Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 33, No. 8

It’s a (Block) Party!

The Pets of Our Lives All.That.Jazz

C R E A T I N G

A

M O R E

P O S I T I V E

R E H O B O T H

September 22, 2023 Volume 33, Number 8 camprehoboth.com

inside

THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 8 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

30 The Dogs of War

4 In Brief

6 From the Executive Director KIM LEISEY, PHD

8 President’s View WES COMBS

10 Vice President’s View LESLIE LEDOGAR

RICHARD ROSENDALL

34 The Artists of Block Party

88 The Real Dirt

38 True Blue Jazz Festival 2023

90 CAMP Arts

Creating Legacy ERIC WAHL

MARY JO TARALLO

LESLIE SINCLAIR & MATTY BROWN

92 Booked Solid

40 Out & About

12 SUNFESTIVAL: It’s a Wrap

A Cage of My Own Making

16 CAMP News

So Happy to See You

NANCY SAKADUSKI

Stealing Peace

FAY JACOBS

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

106 Celebrity Interview

ERIC PETERSON

42 Words Matter

CHRIS AZZOPARDI

110 Deep Inside Hollywood

SUNFESTIVAL wrap up, see page 12.

CLARENCE FLUKER

18 Aging Gracelessly

44 Dining Out

FAY JACOBS

LESLIE SINCLAIR & DEBBIE WOODS

20 T here Is a Season

48 CAMP Stories

PATTIE CINELLI

RICH BARNETT

Tiny Lake House

Autumn Equinox

22 Getting to Know Her Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride STEPHEN RASKAUKIS

24 Community News 26 Health & Wellness Enough with the Bullying

SHARON MORGAN

Just In Thyme

The Rehoboth Beach Book

50 Reading Is Fundamental NANCY SAKADUSKI

52 CAMPshots

Let the Sunshine In! SUNFESTIVAL 2023

56 It’s My Life Novel Ideas

MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

62 OUTlook

66 A Man for All Reasons DAVID GARRETT

ROMEO SAN VICENTE

114 We Remember

70 Historical Headliners Poetry of Pleasure ANN APTAKER

74 50 Years of Women’s Music KATHY LEHMANN

ON THE COVER

Block Party… and All That Jazz

by Murray Archibald

78 Humanity’s First Pets TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

80 A Bear by Any Other Name TARA LYNN JOHNSON

84 View Point

The Lives of Dogs BETH SHOCKLEY

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

Photographs must be high resolution (300 dpi).

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

Letters 2

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

EDITOR Marj Shannon EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE Matty Brown DESIGN AND LAYOUT Mary Beth Ramsey ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Tricia Massella DISTRIBUTION Mark Wolf CONTRIBUTORS: Ann Aptaker, Chris Azzopardi, Rich Barnett, Matty Brown, Pattie Cinelli, Wes Combs, Clarence Fluker, Michael Thomas Ford, David Garrett, Fay Jacobs, Tara Lynn Johnson, Kathleen Lehmann, Leslie Ledogar, Kim Leisey, Tricia Massella, Sharon Morgan, Eric Peterson, Mary Beth Ramsey, Stephen Raskaukas, Richard Rosendall, Nancy Sakaduski, Romeo San Vicente, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Marj Shannon, Beth Shockley, Leslie Sinclair, Mary Jo Tarallo, , Eric Wahl, Debbie Woods

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.

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.

From the Editor

BY MARJ SHANNON, EDITOR

It’s official: SUNFESTIVAL once again was a spectacular way to close out “the season.” Thousands of attendees laughed and danced, and some determined bidders won fabulous auction items. It was not only a grand ol’ time, it was also a terrific way to raise funds to support CAMP Rehoboth’s programs. Many thanks to all who participated in any way. You can revisit the fun, starting on page 12.

The summer season may have ended, but we in the Rehoboth Beach community are celebrating the season that’s just beginning: the one marked largely by an absence of parking meters! This season extends for about eight months—do take some time to celebrate with us.

One way to do that: Visit the CAMP Rehoboth Gallery to view the latest exhibit, It’s All About the Bear. The exhibit kicked off in conjunction with the Rehoboth Beach Bears weekend in mid-September and runs through October 7.

Another: CAMP Theatre will present Raincheck, a play by Claudia Allen, on October 5, 6, and 7, in the Elkins-Archibald Atrium. Read more about it in the CAMP Arts section, beginning on page 90.

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

But wait! There’s more! There’s the CAMP Rehoboth Block Party, on Sunday, October 15. The Party once again promises to be a great way to get outdoors (in blessedly cooler temps!) and enjoy a wonderful array of vendors, craftspeople, and entertainers. We offer a few glimpses into the fun that awaits on pages 7 and 34; take a look and mark your calendars.

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

While you’ve got them out, pencil in Sea Witch®, October 27-29. CAMP Rehoboth will be stepping out onto Rehoboth Avenue in the Saturday parade; come cheer us on.

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

PRESIDENT Wesley Combs VICE PRESIDENT Leslie Ledogar SECRETARY Mike DeFlavia TREASURER Jenn Harpel AT-LARGE DIRECTORS Amanda Mahony Albanese, Pat Catanzariti, Lewis Dawley, David Garrett, Kim Leisey (non-voting) Teri Seaton, and Jason D. White EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kim Leisey

And do take some time to browse this issue—there’s lots to enjoy. Stephen Raskaukis posed 20 questions to Delaware State Senator (and candidate for the US House of Representatives) Sarah McBride—see her responses. National Banned Books Week is October 1-7; Nancy Sakaduski has lots to say about the disproportionate number of bans targeting books with LGBTQ+ characters. Sharon Morgan tackles bullying and its impacts. With a nod to National Coming Out Day, Eric Peterson tells us about his own epiphany and Clarence Fluker recounts a friend’s courageous reveal.

We celebrate our pets in this issue, too—see columns by Fay Jacobs, Beth Shockley, and Terri Schlichenmeyer. And while it’s not exactly a pet, in honor of National Teddy Bear Day Tara Lynn Johnson tells us about her own treasured bear, as well as some really special ones crafted by hospice volunteers.

The 2023 summer season may be over, but the fun continues. We hope you enjoy it with us.

Comments or questions? You can reach me at editor@camprehoboth.com. ▼

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

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

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

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

3 Letters

David Mixner Scholarship Established

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AMP Rehoboth hosted a special evening with trailblazing LGBTQ+ rights activist David Mixner. More than 50 people attended the event at CAMP member Danny Sebright’s home and enjoyed listening to David share stories about his long career as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. (Read more about David on page 66.)

In addition, guests collectively donated $25,000 to create the David Mixner LGBTQ+ Student Scholarship. The endowed scholarship will honor David’s legacy and his long career as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. The scholarship will be awarded annually and offer winners a real-world learning experience interning at CAMP Rehoboth. ▼

BLOCK PARTY is Almost Here

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he CAMP Rehoboth Block Party will take over the second block of Baltimore Avenue on Sunday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendor spaces are sold out, but sponsorship opportunities are still available at camprehoboth.org/ blockparty.

The annual community event will once again feature dozens of artists, craftspeople, local restaurants, entertainers, businesses, and nonprofits. Stay tuned to the website for more information on the entertainment line-up and see page 34 for a sneak peek at some of the featured artists on the block. ▼

Shots at CAMP Rehoboth

SUNFESTIVAL 2023 in the Books

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AMP Rehoboth’s annual Labor Day celebration, SUNFESTIVAL, is officially in the books. On behalf of the organizing committee, staff, and board, CAMP Rehoboth thanks all the attendees, sponsors, donors, and volunteers for making this year’s festivities so fabulous. For the full recap of the weekend, see page 12. ▼

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t’s that time of year! CAMP Rehoboth is providing two opportunities for community members to get their annual vaccines for flu, COVID, and shingles: October 13, CAMP Rehoboth is partnering with Cape Pharmacy to provide flu, COVID, and shingles vaccines from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This vaccine clinic will bill insurance. There will be a limited supply of the COVID vaccine.

Wednesday, October 18, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., CAMP Rehoboth will host Beebe Healthcare, who will provide flu shots for community members free of charge.

On both dates, the CHEER center will be present to provide information on the services it provides to the community. Register at camprehoboth.org. ▼

Battle of the Bachelors and Bachelorettes

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n Sunday, August 5, Aqua hosted the annual Battle of the Bachelors and Bachelorettes to benefit CAMP Rehoboth, featuring swimsuit sponsor BRASHhh. The fundraiser featured a bevy of beauties, and attendees generously donated to see which model could raise the most funds for CAMP Rehoboth’s services.

In total, the event raised more than $30,000. CAMP Rehoboth extends its gratitude to Aqua, BRASHhh, the bachelors and bachelorettes, auctioneer Lorne Crawford, and the bidders. ▼ Letters 4

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Sea Barre/Sea Cycle Pedals Funds for YouthUp!

