Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 33, No. 4

CREATING A MORE POSITIVE REHOBOTH

Welcome Home! Here Comes the Sun It’s Time to Play

May 19, 2023

Volume 33, Number 4 camprehoboth.com

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.

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, Felice Cohen, Wes Combs, Michael Cook, Clarence Fluker, Michael Thomas Ford, Connie Fox, Michael Gilles, Fay Jacobs, Tricia Massella, Sharon Morgan, Eric Peterson, Mary Beth Ramsey, Richard Rosendall, Nancy Sakaduski, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Marj Shannon, Tara Sheldon, Beth Shockley, Leslie Sinclair, Mary Jo Tarallo, Laurie Thompson, Eric Wahl, Doug Yetter

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 4 • MAY 19, 2023

Letters from CAMP Rehoboth is published 11 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.

© 2023 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.

Carol White and Debbie Woods. See page 10.

CAMP REHOBOTH MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE

MISSION

CAMP Rehoboth, which stands for (Creating A More Positive) Rehoboth, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit LGBTQ+ community service organization. It is the largest and only organization of its type serving the needs of LGBTQ+ people in Rehoboth, greater Sussex County, and throughout the state of Delaware.

CAMP Rehoboth is dedicated to creating a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Rehoboth Beach and its related communities. It seeks to promote cooperation and understanding among all people as they 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.

From the Editor

BY MARJ SHANNON, EDITOR

Okay, beach fans—the kick-off to the 2023 summer season is upon us! Are you ready? At CAMP Rehoboth, the answer’s a resounding “yes!” We’re so glad you’re here, whether it’s your first or 101st summer at the beach.

Another kick-off: this year’s CAMP Rehoboth membership campaign. The theme— ”Welcome Home—Home is where the heart is”—is one we’re sure will resonate with so many of you, whether you are already members (new and not-so-new) or folks just now finding us. Read all about the campaign—and admire the great new logo!—in Laurie Thompson’s column (page 30).

Also in this issue, we take a quick look back at this year’s fabulous Women’s FEST—the biggest one yet. Nancy’s wrap-up begins on page 10, and Connie’s column on Women’s FEST sports appears on pages 22 and 24. Both pieces are sure to get you thinking about (and looking forward to) Women’s FEST 2024— already scheduled! We’re looking forward to it, too.

Of course, we have lots else in this issue: keeping with that sports theme, we’ve got a column on skateboarding—just in time for you to practice up for Go Skateboarding Day (June 21). Maybe you prefer water sports? Richard Rosendall doesn’t exactly recommend a sailing trip (View Point), but perhaps his description of one he “enjoyed” will lure you out to sea….

Or, how about something more leisurely? Take a look at CAMP Arts for current and future exhibitions and plan a stroll through the CAMP Rehoboth Gallery. Consider scheduling your visit to coincide with the June 3 Artist’s Reception that opens Murray Archibald’s new show. If summer means “beach read” to you, Terri Schlichenmeyer reviews Silver Alert—a great romp—on page 93, and Felice Cohen intros her latest, Half In, on page 62.

More leisure activity: The Pride Film Festival, presented by the Rehoboth Beach Film Society in partnership with CAMP Rehoboth, runs June 9-11. Local filmmaker LeAnn Erickson’s cartoon memoir—I (heart) Jack LaLanne—will be one of the short films screened; you can meet her in Michael Gilles’s Before the Beach column (page 16).

Another local favorite to celebrate: Chef Dru Tevis, winner of the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship! Michael Cook interviewed him for Letters; read all about the competition—its challenges and rewards—on page 74.

PRESIDENT Wesley Combs

VICE PRESIDENT Leslie Ledogar

SECRETARY Mike DeFlavia

TREASURER Jenn Harpel

AT-LARGE DIRECTORS

Amanda Mahony Albanese, Pat Catanzariti, Lewis Dawley, Lisa Evans (non-voting), David Garrett, Teri Seaton, and Jason D. White

CAMP REHOBOTH

37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

tel 302-227-5620 | email editor@camprehoboth.com www.camprehoboth.com

Speaking of good food (and drink): the Kentucky Derby may be over, but Rich Barnett assures us a mint julep will taste just as good post-race. Or most any time, actually. Check out Ed Castelli’s Sea Salt Table or Lori’s Café (Dining Out) for some tasty comestibles to enjoy with it.

Sit back, bask in some sun, and browse Letters. ‘Tis the (summer) season, at last!

Summer Cadet Training

OnFriday, April 21, CAMP Rehoboth continued its long-standing tradition with the City of Rehoboth Beach and provided LGBTQ+ competency training for the city’s summer cadets. The presentation took place on the first of three weekends for cadet training. It gave CAMP Rehoboth an opportunity to meet the new group of officers, talk about the many things CAMP Rehoboth does in the community, discuss local or national issues affecting the LGBTQ community, and answer any questions the new hires surfaced.

CAMP Rehoboth staffer Matty Brown led the presentation and discussion and was gratified by the engagement of this season’s cadets. “It was amazing to have so many thoughtful questions,” said Brown. “It shows the cadets’ desire to learn more about the community around them.”

CAMP Rehoboth extends special thanks to Lieutenant William Sullivan for continuing this remarkable partnership and invites readers to thank the cadets for their service this summer. ▼

Summer Solstice Luau

On Saturday, June 17, 5:309:30 p.m., the Lodge at Truitt Homestead will host it’s White Party Luau. This is the third year for the white party fundraiser for CAMP Rehoboth. The $75 admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and two cocktails. Live Hawaiian entertainment and dance music will keep attendees celebrating camaraderie, their identities, and the summer season.

The Lodge at Truitt Homestead is a Vantage Retirement Living Community. That means it’s family owned and operated. It’s defined by open-concept floor plans, fresh and local food, and a balcony with an ocean breeze. Luxury independent living at The Lodge offers monthly rentals, an abundance of amenities, and plenty of choice in how you spend your days. ▼

Leaving Twitter

InApril, CAMP Rehoboth followed CenterLink, the national organizer for LGBTQ+ community centers, in deactivating its Twitter account. The decision came after Twitter—among other actions impacting the safety of LGBTQ+ users—silently removed protections for transgender and nonbinary users from targeted misgendering and deadnaming.

“Over the past few months, the Twitter landscape has become an unsafe platform for LGBTQ and BIPOC people to use,” wrote Denise Spivak, CenterLink CEO. “Anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ tweets have greatly increased, as well as anti-Black and antisemitic tweets that are published under the guise of bringing “free speech” back to the platform. Additionally, Twitter owner Elon Musk recently promoted an anti-trans tweet about the recent Nashville Covenant School shooting, which is the latest in a series of transphobic tweets.”

Read more on CenterLink’s decision to leave Twitter here: lgbtqcenters.org/News/CenterLink-Leaves-Twitter, and stay in touch with CAMP Rehoboth via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Youth Programming Resumes in Person

CAMP Rehoboth is excited to announce that YouthUp and CAMP Families have teamed up to resume in-person youth programming. Upcoming highlights include trips to Funland and a ride on the Cape Water Taxi. For more information, check out the Classes & Events listing on page 27 or online at camprehoboth.com. ▼

Pride Film Festival

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society and CAMP Rehoboth are partnering to present the Pride Film Festival. The festival runs June 9-11 at the Cinema Art Theater in Lewes. Eight films, including documentaries and features along with a must-see block of shorts will be presented over three days. Confirmed titles include an exclusive first showing of the Indigo Girls documentary It’s Only Life After All, Kokomo City, Horseplay, Passages, and I (heart) Jack LaLanne. (Meet LeAnn Erickson, the filmmaker of I (heart), on page 16.)

The Society will also host a latenight special feature of the film classic Rocky Horror Picture Show for festival moviegoers and a special student rate. Participants can expect other social gatherings in celebration of the Festival and Pride Month. Sponsorship opportunities are available by emailing info@rehobothfilm.com, and tickets are available at rehobobothfilm.com ▼

SPEAKOut

Wear Orange Weekend

WearOrange is a non-political, non-partisan initiative organized by Everytown. The campaign is called “Wear Orange.” Wear Orange Weekend begins with National Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday, June 2. During this time, the goal is to spread awareness of public safety. It is dedicated to honoring the lives of people in the US affected by gun violence and to elevating the voices of those asking for an end to it. Fifty-eight percent of Americans have been affected by some form of gun violence, such as suicide, domestic violence, homicides, or assaults. ▼

ON THE COVER—WELCOME HOME

Celebrating Membership Month and Memorial Day, the cover for this issue features members of CAMP Rehoboth. Plus, as many will make their return to Rehoboth Beach for Memorial Day weekend, Letters also welcomes readers home with a nod to the 2023 summer season.

Since its inception, CAMP Rehoboth’s mission has been to create a more positive Rehoboth, and to create safe spaces where all sexual orientations and gen der identities are respected and celebrated.

In light of that mission, the theme for Mem bership Month is “Welcome Home: Home is where the heart is.” CAMP Rehoboth invites everyone to engage with its continuing efforts to forge a sanctuary for all by becoming a member today. Read more about membership in CAMP Rehoboth Develop ment Manager Laurie Thompson’s Community Connections column (page 30). ▼

Pictured, Paul Lindsey, Richard Gamble

SUNFESTIVAL Announces Talent CAMP

Rehoboth is excited to announce the line-up for SUNFESTIVAL, its annual Labor Day celebration. All are invited to CAMP Rehoboth’s biggest fundraiser of the year, which helps raise funds for the community center’s essential health, wellness, arts, and advocacy programming.

On Saturday, September 2, SUNFESTIVAL kicks off the weekend with a night of comedy, drag, and song from co-headliners Dixie Longate and Randy Roberts

Dixie Longate is the ginger-haired Alabama gal whose show offers outrageously funny tales, heartfelt accounts, audience participation, and a little bit of empowerment and homespun wisdom.

Meanwhile, the Randy Roberts Show is an all-live, multimedia tribute to some of the world’s most-loved performers—think: Cher, Bette Midler, Mae West, Joan Crawford, Carol Channing, and oh, so many more!

Between shows, there will be a silent and live auction so come early to snag one of the unique items up for bid.

On Sunday, September 3, the iconic Sundance returns, bringing DJs Robbie Leslie and Joe Gauthreaux back to the stage.

For more information on tickets, accessibility, and sponsorships, visit camprehoboth.com. ▼

Dear CAMP Rehoboth,

I was one of the fortunate audience members sitting in the Elkins-Archibald Atrium, enjoying a concert by BROLO on a recent Saturday evening. BROLO, more formally known as “Brotherly Love,” is the small-group ensemble of the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (PCMC). Its fourteen singers and their accompanist performed under the direction of PGMC Conductor Joseph J. Buches.

As a singer myself, I was impressed by the technical skill of the singers. Each time, the vocal crescendos swept the audience up in growing waves of sound. Precise diction meant that every sung word could be understood. Their staggered breathing allowed the last note of the last song to continue on and on. It was as if the singers, like the audience, just could not bear for this musical performance to end.

However, audience members did not need to know anything about vocal technique to enjoy the concert. The beauty of the harmonies and the selection of songs took care of that. The program included new arrangements of old favorites such as “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” as well as several songs from the PGMC’s upcoming tribute to Elton John. It also included some lesser-known pieces.

I fell in love with the lovely melody and the lyrics of “Chosen Family.” Its refrain shares this truth: “We don’t need to be related to relate. / We don’t need to share genes or a surname. / You are, you are my chosen, chosen family. / So what if we don’t look the same? / We been going through the same pain, yeah. / You are, you are my chosen, chosen family.”

For more than three decades, CAMP Rehoboth has been part of this community’s chosen family. Thank you, CAMP Rehoboth, for your continuing efforts to make sure that LGBTQ+ voices are heard, especially when they are lifted in song.

– Glen C. Pruitt Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Send letters to the editor (up to 300 words) to editor@camprehoboth.com

President’s View

Schedulina Is Here to Tell You…

CAMP Rehoboth Is Ready for Summer!

One thing my friends and family members know about me is that I am a planner. This is due in part to my career as a consultant where it was my job to help clients solve problems and to ensure projects were completed on time and within budget.

Some find this helpful because they can leave the details to me when we get together—e.g., getting a reservation at a popular new restaurant or organizing all aspects of a group vacation. That’s how I earned the nickname “Schedulina,” a badge of honor signifying a quality most people appreciate.

Then there are those who find this obsession (“managing the world” as my husband puts it) infuriating, annoying, or worse. While offering tips and advice is a way of being helpful, the result can be just the opposite. The good news is I am much more self-aware today of the unintended consequences thanks to lots and lots and lots of feedback as well as years of therapy.

On the positive side, these project management skills have been a lifesaver since assuming the role of Board President in January 2022, especially in the last year during this leadership transition. Our clear and organized plan improved team collaboration among the board, staff, volunteers, donors, and external partners. This enabled the board to deliver on its pledge to remain laser-focused on doing what was necessary to ensure CAMP Rehoboth continued to provide its life-affirming services to our community.

Were there bumps in the road? Of course. Have we learned from our mistakes? More often than not. Is there still room to improve? Absolutely.

As much as it might give me joy to help each one of you plan your summer, I decided to take a different approach and share what steps CAMP Rehoboth has

taken to prepare for Summer 2023. Here’s a look at our Summer Readiness Plan.

1. Prioritize what must be done: The 2022 Impact Report helped prioritize focus areas and define the resources necessary to achieve goals when developing the 2023 budget, creating a clear roadmap for achieving success.

2. Standardize procedures: Good processes provide a way to communicate and apply consistent standards and practices within an organization, helping to embed checks and balances, build trust, and deliver our services efficiently and within budget.

3. Increase capacity: The current budget includes funds to hire a Deputy Director who handles day-to-day operations and an administrative assistant to support this person. This will allow the Executive Director to remain focused on executing the strategic plan and raising money.

4. Grow revenue: Our ability to provide services is dependent on having the funds to do so. Under the leadership of Development Manager Laurie Thompson, we have increased sponsorships, strengthened the membership renewal process by implementing new customer relationship management software, renewed existing grants, and identified new opportunities. By the end of the year, we will be adding a long-overdue planned giving program for legacy donors.

5. Strengthen leadership: Hiring Cooper Coleman to support the Executive Director search was intentional because our next leader must have a vision of the CAMP Rehoboth of tomorrow while strengthening the existing foundation. The results of the strategic planning process will create the roadmap necessary to meet the needs of a changing community tomorrow.

6. Leverage outside resources: It is vital our volunteers perform tasks aligned with their skills or interests and they feel

BY WESLEY COMBS

appreciated, so we have standardized governance of Women’s FEST, SUNFESTIVAL, and Block Party committees by providing role descriptions, estimating the number of hours required, and explaining how decisions are made to improve the overall experience.

7. Deliver on our value proposition: CAMP Rehoboth’s top priority is providing life-affirming services to the LGBTQ+ members of our community. Our new Health and Wellness Manager, Tara Sheldon, is reviewing processes to improve the quality of current programs, and restarting some initiatives offered in the past.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our loyal members, donors, and external partners for their ongoing support. Thank you for sticking with us and we hope to see you in person soon at CAMP Rehoboth or at one of these upcoming summer events:

• The Lodge at Truitt Homestead Hosts 3rd Annual Summer Solstice White Party Luau Fundraiser—June 17.

• CAMP Rehoboth Chorus Concert—Out for the Summer—June 16-18.

• SUNFESTIVAL, a two-night event featuring headline entertainment and Sundance—September 2-3.

• Block Party, CAMP Rehoboth’s largest annual outreach event—October 15.

For more information on these and all of CAMP Rehoboth’s events and programs, visit our website or call the office.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to Board Member and Women’s FEST chair Teri Seaton and the entire committee for the countless hours invested in making this year’s event our biggest ever. See page 10 for the full story. ▼

TRANSITION On May 11, CAMP Rehoboth was thrilled to announce that Dr. Kim Leisey will become the organization’s new Executive Director. She will assume her post on July 10, 2023. Read more at camprehoboth.com. And stay tuned for an introduction to Kim in the June issue of Letters! ▼

Wesley Combs is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.

CAMPNews

CAMP Rehoboth Pride Month Listicle

As Pride month approaches, check below for all the ways CAMP Rehoboth will be celebrating and partnering with others to celebrate living in authentic truth. The following events/programs are just a sample of ways CAMP Rehoboth will promote Pride; check camprehoboth.com for an up-to-date full listing.

UnClobber Book Group

June 2, 9, 16, at 8 a.m. CAMP Rehoboth’s Elkins-Archibald Atrium

Led by the Reverend Karris Graham, this book group will discuss UnClobber by Colby Martin. On January 15, Rev. Graham became the new pastor of both Community Lutheran Church near Frankford and Grace of God Lutheran Church in Long Neck. Rev. Graham and her wife live in Milton.

About the book: Churches in America are experiencing an unprecedented fracturing due to their beliefs and attitudes toward the LGBTQ community. Armed with only six passages in the Bible—often known as the “clobber passages”—the traditional Christian position has been one that stands against the full inclusion of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. Unclobber reexamines each of those frequently quoted passages of scripture.

Murray Archibald’s Mask Hysteria

June 3-30; Opening reception: June 3, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

The CAMP Rehoboth

Art Gallery

See CAMP Arts

(page 90) for more information on this exciting new exhibit and an interview with Murray Archibald.

Wenzday Drag Shows

June 7, 14, 21, and 28 at Northbeach night club in Dewey

Northbeach’s drag show benefits for CAMP Rehoboth will return weekly throughout the summer, and will once again high light a bevy of local drag talent along with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Laganja Estranja.

Pride Handmade Market

Friday, June 9, 5:00-8:00 p.m. CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard

Stop by the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard to shop and support local LGBTQ+/ally artists and makers. This Pride market will be the only market of the summer season; stay tuned to the Block Party on October 15 and the Holiday Market on December 8 for more ways to support local craftspeople.

Delaware Pride

Saturday, June 10, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Legislative Hall, Dover

The Delaware Pride Festival is the largest LGBTQ event in the state of Delaware.

The Delaware Pride Festival is more than just a celebration of diversity, or a day to get the LGBTQ community together. It’s also an opportunity to reach out to the larger community in our state.

This event provides an opportunity for the city to see us, meet us and (most importantly) get to know us as people: neighbors who have the same ambitions, troubles, and joys as everyone else.

CAMP Rehoboth Chorus—Out for the Summer

June 16 and 17 at 7:00 p.m., June 18 at 3:00 p.m., Epworth United Methodist Church

Celebrating those lazy, crazy, hazy summer days, the CAMP Rehoboth Chorus returns with its second concert of its 2023 season, featuring signature hits like “Summertime,” “Saturday in the Park,” and a Beach Boys medley.

Tickets are $25, and can be purchased at camprehoboth.com.

Red Clay Suzie Book Talk

Wednesday, June 21, 5:00 p.m. Lewes Public Library and livestream via Zoom

In collaboration with Browseabout Books and the Lewes Library, CAMP Rehoboth will present a book signing and talk with Jeffrey Dale Lofton, author of Red Clay Suzie

Continued on page 13

CAMP REHOBOTH THANKS OUR 2023 ANNUAL SPONSORS

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

Photo: Alexander Frost

FEST It’s a Wrap!

Women’s FEST Breaks Records

KEY METRICS:

 FEST attendance was at an all-time high, with more than 4,000 women participating.

 3,100+ tickets were sold to more than 25 events.

 The live auction brought in over $13,000.

 130+ volunteers and 70 sponsors made it possible.

Georgette Krenkel Welcome Dance

More than 700 women kicked off this year’s FEST with the Georgette Krenkel Welcome Dance, thus ticking off the “T” for “Tradition.” Women from down the street and those from as far away as Peru and Taiwan united in Rehoboth. Under colors-of-the-rainbow lighting, first-timers, old-timers, and lots of gladto-be-here-timers unfurled their sails and launched into Women’s FEST 2023.

Pickleball Tournament

It wouldn’t be a Women’s FEST without sports, and one of the most popular was pickleball.

Eyewitness Report: Both local players and visitors had a blast. There were many volunteers keeping the games going. The tournament included three skill levels in a doubles round robin (everyone plays within their group). The top two from each group were then seeded to play for first, second, and third place. All of

this made for a lot of play with different people, which is what every pickleball player enjoys. No one wants to travel to a tournament, play two matches, and if you lose you leave. Congrats to the organizers, tournament directors, volunteers, and most of all to the players. Even though it was raining outside, this indoor venue hit the spot.

- LORRAINE STANISH

CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program at Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding

FEST-goers who wanted a service activity were able to volunteer their time working with an organization that helps improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of children and adults living with disabilities through therapeutic horseback riding.

Eyewitness Report: Despite the rain, all 12 CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) volunteers showed up ready to work at Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding (SDTR). SDTR was prepared for us with indoor projects. First, we learned about the good work SDTR does and how they have grown. Then we divided into teams. Some helped with accessories, displays, and games of chance for their Kentucky Derby Day Fundraiser. Others prepared and spray-painted PVC pipes. The pipes were later connected to make training aids used in the horse ring. We also had a chance to meet the horses. SDTR Vice President Tom Peet said, “SDTR so appreciates the time you give us each year.” The volunteers said, “Wonderful day!” Several returned to SDTR on May 6 to help with their Kentucky Derby Day.

