the music transported us back to a time when we all first met over 30 years ago, at the Renegade, or Cloud Nine, or someone’s party. For me there is nothing like the sense of community I feel when I am surrounded by all that love! ▼

Jon Kaplan: One of my fondest memories of Sundance is when the DJ would get the group dancing and singing to the song “Love is in the Air.” That song is just the epitome of Sundance and culmination of a fantastic summer. I’m so excited to dance with everyone after two challenging years of COVID! Denise Karas: My fondest memory of Sundance was a few years ago

If you would like to sign-up to be a volunteer, email Matty Brown at matty@camprehoboth.com.

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25 Letters

THE WAY WE WERE

BY FAY JACOBS

It’s Raining Men, and Women

A

h, the Renegade. The moment the enormous dance club the Renegade opened along Route One at the very entrance to Rehoboth Avenue Extended, it became a well-remembered iconic spot—and a lynchpin in Rehoboth’s LGBTQ history. It closed in 2003 after 23 great years.

This pink and blue squat building was famous as a restaurant, lounge, and dance bar and a continuous presence in the personal history of thousands and thousands of gay and gay-friendly shore visitors.

By a conservative estimate 30,000 people dined, danced, saw shows, and sang karaoke at the site each year. And the place was packed from its opening night on May 7, 1980.

Already affiliated with clubs in the DC area, Renegade owner Glenn Thompson had wanted to open a place in Rehoboth as early as 1970 but getting a license proved difficult. It wasn’t until 1979 that he was able to lease the building and get started.

It wasn’t the first bar on the property.

According to Thompson, “there was an old nightclub called the Bloody Bucket nearby, and the rumor was, if you could see over the bar, they’d serve you.”

Thompson made sure his establishment played by the rules and by the book. They paid all their bills up front, cooperated with the county in every way, and got involved in local organizations.

Busy from the first night, the Renegade was a smash. But less than eight weeks later, on July 4th weekend 1980, the place burned to the ground in the middle of the night. Was it a hate crime? Thompson didn’t think so, telling me, “We really had no trouble with the local people.”

Whatever the cause of the fire, it devastated the business and the summer crowd. Determined to rebuild, Thompson parked a trailer on the property, posted someone there around the clock, and began clearing the debris. It took a month just to get rid of the old building. But the county did everything they could to help Thompson get permits and get back in Letters 26

JULY 8, 2022

business. They reopened by Labor Day. Once the Renegade re-opened, people would pour into the club at night, and many would wind up with a late, late breakfast at the Robin Hood on Rehoboth Avenue. The Renegade offered name entertainers, as well as shows inside the club and outside by the pool.

The Renegade was forever helping to raise money for good causes.

While the early years saw the Renegade hosting many more men than women, by the mid-80s, when the dance floor filled for “It’s Raining Men,” there were lots of women there, too. Not all the bartenders or parking lot assistants were friendly to women at first; I remember people three deep at the bar and having to ask one of the guys to get me a couple of drinks. But—it got better.

How did the community react to the Renegade? The club had security for the first year of operation. They posted an armed guard in the parking lot and called him Sgt. Pepper. But there were few problems.

From its reopening in the fall of 1980, the Renegade expanded. Initially, they bought some 1940s-era motel units and had them moved to the site. In 1985, they added the 20-unit motel.

In 1987, Wayne Hodge came to town to help Thompson with some computer work. By the summer of ‘89, Wayne was floor manager at the Renegade and by 1990 he relocated here permanently as the general manager.

In the 80s and even early 90s, the bars were the focal point of gay life in Rehoboth. As many more businesses, restaurants, and bars opened up, friendly to the LGBTQ crowd, there were more places for people to go and socialize.

To keep their customers coming, the Renegade diversified.

Not only did the Renegade offer a restaurant, dance bar, and accommodations, but they had a pool, video lounge, karaoke nights, cabaret shows, and a host of performers, contests, and special promotions. Iconic female impersonator Christopher Peterson first came to Rehoboth to perform at the Renegade. Many folks in the straight community loved the Renegade for its shows and entertainment.

Folks remember fondly drag queen Gladys Kravitz hosting karaoke in the video bar. On one touchstone night, I was there when Gladys had to stop the music and announce to the crowd that Princess Diana had died. At first, people didn’t believe Gladys; they thought a punchline was coming. Sadly, no. “It’s true. Really,” Gladys said again. The room went silent.

Lots of people remember that shocking moment.

And lots of others remember the CAMP Rehoboth parties and fundraisers at the site. The Renegade was forever helping to raise money for good causes.

But time marches on; things change.

Everywhere, not just here, dance clubs filled up on weekends, but not during the week. People’s priorities changed, young people came to Poodle Beach for weekends, but most could not afford to stay for an entire week. And Delaware’s indoor smoking ban also took its toll.

So after almost a quarter century, Rehoboth’s exuberant dance club, resort, and cabaret shut its doors after one last Valentine’s Day, on February 15, 2003.

Locals and visitors remember the Renegade for all the brash, flamboyant, smoke-filled, ear-splitting good times, where we “loved the nightlife,” and “loved to boogie.” At the time of its closing, we all sang “We will survive,” but we weren’t happy about it.▼ Fay Jacobs is the author of five published books and is touring with her one-woman sit-down comedy show, Aging Gracelessly. Her reports on Rehoboth’s LGBTQ history can be heard on RadioRehoboth, 99.1.

Make your next move with the Chris Beagle Group A new direction in Real Estate. Whether you are buying, selling, or investing in Southern Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, or DC, trust the experts on our team to make it happen!

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The Chris Beagle Group Mobile: 215.262.6209 | Office: 302.273.4998 chrisbeaglegroup.com | @chrisbeaglegroup

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18335 Coastal Highway, Suite 102, Lewes DE 19958

JULY 8, 2022

27 Letters

health+wellness

BY PATTIE CINELLI

Paddling a Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe

A

s we paddled ashore at the Cape Henlopen fishing pier last month, sunbathers cheered us on. Some even ran to help us lift the more than 100-pound fiberglass boat up the beach onto the horses used to keep the boat secure.

It was my second time paddling with the newly formed New Hope Canoe Club Team Atlantic (NHCCTA). During my first short paddle a week before, we went out near the lighthouse where dolphins, playing and foraging, came up to the side of the boat to check us out. But I wasn’t sure how I would hold up paddling the 4.5 miles from Riverside Marina in Lewes to the fishing pier in the wind and choppy water. I was excited to find out how I’d do.

Several decades ago, when I lived in Hawaii, I was a member of the Healani Canoe Club in Honolulu where I competed in sprints and a long-distance race. When I lived in Washington, DC, I paddled dragon boats for a very short time. Since moving here during COVID, my workout routine had been inconsistent.

Head Coach David Schofield, who welcomed me and valued my past experience, offered me an opportunity I didn’t think I’d have again. Schofield brought the sport (and boats) with him when he moved to Lewes from Honolulu last November. He’s a marine mammal conservation expert who paddled in Hawaii for 12 years. “Wouldn’t it be cool to bring aloha to the east,” he said.

“There didn’t seem to be a club in the Mid-Atlantic.”

While I love kayaking solo or with a friend in another kayak, it doesn’t compare to the exhilaration that envelops me, and the connection I feel to the water, the waves, and the other five paddlers in the canoe with me. Paddling with New Hope has stirred up memories buried deep. It makes me smile when I think of my experiences at races, and the people I paddled with so many years ago. Living in Hawaii was a magical time for me and paddling was a big part of it.

Letters 28 JULY 8, 2022

Paddling takes stamina and conditioning but doesn’t have to be hugely intense. It’s a way of getting your heart working and blood flowing. Paddlers use core muscles (back, hips, glutes), not the arms. It does require focus and breathing and awareness of the person in the seat in front of you and behind you. Everyone has to be in

Paddling is a great workout.

Plus, it’s a lot of fun. perfect rhythm in order to move the boat smoothly; everyone can feel the jarring and slowing of the canoe when paddlers are out of sync.

Schofield is currently working to make NHCCTA a non-profit association and is teaching Hawaiian canoe paddling to kids at Camp Arrowhead this summer. He plans to model both the competitive and the recreational outrigger canoe paddling program in Sussex County on the structure of the club he paddled with—the New Hope Canoe Club in Hawaii.

“Canoe paddling can show us a way of living outside the canoe as well as how we act while in the boat, if you follow the five steps of aloha,” said Schofield. “Aloha doesn’t just mean hello or goodbye. Consider the essence of the word by its components.

Akahai means kindness; Lokahi means

unity; Olu’olu means to be agreeable; Ha’aha’a means humility, and Ahonui means patience. Act with kindness, be together and agreeable, be humble, and practice patience. It’s a life lesson.”

I was pleasantly surprised how much my heart loved the longer paddle. I felt open, free, and happy.

Some other parts of my body—not so much! My core muscles were yelling ‘uncle!’ But, to my amazement, after a good night’s sleep all discomfort disappeared.

Paddling is a great workout. Plus, it’s a lot of fun. It’s a great way to release stress. If you are someone who counts steps on a phone, Schofield noted that 10 miles in a canoe is the equivalent to doing 18,000 steps. WOW! He also said it’s the ultimate team sport. “You have to work together (with your strokes); you can’t stop paddling because you have to honor the person in front and behind you and you are connected to nature and the environment.”

Schofield’s philosophy: “It doesn’t matter whether you paddle recreationally, competitively, or have no experience at all. There is always a seat in the boat for you.” You need to be a strong swimmer, competent in water, high school age or older (no limit), and moderately fit.

We live in a beautiful beach resort town. We owe it to ourselves to take advantage of what this environment has to offer. If you are one who doesn’t like to sweat or likes to stay out of the heat during the summer, canoe paddling is the perfect exercise. Slather on sunscreen and give it a try. It’s an experience you’re not likely to forget.

For information contact Schofield at: 808-347-2587, or visit newhopeatlantic.org. ▼ Pattie Cinelli is a health and fitness professional and writer for more than 25 years. Contact her at: fitmiss44@aol.com.

Classes & Events For information about any of these events, please email info@camprehoboth.com or call us at 302-2275620. Zoom links (when applicable) can be found on our website or in the weekly e-mail newsletter.

Unless indicated otherwise, in-person meetings take place at CAMP Rehoboth.

Weekly Events WALK-IN HIV TESTING

Mondays 12:00-4:00 p.m.

Free rapid HIV testing at CAMP Rehoboth. Get your results in 15 minutes. No appointment needed during this time.

Appointments available for other dates and times.

BEAT-THE-METER TAI CHI

July 13/July20/July 27, 8:30 a.m.

It’s back! Beat-the-Meter Tai Chi, conducted by Maryann Meyer and Silvia Ritchie, will run for six weeks (through August 17). A $5.00 donation is requested for each one-hour class.

MORNING MINDFULNESS Tuesdays 8:00 a.m. (Zoom)

Erin will lead a mindful exercise or morning meditation for 30 minutes.

CHAIR YOGA

Tuesdays 9:00 a.m. (Zoom)

Erin guides you to synchronize conscious breath with mindful movement designed to energize and strengthen, as well as relax and lengthen muscles.

MEN’S YOGA

Saturdays 8:45 a.m.

All levels are welcome, and everyone will be given the opportunity to modify or advance their practice.

Bi-weekly & Monthly Events WOMEN IN CIRCLE

July 16, 10:00 a.m. Summer location: Unity Spiritual Center of Coastal Delaware, 98 Rudder Rd, Millsboro

Women in Circle is a gathering of LGBTQ women. The circle is a welcoming, inclusive, and positive place to meet, connect, and share with other women.

This group meets the first and third Saturday of each month.

MEN’S DISCUSSION GROUP

July 13/July 27, 7:00 p.m. Summer location: Epworth UMC, 19285 Holland Glade Rd, Rehoboth Beach

The Men’s Discussion Group is a safe and nurturing space for GBTQ men to start conversations important to our community. This group typically meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month. For more information, contact William Dye at william.z.dye@gmail.com.

YOUTHUP MONTHLY SOCIAL July 15, 6:30 p.m.

The YouthUp Monthly Social takes place on the third Friday of each month.

This event is designed specifically for 11- to 19-year-old LGBTQ+ youth. Email youthup@camprehoboth.com for location or other information.

YOUTHUP MONTHLY OUTING July 9/August 13

The YouthUp Outing occurs each month on the second Saturday of the month.

This event is designed specifically for 11to 19-year-old LGBTQ+ youth. Locations and times may vary so please email youthup@camprehoboth.com for more information.

YOUTHUP BOOK CLUB

adult moderator. These meetings are meant for informal discussions of school, friends, media, and other youth-driven topics. Requests for presentations and other questions from/by adults should be directed to julian@camprehoboth.com.

FLAMING KNITTERS

July 11/July 25, 6:30 p.m.

Flaming Knitters provides a thoughtful and engaging space for working, conversing, connecting, showing off, sharing resources, and supporting fiberrelated crafts/projects in a queer- and trans-affirming space. Meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at the CAMP Rehoboth courtyard.

COFFEE TALK July 23, 10:00 a.m. Summer location: Five Points Village, Lewes, at the pavilion (across from Arena’s)

Coffee Talk is a place where the LGBTQ community can come together in a positive, non-judgmental atmosphere to share our thoughts and perspectives on a topic and dare to think outside the box. Meets the fourth Saturday of every month.

CAMP REHOBOTH BOOK CLUB July 25, 5:30 p.m. (Zoom)

July 26, 5:30 p.m. (Zoom)

The YouthUp Book Club meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. If you need a copy of the book or want to be added to the mailing list for the Zoom links, email julian@camprehoboth.com

The CAMP Rehoboth Book Club is a queer-facilitated discussion group dedicated to reading novels about queer topics and/or books by queer authors that tackle a variety of interests and subject matters.

YOUTHUP DISCUSSION GROUP

REHOBOTH TRANSLIANCE

The YouthUp Discussion Group meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month. This discussion group is for 11-to 19-year-old LGBTQ+ youth to get together and chat virtually with other LGBTQ+ youth and a supportive

TransLiance meets the last Saturday of each month at CAMP Rehoboth and then goes out on the town. For more information, visit: transliance.com. ▼

July 14/July 28, 6:30 p.m. (Zoom)

July 30, 7:00 p.m.

JULY 8, 2022

29 Letters

Guest House Chronicles

BY TOM KELCH

Meeting Murray

A

s I researched the history of 40 Maryland Avenue, currently the Rehoboth Guest House, a much bigger story began to emerge.

CAMP Rehoboth, a local gay community center, shares its property line with 40 Maryland Avenue. The properties’ close proximity to one other, and both being very important parts of gay Rehoboth, lead me to wonder if the two properties had any shared history. Of course, there was no one better to ask than my neighbor, Murray Archibald, co-founder of CAMP Rehoboth.

Murray and his partner, Steve Elkins, came to Rehoboth as part of a group of incredible people who were hoping to open a beautiful, spectacular, and fun night club/disco called The Strand.

Others in the group included prominent members of Rehoboth’s business community, such as Joyce Felton, Victor Pisapia, and Gene Lawson.

Baltimore Avenue “gay-sploded” in the 80s, with a new, vibrant line of successful businesses growing rapidly. The avenue developed at what might have seemed— for “lower slower” locals—to be light speed. Especially since in the 70s, Baltimore Avenue wasn’t very popular. I found this surprising, since it runs parallel to (and just one block away from) Rehoboth Avenue—Rehoboth Beach’s “Main Street.”

Property owner Bill Moore told me how difficult it was to sell property on Baltimore Avenue during the 70s. In fact, it was so challenging his family finally gave up trying when they had no offers at $16,000.

Instead, the family kept their multi-lot property; Bill still occupies one of the family’s properties today. (Considering lots in this area now go for millions, holding onto the property has proven to be a very wise decision!)

Unable to sell, Bill’s family welcomed the newcomers and opened rental units— without discriminating against anyone who wanted to rent them.

Development in a largely residential area is often controversial, and Baltimore Avenue was no different. In a city center, Letters 30 JULY 8, 2022

you expect to find lively businesses; maintaining family homes in these same areas may become difficult and impractical.

Bertha Pusey had a family home right in the middle of Baltimore Avenue. Instead of embracing the development around her property, she chose to battle against any further development around her family home. A main goal of the Berthas became preventing The Strand from opening and thwarting other businesses’ success.

…I still don’t know if he truly understands the hugely positive impact he and Steve had on Rehoboth.

Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald were going to have to deal with Bertha.

So I needed to find out more about what happened, and I went off to what would become my favorite interview of this whole project.

When Murray talks with me about Steve and this time period in their lives, I can feel how special it was to him. Sitting in his apartment, I was surrounded by his wonderful memories. One entire wall was beautifully covered in marble; I had never seen anything like it. After noticing me staring in amazement, I learned from him

it’s not marble at all. Rather, he painted the wall himself to look like marble, just like the walls I had read about him creating at The Strand.

Around his apartment, I also saw old flyers from The Strand, magnificent paintings, and exquisite photographs of Murray, Steve, and friends. All created by Murray himself in his art studio. I could feel Murray’s compassion everywhere I looked. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to get to know him, because I truly believe he is one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever met.

After talking to Murray, I really understood for the first time how much his experience in Rehoboth has meant to him.

Recent memories might cause his eyes to tear, but he would smile as he remembered Steve, and how much he loved him.

He is extremely humble; I still don’t know if he truly understands the hugely positive impact he and Steve had on Rehoboth. When he talks about it, he seems to feel like they just did what they had to do, and what they felt was right at the time. No big deal, right? Imagine the world we could live in, if more people lived their lives following those simple rules!

What Steve and Murray did transformed way more than just Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. They helped change the whole country, by starting with one city that had a “gay problem.” They wanted to change the negative image of the local LGBTQ+ community and Create A More Positive Rehoboth. So, they came up with CAMP Rehoboth and began to gather support.

When I was sitting in Murray’s apartment, I could see out one of his windows.