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arlier this summer, Sea Barre/Sea Cycle raised funds for CAMP Rehoboth’s YouthUp! Program, and CAMP Rehoboth honored the fundraiser with a check presentation last month. ▼ Photo: Derrick Johnson, Sara Rowley, and Laurie Thompson.

Chasten Buttigieg Is Coming to Rehoboth

S

ave the date! In partnership with Browseabout Books and Lewes Public Library, CAMP Rehoboth presents a special book signing and visit with Chasten Buttigieg on October 21 at 6:00 p.m. Chasten will be promoting his book I Have Something to Tell You-For Young Adults: A Memoir. The event will be hosted at the Lewes Public Library, and options will be available to attend in person or via Zoom. For more information, and to register, visit camprehoboth.org/events. ▼

A Room of His Own: Steve Elkins

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laire Ippoliti, long-time CAMP Rehoboth member and former Board member, reports that, “I first heard about Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in the early 90s. Friends at work were talking about this beach because it was where ‘the gays’ were. As a not-out-yet lesbian this piqued my interest.

Although I had not met them yet, Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald had just entered my life.”

Also a one-time Board member of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, when the opportunity arose to dedicate a room in the Center to a special someone, “I immediately thought of Steve,” says Claire. I believe bridging these two communities (Allentown and Rehoboth Beach) is something Steve would have welcomed.”

The room dedication will be held Saturday, October 21, 2023, from 4:00-8:00 p.m., at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, 522 West Maple Street at Bayard Rustin Way, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Murray Archibald and Claire Ippoliti will offer remarks, and there will be a tour of the center.

All are welcome to join in celebrating Steve’s life and all the work he did to build community, advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and work tirelessly to educate others on our community’s family values. Anyone planning to attend—please RSVP Claire at: cippoliti281@gmail.com. ▼

Register Our Women Veterans With the Military Women’s Memorial

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AMP Rehoboth member Deb Knickerbocker, COL, US Army (Ret) is the Military Women’s Memorial Ambassador for Delaware. Deb is working to identify women veterans who have not yet been registered in the Memorial’s online archive.

Deb can also assist women veterans who are registered but want to update their record.

The Memorial, located near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, contains exhibits and visitors can access terminals to search for the registration of friends or family members. Most include photos during their service, and stories about their service.

Deb will be happy to assist a veteran—or anyone with a veteran in their life—with getting registered or updating a registration. She is available by email at mwm.amb.de@gmail.com, or by phone at (210) 241-5542. ▼

⊳

TRAVELS WITH LETTERS

NEW YORK CITY

Carlos Prugue and Peter Pizzolongo

⊲

QUEEN MARY 2

Russell and Patricia Stiles

Miss Gay Eastern States America

O

n Friday, August 18, BOMA Entertainment hosted the Miss Gay Eastern States America pageant at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. The pageant, which featured “A Night at the Ballpark” theme, is a direct preliminary to the illustrious Miss Gay America competition. After competing in categories like talent and presentation, Rehoboth Beach’s own Roxy Overbrooke won the title and crown, paving her spot to the national pageant in 2024.

“It was very important to me that my return to pageantry and entering Miss Gay America happened right here in my home of Rehoboth,” said Roxy, adding that “a lot of what I bring to the stage and have to offer was honed right here locally!” On what excites her on the road to MGA 2024, Roxy names “the ability to showcase on a national stage the world-class entertainment that we provide right here, and of course, the thought of hopefully bringing that crown back to Rehoboth with me!” ▼ SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

5 Letters

From the Executive Director

BY KIM LEISEY, PHD

Porch Stories

A

s a child, I have fond memories of sitting on porches and stoops. Summer nights with the sounds of crickets or along a busy town road with trucks rumbling by—both are vivid memories. The porch was a place where I could hang out with my friends or sit with adults and listen to their conversations.

Our porch at home served as the “welcome home” after being away or a perfect place of refuge when I needed time to myself apart from the chaos of my six siblings. The porch was also a place to sit with my dad as we watched storms roll in or listened to the sounds of a summer night. When I arrived at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center on July 10, 2023, I needed a place to meet our community. I found the perfect place, the porch with four rocking chairs and an ocean breeze.

Google porch stories and you will find books, movies, poems, pictures, and radio pieces all about life on porches in this country. Add stoops to the search and the breadth of stories grows larger.

The past eight weeks I have been learning the stories of CAMP Rehoboth and its community. I learned some of these stories while sitting on the front porch of CAMP Rehoboth. Each Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m., community members joined me on the porch. Some told me stories of years

gone by while others shared their challenges with being newly retired. We talked politics, discussed concerns for our young people, and brainstormed how to help those who are navigating end-of-life care. All stories, insights, feedback, and opinions were (and are) welcome.

Sometimes all we need is someone to sit, listen, not interrupt, express empathy, and help us to hear ourselves.

My mom’s gift of wisdom to each of her children was this insight: “Each conversation you enter into is an opportunity to learn.” She also told us to listen more than we speak and to let each person share their full story. “Stay with them,” she would say.

Rehoboth, a Hebrew word, means “room for all” and “room enough for you to prosper, flourish, be successful, blessed, and fruitful.” I am grateful to those who came before me—Murray, Steve, all of the board members, volunteers, and staff. Over the years, so many have walked onto the porch and

through the front doors of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. These people knew the importance of loving others so that there was room for all.

These people practiced my mom’s advice, “stay with them.”

My mom did not necessarily mean physically “stay with them”; she was referring to a state of true and authentic desire to learn and connect. Sometimes all we need is someone to sit, listen, not interrupt, express empathy, and help us to hear ourselves.

I will continue to listen; each conversation provides an opportunity to learn. It is through this learning that together we will chart the best course forward to care for and execute the mission of CAMP Rehoboth and the community. There are so many opportunities in front of us. I look forward to all that we can do together.

Please join us in the effort to ensure the good health and well-being of all sexual orientations and gender identities. If you are not yet a member, please join. If you were thinking of volunteering, we would love to have you. In addition, if you have taken a break and want to return to the porch, there is room for all. ▼ Kim Leisey, PhD, is Executive Director of CAMP Rehoboth.

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.

Letters 6

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

CAMP REHOBOTH

2023

JOIN US!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 15 11 AM-4 PM On the 2nd block of Baltimore Avenue

Vendor/Sponsor information available at CAMP Rehoboth.

For questions/inquiries contact: blockparty@camprehoboth.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

7 Letters

President’s View

BY WESLEY COMBS

Room for All

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ctober is National Disability Awareness Month and I want to focus my column on an often-overlooked segment of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports one in four adults in the United States have some type of disability. LGBTQ people are significantly more likely to self-report having at least one disability (36 percent) than are non-LGBTQ+ adults (24 percent), according to the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a nationally representative survey of adults across the United States.

Earlier in my career, I served as a communications consultant to many disability nonprofits and became well-acquainted with the ways living with a disability impacts a person’s very existence. Fully participating in life’s activities for those living with some form of a disability requires intentional planning.

Among my own circle of friends, I know many people with mobility impairments. Others rely on hearing aids to fully comprehend speech when conversing in social situations; yet others wear corrective lenses to read and see clearly.

I personally avoid dining in very noisy places because of constant ringing in my ears due to tinnitus. When I needed to travel following recent foot surgery, reaching the gate required use of a wheelchair. And was possible only because mobility support was provided by the airport and airline.

Being wheeled through the airport was like an obstacle course with some people walking directly into me—oblivious to their surroundings. Others stared, apparently wondering why someone who looked fit needed this special treatment. Being subjected to people’s stares and curiosity was not a pleasant experience.

Since becoming Board President, I have met community members far beyond my personal network. Some say they moved here because of CAMP Rehoboth’s efforts to create an inclusive environment where they have a sense of belonging.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Others, like community member Hope Vella, have at times not felt welcomed.

I first met Hope during Women’s FEST 2022 when she was serving on the committee providing accessibility support for

To truly achieve our mission of building a safer community with room for all, we clearly have to include people with disabilities. people with disabilities attending the various events. Her story is a perfect example of why creating inclusive spaces does not happen by chance but instead results from intentional steps.

Hope moved to the area in 2017 with her former partner because the community was accepting/affirming of the LGBTQ+ community. Soon, she signed up to be a volunteer on the Women’s FEST committee and was looking forward to getting involved with CAMP Rehoboth. However, three weeks later Hope sustained significant injuries to her knees and legs when a piece of gym equipment malfunctioned.

She initially required use of a wheelchair.

For anyone who knows Hope, this was not going to stop her from volunteering.