- LESLIE SINCLAIR AND DEBBIE WOODS

FEST ART 2023!

This year boasted the biggest art show for CAMP Rehoboth yet, with 43 works displayed in CAMP Rehoboth’s gallery space.

Eyewitness Report: Wow! What a great variety of pieces to peruse—paintings of all sorts, assemblages, photographs, and some great block-prints (loved those buoys, especially). Some work was just

BY NANCY SAKADUSKI

lovely to behold; other pieces were thought-provoking and arresting. Even better: fascinating artists to meet and talk with. I got to talk with a local artist whose work I especially liked and was delighted to learn she participates in the Lewes Open Studio. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her work—and perhaps even bringing a piece home.

– CARLA BURTON

Mouth of Babes/Jen Kober

It was a sold-out, standing-room-only house for this popular band and the MARVELous comedian Jen Kober. If ever there were a perfect example of the “E” for “Entertainment” in FEST, it was this night! Jen made good on her promise to make the audience “laugh so hard your face hurts.” Aren’t we lucky to be able to attract such high-quality talent?

Expo

The Expo this year was bigger and better, with more vendors and greater diversity.

Eyewitness Report: What fun! It started at the registration table, where we scored two of the nifty FEST t-shirts— love that lavender shade! There were tables galore, offering all sorts of wares and info, ranging from decadent chocolate to serious issues. With loads of crafts and décor mixed in. My partner, Carla, and I really enjoyed seeing the artisans’ work and talking with them. We had a great stroll among the vendors, wrapping up with an extended visit to

the pop-up bookstore. It was a terrific way to spend an afternoon.

– MARJ SHANNON

Premier Dance

This was the first-ever FEST Premier Dance by CAMP Rehoboth, but it clearly won’t be the last.

Eyewitness Report: Saturday night’s Purple Rain dance was everything we dreamed of. Beautiful purple and white decor, music by DJ Peggy Castle, and The GirlsRoom brought down the house with their opening riff on the popular “The Boys Are Back in Town” changed to “The Girls Are Back in Town!” They rocked the convention center until midnight, and everyone left all their wonderful energy on the dance floor. Absolutely PACKED house.

– LESLIE LEDOGAR

Fay Jacobs: Aging Gracelessly: Still Rock N Roll to Me

She may be “aging gracelessly,” but Fay never fails to entertain and never stops earning new fans. Attendees had two shows to choose from (both sold out).

Eyewitness Report: What can I say?

The woman’s got a gift! We went to the Sunday afternoon show, and the stories just spooled out. Each was funnier or more poignant than the last, as they ranged from daring escapades to frightening displays of bigotry and hate. And each carried a message—or two or three—embedded amidst the laughs. It

was great to see some “Fay Jacobs show virgins” in the crowd; also great to see lots of us “regulars,” who wouldn’t miss a chance to see and hear her once again. Wonderful way to close out the weekend!

– MARJ SHANNON

Broadwalk on the Boardwalk Spring is the “S” in FEST, but despite April showers, the Broadwalk on the Boardwalk yet again was a powerful display of solidarity for survivors of breast cancer and other forms of cancer, as well as a means of raising funds for Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.

Eyewitness Report: The Elkins-Archibald Atrium was filled with lots of positive energy and support for cancer survivors of all stripes and their families. Treated to bagels from Surf Bagel and coffee by Lori’s Oy Vey! Café, Broadwalkers were greeted by Karen Laitman, this year’s Chair.

Connie Holdridge of the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition honored prior Broadwalk chair Kathy Wiz with a handmade quilt that showcased Broadwalk t-shirts, quilted by the Delmarvalous Quilting Guild with stitching in the shape of cancer ribbons.

Keynote speaker Delaware Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long expressed her support and empathy for cancer survivors and their families, sharing that as a nurse and professor of nursing, she is aware that it is unfortunately not uncommon for members of the LGBTQ+ community to

forgo potentially life-saving screenings for fear of being judged negatively because of their sexual identity or orientation.

Moments later, a break in the weather allowed participants to gather in the street in front of CAMP Rehoboth Community Center and with the Lt. Governor as one of the banner bearers, they began the march. A stop at Top of the Dunes allowed Kim Johnson of Kim Johnson Photography to take drone photos of the marchers. Supporters lined up in the trademark Broadwalk heart, and survivors marched to the center of the heart to the tune of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” With not a dry eye to be found, the entire march was as beautiful and heartfelt as ever.

- LESLIE LEDOGAR

The FEST Farewell Party

Now a signature event, the FEST farewell party boasted music by Christine Havrilla, Regina Sayles, and Mama’s Black Sheep at Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats. It was a perfect “F” for “Fun” ending for FEST 2023.

Eyewitness Report: I can’t tell you how many people approached me to say thank you for a great FEST and to express how happy they were that we held a farewell party. Dogfish Head was packed—they had given FEST the entire venue from 11:00-3:00—what an incredible sponsor! Christine Havrilla, Mama’s Black Sheep, and Regina Sayles engaged the audience with their high energy and brought down the house. It warmed my heart to see the interaction among a couple hundred women, the entertainers, and the volunteers. Next year’s farewell party is already booked for Sunday, April 28, 2024.

– TERI SEATON

Thank you to the many Women’s FEST volunteers and sponsors who made this year’s event such an enormous success!

SAVE THE DATES!

The next Women’s FEST will be held April 25-28, 2024.

Women from down the street and those from as far away as Peru and Taiwan united in Rehoboth.

THANK YOU SPONSORS FOR MAKING WOMEN’S FEST 2023 A BIG SUCCESS

PRESENTING SPONSOR

ANNUAL SPONSORS

EVENT VENUE SPONSORS

HOTEL SPONSOR

LEGACY SPONSORS

Wes Combs & Greg Albright

Susan Kurtliroff & Barbara Snyder

Natalie Moss

Delmarvelous Quilt Guild

Jackie Everett

Pat Catanzariti & Carole Ramos

Idalie Adams & Jocelyn Kaplan

Susan Brooker & Nancy Sherbow

Rehoboth Beach Dental

Leslie Ledogar & Marilyn Hewitt

Jane Blue & Louisa Watrel

Deborah Duran

First State Pickleball Club

Four Buckets, LLC

Phoenix Accessibility Team

Paul Cullen

Chris Dances LLC

Lisa Evans & Joann Gusdanovic

Connie Fox & Donna Adair

Lewis LeBrun & Michael Poniatowski

Nancy & Tora Kennedy

Diane Scobey & Jennifer Rubenstein

Teri Seaton

Kenneth Currier & Mike Tyler

Lewis Dawley & Greg Becker

David Nelson & Bill McManus

anonymous

Ricki Geiger, LCSW, CGP

Donna Ohle & Susan Gaggiotti

Sandra Oropel & Linda Frese

Kim Parks & Sharon Denny

Yona Zucker & Renata Price

Delaware Senior Olympics

Leslie Sinclair & Debbie Woods

Joanne Yurik

Adrienne Fyock

Andrea Miller

Angela Benard

Angela Glodowske

Anita Broccolino

Ann Delazaro

Ann McWalter

Anne Pikolas

Annette Potemski

Asha Moon

Barb Clipper

Barb Hals

Barb Ralph

Barb Thompson

Barbara Breault

Barbara Snyder

Beth Toney

Beverly Miller

Bonnie Kirkland

Brenda Dunn

Bruce Clayton

CAMPNews

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS FOR MAKING WOMEN’S FEST 2023 A BIG SUCCESS

Bunny Maher

Carlene Rose

Carol K. Psaros

Carol Schleppi

Cathy Balsley

Cathy Mezzomo

Cathy Mimikos

Celeste Beaupre

Cheri Garnet

Cindy Arno

Cindy Bertoni

Cindy Sanders

Connie Fox

Cynthia Scott

Dan Foran

David Garrett

Dawn Dupree

Dawn Kasow

Deb Bricker

Deb Quinton

Deb Small

Debbie Cali

Debbie Duran

Denise Manning

Diane Schwarz

Donna Becker

Donna Carr

Eleanor Lloyd

Ellen Lomega

Erin Armington

Gail Tannenbaum

Graeme Davis

Gwen Osborne

Hannah Simone

Hope Vella

James Schmidt

Jana Kamminga

Jennifer Rubenstein

Jessica Liggio

Jim Schmidt

Joann Gusdanovic

Joanie Pegler

Jordan Crump

Julie Aziz

Karen DeSantis

Karen Doctor

Karen Folger

Karen Laitman

Kasey Gonzalez-Cruz

Kathy Dougherty

Kathy Lehmann

Katherine Alteneder

Kathleen Taylor

Kathy McGuiness

Kathy Zimmerman

Katie Handy

Kelly Sheridan

Kim Johnson

Kim Klein

Kim Richards

Kim Smitas

Kip Kunsman

Krystal Olivieri

Lamar Kellam

Leslie Jennings

Leslie Ledogar

Leslie Sinclair

Linda DeFeo

Linda Frese

Linda Rikard

Linda Vaughn

Lisa Hicks

Lisa Mosely

Lissa Dulany

Lynda Rock

Liz Aranza

Lois Powell

Lorraine Stainish

Loretta Rose

Luke Warm

Lulu Beach

Madelyn Jablon

Marce McCollum-Martin

Mare Mart

Mary Ann Dellinger

Mary Jo Tarallo

Mary Rossettini

Mary Wasilewski

Mel Danskin

Melissa Imbergamo

Michelle Manfredi

Mike DeFlavia

Mike Merena

Mollyne Honor

Moritza Riviera

Nancy Hewish

Nancy Sherbow

Nancy Snyder

Nancy Wester

Nicole Cucinotta

Niki Nicholson

Pat Catanzariti

Pat West

Patty Rickman

Peg Wilfong

Peggy Hughes

Pink Pikolas

Renate Costner

Rhonda Fiehler

Rick Hardy

Rina Pellegrini

Roberta Hamer

Robertine Cale

Rochelle Parks

Ruthann Winterhalter

37 Baltimore Avenue Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 302-227-5620 camprehoboth.com

continued from page 8

Released January 10, 2023 in hardcover, digital, and audiobook editions, the novel is about a gay, physically misshapen boy trying to figure out life and love in the Deep South, facing bullying, body-shaming, and homophobia. A discussion about the book will be facilitated by Jeff Wilkinson, leader of the CAMP Rehoboth Book Club. (Read more about the club in Events & Programs, page 27.)

The CAMP Rehoboth Book Club will also be joined by Jeffrey Dale Lofton for its Monday, June 26 meeting to discuss Red Clay Suzie. Register for the club meeting online at camprehoboth.com.

Voices from Stonewall Sunday, June 25, CAMP Rehoboth’s Elkins-Archibald Atrium

Hear the revelations from the night of the Stonewall riots in the exciting and moving production, Voices from Stonewall, on stage at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. Tickets are on sale at camprehoboth.com.

Voices from Stonewall premiered at CAMP Rehoboth in 2019 on Stonewall’s 50th Anniversary.

Attendees will hear the words of the people who were there when bottles flew, police wagons arrived, and young drag queens, homeless kids, transgender youth, some butch lesbians, and a collection of gay people surprised the police and finally fought back. The show was written by playwright Michael Gilles and writer Fay Jacobs and is directed by Jacobs. ▼

Sabrina Burnell

Sandy Oropel

Sandy Souder

Sharon Kantersghkan

Sharon Schmidt

Sherri Richman

Stacey Mazzacco

Stephanie Scott

Susan Brooker

Susan Green

Susan Kutliroff

Susan Mueller

Tama Viola

Teresa Madonna

Teri Seaton

Thom Snyder

Tina Maddox

Tony Sowers

Traci Shimkus

Yona Zucker

Springpoint Choice: Educational Seminar at CAMP Rehoboth

On Tuesday, May 23, at 2:00 p.m., Springpoint Choice will lead an educational seminar at CAMP Rehoboth’s Elkins-Archibald Atrium. For over 25 years, Springpoint Choice has enabled community members to safely and comfortably remain in their homes and age in place. This membership-based program is for healthy, active adults aged 55 and older, who want to plan for their future.

RSVP to 866-616-3084 or springpointchoice.org/rsvpdelaware. ▼

Pride Window Displays

Throughout June, CAMP Rehoboth is partnering with the Delaware Historical Society on window displays that touch on the programming and history of CAMP Rehoboth. This partnership comes after CAMP Rehoboth was mentioned in DHS’s 2021 window display for its “Existence Is Resistance” exhibit. The DHS display changes monthly, highlighting local organizations and causes for corresponding awareness months. View the displays at 505 N. Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware. ▼

Aging Gracelessly

Juiced Up and Ready to Roll

I’m writing this while I’m still on an emotional high from Women’s FEST. Although I’m not ruling out residual alcohol in my system.

Women’s FEST was spectacular, and I give my thanks and accolades to everyone involved—committee, volunteers, CAMP Rehoboth staff and Board members. What a blast!

I loved it all but was particularly thankful for the evening I spent performing at The Top of the Pines. I’ll leave it to others, of course, to talk about the show, but I can tell you that for me, the venue, the audience, and the atmosphere was a joy. In my eight years of touring as a sit-down comic, my night at the Pines is among my top feel-good experiences.

And lots of it has to do with drag queens. Individually and in general.

Individually, the great Kristina Kelly worked with me to set up and run tech, and the legendary Mona Lotts gave me a hilarious and heartfelt introduction. And they both welcomed me to their dressing room and their theatrical home.

And being there on stage allowed me to talk to my audience about drag queens in general—and how pissed off I am about desperate politicians going after our gorgeous, snarky queens to appease their bigot base. My audience agreed, with cheers for drag queens everywhere.

I adore our drag queens for lots of reasons, but especially because—for all our success in fighting for our rights and LGBTQ equality—it was our drag queens helping to lead those efforts.

Drag queens and transgender women rioted in August 1966, three years before the Stonewall riots, at San Francisco’s Compton’s Cafeteria. Cross-dressing and “impersonating” a woman were illegal at the time, and transphobia kept transgender individuals out of most gay bars. So many trans people and drag performers gathered at Compton’s and were among the very first to fight—verbally and physically—for LGBTQ equality.

As for the legendary Stonewall Riots in 1969, drag queens and transgender

women were instrumental in throwing the first rocks and punches there, too.

And our drag queens were front and center at our first Pride parades and influential in the success of our pioneering gay bars. I think so fondly about female impersonator Christopher

BY FAY JACOBS

Peterson performing in Rehoboth over the past quarter of a century. All of our talented local female impersonators. And the success of Billy Porter in Pose and RuPaul with his Drag Race. Drag queens are not only part of our LGBTQ culture, they have stepped well into the mainstream as RuPaul’s fans will attest.

So what the hell are these politicians doing, picking on these wonderful artists and entertainers? It’s my guess that Drag Queen Story Hour was a positively brilliant idea to lure kids away from their video games or Tik-Tok and into reading.

Last week, of all hideous things, packs of Neo-Nazis picketed and

threatened performers at drag story hours at Ohio libraries and book stores. Not only is the vision of a swastika flag flying in public horrifying, but this particular cluster of haters says that in 1940s Germany, Jews weren’t the problem, gays were. I sputter to comment other than to say I’m frightened.

Tennessee just passed a law making it illegal for drag queens to perform for youngsters. In Florida a pending bill will enact large fines for venues which have drag performances where a child can spy them. Will they fine Pride organizations featuring drag queens on decorated floats tossing candy to families on parade routes?

In a country full of hideous problems, drag queens are what haters are obsessing over?

Given today’s political realities, it’s quite certain that MAGA mouthpieces who started with drag queens and transgender youth will soon come for the entire LGBTQ community when they need to widen their scope of hate. Look what they’ve already done to young women. Is gay marriage next?

I am determined to hustle my aging ass back out on the streets to fight back. There’s nothing like an angry old lesbian. I don’t even care if I get arrested. You know me, nothing is so bad if it’s worth the story you can tell.

I challenge all of us to get off our comfortable butts, cut down on TV streaming, and get busy. Let’s register voters, donate to the good guys, write letters, raise our voices, and make some good trouble! Who’s in? ▼

Fay Jacobs is the author of five published books and is touring with her one-woman sit-down comedy show, Aging Gracelessly.

In a country full of hideous problems, drag queens are what haters are obsessing over?

HOSTED JOURNEY JOIN

Murray Archibald, the founder of CAMP Rehoboth, on an incredible journey in Australia & New Zealand

FEBRUARY 2024

Our custom designed hosted journey starts in New Zealand when we meet our Abercrombie & Kent guide. Multi-night stays in New Zealand and Australia include Rotorua, Queenstown, Melbourne, Uluru (the Outback), and Sydney to give you both time free and amazing experiences with our professional guide (all included). Our planned itinerary includes the Hobbiton Movie Set, cultural performances, the opportunity to experience a working kiwi nursery and hatchery, Waitomo Glowworm Caves, art galleries, wine tastings, walking tours, a wildlife conservation park, a private behind the scenes tour of the Sydney Opera House and time at the world famous Bondi Beach. Awe-inspiring scenery and wildlife will provide amazing photo opportunities and memories that last forever on this unique tour! Rich in history and culture this hosted journey is sure to sell out quickly.

For more information please contact Sofia Hedman, Group Travel Manager

sofia@accentontravel.com | 302-703-0115

BY MICHAEL GILLES

I (heart) Jack LaLanne: A Cartoon Memoir “L

ights, Camera, Action!!!” I’ve heard these words hundreds of times in TV movies, but was never sure of what they meant. I think it’s related to “Stop/Go,” or is that the yellow light at the nearest intersection? Whatever I may not know can certainly be answered by the new kid in town, LeAnn Erickson. Yes, LeAnn is the real deal, and she now lives by the shore. Perhaps she’ll make a movie about me. You know. “The Man Who Knows Nothing About Movies.”

Actually, LeAnn probably wouldn’t answer such rookie questions. Not because she wouldn’t care, but her focus is on her newest movie: I (heart) Jack LaLanne: A Cartoon Memoir. It’s an LGBTQ coming of age story that reflects LeAnn’s life as a lesbian as she grows up in Minnesota and Iowa, and finally Temple University.

It’s an interesting take on her life, and no matter what you read or hear, the short film Is NOT a biography of Jack LaLanne. Jack was an idol of LeAnn’s, a guru who got a lot of kids and moms exercising. There was no one but him doing this in the 60s. He was very much a part of pop culture at that time and served as an inspiration for gay models.

But the movie is not about him, even though LeAnn loved him. A lot.

Rather, she used Jack to provide structure for the many memories she has of growing up in a house with little toleration or understanding of gay people. These memories still have an influence on LeAnn. Thus, her creation of the I (heart) short film.

Using a playful visual aesthetic and humorous tone, the film tackles serious issues, including the impact of role models on children, coming out as gay in a less-tolerant era, and dealing with a latein-life disability. In her junior year of high school she was riding her bike and was hit by a car. She was thrown 20 feet and shattered her knee cap. “When it came

time for my senior year, I came back and I was not that person anymore.”

Since then, LeAnn has taken on the mantle of an accomplished artist. She has been a co-producer/writer/director/ animator/editor.

In 2010 she completed Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII, a feature-length historical documentary that has screened internationally and is distributed by PBS, Inc. In 2014 she released The Computer Wore Heels, an interactive ebook that shares the Top Secret Rosies story with young adults. Currently, she is pitching a television series based on the Top Secret Rosies story.

Like many people, LeAnn thanks her family for their support for her triumphs. She met her spouse, Julie Rasmussen, as an undergrad and they’ve spent the last 45 years together. Julie handles all the volunteer things (for example they are both CAMP Rehoboth members). Through his creative collaborations, her son Jake has produced, written, and directed hundreds of narrative shorts which have screened at international film festivals.

At Temple, she often referred to herself as a storyteller in that she has always sought to find the stories, whether her own or others. In her film, video, and media work she is attracted to subjects where people are at the center of an investigation. Whatever the subject, she feels all of her work is ultimately an exploration of herself.

LeAnn is a university professor of film production and has been an independent media artist for over 30 years. Her work has appeared on public and cable television, in media and art galleries, and has won national and international recognition in film and media festivals. Her screenings include: Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival (Toronto, Canada), Oberhausen International Short Film Festival (Germany), Internationales Frauen Film Festival (Cologne, Germany), Women in the Director’s Chair (Chicago), and L’immagine Leggera Palermo International Videoart, Film, and Media Festival (Italy).

Lights, Camera, Action, or Stop/Go? I can’t wait to find out!

Fun Fact: The day after I finished an interview with LeAnne, I found my spouse watching a documentary on women working in World War II. Its name: Top Secret Rosies. Coincidence? I think not. I don’t know how she did it, but I somehow think it was shown for my benefit.

Thanks, LeAnn! ▼

Michael Gilles is a playwright, actor, and director from Milton, and a regular contributor to Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.

Jack was an idol of LeAnn’s, a guru who got a lot of kids and moms exercising.

I (heart) Jack LaLanne: A Cartoon Memoir will screen as part of the shorts program at the Pride Film Festival. Sunday, June 11, at 12 p.m. | Cinema Arts Theater, 17701 Dartmouth Drive, Lewes, DE | Tickets went on sale May 5.