It looked right into the Rehoboth Guest House’s backyard and gardens. How lucky we are, to share a property line with such an amazing person—someone who actually helped make the world a better place. ▼ Tom Kelch is the innkeeper and property manager of the Rehoboth Guest House.

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JULY 8, 2022

31 Letters

CAMP Stories

BY RICH BARNETT

Shady Characters

M

any things catch my eye while sitting on Poodle Beach in the summertime; chief among them are beach umbrellas.

Seriously. If you can pull your gaze away from biceps and pecs and abs to take the time to consider them, you’ll find beach umbrellas are much like beachgoers themselves. They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Some are old and faded, others are fresh and trendy.

Nevertheless, they are omnipresent on the sand, standing tall or bending at different angles in their effort to provide the shade and protection we need from the sun’s powerful rays.

Protection from the sun is behind the origin of the umbrella. The word derives from the Italian word “ombrella,” a modification of the Latin “umbella,” which came from “umbra,” meaning shade or shadow. The ancient Egyptians are credited with the first umbrellas, constructing them from papyrus, feathers, and palm fronds to shade their Pharaohs and nobles from the sun. Egyptians revered pale skin. In 11th century BC China, umbrellas were constructed with silk and protected the nobility not only from sun, but from rain and snow. Umbrellas also signified status. The higher the status the more levels an umbrella might have. A Chinese emperor, for example, used a four-tiered umbrella.

The umbrella inevitably wound its way to Greece and Rome via the Silk Road where noblewomen adopted it to protect themselves from the sun.

The umbrella subsequently came to be viewed as a fashionable feminine item.

This connotation started to change when a French inventor started making collapsible umbrellas in 1710 and Parisian women and men began carrying them during rainy days.

British men, however, remained adamantly anti-umbrella until around 1750. That’s when writer, world traveler, and well-known philanthropist Jonas Hanaway began carrying an umbrella in public on rainy days. He was jeered and Letters 32 JULY 8, 2022

ridiculed by the press as an effeminate Frenchman. Men in London threw rocks at him. Horse and carriage drivers tried to run him over.

Interestingly, Hanaway never married, which leads this writer to wonder if perhaps he might have been a little light in the loafers. His umbrella reportedly had an ebony handle carved with decorative fruits and flowers. The outside was a

Like the selection of a bathing suit or a beach hat or a car for that matter, one’s choice of beach umbrella says something about its owner.

pale green silk, and the inside lining was straw-colored satin. His favored charities were those providing aid and assistance to Navy men. Need I say more?

A few years later, an Englishman invented the steel-ribbed umbrella, reducing its weight and strengthening its frame. Greater utility contributed to its increasing popularity. A select few wealthy men in London began commissioning custom umbrellas with handles that could contain flasks and daggers. Long story short, by the beginning of the 19th century the umbrella was a crucial item for any

proper English gentleman.

About this same time, Europeans had also begun re-evaluating their relationship with the beach. The well-todo began gentrifying fishing villages into posh resorts. Poets and artists began romanticizing the beach in their work.

And with them came—yes, you guessed it—the umbrella to shield their pasty white bodies from the sun. It’s been with us on the beach ever since.

It did decline in popularity for a while in the 1920s because style maven Coco Chanel popularized the tan as a sign of affluence, and then again in the 1950s and 1960s when the invention of suntan lotion led people to eschew the beach umbrella. But it never truly went away.

I think it’s fair to say the beach umbrella today is more prevalent and relevant than ever before, primarily because people are more knowledgeable now about the harmful impacts of too much sun. But it’s more than that. Umbrellas are practical. But they’re also fashionable. Like the selection of a bathing suit or a beach hat or a car for that matter, one’s choice of beach umbrella says something about its owner.

All this got me thinking about my umbrella of choice, a vintage-looking blue-and-white striped number made by a company in Australia. It’s a tad expensive but oh so practical with 98 percent block-out and a UPF textile rating of 50+.

More importantly, it’s trimmed in white cotton fringe. I thought it quite chic until someone commented that the fringe looked like it belonged on an old deck mop. Of course, he was old enough to know what a deck mop was…. I’m not quite sure then what this umbrella says about me, or if I really care. But I do think Jonas Hanaway would approve! ▼ Rich Barnett is the author of The Discreet Charms of a Bourgeois Beach Town, and Fun with Dick and James.

FOOD

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RED. WHITE. BLUE.

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AQUAREHO AQUAREHO

57 Baltimore Ave. Rehoboth Beach, DE Phone: (302)-226-9001 JULY 8, 2022

33 Letters

Dining Out

BY MICHAEL GILLES

I Found You Just in Thyme

J

ust in Thyme, a lovely restaurant nestled in a little space just south of Rehoboth on Route 1, has really big lemon slices. Seriously, my reviewer/wife Sally loves lemon slices in her soda. Loves them. And they can’t be big enough, and rarely are. So, imagine Sally’s glee when our server, George, brought out a bowl of lemon slices, really big lemon slices. For her, it was the first A+ of the night. For me, it was a sign of things to come.

Inside, Just in Thyme presents a pleasing dichotomy of bar scene and elegant dinner options. Sally noted that the bustling bar, placed near the front door, presented an appealing, Cheerstype atmosphere. I was immediately drawn to the aforementioned elegance of the dining room, which featured double tablecloths, a fireplace, and perfect lighting to dine by.

While the attentive service was a highlight of the evening, humor was the welcome theme of the day. Owner John seated us near a window, stating that we would get a “scenic view—of the parking lot.” True, but his funny comment totally erased the impact of the bumpers in the windows. We were also met with several humorous stories from the engaging George, who combined excellent service with a bright, personal touch. He also noted when he presented the awe-inspiring number of dessert choices that “you could see them from space!” We were delighted at the comfortable nature of these gentlemen, making our dinner that much more pleasant.

Now, for the most important part…the food! First of all, there was a lot of it. You should come prepared to request boxes to hold leftovers for the next day’s lunch!

The appetizers lay claim to the perfect start to the meal. Sally began with delicately Smoked Salmon, cured in-house and served with capers, Bermuda onions, tomatoes, naan, and rémoulade. Delightful, especially for those folks who are real fans of smoked salmon. I hit the jackpot with the Baked Stuffed Mushroom Caps, which came still sizzling from the kitchen, Letters 34 JULY 8, 2022

and featured lump crab imperial, fontina cheese, and Old Bay Seasoning. The portabella mushroom topping had crab meat aplenty. I could have ordered three helpings of this dish, although that would have spoiled my appetite for the meal to come.

Speaking of the meal to come, George and the hustling kitchen left the perfect time between courses. Don’t you hate it when restaurants either pile your entrée

The dish had a rich, moist consistency with just the right ratio between cake and marvelous cream cheese icing. I am a self-proclaimed expert on carrot cakes. onto your half-eaten starter, or leave you famished waiting for the second course?

Not here. Timing is everything, and Just in Thyme has it down to a science.

When the entrees did come, we had before us enticing dishes presented in attractive fashion. It was my turn to try the salmon. I ordered the Poached Salmon Florentine. The fresh Atlantic salmon was served with baby spinach and angel hair.

Salmon is so easy to overcook, but this was delicately done (they have quite a way with salmon!). The dish was rounded

out with a delicious sauce, teaming chardonnay with garlic, lemon, and cream.

An excellent complement to my favorite seafood.

Sally chose the Shrimp Orlando, skillfully prepared with plump shrimp, shallots, garlic, and blush sherry cream, served with angel hair. The shrimp were firm yet tender, and the dish was lightly sherried. The balance of flavors between the shrimp and the sauce was excellent.

There were a half dozen large shrimp gracing her plate, enough to satisfy her appetite with a few to spare. Never one to shy away from a conversation, Sally chatted with a nearby customer who had a crab cake on her plate. Thus, we had another dish to review. The crab cake was moist, with good lumps of crab. No, Sally did not ask to try it!

Now, to those desserts. The claim that they could be seen from space was not far off. Such choices! Featuring a wide selection from a local bakery, the mouth-watering confections were displayed before us on a plate, making it even harder to choose. Sally finally spoke up, snatching up the Peanut Butter Cake with chocolate mousse between layers and topped with ganache. Another dish too big for one person. Hence, Sally and I shared, at least until I tried the carrot cake. The dish had a rich, moist consistency with just the right ratio between cake and marvelous cream cheese icing. I am a self-proclaimed expert on carrot cakes. This was tops!

In addition to the food, atmosphere, and polished and fun service, Just in Thyme has another big draw…it’s open year-round. Summer, autumn, winter, or spring, the restaurant is ready to provide you with a good meal in a comfortable, “local-type” atmosphere. Try it out, lemons and all. You’ll be glad you did! ▼ Michael Gilles is a playwright, actor, and director from Milton, and a regular contributor to Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.

SUMMER IS HERE AND THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR… DINING IN A COOL, RELAXING DINING ROOM — OPEN YEAR ROUND — Dinner 7 nights, 5:00-10:00pm Happy Hour, 5:00-6:30pm CALL FOR RESERVATIONS: 227-3100

Telephone: 301-227-3100 • www.justinthymerestaurant.com 38163 Robinsons Drive • Rehoboth Beach (the corner of Hwy. 1 & Robinsons Drive)

At The Lodges of Coastal Delaware, we respect, honor and celebrate the individuality of every resident and team member. Here, we believe that a lifestyle community is a place to live, belong, and enjoy 'Life. Your Way.' Named “Best of Delaware” for 2021, The Lodge at Truitt Homestead is proud to be the first SAGECare Certified senior lifestyle community in Delaware, treating each resident with dignity and respect while catering to the unique needs of seniors in the LGBT+ community. Opening in 2023, The Lodge at Historic Lewes will be home to the same exceptional and inclusive lifestyle, offering vibrant assisted living and groundbreaking The Compass Memory Care™.

Start your journey to “Lodge Life” today by calling 844-993-9888.

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LEWES & REHOBOTH BEACH, DE | WWW.LODGELIFEDE.COM | 844-993-9888 JULY 8, 2022

35 Letters

tickets available at diegos EVENTBRITE.com/Diegos or online

diegosbarnightclub.com

Letters 36 JULY 8, 2022

DIEGOS BAR NIGHTCLUB

SUNDAY’S 830PM

DIRTY Bird Cabaret

Hosted by Magnolia Applebottom

DIEGOSBARNIGHTCLUB.COM JULY 8, 2022

37 Letters

Celebrity Interview

BY MICHAEL COOK

Lynda Carter

I

n the stratosphere of LGBTQ icons, Lynda Carter soars above the rest, quite literally. Whether she was battling evildoers on land (complete with bullet-deflecting bracelets) or en route to fight crime in her invisible plane, Carter’s Wonder Woman let little boys all over the globe feel that for one small moment, a quick spin around would somehow make everything all right.

As Carter releases her first-ever dance anthem (“Human and Divine,” remixed by the legendary Dave Audé), I sat down for an exclusive chat with her. We talked about bringing her music to the dance floor officially for the first time, and why she thinks that all these years later, Wonder Woman and her impact on the world still resonates.

MC: Tell me about the meaning behind “Human and Divine.”

I feel it touches on not just your feelings for your beloved husband Robert Altman (who passed away in 2021), but also your loyal LGBTQ fanbase. It is definitely layered.

LC: It started off about trying to describe something about my husband and me, in a lyric that’s down the line. Then we were flying over to do Wonder Woman 2 and I thought, it was so much like the story between Steve and Diana. I started sort of going along those lines with the storyline because it could become a little bit bigger. The human side is flawed, but the love that we feel and the love that we have is so divine. It gives us forgiveness as well as love; that is what the divine within love is, I think. It’s forgiveness.

MICHAEL COOK: Congratulations on the spectacular dance anthem “Human and Divine,” which will give us a Lynda Carter number to which we can dance the summer away. What was it like working on this track?

LYNDA CARTER: This was a step into the unknown for me—in the most wonderful way—with Dave Audé. We laugh because no one uses his name as “Dave,” it’s always “Dave Audé.” He did not disappoint—not by his music or his vibe. It’s hard to turn something over to someone to do a dance mix, particularly when it is something like “Human and Divine.” Based on his track record and his tastes, to just say “have at it….”

We were thrilled—giggly thrilled!

MC: What was it like hearing a quintessential Lynda Carter song, but then hearing your vocals completely remixed? Was it totally surreal hearing the finished product?

MC: What do you think the “human and divine” connection the community has to Wonder Woman—and to you—really is?

LC: Of my wonderful friends and this wonderful community of LGBTQ people, it is the feeling of belonging and of understanding. There is a part of the character that just gets that; there is this transformational piece that is “human and divine.” It is the transformation, you know?

It always amazes me, the inspirational side of Wonder Woman…

LC: As my producer said, he kind of started giggling, sort of like, “OMG, this is so cool!” It is so outside the purview, outside my wheelhouse, so outside what I have ever done before. I didn’t do that, I just sang the song, and Dave Audé did this remix. I can’t stop listening to it because it makes me happy.”

Letters 38 JULY 8, 2022

MC: From your perspective, when you hear fans’ stories about Wonder Woman’s impact on them and your own career as a whole, what is one through line that you consistently hear and that consistently goes right to your own heart?

LC: It is such a personal...if they follow Wonder Woman, if they have a connection to Wonder Woman, whether it was in their past personally, or whether it was through a loved one or a child, or whatever it is. They have that personal connection to the time in their life, to a feeling of themselves, to a traumatic thing that they had to get through, Continued on page 40

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39 Letters

Celebrity Interview

Continued from page 38

that they tried to build up the courage for. It always amazes me, the inspirational side of Wonder Woman and what I sought to convey in Wonder Woman, as did Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot. It was that message.

MC: What do you have planned post-”Human and Divine”? Have you gotten the itch to possibly release more dance music?

LC: I had such a wonderful creative intersection with Dave Audé that hopefully he will want to do a few more of mine. I have a new album that’s gonna be coming out and I think it’s going to be called Letters from Earth. We are just in the process of finishing that up right now, so we will see where that goes.

MC: What does summer have planned for Lynda Carter?

LC: I know that I am going to Europe, and I know that I am going to try and take a little bit of time off and just be.▼ Follow Lynda Carter on Instagram:instagram.com/reallyndacarter/?hl=en

Michael Cook has been a part-time resident of Rehoboth Beach for over a decade. He is currently a contributor to Instinct Magazine, World of Wonder’s WOW Report, and South Florida Gay News.

Photos courtesy of Lynda Carter, Facebook

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41 Letters

Words Matter

BY CLARENCE FLUKER

We Can All Enjoy $ummer

T

emperatures aren’t the only thing rising this summer. The price of gas, food, housing, and just about everything else you can imagine are rising too. Therefore, I’m urging that we all try our best to play it cool with our friends and community this summer. Some may need the relief.

One way to play it cool and perhaps provide a small bit of relief with our partners, friends, and family this summer is to be more cost conscious with the activities and plans we create to enjoy together. Instead of inviting everyone to a big birthday dinner at an expensive restaurant, maybe consider a place that might be less expensive, or providing the option to guests to only join you for drinks at the bar before the transition to the dining table and the full meal. If you have space at your home large enough or if the weather is nice and you’re not too far from a park with tables, you can even consider a potluck.

Do a little research to see if some of the shows, restaurants, and attractions you want to invite people to offer discounts or special rates for certain nights.

Also, summer is a natural time to revisit a number of free activities we can appreciate with others while spending meaningful quality time, like bike riding, walks in the park, lounging at the beach, game nights, and book clubs with books that are available to us from the local library hardcopy, digital, or audio. The bottom line is about the bottom line: be creative coming up with free or lower cost ways to connect with others this summer.

Being mindful of our words this summer is another way to keep it cool. When people we know and love are going through financial difficulties, we may not always know it and the things we say to and around them have the potential to make them feel even more worried, stressed, or shamed. A friend recently shared how frustrated he was while preparing for a move that was already straining him, when other friends told him repeatedly that he should ‘just’ hire packers and movers, and a host of other things that would cost him money that he didn’t have. He’s been working a full-time and a

The bottom line is about the bottom line: be creative coming up with free or lower cost ways to connect with others this summer.

Letters 42 JULY 8, 2022

part-time job. There was simply no money in his budget to do more and the words and tone of his friends made him feel less.

Even if it wasn’t their intention, their words had a negative impact on him, and it wasn’t until later, when he was ready, that he was able to have a conversation about how it made him feel. If you get the urge to ask someone, why don’t they ‘just’ upgrade, or buy something else, don’t. And always remember, a part of staying classy means not being classist.

One of the coolest things you can do this summer, if you are able, is to donate your time or resources to those who might need them.

The financial advisor and popular TV personality Suze Orman once offered that, “True generosity is an offering; given freely and out of pure love.

No strings attached. No expectations. Time and love are the most valuable possession you can share.” Historically, many nonprofit organizations see a slump in their volunteer participation during summer months. Volunteering at a local food pantry or organization that provides meals and other social needs would be invaluable to the community right now.

Volunteer service has a positive effect on you, too. It can be fun, meaningful, and a gratitude practice. A way of returning to the universe some of the good that has come to you. If you don’t have time or the ability to volunteer but do have financial means to donate money or items to nonprofits, social services, and faith-based groups doing the good work in the community, know that your generosity could go a long way for someone who will directly benefit from it in these times.

Increased temperatures. Increased inflation.

Increased opportunities to be self-aware and supportive.▼ Clarence J. Fluker is a public affairs and social impact strategist. Since 2008, he’s also been a contributing writer for Swerv, a lifestyle periodical celebrating African American LGBTQ+ culture and community. Follow him on Twitter: @CJFluker or Instagram: @Mr_CJFluker

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43 Letters

YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE

BY BETH SHOCKLEY

Me, Married?

I

knew at a very early age that I would never get married. I also knew I would never have children.

When my mother would say, “someday when you get married and have children…,” I would nod and smile, knowing in my heart that was not in the cards for me. In the 1960s, getting married meant to a man, and I just knew that was not going to happen.

But I also I knew I wasn’t destined to be alone.