But now she was looking for a role that allowed her to participate safely while in a wheelchair, and she needed assistance with finding a place to park and getting into the venue. Unfortunately, CAMP Rehoboth was not equipped at the time, at a largely volunteer-led and executed event, to accommodate this request.

Let me be clear that this is not an acceptable excuse. But it did serve as

a wake-up call for CAMP Rehoboth leadership. To truly achieve our mission of building a safer community with room for all, we clearly have to include people with disabilities.

Hope believes in being a bridge and collaborating with others to find solutions.

Instead of getting angry, a dream became a reality when Hope launched the Phoenix Accessibility Team to serve as a resource for organizations like CAMP Rehoboth to create inclusive spaces for people with disabilities.

Hope is exactly the right person to lead such a team, noting that “Disability has always been a part of my life because my mother is deaf, and I have fought lupus since childhood.” Prior to moving to Delaware, she had worked in Virginia for over 30 years, advocating for people with disabilities. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s degree in human services administration at Wilmington University.

The Phoenix Accessibility Team has a powerhouse at its helm.

Thanks to Hope and her team, CAMP Rehoboth is taking positive steps forward.

We are offering accessible beach wheelchairs for participants of the Women’s FEST Broadwalk, sign language interpreters for more events, and concierge services at SUNFESTIVAL. Further, a portion of the Community Reinvestment Grant funds recently awarded to CAMP Rehoboth are being used to install electronic door openers on our main campus to improve accessibility at the facility.

CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, hired partly for her expertise in creating an environment at UMBC where people can thrive, notes that “When it comes to learning about others, especially those who are marginalized and oppressed, the responsibility is ours to educate ourselves.” ▼ Wesley Combs is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.

Pictured above: Hope, with three of her team members (l-r): Page Denise, Hope Vella, Barb Clipper, Graeme Davis

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

9 Letters

Vice President’s View

BY LESLIE LEDOGAR

Embracing “Allostasis” in Strategic Planning A Healthy Approach to Change

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umans often have a negative reaction to change, notwithstanding the fact that life is change. It was therefore with great interest that I read a recent guest essay in the New York Times about change and humans’ relationship with it. In his August 30, 2023, essay, Brad Stulberg1 discussed the concept of “allostasis,” which was developed in the late 1980s by a neuroscientist, Peter Sterling, and a biologist, Joseph Eyer.

In Stulberg’s words, “Allostasis is defined as ‘stability through change,’ elegantly capturing the concept’s double meaning: The way to stay stable through the process of change is by changing, at least to some extent. If you want to hold your footing, you’ve got to keep moving.”

It is based on the idea that rather than being rigid, our healthy baseline is a moving target. As Stulberg describes it, “…in allostasis, healthy systems crave stability after a change, but the baseline of that stability can be somewhere new: X to Y to Z.” Stulberg goes on to point out that “… allostasis has become the predominant

model for understanding change in the scientific community. The brain is at its best when it is constantly rewiring itself and making new connections—what we experience as a thriving and stable consciousness is actually a process of ongoing change.”

While resisting change, including trying to get back to where we were prior to a distressing event or circumstance, often worsens the experience, allostasis “…is about balancing acceptance with problem-solving and moving forward to a new normal. A healthy response to change and disorder, whether it’s within ourselves or our environments, is one based on the allostasis process.”

As I have discussed in prior columns, strategic planning is about maintaining stability, while plotting a course for the future. As the data gathering portion of the strategic planning process winds down, it is time to thank all who participated in this phase. Whether you responded to the community survey prepared by our strategic planning consultants MMP Associates, participated in group interviews, or engaged in one-on-one conversations

with MMP Associate’s lead, Dr. Michela Perrone, you have helped provide CAMP Rehoboth’s Board of Directors with the data needed to construct a well-informed, data-driven plan for the future of CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.

The Board’s Strategic Planning retreat is scheduled for late October. Realizing that our “healthy baseline is a moving target” will help the Board and our community approach the inevitability of change in a way that is proactive and positive.

Heeding Stulberg’s words, the Board is committed to balancing acceptance of change with problem-solving and moving forward to yet another “new normal.” The future for CAMP Rehoboth Community Center is both stable and bright and we look forward to many more years of ongoing change for the better. ▼ 1 Brad Stulberg writes about excellence and mental health, and is author of the new book, Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing—Including You.

Leslie Ledogar is CAMP Rehoboth Board Vice President.

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Letters 10

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

11 Letters

IT’S A WRAP!

BY NANCY SAKADUSKI

SUNFESTIVAL 2023 Raises the Bar

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f you have 2,000 pounds, you have a ton; if you have 2,000 calories a day, you won’t weigh a ton; and if you have 2,000 people having a ton of fun, you have a phenomenally successful SUNFESTIVAL. “The event exceeded all our expectations,” said SUNFESTIVAL co-chairs Mike DeFlavia and Lewis Dawley. And it wasn’t just locals. “I spoke to a couple who came from San Francisco, California,” said executive director Kim Leisey. “This is a destination event and is great news for the town and businesses of Rehoboth Beach.”

The annual Labor Day weekend celebration that is SUNFESTIVAL started with a sold-out crowd on Saturday, laughing till it hurt with top Tupperware salesperson/honey-dripping drag comedy legend Dixie Longate. The audience was then awed by Cher and other icons brought to life by Randy Roberts. By Sunday night the convention center had been transformed into a high-energy club, with world-class DJs and jaw-dropping light effects.

“It was wonderful to see everything come together and then witness so many people showing up on both nights” said Jim Schmidt, CAMP Rehoboth Volunteer. “I really appreciated how welcoming CAMP’s new executive director, Kim Leisey, was to guests as they entered the convention center on Saturday. It was my first time meeting her in person and she helped set an inclusive tone for the start of the event, which is so meaningful for newer members of the CAMP community.

Tribute to Natalie Moss The heart that is at the center of CAMP Rehoboth was apparent when Saturday night’s program started with a moving tribute to the late Natalie Moss, who contributed thousands of volunteer hours over more than 30 years. It was a fitting reminder of the important part she had played in CAMP’s history. “I had the opportunity to volunteer with Natalie on her auction team last year,” said Jim Letters 12

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

“Sundance is a highlight of the year,” said attendee Steve Morris, “and this year was no exception.”

Schmidt. “She was the exemplar of the type of dedicated volunteer to which we should all aspire.”

Tupperware with a Twang Back the truck up, honey! Dixie Longate was a force to be reckoned with. “Many people were skeptical of a ‘Tupperware

Party,’ but the feedback I got was incredible,” said Mike DeFlavia. “I had friends texting me in real time saying, ‘Now I want to buy Tupperware.’ And later, one said ‘Love Dixie. I’m drunk placing a Tupperware order now.’”

“I heard from multiple people that they loved Dixie Longate,” said Board

You know it’s a great party when even the DJ has a blast.

President Wesley Combs. “I heard someone say they haven’t laughed that hard in a long time,” added Mike DeFlavia. “Dixie had them in stitches.”

A Cast of Thousands More an illusionist than just a female impersonator, Randy Roberts delivered one icon after another to an enthusiastic crowd. “Randy portrayed each icon perfectly!” said Mike DeFlavia. Lewis Dawley added, “Randy Roberts’ all-live show was spectacular, and his impersonations of iconic legends, Cher and Bette Midler, were perfection. His voice is so amazing, and his wardrobe too!”

The Dance at the Heart of SUNFESTIVAL You know it’s a great party when even the DJ has a blast. “I had the best time last night out of all the years I’ve played Sundance,” said DJ/Producer Joe Gauthreaux. “The event is very special, and I am so glad it’s back and better than ever!”

The high-energy beats had everyone out on the dance floor, and as the evening wore on, the shirts came off.

“Sundance is a highlight of the year,” said attendee Steve Morris, “and this year was no exception. The decor, DJs, and drinks were the perfect mix to close out the summer season.”

Technology That Wowed One thing everyone agreed on was the awesome new effects. “I was blown away by the technology used for both shows, especially the large digital display on the stage,” said Wes Combs.

“The images enhanced both events.”

The technological effects were particularly in evidence at the dance on Sunday, dazzling everyone with a music and light extravaganza. “It was thanks to the vision of decoration co-chairs Michael Fishman and Chris Beagle, whose LED screen and light vision came to life spectacularly,” said SUNFESTIVAL cochairs Mike DeFlavia and Lewis Dawley.

“Definitely raised the bar!”

An Auction from the Heart Successful auctions depend on the generosity of donors who provide the items that entice bidders, and the SUNFESTIVAL auction was a record breaker because of those donors. From luxurious trips to an e-bike, date nights for a year, and even some high-end tequila, donors gave bidders plenty of choices.

“We will get to enjoy [SOULMATE] for the rest of our lives and have fond memories of our SUNFESTIVAL experience and our contribution to CAMP Rehoboth. Priceless!”