CommunityNews

From Selma to Stonewall Film Screening

TheACLU of Delaware will host film screenings of From Selma to Stonewall at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 4, at the Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware church, and at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 11, at the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington.

As the fight for racial and queer justice continues, From Selma to Stonewall offers a history lesson on the intersection of the civil rights and LGBTQ movements.

The film features the Rev. Gil Caldwell, a black, straight preacher and Civil Rights Movement foot soldier, and Marilyn Bennett, a white, lesbian author and activist, who form an unusual bond as they seek to find the intersection between the Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ Equality movements. They start out exploring the similarities, differences, and conflicts between the two movements and find themselves in the midst of today’s struggles—hate crimes, anti-blackness, police brutality, anti-LGBTQ hostility, queer youth homelessness, and white supremacy.

The screenings will be followed by facilitated discussions, where attendees will be able to talk about the themes of the film and what it means for our present and future.

Admission is free for the general public. Registration is available at: aclu-de.org under “Events.” ▼

Prime Timers Boardwalk Stroll

Tuesdays/Thursdays, 8:30am | End of Rehoboth Avenue

Hosted by Delaware Coastal Prime Timers, a social group for single and coupled gay men, the semi-weekly boardwalk stroll is a great opportunity to socialize and get outdoors. Plus, there’s optional breakfast after each walk. For information contact coastalprimetimers@gmail.com. ▼

2023 Rehoboth Beach Main Street’s Margarita Crawl

The2023 RBMS Margarita Crawl is scheduled for June 3 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. This year’s Margarita Crawl is sponsored by Dano’s Dangerous Tequila. In addition to Dano’s tequila margaritas, participating restaurants are also asked to prepare Mock Margaritas for Crawl-goers who would prefer a nonalcoholic version.

Tickets for the Margarita Crawl are $20—available at the RBMS Office, 509 Rehoboth Avenue, or by calling 302-227-2772.

Ticket holders will have a chance to vote on the following categories:

• 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Best Margarita

• Most Unique/Creative Margarita

• Best Mock Margarita

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS

Above the Dunes

Aqua Bar & Grill

Arena’s Deli

Blackwall at the Beach

Blue Moon

Café Azafrán

Chesapeake & Maine

Dos Locos

Freddie’s Beach Bar

Kiwi’s Tiki Hut & Kove

Mariachi Restaurant

Purple Parrot Grill

Rehoboth Ale House

Somewhere Rehoboth

Victoria’s Restaurant

My Life

Up on the Rooftop

“This is Steve. Mike Ford’s husband. I’m calling about the work you’re doing on our roof.”

As soon as I heard him leave the message, I had a feeling it would have repercussions. Sure enough, not long after my cell phone rang.

“Hello, Mike. This is Jacob Yoder. I just had a message from someone saying he’s your husband, and I wondered if you could explain that to me.”

Several weeks ago, our aging garage roof succumbed to high winds, the shingles scattering across the yard and leaving behind several bald spots. After some calls to our insurance company, then to contractors whose estimates dwarfed our budget, a neighbor suggested we get a quote from one of the Amish builders in the community. They’ve done numerous jobs in town and being on the village council I know we have a strong working relationship with them. Plus, we like to support local businesses.

They came, provided a quote, and we agreed to do business. All that was left was for us to choose the color of the roofing material. The phone call Steve made was to set up a time to visit the shop and do that.

But Steve had not been here for the initial consultation. Nor had I mentioned him. I grew up near an Amish community. I know what they believe. I’ve written entire books about various spiritual paths, which involved doing interviews with people whose views are not even remotely similar to mine. But I generally don’t engage people in discussions about their beliefs, particularly when all I really care about is whether they can get a roof on my garage before the next rainstorm.

Jacob, however, wanted to talk about this. After I explained that Steve being my husband meant that we are indeed married, he said, “I think we’ll need to have you come down and discuss what this means.”

And so, we went over to their shop. Standing beside huge rolls of metal roofing material in various colors, we exchanged pleasantries with Jacob—a man in his 20s—and his even younger brother, Adam. “So, the two of you are married,” Jacob said. “Well, I need you to know that that sin is appalling to God, and therefore to us.”

“So, you won’t be doing the job?” I asked, figuring we might as well get it over with.

“Oh, no,” Jacob said. “We don’t discriminate against anyone. Sin is sin. And we’re all sinners. But we do need you to know how God feels about this.”

At this point I had a choice. Honestly, I’d been expecting them to say they wouldn’t work with us. Now, I wondered if maybe

BY MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

they were hoping I would say we wouldn’t work with them. And I know a lot of people would choose that option.

But I’d been thinking about Mary Calhoun.

Thirty-odd years ago, I was working as an editor at a children’s book publisher. My boss, Frank, was an older gay man. Mary Calhoun was a young woman who worked in the marketing department. After working with us for a couple of years, she came down to our offices and asked if she could speak to me and Frank about something.

It turned out she was leaving the company. “I want to tell the two of you something,” she said. “This was my first job out of school. When I was assigned to work with you, I didn’t want to. I was raised to believe that being gay is a sin. I had never worked with anyone gay, and I was scared. My parents even told me I should quit. But the two of you have been so much fun to work with, and been so nice to me, that it made me rethink what I’d been taught. I just want you to know that.”

Now, I have no reason to think that I’ll change an Amish man’s views on gay people. But you never know. The smallest seed, planted, can grow into the brightest sunflower. So, I didn’t tell Jacob and his brother that we would be taking our business elsewhere. I said, “Great. I think we’ve decided to go with the blue color.”

A few days after our meeting I took the brothers the deposit for the job. Jacob wasn’t there, but Adam was. He was wearing a purple shirt, and as I handed him the check I said, “That’s a beautiful color. It looks great on you.”

I half expected him to be upset, and not only because the Amish consider vanity a sin and remarking on appearance is frowned upon. Instead, he hesitated and then smiled. “It is a beautiful color, isn’t it,” he said.

As queer people we of course encounter all kinds of situations where who we are is questioned, judged, and sometimes outright condemned. And we each choose how we react when this happens. I found out later that a lesbian couple in town had the same experience with the brothers that Steve and I had, and also chose to still work with them, for reasons similar to ours. Not everyone would or should be expected to. As I said, I don’t expect to change the brothers’ beliefs. But maybe, by respecting them as people, a door will crack open and let some light in. And hopefully the roof they put on our garage will keep the rain out. ▼

Michael Thomas Ford is a much-published Lambda Literary award-winning author. Visit Michael at michaelthomasford.com.

The smallest seed, planted, can grow into the brightest sunflower.

Women’s FEST Sports Roundup

Kudos to the 200+ participants and 40+ volunteers—you’re what made our sports events this year such a success!

Kudos and thank you to all the sports events coordinators: Dawn Dupre and Barb Thompson (18-hole golf), Mary Rossettini and Kathy Dougherty (pickleball), Tama Viola and Lisa Mosely (9-hole golf), Debbie Duran (bowling), and Rina Pellegrini (cornhole). And a HUGE thank you to Cindy Sanders, my co-chair for the Women’s FEST Sports Committee.

On page 24, you will find lists of the women who placed in their sports event. What you won’t see is how many women

participated in multiple sports.

A closer examination will reveal the women who not only played in multiple events, but who placed in multiple events: Laurie Bronstein in pickleball and bowling, Robin Esham in 9- and 18-hole golf, Min Mancini in 18-hole golf and pickleball, Beth Petitte in 18-hole golf and cornhole, and L’Oreal Endy in pickleball and cornhole.

But wait—there’s more! This year, we are excited to announce two big pieces of news:

First, because we have so many amazing athletes in our sporting events, we are naming a Women’s FEST Sportswoman

of the Year! This is someone who has not only participated in multiple events, but who has placed in multiple events.

This year’s inaugural Women’s FEST Sportswoman of the Year not only placed, but took First Place in both 18-hole golf and in pickleball. Erin Reid, congratulations on this achievement!

Second (in the spirit of saving the best for last) we are pleased to announce the naming of the 18-hole golf event. Early Women’s FESTs did not include any sports. But Barb Thompson and Evie Simmons had a vision to add an 18-hole golf tournament.

Barb and Evie volunteered to run the tournament every year since its inception, and Barb has continued to run the tournament after Evie’s passing. She also continues their sponsorship to CAMP Rehoboth and the tournament.

Typically, the 18-hole golf event is the first to sell out, with every other sporting event selling out soon after. Their idea to include sports in Women’s FEST has led to a huge growth in the number of women participating and in the amount of money raised for CAMP.

In recognition of their leadership and vision—just as we know the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament as “the Dinah”—we now have Women’s FEST’s “the Barb and Evie.”

Women’s FEST dates for 2024 are already set: April 25-28. Can’t wait to see what next year’s sporting events bring!

Continued on page 24

Images, clockwise: Pickleball Flight B winners; Women’s FEST bowlers; Pickleball players at the net; Cornhole 1st Place Winners; 18-hole golfers gather at the pin (see page 24 for winners’ names).

Kudos to the 200+ participants and 40+ volunteers—you’re what made our sports events this year such a success!

BE A SPORT! continued from page 22

Women’s FEST 2023 Sporting Events

9-HOLE GOLF SCRAMBLE

1st place team

Robin Esham

Renee Guillory

Cindy Knotts

Angela Murray

Winner of Last Place

Lorie Seaman

Luann Seaman

Jill Stokes

Sandy Sullivan

Closest to Pin

Sue Schollenberger

Longest Drive

DIANE BRAVER

18-HOLE GOLF BEST BALL

1st Place team

Lori Guitson

Lisa Lekawa

Beth Petitte

Erin Reid

2nd Place Team

Linda Kaufmann

Ruth Laver

Ann Reed

Judy Wetzel

3rd Place Team

Robin Esham

Lisa Faber

Suzanne Furman

Lisa Moss

Longest Drive

Min Mancini

PICKLEBALL FLIGHT A

Gold: Lynn Caset and Erin Reid

Silver: Maddie

Cunningham and Mary

Ellen James

Bronze: Katie Rickards and Carey Buck

Stars: L’Oreal Endy and Karen Faber

PICKLEBALL FLIGHT B

Gold: Mary Egan and Cindy Murphy

Silver: Min Mancini and Mary Jo Tolliver

Bronze: Laura Ferris and Christine Lawson

Stars: Debbie Cali and Laurie Bronstein

PICKLEBALL FLIGHT C

Gold: Dawn Dupre and Megan Keating

Silver: Mary Anderson and Barbara Fischetti

Bronze: Linda

Mautulaits and Donna Henshaw

Stars: Joyce Green and Lisa Decker

CORNHOLE

1st Place: L’Oreal Endy and Stacy Hannahoe

2nd Place: Beth Petitte and Lisa Orem

Images, top to bottom: 9-hole Golf 1st Place winners; Pickleball Flight A winners; Bowling 1st Place winners; Cornhole 1st & 2nd Place winners; Pickleball Flight C winners (see listing for names).

BOWLING

1st PlaceTeam

Patty Lake

Jeannette Lasczcynski

Lisa Whitehouse

Joanne Wojnicki

2nd Place Team

Laurie Bronstein

Heidi Egbert

Mary Haus

Carol Miller

3rd Place Team

Lorie, Sue, Arlene, EJ, Yvette

Better Luck

Next Time

Virginia Boyle

Kayla Ethridge

Jodi Henning

Carol Inma

High Scorer

Patty Lake

Connie Fox is co-chair of the 2023 Women’s FEST Sports Committee.

A Board State of Mind

It was the summer of 1976; the East and West forces were in day four of a military siege that appeared to see no end in sight. Hunkered down in northern Alaska, the daring but impetuous leader of the Western forces rolled the dice to invade Kamchatka. A backdoor foothold in the East could provide the needed momentum to turn the tide of this epic battle. Early the next day, however, scouts reported Morse code messages sent from a spy within the camp.

A little-known Cold War battle? No, this was my brother and his friend Steve playing yet another marathon session of the board game Risk, one that would last another four days, thanks to flashlight Morse code messages being sent to Steve from his neighbor’s house (the girl had a crush), revealing my brother’s plan. Other than Pinochle, the summer of 1976 belonged to the game of Risk.

As we approach yet another languid summer, the question thus comes to mind: what to do with all that free time? Well, surprisingly, board games are still a popular activity. In fact, according to some industry reports, approximately 57 percent of households own 1-25 board or card games, with as much as 22 percent of gamers willing to spend over $1000 annually. The global board game market is estimated to reach $12 billion this year, up from $7.2 billion in 2017. And gamers tend to support community businesses; one survey indicated a whopping 88 percent of purchases were made locally.

Perhaps because of the pandemic, perhaps because of expendable time available, or perhaps because people are seeking alternatives to online activities, 82 percent of GenZ’rs (9-24-year-olds) find board games enjoyable. Board games are still popular with preceding generations too, with 78-79 percent of Millenials, GenX’rs, and Baby Boomers partaking, and 67 percent of the Silent Generation engaging in board games. Forty percent of board games are played at home, with

43 percent of gamers playing several times a week.

Board games are divided into as many as 17 different categories. Strategy games, like chess or checkers, do not involve randomness, such as those that may involve dice. Area control games, like Risk, require players to gain more territory or assets. Conversely, cooperative games, such as Pandemic, rely on team-building skills to be successful. Games like Jenga would be considered dexterity games, where physical skill determines who will win. Finally, Roll-and-Move games, such as Clue and Monopoly mix randomness— the roll of the dice—with decision-making skills once you complete a move.

BY SHARON MORGAN

Playing board games offers an array of skill development or reinforcement throughout one’s lifetime. The very young learn to identify colors, count spaces, and develop hand-eye coordination in moving pieces around the board. In addition, lessons in rule-following and waiting one’s turn are introduced and reinforced. Older children can learn planning, organizing, and decision-making skills, as well as boost teamwork and develop an understanding of what a “good loser” means. Additionally, board games can be used as a time-out from digital platforms and a means to decompress from stressful situations for all ages. Finally, board games for older adults have been shown to improve memory and act as a conduit for social interaction.

Some who are reading this may scoff, thinking, “Well, that’s all well and

good, but it is not Fortnite.” Consider this: Fortnite is an online, interactive gaming trilogy where players (depending on version) fight to the death or alternatively cooperate in teams to ward off an external enemy, creating worlds or building arenas along the way.

Before there was online gaming or video games, there was Dungeons and Dragons (circa 1974), a dice board game that allowed each player to create their own character who would embark upon adventures within a fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master (DM) served as the game’s referee and storyteller, while maintaining the setting in which the adventures occurred.

Before DnD, there was Age of Mythology, first developed in the 1800s, consisting of a deck of 77 cards, in which players tried to complete a mythological book by collecting those cards corresponding to a particular mythological story. The player with the most books won.

And before that, in 3000 BC, there was the ancient Egyptian boardgame of Senet, a two-person game where the winners were thought to be blessed by the gods Ra, Thoth, and Osiris.

Our current games of fantasy and survival are not new but have their roots in ancient civilizations. So the next time the power goes out or the online activities need to be curtailed or you just need to see who is going to take out the garbage, think of playing a board game. Just be careful of blinking lights between houses. ▼

Sharon A. Morgan is a retired advanced practice nurse with over 30 years of clinical and healthcare policy background.

Playing board games offers an array of skill development or reinforcement throughout one’s lifetime.

Classes & Events

For more information about any of these events, please visit camprehoboth.com or call us at 302-227-5620. Zoom links (when applicable) can be found on our website or the weekly email newsletter. Meetings are in-person and take place at CAMP Rehoboth unless noted otherwise. Zoom links can be found on our website or in the Monday email newsletter. Do you have a suggestion for a new class? We want to hear from you! Send your idea to tara@camprehoboth.com.

Weekly Events

WALK-IN HIV TESTING

Mondays-Fridays

Free, rapid, walk-in HIV testing at CAMP Rehoboth. Get your results in 15 minutes. Appointments available for other dates and times.

Mon. & Tues. .............................. 12- 4 p.m.

Wed. & Thurs................................ 1- 4 p.m. Fri. . ..................................... 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.

ACE Peer Resource Center: 20707 Dupont Blvd, Georgetown, DE

Tuesdays 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. (Please call 302-585-4963 to confirm.)

ACE Peer Resource Center: 547 N. Bradford Street, Seaford, DE

Thursdays 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Please call 302-628-3016 to confirm.)

YOGA OVER 50 (ZOOM)

Thurs. 8:30 a.m. New in-person session starting June 1!

Mon.- Sun. 8:30 a.m. (Zoom)

Mon.- Wed.- Fri. 4 p.m. (Zoom)

Sue brings compassion, humor, and encouragement to her teaching. Email tara@camprehoboth.com to register.

MORNING MINDFULNESS

Tues. 8:00 a.m. (Zoom). Erin will lead a mindful exercise or morning meditation for 30 minutes.

CHAIR YOGA

Tues. 9:00 a.m. (Zoom). Erin guides participants to synchronize conscious breath with mindful movement.

MEN’S YOGA

Sat. 8:45 a.m. Instructor Tim Rennick welcomes all levels.

Bi-weekly & Monthly Events

ASK YOUR PHARMACIST

5/17, 6/21, 3:00 p.m. (Zoom) Cape Pharmacy pharmacist Joli Martini, PharmD, BCGP, is now offering “Ask Your Pharmacist”; all questions can be confidential. Email tara@camprehoboth.com for more information.

PTK (PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS) In-person meeting added!

6/01 7 p.m. (Zoom), 6/13 7 p.m. (in-person; Lewes), 6/15 7 p.m. (in-person; Wilmington)

Parents of Trans Kids (PTK) is a support group for parents and caregivers of transgender and gender expansive children. PTK offers separate meeting spaces for adults and youth (ages 12-19). Email ptkdelaware@gmail.com for the secure Zoom link or in-person meeting details.

WOMEN IN CIRCLE

5/20, 6/03, 6/17, 10 a.m. W Women in Circle is a welcoming, inclusive and positive place to meet, connect and share with other LGBTQ women.

FLAMING KNITTERS

5/22, 6/12 6:30 p.m. Flaming Knitters provides a thoughtful and engaging space for working, conversing, connecting, showing off, sharing resources, and supporting fiber-related crafts/projects in a queer- and trans-affirming space.

CAMP REHOBOTH BOOK CLUB

5/22 5:30 p.m. (Zoom) The Book Club will meet a week earlier than usual due to Memorial Day. The May selection: Jawbone by Monica Ojeda, translated by Sarah Brooker.

CAMP FAMILIES

CAMP Families is a network of LGBTQ+ inclusive families, who are committed

to building community, supporting each other, and creating great and meaningful memories with each other.

To register, please follow links on camprehoboth.com. For more information about CAMP Families’ next event, to propose a new one, or volunteer to be the lead for an event, please email tara@ camprehoboth.com.

5/21, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. CAMP Families

Volunteer Day at Brandywine SPCA

6/03 CAMP Families joins CROP for National Trails Day, Cape Henlopen State Park

6/04, 7 p.m. CAMP Families Dolphin, Sunset, Full Moon Cruise. Reserve Your Tickets now—it will sell out!

YOUTHUP AND YOUNG ADULT EVENTS AND PROGRAMS

Contact julian@camprehoboth.com or call 302-277-5620 to register for these events/programs or to ask questions or obtain additional information about them.

YOUTHUP DISCUSSION GROUP

6/08, 7 p.m. In-person meeting added! The YouthUp Discussion Group meets the second Thursday of each month. This discussion and activity group is for 12- to 18-year-old LGBTQ+ youth to get together with each other and a supportive adult moderator.

YOUNG ADULT DISCUSSION GROUP

6/15, 7 p.m. (Zoom). The Young Adult This group is for 18- to 25-year-old LGBTQ+ young adults.

THEME NIGHT

5/25, 7 p.m. (Zoom) Please sign up by emailing julian@camprehoboth.com.

YOUTHUP BOOK CLUB

7 p.m. (Zoom) Email julian@camprehoboth.com for upcoming dates, book titles (and books), Zoom link, or questions.

BY RICH BARNETT

The Mint Julep

There are few cocktails with the pomp and circumstance of the mint julep. You probably are aware of its association with the Kentucky Derby. You might even know some claim it’s heresy to serve a mint julep in anything but a silver cup full of shaved or crushed ice, Kentucky bourbon, and garnished with a fresh sprig of native spearmint. There’s even a prescribed etiquette for drinking a mint julep: one should hold the cup by either the band on the base or top lip so that one’s hand doesn’t warm the cup.

Despite the pageantry surrounding it, the mint julep consists of only four ingredients: bourbon, ice, sugar, and mint. It’s the perfect cocktail to segue into summer and warmer weather. In fact, National Mint Julep Day is May 30, so there’s still time to explore this refreshing and quintessential American cocktail. And if you really want to get to know the mint julep, please read on.…

schools nor acknowledged among polite Derby society. A “julab” was a beauty elixir made from rose or violet petals and water for Persian royalty. Over the centuries it was adopted by the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and later by the Italians and Spanish who replaced flowers with mint. They began calling it a “julep” and used it as a health tonic. Michelangelo is said to have enjoyed a daily julep.

The julep reached America in the 18th century where it was mixed with rum (and later with bourbon whiskey) and consumed both as a medicinal tonic and a kickstart to the day. While bourbon was distilled throughout the American frontier, the spirit thrived in Kentucky due to an abundant corn crop, oak forests (for barrels), and limestone filtered water.