When I was 10, I heard a song on the radio, “Come Saturday Morning,” by the Sandpipers, that spoke of fun and exciting Saturdays spent with a special friend. I knew I would have that. I just couldn’t picture who that special friend would be.

Fast forward 10 years through the tortured teens of realizing that special friend would be female and my inner turmoil, homophobia, and fear. I’m 20 and in a relationship with another lesbian. It’s 1980, and marriage was the last thing on my mind. Marriage was part of the patriarchy, a way to keep women in their place. Nope, not me.

I had many relationships with women after that one, most of them long-term. Serial monogamy. But even when the work started to be done to make gay marriage a reality, it was still “no thanks.”

But then something changed. When I was 45, in 2005, I met the woman who would become the love of my life. Suddenly, (and it was sudden) I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I wanted to be married to her. I wanted that lifetime commitment. I wanted the ceremony.

I wanted the ring. I had never wanted that before, and the feeling was almost overwhelming. I had never loved anyone the way I loved Sandy.

No one was more surprised than me on the day I asked her to marry me. I don’t remember exactly when it was—around 2007, I think, but I do remember we were visiting friends in NYC. I hadn’t planned it. One morning the feeling just came over me and I went with it. I even got down on one knee.

She said yes and asked me to marry her, too. We were overjoyed and shared our good news with friends and family.

We didn’t set a date. But in 2009, Sandy was going on a business trip to Connecticut. That state had legalized same-sex marriage in 2008. We

One morning the feeling just came over me and I went with it. I even got down on one knee. She said yes and asked me to marry her, too.

Letters 44 JULY 8, 2022

looked at each other and said, “why not now?” So, we decided to elope.

We engaged the services of a wedding officiant named Mary Pugh. She arranged the trip to the Darien City Hall, the paperwork, and the ceremony.

We mixed in our own vows with the traditional ones.

We dressed in our best business suits.

On the day, we were running late. We had to catch a train from New Haven to Darien. We were running though the station in our heels, up endless stairs as the train was boarding, with our luggage bouncing behind us. “Hurry, honey!” I yelled as we bounded up the last set of stairs to the platform.

She had lost her shoe on the steps and the train doors were closing. I raced ahead and planted my back against the closing doors (a trick I’d learned on the NYC subway) just long enough. We were out of breath, but we made the train.

The Darien City Hall was about the size of Dover’s—tiny! We met Mary in the parking lot and walked in. We followed the sign for licenses— hunting, dog, marriage. Mary facilitated all the signing of the papers. Then we had a beautiful ceremony in the main hall that she videotaped. After that she took photos. I cried, of course—and my red and puffy eyes are evident in the pictures. Oh well.

We said “I do” on Friday, November 13, 2009. It is the best thing I’ve ever done.

We didn’t have to wait too long before marriage became legal in Delaware in 2013. And then, it became legal nationwide, following the Obergefell v Hodges case in the US Supreme Court on June 26, 2015.

Like everyone, I am concerned that the ruling is now in the crosshairs, as the right overturns Roe and takes aim at the civil rights cases that followed.

I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do know they’ll take this ring off my dead body. And I’ll take as many of them with me as I can in the process.

Hopefully, it won’t come to that.

In the meantime, I just enjoy my Saturday mornings with my special friend—my wife—and all the other days in between. And, like the song says, we will remember long after Saturday’s gone. ▼ Beth Shockley is a public affairs specialist and a former editor of Letters.

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45 Letters

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47 Letters

Historical Headliners

BY ANN APTAKER

Eat Hearty!

W

e probably like to think of our LGBTQ+ past as populated by heroic forebears who battled oppression; suffered the brutal consequences but insisted on dignity. Though this scenario is often true, and we can and should honor the heroes of our past, in reality LGBTQ+ heritage is like the rest of the human story: considerably muddled. In times past, when living openly meant the destruction of career and personal life, not everyone rose to heroism. Most did the best they could, sometimes acting honorably, sometimes shamefully, taking roads safest to their survival.

Within this muddle of difficult choices made in difficult times, various members of the LGBTQ+ community still managed to make significant contributions to the larger culture despite their perhaps less-than-sterling lives. Such a man was James Beard.

Prior to Beard there was American cooking, American food, even delicious regional American specialties, but Beard refined these elements into true cuisine.

From the post-World War II era right up to his death in 1985, Beard insisted on fresh, locally sourced ingredients long before this idea became fashionable. In the 1940s and 1950s he pushed back against the homogenizing trend of canned goods, TV dinners, frozen foods, and all those packaged foods intended to make life easier on the housewife.

Easier they may have been; tasteless they certainly were.

Beard was born in Portland, Oregon in 1903. His father wasn’t around much, and to make ends meet his mother ran an upscale boarding house which featured exceptional meals, often centered around Pacific Northwest seafood and produce. Her instructions to her Chinese cook, Jue-Let, were exacting, and Jue-Let, already a fine cook, carried them out to the letter.

Young James was thus introduced to first rate cooking.

James’s initial aspirations, though, were not geared toward the kitchen but Letters 48 JULY 8, 2022

toward the stage. After a humiliating expulsion from Reed College in 1922 for engaging in a homosexual act, Beard traveled to Europe, where he found

Beard hosted TV’s first cooking show, I Love To Eat, airing on NBC from 1946 to 1947. Thus Beard’s twin passions, show business and food, combined to make him a star. freedom in the underground gay life of London and Paris. He also joined a theatrical troupe, hoping to establish himself as an actor.

But Paris, as it does for so many travelers, introduced young Beard to high cuisine. He did not give up his theatrical aspirations, but the appreciation for good food, first established as a youngster in his mother’s house, was rekindled.

In 1927 Beard returned to the United States, where he still tried to make a

name for himself in show business.

He spent the next 10 years between Hollywood and New York, but show business success eluded him. In 1937, after settling permanently in New York, Beard and friend Bill Rhodes opened a catering company geared toward the chic set’s cocktail party circuit. The company, Hors D’Oeuvre Inc., did well, affording Beard a reputation as an innovative cook. In 1940 he published the first of his nearly two dozen books, Hors D’Ouevre and Canapes, a compilation of the catering company’s recipes. The book was admired by Julia Child, with whom he remained friends throughout his life.

Many people think of Julia Child as the first television cooking show personality. In fact, the honor goes to Beard. After a stint in the Army during World War II, Beard hosted TV’s first cooking show, I Love To Eat, airing on NBC from 1946 to 1947. Thus Beard’s twin passions, show business and food, combined to make him a star.

Through his books, personal appearances, and the establishment of his James Beard Cooking School in 1955, Beard’s reputation as a chef, teacher, and connoisseur of American food soared. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, his American approach to dining served as a counterpoint to his friend Julia Child’s emphasis on French haute cuisine. His books sold widely; his recipes graced millions of American dining tables.

By 1970 he’d achieved the financial success to buy the Greenwich Village townhouse where he lived for the remainder of his life, a life he now shared with lifelong partner Gino Cofacci. The townhouse was the site of Beard’s famous Christmas and Sunday Open House cooking gatherings. It was here at these gatherings that the dichotomy of Beard’s life became stark. In his public appearances, lectures, and writings, Beard never gave so much as a hint of his homosexuality, fearful that his popularity with the American public would

collapse. But according to several sources who were present at the Open House events, these gatherings were often attended by downtown New York’s art and food scene LGBTQ denizens. In a time when being “out” was still precarious, despite the emerging gay rights and feminist movements, these cooking gatherings afforded jolly good times and exceptionally good food to a community still looking over its shoulder for any threat.

Despite Beard’s success, his stable relationship with Cofacci, and his worldwide reputation as a connoisseur and teacher, there was trouble in paradise. He was accused of plagiarizing recipes from other chefs, notably Helen Brown, an established chef of emerging California cuisine. Beard failed to credit

collaborators, claiming their ideas as his own. And even as other LGBTQ public figures found the courage, through the gay rights movement, to come out of

…Beard insisted on fresh, locally sourced ingredients long before this idea became fashionable. the closet, Beard continued to remain closeted in public, erasing all hints of his private homosexual life.

It’s fair to say that James Beard was flawed. His professional life was not

always admirable; he treated his private life as an embarrassment. But we must forgive him. He is family. His contribution to American culture was enormous; perhaps not politically, perhaps not as an advocate for human rights. But when we sit down to eat at our favorite au courant farm-to-table, locally sourced, fresh ingredients restaurant, when we know better than to consider TV dinners genuine dining, we should raise a glass in toast to the large gay man in the bow tie, James Beard. ▼ Ann Aptaker’s Cantor Gold crime/mystery series has won Lambda Literary and Goldie Awards. Her short stories appear in numerous publications and anthologies.

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51 Letters

VEGGIES by the Basket

BY MICHAEL GILLES

Parsnips, Potatoes, and Peas, Oh My!

F

ull disclosure: I’m not a vegetable guy. Oh, I’ll have a bunch of broccoli on occasion, or favor the crunch of a carrot a little more often. I like potatoes if they’re mashed and soaked in butter. Even a tomato, if my loved one insists. But don’t try to fool me into eating cauliflower, or one of those dreadful little balls called Brussels sprouts. I’m just not a vegetable guy.

But there are a heck of a lot of guys and girls who are. I’m not sure there’s a lot of research on this, but they’re probably the people who live til they’re 95.

These are the people who line up down the entire produce aisle at the supermarket perusing the entire stock of greens, when all I want is to get a head of lettuce, but am too embarrassed to push by the lady looking over every cabbage in the place.

But I’m just now finding out about other ways to get your vegetables. Of course, I know there are vegetable stands. I’m not an idiot…. I see them all over the county and can’t help but think the people are selling them and not displaying them as artwork. But there’s another way people can get their produce that I had no idea about: Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA. Never heard of a CSA? If you’re a farmer, you know what it is. If you’re a serious produce shopper, you probably know what it is. If you’ve never touched a vegetable that you haven’t cooked into mush (like me), it wouldn’t hurt to know what it is.

Community Supported Agriculture has become a popular way for you and me to buy local food directly from a farmer.

LocalHarvest is an organization that connects people looking for good food with the farmers who produce it. They explain the basics: “A farmer offers a certain number of shares to the public. Typically, the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (also known as a membership or a subscripLetters 52 JULY 8, 2022

tion) and in return receive a box, bag, or basket of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.”

Sounds like a boffo plan, doesn’t it?

Well, it is. Depending on the CSA you choose, you can get a small or large box

There are better ways to get your produce than running over ladies in the produce aisle in the supermarket. of seasonal fruits and vegetables for pickup at your local farm store or even delivered to your home. And it’s not just parsnips, potatoes, and peas! Some CSAs offer items such as frozen local meats, local brown eggs, pickles, honey, and other specialty grocery items.

Why would you join a CSA? For one thing, it provides you with local farmer offerings throughout the growing seasons. Another positive reason to join is to provide your family with homegrown healthy alternatives to fast foods. Perhaps the most attractive reason is the

sense of community that farmers and their customers feel as seasons pass.

Jessica Yocum, CSA Program Coordinator for Fifer Orchards in Camden-Wyoming near Dover, points out that “committed customers come back every year. You get to know your customers and feel good about providing healthy alternatives to your community.”

Yocum finds that her customer base includes “all kinds of people, from young families with kids to elderly patrons looking to remain healthy as they grow older.” Many farms have CSAs that cover a network of areas (Fifer’s Farm Kitchen in Dewey Beach is a prime example).

Of course, there are risks to joining a CSA. Bad weather can ruin a crop, as can other unforeseen hazards. This is where that sense of community comes in. Many committed customers feel loyal to farmers that they’ve bought from over the years.

New customers may not want to share that risk. So, if you’re in it for the long haul, a CSA can be a rewarding way to eat healthier, or expose your children to the farmer’s way of life, or join local communities of farmers and customers.

There are thousands of CSAs throughout the country, serving tens of thousands of smart shoppers. Joining a CSA is an investment for yourself, your family, even your neighbors (you can share your extras with them!). Each box or basket of fruit and vegetables provides a local farm with a buffer for the harsh months of winter, and helps with their marketing efforts and their cash flow. It’s a win-win for all involved.

So now I know. There are better ways to get your produce than running over ladies in the produce aisle in the supermarket. Tally ho, veggie eaters, the quarry has been sighted! Get your box of green stuff today. I won’t, but don’t let that stop you. After all, you’ll live till you’re 95! ▼ Michael Gilles is a playwright, actor, and director from Milton, and a regular contributor to Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.

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JULY 8, 2022

53 Letters

Letters 54 JULY 8, 2022

JULY 8, 2022

55 Letters

CAMP REHOBOTH BEACH GUIDE BEACH AREA LODGING Atlantic Sands Hotel, Boardwalk & Baltimore Ave.........................302-227-2511 Atlantis Inn, 154 Rehoboth Ave.....................................................302-227-9446 Breakers Hotel, 105 2nd St & Baltimore Ave.................................302-227-6688 Canalside Inn, 34 6th St.................................................................866-412-2625 Rehoboth Guest House, 40 Maryland Ave.....................................302-227-4117 Sea ‘n Stars Guest Suites, 44 Delaware Ave.................................302-226-2742 Summer Place Hotel, 1st St & Olive Ave........................................302-226-0766 The Shore Inn, 37239 Rehoboth Ave Ext.......................................302-227-8487

LEWES FOOD & DRINK Go Brit, 18388 Coastal Hwy...........................................................302-644-2250 Harbour Waterfront Dining, 134 West Market St...........................302-200-9522 Matt’s Fish Camp, 34401 Tenley Ct...............................................302-644-2267

Visit the Beach Guide Directory on the CAMP Rehoboth website to find links to these area businesses in BOLD. The Guide includes: Food and Wine, Shopping, Lodging, and Services—all at camprehoboth.com.

OTHER AREA FOOD & DRINK Bluecoast Seafood, 1111 Hwy One, Bethany................................302-539-7111 Catch 54, 54 Madison Ave, Fenwick..............................................302-436-8600 Matt’s Fish Camp, 28635 Coastal Hwy, Bethany...........................302-539-2267

SERVICES AT THE BEACH REHOBOTH RETAIL SHOPS New Wave Spas, 20660 Coastal Hwy............................................302-227-8484 Unfinished Business, Rt. 1 behind Panera Bread..........................302-645-8700

REHOBOTH ART | GALLERIES | MUSEUMS Caroline Huff, Fine Artist ...................................................www.carolinehuff.com Gallery 50, 50 Wilmington Ave......................................................302-227-2050 Philip Morton Gallery, 47 Baltimore Ave........................................302-727-0905 Rehoboth Art League, 12 Dodds Ln...............................................302-227-8408 Rehoboth Beach Museum, 511 Rehoboth Ave..............................302-227-7310

REHOBOTH FOOD & DRINK 1776 Steakhouse, Midway Shopping Center................................302-645-9355 Aqua, 57 Baltimore Ave................................................................ 302-226-9001 Back Porch Café, 59 Rehoboth Ave...............................................302-227-3674 Blue Moon, 35 Baltimore Ave........................................................302-227-6515 Café Azafrán, 18 Baltimore Ave.....................................................302-227-8100 Café Papillon, Penny Lane Mall......................................................302-227-7568 Coho’s Market & Grill, 305 Rehoboth Ave......................................302-227-2646 Diego’s Bar Nightclub, 37298 Rehoboth Ave................................302-227-1023 Dos Locos, 208 Rehoboth Ave.......................................................302-227-3353 Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant, 3 South First St.......................302-527-1400 Go Fish, 24 Rehoboth Ave..............................................................302-226-1044 Goolee’s Grille, 11 South 1st St.....................................................302-227-7653 Indigo, 44 Rehoboth Ave.............................................................. 302-212-5220 Just In Thyme, 38163 Robinsons Dr..............................................302-227-3100 Lori’s Café, 39 Baltimore Ave.........................................................302-226-3066 Loves Liquors, LLC, 305c Rehoboth Ave........................................302-227-6966 Lupo Italian Kitchen, 247 Rehoboth Ave.......................................302-226-2240 Purple Parrot Grill, 134 Rehoboth Ave...........................................302-226-1139 Rigby’s, 404 Rehoboth Ave............................................................302-227-6080 Shorebreak Lodge, 10 Wilmington Ave.........................................302-227-1007 The Pines, 56 Baltimore Avenue....................................................302-567-2726

Letters 56 JULY 8, 2022

BUILDING/CLEANING/REMODELING/LANDSCAPING

A.G. Renovations ...........................................................................302-947-4096 bsd, 18412 The Narrow Rd, Lewes...................................... 302-684-8588 Randall-Douglas.............................................................................302-245-1439

CHURCHES/SYNAGOGUES

All Saints’ Episcopal, 18 Olive Ave.................................................302-227-7202 Epworth UMC, 19285 Holland Glade Rd.......................................302-227-7743 Grace of God Lutheran, ELCA, 20689 Shoppes at Long Neck.......302-947-1044 M.C.C. of Rehoboth, 19369 Plantation Rd.....................................302-645-4945 Seaside Jewish Community, 18970 Holland Glade Rd..................302-226-8977 St. Peter’s Episcopal, 2nd & Market Sts, Lewes.............................302-645-8479 Unitarian Universalist, 30486 Lewes-G’Town Hwy........................302-313-5838 Unity of Rehoboth, 98 Rudder Rd, Millsboro.................................717-579-2612 Westminster Presbyterian, 301 King Charles Ave.........................302-227-2109

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

AARP of Delaware (age 50+)..........................................................866-227-7441 ACLU of DE—Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights Project............................302-654-3966 CAMP Rehoboth Chorus—Program of CAMP Rehoboth................302-227-5620 CAMP Rehoboth—LGBTQ Community Service Org........................302-227-5620 CAMP Rehoboth Families—LGBTQ parents connect......................302-227-5620 CAMP Rehoboth Parents of Transgender & Gender Non-conforming Children............................................302-227-5620 Cape Henlopen Senior Center—Rehoboth (age 50+)....................302-227-2055 CHEER Centers of Sussex County (age 50+)..................................302-515-3040 Delaware Aging & Disability Resource Center...............................800-223-9074 Delaware Human Relations Commission Housing & public accommodation............................................877-544-8626 Delaware Information Line............................................................................2-1-1 Delaware Pride—Community events, annual Pride Festival..........302-265-3020 Delaware Transgender Resources—transdelaware.net, delawarelgbtq@gmail.com Delaware Transgender Support.....................................................302-402-3033