Danny Sebright answered the call by donating a dream vacation in Lisbon, a hugely generous gift. But he didn’t stop there. When bidding reached the highest level, he doubled his donation! This created two happy winners and multiplied the funds for CAMP. The auction ended with a bang, with bidders competing to take home SOULMATE, an original painting by CAMP Rehoboth co-founder Murray Archibald.

In the end, it was Paula Sydenstricker and Colleen Malloy who won out. “For my wife Colleen and I, this was our first

SUNFESTIVAL after decades of vacationing in the area and permanently relocating to Rehoboth in May 2023,” said Paula. “When the art was brought out to the stage, I knew that we had to bid on it because it was so beautiful and would go perfectly in a prominent place in our home. We will get to enjoy it for the rest of our lives and have fond memories of our SUNFESTIVAL experience and our contribution to CAMP Rehoboth. Priceless!”

In the end, the auction raised more than $70,000 for CAMP Rehoboth thanks to everyone who donated the items and everyone who bid on the items.

Summing Up “This was only my third SUNFESTIVAL since moving to the area,” said Jim Schmidt, “and I thought it was the best yet. Kudos to Mike and Lewis and all of the subcommittee chairs and their teams!” Mike DeFlavia added, “Great job to everyone, including the marketing committee, who helped make it a sell-out early, and the sponsorship committee, who sold those sponsorships so quickly!”

“Overall, a fantastic event! “Congratulations to all involved,” said auction chair Leslie Sinclair.

Development manager Laurie Thompson said, “We are grateful to the more than 90 sponsors of SUNFESTIVAL and thank them for their generous support that will help to provide programs and services for the LGBTQ+ community.”

“We are grateful to all of our sponsors and supporters who continue to help the mission of CAMP Rehoboth, creating an inclusive community for all sexual orientations and gender identities,” said Kim Leisey. “I am especially grateful to the SUNFESTIVAL committee, staff, and board of directors for their leadership and execution of this event.” Leisey said she received many positive comments.

“Although we are sorry to see the summer go, we know that the fun of CAMP Rehoboth continues on! Great team effort.” ▼ SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

13 Letters

camp rehoboth thanks our sponsors for their generous support of sunfestival Diamond sponsors Edward Chrzanowski, Rick Perry

Danny Sebright

Sapphire sponsors

Media sponsor

Ruby sponsors

Wes Combs & Greg Albright

Mark O’Conner & Scott Wistner

Sondra Arkin

Rodney Street Realty, LLC In Memory of Jude Lukasiak

emerald sponsors

Teri Agosta Tom Balling & Rex Varner Carolyn Billinghurst & Carol Bresler Charlie Browne & Rod Cook Marc ChAron & Jon Dauphine

Lewis Dawley & Greg Becker

Melissa & Amanda Kaufman

John Hackett & Thomas Newton

Christine Lay & Mari Blackburn

Chris Hughes & Kent Swarts

Natalie Moss

Kelly Johnson & Todd Gerdes

Fran O’Brien & David Gifford Keith Petrack & Michael Fetchko

Porter & Gordon Family Brian Powers & Chris Rinaldi Jen Rubenstein & Diane Scobey Safeway Robert & Nancy Sher Leslie Sinclair & Debbie Woods

In Memory of Al Bulliner

CAMP SUPPORTERS Chris Beagle & Eric Engelhart

Albert Drulis

Andy & Steven Jaskulsky

Dan Odenwald

Tom Carlson & Ray Michener

Above the Dunes

Jon A. Kaplan

Sandy Oropel & Linda Frese

Brenda Dunn & Karen Anderson

Denise Karas - Compass RE

Purple Parrot Grill

Eddie Engles & Michael Holzer

Beth Yocum & Deb Kennedy

Mariachi Restaurant

Kenney & Daniel Kiefer

James Ryan

Cliff Lassahn

Teri Seaton

Domenic Mannello

Gary Seiden & Bashir Amanat

James Chalmers & John Potthast Mod Cottage Kenneth Currier and Mike Tyler Drexel Davison-Bad Hair Day Catherine de Villada & Cathleen Picard Marianne DeLorenzo Christian DiGirolamo & Christian Cevallos & Stephano Sammartino Letters 14

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Brian Fisher & Jeff Enck Richard Gamble & Paul Lindsey Charles O. Graham

John McCool The Eden Restaurant

Ken Green & Joe Kearney & Andy Benson

Kris Aulenbach & Sherri Mcgee

Katie Handy & Gwen Osborne

Jim Mease & Philip Vehslage Marvin Miller & Dan Kyle

Holland Jewelers

Brian Miller & William Feliciano

Steve Hoult & Rick Bane

Kim Nelson & Lori Simmons Snyder/Kutliroff Derek Thomas & Brian Shook & William Clark Eric & Mike Tipton Henry Weeks & Wayne Ritchie

eir

ght

Thank You, Host Couples & Hosts!

Host Couples Matt Alion & Matt Blocher Karen Altemose & Deb Donlon Peter A. Bish & Keith G. Anderson Kyro Basta & Brandon Booth Corey Andrew & Joseph Bennett Tim & Meredith Birrittella Jane Blue & Louisa Watrel Angel & Jaymie Campbell John Campbell & Marc Silverman Cary Chavis DDS & Derek Johnson MD Jim Chupella & Jim Wigand Michael Clay & Chuck McSweeney Gary Colangelo & Gerald Duvall Confucius Chinese Cuisine Carl Cox & Darin Henderson Scott Davis & Chris Shaheen Debbi & Terri Dennis Diaz & Michael Ewald Pamela Baker & Diane Dixson Marc Donnelly & Chris Wilbert Adam Entenberg & Bruce Namerow Allen Fielding & Nick Delaney Cecily Fisher & Loretta Higgins

Jerry Gallucci & Conrad Welch Andrew Moran & Marty Goff Dr. Karl Grimmer & Mr. Michael Stochlinski Dr. David Gudelunas & Dr. Ian Muldowney David Block & Wesley Hacker Chip Hatchell & Earl Harvey Payam Hariri & Joseph Coates Dan Hicks & John Mccall Terry Hollinger & Mike May & Jim Stone & Greg Hamm Richard Coss & Mike Hull Bernadette & Michele Humphrey-Nicol Tony Incalcatera & James Buswold Michael Jenkins & Mark MacEwan Dennis Konzelman Eric Korpon & Steven Haber Keith Krueger & Joel Lawson Jim Lawrence & Bob Palandrani Leslie Ledogar & Marilyn Hewitt Ken Little & Bill Leibert Jay Lynn & Jordan Corpuz Rick Hardy & Dave Lyons John Mackerey & Don Filicetti

Michael Dick & Michael MaLoon Amy & Joanna Martin Ziegenfuss Nicole & Joyce Martineau Patrick Monahan & Mansour Abu-Rahmeh Matt & Russ Mueller Bob Murray & Shawn Barron Muzam & Sean Donna Ohle & Susan Gaggiotti Sandra Pace & Barbara Passikoff Timothy Price & Jerry Sealy Gregory Primeau & Ipunk Lee Michael Raimondi Chris Rouchard Mark Roush & Dave Banick Michael Safina & Tim Bean Carl Horosz & James Schmidt Doug Sellers & Mark Eubanks Marj Shannon - Data Vision Design Dennis Shine & Edsel Gayoso Michael Skinner David Smith & Kenn Williams Tina L. Snapp & Susan L. Leathery Jim & Patrick & Vince & boyd John Swift Paula Sydenstricker & Colleen Malloy

Susan & Jill Taylor Eric Teves & Scott Burau Dave Thomas & David Tiburzio Dr. Lee Trueheart & Mary Ann Trueheart Will Tuttle & Mike Wilkinson Tom Jamison & Don Wainwright Michael & Angel Welborn Host Individuals John Beckley Joe Benshetler & Kurt Angell Pat Catanzariti Noah Cohen Max E Dick Polly Donaldson Michael Fishman John Harmon Wayne Hodge Cindy Hogue Claire Ippoliti Marc Latulippe Mark Lenard Bernadette Lucking John McLaughlin John Pallo Steve Pufka Jay Raskin Barbara Ralph Dennis Rano Bryan Sherman Joel Stango Ben Stearn Paul Weiner

thank you, sunfestival volunteers!