As bourbon distilled itself into the fabric of Kentucky society, it naturally became part of the state’s horse racing culture. So too the mint julep.

Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., who founded the Kentucky Derby in 1873, is said to have grown a patch of mint behind the Churchill Downs Club for the juleps he served his VIP guests. The mint julep eventually was named the Kentucky Derby’s official drink in 1938.

The cocktail was also popular in Washington, DC, among the political establishment. One of the most influential bars to serve the mint julep was—still is—the Round Robin Bar in the Willard Hotel. The bar opened in 1847 and it is said that US Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky shipped in a barrel of bourbon so a proper mint julep could be mixed.

President Teddy Roosevelt was a mint julep fan. He cultivated mint in the White House kitchen garden and used it in the juleps he served to his cabinet members after tennis matches. You won’t be surprised to learn that Roosevelt fortified his mint juleps with a big splash of

Despite its popularity back in the day, the mint julep isn’t easy to find these days. A couple of bartenders I asked had

no idea what I was talking about. I get that it’s kind of a labor-intensive drink in the classic form with its crushed ice, simple syrup, and muddled mint. But how

can you call yourself a serious bartender and not know the mint julep? Really!

The mint julep might feel intimidating, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this most American cocktail. If you know the rules, you can break the rules. Here’s how I break the rules:

• Dissolve ½ ounce of superfine sugar in 1 ounce of hot water in an old-fashioned glass (or julep cup, of course).

• Add 8-10 mint leaves and press them lightly with a spoon—you want to draw the oil from the mint leaves, not beat it out of them.

• Add 2 ounces of bourbon, fill the glass with cracked ice (I wrap ice in a tea towel and smack it with a crab mallet), and stir.

• Garnish with a mint sprig and serve. You don’t need an elaborate hat or colorful bow tie to enjoy a mint julep. But they certainly add some fun. Cheers! ▼

Rich Barnett is the author of The Discreet Charms of a Bourgeois Beach Town, and Fun with Dick and James.

President Teddy Roosevelt…cultivated mint in the White House kitchen garden and used it in the juleps he served to his cabinet members after tennis matches.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

BY LAURIE THOMPSON

Welcome Home

One does not need to look past CAMP Rehoboth’s membership logo to recognize that it personifies the theme of this year’s membership campaign: Welcome Home—Home is where the heart is.

The logo shows the heart inside the outline of a house with swirling colors that represent the LGBTQIA+ rainbow, and “Welcome Home” conveys the sentiment that supporters share when talking about their connection with CAMP Rehoboth.

In my brief time here at CAMP Rehoboth, I have been lucky to meet many of you in person and listen to your stories of how you first discovered CAMP Rehoboth. You fondly shared memories of your first visit and reminisced how CAMP Rehoboth felt like home. And that thanks to the tireless work of founders Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald, CAMP is truly the heart of Rehoboth Beach.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet Judy Jesiolowski when she reached out to me to volunteer on the Women’s FEST sponsorship committee. I was thrilled because not many people volunteer to work on a committee that requires them to ask people for money. Judy shared that in her work life, she spent many hours conducting sales/ business over the phone. At the first committee meeting, I handed her a list of potential sponsors. “Wow!” is all I can say. As a volunteer, she secured 10 sponsors and single-handedly raised the most sponsorship dollars for Women’s FEST.

In addition to volunteering her time at CAMP Rehoboth, I knew she and her wife Carole were ardent supporters who also support CAMP through their membership. So, when it was time to write my article, I reached out to them to learn about how they connected with CAMP Rehoboth.

Judy and Carole are transplants (as so many of us are) by way of Syracuse, New York, and when they decided to retire and live near the beach, they

considered many locations. But they settled on the Rehoboth Beach area because of its temperate climate, its close location to the beach, and its proximity to many major cities. They also knew that thanks to the CAMP Rehoboth LGBTQIA+ community center, it would be easier for them to build community in the place they decided to call home.

revenue. Gifts through membership enable CAMP to offer health and wellness programming, arts and cultural events, advocacy and education, and outreach and community engagement.

This year, CAMP Rehoboth is in the process of hiring a new Executive Director as well as working on the final stages of our strategic plan. The new strategic plan will determine where we focus our energy and resources. Support from this community will be crucial in carrying out the strategic vision for CAMP Rehoboth’s future.

Like they had in Syracuse, Judy and Carole recognized how important it was to support the community they lived in and understood that by giving back, they made the community a better place for everyone. Knowing it was important to support CAMP Rehoboth through membership, soon after moving to the area they hopped in their car and drove to CAMP and joined in-person as purplelevel members.

When asked what they like about CAMP Rehoboth, Judy and Carole shared that they love the art exhibits and cultural events. Carole also shared that she supports CAMP because of our youth programs and that youth are our future and it is vital that CAMP Rehoboth continues to be here for the next generation.

Judy and Carole are just one example of the more than 1,100 members that annually support CAMP Rehoboth. While there are many ways to support CAMP, I would argue that membership is probably the most important because it serves as a predictable source of annual

Driving to CAMP Rehoboth—as Judy and Carole did—is one option when considering a membership but, thanks to technology, you also have the option to join online. Just visit CAMP Rehoboth’s web page at camprehoboth.com and click on “Membership.” We offer seven levels ranging in support from $2,400 to $50 per year. This year, we are introducing a new young adult (ages 18-25) level membership at $25 a year so that young people can show their support at a level that may be more affordable for them.

Welcome Home is the theme of our May membership campaign. On behalf of CAMP Rehoboth’s Board of Directors and staff, we welcome you home whether it is your first or 100th visit to CAMP Rehoboth. If you value the work we do to serve the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, we ask you to consider joining or upgrading your membership. Help us ensure that CAMP Rehoboth is here to Welcome Home all who are searching for a safe space to call home.▼

Laurie Thompson is CAMP Rehoboth’s Development Manager, overseeing all development, fundraising, and donor relations. She can be reached via email at laurie@ camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620.

On behalf of CAMP Rehoboth’s Board of Directors and staff, we welcome you home whether it is your first or 100th visit to CAMP Rehoboth.

OUR SUPPORTERS MAKE IT HAPPEN CAMP REHOBOTH MEMBERSHIP 2023

PURPLE LEVEL

Greg Albright & Wes Combs X

Sondra N. Arkin X

Aaron, Heather, Gia & Joe Book*

Catherine & Katie Brennan

Carol Bresler & Carolyn Billinghurst X

Jeanette Cammiso

Pat Catanzariti & Carole Ramos*

Lee Chrostowski & Annne Tinen*

Edward Joseph Chrzanowski *

Skip Dye & Steven King*

David Grossman & Jeremy Graboyes

William Himelright & David Carter

Judy & Carole Jesiolowski

James W. Johnson & Matthew H. Shepard*

Beth Pile & S.A. White X

Chris Rinaldi & Brian Powers X

Jennifer Rubenstein & Diane Scobey X

Danny Sebright

Gary Seiden & Ah Bashir X

Leslie Sinclair & Debbie Woods X

Diane Sweeney*

Hope Vella

William E. Cross Foundation, Arthur Brisker, Director

Karen Zajick & Jennifer Weeks

INDIGO LEVEL

Terry Albarella

Murray Archibald & In Memory of Steve Elkins X

Alex Benjamin & Pete Grover*

Jane Blue & Louisa Watrel X

Deborah Bosick

Joe Brannen & John Klomp X

Tom Brown X

Elizabeth Carl & Tori Hill X

Richard Coss & Mike Hull*

Elbert Leroy Dage

Lou Fiore & Jim Burke*

Richard Gamble & Paul Lindsey*

Perry Gottlieb & Tim White*

James Graham & David Dusek

Fred Harke - In Memory of Robert Rougeau X

Holly Horn & Kathleen Garrity X

Melissa & Amanda Kaufman X

Maureen Keenan & Teri Dunbar X

Jerry Kennedy & Robert Quinones X

Russell Koerwer & Stephen Schreiber X

Roger Kramer*

Susan Kutliroff & Barbara Snyder*

Julie Landrio

Christine Lay X

Curtis J. Leciejewski, DDS, PA X

Thom Morris & Jim Slusher*

Natalie Moss & Evelyn Maurmeyer X

Rick Mowery & Joe Conn X

Tom Negran & Marc Anthony

Worosilo X

David Nelson & William McManus X

John Newton & Mowry Spencer X

Mark Niehaus & Brooks Honeycutt X

Jennifer Noel

Jeanine O’Donnell - State Farm*

Gwen Osborne & Katie Handy X

Porter-Gordon Family*

Deborah Qualey & Karen Gustafson X

Lori & Renee Rocheleau

Mark Roush & Dave Banick*

Frank Surprenant, DDS & Chris Wisner X

Susan Tobin & Cathy Martinson*

Terry Vick*

Mel W. & Linda Lee M. Weller

BLUE LEVEL

Ronald Bass & George Robbins X

Chris Bowers*

Karen Brause & Kim Sheaffer*

Tony Burns X

Beth Cohen & Fran Sneider X

Coleen Collins & Berdi Price X

Donna Davis & Gail Jackson X

Rebecca & Natalia Evans

Connie Fox & Donna Adair*

Irene & Lou Katz*

Nancy & Tora Kennedy*

Paul & Anne Michele Kuhns*

Chris Rouchard X

Michael Shaffer & Benjamin Wilson X

Sandra Skidmore X

Mary Spencer & Kathy Lingo*

GREEN LEVEL

Marge Amodei*

Sharon Bembry & Lois Powell*

Teresa Bolduc & Kim McGeown*

David Bower*

David W. Briggs & John F. Benton X

Charlie Browne & Rod Cook X

Barry Bugg*

Cheryl Buxton*

Jay Chalmers & John Potthast X

Paul Christensen & Dennis Morgan*

Stephen Corona*

Lewis & Greg Dawley-Becker*

Mike DeFlavia & Tony Sowers*

Marianne DeLorenzo & Linda Van de Wiele*

Max Dick*

Diane Dragositz

Kathy & Corky Fitzpatrick X

Cynthia Flynn & Deirdre Boyle X

Bill Fuchs & Gerry Beaulieu*

Lisa Gilley

Richard Green & Asi Ohana X

Joe Greenhall & Tom Klingler

Bob Gurwin & John Rourke

David Hagelin & Andy

Brangenberg*

Jo Hamilton & Donna Voigt*

Jenn Harpel & Katie Rickards*

Steve Hoult & Rick Bane X

Anthony Incalcatera & James Buswold

Alex IX & Gare Galbraith

Jocelyn Kaplan & Idalie Adams - In

Memory of Adeline Kaplan X

Deborah Kennedy & Beth Yocum*

Eric Korpon & Steven Haber*

Leslie Ledogar & Marilyn Hewitt*

John J. MacDonald & Douglas James

Bob Mancuso & Doug Murray

Katherine Martin

James Mease & Philip Vehslage*

Susan Morrison*

Dennis Neason & Steve Bendyna*

Kim Nelson & Lori Simmons X

Fran O’Brien & David Gifford*

Kim Parks & Sharon Denny

Keith Petrack & Michael Fetchko*

Anne Pikolas & Jean Charles X

Gail Purcell & Sandy Kraft*

Bill Rayman & Frank King*

Marty Rendon & John Cianciosi*

Douglas Sellers & Mark Eubanks*

Sheila Sferrella & Cindy Wedel

Scott Shaughnessy *

Joseph Steele & Chris Leady

David Streit & Scott Button*

Laurie Thompson

Anne Tracy & Mary Gilligan*

Kathy Wiz & Muriel Hogan X

Jon Worthington & Bryan Houlette X

YELLOW LEVEL

Keith Anderson & Peter Bish X

Dale Aultman & Paul Gibbs X

Shannon & Sarah Avery*

Pamela Baker & Diane Dixson*

Linda Balatti & Shirley Gilmer X

Susie Ball & Susan Delaney X

Mike Ballinger & in Memory of Martin Thomas*

Miriam Barton*

Chris Beagle & Eric Engelhart*

Tom Beall

Barbara Beavers & Kathy Carrell

John Bell

Sherry Berman & Deb Hamilton X

Abby Bernstein & Karen Frank X

Michael Boyle & Greg Murphy X

Mary Ann Brewer

Daniel Bruner & Tim Beymer

David Carder*

Kate Cauley & Pat Newcomb*

Bob Chambers*

Jean Chlastawa & Susan Griesemer*

Jim Chupella & Jim Wigand*

Dottie Cirelli & Myrna Kelley X

Steve Clayton & Brad Lentz*

Gary Colangelo & Gerald Duvall X

Nancy Commisso*

Thomas Conway & Thoth Weeda*

Billy Cox & John Carr*

Drexel Davison - Bad Hair Day?*

Anthony Delacruz & Ronald Mangano

Fred DiBartolo & Steve Wood X

Maureen Dolan & Karen McGavin*

Albert Drulis & Scott Silber*

Sandy Duncan & Maddy Ewald*

Ann Evans*

Karen Faber & Lisa Balestrini

Faber*

Alice Fagans & Ruth Ann Mattingly*

Dee Farris*

Lisa Fernandez & Allison Lindon

Cecily Fisher & Loretta Higgins

Monica Fleischmann & Lona Crist X

John Flournoy & Jim Chrobot

Roland Forster & David McDonald*

Gary Gajewski - In Memory of Dr. John A. Boscia*

Ricki Geiger

Susan Goudy*

Ken Green & Joe Kearney*

Wesley Hacker & David Block*

Robert Henthorne & Roger Bolduc

Carol Holland - Holland Jewelers X

Terry Hollinger & Mike May*

Caroline Huff & Brenda Robertson*

Nan Hunter & Chai Feldblum

Dorsey Johnson & Kay Jernigan*

Dee Dee Jones & Julie Blake

Frank Jump & Vincenzo Aiosa*

Marilyn Kates & Laura Glenn*

Andy Kite & Karl Martin

Jay Kottoff & Mark Matey*

Myra Kramer & John Hammett*

Greg Kubiak*

Edmund LeFevre & Keith Wiggs X

Greg Lehne

Judy Lettes & Sandra Sue

Monica Lewis & Ann Zimmerman*

David Lindeman & Andrew Phipps

Frank Liptak & Joe Schnetzka*

John Mackerey & Donald Filicetti*

Teresa Madonna & Stacey

Mazzacco

Patricia Magee & Anita Pettitt X

Jill Masterman & Tammy Jackson*

Tony Mazzarella

Howard Menaker & Patrick Gossett X

Ray Michener & Tom Carlson*

Sandy Neverett & Pam Cranston X

Pat Nickols*

Paul Nye & Jerry Hofer

Donna Ohle & Susan Gaggiotti X

Maggie Ottato X

Dotti Outland & Diane Mead X

Peninsula Gallery - Tony & Carol

Boyd-Heron*

Joanne Picone & Kathy Bostedo*

Frank Pirhalla

Stephen Pleskach X

Jim Pressler X

Lisa Rabigi & Bea Vuocolo*

Gene Roe X

Thomas Rose & Thomas Sechowicz X

Lucien Rossignol & Tom Harris*

Mark Saunders & Bob Thoman*

Sheryl Schulte & Jeanne LaVigne*

Teri Seaton

Troy Senter & Stacey Chan*

Polly Smale & In Memory of Charlotte Reid*

David Smith & Kenn Williams

Susan Soderberg & Terri King X

John Michael Sophos & Miss Dot Sophos*

Diane Sozio & Patricia Hutchinson*

Matthew Stensrud & Michael Cohen*

Lenny Stumpf & John B. Pitchford*

Kaye Sullivan

Brett Svensson & Bill Quinn - Dust

Doctors LLC*

Thrasher’s French Fries*

Lana Warfield & Pamela Notarangelo X

Elizabeth Way & Dorothy Dougherty*

Michael Weinert X

William Wheatley*

Steven Wunder & Rod Hastie

Jean Sutliff Young*

Joanne Yurik*

Larry Zeigler X

John Zingo & Rick Johnson*

ORANGE LEVEL

Ria Allman

James Apistolas & Christopher Galanty*

Gwen Atwell & Marla Hoon*

Romulus Barba & Dean Yanchulis*

Paul Barbera & Joseph Nolan

James Beal & In Memory of David

Van Patter

Susan Becker & Mary Ellen Wivel

Kathleen Biggs & Maria Campos*

Janet Blaustein & Dona Garofano

Kathy Board & Jackie Maddalena

Boland Family - In Memory of Michael J. Kelly*

Richard Bost & Thomas Moore*

Linda Bova & Bridget Bauer - The Sea Bova Associates*

Theo Braver

William Briganti & Gary Moore*

Anita Broccolino - In Memory of Cathy Fisher

Wendy Bromfeld*

Randy Butt & Emerson Bramble*

Ronald Butt & Steve Cannon*

Community Bank Delaware*

Mark Conheady*

Lois Cortese & Jill Stokes X

Kay Creech & Sharon Still*

Theresa-Ann Crivelli & Angela Murray*

Lydia Croce

Kenneth Currier & Mike Tyler X

Ginny Daly*

John D’Amico*

Linda DeFeo X

J. Lynne Dement & Lisa J. Snyder*

Donna Dolce*

Kevin Doss & Arie Venema*

Arlyce Dubbin & Kathleen Heintz*

Lissa Dulany

Brenda Dunn & Karen Anderson*

Susan Eig & Ellen Schiff X

Jeanne Embich*

Eddie Engles

Robin Esham

Maureen Ewadinger*

Ellen Feinberg & Lesley Rogan X

Paul Finn & Joseph Porporino*

Barbara Fitzpatrick & Denise Centinaro

Keven Fitzsimmons & Jeff Stroud X

Deb Fox & Deb Bonneau

Charles Gable

Ron Glick & Tien Pham*

William Gluth & Channing Daniel*

Ed Gmoch*

Mike Gordy & Ed Brubaker*

Gail Gormley*

Joe Gottschall & Scott Woody*

Amy Grace & Karen Blood*

Stephen Szymanski

Gail Tannenbaum & Wendy Walker*

Ronald Tate & Jacob Schiavo X

Susan & Jill Taylor

Micaela Tedford X

David Thomas & David Tiburzio X

The Hon. Henry E. Thomas IV & John-Kevin Litschgi X

Barb Thompson X

Laurie Thompson

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*

Steve Triglia X

Roz Troupin & Mary Harris X

Patricia Truitt*

Matt Turlinski & Jerry Sipes X

Ed Turner & Steve Baker X

Judy Twell & Cheri Himmelheber*

Charles Tyrell

Bruce Uliss X

Michael Utasi

Debra Van Dyke*

Jennifer Varone*

V.James Villareale - & In Memory of Dale Ebert*

Gail Vitale & Carmen Garrett

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

Valerie Walters

Kenneth E. Walz & Robert G. Ward, Jr. X

Garold Wampler X

Michael E. Ward X

Sharyn Warwick X

Ellen Watkins X

Troy Watson & Dennis Wolfgang*

Barbara Weatherly

Debbie Webber & Terry McQuaid*

West Side New Beginnings

Donna West

Patricia West

Carl R. Wetzel X

Liz Wheeler & Ruth Morse X

Steve White X

Thomas White & Robert Freeman X

Phil & Stephanie Wikes*

Steven Wildasin

Keith Wilkinson X

Diane & Ken Williams

Jim Williams*

Rich Williams X

Kelly Williamson & J Ellis

Donna L. Wilson & Laurie R. Levin X

Lynn Wilson*

Sue 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*

Vickie York X Kay Young

James Zeigler & In Memory of Sam Deetz*

Lisa Zimmerman X

Karl Zoric & Mark Pipkin X

X Founders’ Circle 10+ years

* Members five years or more

Names in bold are new or upgraded members as of May 7, 2023

Founders’ Circle designation has been added to our Membership roster. Please send kudos, questions, or listing updates to membership@camprehoboth.com.

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Notes on a Lemon Drop

I’ve been leading diversity & inclusion workshops in organizations large and small for over 20 years now, and sadly I cannot count the times

I’ve heard phrases like, “I don’t have white privilege; I grew up poor” or its not-so-distant cousin, “I can’t be racist; I’m gay.”

I won’t claim here that every person who has ever uttered that sentiment is, in fact, racist. But the sheer absurdity of the claim does give me pause, and one thing I’ll say for certain: being gay in no way prevents a person from being racist, or erases whatever racist biases they may hold.

About a month ago, the internet exploded at the news that longtime Fox News anchor and white supremacist Tucker Carlson had been suddenly and unexpectedly let go. Then, an hour or so later, we learned that Don Lemon had also been fired from Fox competitor CNN.

Whether a strategic PR move or sheer coincidence, the timing of the latter announcement assured that we’d forget all about Lemon’s exit by the end of the day. Indeed, as I write this, my friends are still debating whether Tucker Carlson’s dismissal signals a sea change at Fox News (surely not) or if his absence from the Fox roster will be good for democracy (unfortunately, I don’t think it will matter much).

But Don Lemon isn’t being talked about much. Unless he lands a swanky new gig on another program between the time of this writing and its publication (which I doubt), Lemon is likely destined to be an asterisk in the sordid tale of the buffoonish, bigoted Tucker.