Gay/Lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous—add’l schedules..................302-856-6452 Saturdays 6 pm: Epworth UMC, 19285 Holland Glade Rd (step meeting) Saturdays 7:30 pm: All Saints’ Church, 18 Olive Ave (step meeting) Tuesdays noon: St. Peter’s Church, 211 Mulberry St, Lewes (step meeting) Thursdays noon: CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave (open discussion) Sundays 9 am: CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave (open discussion) Tuesdays 8 pm: CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave (Young Persons) Gay Men’s Discussion Group—Program of CAMP Rehoboth.........302-227-5620 Lesbian Support Group—Program of CAMP Rehoboth..................302-227-5620 Lewes Senior Activity Center (age 50+).........................................302-645-9293 LGBTQ Student Union—University of DE, Newark.........................302-831-8066 Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth................................................302-645-7449 PFLAG-Rehoboth—3rd Tuesdays, Public Library, 111 Adams Ave, Lewes SLAA and SAA—Thursdays, 7:30 pm, All Saints’ Church 18 Olive Ave ............................................................................302-745-7929 Social Security Administration—Lewes office................................800-772-1213 TransLiance of DE—Rehoboth—4th Tuesdays at 7 pm, MCC of Rehoboth; contact: TransLiance@gmail.com

INSURANCE

COUNSELING/THERAPY/LIFE COACH

Critter Beach, 156 Rehoboth Ave..................................................302-226-2690 Pet Portraits by Monique................................................................717-650-4626

Jewish Family Services........................................................ 302-478-9411 Karen Abato, ATR-BC, LPAT, Licensed Art Psychotherapist... 302-232-5330 Kevin J. Bliss, Personal/Professional Coaching.............................302-754-1954 Time to Heal Counseling & Consulting, Lewes ............................302-574-6954

ELECTRICIANS

Silver Electric..................................................................................302-227-1107

EVENT PLANNING/CATERING

Flair................................................................................................302-930-0709 Plate Catering.................................................................................302-644-1200

FINANCIAL SERVICES

County Bank, 19927 Shuttle Rd.......................................... 302-226-9800 Jenn Harpel, Morgan Stanley.........................................................302-644-6620

FLORISTS

Bayberry Florist..............................................................................302-227-5725 Windsor’s Florist, 20326 Coastal Hwy...........................................302-227-9481

FUNERAL SERVICES

Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium................................ 302-645-9520

HAIR SALONS/TATTOO & PIERCING

Beach Cuts, 214 Rehoboth Ave...........................................302-226-ROBB Gregory Meyers Hair Studio, 20245 Bay Vista Rd & Rt 1..............302-727-5331 Stephan & Co Salon & Spa, 19266 Coastal Hwy................... 302-260-9478

HEALTH-RELATED

AIDS Delaware – Kent & Sussex Counties.....................................302-226-3519 AIDS Delaware – New Castle County............................................302-652-6776 AIDS Hotline – Delaware statewide...............................................800-422-0429 Brandywine Urology Consultants...................................................302-824-7039 Beebe Healthcare, 26744 J.J. Williams Hwy.................................302-645-3300 CAMPsafe AIDS education & prevention program of CAMP Rehoboth ..................................................................................................302-227-5620 Christiana Care HIV Wellness Clinic ..............................................302-933-3420 Christiana Care LGBTQ Health Initiatives.......................................302-733-1227 Delaware HIV Consortium - Statewide..........................................302-654-5471 Delaware Hospice..........................................................................800-838-9800 Delaware Total Foot & Ankle Center.................................... 302-297-8431 National Alliance on Mental Illness of DE (NAMI)...........................302-427-0787 Rehoboth Beach Dental, 19643 Blue Bird Ln....................... 302-226-0300 Steven B. Wright, D.M.D., 18912 J.J. Williams Hwy............. 302-645-6671 The Aesthetic Center......................................................................302-827-2125

Eric Blondin, State Farm...................................................... 302-644-3276 George Bunting, State Farm................................................ 302-227-3891 Jeanine O’Donnell, State Farm............................................ 302-645-7283

LEGAL/ACCOUNTING/TRUST SERVICES

Lawson Firm, 402 Rehoboth Ave...................................................302-226-3700 PWW Law LLC, 1519 Savannah Rd, Lewes................................... 302-703-6993 Steven Falcone CPA, Taxes & Planning..........................................302-644-8634

LOCKSMITHS

Rock Lock/Robin Rohr/Your Community Locksmith.......................302-386-9166

MASSAGE THERAPY/FITNESS

Midway Fitness & Racquetball, Midway Center.............................302-645-0407 One Spirit Massage, 169 Rehoboth Ave........................................302-226-3552 Rehoboth Massage/Alignment.......................................................302-727-8428 Reiki CENTRAL, thecentralfirm.com...............................................302-408-0878

PET RETAIL

PET SERVICES

Brandywine Valley SPCA, 22918 Dupont Blvd, G’twn.......... 302-856-6361 Delaware Humane Association, 18675 Coastal Hwy........... 302-200-7159 Parsell Pet Crematorium, 16961 Kings Hwy, Lewes............ 302-645-7445

REAL ESTATE

Allen Jarmon, NextHome Tomorrow Realty...................................302-745-5122 Bill Peiffer, Patterson Schwartz, 18958 Coastal Hwy....................302-703-6987 Chris Beagle, Berkshire Hathaway, 37230 Rehoboth Ave............302-227-6101 Debbie Reed Team, 319 Rehoboth Ave.........................................800-263-5648 Donna Whiteside, Berkshire Hathaway, 16712 Kings Hwy...........302-381-4871 Hugh Fuller, Realtor........................................................................302-745-1866 John Black, Patterson Schwartz, 18958 Coastal Hwy...................302-703-6987 Lana Warfield, Berkshire Hathaway, 37230 Rehoboth Ave...........302-227-6101 Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, 16698 Kings Hwy....................... 302-645-6664 Lingo Realty, 246 Rehoboth Ave....................................................302-227-3883 McGuiness Group, 246 Rehoboth Ave...........................................302-227-3883 McWilliams Ballard, Kevin McDuffie.................................. kmcduffie@mcwb.com McWilliams Ballard, Justin Orr.....................................................jorr@mcwb.com Randy Mason/Shirley Kalvinsky, Lingo Realty................................302-227-3883 Sea Bova Associates, 20250 Coastal Hwy........................... 302-227-1222 Troy Roberts, Mann & Sons, 414 Rehoboth Ave............................302-228-7422

RETIREMENT LIVING/SENIOR CARE FACILITIES

Springpoint Choice, 17028 Cadbury Cir, Lewes............................302-313-6658 The Lodge at Truitt Homestead, 36233 Farm Ln.................. 302-232-6372

TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION

Accent On Travel, 37156 Rehoboth Ave.............................. 302-278-6100 CHEER Transportation (age 50+)....................................................302-856-4909 ITN Southern Delaware (age 60+ or disabled)...............................302-448-8486 Jolly Trolley Shuttle from Rehoboth Ave & Boardwalk...................302-644-0400 Olivia Travel...........................................................800-631-6277 ext. 696

POPULAR LGBTQ BEACHES

Poodle Beach, south end of the Rehoboth Boardwalk Cape Henlopen State Park, Ocean Dr north to Cape Henlopen State Park. Daily parking rate in effect March-November.

JULY 8, 2022

57 Letters

All Good Things Must End

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

Loving Victor for the Last Time

Michael Cimino and George Sear on end of Love, Victor and how their characters changed them

F

or now, at least, it’s the end of “Venji.” Many watched Victor (Michael Cimino) and Benji (George Sear), the romantic heart of Love, Victor, to find a much-needed love rush amid pandemic weirdness. The series launched on Hulu in 2020, just months into lockdown when we were all looking for some lighthearted teen romance (for some, to see themselves; for others, to revel in nostalgia), and now, after three seasons, the spinoff of the 2018 film Love, Simon is stepping off the Ferris wheel. That is, until the very fans who made it the gay talk of Twitter inevitably insist on a Venji film.

In a recent chat, Cimino and Sear talked about their next possible collaboration (could we finally get a recorded song?), what mementos they kept from the set, and whether they’ll continue to represent the LGBTQ+ community in future roles.

I don’t know how many tears you shed during the shooting of this, but based on the face you’re making right now, Michael, it looks like you shed some.

Michael Cimino: Yeah, I definitely cried quite a bit. I love this show, and I love this cast. It’s been such an amazing experience. And yeah, it was emotional, dude.

I love these people. So even though it’s not a goodbye, it definitely felt that way, especially in the moment. And it was a goodbye to Victor, and that in itself was really hard, just [saying] goodbye to Victor. I loved playing Victor.

George Sear: It’s such a big part of your life, you know? It was emotional. Especially as a Brit, like us being much more [transparent] with our emotions. That final night everybody was just so…there was just so much love there. Yeah, a lot of tears.

What was your first impression of each other when you met, and how has your relationship changed from the first shoot to the last?

Letters 58 JULY 8, 2022

Cimino: The first time I met George was in the cam read, and I knew that George was the guy. Immediately I was like, “This is our guy, for sure.” Our relationship has just grown since then, and I would consider George one of my really good friends, one of my closest friends, and I know I can call George and chat to him about anything.

Sear: A hundred percent.

Cimino: I don’t think that you get that often, to be honest. Sometimes you become part of a cast, and you’re not really vibing with everyone, but with this cast, I love everyone so much.

Sear: Yeah, honestly. From the get-go there was definitely, like you said…it felt really right. So I was really grateful that I got to be a part of this experience.

Everybody was lovely, but Michael was just so genuine and wanted everybody to feel good on set and brought such good energy. I do feel like our friendship really has evolved from Season 1 till now,

and through jamming together. So much growth in this time, and sharing that with you bonded us.

Cimino: You can’t really describe it.

George would call me when his car broke down, and we had to push it….

Sear: A hundred percent. And he lent me his truck for, like, over a month.

You mentioned music, George, and you’re both musically inclined, and fans are really hungry for a collaboration between the two of you, a recording that we can just enjoy for the rest of our lives. Is that something you talk about?

Cimino: Yeah, actually, I don’t know why we haven’t talked about it.

Sear: That’s something we definitely should [do]. We have played music together before. We used to host these jam sessions where everyone would switch instruments, and it was very fun.

Maybe we can have a go at writing a little Continued on page 60

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59 Letters

All Good Things Must End

Continued from page 58

something. Funny that we both have our guitars, like, next to us [right now]. Let’s do it now. What key?

You’ve spent three years with these characters. What have you learned about yourself by playing them?

Cimino: Dude, I feel like Victor’s inspired me so much just to be brave, and I know I keep saying this, but [that’s] because it’s true. Victor has inspired me to just be who I am. And he has this big speech at the end about bravery, and that has been a really incredible inspiration [to] me for how I navigate life.

Sear: There’s been so much that I’ve taken away from Benji: his confidence, and this season learning that he wasn’t always confident, and he had these struggles, and he was doing a lot of work on himself. It was kind of cathartic to play that, because there’s just parallels between things I’ve gone through. But then, other things, like the love of coffee. They gave me barista training and now I’m obsessed with that.

When they got me in the studio to do that, a song in Season 2, and that just was so fun.

Have you delved into Venji fan fiction? I mean, it would be hard not to; there’s a lot of it on the internet.

Sear: I see a lot of memes and things like that on Twitter.

Cimino: Yeah, I haven’t dived into the fan fiction. We should actually, George.

We could do a day where we link up, and we just read fan fiction online.

Sear: We should actually. We need some direct links.

So a very shameless fan had this question for Michael, which is: out of all the people that Victor has kissed, who is Michael’s favorite kisser?

Cimino: You know, listen…I think….

Sear: Don’t be shy.

Cimino: Yep, tread carefully. Um, I think everyone’s great in their own regard.

And I feel like that’s all I can say ’cause any way that I answer this question, I’m so screwed.

Sear: But there is an answer!

Letters 60 JULY 8, 2022

Victor has inspired me to just be who I am. And he has this big speech at the end about bravery, and that has been a really incredible inspiration [to] me for how I navigate life.

Do you think that you have interest in playing other LGBTQ+ characters in the future?

Cimino: Yes, for sure.

Sear: Definitely, yeah.

Cimino: I’ve had some interest in some stuff that is LGBTQ-skewing. I’m never going to shy away from a role because it’s LGBTQ-skewing. I think that’s really dumb. It’s a part of our world, and people that are part of the LGBTQ+ community need to be seen.

Sear: I’m kind of back to the drawing board, auditioning quite a bit. And if a good part is a good part, and it’s a good character, then yeah. Of course.

Absolutely.

What did you take from the set as a memento? And by “take,” I mean borrow, not steal.

Cimino: Yeah. I didn’t steal anything.

Sear: You got away with something quite hefty, didn’t you?

Cimino: No, no! I don’t know what you’re talking about! I took some stuff from

Victor’s room that I felt like I needed to have.

Sear: I got this bracelet that I love, and it’s sort of a memento of the character.

And I also got the…I’m just looking at it over here. It’s the tamper, for the espresso, where [Benji’s] tamping the coffee. I got the tamper for that. So, I use that every day ’cause I make coffee at home every day.

If a Love, Victor movie comes your way, would you say yes to it?

Cimino: Yeah.

Sear: Definitely. Yeah, yeah. A hundred percent. Love to work with Michael again, and everybody else. ▼ Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

Photo credits: Hulu

JULY 8, 2022

61 Letters

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63 Letters

Out & About

BY ERIC C. PETERSON

The Imaginary War on White Men

I

’ll always remember the moment that I finished the first draft of my first novel.

As I typed the final sentence, I could feel my pulse in my temples, and I paused before typing the final period of the last sentence of the book. And then, as soon as it was done, I felt lightheaded. It didn’t take long to regain my composure, however, and I immediately started making phone calls. “I did it,” I’d say. “I finished it.”

Then, of course, came the process of sending it to trusted friends and a few strangers to read it and give me feedback, as well as to a copy editor who would spot all of my typos and grammatical errors. About six months later, I was ready to start querying agents who might want to represent me, as well as sending the manuscript to smaller, independent publishing houses who would speak to me without an agent.

About three months into that process, a friend said to me, “I really like your book.…”

“But?” I asked. There was clearly a “but” coming.

“But,” they said, “I think it’s going to be hard for you to sell it in this climate.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well,” they said, and made a face that meant they were about to say something controversial or offensive.

“Just say it,” I said. “It’s okay.”

“Look, you’re a white guy. And nobody wants books written by white men right now.”

My friend isn’t overtly racist, by the way. They happen to know a lot about the publishing industry, and it was true that books written by traditionally marginalized groups were very hot in 2019. This continues today, by the way; publishers are under increased pressure to find stories about the marginalized, written by authors who represent those groups.

Nevertheless, a mid-size independent publisher purchased my book about two months later, and it was published the following year.

Letters 64 JULY 8, 2022

I’m thinking about this story because of the words that James Patterson spoke last month to the Sunday Times, lamenting how much harder it is today for white men, especially older white men, to find writing jobs in film, theatre, TV, and publishing. He called it “just another form of racism.”

When you’re used to privilege, equality feels like oppression.

James Patterson is worth $800 million dollars. On a list of living authors with the highest net worth, Patterson comes in second, just behind J.K. Rowling. He has an enormous fan base, and every book with his name on the cover is an immediate bestseller. His recent collaboration with Dolly Parton (Run, Rose, Run), debuted as the number one best-selling book in the country.

Of course, in a world where the writing rooms and bestseller lists of the world are still dominated by white men, his comments provoked a furious response. Patterson issued a straightforward apology two days later.

There’s a familiar saying among diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioners: When you’re used to privilege, equality feels like oppression.

And, if privilege is truly all you’ve ever known, then yes: in a future world where equity is the norm, things won’t come as easily to the formerly advantaged. There are only so many seats at the rhetorical table. If women, the LGBTQ community, and people of color start getting more access, there will be fewer straight white men in the room. For them, success might be just a little harder to come by.

But honestly, straight white men don’t need to be afraid of such a world.

Because it will only be the mediocre

straight white men who will have to learn to live with less.

And yet, any time a conversation is raised about breaking down barriers and improving access for marginalized people, those who’ve always enjoyed that access start to panic. They interpret the conversation as a personal attack, like the whole world is mad at them for being born straight and white and male. Positioned in the center of their own personal universe, they focus on how the situation will affect them, and—without a trace of irony—start positioning themselves as victims.

The truth is that the world is already unfair, and it has been so for some time.

Allowing brilliant writers who are Black, brown, Asian, women, gay, or trans to take some of the seats previously occupied by straight white men is an effort to stamp out unfairness, not the opposite.

And guess what? The writing will be better, too.

Allow me to say a few words to the white men who feel personally threatened by progress: I get it.

Everyone has been telling you your whole life that all you had to do was work hard, and you would succeed.

Now, you wonder if your hard work will be enough. It’s natural to feel worried when things seem to be changing.

But please be aware: the moment you label it unfair or reverse racism or cast yourself as the victim of the story, all anyone else can hear are your fears about your own mediocrity. So if that’s not the message you want to send, you might be better off getting to work, improving yourself, and earning that place at the table. ▼ Eric Peterson co-hosts a podcast called The Rewind Project about old movies and modern times. His first novel (Loyalty, Love & Vermouth) is available online and at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach.

JULY 8, 2022

65 Letters

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67 Letters

CAMPshots

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

Celebrating Pride Month!

Poodle Beach, CAMP Rehoboth Handmade Market, Ladies Golf and More. Summer 2022 is Off and Running!