Karen Anderson Bill Baughman Chris Beagle Scott Beadle Greg Becker Julie Blake Matthew Brown Scott Burdette Rick Buske Pat Catanzariti Joe Catrambone Yvonne Cipressi Bruce Clayton Barb Clipper Betsy Cohen Wes Combs Graeme Davis Lewis Dawley Mike DeFlavia Miguel Deleon Page Denise

Gary Desch Richard Dietz Andrew Dottermusch Sedusa DuBoyz Brenda Dunn Donna Early Mark Eubanks Michael Fetchko Michael Fishman Dan Foran Peter Garneau David Garrett Kasey Gonzalez-Cruz Michael Graham Kelsey Grant Robert Grant John Hackett Katie Handy Rick Hardy Daniel Hayes Sarah Herrman

G. Derrick Hodge Bob Horne Donna Jaconi Judy Jesiolowski Dee Dee Jones Lamar “Angel” Kellam Linda Kemp Alizee LaDiamond Mark Lenard Chip Logan Christopher Maddox Michelle Manfredi Ann Maresca Jim Mease Michelle Mobley Barry Moshinski Joanie Murphy Gwen Osborne Dennis L. Otten Dotti Outland Joanie Pegler

Keith Petrack Robert Ponzini Deb Quinton Dennis Rodriguez Pamela Rule Jim Schmidt Mark Shaw Kelly Sheridan Teri Seaton Doug Sellers Leslie Sinclair Deb Small Kim Smitas Kathy Solano John Michael Sophos Kim Strickland Matthew Thompson Charles Vandergrift S. Hope Vella Joe Vescio Debbie Woods

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

15 Letters

CAMPNews CAMP Rehoboth Goes Purple

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ubstance use is growing, and CAMP Rehoboth is partnering with the Code Purple campaign to promote education and awareness.

Nationally, overdose deaths increased by almost 50 percent from 2019 to 2021, during the heart of the pandemic.

The death toll in 2021 exceeded 108,000.

Drug overdoses kill more people than cars, guns, and falls combined.

Take note of how substance abuse affects Delawareans: • 11,896 Delawareans are currently in treatment for substance use.

• In 2020, Delaware reported 447 overdose deaths statewide—up from 431 in 2019.

• According to the CDC, fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, was involved in more than 60 percent of overdose deaths last year.

Take action and help save lives: • Sign the online pledge at delawaregoespurple.org.

• Take a Narcan training at a community event. Narcan, when used during a drug overdose, can save a life.

• Talk to your legislators about increasing funding for substance use and addiction prevention, education, and treatment programs in Delaware. ▼

Imago Workshops Weekend Is Here

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mago Workshops with Maya Kollman, Master Imago Coach, will be hosted at CAMP Rehoboth the last week of September.

First up: an Imago workshop for singles called “Keeping the Love You Find,” to be held on Thursday, September 28. To register, email imagobarb@aol.com.

Next, an Imago Couples Weekend workshop called “Getting the Love you Want” will be offered September 29-October 1. To register, visit Maya’s website at mayakollman.com. ▼

Partnering with DBCC

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AMP Rehoboth is excited to partner with the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition to provide free health screenings at the Block Party on Sunday, October 15. The Women’s Health Screening Program, in partnership with the State of Delaware, provides centralized patient navigation services for breast, cervical, and other health screenings to eligible residents throughout the State of Delaware.

The Women’s Health Screening Program is here to help you navigate obtaining routine breast and cervical screenings.

These screenings are quick and easy, and detecting cancer early can save lives.

Stay tuned to camprehoboth.org/blockparty for more information on the screenings, how to register, and more. ▼

I Support the Girls Donation Drive Extended

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rop off items at CAMP Rehoboth during business hours through September 30 at 1 p.m. I Support the Girls (ISTG) collects and distributes essential items, including bras, underwear, and menstrual hygiene products, allowing women, girls and menstruators experiencing homelessness, impoverishment, or distress to stand tall with dignity. ISTG is also aiming to assist LGBTQ+ youth to provide items they may not have access to due to a lack of financial and/or domestic support.

ISTG currently needs donations of thin and teen pads, individually wrapped pantiliners, and feminine wipes. ISTG packs these into small pencil cases or make-up bags; these are provided to schools and organizations for distribution. ▼

Program Spotlight: Healthy Living

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ew program alert! On Mondays, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., between October 16 to November 20, the Delaware Self-Management Programs will host a FREE “Healthy Living” workshop series at CAMP Rehoboth. The program is designed for adults of all ages and focuses on learning to manage chronic health conditions.

Goals of the program include preventing and/or delaying health complications, and learning to deal with the frustration, fatigue, pain, and isolation that may accompany chronic conditions.

Register online at HealthyDelaware.org/SelfManagement.

For questions or help with registration, contact Self-Management Programs by phone at 302-990-0522 or by email at DPHSMP@Delaware.gov. ▼ Letters 16

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Service with a Smile

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n Tuesday, August 15, a team of 10 CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) volunteers helped out the regular volunteers at Epworth Church: they served a delicious dinner to visiting student workers in the International Student Outreach Program (ISOP). CROP volunteers helped set up tables and arrange the food. Then, five team members served up dinner while others interacted with the students.

After dinner, the “regulars” really appreciated CROP’s help with washing dishes, putting food away, and taking down tables and chairs. Many hands made light work. And the students received a nutritious meal to boot! ▼

Music of the Night

EPWORTH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

17 Letters

Aging Gracelessly

BY FAY JACOBS

Tiny Lake House

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eaders know my motto: nothing is so bad if it’s worth the story you can tell. My last adventure threatened the rule.

We rented a small camper for an entire month of glamping (glamor camping), boating, and relaxing along beautiful Lake Champlain in Vermont. The minute we arrived, we knew we were doomed.

The tiny Retro camper was cute, but waaaay smaller than we saw online. But it was our bad. We googled the 19-foot model unaware the company also made a 15-footer, not online. Our lodging was 15x6, or 90 square feet.

How small was it? When we tossed the dog inside, he wondered why he was back in crate training. How small was it? It had twin beds on either side with a ’fridge and a toilet between the sleeping shelves. Opposite was a microwave and sink. Even skinny people couldn’t squeeze past each other.

About the potty. If you sat and closed the door you knee-capped yourself.

Bending over for toilet paper risked traumatic head injury. Going to pee? Wear a bike helmet. It was not a bathroom; it was an isolation booth. I quickly discovered I had to stand up, step outside, do the Hokey Pokey and turn myself around to go back in to use the foot peddle pump-out.

We had a hand-held shower, but why?

If I sat and sprayed myself I’d break an elbow. I’d need roller derby protection.

It didn’t matter, though. Turns out the hot water heater was dead.

We moved into the confined space and learned a violent storm was forecast, including a possible tornado. Thunder, lightning, and torrential rain pounded the tin roof for hours. One leak and we’d be in a front-loading washing machine. One tornado gust and we’d be airborne. Mercifully we stayed in our bunks, remained watertight, and survived Night One.

By Day Two I realized there was no mirror in the rig, which was just as well.

Luckily the electric worked for my Keurig.

It was overcast that morning but we sat outside in our camp chairs, reading and Letters 18

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

taking in the stunning lake view.

In Day Three’s rain we joined friends at the Von Trapp Family Brewery, where Do, Re, Me had beer and enjoyed the hot water in the spacious Trapp Family Bathrooms. You could hide a whole children’s singing group from the Nazis in there.

How small was it?

When we tossed the dog inside, he wondered why he was back in crate training.

Later in the week the sun appeared so we enjoyed a terrific pontoon adventure on the lake. Glorious! Returning for happy hour, I tried a hammock stretched pretty high between two trees. Pretty high myself, I pulled the hammock edge under my butt, twisted slightly, raised one leg and flipped myself tits down into a mud puddle. It took two spotters to get me back into the hammock. The eventual dismount took a village.

By Week Two our Barbie camper turned terrarium. Escaping mildew, we visited several superb restaurants, saw a movie, sat in our crate reading, and visited friends’ places for showers and home-cooked food. Back at the tin can, we did have happy hours, despite scant room to shake a martini.

Aha! Sunrise with actual sun. We walked the kayaks from our site to the steps down to the lake. As we positioned

the second kayak atop the steps, the weight of the vessel shifted and momentum sent the thing sliding all the way down the steps and shot it into the lake headed for Canada.

Screaming ensued, as Bonnie jumped in the remaining kayak and went to rescue the runaway rental. Frankly, I was already calculating replacement cost. But she got it back. We went kayaking, bringing to fruition another of our planned activities.

By the beginning of the third week in the sardine can, the dog started to crack. Windsor was tired of having to choose which twin bed to sleep in. This wasn’t glamping or even camping; it was Survivor Vermont. Ah, the aroma of Deep Woods Off! in the morning.

Then, on Facebook, we spied friends betting on how long we’d last. I was humbled by those wagering we’d make the full 31-day stretch, and likewise, distracted by folks calling us home and wondering why I’d agreed to this foolishness in the first place.

When the Weather Channel forecast another whole week of dreary weather, we knew our party of three could not survive more micro house arrest.

We made it to Day 21 before pulling the rip cord. “Congrats” said a pal, “Twenty-one days wins the championship on the reality show Naked and Afraid.”