However, I did see quite a bit of conversation about Don Lemon on the day he was let go. Twitter’s gonna twitter, after all. And mostly, the talk came from women, who were happy about the firing.

I did see quite a few folks attempting to come to Lemon’s defense by showing a recent on-air clash with entrepreneur and Republican presidential candidate

Vivek Ramaswany, who was claiming that America’s rampant gun culture had been great for civil rights and Black people in general. I enjoyed the clip, but it was clear to me and most casual observers that CNN let Lemon go, not because he disagreed with Ramaswany’s ludicrous theories, but because he was a misogynist. He had been mistreating women both on and off the airwaves for a long, long time.

BY ERIC C. PETERSON

Lemon’s most recent controversy occurred this February, when Lemon declared that Nikki Haley, another GOP presidential hopeful, was not a good candidate because she wasn’t “in her prime,” a clear example of ageism and sexist double standards, given the ages of our current and most recent presidents, both men. Chris Licht, the CEO of CNN, called the comment “upsetting, unacceptable and unfair,” and 60-year old Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh obliquely referenced the comment in her acceptance speech, saying “ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime.”

But according to an April 5 article in Variety, Lemon had a long history of misogyny. From threatening text messages and crudely mimicking his female colleagues on the air to insulting them in open staff meetings, multiple sources had much to say about many, many sexist words and behaviors during his decade-plus tenure.

Remarkably, I saw a few folks in the

comment threads deflect from these accounts and claim that Lemon was being targeted, either because of his race (he is Black) or his sexual orientation (he is gay) or both. The comments had a faint ring of “he doesn’t have male privilege because he’s a person of color” or “he can’t be sexist because he’s gay.”

And so, it must be said: being oppressed because of one of your many identities cannot and does not prevent you from being an oppressor of others. People of color who disown their gay and trans children are bigots, anyone who posts “no blacks, no Asians” on Grindr is racist, and Don Lemon is a misogynist. Our identities intersect, but one is never a cover for the other.

Many of these folks didn’t cast doubt on the accounts, but rather posited that if Don Lemon had been a straight white man, he’d still have a job, as if that’s okay. Don Lemon’s sexism is no better or no worse than it would have been were he white or straight or both.

Each of us, whether a famous anchor on cable news or an ordinary citizen of our increasingly polarized world, has an opportunity—dare I suggest, an obligation—to take an inventory of where our privilege lies and how we can wield it more responsibly, to create a more just and inclusive world for all of us. And those of us who are targeted for one aspect of who we are have even less of an excuse to mistreat others, either explicitly or through our silence.

With apologies to both Francis Church and Harvey Fierstein: Yes, Virginia Hamm, you can be racist, sexist, transphobic, ableist, antisemitic, or anything else under the sun. But you can also choose not to be. ▼

Eric

Peterson is Interim Managing Editor of Amble Press, a novelist (Loyalty, Love & Vermouth), and a diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner. In his spare time, he hosts a podcast, The Rewind Project.

…being oppressed because of one of your many identities cannot and does not prevent you from being an oppressor of others.

BY MICHAEL GILLES

Lori’s: A Café’s Touch of Rehoboth

What exactly are the things you look for in an elite eatery in Rehoboth? Fine fare, of course. Splendid behind-the-counter service, always. Outdoor seating, a good day’s musthave. There is a place in Rehoboth that offers all of these: Lori’s Café.

Lori Kline’s intriguing little restaurant fits snugly into the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard, nextdoor to the ElkinsArchibald Atrium. It’s a walk-up/take-out space that uses colorful outdoor tables in the Courtyard for seating. You walk up and order your food from a counter, and accommodating staff like Sarah and Shelby, and of course Lori herself, make sure your visit is one that makes you want to come back.

The food is top drawer. A breakfast/ lunch venue, the Café offers unique takes on all sorts of morning meals, plus salads and sandwiches you won’t find anywhere else. All offerings feature fresh ingredients put together on the premises. Even their bread is baked onsite. Special offerings such as glutenfree bread and a full vegetarian menu complement the regular menu well. For those who like their drinks healthy, Lori’s serves various types of coffees, teas, pink lemonade, bottled water, and juice. Not a soda in sight!

Salads such as The Four B (bleu cheese, bacon, blueberries, with balsamic dressing on greens) and the Mélange à Trois (tuna, egg, and chicken salads on field greens) are just a few of the mouth-watering items you will find on the Café’s salad menu. Vegetarian dishes such as Brie a la Val (melted brie cheese tossed with toasted almonds, Granny Smith apples, and a dab of honey mustard served on French bread) or The Very Gouda (gouda, pear, sprouts, walnuts, and honey mustard on French bread) beckon patrons new and old. What could possibly go wrong? Terrific salads (tuna, egg, potato, and whitefish… yes! whitefish!!!) dot the menu. All are worth a taste. Note: Even the pickles are good!

Then there is the Chicken Salad to DIE for (yes, that’s the name of the salad!). The most popular item on the Lori’s Café fine menu (Lori prepares 100 to 160 pounds of chicken per week.), the sandwich features bleu cheese, chicken

We also tried dessert. By this time, we knew it would be delectable, and it was. Baker Holly Moore comes up with various sweets for the restaurant. The day we visited, Sally and I were served either a small cake or a giant cupcake, depending how you eyed it. It looked lovely and tasted even better.

Lori Kline established the Café in 1997 at the age of 30, and it has been a Rehoboth treasure ever since. She left teaching in Maryland behind with a dream, and lived on a boat for a year until she settled ashore. She has been the face of the restaurant ever since, aided by her delightful, loyal staff. For example, Sarah has been on board for 10 years; Shelby for five. The entire staff ranges in age from 19 to 76. Each will tell you it’s a family business where the workers are treated like family.

Speaking of loyalty, Lori dealt with the COVID crisis in a way only a true Rehoboth Beach citizen would. In addition to its variety of meals and bythe-pound servings, the Café dealt with the slowdown in business by offering fresh produce and chicken ready for the oven or grill. All to save customers an extra trip outside the home.

breast, toasted almonds, tart apples, and more. I cannot begin to tell you how good this sandwich is. Even Jill Biden loves it (although Joe is a tuna guy). Suffice it to say that there is no wonder this is a Lori’s favorite.

Even the simplest sandwiches are delicious. Case in point: the Corned Beef sandwich with Dijon mustard and lots of onions. This sandwich may look like most corned beef sandwiches, but it features what I think is the best corned beef in town! Lori says it’s all in the slicing, but that was a darn good piece of meat!

Lori likes to say, “If you leave here hungry, it’s your fault!” I would have to agree. From its huge, overstuffed sandwiches to its mouth-watering salads, its White Fish platter to its Chicken Salad to DIE for, this is truly a Baltimore Avenue treasure. Fine fare, splendid behind-thecounter service, colorful outdoor seating. Check out Lori’s Café seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. this summer. Tell Lori Mike and Sally told you to come!!! ▼

Michael Gilles is a playwright, actor, and director from Milton, and a regular contributor to Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.

Lori likes to say, “If you leave here hungry, it’s your fault!” I would have to agree.

WINNIE

HUMAN COMPANION: Debbie

BREED: Standard Poodle

AGE: 3 years old

FUN FACT: Loves chasing birds and swimming in the ocean. “She thinks she can fly trying to catch the birds in the sky!”

#thepoodlestandard

#poodlepower

Interested in having your critter(s) featured in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth? Send a high resolution picture (300 dpi) along with their name(s) and one fun fact to editor@camprehoboth.com. Our roaming photographer will also take photos in the courtyard all year long.

Ready, Set, SKATE!

Go Skateboarding Day: June 21

The skateboard park on the grounds of the Epworth United Methodist Church on Holland Glade Road may not be the largest park in the world. That honor goes to the 182,000 square foot GMP Skatepark in Guangzhou, China.

But on any given day when school is out and the weather cooperates, Epworth SK8 Park attracts a loyal clan of enthusiastic skateboarders. A special celebration takes place world-wide on Summer Solstice Day—June 21. Go Skateboarding Day is an annual promotional event originally organized in 1995 by the International Association of Skateboard Companies to encourage participation in the sport.

Madison Coviello, Taylor Hurley, and Sean Duffy are typical of the many (mostly) young people who flock to Epworth to hang out with friends and hone their skills. Members of this skateboard community look after each other and make sure the park is kept up, according to Duffy. They even collaborate with a scout troop to help maintain it.

Skateboarding has about 85 million

participants world-wide with the most recent US statistics approaching about nine million participants. The majority are in the western part of the country. There are about 10 parks in Delaware.

Local skateboarding icon James West operates the first and only mobile retail shop from his vans. A First State Skate Supply van often is perched outside the Big Chill Cantina on Coastal Highway. He heads up the skateboard committee that oversees maintenance and guidance for the park. He was one of the founding members of the group that helped make the park a reality.

West plans to organize a skateboarding celebration in conjunction with Go Skateboarding Day but possibly the weekend before or after the actual date, which falls on a Wednesday.

Anyone who has visited Epworth, either for religious services or concerts, has probably seen the skateboarding park just south of the parking lot. What most probably don’t know is that the park was designed and built via a collaboration between two skateboard companies—Lang-

BY MARY JO TARALLO

horne, Pennsylvania’s 5th Pocket Design, and Portland, Oregon based company Evergreen Skateparks. Both companies have built parks all over the world.

Back in 2014, Epworth worked with the Rehoboth community to raise money to build the park. Pat Loughlin was the assistant pastor at the time and was a driving force behind its development. Engraved bricks were sold to raise funds and they make up a small wall that still serves as the entrance to the park, which is free of charge for anyone who wants to use it.

West says that the Epworth SK8 Park now attracts followers who range in age from two to 60, with about an even split between male and female. Most “regulars” are from local communities.

“We get people from all over the state, other parts of the US as well as other countries,” he said. “Skateboarders will travel anywhere to try a new or different park. People may be surprised at the multiple generations of people who participate.”

The sheer existence of the Epworth SK8 Park has helped to spawn and sustain other local businesses that sell products related to the sport.

Continued on page 48

Photos: Above, Madison Coviello, Taylor Hurley, Sean Duffy.

Photo: Mary Jo Tarallo

At left, top: Skateboarders line up for a shot with James West and his First State Skate Supply van (photo supplied by James West) Bottom row: Madison Coviello at Epworth Sk8 Park; Epworth Skate Park sign (photos: Mary Jo Tarallo). James West, First State Skate Supply (photo supplied by James West).

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE

7 - 7:30PM

- 7:30PM

MAY

MAY 26 - THE ROCK ORCHESTRA: Billy Joel Deep Cuts

MAY 27 - THE ROCK ORCHESTRA: Billy Joel Best Hits

May 28 - THE MIDNIGHT ROCK SHOW: 70's ROCK HITS

JUNE 1 - BARRELHOUSE: Quayside@Nite

JUNE 2 - DOUBLE VISION: The Foreigner Experience

JUNE 3 - JINGO: The Santana Tribute

JUNE 4 - AUNT MARY PAT DISABATINO: Clocking Out Tour

JUNE 11 & 12 - SUEDE: Pop, Jazz, Blues Vocalist

JUNE 15 - LOWER CASE BLUES: Quayside@Nite

JUNE 16 - LAUGH IN THE SUN: Stand-Up Comedy Special

JUNE 17 - ABBAFAB: Abba Tribute

JUNE 18 - PARROTBEACH: Jimmy Buffet Tribute

JUNE 23 - MAMA'S BLACK SHEEP: Quayside@Nite

TRIBUTE TO ELTON JOHN With Lee Alverson June

LEZ ZEPPELIN All Girls! All Zeppelin! June 8

Ready, Set, SKATE!

Continued from page 44

Skateboarding is a lifestyle that attracts a certain type of person, much like ski, snowboard, surf, or motorcycle enthusiasts, according to Teague Hastings, manager of the Sierra Moon Surf and Skate Shop in Rehoboth Beach. “It’s like a homing beam for like-minded people who want to share the experience and meet each other,” he says. Sierra Moon is a local shop on Rehoboth Avenue, not far from the boardwalk. It was founded in 1995.

Gabby Serfass, manager of Zumiez in the Seaside Tanger Outlet Mall agrees with Hastings. Since Rehoboth is a well-known destination resort anyway, it is logical that it would attract skateboarders from all over the world. She also adds the fact that there is another element that binds skateboarders together—a heavy dose of art and music in the mix. Zumiez operates more than 700 stores world-wide although the majority are in the US.

Like First State Skateboard Supply, both shops sell boards off the rack or they custom build for customers. All three carry a wide range of hard good products, apparel, and accessories.

Skateboarding has its share of professional skateboarders from the LGBTQ+ community. The National Muse-

um of American History chronicles some of the struggles encountered back in the 80s and 90s with a blog entitled “A Place in the Park: LGBTQ + Inclusion and Skateboarding.” More recently, transgender skateboarders Leo Baker and Cher Strauberry are hoping to enlighten the public via videos and music. Both are from California.

Could it be that the seemingly accepting attitude of today’s skateboarders is

an indication that inclusion is alive and well—at least at Epworth SK8 Park? ▼

Mary Jo Tarallo is a former journalist and public relations professional for various non-profits including a ski industry trade association. She won a Gold Award for a United Way TV program starring Oprah Winfrey.

Mary Jo Tarallo

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Skateboarding has its share of professional skateboarders from the LGBTQ+ community.

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Words Matter

Are the Kids Alright?

One of the volunteer organizations that I dedicate time to runs a program for middle- and high-school students. The program consists of a series of workshops and informal sessions designed specifically to provide young boys with information, skills, and a place for thoughtful discussion around leadership, self-esteem, and positive sexual health. Because these sessions are often held on Saturdays during the school year and require both the volunteers and the young people to show up early on the weekend, they can be sparsely attended. Hence, I recently made an extra effort to go.

The Saturday session I attended had just 10 student participants in grades six through eight. I was impressed with all of them. The boys were actively engaged. They connected with the workshop presenters and other adult volunteers who were helping to move the day along, asked great questions, listened to each other, and displayed real teamwork and collaboration when they were broken up into small groups for activities. It was the kind of scene you would hope to see. But unfortunately, some of the things I heard that day were disturbing and heartbreaking.

During one of the workshops about positive sexual health and behaviors, the boys were broken into small groups. They were given posterboard and directed to write a list of where they got their information about sex and sexual health. When they reported back to the larger group, we saw that the top-ranked source for where they got their information was social media and influencers.

As I heard them report out, I immediately started thinking about how the day before I had watched a viral video of a man who spewed a lot of inaccurate and harmful opinions disguised as truths about relationships and sex. It pained me to think this kind of guy could be someone shaping their views about something so important.

Thankfully, the next workshop about some basic dos and don’ts, myths versus realities, was done by a local medical doctor who could provide facts. The boys seemed to pay attention to him, and he offered them additional resources. Sexual health is about both the physical and emotional health of a person and with teenagers we must ensure they have all

BY CLARENCE FLUKER

the support they need to develop healthy habits and identities.

Later in the day there was a conversation about mental health and wellbeing. The speaker asked the boys to raise their hands if they knew anyone who had thought about committing suicide or harming themselves in the last 12 months. I was shocked when five boys raised their hands. That was half of the students there.

Our nation is experiencing a youth mental health crisis. Data from the most recent Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicated that, “37% of high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic and 44% felt persistently sad or hopeless during the previous 12 months.”

The Trevor Project’s 2023 US National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People lifts the experiences and voices of 28,000 young people between the ages of 13 and 24. The report found that “41% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year—and young people who are transgender, nonbinary, and/or people of color reported higher rates than their peers.” Further, the report also found that “56% of LGBTQ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.”

We must do better. As parents, aunts, uncles, and trusted neighbors, we must not only be open to talking to young people, we must be open to listening. We must be willing to stay in the fight to create safe and healthy communities for ourselves and those who will come after us. We also have to come up with systemic solutions to increase and diversify the mental healthcare workforce and address the challenges of financial access to care. As Harvey Milk once said, “All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.” ▼

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.

Our nation is experiencing a youth mental health crisis.

BY BETH SHOCKLEY

Everyone Deserves a Sandra

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and like so many “awareness months” it’s easy to give it a thought or two and move on. If it doesn’t affect you, does it really matter? Maybe it doesn’t mean much to you personally, but mental illness probably touches a friend or loved one. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five adults in the US live with a mental illness. That’s nearly 60 million people. Of that number, about 47 percent received mental health services in 2021. Less than half.

The numbers are higher in the LGBTQ community, especially among young people. According to a recent study by the Trevor Project, 41 percent of young LGBTQ people have considered suicide in the last year and that number increases to more than half for trans and nonbinary young people. That study came out before the current deluge of anti-LGBTQ+ bills making their way through state legislatures. At the time of this writing, the ACLU is tracking 474 of these bills.

Clearly, mental health services are needed, but therapy can be difficult to get—even if you have insurance. This became evident during the pandemic, when there simply weren’t enough therapists for those who reached out for help.

But the truth is, the majority of people needing mental health services don’t seek it. Research shows the main reason people resist getting mental health treatment is stigma. People are afraid of being judged, of change, of what they might discover during therapy. Pride is another major stumbling block to getting help.

Sounds familiar. In my up-from-the-bootstraps family, it took a psychotic break at 16 for me to tell anyone I needed help. It took months and months of hearing voices before I was desperate enough to tell my mother. To her credit, she whisked me off to my town’s only psychiatrist, who I instantly disliked and lied to. But I found out I wasn’t schizophrenic, and began a heavy drug regimen that allowed me to graduate from high school and get the hell out of my small town to college. I was lucky.

In my 30s, I hit a major wall and found a therapist, Sandra, in New York City who changed

my life. I also found a psychopharmacologist who finally diagnosed me correctly and put me on the right medication. It took a lot of pain to get me there and I had to work hard. I had a lot of issues, many ups and downs, and I worked weekly with Sandra until I left New York and moved to Delaware. When I got here, I found a psychiatrist I could trust and have stayed on medication.

Stigma is a lot like homophobia; it can be external and internal. If you don’t fight it, it can be deadly. I thought I was OK, I thought I was stronger than my illness, I feared going down the rabbit hole of therapy. Bipolar disorder, which I have, isn’t identifiable to the passing crowd; it’s easy to hide. I was afraid of what my bosses and co-workers would think. Would I have been hired in the first place? Would they act differently around me if they knew?

But mental illness is just that—an illness like diabetes or heart disease. I had no more choice in the matter than someone with cancer. At my last job, over time I let my boss know as well as my colleagues. Just like I let them know that I’m gay. These are two important parts of me. I try not to blurt it out with people I’m just getting to know but I don’t hide any more. These are parts of my identity and I try to live authentically these days. It’s just easier for me.

I reconnected with Sandra during the pandemic, after three friends died of COVID and my world was looking bleak. After three years, we said goodbye again recently. I seem to be doing well lately. I continue to take my medication and need less of it as I get older. I still see a psychiatrist regularly just to be sure. But it’s so good to know Sandra is still there should I need to reach out again. There aren’t enough thanks in the world for what she has helped me achieve—she always called me resilient and I believe it today.

Everyone who has mental health issues and is brave enough to seek help deserves a Sandra. Whether it’s for one session or years together, it can make all the difference. ▼

Beth Shockley is a retired senior writer/editor living in Dover with her wife and furbabies.

But mental illness is just that—an illness like diabetes or heart disease.

I had no more choice in the matter than someone with cancer.

CAMP REHOBOTH BEACH GUIDE

BEACH AREA

REHOBOTH RETAIL SHOPS

New Wave Spas, 20660 Coastal Hwy

Unfinished Business, Rt. 1 behind Panera Bread

302-227-8484

302-645-8700

REHOBOTH ART | GALLERIES | MUSEUMS

Caroline Huff, Fine Artist www.carolinehuff.com

Gallery 50, 50 Wilmington Ave

Philip Morton Gallery, 47 Baltimore Ave

Rehoboth Art League, 12 Dodds Ln

Rehoboth Beach Museum, 511 Rehoboth Ave

REHOBOTH FOOD & DRINK

1776 Steakhouse, Midway Shopping Center

Aqua, 57 Baltimore Ave

Back Porch Café, 59 Rehoboth Ave

Blue Moon, 35 Baltimore Ave

Café Azafrán, 18 Baltimore Ave

Café Papillon, Penny Lane Mall

Coho’s Market & Grill, 305 Rehoboth Ave

Diego’s Bar Nightclub, 37298 Rehoboth Ave

Dos Locos, 208 Rehoboth Ave

Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant, 3 South First St

Go Fish, 24 Rehoboth Ave

Goolee’s Grille, 11 South 1st St

Just In Thyme, 38163 Robinsons Dr

Lori’s Café, 39 Baltimore Ave

Loves Liquors, LLC, 305c Rehoboth

302-227-2050

302-727-0905

302-227-8408

302-227-7310

302-645-9355

302-226-9001

302-227-3674

302-227-6515

302-227-8100

302-227-7568

302-227-2646

302-227-1023

302-227-3353

302-527-1400

302-226-1044

302-227-7653

302-227-3100

302-226-3066

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)

Lewes Senior Activity Center (age 50+)

PFLAG-Rehoboth—3rd Tuesdays, Public Library, 111 Adams Ave, Lewes

SLAA and SAA—Thursdays, 7:30 pm, All Saints’ Church

Social Security Administration—Lewes office

TransLiance of DE—Rehoboth—4th Tuesdays at 7 pm, MCC of Rehoboth; contact: TransLiance@gmail.com

LEGAL/ACCOUNTING/TRUST SERVICES

Lawson Firm, 402 Rehoboth Ave

PWW Law LLC, 1519 Savannah Rd, Lewes

Steven Falcone CPA, Taxes & Planning

MASSAGE THERAPY/FITNESS

Midway Fitness & Racquetball, Midway Center

One Spirit Massage, 169 Rehoboth Ave

Reiki CENTRAL, thecentralfirm.com

PEST CONTROL

Activ Pest Solutions, 16803 New Rd, Lewes

PET RETAIL

Critter Beach, 156 Rehoboth Ave

302-226-3700

302-703-6993

302-644-8634

302-645-0407

302-226-3552

302-408-0878

302-645-1502

302-226-2690

Pet Portraits by Monique 717-650-4626

PET SERVICES

Brandywine Valley SPCA, 22918 Dupont Blvd, G’twn .........