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Milton Pride at Milton

Theater : Asia Dixon, Kelly Bateman, Anne Davey, Lori Jacobs (Bettenroo), Laurie Bortz, Karen Palermo; 2) at Purple Parrot: Chuck McSweeney, Michael Clay, Garrett Faulkner, Andy Foshchenko, Conner McGregor, Ken Donahue, David Herring, Jim Burke; 3) at Rehoboth Art League: Alexi Natchev, Nick Serratore.

OPPOSITE PAGE 4) at Café Azafran: Steve Falchek, Joe

Coates, Konrad Nobel, Kathy McGrath, Karen Finn, Brian Cox, John Flynn, Billy Toner, Holly Lane, Marc Charon, John Hackett, Brian Smaul, Joe M., Tony Burns; 5) at CAMP Rehoboth Handmade Market: Richard Thibodeau, Mark Robinson, Robb Mapou, Geri Dibiase, Deb Knickerbocker; 6) at Gallery 50: Marian Osher, Chuck Osher, Charlotte Prado; 7) at Wenzday Drag Show at Northbeach, Dewey: Kasey Gonzalez-Cruz, Morgan McMichaels, Tamia Gisele Mykles.

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69 Letters

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THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Poodle Beach: Adam Entenburg, Leo Namerow-

Enterburg, Bruce Namerow, Michael Solonoski, Philippe Poirier, Josh Budge, Andrew Herren, Pablo Martinez, Morgan Washburn, Gary Fisher, Josh Bushey, Dale Denton, Andrew Kunka, Michael McQueney, Adel Bz, John Duphine, John Christy; 2) at Women’s Softball League: Amy Garson, Kim McGeown, Teresa Bolduc, Kelly Sheridan, Debbie Quinton, Deb Bievenour, MeriEllen James, Laura Matthews, April Deer.

OPPOSITE PAGE 3) at Port 251: Gary Trovell, Barbara Trovell, Jery Johnson, Diane

Eggleton, Steph Dalee, Sylvie Ashby, John Potthast, Jay Chalmers, Jacob Anthony, Bo Weisenberger, Tony Zacchei, John Flynn, Michael Solonski; 4) at The Pines: Alonza Parker, Nick Scott, Mark Breidenstein, Carrie Lingo, Richard Broadbent, Gretchen Pierce, Dewey Beach Commissioner David Jasinski, John Glowacky, Jay Kottoff, Mark Matey, Ron Dempsey, Bob DeFendis; 5) at Rigby's: Tom Johnson, Richard Nacey, Dan Dutcher.

(More CAMPshots page 100) Letters 70 JULY 8, 2022

Summer 2022 is Off and Running!

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71 Letters

View Point

BY RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

A Watch Tower on a Beach, a Walk on the Moon On the horizon, a clash of different futures

I

n South Bethany there is a World War II era watch tower that was used to spot Nazi submarines. It stands sentry beside the coastal highway over an empty stretch of beach that I’m surprised has not been filled by luxury condos. The fact that it’s unsafe to overdevelop what amounts to a sandbar hasn’t stopped people elsewhere.

During a long-ago summer, my siblings and I were fascinated by that watch tower when we weren’t gathering seashells or walking up the road to the Dairy Queen. Our father had fought in North Africa against the forces of Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox. Dad was captured in Tunisia in 1943 and spent the remainder of the war in Stalag 2B. As a child, I had trouble imagining our peaceful coastline being threatened by Nazis. Scanning the water, other than sailboats all I saw was an occasional pod of dolphins at play.

Sometimes I dug in the wet sand for the hermit crabs that burrowed there.

In a postwar horror movie, those harmless little crabs would have grown to monstrous size because of a nuclear accident. We were also told to worry about Soviet satellites overhead like Sputnik, which propelled the space race. I remember watching on a small black and white TV on a rainy night near the beach in 1969 as Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. I was sure I would be there myself one day, admiring Earth from a spot on lunar sand with no creatures under it, but still imagining them.

Now my dreams of space are reduced to watching billionaire joyrides and episodes of Captain Pike and his multicultural crew in a Star Trek with far niftier sets and gadgets than the original. Back here on 21st century Earth, instead of threats from the sea we face domestic terrorists and environmental damage from microplastics. You could say we turned out to be the monsters.

On my roof in Washington on a balmy night, I sip iced tea and grab my glasses before they skitter off the table in the summer breeze. Sitting under the stars in the dark (as dark as it gets in a light-filled city), my older self yearns for that view of Earth from the moon I saw in pictures, as newer generations face the prospect of rule by an aggressive minority of homegrown fascists.

The seaside is a border land that inspires thoughts of distant times and places.

Letters 72 JULY 8, 2022

That is not the future we anticipated. But then I do not recall many black faces in the beach crowds of my childhood. It is easier to maintain an illusion of innocence when reminders of unfulfilled promises of equality are filtered out.

As I came of age, I increasingly asserted my strong impulse to think for myself. Now I live in a city that I helped change as a gay rights activist.

I love this international capital where no racial or ethnic group has the majority, where our differences are an enhancement rather than a threat. Across the land, however, the fanning of old fears and hatreds into a new conflagration threatens to destroy the work of generations.

The seaside is a border land that inspires thoughts of distant times and places. A few miles out, beyond the lights of civilization, on a clear night you can see the cosmos all our ancestors saw before the invention of electric light bulbs.

Two years ago, I saw the Milky Way for the first time in decades while sailing with friends off the Outer Banks. Despite knowing the constellations, the sight of thousands of stars instead of the usual handful was almost frightening, as if I were approaching a familiar city and an alien skyline appeared on the horizon.

The prospect of the destruction of democracy is like that. It is tempting to flick on the lights and dispel unsettling visions of what may come. Yet a new world approaches. Whether it will be “a more perfect union,” as the Constitution’s preamble says, or a nightmare of blood and fire, is up to all of us.

As I write, crowds are gathering on Pennsylvania Avenue to march for “the power of poor people to be agents of change,” and to end systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, war, and “the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism.” If you watch for it, you can see a diverse people seeking to build a better society instead of ignorantly and spitefully tearing it down.

However farfetched, and whether futuristic or very old, I think it worth a try here under the stars. ▼ Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and activist at rrosendall@ me.com.

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A 501(c)3 Non-Profit JULY 8, 2022

73 Letters

arts+entertainment

BY DOUG YETTER

SPOTLIGHT ON THE

arts

CAMP Rehoboth Puts Art at the Heart of Our Community Renewed Perspective on Glass What could be more fun than mermen, mermaids, and martinis? Not much! In his new solo show, artist Richard Thibodeau revives a century-old technique of reverse painting on glass, with added detail in vibrant stainedglass paint.

“We are thrilled that Richard will bring this exquisite art form to CAMP Rehoboth,” says Arts Director Leslie Sinclair. “His under-glass technique provides a unique depth and luminescence to each piece.”

His delightfully playful art is on display July 5-28, with an artist’s reception on Saturday, July 9 (5:007:00 p.m.). ▼

Upcoming Exhibit: DDOA XXII Award Winners

E

ach year the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) creates an exhibit representing Delaware artists selected for their outstanding quality of work. This year’s exhibit (now at the Biggs Museum in Dover) features 25 artists who represent a variety of art forms including paintings, fine art crafts, literature, performances, videography, sculpture, photography, multi-media works, and more. Selected pieces from the exhibit will travel from the Biggs Museum to CAMP Rehoboth and will be on display from August 1-September 5, with an Award Winners Reception August 5 (6:00-8:00 p.m.).▼

Images by Delaware Division of the Arts XXII Award Winners Top row: Splitting Headache by Maia Palmer­ Bottom row, L-R: Sao Padaek by Leanna Thongvong­; Sasha by Stephanie Boateng

CAMP REHOBOTH highlights our community’s unique history and culture, and serves to further diversity, equity, and inclusion, by building unity and understanding. Exhibits may be viewed Monday-Friday (10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.) and Saturday (10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.). View and purchase art on the CAMP Rehoboth website under “SHOP.” Doug is the Artistic Director of CAMP Rehoboth Chorus and Minister of Music at Epworth UMC. You can contact him at dougyetter@gmail.com.

This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.

Letters 74 JULY 8, 2022

arts+entertainment

artist SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight on Colin Armstrong & The Southern Delaware Chorale

I’ve known Colin Armstrong—Artistic Director/Conductor of the Southern Delaware Chorale—since he and his partner, Ralph, relocated to the beach in 2016. But I thought it was time to know him a bit better.

Doug Yetter: Give us the Readers’ Digest version of your life before the beach.

Colin Armstrong: I was born in Vancouver, lived in Alberta and Calgary, moved to Edmonton to pursue my master’s degree, then Quebec City before moving to the US for my doctoral studies. I taught at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania and Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York before moving here. Ralph and I celebrate our sixth anniversary this month, though we’ve been together almost nine years.

DY: Who are/were your biggest influences?

CA: My father played Bach and Vivaldi at home, I had wonderful music teachers, and have worked with some of the best conductors, teachers, authors, and historians.

I grew up playing trumpet, but that changed after hearing the National Youth Choir of Canada in 1990. That night, I heard “the sound” that has inspired and guided me ever since. I love Renaissance and Baroque choral music.

DY: What’s your history with the Southern Delaware Chorale, and how’s the

2022-2023 season shaping up?

CA: I began as Artistic Director in January 2018. Our season starts with “Classical Holiday Favorites” in December, a Black History Month concert with guest choirs in February 2023, and culminating with “A Spring Bouquet,” in April.

DY: What’s your favorite part of being a musician? Your least favorite?

CA: My favorite part is the rehearsal process. The challenge of “triaging” what I hear is incredibly exciting. After singing a section and stopping to fix things, I

decide which issues are important and which can wait. Keeping things rolling while maintaining a sense of fun is always my goal, and I am able to achieve this because the singers in the Southern Delaware Chorale are truly a great bunch of people!

My least favorite part of being a musician is fundraising. It’s incredibly important for all arts organizations, but more difficult during a pandemic and high inflation.

DY: The pandemic brought choral singing to a grinding halt. How are you dealing with it?

CA: We had to completely suspend all in-person activities in March 2020. We were in rehearsals for our spring concert, which was canceled, as well as the following December and February events.

We started in-person, socially distanced, and masked rehearsals in March 2021, with a vaccine mandate in place for all who wished to participate in rehearsals and concerts. We are anticipating a return to a full season in 2022-2023, always following guidelines and mandates.

DY: Last question…. Looking for singers?

CA: We’re always looking for singers of all voice parts to join us! We rehearse Tuesday evenings at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Georgetown. Email us at: choir@southerndelawarechorale.org or go to our website: southerndelawarechorale.org. ▼

Tom Wilson: Super-Realist/Surrealist

At the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover—July 1-October 15 Wilson painted many portraits but is best remembered for his large, bold floral still lifes, many painted from his own garden in Lewes. His photorealistic architectural studies of Sussex and Kent counties are notable for depicting bright coastal sunlight. He highlighted a wide swath of under-represented populations: people of color, farm laborers. and the LGBTQ community.

Wilson grew up in Georgetown and studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating, he started a portrait painting studio in Paris. Wilson returned to Delaware where he met and moved in with Leo Medisch—co-owner of the Back Porch Café in Rehoboth Beach. Wilson died at 49 in 1995 from complications due to AIDS. ▼ JULY 8, 2022

75 Letters

arts+entertainment

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

BOOKED SOLID LBGTQ Books for Kids, c.2022, various publishers Like every kid in the world, the one you love has a zillion questions.

“Why” begins with ants and runs through zebras. “When” goes from astronauts to zoos. “Who” from aunties to, well, you. So why not keep a few books around for the kiddos, books that entertain and gently inform….

Life is better when you have a friend, and in Strong, by Rob Kearney & Eric Rosswood, illustrated by Nidhi Chanani (Little, Brown, $17.99) a guy named Rob has always been one of the strongest guys around. When he decides he wants to compete, he finds someone to work out with him and they fall in love—but when Rob goes to the competition, everybody whispers about him. Why does he look so strange?

Four-to-six-year-olds will be glad to see that when the right kind of cheerleader arrives, looks don’t matter at all.

Kids who got to see a Pride Parade for the first time this year will want to own The Rainbow Parade by Emily Neilson (Penguin Dial, $17.99). It’s the story of Emily, who celebrates Pride with Mommy and Mama and a whole lot of people who are having a really good time. But BE in the parade….? Not Emily…or, maybe. Four-to-seven-year-olds who are new to Pride will want you to read this book aloud at least once a week.

Slightly older kids may appreciate having Pink, Blue, and

Letters 76 JULY 8, 2022

You! by Elise Gravel with Kykaell Blais (Random House Kids, $17.99) around to check with now and then. This book touches on some of the things that kids hear but don’t understand.

Are there “boy things” and “girl things”? And if there are, who decides who can play with them? You can be a boy or a girl, but what if someone thinks they’re both? Who made all these rules, anyhow?

For seven-to-10-year-olds who need the blanks filled in on their gender education, this is a good choice to give. Bonus: you might learn a thing or two, as well.

For teens who are trying to figure things out for themselves, or for 12-to-17-year-old allies, Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement by Stella Caldwell, foreword by Layton Williams (Penguin Workshop, $14.99) is a great book to give or have around. It’s a book filled with quick-to-read, different-length entries on a variety of people, places, and things your teen will want to know about—things like what it was like to be gay in the 1950s, the early days of legalized same-sex marriage, early Pride celebrations, and pioneers who came out strong when it was illegal to do so. Teens and young adults who are trans, gay, lesbian, and queer also get a chance to weigh in on why they “have Pride.”

Varied, interesting, and informative, this is one of those books that an adult can absolutely be caught reading.

If these great books don’t quite fit what you’re looking for, for the kid you love, be sure to ask your favorite librarian or local bookseller for help. They know books. They’ve got answers. ▼ Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was three years old and never goes anywhere without a book. Always Overbooked, she lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 15,000 books.

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77 Letters

Training CAMP

BY JON ADLER KAPLAN

Posture

I

t has always been a pet peeve of mine to see young and obviously very fit and muscular people at the gym with horrible posture. Often, I want to walk up to them, dig my thumbs into their shoulder blade area, and pull back on their shoulders causing them to stand taller.

Perhaps this is not the best approach as I may end up with a black eye. The approach I should probably take is to introduce myself to them, let them know that I am a fitness trainer, and ask if they would be open to some training advice.

At that point, I would probably also ask them if they have any shoulder, back, or neck issues. This way I can rule out a pre-existing condition.

As we age and work telecommuting in front of computers, we tend to slouch more and round our shoulders and backs. Another huge contributor to poor posture is neck and cervical stress due to our use of smart phones. This neck stress causes irritation and unusual wear on the joint linings, which is the beginning of arthritis.

Rounded shoulders or slouchy posture also can occur due to guys (yes; men do this more than women) overtraining their pecs causing a contraction in the muscle thus forcing the pecs together and shoulders to round forward. Pecs are such a big vanity muscle, men spend more time training them vs. training the back muscles which would lead to better posture.

One of my favorite suggestions as a trainer is to have people perform a push/pull workout to balance out the muscles and improve posture. The push/pull method alternates a push movement (chest press) followed immediately by a pull movement (seated cable row for the back).

A push workout may also be followed by a pull workout the next day if one wants to really focus on one muscle group for that day. Personally, I like to Letters 78 JULY 8, 2022

shake it up and do single body-part exercises some days and push/pull workouts on other days to prevent boredom.

Incorrect posture is often characterized by the following: • Kypholordosis—tight pectoral muscles and a stiff thoracic spine • Rounded Shoulders • Weak abdominal muscles • Upper or lower back pain • Weak glutes I would like to share with you two of my favorite tips/exercises to improve posture.

Wall Posture Check: Begin by going to the protruding corner where two walls meet. Stand with your head, shoulder blades, and buttocks against the edge of a wall. Your heels should come away from the wall about two to three inches.

Your spine has a natural curvature which will allow you to place a hand between your lower back and the wall.

To improve your core strength (which assists in good posture) engage your buttocks and abdominals which will decrease the space between your lower back and the wall. I like to “inchworm” up the wall by slowly raising my head, upper vertebrae, and tail bone up the wall until I am on my tiptoes. Keep your shoulder blades engaged as well. Once you are high on your tiptoes, slowly slide your body down the wall.

Neck Isometrics: The neck muscles are responsible for supporting your head all day long! The upper vertebrae would be so stressed without the help of these important stabilizer muscles.

The following exercises are important

to keep the head moving in multiple directions. You will want to do these isometrics in all directions.

1. Place both palms on the forehead and push the forehead against the palms and the palms against the forehead for a two-second count.

2. Place the fingertips on the back of the head. Push the head against the fingertips and the fingertips against the head for a two-second count.

3. Place one palm on the side of the head and push the head into the palm and the palm into the head for a two-second count. Repeat on the other side.

Once all angles are completed, do another two sets of each for a total of three sets. Please make sure that your head is in alignment and not moving at all during these exercises.

Probably one of the best reminders that you need to do postural corrective moves is seeing people with really bad posture. So when you’re at the grocery store or out on the boardwalk, take a minute to observe how many people are jutting their necks forward and down while looking at their phones. Take the time to correct your posture to ensure that you stand tall and proud! ▼ Jon Adler Kaplan is a health coach and fitness trainer both virtually and at Rise Fitness and Adventure. Email Jon with any fitness questions at jonadlerkaplan@gmail.com.

Giving back is my way of saying “Thank you.”

George Bunting Jr, Agent 19716 Sea Air Ave #1 Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 Bus: 302-227-3891 george@gbunting.com

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79 Letters

Q Puzzle How Not to Be Single

Solution on Page 108 ACROSS 1 Gay-friendly student org.

5 Crystal balls, e.g.

9 Be a ham in Hamlet?

14 Novel idea 15 Come quickly 16 Nathan and family 17 Facetious “I see” 18 Nat. counterpart in MLB 19 Spit out 20 “I thought I was searching for a ___...”

23 Susan in All My Children 24 Where to get a collar for a bitch 28 Workplace for Michelangelo 32 Penetrating 33 Loaded for bear 35 Top’s betting phrase?