Heck, I’ll take the trophy. We did abandon all clothes to bathe and shampoo in Lake Champlain. We were naked and the boaters buzzing by were probably afraid.

Heading South, we raced to get back to Rehoboth and our ginormous Taj Ma Manufactured Mansion.

We loved Lake Champlain, loved spending time with friends, but now tiny houses are dead to me. Camping is dead to me. But I did win Naked and Afraid ▼ Fay Jacobs is the author of five published books and is touring with her one-woman sit-down comedy show, Aging Gracelessly.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

19 Letters

THERE IS A SEASON

BY PATTIE CINELLI

Autumn Equinox

A Time for Reflection and Balance

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utumn has become my favorite season of the year.

I used to cherish spring when I walked about the city noticing and admiring the buds, blossoms, and bugs that came alive. Now, living at the beach, I’m excited about being able to once again walk the beaches with my two dogs. The summer chaos of gatherings and guests lets up. While I still embrace springtime with both arms, it’s in autumn when the air is still kind and gentle, not yet unleashing its winter fury on us, that I thrive. Autumn is a perfect time to re-evaluate and regroup and bring yourself, your habits, and your surroundings into balance.

Astronomical fall begins this year with the Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere on September 23, at 2:39 a.m. The sun crosses the celestial equator from north to south, making day and night equal in length at any location. Earth’s rotational axis is neither tilted away nor toward the sun. It’s in perfect balance.

The angle of the moon’s orbit relative to the earth’s horizon is at its minimum, causing the full moon to rise above the horizon faster than usual—around sunset—for several nights in a row.

The Equinox is the magical moment of stillness before the earth shifts directions.

It’s a time for turning inward. Like Mother Earth who begins to retreat into herself in preparation for winter, it’s a time for us to nest, cocoon, and cuddle after a spring and summer filled with outward-oriented movement.

We are in a continual motion of becoming, releasing, transforming, moving, expressing, and receiving just like the earth to which we are all connected. As the earth comes into the balance of day and night, we also can seek to balance discord within ourselves. We can work to discover our own language, guidance, desires, and perceptions instead of adopting those that originate outside ourselves. We can pay attention to what feels good.

It’s a good time to let go of those Letters 20

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feelings, things, and people that no longer resonate. Without letting go of the old, we have little room for the new.

Cultures have honored the Autumn Equinox for centuries. As leaves turn yellow and fruits and vegetables ripen,

As the earth comes into the balance of day and night, we also can seek to balance discord within ourselves. many traditional celebrations are associated with harvest. Ancient myths and celebrations come from the Romans and the Greeks. Christians replaced early Pagan celebrations with Christianized observances.

At the precise moment of the Equinox, when the sun shines directly on the equator, an enormous “snake of sunlight” slithers down the stairs of the main pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico, as part of Mayans’ festivities. In Japan, both equinoxes are national holidays and Buddhists hold a six-day celebration. In Chinese and Vietnamese communities, the moon festival celebrates abundance of summer’s harvest. People serve mooncake filled with lotus, sesame seeds, a duck egg, or dried fruits.

Along with turning leaves, crisp air, and the promise of the coming winter, it’s easy to see the gifts of the harvest here in Delaware. We regularly drive by fields of soybeans and corn. Farmers at markets sell hearty produce they grow themselves.

One way we can celebrate this abundance is to prepare a feast. Invite friends and/or family to gather and celebrate the harvest season with a potluck. Each guest can bring a dish with their favorite harvest ingredients.

I’ve already started honoring the season by clearing space in my closets and cupboards as well as addressing habits, thoughts, and feelings that no longer serve me. One way to shift into the new season is by starting an appreciation or gratitude journal through which new intentions may emerge to reflect upon, come the Winter Solstice.

Express your own personal harvests.

Take stock on what blossomed in the spring and grew through summer, creating abundance that will continue into the fall.

Observe what you nurtured and how that area of your life has evolved since the Spring Equinox.

Intentionally connect with nature by taking a hike or riding a bike. Not only can you view the magnificent fall foliage but you can also collect berries, roots, and nuts to enrich your fall meals or use to create arts and crafts. If hiking is not your thing, simply observe sunrise and sunset one fine autumn day.

My favorite way of celebrating: Gather around a bonfire and create a gratitude circle. Share what gift of the season you appreciate and what gift has helped find your own personal equilibrium. ▼ Pattie Cinelli is an entrepreneur and a journalist. She focuses on non-traditional ways to stay healthy, get fit, and be well. Please email her with questions or column suggestions at: fitmiss44@aol.com.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.

LUNG CANCER Detect it early.

A lung cancer screening detected my cancer early, when it was most treatable. It could do the same for you.

You’re eligible for a lung cancer screening if you:

Talk with your health care provider to schedule a lung cancer screening today. If you don’t have one, a nurse navigator can help — whether you have insurance or not.

• Smoked a pack a day for 20+ years in the last 15 years; or

• Are between age 50 and 80; and

• Smoked two packs a day for 10+ years in the last 15 years.

Call 2-1-1 or scan the QR code to visit HealthyDelaware.org/Lung.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

21 Letters

GETTING TO KNOW HER

BY STEPHEN RASKAUKIS

Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride

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arah McBride made history when she was elected to the Delaware Senate in 2020, becoming the highest-elected openly transgender official in the United States. She made history again in the summer of 2023 when she announced her campaign to serve her home state in the US House of Representatives. If elected, McBride could become the first openly trans member of Congress.

STEPHEN RASKAUKIS: What are your favorite memories growing up in Delaware?

SARAH MCBRIDE: I was fortunate to have a pretty idyllic childhood in the district I now represent. I remember every day the kids in my neighborhood would get together after school and play tag and capture the flag. I also loved coming down to Rehoboth Beach every July with my best friend’s family, walking around the boardwalk and having my first tastes of independence—and annual trips to Cape Henlopen with my elementary school.

SR: What is one food you couldn’t live without?

SM: Anything potato based!

SR: Dogs or cats?

SM: Dogs.

SR: What are some of your guilty pleasures?

SM: Getting takeout way too often and ordering way too much. Some reality TV never hurts!

SR: Favorite TV show to binge watch?

SM: Ted Lasso.

SR: What music gets you inspired?

SM: Pop, top 40, and folk pop.

SR: What’s your perfect day off?

SM: Waking up, having a cup of coffee and a completely over-the-top breakfast.

Then I’d watch TV, have a great nap, spend time outside, and cook a delicious meal.

SR: Having taught at the University of Delaware, what did your students teach you?

SM: Young people recognize that rhetoric must result in progress.

SR: What was your time like serving in the Obama-Biden White House?

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

SM: Inspiring! My first day there was three months after coming out publicly as trans.

At the time, I felt like I was kissing my future goodbye. To walk into the White House, not just for a tour, but to work there as my authentic self was incredible.

I felt like we, as LGBTQ people, had a place in this country and that things were changing.

In order to restore hope and protect our democracy, we need government to work, and we need people who know how to make government work.

SR: How did your time with the Human Rights Campaign shape you?

SM: It showed me how to bring about change—as an advocate working with the HRC here in Delaware to pass the Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act, and then working with them at the federal level, and ultimately on staff as their spokesperson.

SR: What made you decide to run for Delaware State Senate?

SM: In my LGBTQ advocacy, I saw how important it is to have people from our community at the table. Diversity in government is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. You can’t craft solutions for a diverse community if they aren’t represented.

SR: What has surprised you most during

your time in public office so far?

SM: I am comforted by the fairmindedness of Delawareans to judge candidates based on their ideas and their effectiveness. When my identity comes up with voters, it’s because they’re excited about more diversity in government.

SR: What has been your proudest achievement in office so far?

SM: In 2020, I said I was running to serve as the “paid leave Senator.” At the time, there was no private-sector paid family and medical leave legislation that had been introduced in Delaware. A lot of political observers laughed in my face when I said I would sponsor legislation for an insurance program to provide partial wage-replacement for Delaware workers who are out on leave to bring a child into their family, struggle through an illness, or take care of a loved one with an illness.

I’m incredibly proud that within a year of introducing the bill in 2021, I stood with the Governor to sign the Healthy Delaware Families Act into law.

SR: What is your proudest personal achievement?

SM: Marrying my husband, Andy, who fought every day for our community and for access to health care, and who every day was selfless and kind and funny and goofy and smart.

SR: What made you decide to run for US Congress?

SM: Delaware only has one member of the House of Representatives. That means we have to send someone to Washington, DC who knows how to deliver. I have a record of taking on big challenges and delivering tangible results for people who desperately need them. In order to restore hope and protect our democracy, we need government to work, and we need people who know how to make government work.

SR: What will be your legislative priorities if elected?

SM: My four major areas of focus are 1) building social safety nets and protecting the ones we have, 2) federal action for gun safety, 3) protecting reproductive rights, and 4) tackling climate change.