302-856-6361

Humane Animal Partners (formerly Delaware Humane Association & Delaware SPCA)

Little Landmines Pet Waste Removal. littlelandmines.com

Parsell Pet Crematorium, 16961 Kings Hwy, Lewes

REAL ESTATE

Allen Jarmon, NextHome Tomorrow Realty

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The Writing Life

Meeting Your Idols

You know the proverb, “never meet your heroes,” the possibility for disappointment and all that? Well, if your hero happens to be Rita Mae Brown—poet, New York Times bestselling author, pioneering LGBTQ-rights activist, and Emmy-nominated screenwriter—then that proverb goes right out the window.

My introduction to Ms. Brown began in 1993. I was 23, a fresh-faced college graduate working at my alma mater, the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Sarah, my boss, the director of orientation, was revered on campus. Her reputation: authoritative, but fair.

As part of my “other duties as assigned,” Sarah had me memorize poems, injecting her love of poetry onto her assistant director. The first poem, by Rita Mae Brown, “She came at that precise junction in a life / when the past is unbearable / and the future uncertain,” had me wondering if Sarah was trying to send me a coded message or if it was just my budding crush creating this farfetched scenario. Didn’t matter. Sarah had a long-term partner. Not to mention she was 34 years older. She would never like me.

But she did. And that poem, Sarah would later admit, was a slip. It became the impetus for our secret love affair that lasted until Sarah’s death 10 years later, but whose mark remained with me indefinitely.

In the early 90s, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was the country’s motto. We weren’t in the military, but still, we hid. Sarah had a girlfriend and I worried what my parents would think. We tried ending it, but every attempt failed.

After Sarah’s passing, I mourned her as I had loved her: in secret, pouring my angst into my journal. On a whim, I entered a writing contest. And won. Two other pieces would soon be published. Little by little, my secret was coming out. And in a way, so was I.

During the pandemic, life felt more fragile and I took stock of my past relationships. After Sarah, I had only ever been half in with anyone else, still connected to her. Keeping my story to myself, it was

clear, would keep me from moving on. I decided to start by telling my parents everything. They hugged me. Their support was all I’d ever wanted.

BY FELICE COHEN

I called Ms. Brown a third time. “Would like to do an Author Talk with me?” I asked. What gave me the moxie, I’ll never know. Perhaps Sarah’s voice in my head.

This past March, Rita Mae Brown and I took the stage in front of over 100 people in New York City for a conversation about writing and life. In preparation, I visited her on her 600-acre farm at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. After watching Ms. Brown, a Master and Huntsman, lead a foxhunt, we spent the day talking.

That evening we sat outside eating sandwiches, house dogs at our heels. She shared experiences from her time in the women’s movement, the impetus for writing Rubyfruit Jungle, and the internet (Ms. Brown doesn’t own a computer). When the sun dipped behind the mountains a chill filled the air. Ms. Brown drove me to my rental car, parked in a wide-open field, bathed in moonlight. A half-dozen deer, grazing nearby, took off, their white tails a fading blur as we shared a hug goodbye.

Before Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love, about my secret affair with Sarah, could be published, I needed permission from Rita Mae Brown to use her poem. After an intense search I found a phone number. The voice was southern, quick. Ms. Brown generously granted me permission, then we chatted about writing. Forty-five minutes later we said goodnight. As happy as I was, I teared up. The one person I wanted to tell about my call was gone.

Months later, I left another message for Ms. Brown, asking her to endorse my book. Soon after a cream-colored envelope arrived. “Dear Ms. Cohen,” wrote Ms. Brown, in her distinct handwriting that would, in time, become familiar, “Half In is ever tempting.” Having someone whose work I’d admired for decades in my corner validated that my struggles in the relationship, and the years I spent writing about it, were worth it.

Driving along winding dark roads to my hotel, my eyes once again filled with tears. Exactly 30 years earlier Sarah had made me memorize a poem that had changed my life then. And was about to change it again. I wrote Half In to come to terms with my forbidden love affair, never thinking it would win awards or bring me a new friend. My hope is that by sharing my story I can inspire others who may be struggling with their own forbidden love. Because in the end, love is love, and that should never be kept hidden. ▼

Half In is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook wherever books are sold.

Felice Cohen is the author of the bestselling and award-winning books Half In: A Comingof-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love, 90 Lessons for Living Large in 90 Square Feet (...or More), and What Papa Told Me. Felice’s website: felicecohen.com.▼

Because in the end, love is love, and that should never be kept hidden.

CAMPshots

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

CAMP Rehoboth Women's

Rocks Rehoboth Beach!

FEST

Plus Gumbo Crawl 2023, More RB Good Times, and Favorite Hangouts!

THIS PAGE (left to right): 1) at Women’s FEST Friday Entertainment Shows at the RB Convention Center: Jen Kober, Ingrid Elizabeth (Mouth of Babes), Leslie Ledogar; 2) at Women’s FEST Premier Dance at RB Convention Center: Barbara Phillips (GirlsRoom), Ann Delazaro, Kim Smitas, DJ Peggy Castle; 3) at Women’s FEST Cornhole Doubles Tournament at Epworth Fellowship Hall: Lisa Mosely, Beth Petitte.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 4) at Women’s FEST Georgette Krenkel Welcome Dance at the RB Convention Center: Hope Vella, Katie Handy, Laurie Thompson, Derrick Johnson, Teri Seaton, Linda Kemp, Nancy Hewish, Leslie Ledogar; 5) at Women’s FEST Farewell Party at Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats: Christine Havrilla, Laura Cerulli, Lissa Dulany, Ashland Miller, Rina Pellegrini, Susanne Furman; 6) at Women’s FEST Regina Sayles Concert at CAMP Rehoboth: Regina Sayles.

More CAMPshots page 66

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

(Continued from page 67)

THIS PAGE (left to right) Gumbo Crawl 2023: 1) at Rigby's: Chris Beagle, Max Dick, Chris Maloney, Tony Sowers, Mike Deflavia, Marc Latulippe, Michael Fetchko, Eric Engelhart, Michael Peagler, Keith Petrack, Dennis Rodriguez, Peter Garneau, Greg Berman, Ben Fosse, Richard Dominico, John Glenstrup, Bob Robinson, John Black, Michael Butler, Eileen Spaventa, David Herold, Susan Sulpizio, Paul Spaventa, Frank Echols, Mary Kay Thomson; 2) at Dos Locos: Ron Butt, Paul Frene, Shady P., Terry Kistler; 3) at Rehoboth Avenue: Peter Giaquinto, Jim Hoban, Rob Spinazzola, Jim Testerman.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 4) at Zogg’s: Kelly Williamson, Julia Ellis; 5) at Blackwall Hitch: Tom Johnson; 6) at Café Azafrán: Derek Thomas, Brian Shook, Bill Clark, 7) at Mariachi: Katherine Manequill, Steve Scheffer, Yolanda Pineda; 8) at Aqua: Kyle Hrivnak, Chris Smith, Marvin Miller, Gianni Ballarin, Richard Ambrose, Bob Suppies, Kevin McDuffie; 9) at Freddie’s Beach Bar: Andy Guthridge, Sandra Skidmore.

More CAMPshots page 98

Gumbo Crawling!

Historical Headliners

Power & Passion

The Poems of Angelina Weld Grimké

The contributions and impact of African Americans on American culture are incalculable. (Hello jazz, blues, rock & roll, rhythm and blues, and on and on.) And since the heady days of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and ’30s, African American visual and literary artists have justly been recognized as part of the engine of American culture.

As usual, though, it is largely the men who’ve garnered the most recognition, with scant few African American women noted in cultural texts. And, as usual again, Sapphic African American women and their art are rarely mentioned at all, with only few exceptions, usually among musicians and other showfolk, i.e. cabaret singer Gladys Bentley and comic Moms Mabley, profiled in this column in 2022.

But female novelists and poets, by the solitary nature of their work, are far less visible than the players, singers, comics, and other strutters upon the stage, and the literary output of African American women, buried under the double whammy of misogyny and racism, is too often neglected. This holds true even for those women who gained notice for their stories and poems during their lifetime, only to be ignored with the passage of time.

These days, though, the literary world is having a second look at the work of African American women writers, finding treasures and long-silenced lesbian voices. Among these is the work of the brilliant Angelina Weld Grimké.

Grimké’s background was atypical of the African American artists of the time. Born in Boston in 1880 to a former slave and mixed-race father who became a prominent attorney, and a white mother whose father was an active abolitionist, young Angelina’s early years were spent among political and intellectual elite. She attended excellent preparatory schools where she was afforded a first-rate education.

In those days, though, a biracial woman was not simply of two races but was considered Black, with Negro or Colored being the prevailing terms. Thus, her earliest poems were limited to publication in African American editions, such as the Colored American Magazine.

BY ANN APTAKER

In time, though, and with the rise of the Harlem Renaissance, Grimké’s work was introduced to a wider audience. Prominent African American writers and tastemakers such as Countee Cullen and Alan Locke included Grimké’s poems in important anthologies.

While living in Washington, DC, Grimké wrote powerful anti-racist and anti-lynching articles for the W.E.B DuBois edited journal The Crisis, and a play, Rachel, addressing these same themes.

Politically and socially themed poems were not Grimké’s only output. Her Sapphic creative core expressed itself as early as 16 years of age, when Grimké declared her love for one Mary Burrill, writing, “I know you are too young now to become my wife, but I hope, darling, that in a few years you will come to me and be my love, my wife!”

As she matured, and her writing became more sophisticated beyond the plaintive longings of a teenage girl, and in poems gaining recognition today, are erotic love sonnets dedicated to various female lovers. In poems such as “A Mona Lisa,” “The Grass Fingers,” “El Beso,” “The Want of You,” and others, the eroticism is explicit but beautiful, lusty but graceful at the same time. A number of her unpublished poems are even more explicit in their longing for female passion, such as these lines:

If I might taste but once, just once, The dew

Upon her lips

In 1930, after the death of her father, Grimké moved from Washington, DC to New York City, living there until her death in 1958. Largely withdrawing from social life, Grimké’s poems, too, receded into near obscurity until attitudes regarding the work of African Americans, women, and lesbians changed, and scholars were freer to evaluate Grimké’s work. The power, grace, longing, and passion in Grimké’s poems are now recognized as among the gems of American poetry. ▼

Ann Aptaker is the author of short stories and the Lambda & Goldie award winning Cantor Gold series. The latest in the series, Hunting Gold is available now; A Crime of Secrets will be released in July 2023.

…the literary world is having a second look at the work of African American women writers, finding treasures and long-silenced lesbian voices.

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MONDAY 29 | DJ BIFF

The Sea Salt Table

BY ED CASTELLI

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream at Home

My husband and I have two cars, a house in Pennsylvania, a getaway near Bethany Beach, and a fur baby. The cars aren’t fancy. Each house is modest. But still, it’s a life I never dreamed I’d have. Five sofas between two houses? I mean, come on!

We’re DINKS, as they say—Dual Incomes, No Kids. Good incomes, but we’re not rich by any means. We can afford some extras. Like occasional travel to incredible places. Hawaii comes to mind. And we can set a dining table 30 different ways. Yes, we own turkey plates and platters for Thanksgiving. We’re gay, not barbarians.

Still, every day we’re feeling the pinch of rising costs and shrinking investments. I find myself more regularly reaching for store brands. And the plain cucumbers instead of the fancy English ones (currently three times more expensive). And Friday nights have morphed into finding a happy hour beer on tap.

It sounds cliché, but I’m truly sincere when I say, “I don’t know how families do it.” I grew up at the lower end of middle class. For a family of six on a carpenter’s salary we did okay. Although my young feet never experienced name-brand Pumas, I don’t remember wanting for much. Our parents were savvy at nurturing and entertaining us on a dime.

Sundays at state parks were a staple. We strolled amusement rides, but rarely rode them. We went to the Bloomsburg fair, but Mom fed us beforehand. There was the occasional unsolicited candy apple that we knew not to ask for. And on our annual trip to Atlantic City, Mom was proud to feed us solely from her rebate money. You had to be careful opening cereal at our house—it was likely the proof of purchase was already missing from the bottom of the box.

On a recent visit to Hershey Park (with tickets given to us by my husband’s company), I happened to speak with an adorable family. They looked to be having the time of their lives and the parents to be park experts. They were prepared in every way to make the most of their day

with a stroller overflowing with everything from wet wipes to contraband juice drinks.

But what stood out was when they

STEPS

 Whisk the following in a medium bowl just until the solids are dissolved:

• 1 cup very cold whole milk

• ¾ cup sugar

 Stir in:

• 2 cups very cold heavy cream

• ½ tsp peppermint extract

 Let this mixture churn in your ice cream maker for 25 to 30 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, add the following:

• ⅔ cup chilled miniature semisweet chocolate chips

 Scoop into a covered container and freeze for a couple hours. Enjoy!

TIPS

said that single day was their family vacation that year. That was it. No back and forth to Delmarva. No meet-ups at Aqua. No ocean. That day was everything to them. Meanwhile, I’m thinking we can come back to that park any time we want and not give it a second thought.

It makes me wonder. I hope the shore hasn’t become just for the Haves (and if you’re reading this in the heart of Rehoboth, it’s unlikely you are a Have Not).

But then again, how can the shore not become exclusive? A slice of pizza and a soda is more than handing your kid five bucks. Never mind the $7 fancy coffee or the $16 martini. And don’t get me started on the cost of a rental. Gone are the days of the fresh-out-of-college gays renting a house for the summer.

So this month I’m highlighting a cost-saving, make-at-home ice cream. It’s super easy and contains only five ingredients, all of which your fourth grader could spell. You and your family can eat this and then stroll the boardwalk for free. Or play Skee-Ball with the money you saved.

Let’s get started, shall we?

• This is considered a Philadelphia-style ice cream because it doesn’t involve cooking a custard. Even without the eggs, I still find it satisfyingly rich and creamy.

• Be sure to use peppermint extract. Spearmint, or a blend of the two, will not taste right. A mistake I’ll never make again.

• Avoid overbeating the liquids to not incorporate too much air.

• If you don’t own an ice cream maker, don’t defeat the purpose of saving money by buying one. Ask around to borrow instead. We all have too many kitchen things collecting dust. Let me know if any of you want to borrow a chafing dish, or four. ▼

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. Recipe requests and feedback welcome: ed@seasalttable.com.

And on our annual trip to Atlantic City, Mom was proud to feed us solely from her rebate money.

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BY MICHAEL COOK

Dru Tevis Brings Home the Baking

The Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, that is.

Whether it’s a brilliantly paired Strawberry Pretzel Layer Cake or the wonderfully traditional Fish On’s Apple Cobbler Pie, Dru Tevis has the market cornered on making some of the best desserts in the Rehoboth Beach/Lewes area. It was a natural progression that he not only competed on the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, but he won the entire competition (along with the $25,000 prize)!

With summer around the corner, I got the chance to sit down with Chef Dru to chat about his recent win, what it is like being a sudden hometown hero, and what he has planned for the summer in Rehoboth Beach.

Michael Cook: What made you take the leap into trying out for Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship?

Dru Tevis: I had submitted applications and done interviews before for television shows, but they never really went anywhere. This time around I think I really had the support and encouragement from SoDel and the timing just worked out.

MC: What was your high and low, your rose and thorn, of the entire Holiday Baking Championship experience?

DT: My high was winning the show and going through the whole experience. The low was probably the filming days; they were hard, long days and just the stress of feeling like you needed to have your very best bake every single time took a toll on all of us.

MC: You pursued your passion for pastries at the French Culinary Institute in New York City; is that when you knew you would be making it your passion? Or was that much earlier?

DT: I think that summer before, when I started making desserts at a local restaurant, is when I really opened my eyes to how much I enjoyed creating desserts and realized just how

passionate about it I was. When I made the decision not to go to film school and attend the French Culinary Institute instead, I think I had already solidified that this was going to be my path, moving forward.

MC: You are now officially a hometown hero in Rehoboth Beach and Lewes; what was it like to get that kind of reaction and support from your SoDel Concept family during this experience?

DT: To be honest, that was really the best part about it all for me. The viewing experience was incredible, the support from my friends and family—my SoDel Concepts family and the entire beach community—was unbelievable. It just reinforced to me why I love being here in our small town instead of a big city; the support and encouragement were more than I could have imagined.

MC: You also received the prize of

$25,000 when you won; what is the most fun and frivolous thing you have spent any of your winnings on?

DT: We definitely used some of our winnings to enjoy our vacation a little more than usual! My husband and I travel back to Cabo, where we got married, once a year and we splurged on some extra dinners, drinks, and events this go-round.

MC: How do you balance creating (and testing) in the kitchen with discipline in the gym? You are a bit of a heartthrob in the area you know….

DT: Balance and discipline. I have always stood by the mantra that you can enjoy everything in moderation.

MC: What’s next for you this summer in Rehoboth/Lewes and with SoDel Concepts?

Continued on page 78

You really just have to go for it and face your fears.

Celebrity Interview

Continued on page 78

DT: I am just gearing up for the busy season! Summer is always fast-paced, and I am looking forward to staying busy with events and being in the restaurants with my team.

MC: When you’re not in the kitchen, what can we find you doing? Any interesting fan experiences post-Holiday Baking Championship?

DT: When I am not in the kitchen you can typically find me in the gym, relaxing at home, and traveling when there is time!

It was pretty cool to get recognized a couple of times while I was traveling and have people come up to me to say hello.

It’s funny because I usually draw some attention with my hair and now I sometimes wonder, are they looking at me because they recognize me, or because of my hair and mustache?

MC: Your entire Holiday Baking Championship experience is a result of hard work and dreaming big. What advice do

you have for other people out there about following their own dreams?

DT: You really just have to go for it and face your fears. I knew I was good at my job, but it was always an internal battle with myself—would I be good at a timed, skills-based competition? Would I be able to think on my feet like that? Would my skills translate in a cooking competition? It really paid off and I just had to be confident in my abilities and put myself out there. It was definitely one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but so, so rewarding.

Follow Dru Tevis on Instagram: www.instagram.com/pastrychefdru/

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.

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Q Puzzle There Is Nothing Like a Dame Edna Solution on Page 116

MOTHER’S DAY REFLECTIONS

Yo Mama

Let’s just start here by saying you should be glad you’re not an elephant.

First of all, you think you had a bad adolescence? Ha! Boy elephants go through a physical season called musth that’s worse than any little zit constellation you ever had. Boy elephants get super-smelly and superaggressive, with a 60-fold increase in testosterone; they’re oily and grouchy; they pee on themselves. This goes on for up to 12 weeks, once a year. Like puberty, but 15,000 pounds worth.

That’s nothing compared to what girl elephants go through.

Elephant sex lasts for two minutes or less—and then the guy elephant hangs around, making himself a pest for a couple days, asking if there’s a line on the test yet. Eventually, whether he gets an answer or not, he leaves the Mama-Elephant-to-be in peace and pregnancy for (are you ready for this?) nearly two years. Yep, 22 months later, Mama Elephant gives birth standing up, dropping her 250-pound calf on its head and shoulders.

Welcome to the world, Big Guy.

Elephants and sperm whales have the longest pregnancies in the animal kingdoms, both at well over or close to 600 days. Compare that to the hamster you had as a kid, which had a gestation of as little as 16 days; or a mouse that experiences 19-21 days’ pregnancy before giving birth to an average of six to 10 pups. And then she can do it all over again, so get this: if all their offspring live, one pair of mice can theoretically multiply to over 10,000 mice in a year. Clearly, there’s a reason there are just over 400,000 elephants in the world, and trillions of mice.

A Human Mama is probably glad she’s neither elephant nor mouse.

Generally speaking, the average healthy human pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, give or take (which, look at a calendar, is uncomfortably close to 10 months) and just over 96 percent of Human Mamas give birth to only

one infant. That’s changing, though: instances of not just twins, but of triplets and quadruplets has increased over the past few decades, in part because of higher uses of fertility treatments.

Like her equine, bovine, and deer counterparts, Human Mama may find that moving around during labor decreases the pain. She may seek out others— especially those with white coats and stethoscopes—while furry mammals often give birth in secret, alone, before bringing their young back to the group.