36 “...but maybe what I really needed was a ___” 41 Sign over 42 He comes once a year 43 Ashcan targets 46 Cars from the land of the samurai 50 Product introduction 52 Poles for your first mate?

54 Alicia of Falcon Crest 55 Source of this puzzle’s quote who just came out 59 Clubs for Cubs

Letters 80 JULY 8, 2022

61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68

Shore of Palm Springs Movie theater Used a forked tongue Family Ties mother Friendly opening Slips up Log Cabin list, e.g.

Type of personal lubricant

DOWN 1 Card game with tricks 2 Java trumpeter 3 Casablanca dirt 4 When nymphomaniacs need sex 5 Singer Anita 6 Drivers get off on it 7 Title used by Uncle Remus 8 “Take it off!”

9 Succeeds a la Log Cabin 10 Like a queen 11 A Chorus Line song 12 Dick, for short 13 Hrs. in P-town 21 Try a Rick Rodgers cookbook, e.g.

22 Three R’s org.

25 TV newsman Brit 26 Miss in a Cole Porter song 27 Whitman and Dickinson 29 It may come before long

30 Catch them in South Beach 31 Patron of Ire. 34 Cube designer Rubik 36 Like Cary Grant 37 One who worships someone other than the Divine Miss M? 38 Elite Navy diver 39 Sexual tail 40 Watts in King Kong’s hand 41 Not terminal 44 Hard top 45 Napped leather materials 47 Powder for bottoms 48 Town in da Vinci’s land 49 Balls 51 Govt. promissory note 53 Hagar’s dog 56 Lord of the Rings singer 57 Avoid premature ejaculation 58 Golden showers cry?

60 Radical org. of the ‘60s

JULY 8, 2022

81 Letters

The REAL DIRT

BY ERIC W. WAHL

Go Blue!

W

ith the summer firmly here, so are our native fruiting shrubs and trees. A favorite for wildlife and for our kitchens is our native blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, also called the highbush blueberry for its mature height that can reach up to 12 feet. Smaller varieties are available that are more appropriate for the smaller garden.

Highbush blueberry thrives in full-sun and in acidic soils. Their blue to purple fruit are high in iron and appear anywhere from mid-June through August, depending on the variety that is planted. For a long harvesting season, plant blueberries in mass that are early-, mid-, and late-blooming. The cross-pollination will also help with fruit production both in size and quantity.

Highbush blueberry requires little maintenance; light pruning may be required for deadwood and to keep a shapely plant. They tend to tolerate variable soil types, from clay to loamy to sandy soils. They also tolerate moist to occasionally dry conditions. Because of this, highbush blueberry is often found in bogs, swamps, shorelines, as well as upland forests and pine barrens (known for their highly acidic soils).

Their leaves tend to be tinged red in spring as they leaf-out and turn a lovely green during the growing season. Autumn turns their foliage stunning shades of red, purple, and orange. A three-season

Blueberry & White Chocolate Sugar Cookies INGREDIENTS:

1 ¼ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp baking soda, 5 Tbl softened butter, 4 oz softened cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, ½ tsp vanilla extract, ⅔ cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup blueberries plus more for top of cookies This recipe makes about 18 cookies. It can be doubled but be careful not to crush the blueberries as it is a thick dough. Smaller batches make it easier.

Letters 82 JULY 8, 2022

shrub in the truest sense of the word. The flowers emerge in spring to early summer and are white (sometimes pinkish) and bell shaped.

Wildlife adore this shrub. The flowers attract butterflies and bees, needed for pollination. Other animals that enjoy the fruit are grouse, turkey, black bears, and numerous birds. Rabbits and deer also use their twigs as a resource.

However, us humans enjoy blueberries so much that they have been commercially grown for their fruit for many generations. Numerous varieties are available, including ‘Bountiful Blue’ which grows to about four feet in height and produces large berries in good quantities. The foliage is often said to have the bluest shade of the blueberries.

Another variety is ‘Duke Blueberry’ that grows to about six feet tall and is considered a late-blooming selection. It produces an abundance of large, lightblue berries. Perfect for a hedge or border planting. Blueberries also do rather well in containers.

I hope this gives you inspiration on growing your own fruiting shrubs in your gardens. If you do not have the room for the highbush blueberry, consider growing the lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium). It only reaches one to two feet in height and can be used as groundcover.

Perfect for smaller spaces.

Since July is a month full of grilling and gathering events for friends and

Her soft sugar cookies have always been a must have at family events and around holidays. family, I thought I would contribute to the festivities by providing a recipe of my creation that highlights blueberries. This is, at its heart, my mother’s soft sugar cookie recipe with a few items added.

Her soft sugar cookies have always been a must have at family events and around holidays.▼ Eric W. Wahl, is Landscape Architect at Pennoni Associates, and President of the Delaware Native Plant Society.

METHOD: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients in bowl, set aside.

3. In large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar and mix to combine.

4. Mix egg and vanilla into creamed mixture.

5. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, but do not overmix.

6. Fold in white chocolate chips.

7. Fold in blueberries, making sure not to crush them.

8. Drop by large tablespoonfuls on baking sheet, 2 inches apart.

9. Press a few blueberries into top of cookies prior to baking.

10. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, just until bottoms begin to brown.

11. Let cookies rest on cookie sheet for a couple minutes before moving to cooling rack.

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83 Letters

Lewes Beach

Powerful Philanthropy

A donor advised fund at the DCF helps you make a difference in Delaware.

Salty air. Outdoor adventures. Sundrenched spots... Preserving and enjoying Delaware’s beautiful beaches is an investment in all of our future.

If you’re passionate about Delaware’s environment — whether it’s preserving the beaches, protecting wildlife or ensuring access to our gorgeous parks — you can make a difference through a donor advised fund (DAF) at the Delaware Community Foundation.

A DAF is a charitable fund that brings you tax advantages while growing tax-free and helping you support the charities you care about — forever. It’s a smart way to be generous.

Talk with us about how your DAF can make what you love about Delaware even better.

To learn more, visit delcf.org/daf or contact Mike DiPaolo, Vice President for Southern Delaware, at 302.856.4393 or mdipaolo@delcf.org.

Letters 84

JULY 8, 2022

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85 Letters

The Sea Salt Table

BY ED CASTELLI

Grilled Sticky Shrimp

I

These cook fast, which is why I’m recommending batches. There’s no rush, as I think they taste better after sitting on a platter to cool a bit.

Letters 86

JULY 8, 2022

’m a neurotic keeper of lists. Hardcopy. No fancy schmancy app for this guy. Lists of honey-do’s. Things we need to buy. What to pack.

Article ideas. So, so many lists. As my husband will joke, I keep a list of where to find all my lists.

Part of the allure is the immense pleasure I experience every time I scratch something off. But mind you, one strikethrough is never enough. Back and forth I go, until it’s obliterated, never to be thought of again.

Sometimes I get cocky and mark something done in advance. Like I’m on my way upstairs, surely I’ll remember to “grab shirt to iron.”

Invariably, I end up holding my list to the light, scanning my scribbly cross outs, my mind gnawing that I forgot something. Oh yeah, that shirt.

While tweaking a recipe to just the way I like it, I tend to approach my note-taking like my list-making. This comes back to bite me.

You see I love sharing recipes and often send pictures of my cards.

Recipients complain because I’ve added so many comments, arrows, and redactions. “But it’s my process!” I fire back.

Like the time I had convinced myself I no longer favored curry powder. So determined was I to never be tempted to use that ingredient again, I swiped over it repeatedly.

Like I was mad at it and it owed me money. So many times, in fact, my pen punched through the other side.

Fast forward to today, “curry powder” is back on that card, written in the margin with an arrow pointing to its original location. And a smiley face.

The recipe I’m featuring today is one that a cryptographer couldn’t make heads or tails of. But don’t worry, I’ve simplified it for public consumption. Humor me, to call it the 2022 version.

Let’s get started, shall we?

 Mix together: ½ cup mayonnaise,

⅓ cup orange marmalade or apricot preserves, ½ Tbl soy sauce, ½ Tbl Dijon mustard, 1 smashed garlic clove, 1 ½ Tbl white wine, 1 ½ Tbl fresh lime juice, ¼ tsp powdered ginger, dash of pepper, ½ Tbl spice mix of your choosing (like Mrs. Dash, Old Bay, or lemon pepper).

 Add: 2 pounds of the largest shrimp you can get your hands on—raw, peeled, and deveined, but leave the tails on

 Marinade for at least an hour, or

overnight. Heat your grill to medium high. Drain excess liquid.

 Cook the shrimp in batches for 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on size.

Move to a large platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TIPS ⊲ • High quality full-fat mayonnaise is important here. It gives the shrimp their eggy blisters. Duke’s brand is my favorite.

• Feel free to use skewers or a fish/ vegetable grilling pan. I’ve used them both, but find I like these right off the hot grate, grill marks and all.

• These cook fast, which is why I’m recommending batches. There’s no rush, as I think they taste better after sitting on a platter to cool a bit. Just don’t pile them on top of each other. Else they’ll steam and lose their finger-licking stickiness.

• Extra credit: try this marinade with scallops or chicken. Yum! ▼ Ed and his husband Jerry split their time between homes near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Bethany Beach. Ed builds websites to pay the bills but loves to cook, garden, hike, and dote on their dog Atticus.

clear space theatre company JUNE 24 thru AUGUST 27

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Catch every show twice each week!

WEEKENDS ONLY!

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ThisThis program supported, in by a program is is supported, in part, part,grant by from a grant from the the Delaware Division of the Delaware Division the Arts, with Arts, a state agency,of in partnership a state agency, in partnership the National Endowment for the Arts. withThe Division promotes Delaware arts theevents National Endowment for on www.DelawareScene.com. theClear Arts.Space Theatre Company, Inc. is a The501(c)(3) Divisionnon-profit promotes organization.

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Visiting View

BY ROBERT DOMINIC

This Is How We Roll

O

n Sunday, June 5, approximately 3,000 people left the Cow Palace in San Francisco at the beginning of their seven-day, 545-mile journey to Los Angeles. Within that group were 2,400 cyclists (each of whom had to raise a minimum of $3,000 to ride) and 600 roadies. These inspiring individuals, which I am honored and humbled to be a part of, were part of AIDS Lifecycle (ALC) 2022.

Canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ALC came roaring back this year raising a staggering $17.7 million. That money will benefit both the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. The ride itself is a life-changing, week-long experience in a traveling city of 3,000 like-minded individuals, all trying to make a difference in the lives of others.

This was my sixth ALC: three times as a cyclist, and this making my third ride as a roadie. Roadies provide any and all support for the cyclists, getting them safely from camp to camp each night. Different roadie teams include the massage team, sports/chiro, motor safety, information specialists, food services, and the one I was a part of: rest stops.

Rest stops are designated stops along each day’s route for the cyclists to relax, eat, drink, use the restrooms, take photos, and maybe see a quick dance performance. Usually, there are four rest stops each day, each about 15 miles apart, with the lunch stop between rest stops two and three.

On Day 4, my team was the Spice Girls. I was Sporty Spice, after a last-minute outfit change with my teammate Diamond. (The fab Union Flag dress I’d borrowed from my uber-stylish friend Son would not even fit over my leg. I should have realized it beforehand, given Son is a size zero, and I am, well, not.)

Gay crisis averted, I donned Diamond’s skintight leopard tights. Diamond is tiny as well, so this Sporty Spice had a little Letters 90

JULY 8, 2022

muffin-top through no fault of her own.

The “love bubble”—as it is affectionately known throughout the week—gets from one city to the next via bicycles, trucks, vans, cars, and motorcycles. What exactly is the love bubble? It’s what we call the week we all spend together.

My teammate Nora was a roadie, tenting with her queer sister who was a rider.

ALC is a massive undertaking and each time I am amazed at how easily and efficiently thousands of people leave camp in the morning and safely get to the new camp at the end of the day. It’s a week-long summer camp where you sleep in tent city, wake up at 4:30 a.m., and don your headlamp as you make your way to the port-a-potty. You get yourself dressed, pack up your tent and luggage, and drop them off at your gear truck, which will be waiting for you when you arrive at the next camp. Roadies are the unsung heroes of the ride.

I think everyone on this ride is a hero.

The stories I hear, the people I see…cyclists in their 60s and 70s riding in memory of a child lost to AIDS. My teammate Nora was a roadie, tenting with her queer sister who was a rider. A married couple

on their honeymoon riding a tandem bike—the entire 545 miles. HIV+ cyclists proudly riding today in honor and memory of those lost.

A SAG (Support and Gear) bus is available for any riders or roadies who are unable to ride or work at any time throughout the day. One time on the SAG bus I met a man who came out at 52 and has ridden for 10 years, once with his adult son. Sweep vehicles shuttle riders stuck on the route with a flat tire to the next rest stop. These buses and cars are adorned with decorations and messages of inspiration. Two of this year’s sweep teams were the Super Mario Brothers and the Jersey Girls.

The motto of the love bubble is “be whoever you are!” Cyclists ride in creative and fashionable outfits, wigs on the daily, with Day 5 being the beloved Red Dress Day, or its nickname—Dress Red Day. Amid the costumes and the creativity, people go all out. You can even be hetero if you must. ALC is for everyone. Tents are adorned with pride flags and lights.

Friendships are solidified quickly. Biking for hours on end will do that.

Dinners at night may include speeches by gay icons like Cleve Jones, or an ALC icon like Lorrie Jean, who retired on June 30. There would be no AIDS Lifecycle without Lorri Jean. The very first ride in 1994 of 500 riders raised $1.5 million and started a revolution.

It is a week unlike any other—a week of highs and lows, of laughs and tears. It’s hard AF but it’s also supremely rewarding.

If you get the chance to do it, you will become as much of an ALC groupie as I am. I just hope this column does the love bubble justice. ▼ Robert Dominic splits his time between Brooklyn and Rehoboth Beach. He writes for publications including Instinct Magazine and his own blog, The Gays of Our Lives.

JULY 8, 2022

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95 Letters

Continued from page 94

Jeff Haslow X Janece Hausch* John & Mary Havrilla* Nancy Hawpe Daniel F.C. Hayes* Helen Healy & Lisa Whitehouse Gail Hecky* Barb & Len Hedges-Goetti Leslie Hegamaster & Jerry Stansberry* Linda Heisner X Matthew Hennesey* David Herchik & Richard Looman X Fred Hertrich X Howard Hicks & Stephen Carey X Helen Hilderbrandt Barbara Hines & Nancy Froome X Howard C. Hines, MD X Karen & Mickey Hinman Janel Hino & Patricia Ann Scully X Cynthia Hogue David Hogue & Michael Utasi Harris Holden X Connie Holdridge* Robert Holloran & Ed Davis* Brad Holsinger & Ed Moore Mod Cottage* Chris Holt & Emory Bevill X Mollyne Honor & Shelley Garfield Larry Hooker X Penni Hope* James T. Hopkins X Elaine Horan & Debbie Sciallo X Frank Hornstein & Mark Henckel X James Hospital & Jack Fraker* Robert Hotes X Peggy Ann Hughes Kaz Huston & Sylvia Daniels Ellan Hylton Batya Hyman & Belinda Cross* Thomas Ingold X Claire Ippoliti X Chris Israel & John Stassi X Debbie Isser & Fran Leibowitz* Geoffrey Jackson & Will Delany X Fay Jacobs & Bonnie Quesenberry X Sharon Janis X Steve Janosik X Kathy Jantzen & Debi Cunn Allen Jarmon & Ward Ellinger X Robert Jasinski* Mary Jenkins & Laura Reitman Susan Jimenez & Cathy Benson X Chip Johnson - In Memory of Joseph Lachac* Donna A. Johnson* Ken Johnson X Randi Johnson Jim Johnston Richard Jolly & Charles Ingersoll X D. J. Jones* Gay Jones & Barb Bartels Glenn Jones X Sparky Jones Tom Jones X Wayne Juneau X Mick Kaczorowski X Darleen Kahl & Susan Poteet* Bob Kaplan & Jeff Davis X Daphne Kaplan & Steve Scheffer* Sharon Kaplan & Pamela Everett* Kevin P. Kaporch X Amylynn Karnbach - One Day At A Time Gifts, LLC Peter Keeble & Tom Best Margaret Keefe & Dianne Conine* Alan Keffer* Mark Kehoe X Donald Kelly* John Kelly & Randy Sutphin X Michael J. Kelly X Ann Kemper

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John Kennedy Rosemary Kerwin & C Robinson Hunter Kesmodel X Ned Kesmodel & Matt Gaffney X Tom Ketterman Marge Keyes & Julie Arenstein X C. David Kimmel* Charlotte King Rachel King Spencer Kingswell X Daniel Kinsella* Ilene Klein Jane Knaus & Cindy Myers Stephen Kopp John Kort & Hung Lai* Robert Kovalcik & Bob Howard X Marcia Kratz* Karen Kreiser & Beth Nevill* Kathleen Kress Kevin W. LaBarge X Adam Lamb & Eli Martinez Cheryl Landry & Lisa Corrado Peter Lanzaro & Frank Bodsford X Dr. Mathilda Laschenski & Dr. Kathleen Heacock X Ruth Lauver & Judy Wetzel* Kate Lavelle X Jim Lawrence & Bob Palandrani Charlie Lee X Nicholas Lee Jon Leeking & Dieulifete Jean* Sherry Leichman & Keith Snyder Kim Leisey & Kathy Solano Lisa Lekawa Jen Leonard & Claire McCracken Jill Leonard Marsha Levine & Susan Hamadock X Arlene & Ginny Levy-Balmforth Barbara Lewis Barbara Lilien* Alexander Lincoln Cindy Lins & Diane Milam Duwayne Litz X Eleanor Lloyd & Celeste Beaupre Jonathan & Karlyn Lokken* Robert E. Long X Pat Loughlin* Cynthia Lowe & Rae von Doehren Debbie Lupton & Romana Dobbs Diane Lusk X P. Michael Lutz* Minda Lynch Becky Lyons & Ebie Hamrick X Christopher Magaha* Joe Maggio X Loretta Mahan* Bernadette Maher & Cheryl Tarlecky* Jack Maher X Nancy Maihoff X Eddie Major X Bruce Majors X Harvey Manchester X Domenic Mannello X Stephanie Manos & Reber Whitner X Robb Mapou & Mike Zufall* Anyda Marchant X Charles Marino & Alan Berman* Diane Markey & Randi Snader* Harold Marmon & Robert Hill* Sharon Marquart Michelle Marsh & Barb Sann Colleen Martin Norma Martin X Linda Martinak & Susan Baker Nan Martino* Marie Martinucci* Joe Matassino & Tim Murray* Jason Darion Mathis Nancy Mathis John Matthews & Nick Polcini* Eric Matuszak X Linda Mazie & Terry Koff Donna McCabe & Mac Ignacio X