SR: How do you plan to advocate for the LGBTQ community if elected?

SM: We still do not have clear and explicit protection from discrimination under federal law. We need to move away from an employment-only nondiscrimination effort, towards full federal equality in housing, public spaces, education, and throughout all daily life. I was part of the movement that helped craft the Equality Act and, as a member of Congress, I hope to cosponsor the bill.

We are also seeing a cruel and concerted effort to dehumanize and discriminate against transgender people right now. It’s frightening to see, and I’m scared. These attacks foment when the public does not have an understanding of who trans people are. While this campaign isn’t about making history—it’s about making a difference on all issues that matter—there is a critical need to have at least one out trans person in office.

SR: Who are some of your political heroes?

SM: John Lewis. Here in Delaware, Margaret Rose Henry. Both have shown you can be bold and build bridges at the same time.

SR: Who are some of your other heroes?

SM: Frederick Douglass, Alice Paul and suffragettes who understood intersectionality, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Martha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless LGBTQ advocates who have made my service possible.

SR: Where can folks learn more about you?

SM: sarahmcbride.com ▼ Stephen Raskauskas is a Sussex County native who has produced content for radio, TV, digital, and print.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

23 Letters

Community News Ovarian Cancer Awareness Bay Pride Rainbow Raft-Up Keeps Tradition Afloat

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eptember is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. The mission of the Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation (DOCF) is threefold: • to increase ovarian cancer awareness and education about ovarian cancer among women and healthcare professionals in Delaware and the surrounding vicinity • to support women affected by ovarian cancer • to promote research in the fight against this deadly women’s disease.

CAMP Rehoboth has received pamphlets and other information from DCOF. Please stop by CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Avenue, to pick up information for your own and others’ education. For more information about DOCF please visit: deovariancancer.org/home. ▼

Mrs. Roper Romp 2023 Comes to Rehoboth Beach

T

he first annual Mrs. Roper Romp in Rehoboth Beach will take place on Saturday, September 23, 2023, starting at the bandstand.

The “romp” is a costumed bar crawl based on Mrs. Helen Roper, a character on the 1970s TV show, Three’s Company.

The romp began in 2013 as a “Million Mrs. Roper March” of men and women in caftans and curly red wigs during a New Orleans parade. Today, there are countless Mrs. Roper Romp/Bar Crawl groups all over the world.

The day will begin at 12:30 p.m. with all Mrs. Ropers gathering for a group photo in front of the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand. From 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the group will romp all over downtown Rehoboth Beach to spread good cheer and take advantage of the specials being offered. Donation boxes will be available at each location. This year, the event will raise funds for Rehoboth Beach Main Street and West Side New Beginnings.

More detailed information, including a complete list of participating venues, can be found at sites.google.com/view/ mrsroperrehoboth. ▼ Letters 24

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

T

he 6th Annual Bay Pride Rainbow Raft-Up was held Sunday, August 27. More than 40 boats flying rainbow flags converged on Rehoboth Bay at the horseshoe sand bar to the left, just outside Massey’s Landing. Enormous rainbow flags staked out the site and it was a big party from 11:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m.

While a slew of decorated boats received applause and cheers, this year’s star attraction was the inflatable Barbie Car. The event, which is not a fundraiser or sponsored by any nonprofit organization, is organized by the owners and friends of two boats docked at Rehoboth Bay Marina.

The gathering is held annually on the Sunday before Labor Day weekend. It’s open to any area LGBTQ or ally boaters and their crews and guests. There are always prizes for best-decorated boat and most creative personal flotation device. To ask a question or learn a little more, check out the Rehoboth Bay Pride Facebook page.

Organizers are hoping that more and more boats join up for the Bay Pride Rainbow Raft-Up next year on Sunday, August 25. Pride floats! ▼

Raise Every Voice & Sing

T

he Southern Delaware Chorale (SDC) will hold its final annual member recruitment and voice placement event on Tuesday, September 26, at 6:00 p.m., at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 122 E. Pine Street, Georgetown, Delaware. New members can register for the season, receive music, and sing with existing members.

Ongoing rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings; experience reading music is not required.

SDC is a nonprofit organization based in Sussex County with members throughout the state. Three concerts are held annually; additionally, over its 38 years, the chorale has performed across an array of venues and for many community events.

For questions about membership, seasonal membership fees, voice placements, or concerts, visit the website (southerndelawarechorale.org) or contact SDC Director Colin Armstrong at ColinArmstrong@southerndelawarechorale.org. ▼

From Twilight to Sunshine

O

n Tuesday, October 17, at 5:30 p.m., the Ocean City (Maryland) Library will present a public program, From Twilight into Sunshine: LGBTQ+ History in Maryland and Just Beyond. Lead by Enoch Pratt Free Library librarians and Baltimore Heritage LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour guides, the program offers a glimpse into the fascinating and fabulous history of the LGBTQ+ community from the early 1800s to the beginnings of the current movement toward LGBTQ+ visibility and rights.

For more information: https://worcesterlibrary.libcal.com/event/10894354.24. ▼

Rehoboth Beach Barbie

C

heck out the lobby display case at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library for a Hollywood-worthy vintage Barbie display, thanks to Rosemary Pedley (of Philadelphia), who so generously lent part of her magnificent collection. Thanks also to her daughter, Genevieve Pedley, the library’s Events Coordinator, who calmed Glenn Lash—CAMP Rehoboth’s volunteer librarian—as he bemoaned the absence of Ken and Alan. His offer to lend his own Ken and Alan to the display was enthusiastically accepted.

The display will be in place till the end of September. ▼

HAPPY BLOCK PARTY & JAZZ FESTIVAL! Congratulations to Vicki Martina & Nancy Hewish on the winning bid of the 2023 SUNFESTIVAL Live Auction for a trip for two people on Olivia's

PANAMA CANAL & COSTA RICA LUXURY CRUISE January 4-11, 2025

HARD ROCK HOTEL VALLARTA (Oct 26–Nov 2, 2024)

NEW ZEALAND ADVENTURE CRUISE January 6-16, 2025

JUST ANNOUNCED!

Olivia congratulates Dr. Kim Leisey, CAMP Rehoboth's new Executive Director!

OLIVIA IS A PROUD PREMIER SPONSOR OF CAMP REHOBOTH

OLIVIA.COM · (800) 631-6277 BOOK YOUR DREAM VACATION WITH 24/7 ONLINE BOOKING SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

25 Letters

health+wellness

BY SHARON MORGAN

Enough with the Bullying “If they don’t like you for being yourself, be yourself even more.” —TAYLOR SWIFT

E

very year, I get together with a group of high school friends.

As someone who left my hometown early on, I enjoy these opportunities to reconnect and reminisce. The last time we got together, we discovered that three out of the five of us had been bullied by the same person. And while we laughed about it, the scars in each of us were also visible.

Bullying has existed as long as humans have. In fact, anthropological research suggests our ancestors quite likely learned this conduct from our primate cousins, who to this day, exhibit bully-like behavior as part of their interactions. Bullying has evolutionary psychology implications as well.

Across the globe, bullying occurs.

A 2005 multinational study revealed how commonplace bullying is and that the symptomatic responses to bullying are universal. In some situations, such conduct is an attempt to maintain a favored social order. In other situations, the behavior is simply to injure physically, psychologically, or socially.

In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Education issued the first federal definition of bullying. The definition contains three main tenets: 1) unwanted aggressive behavior; 2) a power imbalance; and 3) the repetition or fear of repetition of the unwanted behavior. Many organizations report on bullying, including the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. All agree bullying has reached epidemic proportions.

Ninety percent of students in grades 4-8 report being harassed; 20 percent in grades 9-12 report being bullied.

Each month, over 280,000 students report being the target of aggressive behavior and over 10 percent of students who drop out of school do so after repeatedly being bullied. Close to 60 Letters 26

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

percent of those bullied never report it. Most alarming, nearly 75 percent of school shootings have been linked to harassment or bullying.

Students today are also faced with bullying behavior that is instantaneous and reaches all through the internet. According to a 2022 Pew Research study, nearly half of all American teens ages 1317 have experienced cyberbullying, ranging from name calling to explicit photos posted online. Teens view their physical appearance as the main reason for cyberbullying (31 percent), with gender (22 percent) and ethnicity (20 percent) also viewed as critical factors.

…nearly half of all American teens ages 13-17 have experienced cyberbullying.

Generally, children who are perceived as different—physical appearance, size, disability, easily aroused—are more likely to be bullied. High risk groups or social outliers, particularly those perceived as LGBTQI+, or those from different ethnic or religious persuasions than the community within which they live, experience bullying at a rate two to three times higher than their mainstream peers.