In all of the above cases, and not counting early labor in Human Mama, it takes between 20 minutes and several hours of active labor for an infant to be born, with Human Mama generally on the longer end of that time frame. Another difference: horses, cows, and deer will lick their infants clean to stimulate them—something Human Mama doesn’t

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

do. Scientists say they don’t know why, but it’s a safe bet that we can all come up with a few thousand reasons.

Welcome to the world, Little Guy.

Speaking of which, science believes that the reason a camel calf can walk a half-hour after being born but it takes a Human Baby almost two years is because we don’t have to escape predators. We are slow to walk, slow to run, slow to mature because of our big noggins which, by the way, also cause Human Mamas’ long labors.

What exquisite wonders we are. Now go hug a Mama. ▼

Terri Schlichenmeyer’s second book, The Big Book of American Facts, comes out this fall. Her first (Big Book of Facts) is available now in bookstores.

Photo:Paweldotio onUnsplash.

Elephants and sperm whales have the longest pregnancies in the animal kingdoms, both at well over or close to 600 days.

THE STORY OF WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE BY NANCY SAKADUSKI

It’s Queerer Than You Thought

While suffrage leaders publicly pushed conventional images of womanhood they thought would appeal to the public, the suffrage movement included a range of genders and sexualities beyond cisgender heterosexual. “For many suffragists, scholars have found, the freedom to choose whom and how they loved was tied deeply to the idea of voting rights.”

- Maya Salam, New York Times

Dress Reform. In the mid-1800s, women were expected to wear long heavy skirts over layers of petticoats stiffened with straw or horsehair. And if that wasn’t torture enough, underneath was a rigid whalebone corset.

Around 1850, bloomers—long, baggy pants based on Turkish pantaloons— emerged as a healthful and comfortable alternative. Bloomers freed women not only from physical constrictions but also from gender constrictions, which (surprise!) was seen as scandalous and an affront to male authority. Suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Susan B. Anthony were among those who adopted the new “freedom dress.” Some, like Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, pushed the norms further by developing a mannish appearance.

Anti-suffragists already viewed suffragists as abnormal for wanting equal rights, and they pointed to gender-nonconforming suffragists as evidence of deviance. They feared women would assume male privileges as well as their clothes, and reject the responsibilities of marriage, family, and the home.

Boston Marriages. Long-term romantic relationships between women became known as “Boston marriages,” and they abounded throughout the suffrage movement. Carrie Chapman Catt, a president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), moved in with Mary Garrett Hay, a prominent suffragist in New York, after the death of Catt’s second husband. Catt asked to be buried alongside Hay (instead of either of her husbands).

Women’s suffrage leader (and Rachel

Maddow look-alike) Anna Howard Shaw wore her dark hair short and combed straight back when young but became more gender conforming in her later years for fear she would hurt the cause. Shaw had a 30-year committed relationship with Lucy Anthony, Susan B. Anthony’s niece.

duce public anxiety. Even women’s rights pioneer Elizabeth Cady Stanton emphasized racial, class, and ethnic differences.

Black suffragists formed their own organizations and mobilized through existing Black women’s clubs. The First National Conference of Colored Women in America met in July 1895 in response to a published letter that attacked the sexual morality of Black women. At the conference, their resolutions defended the femininity and heterosexual domesticity of Black womanhood. But despite feeling the need to project a “virtuous” cis-heterosexuality, according to African American writer and a suffrage field organizer Alice Dunbar-Nelson, there was “a thriving lesbian and bisexual subculture among Black suffragists and clubwomen.” Dunbar-Nelson presented herself as a heterosexual married woman, but privately had queer romantic relationships and domestic arrangements.

Susan B. Anthony wrote romantic letters to the suffragist Anna Elizabeth Dickinson and had a long relationship with Emily Gross. In 1911, NAWSA members elected Jane Addams as first vice president and Sophonisba Breckinridge as second vice president to serve with Anna Howard Shaw, who was NAWSA’s president from 1904 to 1915. Although none of these women publicly claimed a lesbian identity, for the next year women who loved other women held the top three positions in the nation’s largest suffrage organization.

Black Suffragists. Suffrage organizations focused on white women and ignored the concerns of Black suffragists, Indigenous women, and women of color. Efforts to segregate the suffrage movement were intentional and stemmed from fear of angering southern suffragists and the desire to promote a white, feminine, gender-conforming image that would re-

Beyond Suffrage. The involvement of women leading nontraditional lives led to a push for rights beyond suffrage. As a single, self-supporting woman, Sophonisba Breckinridge understood that many women could not rely on men for financial security. Thus, while she promoted equal voting rights, she also championed financial support for single mothers and maximum hour and minimum wage legislation for women workers.

The women’s suffrage movement involved more than the elite, white, upper-class suffragists we learned about in school. It was a complex political and social movement that included women in non-heteronormative relationships who challenged gender and sexual norms and worked to give women not only the right to vote but also the freedom to live outside society’s rigid expectations.

Nancy Sakaduski is an award-winning writer and editor who owns Cat & Mouse Press in Lewes, Delaware.

Photo: Anna Howard Shaw, 1875. Archives and Special Collections, Stockwell-Mudd Library, Albion College, Albion, Michigan.

The women’s suffrage movement involved more than the elite, white, upper-class suffragists we learned about in school.

BY LESLIE SINCLAIR

SPOTLIGHT ON THE arts

CAMP Rehoboth Puts Art at the Heart of Our Community

CAMP REHOBOTH’S promotion of visual arts continues, with group art and solo shows that highlight the talent of our community. The upcoming months provide opportunities you will not want to miss. Come out to support these artists! ▼

FEST ART 2023!

April 21 - May 25

It was an afternoon of artists, energy, and friends at the April 28 FEST ART 2023! reception. Forty-three artworks by 43 artists continue to grace the walls of the CAMP Rehoboth Gallery and the Elkins-Archibald Atrium.

The works by local artists—as well as national and international artists—represent an eclectic variety of art, from representational to abstract works; from oil paintings, acrylics, mixed media, digital art, and much more.  (See additional photos on page 92.) ▼

Mask Hysteria—New Works

by Murray Archibald

June 3 - 30 | Opening Reception: June 3, 4 - 6 p.m.

In June you will have a unique opportunity to see new art created by the much-loved Murray Archibald. CAMP Rehoboth is truly honored to host this thoughtprovoking solo exhibition. All are invited to the Opening Reception, where you can view and discuss this provocative series with Murray. ▼

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.). You may view and purchase the art on the CAMP Rehoboth website under the “SHOP” heading.

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 DelawareScene.com.

IMAGES

Above: Caterpillar Tree in the Pachamama by Missy Gentile Opposite page (L-R): The Kiss, and Purple Heart (Dream) by Murray Archibald Page 92, InterACTION (Viral Sensation) by Murray Archibald

BY DOUG YETTER

artist SPOTLIGHT / MURRAY ARCHIBALD

CAMP Rehoboth in 1990, I was creating a one-man exhibition every year. My intention was to continue along that path, while doing whatever was needed to nurture our young and growing organization. I managed to create new exhibitions for most of the first decade, but by 2005 the workload had grown too heavy. I made a choice to put my annual art shows on hold so I could concentrate on CAMP Rehoboth.

was excited about my return to the studio. Over the next year of the pandemic, I created the LOCKDOWN 2020 Series, exploring pandemic related ideas.

DY: Where did you receive your training?

I’ve hounded this beloved member of our community to speak of his art for years— and he finally agreed!

Doug Yetter: Is there a time of day when you feel more creative?

Murray Archibald: Not really. Creativity doesn’t turn on and off. It’s always present. The trick is to control the noise around us, so we don’t miss that little piece of a thought or a concept that completes an idea. We must listen—to our heart, to our mind, to the people in our lives, and to the world around us.

DY: Do you have a favorite medium?

MA: Most of my work is acrylic. My early work was airbrush/acrylic. Currently I am mainly working with acrylic gouache, acrylic mediums and textures, and watercolor.

DY: I’m certain there’s a huge difference between the amount of creative time available in your years with CAMP Rehoboth and your life now. How has that changed?

MA: When we founded

DY: Did the pandemic affect your art, or how you think about art?

MA: By the time the pandemic hit us in 2020, I had already stepped back from my leadership position at CAMP Rehoboth and moved my office to my studio. Though I was still doing a little freelance work for CAMP—including the 2020 virtual Sundance—I

MA: In my youth, I took art classes, but my passion in those days was theatre, and that was my major. Along the way, I continued to design and create art and graphics especially for the theatre. My theatre background was extremely helpful in designing the many events we produced over the years—especially Sundance. It was the early 1980s when I made the decision to focus on my art.

DY: How has your work evolved over the years?

MA: I used an airbrush for my early work, and painted flowers as a means of improving my skill with that

tool—and because they sold well. In the decades that followed, I added new painting techniques with more texture, color, and pattern.

Thematically, I have always painted from the heart, and the heart remains a key component of my work—as does healing (red cross), transformation (butterflies), vision (eyes and open windows), and creativity (spirals). From the mid-1980s through the 1990s, the red AIDS ribbon was often prominent in my work, especially in the large pieces I created for Sundance.

Echoing my CAMP Rehoboth concept of “creating a more positive” world, my art attempted to do the same thing. Exhibition titles included: Change Is, Awakening, Lifedance, Emergence, Resurrection, and Colors of the Heart, to name a few.

DY: What can we expect from your new show at CAMP?

MA: My new exhibition— Mask Hysteria—contains three different series. The LOCKDOWN 2020 Series is a collection of small paintings created during the first year and half of the pandemic. They are more abstract and darker than my earlier work, and while they certainly address pandemic themes, they also served as a means of developing new

(Continued on page 92)

BY DOUG YETTER

(Continued from page 91)

paining techniques before moving onto the larger pieces I’m doing now. The pandemic mask is prominent in that series, and facial imagery is all about the eyes.

In the HeartSCAPE Series, the work is larger, and while not as directly connected to

More FEST ART 2023! photos ⊲

(Continued from page 90)

the pandemic, it continues to explore that which is hidden (masked) from ourselves and from each other.

The final series, titled InterACTION is more conceptual with intersecting shapes representing the “viral” nature of life—both biological and virtual.

DY: Were there themes you wanted to explore, or did they evolve as part of your process?

MA: All my favorite themes continue to be present in my new work, especially the heart. Purple Heart (Dream) is a call for us to find ways of putting aside our differences—especially our political polarization. The Red Vase is literal, but also a symbol of the heart. The Kiss is more about physical love. Imagine the moment right before a first kiss. There is also doubt in that moment.

The world is chaotic, and I wanted that chaos to show through. The paintings are layered. Sometimes the underpainting—including words—shows through. The sharp edges of my early work have disappeared, replaced by texture, lines, and transparent shapes and patterns.

DY: How do you define success as an artist?

MA: Certainly, I’m happy when someone buys a piece

of art. I’m especially happy when they buy it because they love it—and connect with it—and not just because it matches the sofa in their living room.

That said, I really paint for myself. If I love the piece and want to keep it in my house, it’s successful to me.

That sentence actually makes me laugh. I can still hear my late husband, Steve. “Sell it,” he would say without hesitation. And I usually did.

At this stage of life, selling is good, but it’s the work itself that makes me happy.

DY: I’ve always said that if the work doesn’t make you happy, you’re doing the wrong work! Thank you for sharing your time and your art! ▼

Doug is the Artistic and Musical Director for CAMP Rehoboth Chorus, Director of Music Ministries at Epworth UMC, and co-founder and Artistic Director emeritus of the Clear Space Theater Company.

Top row, L-R: Kim Schuler with Private Beach; Mayor Stan Mills with CAMP Rehoboth Visual Arts Coordinator Leslie Sinclair; Mother of Creativity by Dee Gray.

Bottom row, L-R: Art reception in the Elkins Archibald Atruim; Jane Knaus with Mist Over Rociada.

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

BOOKED SOLID

Silver Alert: A Novel

by Lee Smith

c.2023, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $27.00, 224 pages

You can have whatever you want. So g’wan: buy a new car—heck, buy three of them. Have a vacation home on both coasts and two overseas. Get a new wardrobe for every day of the week, rings for your fingers and toes. Go ahead, go wild. You can have whatever you want— except, in the new book Silver Alert, by Lee Smith, you can’t have your life back.

When Herb Atlas opened the door of his Key West villa, he couldn’t believe his eyes. His step-daughter had hired a teenager—a kid, actually—to take care of his wife, Susan.

She’d been a real looker not so long ago, his Susan was. Charming and funny, everybody loved her. Then early-onset Alzheimer’s made Susan an unrecognizable, wild-haired woman that Herb barely knew.

But here this kid who said her name was Renee was doing Susan’s nails and she had Susan calm, quiet, and not rat-a-tattatting. That hadn’t happened in a long time. Herb liked this girl right off; when she dropped her wallet and he saw an ID card with another name on it, he didn’t even care that she was probably lying.

He tipped her a couple $100 bills and he couldn’t wait to hire her again.

Two hundred bucks! Dee Dee practically skipped away from Mr. Atlas that afternoon, thinking about the things she could buy. She decided not to go back to the pink trailer just

yet; she didn’t want to run into Tony because she was done with that life. Dee Dee liked the new work she’d been chosen to do, and she liked Susan, too.

Herb should’ve known an intervention when he saw one; even his nephew, Ricky, was there. His extended family didn’t get together for the fun of it, after all. Then again, an 83-yearold man doesn’t get scary-sick every day, either, nor does he willingly give up everything he knows and has worked hard for, before taking one last grasp at life....

Let’s be honest: the old elderly-person-and-caregiver-fleein-a-classic-car plot is suddenly everywhere, overused, almost overdone. Set it aside, though, if you can, as Silver Alert is a wonderful little novel.

What helps is that author Lee Smith’s two main characters are very appealing. Herb is a foul-mouthed, once-proud man who hates the fact that he’s aged, and he rails against it. Dee Dee is an under-educated backwoods girl who longs to fulfill her own promise and overcome her awful past. Their separate, but entwining, stories are the kinds you can’t wait to return to while you’re spending time with the rest who make this novel truly fun: among others, there’s an insufferably uppity doctor and his wife, a no-nonsense lesbian couple, a career-woman daughter, an absent son, poor Susan, and Ricky, a cool-headed voice of reason who’ll make readers wish they knew someone like him.

If you’re up for a fast read with a great storyline and somewhat of a surprise ending, ignore the trope and reach for Silver Alert. You can get it wherever you want. ▼

Terri Schlichenmeyer’s second book, The Big Book of American Facts, comes out this fall. Her first (Big Book of Facts) is available now in bookstores.

The Outer Banks of My Endurance

Being in the middle of nowhere can be unsettling. It can also be exhilarating. I learned this a few summers ago with my friends Jeri and Denise on their 45-foot sloop sailing to the Outer Banks.

We were moored at a marina south of Annapolis. Prior to departure, I strolled along the pier and chatted with strangers preparing for their own sailings. Once as I left the boat, my right sneaker caught on something and fell into the water. It floated under the pier and out the other side. Denise retrieved it with a grappling hook.

Sailing down the bay and into the Atlantic was beautiful. Dolphins escorted us. Once we were at sea and away from land, the stars and Milky Way were stunning. The night sky is a source of wonder most are denied by the lights of civilization. My shipmates did not know the stars and were guided at night solely by their instruments. I knew the constellations and confirmed our heading.

The sloop had a main sail and a jib called a Genoa. Adjusting them required working one of the winches and maneuvering around the deck while wearing a life vest with rings on the front through which you ran a cord that you clipped to a railing or mast.

The boat had automated course charting and an autopilot, as well as an engine that we used to augment the sail power, depending on the wind. We traveled at between three and six knots.

My main contribution was switching the engine on and off or turning the boat a few degrees to port or starboard as requested by whoever was on watch. It was an adventure, but a far cry from Gregory Peck in Moby Dick

As we sailed off Cape Hatteras on the third day, we were caught between the Diamond Shoals to the west and the Gulf Stream to the east. We risked running aground on one side and being swept back north on the other.

The open sea was much rougher than the bay. I became seasick and did not eat for two days. Dramamine only helped so much. Feeling trapped aboard the sloop

one night, I briefly considered swimming for shore. Then I remembered that I wanted to survive the trip.

At times we rolled so badly, it felt and sounded like an earthquake below deck. This is what happens when you don’t have a stabilizer, as a larger ship does.

The difference between being on deck and below is amazing. Just to look across the water with the summer wind in your face brings joy. Below is what you put up with for the sake of the moments up top.

On the fourth day the engine failed, filling the cabin with smoke. I was lucky to be on deck at the time. A pipe in the exhaust manifold had broken. After rounding Cape Lookout, we were towed into port at Beaufort, North Carolina.

Jeri and Denise were determined to get the boat repaired and head back out to fish for tuna. I bailed early the fifth morning and returned to DC via taxi, bus, and train. My friend Robert bought my eTicket for the bus and train while I was still at sea. Given the madness in this country, having no internet for a few days did me no harm; but I was relieved when we got close enough to shore that I could exchange text messages.

The main thing I learned from the trip

BY RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

was gratitude for things I had taken for granted. Everyone I met between the boat and the train station was gracious and helpful, from Denise who gave me cash for whatever came up, to the dreadlocked woman driving the taxi, to Will at Sugarloaf Island Bakery (I was never so grateful for coffee and a ham-andcheese croissant), to the man driving the bus. On the Palmetto train to Washington, I was even grateful for the familiar sound of a baby crying. Back home, it was heaven to soak in a hot bath and sleep in my own bed.

It was a good experience, part dream and part nightmare. I was glad to have strayed outside my comfort zone, and glad for the ship’s radio we used to summon help.

I almost miss the phantom sensation of the floor swaying under me, which lingered for a few days after I left the boat. I won’t feel that again until my lover Patrick is back in town. ▼

Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and activist at rrosendall@me.com.

Photo:Gene Gallin on Unsplash.

Feeling

trapped aboard the sloop one night, I briefly considered swimming for shore. Then I remembered that I wanted to survive the trip.

SUSSEX COUNTY

is Our Specialty

Mark Facciolo, DO BOARD CERTIFIED GENERAL SURGEON Gregory Spana, MD BOARD CERTIFIED UROLOGIST

The Best Robotic Assisted Surgery Team is Here.

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The Best Care is Here.

(Continued from page 67)

Audrey Snow, Cliff Lassahn, Shane Lepper, Martin Velazquez, Eric Brahmay; 4) at Women’s FEST Beebe Health Screenings at CAMP Rehoboth: Cathy Basley, Cindy Arno.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 5) at Reception for DE Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long: Kimberly Grim, Patti McGee, Sallie Forman, Cynthia Gooch Copley, Eric West, RB Mayor Stan Mills, Dick Byrne, Rick Perry, Mark Purpura, Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, RB Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski, Leslie Ledogar, David Gonce, Marty Rendon, Bob Suppies, Fran Sneider, Rabbi Beth Cohen; 6) at Kevin Naff Book Signing at Top of the Pines: Brian Buebel, Brooke Warner, Mike Warner, Kevin Naff, Fay Jacobs; 7) Top of the Pines: Michael Cohen (Peeka D’Lite), Alex Reed (Reeds Room).

More CAMPshots page 106.

THIS PAGE (left to right) Gumbo Crawl 2023: 1) at Freddie’s Beach Bar: Joe Hengel, Fluffy Orta, Danilo Lemon; 2) at Above the Dunes: John Ruff, Jim Betz, Victoria Baker, Vlad Evsiucov, Morgan Dunn, Chris Maloney, Michael Peagler; 3) at McWilliams Ballard Real Estate Office Opening Reception: Chris Leday, Joe Steele, Jon Adler Kaplan, Derek Friday,

The REAL DIRT

Nature as Wellness

Ibelieve that serendipity is real, and it seems to happen to me quite often. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, it got me thinking about how the multiple roles I currently have overlap each other. For example, as a landscape architect and the president of the Delaware Native Plant Society, I am acutely aware of how gardens can help heal our wounds, both physical and emotional.

And as president of the Mispillion Art League, it seems quite serendipitous that one of our annual events held in October, The Big Draw, has as its theme this year “the five senses.” (The Big Draw is an international event held throughout the month of October and we help to promote this event the first weekend of the month.) I whole-heartedly feel that art also heals us, and in numerous ways.

These two organizations, combined with my career in landscape architecture, provide me with a plethora of tools to create a healing and functional wellness garden. A wellness garden should provide a number of things for its visitors, but above all it needs to be accessible to everyone. That means all age groups, all backgrounds, and all abilities. Part of this

includes planning for the five senses.

So, we all know how gardens can be visually as well as aromatically appealing. However, this may not be as attractive to the visually impaired or to someone whose sense of smell has diminished. How will they experience the garden? They might depend on their sense of touch.

Texture differences in the garden can be both in the landscape as well as the hardscape of the space. In terms of plants, texture can refer to the size and shape of the leaves or it can refer to the actual feel of the plant. Large-leaved plants like oak leaf hydrangea or big leaf hosta have a coarse texture while smaller-leaved plants like boxwoods and grasses have a fine texture.

However, it can also be said that hosta has a smooth feel while oak leaf hydrangea has a rough feel to its leaves. Imagine yourself walking through a sea of ornamental grass like ‘Karl Foerster’ Feather Reed Grass and running your hands over the tops of the plumes. The feathery tickles of the grasses and the slight sharpness of the leaf blades can send your sense of touch into overload.