Marcia McCollum Edward McCord Kathleen McCormick & Elizabeth Fish X Mary McElhone & Nancy Kaiser X Sherri McGee & Kris Aulenbach Thomas McGlone X Kathleen McGrath Ellen McKeon & Kay Cummings* Joe McMahon X Joseph McNally & Terry Jones X Charlotte McNaughton Chuck McSweeney & Michael Clay X Jim & Bruce McVey-Back* Mary Medlock & Susan Russell Buck Melton X John Messick X Joseph & Thomas Michael-Ryan Alicia Mickenberg & Kathleen Fitzgerald* Jamie Middelton* Dr. Phyllis J. Mihalas X Melissa Milar* Alicia Miller & Shawn Noel* Bruce R. Miller & Dean D. LaVigne X Frank Miller X Gene Miller & Jane Godfrey Marilyn K. Miller & Candice Zientek* Robin Miller Shelly Miller Todd A. Miller & Michele Frame X Trixie Miller Chris & Joann Miller-Marcin Doreen Millon Lee Wayne Mills X Stan Mills & Marcia Maldeis X Linda Miniscalco & Jeanne Drake* Martha Monell Andrea Monetti & Karen Petermann* Sue Monismith X Jamie Moore Teri Moore & Barb Kulbaba* Mary Morgan & Beth Fitton X Meg Morgan & Susan Lynham X Richard Morgante & Edward McHale* Bob Morris & James Weygandt Pearl Morris* Jack Morrison & Bob Dobbs* Rebecca Moscoso* Barry Moshinski & Robert Ponzini Andrew K. Moss & Richard Blevins X Donna Mulder & Denise Delesio* Brent Mundt X Mary Murdoch X Joanie Murphy Marie Murray & Deb Ward X Robbin Murray & De Raynes* Cynthia Myers Kathleen Nagle & Susan Blazey Marta Nammack & Francis Murphy Marc Nasberg & Howard R. Nelson X Keith Neale X Cindy Necaise & Debbie Cole X David Nelson & William McManus X Lee Ann Nelson X Darrell Netherton & Robert Wheeler X James Newkirk & Leon Wilkowsky* Janet Newkirk X Arletta Nicholl & Mary Anderson Scott Nickle Konrad Noebel, MCAT, LMT & Brian Cox* Teri Noel* James Nolan Janet Nosal Paul Nye & Jerry Hofer Chuck Oakes & Robert Dellanoce* Susan O’Brien* Terry O’Bryan & Jack Musser James O’Dell X Megan O’Donnell James O’Malley X

Richard O’Malley X Missy Orlando & Patty Violini X Jeffrey & Lisa Osias X Kathy Osterholm Randy Overbaugh X Sharon Owens & Doreen Halbruner Sally Packard & Dinah Reath X Denise Page Richie Pagnotta X Bud Palmer X Fran Panzo Stephen Pape & Jerry Clark Fred Parham Diane Pasatieri Emilie Paternoster & Monica Parr X Carol Patterson & Carol Hughes* Tim Patterson & Harvey Sharpe X Peggy Paul X Wesley & Connie Paulson* Lucille & Dan Payne Michelle Peeling & Wendy Adams* Caroline Pellicano & Jodi Foster Beverly Peltz* Roy Perdue X Al Perez & Gary Kraft* Susan Petersen & Luz Cruz Don Peterson & Jeff Richman X Eric Peterson X Elizabeth Petitte & Erin Reid Bruce Pfeufer X PFLAG-Rehoboth Beach* Peggy Phillips & Norma McGrady* Frank Pileggi & Jon Blackman X Arleen Pinkos* Janice Pinto & Lori Swift* Terry Plowman X Jo Pokorny* Claire Pompei & Dolores Yurkovic* Mary Lu Pool Roni Posner X Sue Potts & Karen Kohn X Pat Powell* Renata Price & Yona Zucker* Timothy Price & Gerard Sealy X Sam Profeta X Sarajane Quinn* Jean Rabian & Ralph Hackett X Joie Rake & Nan Flesher X Elaine Raksis & Maxine Klane* Barb Ralph X Rob Ramoy X Bob & Mary Beth Ramsey X Linda Rancourt & M. Sue Sandmeyer* Lewis Rathbone* Nancy Ratner Carole Redman Janet Redman X Carolyn Redmon & Nancy Allen* Randy Reed X Rehoboth Art League* Peter S. Reichertz X Ken Reilly & Tony Ghigi X Virginia Reime & Gene Tadlock* Jeff Reinhart & Jack Miller* Patricia Remeis & Maureen Kane Don Reppy Thomas Resh & Jeffrey Meyers X Judith Retchin & Elyse Wander X Deborah Reuter & Deborah Bea* Sarah Reznek & Babette Pennay Sandie Riddell & Eileen Siner* Marion Ridley & Mark Lundy X Linda Rikard & Mary Jo Tarallo Keith & John Riley-Spillane X Heather & Cathy Rion Starr Joel Robbins & Michael Linder X Sandra Robbins X William Robbins & Gary Ralph* Sandy Roberts X Rob Robertson & Carlos Taylor X Teri & Amy Robinson-Guy Craig Rocklin X Tim Rodden & Randy Clayton X John & Susan Roehmer*

Jeanne Rogers* Roy Rollins X Lauren Romig X Debbie Ronemus & Peggy Sander* Ed Rose & Sandra Robbins X Michael Rose & David Le Sage Allison Rosenberg Peter Rosenstein X Larry L. Ross X Ellen & Terry Roth Perreault X Barb Rowe X Ski Rowland & Gary Mosher X Joan Rubenstein X Steve Sage & Thom Swiger X Chris Sailer & Min Mancini Joe & Nancy Sakaduski* Margaret Salamon* Cindy Sanders & Donna Smith* Sanford & Doris Slavin Foundation X Kim Schilpp* Nancy Schindler & Eric Youngdale Michael Schlechter & Kevin Sharp X Lisa Schlosser & Sherri Brown Rosemarie Schmidt & Carolyn Horn X Sharon Schmitt* Holly Schneider & Linda Haake Jaime Schneider & Glenn Randall X Peter Schott & Jeffrey Davis* Carol Schwartz X Craig Schwartz & William Pullen X Mona Schwartz & Joanne Tramposch* Diane Schwarz Diane Scobey X John Scotti & Greg Landers* David Scuccimarra & Dorothy Fedorka* Clifton C. Seale & Charles A. Gilmore* Shirley Semple* Janet & Elaine Shaner & Elizabeth Taylor Marj Shannon* Dale Sheldon & Pat Coluzzi X Banner Sheppard & Marlin Hubler Kelly Sheridan & Debra Quinton* Lynn Sheridan & Melissa Imbergamo David Sherman X George Shevlin & Jack Suwanlert* William Shively & TD Stanger Davis Short & Beverly Castner Frank Silverio X Marc Silverman & John Campbell* Kelly Simon Ann Singleton & Twila McDonough Joanne Sinsheimer & Margaret Beatty* Ken Skrzesz X Jeffrey Slavin X Anne Smith & Lisa Taylor Carol Smith* Harlan Joe Smith & Dustin Abshire* Leonard Smith X Marty Smith & F.Price Connors Robert Smith Rosanne Smith & Brenda Butterfield* Rich Snell X Claire & Mikki Snyder-Hall Sandra Sommerfield & Cindy Scott X Sandy Souder - Unity of Rehoboth Beach* Stephanie Specht Jim Spellman X Lorraine Stanish & Beverly Miller* Ginger Stanwick Christy Steer X Frank Sterner X Shelley Stevens & Joanne Locke Lisa Stewart X Libby Stiff & Bea Wagner X Continued on page 99

ENTERTAINMENT MINUTES FROM THE BEACHES!

EARTH TO MARS The Bruno Mars Experience July 29 - 8PM

July 14 - BLACK DOG ALLEY: Quayside@Nite / 7PM July 15 - LION KING JR: Kid's Summer Camp Show / 12PM & 2PM July 21 - VINYL SHOCKLEY: Quayside@Nite / 7PM July 22 - SHREK JR: Kid's Summer Camp Show / 12PM & 2PM July 28 - SPOKEY SPEAKY: Quayside@Nite / 7PM July 29 - BEAUTY & THE BEAST JR: Kid's Summer Camp Show 12PM & 2PM July 30 - ECHOES: The American Pink Floyd / 8PM August 4 - JUDY SINGS THE BLUES: Quayside@Nite / 7PM August 5 - SEUSSICAL JR: Kid's Summer Camp Show / 12PM & 2PM August 5 - ANDY BENINGO: Stand-Up Comedy Special / 8PM August 6 - BEGINNINGS: The Music Of Chicago / 8PM August 7 - BEGINNINGS: The Music Of Chicago / 3PM & 8PM August 11 - OFF 24: Quayside@Nite / 7PM August 12 - HOT COMEDY, COOL FUN: Stand-Up Comedy / 8PM August 13 - BEATLEMANIA NOW: Beatles Tribute Band / 3PM & 8PM

THE BOYBAND PROJECT The Best Boyband Hits!

July 31 - 8PM

DEAN FORD & THE BEAUTIFUL ONES

Tribute To Prince August 14 - 7:30PM

For more information on tickets, show details, and full events calendar go to:

RED NOT CHILI PEPPERS Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute August 28 - 8PM

www.MILTONTHEATRE.com 302.684.3038 110 Union St. Milton, DE

JULY 8, 2022

97 Letters

S R A E B H C A E B REHOBOTH CELEBRATING 8 GREAT YEARS

Top of T 56 Balt he Pines imore Av Startin g at 6p e m

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Continued from page 96

Milindi Stifler Russell & Patricia Stiles* Allison Stine & Pete Jamieson* Terry Stinson* Tracy Stith & Laura McCarthy Dr. Frederick C. Stoner * Rev. Barry Stopfel Michael Stover* Christine Strauss X Lois Strauss X Jackie Sullivan & Sharon Padbury Trish Sullivan & Sandy Hudson Jill Sungenis & Nicole Bano John Swift & Ron Bowman X Melanie Szvitich Gail Tannenbaum & Wendy Walker* Ronald Tate & Jacob Schiavo X Suzie & Robert Taylor - In Memory of Richard Bonnet Micaela Tedford X Martin Thaler David Thomas & David Tiburzio X The Hon. Henry E. Thomas IV & John-Kevin Litschgi X Thomas Tibbetts X Otto F. Tidwell X Linda Toggart & Jane MacDonald Cassandra Toroian X Manny Tortosa X Steve Touzell & Marshall Scott Beadle Cheryll & Bill Trefzger* Carol Trenga & Cheryl Harding Steve Triglia X Roz Troupin & Mary Harris X Patricia Truitt* Abby Tschoepe & Pat Dunn* Matt Turlinski & Jerry Sipes X Ed Turner & Steve Baker X Judy Twell & Cheri Himmelheber Charles Tyrell Bruce Uliss X Thomas Urban & Marc Samuels* Donna Valla Debra Van Dyke* Jennifer Varone V.James Villareale & In Memory of Dale Ebert* Beverly Vogt & Waneeta Mack X Patrick Wadsworth & Mike Converse X Scott Wagner & John Sohonage* Eric Wahl & Eric Coverdale Marianne Walch X Jennifer Walker & Mary Ann Veitch X Paula Walker & Gayle Dumonceaux David Wall & Robert Houck* Kenneth E. Walz & Robert G. Ward, Jr. X Garold Wampler X Michael E. Ward X Robert Warmkessel X Jack Warren* Sharyn Warwick X Ellen Watkins X Troy Watson & Dennis Wolfgang* Barbara Weatherly Debbie Webber & Terry McQuaid* West Side New Beginnings Donna West Gary West & Jay Seitz - In Memory of Richard Pagnotta Patricia West Carl R. Wetzel X Liz Wheeler & Ruth Morse X Steve White & Wayne Williamson X Thomas White & Robert Freeman X Phil & Stephanie Wikes* Steven Wildasin Keith Wilkinson X Diane & Ken Williams Edward Williams*

Jim Williams* Rich Williams X Kelly Williamson & J Ellis Lynne Wilmer & Jeannie Marsh Donna L. Wilson & Laurie R. Levin X Lynn Wilson* David Wolanski* Max Wolf X Carol Woodcock & Carol Lewis* Cody Woodfin & Rich Morgan Robert B. Wright X Marjorie Wuestner & Catherine Balsley* Alexander G. Yearley X James E. Yiaski X Linda Yingst* Jay York Vickie York X Sheila & Tim Young James Zeigler & In Memory of Sam Deetz* Lorraine Zellers Lisa Zimmerman X Phyllis Zwarych & Sheila Chlanda*

X Founders’ Circle 10+ years * Members five years or more Names in bold are new or upgraded members as of June 23, 2022 Founders’ Circle designation has been added to our Membership roster. Please send kudos, questions, or listing updates to membership@ camprehoboth.com.

CAMP REHOBOTH MEMBERSHIP Join today to support our mission!

RAINBOW MEMBERS RECEIVE:

• Basic Membership Package - Advance ticket sales to CAMP Rehoboth events - Recognition in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth - Rainbow level colored Member window cling(s) - Weekly “What’s Happening at CAMP” email • Discount on CAMP Rehoboth Event Tickets for Levels Green and above (as noted) • Free Health Screenings, Counseling Services, and Support Groups • Youth, Adult and Senior Programs, Services and Outreach • The satisfaction of knowing you are helping others!

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RATHER JOIN ONLINE? Go to camprehoboth.com/membership Call 302-227-5620 or visit us at 37 Baltimore Avenue.

JULY 8, 2022

99 Letters

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

1

2 (Continued from page 71) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at CAMP Rehoboth Ladies Golf League: Linda Matulaitis, Maddie Cunningham, Theo Braver, Shelley Stevens, Kelly Sabol, Linda Porto, Joanie Murphy, Carol Pellicano, Cheryl Glodowske, Lisa Mosley, Jen Leonard, Pat Catanzariti, Lisa Corrado, Bea Hickey; 2) at Freddie’s: Paul Sigmonso, Freddie Lutz, Gabriel Mata, Shawn Hilty, Lowell Scott; 3) at Boardwalk Plaza (RB Boardwalk Baron Lecture): Paul Lovett, Sharon Rose.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: 4) at RB Museum: Alex Papajohn, Nancy Alexander, RB Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski, Carl Purete, Gene Pantano; 5) at Clear Space Theatre's Tony Party: David Button, Laura Mason, Wes Paulson, Lenny Stumpf, John Pitchford, Carlos Prugue, Peter Pizzolongo; 6) at Aqua: Marvin Miller, Sondra Arkin, Wes Combs, Steve Morris, Rod Snyder, Alex Orton, Brent Quinn, Nick Gravina, Gregg Hartung, Charlie Salem, Scott Toland, Asi Ohana, Richard Green; 7) at New Bel Canto Trio, Nassau Valley Vineyards: Jon Kibonoff, John Cimino, Lisa Daltirus, Paul Spence Adkins; 8) at Port 251, Ladies’ Night: Kim Nelson, Lori Simmons, Lisa Koenigsberg, Christa Marks, Kathy Solano. ▼

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immanuel quarter 28-02_Layout 1 3/30/2018 1:54 PM Page 1

D E E N E W R SUPPORT

YOU

Immanuel Shelter serves those experiencing homelessness in Rehoboth Beach, Lewes and surrounding areas.

Your generous support allows us to continue our mission and helps our community provide assistance for those in need.

FOR INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN VOLUNTEER OR DONATE, PLEASE VISIT www.immanuelshelter.org 17601 Coastal Hwy, Unit 11, #431 Nassau, DE 19969 1-888-634-9992

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All monies raised go directly to Immanuel located in Rehoboth Beach, Sussex County, DE.

Infant puppies and kittens are tons of fun to see grow to adoption age. And then there are adult dogs and cats who need a little time out of the shelter and appreciate every ounce of love they get.

We’re saving more lives than ever, and these just some of the ways you can help as a foster family. Timeframes can range from as short as a week to longer. We provide all the supplies and tailor the timeframe and the pets to your situation. Join our lifesaving work as a foster by applying today at:

Georgetown Campus 302-858-4203 | 22918 Dupont Boulevard, Georgetown, DE 19947 JULY 8, 2022

103 Letters

WE REMEMBER

Kay Cummings

K

ay Cummings passed away peacefully with her beloved wife, Ellen McKeon, at her side on June 14, 2022, in Lewes, Delaware. She was born in New York City on December 15, 1940. She attended the preparatory division of the Juilliard School, graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude from Elmira College, and had a master’s degree in Performance from New York University.

She played leading roles off-Broadway, in national tours, stock, theater, television soaps, series, and commercials, and appeared in major motion pictures, as well as writing and performing in a series of highly acclaimed one-woman cabaret shows. Kay was the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Fulbright Panelist, and the dance curator for Symphony Space.

For all her success in the theater, it was as a teacher and mentor that Kay made her greatest impact. Kay served from 1992 through 2002 as the Chair of the Department of Dance of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and continued to teach choreography and acting until her retirement in 2016. In 1992, Kay founded the Tisch Dance Summer Residency Festival. In 1996, Kay was awarded the NYU Distinguished Teaching Medal and in 2016 she received the David Payne Carter Teaching Award. Kay nurtured her students and changed the course of their entire lives for the better.

Since moving to Delaware, she had enjoyed working in theatre again, directing Three Tall Women and appearing in Stop Kiss, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, The Wedding Singer.

Her most recent collaborations include a two-woman show, The Other Shoe, with Beth Corning, performed in Pittsburgh, and The Home Project, with Tiffany Mills, in NYC. Kay will be missed by many, but her bright spirit and brilliant legacy will live on. In addition to her devoted wife Ellen McKeon, Kay is survived by cherished family: her sister, Janie Messina; nephew, Vicente; her brother and sister-in-law, William and Jennifer Feinberg; niece, Meira; and nephew, Noah; and her brother, Jeffrey Feinberg. ▼

Delaware Hospice provides more than in-home hospice services.

MORE THAN HOSPICE Letters 104

JULY 8, 2022

Whether it’s palliative care, children’s care or bereavement services you are looking for, we have you covered.

delawarehospice.org 302.683.8948

SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

JULY 8, 2022

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More CAMPNews The Altern Brings Guests to the Pod

T

he Altern has an awesome guest in July’s episodes: Alexis Clements, producer of the documentary All We’ve Got. Clements is an award-winning writer and filmmaker whose work has been published, produced, and screened in venues across the US and around the globe. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Guardian, and American Theatre, among others, and she is a regular contributor to Hyperallergic. She is also a volunteer coordinator at the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

All We’ve Got is a personal exploration of LGBTQ women’s communities, cultures, and social justice work through the lens of the physical spaces they create, from bars to bookstores to arts and political hubs. Since 2010, over 100 bars, bookstores, and community spaces where LGBTQ women gather have closed. Clements wanted to better understand why that was happening, and why some spaces have managed to stay open despite the odds. Ultimately this film asks why space matters.

The Altern will be reviewing the documentary and interviewing Clements. Interested in seeing the documentary? Keep an eye on the CAMP Rehoboth calendar for a virtual screening.

In case you missed it—The Altern put out an exciting new episode in May: an interview with Dr. Scout of the National LGBT Cancer Network about the 1993 March on Washington, the largest-ever queer march on the Capital. Scout was a co-chair of the march and discussed the process of organizing such a large event, the struggles of representation on the stage and in the march, and the exhilaration of being a part of something so groundbreaking. It was great conversation—give it a listen! To keep up to date on new episodes, follow The Altern on Instagram @thealternde, and listen to the podcast on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms. ▼

Love All Ways Always POEM BY MITZI HARP

Girl + Boy Husband + Wife Love of Life Boy Sick then Dies Girl Alone Die too, NO! Wants to Girl New Friend Helps Girl Through Girl + Girl Kiss, NO! Go away Girl + Girl Can’t Stop Stay Girl + Girl Wife + Wife Love of Life Girl Trans Boy Happy, Free Girl Sad, Lost, Afraid Heart still Loves Will Stay Girl + Boy Love of Life Love All Ways Love Always ▼

MORE ABOUT OUR COVER MODELS

René & Lucien & YouthUp

N

oting that on May 31 the family celebrated Lucien’s first “trans-versary,” René shared just how important CAMP Rehoboth’s YouthUp program has been to the entire family: “This youth program has changed [Lucien’s] life. He’s finally connected to a community that embraces him and loves him. This program is very important to our kids, and they’re forming their LGBTQ peer community which extends to life outside of the youth activities.”

She continued, “Our children find their community and learn a history, gain a powerful voice to express who they are confidently, and are united in their combined struggles in a world that isn’t always ready to embrace them.”

Besides providing a space for LGBTQ+ youth to find community, CAMP’s YouthUp program also offers an auxiliary safe space for adults.

“As parents, we are able to come together and take this journey together and build our own friendships in support of our kids and each other,” said René. “I don’t think a lot of people understand that although they are suddenly thrown into a whole new world when their child comes out, there is truly support from other cishet parents.”

She added, “Our specific situations vary. But inevitably we find that we struggle to find good information and a safe space as parents, where we can talk about hard things. That is where the youth program unites us. We can find unexpected allies of our own and find our voices to become fierce advocates for our children.” ▼

⊳

TRAVELS WITH LETTERS ⊲

CAMP Rehoboth at the ME Seminar

C

AMPsafe staff member Amber Lee and YouthUp Peer Leader Julian Kay Harbaugh, along with CAMP Rehoboth volunteer Jay Xavier Johnson, spoke at the ME Festival, hosted by I Am ME Inc. The diverse panel of speakers discussed their sexuality and gender identity, speaking on how the world perceives them, and growing up in the LGBTQ+ community.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to speak at events like this,” Lee said, “but it’s even more important to listen and learn from others’ lived experiences in the LGBTQ+ community. It only helps CAMP strengthen the work we do.” ▼

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OLIVIA’S DOURO RIVER/SPAIN RIVERBOAT CRUISE L-R: Linda Kemp, Marjorie Ripalda, Laurie Schneider, Pat Nickols, and Kate McQueen

CAMP REHOBOTH

2022

SAVE THE DATE!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 16 11 AM-4 PM On the 2nd block of Baltimore Avenue

Vendor/Sponsor information available at CAMP Rehoboth.

Call 302-227-5620, or email blockparty@camprehoboth.com

JULY 8, 2022

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es Local Hero e Forum idat RB Cand Be) Heroes d (We Coul

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Cool It! Welcome to the Dog Days Seasons in The Sun

2019 10 July 26, 29, Number Volume oboth.com campreh

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C R E A T I N G ment That’s Entertain A Passion for Play Taking Dance Tradition for a Twirl

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August 9, 2019 Volume 29, Number 11 camprehoboth.com

June 28, 2019 8 Volume 29, Number m camprehoboth.co

Advertising in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth pays off.

CALL TRICIA MASSELLA AT 302-227-5620 or email tricia@camprehoboth.com for more information!

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CAMP Rehoboth Volunteer Opportunities

M O R E

Local Heroes RB Candidate Forum (We Could Be) Heroes P O S I T I V E

R E H O B O T H

July 26, 2019 Volume 29, Number 10 campreho both.com

SUNFESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS As SUNFESTIVAL approaches, join us to plan for the extravaganza! Teams include sponsorships, auction, registration, SUNFESTIVAL 5K, and more.

CAMPSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHERS Shoot CAMPshots for Letters! Use your camera or iPhone, or the CAMP Rehoboth office camera. More guidelines will be shared with volunteers.

LETTERS DISTRIBUTION TEAM YOUR NAME

Help distribute Letters to our various drop-boxs around Rehoboth and/or Lewes, independently, on your own schedule. Must be able to carry heavy magazine stacks, re-load drop-boxes, and report discarded materials.

PARTNER’S NAME ( IF APPLICABLE)

SOCIAL MEDIA VOLUNTEERS

STREET MAILING ADDRESS

Tech savvy? We are looking for volunteers who love to work independently, at their own schedule, and help bolster CAMP Rehoboth’s social media profile. Take charge of posting and scheduling CAMPShots to our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. Must have some social media experience.

CITY, STATE, ZIP

☐ YES ☐ NO PHONE

IS THIS A RENEWAL?

Send your check for $40 to CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. If you prefer to use your Visa, MasterCard or American Express call 302-227-5620.

Your volunteer efforts benefit you and others.

Please visit camprehoboth.com/volunteers to register as a volunteer and to sign up for available opportunities.

thank you ART RECEPTION: GERI DIBIASE SOLO SHOW

Patricia Stiles Russell Stiles ARTS TEAM

Logan Farro Jane Knaus Lois Powell Leslie Sinclair Patricia Stiles Debbie Woods CAMP COMMUNITY CENTER

Glenn Lash Natalie Moss Sandra Skidmore Alan Spiegelman

CAMP MAINTENANCE

Eric Korpon

CAMPCIERGES

Joe Benshelter Barbara Breault

Kenneth Currier Lynn Eisner Ron Gluck Emily Lemaster Jim Mease Kim Nelson Kathy Solano Patricia Stiles Russell Stiles Joe Vescio

CAMPSHOTS PHOTO VOLUNTEERS

Tony Burns Laura Reitman

CHORUS LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

Matt Brown Bill Fuchs Dianna Johnston Dave Minges Judy Olsen Dave Scuccimarra Sandra Skidmore

CROP AT NATIONAL TRAILS DAY

Robert Arner Deb Carroll Yvonne Cipressi Brian Cox Blaise DiFloria Karen Laitman Jill Masterman Beverly Miller Konrad Noebel Lorraine Stanish George Yaksic

DELAWARE PRIDE

Teresa C. Cason Kasey Gonzalez Cruz Aura DuBoyz Jay Xavier Johnson Michelle Manfredi Tamia Gisele Mykles Kim Nelson Lori Simmons Lisa Soens

to all the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center volunteers for the period: June 3-June 24, 2022

GRANTS COMMITTEE

Leslie Calman Kate Cauley David Garrett John Roane Leslie Sinclair

HANDMADE MARKET

Bob Croker Jerry DeLair Richard Dietz Mark Eubanks Michelle Manfredi Jim Mease Glenn Nash Doug Sellers

LETTERS ARCHIVIST

Ronald Dempsey

LETTERS DISTRIBUTION TEAM

Todd Hacker Kim Schlipp

LETTERS MAILING TEAM

Bob Croker Dennis Harr Muriel Hogan Dawn Kasow Barbara Ralph Kathy Wiz Megan Wright

MEMBERSHIP TEAM

VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Nancy Hewish Grant Kingswell Vicki Martina Stephen Palmer Russell Stiles Linda Yingst Jane Blue David Carder Ann Evans

MILTON PRIDE

Shay Almond Kim Nelson Lori Simmons

THEATRE SHOW VOLUNTEERS

Chris Beagle Karen Laitman Jim Mease Rina Pellegrini Leslie Sinclair John Michael Sophos Debbie Woods

Barbara Breault Debbie Cali

JULY 8, 2022

109 Letters

AD INDEX 1776 Steakhouse....................................................... 53 AG Renovations.......................................................... 31 AIDS Walk Delaware................................................. 105 All Saints Church........................................................ 80 Apothecanna LLC....................................................... 49 Aqua Bar & Grill.......................................................... 33 Atlantic Jewelry.......................................................... 25 Beebe Healthcare.........................................................9 Beebe Healthcare Career Opportunities................... 47 Brandywine Urology Consultants..................................7 Brandywine Valley SPCA.......................................... 103 bsd.............................................................................. 81 Café Azafrán............................................................... 67 CAMP Rehoboth Block Party Save The Date............ 107 CAMP Rehoboth Letters Subscription...................... 109 CAMP Rehoboth Premier Sponsors..............................8 CAMP Rehoboth SUNFESTIVAL......................11, 12, 13 CAMP Rehoboth SUNFESTIVAL 5k............................. 15 CAMPsafe................................................................... 50 Caroline Huff, Artist.................................................... 27 Cat & Mouse Publishing............................................. 67 Chesapeake & Maine, Dogfish Head......................... 95 Chris Beagle Group, Realtors..................................... 27 Clear Space Theatre................................................... 87 Coho’s Market & Grill.................................................. 43 Country Lawn Care................................................... 110 County Bank............................................................... 85 DE Div of Public Health, Cancer Screening................ 17 Debbie Reed Team, Realty Group.............................. 53 Delaware Community Foundation............................. 84

Letters 110 JULY 8, 2022

Delaware Hospice.................................................... 104 Delaware Humane Association.................................. 93 Delaware Pride........................................................... 89 Diego’s Bar Nightclub....................... 36, 37, 61, 62, 63 Donna Whiteside, Realtor.......................................... 14 Fifth Avenue Jewelers.............................................. 102 Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant..................... 91, 111 Gay Women’s Meet-Up............................................... 49 go fish go brit............................................................. 23 God’s Greyts Senior Greyhounds............................... 83 Harbour Waterfront Dining......................................... 50 Historic Lewes Farmers Market................................. 53 Hugh Fuller, Realtor.................................................... 54 Immanuel Shelter..................................................... 102 Jack Lingo, Real Estate.............................................. 77 Jenn Harpel, Morgan Stanley..................................... 23 Jolly Trolley................................................................ 79 Just in Thyme Restaurant........................................... 35 Lana Warfield, Realtor................................................ 49 Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Realtors............................ 59 LifeMed Institute........................................................ 51 Lori’s Café................................................................ 102 Loves Liquors............................................................. 43 Maplewood Dental Associates................................... 79 McWilliams Ballard Real Estate.................................. 39 MERR Institute............................................................ 67 Milton Theatre............................................................ 97 Nassau Valley Vineyards............................................ 40 New Wave Spas.......................................................... 93 Olivia Travel................................................................ 21

Pet Portraits................................................................ 79 Purple Parrot.............................................................. 55 PWW Law.................................................................... 83 Randy Mason/Shirley Kalvinsky, Realtors.................. 41 Rehoboth Art League................................................. 88 Rehoboth Beach Bears............................................... 98 Rehoboth Beach Dental............................................. 31 Rehoboth Beach Museum.......................................... 88 Rehoboth Guest House.............................................. 31 Reiki CENTRAL............................................................ 35 Saved Souls Animal Rescue....................................... 80 Sea Bova Associates, Realtors................................. 112 Seaglass at Rehoboth Beach..................................... 88 Springpoint Choice..................................................... 66 State Farm - George Bunting..................................... 79 State Farm - Jeanine O’Donnell/Eric Blondin............. 85 Sussex Family YMCA.................................................. 46 The Lodge at Truitt Homestead.................................. 35 The Pines.................................................................... 45 Time to Heal Counseling & Consulting...................... 76 Towers Comedy Festival............................................ 65 Troy Roberts, Realtor.................................................. 23 True Blue Jazz............................................................ 73 Unfinished Business................................................... 85 Volunteer Opportunities........................................... 109 Volunteer Thank You................................................ 109 Westminster Presbyterian Church.............................. 83 Windsor’s Flowers...................................................... 83 Zane Jones, Realtor................................................... 31

JULY 8, 2022

111 Letters

LINDA BOVA

BRIDGET BAUER

BROKER-ABR®

ASSOC. BROKER-REALTOR®

CELL

CELL

302-542-4197

302-245-0577

HOLLY OAK - Lewes. New Construction – Late-Summer / Early-Fall Delivery. 3BR/2BA home is a 1,506 sq. ft. one-level rancher w/oversized 2-car garage. Open concept floor plan. Great room opens to the kitchen and dining area. There is also a sliding glass door out to the big 12’x16’ deck.

Main bedroom suite has a walk-in closet & elegant bath with a 5’x4’ tiled “curbless” shower. Split bedroom plan with a tub/shower in 2nd bath.

Bamboo floors. Stainless steel kitchen appliances.

W&D included. Low HOA. $449,900 (2021958)

*A/C

FIELDWOOD - Rehoboth.

Cleared 0.31-acre lot already has a well, sewer connection & electric service. East of Hwy 1 & near State Park hike/bike trail. 4 miles to the boardwalk & beach. $250,000 (2017644)

WEBBS LANDING - Lewes. 6BR/5BA home is +3,300 sq. ft. with an In-Law Suite at the rear, a 2-bed/1-bath unit upstairs, an en suite bedroom off of the family room, plus a 1st-floor main suite with a large bath with soaking tub & shower, plus another 1st-floor bedroom next to the full bath in the hall. Living room opens to the kitchen. Family room has a wood-burning fireplace & dining area. All of this on a 1-acre parcel with its own basketball court.

Community pier on Love Creek. HOA just $200/yr. $649,000 (2019326)

CEDAR BAY – Ocean View.

2006 2BR/2BA 2nd-floor condo in elevator building.

Gas FP. Laminate floors, New KitchenAid appliances.

Pool & 3 miles to beach. $289,900 (2024352)

*A/C

ONE VIRGINIA AVENUE – Rehoboth Beach. Third-floor 3BR/2BA condo features ocean views from two balconies. It also fronts the new stainless-steel community pool & sundeck. This condo has approx. 1,400 sq. ft. of interior living space. It includes a living room, dining room, kitchen, office, laundry room, en suite main bedroom, 2 more bedrooms & another full bath. Dues are $1,525/mt. & include water, sewer, heat/AC, 2 parking spaces, storage & more. Approx. rental for similar units is $4,500/week in season. $1,300,000 (2024456)

REHOBOTH BAY - Rehoboth.

Waterview of White Oak Creek out to the Bay. 1986 3BR/2BA w/VinylTech porch.

Part Furn. Pool. Marina. 6.5 miles to beach. $150,000 (2016730) Lot Rent $750/mt.

*A/C

McNICOL PLACE - Lewes.

1975 3BR/1BA - 980 sq. ft.

Eat-in kitchen. W&D. Central AC, oil heat. Some updates, but needs TLC. Shed. 3 miles to bch. $35,000 (2021882) Lot Rent $685/mt.

SILVER VIEW FARM Rehoboth. 1997 3BR/2BA home is a 14’x70’ on a corner lot. Vaulted ceilings. Big deck & shed. Part furnished. Pool & 3 miles to beach. $120,000 (2021962) Lot Rent $604/mt.

CAPTAINS GRANT - Millsboro.

1987 3BR/2BA home is on a 1/3-acre lot w/fenced yard.

Bring your boat or RV. 15 miles to the RB boardwalk & nearby Indian River boat clubs. $269,000 (2024242)

HUNTERS MILL - Milton.

1994 4BR/2BA Cape Cod-style home. 0.52 acres w/fenced backyard. 2 decks & shed.

9 miles to the Lewes public beach & 12 miles to the boardwalk. $399,900 (NEW)

20250 Coastal Highway - Suite 3, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971  302-227-1222 office www.SEABOVA.com 

EMAIL

– RealEstate@SEABOVA.com

Office Independently Owned & Operated by SBA, Inc. Prices, promotions & availability subject to change without notice. * “A/C” Active/Under Contract -- Accepting Back-Up Offers