Sound also has a role to play in the

BY ERIC W. WAHL

garden. You’re probably most familiar with wind rustling though the trees, or the wind making a whistle sound if blowing across a hollowed-out piece of wood. Or maybe it’s the rain falling down to earth into puddles and ponds, or onto the canopy trees making it sound like the pitter patter of tiny feet racing across the

treetops. Sound can also be made by the physical touching or bringing together of two things. I am reminded of a place in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, called the Ringing Rocks, where if you strike the rocks with a hammer or other hard substance, they ring in different tones. This is believed to be a result of how the rocks were formed millions of years ago and how they weathered.

However, sounds can also be made in your own garden by incorporating items that can be struck as you walk by, or providing a vessel where water can drip or cascade over into another vessel, or by simply hanging chimes that can capture the wind.

Incorporating the senses into a wellness garden will invigorate both the mind and body. There is now data showing that just being within nature will exponentially make one feel better, and many seek out this therapy. Created in the 1980s in Japan and called shinrinyoku or “forest bathing,” nature really does help to heal the soul.

Be well, and let’s garden together. ▼

Eric W. Wahl is Landscape Architect at Pennoni Associates, and President of the Delaware Native Plant Society.

A wellness garden should provide a number of things for its visitors, but above all it needs to be accessible to everyone.

Eight films to include documentaries and features along with a mustsee block of shorts will be presented over three days (June 9 - 11) at the Society’s Cinema Art Theater in Lewes.

Confirmed film titles include KOKOMO CITY, HORSEPLAY and PASSAGES. The Society will also host a late-night special feature of the film classic, ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW for festival moviegoer’s and a special student rate. Participants can expect other social gatherings in celebration of the Festival and PRIDE Month.

Complete film schedule to be announced soon!

We are experts in coastal comfort.

Book Direct & Save Pride Fest June 10th

MAKE ART THIS SUMMER

You’re

Partake in a thoughtful conversation about scripture and life

With Pastor Karis Graham & Robert Gotwalt

Focus: Colby Martin’s ”UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality”

“UnClobber” reexamines what the Bible says (and does not say) about homosexuality in such a way that sheds divine light on outdated and inaccurate assumptions and interpretations.

Where: Camp Rehoboth: 37 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

When: Fridays during Pride Month: June 2, 9 and 16 8:30-9:45 a.m. (free street parking hours)

No RSVP needed. Join us.

Sponsored by graceandcommunity.com

WALKING MEDITATION

Using Sound to Help Heal

Standing at the side of the Milton Theatre stage, watching icons from many decades ago perform music I hadn’t heard in as many years, I was transported to another time. The energy was infectious, but it was mostly the music. I was listening to songs that reached into my gut and yanked out memories I had long since forgotten. I felt again what I had felt those many years ago when these songs were a part of my life. Tears welled up. I loved remembering a time that was joyous, fun, and a bit wild. It made me happy. Of course, if my memories had not been so good, then hearing the music could have sent my emotions into an abyss filled with sadness.

Music has been known to be powerful for centuries. It can play with one’s mood, it can be felt deep within one’s body, it can inspire one to move, and it can change a person’s perspective. Now the power of sound is being used to assist people get—and stay—well.

Recently, I attended a vibrational sound immersion, often called a sound bath or sound meditation, led by Tammy Patterson and Lily Elkins, at the Milton Historical Society. I’m not sure if I drifted into sleep or was in a trance. I had followed Elkins’ visualization in my mind and drifted into the sounds. When the time was up, I felt calm and relaxed, yet energized and awake. For the rest of the day, I had an inner peacefulness. I did not feel tired but ‘floaty and light.’ I had a terrific night’s sleep that night.

Sound healing uses aspects of music to improve physical and emotional health and well-being. It also uses a wide range of techniques and instruments to balance and heal the body, mind, and spirit.

Sound healing can be private or in a group setting. Before the music began, Patterson and Elkins took the group through a short visual meditation to relax any bodily tension and ease into the present moment. They used a variety of instruments during the session. “Each instrument has a different frequency,” said Elkins. “Research shows they each resonate with different parts of a body.”

They had a huge gong, drums, cymbals, white opaque singing bowls, tambourines, and a rain stick. They even had a ‘hand pan,’ which is similar to a xylophone but with a more ethereal sound. “One reason we bring so many frequencies to a public session is that each has a unique ability to help one’s body heal,” explained Elkins.

BY PATTIE CINELLI

ble treatment modality. Researchers at a hospital in London have been exploring the possibility of destroying cancer cells with sound. Using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), they have successfully destroyed prostate cancer cells in their test patients, using only sound waves. This technology was applied to 159 men with prostate cancer, and after one year, the cancer had not recurred in 92 percent of them. The procedure only took about five hours. Further tests continue to be conducted to confirm (or not) the success and reliability of this technology.

A meta-analysis of 14 studies showed a significant decrease in depression in older adults living with chronic disease after listening to music, singing, playing an instrument, or any combination of those three activities. Sound healing also can help manage the physiological symptoms of certain diseases, such as pain that manifests with fibromyalgia.

Sound healing is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the wellness industry. The level of interest in sound baths is evidenced by the 90 thousand internet searches for the term per month. Yoga studios, wellness centers, and spas are all looking to incorporate sound meditation to help people relax.

The most elemental state of vibration is sound. Everything has an optimum range of vibration (frequency). Wherever we go we are surrounded by sounds. Soothing sounds of a river flowing can stimulate serene chemical reactions in your brain. Sounds of jack hammering can do the opposite. Sound can hurt or heal.

Physicians have used sound for decades, e.g., for ultrasound exams. “Sound bounces off matter and creates an image,” explained Elkins.

Now, it’s being explored as a possi-

A sound healing session offers something for everyone, no matter where you are in your beliefs about the efficacy of holistic health practices. Locally, you can experience a sound bath at many venues, including summer full moon gatherings each month at the beach in Lewes (Mandie’s Magical Marketplace). If the heat and the bugs are not your thing, sessions are also available at indoor venues such as Shore Healing (Sue Greer; Lewes), and Debbie Balick, Milton.▼

Pattie Cinelli is a writer and a health and fitness professional who writes about leading edge wellness and fitness topics. She can be reached at: fitmiss44@aol.com.

Photo: by Magic Bowls on Unsplash..

Sound healing is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the wellness industry.

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(Continued from page 99)

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at The Pines: Terry Isler, Jilliane Davila, Ryan Davila, Bernie James, Roxy Overbrooke, Joe Filipek, Larry Richardson, Blair Cappuccio, Matt Rice, Artez West, Mary Rose D’Orta, Bryce Lingo, Troy Robert, Jerry Duprey, Candy Ramelli, Juanita Wilson; 2) at Aqua: Brian Baker, Jason Bradley, Matty Brown, Jordan Crump.

OPPOSITE PAGE 3) at Outlet Liquors: Jack Riddle, Sam Calagione, Alex Pires, Sue Cassidy, Bryan Honkin; 4) at Lupo Restaurant: Ken Little, Bill Leibert; 5) at Delaware Symphony Orchestra: Richard Scalenghi, Tom Panetta, Charles Alfree, Susan Langon, Bob Murray, Shawn B. 6) at The Pond: Sue Shollenberger, David Garrett, Deb Bievenour, Patricia Krupa, Joan Paradissis. ▼

Deep Inside Hollywood

Hari Nef Is About To Do Some Bad Things We’ve

gone on record about our enjoyment of Hari Nef’s ability to make whatever project she’s in stop and take notice of her (and don’t get us started about our excitement over the trans actress’s upcoming role as one of the endless stream of Barbies in Barbie). So we’re more than a little enthusiastic about her next film, Bad Things. It’s a thriller with an ensemble cast, about a group of women on a weekend getaway to a place where they commit some genuinely wicked acts. Directed and written by Stewart Thorndike—whose earlier film Lyle was described as a “lesbian Rosemary’s Baby”—it stars Gayle Rankin (Glow Men), Annabelle Dexter-Jones (Succession), queer artist Rad Pereira (Betty) and the Breakfast Club legend herself, Molly Ringwald. Shooting’s already wrapped and, after premiering at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, will drop on horror streaming service Shudder on August 25. Sounds like the perfect end-of-summer rager. ▼

Kristen Stewart Is Taking It on the Road to Sacramento

Kristen Stewart is at the point in her career when doing anything she wants is what she wants, and what she wants right now isn’t another prestige drama like Spencer (even though she was great and you know she was great). Instead, she’s signed on for a low-key road-trip comedy called be directed by Michael Angarano ( Us) and co-written by Angarano and actor Chris Smith (Young & Hungry lows two long-time friends—Angarano and Michael Cera—who are both married and settling into domestic life, but still decide to take a spontaneous road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento. Stewart plays Cera’s wife, while Maya Erskine (Pen15) co-stars as Angarano’s wife. And even though that’s all we know of the plot, it seems highly unlikely that these women will be sidelined as characters. We just trust. Production be gins this spring. Look for it down the road. Hands together over this. ▼

BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE

Billy Porter To Star as James Baldwin

Youcan’t stop Billy Porter’s drive to do everything he sets his mind to. The Pose star and collaborator Dan McCabe (Fruits of Thy Labor ) are going to adapt David Leeming’s book James Baldwin: A Biography as the basis for a James Baldwin biopic with Porter set to star. For newcomers, Baldwin was a gay Black writer and civil rights activist whose novels, plays, and essays are essential texts of 20th-century Black American life, and is a particular hero of Porter’s. This is all in the early stages, but the time couldn’t be more appropriate for a film about his life. Renewed interest in his work—and renewed bans by right-wing racists—after Raoul Peck’s brilliant, incendiary documentary I Am Not Your Negro and Barry Jenkins’s beautiful adaptation of the novel If Beale Street Could Talk means it’s always a good time to bring Baldwin into the cultural conversation. More on this project as it develops. ▼

The Muppets Meet Lil Nas X (and dozens of other stars)

Let’s just call the Muppets canonically queer because of “Rainbow Connection.” But even if they weren’t, we’d still be clearing our viewing schedule for May 10. That’s when Disney+ drops The Muppets Mayhem, a new series starring everyone’s favorite puppet rock band, Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, alongside humans Lilly Singh ( A Little Late with Lilly Singh) and Tahj Mowry (Baby Daddy ). There is an unmanageably long list of guest stars who’ll be joining the band as they spend the series working toward recording their very first album, but we’ll stick to the real-life musicians in the mix: queer icon Lil Nas X will show up, as will Chris Stapleton, Weird Al Yankovic, Ziggy Marley, Kesha, Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, deadmau5, Billy Corgan, Steve Aoki, Tommy Lee and the one and only Paula Abdul. For more queer cred, Queer Eye star Karamo Brown will also guest star, though he’s not a musician. Go check out the rest of the list online; you’ll see just how overstuffed it is, and you’ll like it like that. ▼

Romeo San Vicente thinks he’s Sweetums but probably acts more like Miss Piggy.

Powerful

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

Lewes Beach

In Memoriam: Frank T. Bennett

My husband, Frank Bennett, passed away on April 23, 2023 after a brief illness. He was 73 and we had been together over 50 years, marrying as soon as it was legal.

Frank was born in Kansas, raised in the hamlet of Ottawa. His family owned a creamery and in summers Frank would help produce the popsicles and other dairy products distributed throughout the Midwest. Not surprisingly, he developed a sweet tooth.

Frank left Ottawa for Culver Military Academy and then on to Denison University in Granville, Ohio, where we met freshman year.

After college, we relocated to Washington, DC where Frank worked in a congressional office and in a political consulting firm, Smith & Harroff, before settling in as a law firm administrator at Duncan Weinburg Miller & Pembroke.

In the summer of 1974, we made our debut in Rehoboth as guests of our piano stomping, scotch-swizzling host, Bill Travis. We were both chicken and prey. We slept on the second floor sleeping porch of The Verandas which to this day retains its outlandishly striped awning drapes welcoming and luring all visitors. Weekend nights

alternated between the proper Dinner Bell restaurant and the toney Corner Cupboard Inn, a precursor to today’s Back Porch. Following dinner, if someone could still drive, we headed down to the decidedly low-brow Nomad Village for local color and social festivities.

In 1977, with a few friends, we purchased an Arts and Crafts cottage in the Pines area of north Rehoboth as our second home. Frank loved all things Rehoboth: margaritas at Mariachi; wet Tea Dances at high tide at the Boathouse; lazy afternoons at Poodle; Pie Lady parties on the Fourth; hosting vicious “Cocktail Croquet” matches in the side yard; morning bike rides on the boardwalk; post-dinner card games with Placido Domingo blaring; night caps on the front porch under a ceiling fan; joy rides in the convertible Metropolitan; cocktails with “the boys” at the Moon and then Aqua.

I grew up in New Orleans and Frank adopted it as his spiritual hometown. We kept a home there and visited often. We indulged in the gumbo of cultures of the city: red beans and rice at Mandina’s on Monday; raucous Jazz Fest weekends; sazeracs and soufflé potatoes at Galatoires; Lundi Gras at Commanders; Mardi Gras crawfish on the neutral ground

Joseph Howard Kramer

Joseph Howard Kramer (Joe/Jodee) passed away at his home in Rehoboth Beach Sunday, April 16, 2023. He was born in Eldora, Iowa, March 6, 1947.

Following high school graduation in Eldora, he attended the University of Notre Dame, earning a bachelor of arts degree, and L’Universite Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers, France, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy, and Washington, DC, where he received a master’s degree in international economics and a certificate of proficiency in the French language.

His professional career included serving as an international economist and lobbyist at the Washington, DC law and lobbying firm of Patton, Boggs and Blow; a public relations executive in New York City; and vice president of the Washington, DC, lobbying/public relations firms Gray and Company and Hill & Knowlton.

With a summer home in Rehoboth Beach, he moved there

of St. Charles Avenue for Rex; opening night fried catfish at Joey K’s; Southern Decadence and Krewe du Vieux in the Quarter; driveway drinks and gossip at the compound.

Frank is survived by his husband, David Michael Winn; his sister, Barbara Deacon, of Bristol, Rhode Island; and his brother, Davis Bennett, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; as well life-long friends Whit Fletcher, Ray Brinkman, Michael Craig, Rich Barnett, Jennie Thompson, and Janine D’Addario. ▼

permanently in 1991 with his partner, Mark Brown. Together they opened and operated a bed and breakfast, the Silver Lake Guesthouse, from 1991 until 2016.

Throughout his life, he traveled extensively internationally, including an adventurous 1968 drive in his yellow Mustang convertible through Russia to Odesa, Ukraine. In recent years, he especially enjoyed annual visits to Paris.

In addition to his parents, Joseph was preceded in death by his sister, JoAnn Kramer, and his grandparents. Survivors include his partner of 45 years, Mark Brown; an uncle, William Kramer; and several cousins.

At his request, services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Joseph’s name may be directed to Rehoboth Beach Public Library, 226 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971, rehoboth.lib.de.us; or Eldora Iowa Public Library, 1202 10th Street, Eldora, Iowa 50627, eldora.lib.ia.us. ▼

Sharon Lee Hansen

Sharon Lee Hansen, 84, of Selbyville, Delaware, passed away on Friday, April 28, 2023, at AccentCare Hospice Center in Wilmington, Delaware. She was born July 4, 1938, in Corry, Pennsylvania.

Sharon attended Beaver College (now Arcadia University), graduating in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree. While there, Sharon participated in field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball. After college, Sharon moved to the Baltimore area. From the 1960s through the 80s she was involved in both basketball and fast-pitch softball, where she excelled as a pitcher. In the early 70s, Sharon took up golf. In 1990 Sharon was elected to the Greater Washington, DC Softball Hall of Fame; in 1997 she was inducted into the Maryland Women’s Softball Fast Pitch Hall of Fame.

Sharon went back to school in the 1970s; in 1980 she was awarded her PhD in Pathology by the University of Maryland

Medical School. Her career took her to multiple research labs, the FDA, and the Veterans Administration; she travelled worldwide as a guest lecturer. In addition, she shared her scientific knowledge with students at the University of Maryland School of Medicine from 1975 to 1993.

Sharon was a prolific and widely-published writer. She served on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Infection Control from 1981-1996, was guest editor for the Journal of Clinical Microbiology from 1984-1996, and on the Editorial Board for the publication from 1997-2000.

Sharon’s special recognitions and achievements included an FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation and an FDA recognition award for work during Desert Storm/ Desert Shield in 1992.

Upon her December 31, 1999 retirement from the FDA and VA, Sharon retired to the Rehoboth Beach/Lewes area. Her local

passions included golf (with the CAMP Rehoboth Golf League). She was also part of the Founder’s Circle for the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, supported the Rehoboth Beach Film Society and Rehoboth Art League, and developed a wide circle of friends.

In addition to her parents, Sharon was preceded in death by her brother, Andrew Mason Hansen. She is survived by her nephew, Mark; her nieces, Andrea Hansen and Susan Best; her sister-in-law, Wilda Hansen; and her cherished friend, Patti Duffy.

A memorial service was held on Wednesday, May 10, 2023; interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to West Rehoboth Community Land Trust, Inc., PO Box 633, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971, or westrehobothlandtrust.org/donate. ▼

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CAMP Rehoboth Volunteer Opportunities

RAINBOW THUMB CLUB

Can you spare one hour a week? Join our Rainbow Thumb Club and help keep our courtyard beautifu! The tasks are simple; water, weed and tidy the area. This year we hope to have enough volunteers to have two gardeners working together each day. For more information contact garden@camprehoboth.com.

CROP: CAMP REHOBOTH OUTREACH PROGRAM

Check CAMP Rehoboth website for monthly volunteer opportunities.

CAMPSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

Sign up at camprehoboth.com/volunteers.

Your volunteer efforts benefit you and others.

Send your check for $50 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.

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— PLEASE VISIT — camprehoboth.com/volunteers to register as a volunteer and to sign up for available opportunities.

CAMPSAFE HIV TESTING AND COUNSELING

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CHORUS LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

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CROP’S VISIT TO SOUTHERN DELAWARE THERAPEUTIC RIDING

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Don’t miss a thing. 11 issues of LETTERS from CAMP Rehoboth by first class mail.

BARCLAY FARMS - Camden. 2BR/2BA 2006 Ritz-Craft w/ 1-car garage. 2,024sf. Living rm, family rm, dining rm & breakfast rm. Mins to Dover.

55+ $176,000 (DEKT2016204)

Lot Rent $539/mt

HOLLY OAK - Lewes. New Construction – Immediate Delivery. Double 1-acre lot. 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 thebig 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. $484,999 (2029152)

CAPTAINS GRANT - Millsboro. 2002 4BR/3BA home is on a 1/3-acre lot. 2,100 sq ft. Bring your boat or RV. 15 miles to the RB boardwalk & nearby Indian River boat clubs. $350,000 (2039462)

SANDY BEACH - Dagsboro. 2019-built 3BR/3BA home is 2,048 sq. ft. with an additional 1,120 sq. ft. in the full, unfinished basement. Luxury vinyl plank flooring on the main level with 9’ ceilings. Living room opens to the kitchen, which has quartz countertops & stainless

appliances. The kitchen adjoins formal dining area. 1st-floor main BR suite. Other 2 bedrooms are upstairs next to the family room. 13 miles to Bethany Beach. Boat slip leases are available *ask for details* $473,500 (2029962) +$5,000 Seller Assist Credit at Settlement

SUSSEX STREET - Milton. New Construction – Ready Now! This is an absolutely stunning 4BR/4.5BA home that’s so close to all the resort area has to offer. Wonderful for year-round living, as a vacation home, or an Airbnb. 3,280 sq. ft. & each bedroom is en Suite. Features wide-plank white oak floors on the main level. Beautiful kitchen has premium Calabria quartz countertops, wet bar & GE Café appliances. 1stfloor bedroom suite. Upstairs family room. Sunroom, patio & privacy fencing. No HOA. 6 miles to beach. $749,500 (2038314)

LOCHWOOD -Lewes. New Construction. 3BR/2BA

1,634sf home. Luxury vinyl plank flooring. Gas FP. Granite & SS appliances in kitchen. 0.23 ac. $498,500 (2027444) Call Theresa 609-515-5820

14’x76’. Fully remodeled interior + new roof & new HVAC. Community pool & 3 miles to beach. $144,900 (2039172) Lot Rent $646/mt.

room. LV opens to dining area & kitchen. Community pool. Just 4 miles to the beach. $184,900 (2038432) Lot Rent $541/mt.

COLONIAL EAST - Rehoboth Beach. 1978 3BR/2BA doublewide. Split BR plan. Extra parking. Shed. Community pool. Just 4 miles to the beach. $125,000 (2039994) Lot Rent $563/mt.

Gas FP. Eat-in kitchen. Split BR plan. Patio & shed. Community pool & 3 miles to beach. $85,000 (2040774) Lot Rent $646/mt.

SILVER VIEW FARMRehoboth. 1983 2BR/2BA.

COLONIAL EAST - Rehoboth Beach. 2002 3BR/2BA w/ Fla.

SILVER VIEW FARMRehoboth. 1997 3BR/2BA.

NEW PRICE *A/C