Those who bully usually have social power, are well-connected to their peers, or are overly concerned about their popularity. In addition, those who bully have a history of aggression, have friends that bully, and are less likely to have parental controls in place.

The CDC not only keeps federal statistics on bullying, but also data by state. For Delaware, reported statistics on bullying behavior across the board are a few percentage points lower than the national data points. Additionally, Delaware’s penal code has welldefined bullying/cyberbullying laws and regulations. Finally, the Delaware Department of Education has a dedicated bullying hotline, educational

resources, and an online data tool for documenting alleged and confirmed harassment events.

Bullying does not end in primary or secondary school. In repeated surveys, nearly one-third of adult participants report being harassed, most often in the workplace. On average, 20 percent of participants also report cyberbullying.

Adults who bully can be narcissistic or impulsive, and attack verbally or physically. In almost all cases, the goal is power and dominance over another.

In addition, adults who bully frequently were bullies as children or were bullied themselves.

The effects of bullying also do not end once the behavior stops. According to the National Institutes of Health, children who were bullied are more likely to internalize situations and suffer from anxiety disorders as adults. In addition, childhood victims are more likely as adults to report generally lower quality of health. Moreover, as adults, childhood bully victims have lower educational levels and are less financially secure.

Prevention strategies are multipronged. Communication and prompt intervention are key. Helping children understand bullying, providing tools to face aggressive behavior, and offering a safe and trusting environment all work toward mitigating bullying behavior.

Encouraging children to do what they love fosters confidence and opens opportunities for a support network to develop.

Above all, adults must model good behavior. Unfortunately, our current social climate is fraught with distrust, animosity, and violent threats. If we, as adults, cannot find a way to be civil with one another, and model good behavior, we lay the foundation for continued and amplified bullying behavior. Enough. ▼ Sharon A. Morgan is a retired advanced practice nurse with over 30 years of clinical and healthcare policy background.

health+wellness

BY TARA SHELDON

Programs & Events CAMP Rehoboth is committed to providing a variety of health and wellness programs for all. All programs take place at CAMP Rehoboth, unless noted otherwise. Links to those offered on Zoom are provided in the Monday email newsletter and on our website.

Support, Growth, and Healing Imago Workshops with Maya Kollman Coming Soon!

Register at mayakollman.com Keeping the Love You Find: An Imago Workshop, 9/28 Whether you’re single, divorced, widowed or in a committed relationship, Keeping the Love You Find will provide a safe and supportive environment to uncover negative patterns and develop healthier and more successful relationships.

Getting the Love You Want: A Couples Imago Retreat Weekend, 9/29-10/1 Learn how to love and connect with yourself and your partner on a deeper level. Discover the essential relational tools to help resolve conflicts. View your partner through a different lens, and truly connect beyond your differences. Space is limited!

To register, or find out more information about these workshops, visit mayakollman. com or email Maya at mayaimago@aol.com.

Healthy Living: 6-Week Series Starting Oct 16, Mondays 1:30-4:00 PM Join us for a series that will help you learn how to prevent health complications; address frustration, fatigue, pain, isolation; learn exercises to maintain and improve strength, flexibility, endurance; communicate effectively with health professionals; and understand the value of nutrition to your health.

Register at HealthyDelaware.org/SelfManagement or call 302-990-0522.

Grief Support Group: 3rd Thursday 3 PM (Zoom) A safe place to share with others experiencing grief and loss. Kevin Bliss is a certified End-of-Life Coach. Email kevin@kevinblisscoaching.com or call/text 202-607-1174.

Wellness Wednesdays, 3-Week Series Focusing on Nutrition Starting Nov 1 • Heart Health: What’s Veg Got to Do with It? Dorothy Greet, Nov. 1, 1-3 PM • Food Labels: What’s in Your Pantry? Steuart Martins, Dec 6, 6-7:30 PM • Kicking the Sugar Habit, Tom Chaplin, Jan. 3, 6-7:30 PM

To register, email tara@camprehoboth.com.

Women in Circle: 1st & 3rd Saturdays 10 AM CAMP Rehoboth, 10/07 & 10/21 Women in Circle is a gathering of LGBTQ+ women. It is a welcoming, inclusive, and positive place to meet, connect, and share with other women.

Movement and Meditation Register for the below at camprehoboth.com.

Chair Yoga: Tuesdays 9 AM (Zoom) Erin Shivone guides you to synchronize conscious breath with mindful movement.

Matter of Balance: Full, with waitlist Thursdays 9-11 AM, 9/14-11/2 Men’s Yoga: Saturdays 8:45 AM Tim Rennick provides everyone the opportunity to modify or advance their practice.

Morning Mindfulness: Tuesdays 8 AM (Zoom). Erin Shivone leads a mindful exercise or morning meditation for 30 minutes.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays at 8:30 AM Tai Chi with Master Trainer Marianne Walch, PhD, of the Silver Lotus Training Institute Yoga Over 50: Mon-Sun 8:30 AM and Mon/ Wed/Fri 4 PM (Zoom). Sue McCarthy brings compassion, humor, and encouragement and weaves mindfulness, breathwork, and meditation into her classes.

Bi-weekly and Monthly Events Register for the below at camprehoboth.com.

Ask Your Pharmacist: 3rd Wednesdays 3 PM (Zoom) 10/18, 11/15 Cape Pharmacy pharmacist Joli Martini, PharmD, BCGP, answers your questions about medications and side effects.

Confidential. Registration required at camprehoboth.com.

CAMP Rehoboth Book Club Last Mondays 5:30 PM (Zoom) 09/25 The Book Club is a queer-facilitated discussion group dedicated to reading novels about queer topics and/or books by queer authors. September selection: Reluctant Immortals.

Flaming Knitters: 2nd & 4th Mondays 6:30 PM 10/09, 10/23 Flaming Knitters is an engaging and supportive space for connecting and conversing while working on fiber-related crafts with queer- and trans-affirming peers.

CAMP FAMILIES

CAMP Families is a network of LGBTQ+ inclusive families who are committed to building community and creating meaningful memories together. For more information or to propose a new activity, email tara@ camprehoboth.com.

Scenic Sunset Cruise: 9/30 5:45 PM at the Lewes Ferry Terminal Pack dinner or snacks and come early to mingle with other CAMP Families. Mention CAMP and code CWT12 to receive a discount at capewatertaxi.com.

PTK (Parents of Trans & Gender Expansive Kids): In-person & Zoom, 7 PM 1st Thursdays: Zoom, 3rd Thursdays: Wilmington PTK Delaware offers groups and a private Facebook page. Separate meeting spaces for adults and youth (ages 12-19) may be available. Visit ptkdelaware.com or email ptkdelaware@gmail.com for more information..

YOUTHUP AND YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMS

Do you have an idea for a new program?

Email YouthUp@camprehoboth.com Young Adult Discussion Group: 3rd Thursdays 6 PM (Zoom), 10/19 This discussion group is for 18- to 25-yearold LGBTQ+ young adults. To register, email YouthUp@camprehoboth.com.

YouthUp Book Club: Last Thursdays 7 PM (Zoom), 09/28 The YouthUp Book Club meets to discuss youth-selected LGBTQ+ YA books. September’s book is This is Why They Hate Us

by Aaron H. Aceves. To receive a free copy of the book and to register, email YouthUp@camprehoboth.com. ▼

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

27 Letters

CAMPsafe Serves Our Community

Support, Prepare, Prevent PrEP, HIV PEP, and mpox PEP

What is the difference among these?

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a medication taken on a daily basis that can reduce your chance of getting HIV. HIV PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is a medication that must be taken within 72 hours after a possible exposure to prevent HIV and should only be used in emergency situations. Similarly, mpox PEP is when you reduce your chances of getting mpox after a possible exposure to the mpox virus. To find out more, visit cdc.gov/hiv.

Free Condoms | Protect Yourself!

FREE WALK-IN HIV TESTING

Free, rapid, walk-in HIV testing and counseling is available at CAMP Rehoboth and in western Sussex County. To request a home HIV test kit, contact tara@camprehoboth.com.

CAMP Rehoboth 37 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE Tel: 302-227-5620

Higher Ground Outreach 12 E. Pine St., Georgetown, DE Tel: 302-470-7497

Mondays & Tuesdays............................ 12-4 PM Wednesdays & Thursdays .....................1-3 PM Fridays ...............................................9 AM-12 PM

2nd & 4th Tuesdays.......................10 AM-1 PM

ACE Peer Resource Center 20707 Dupont Blvd., Georgetown, DE Tel: 302-585-4963

*Call CAMP Rehoboth to schedule an HIV test at the Laurel State Service Center.

Saturdays (Sept & Oct).............. 9 AM-12 PM

Laurel State Service Center 31039 N. Poplar St., Laurel, DE Tel: 302-227-5620*

Laurel Library 101 E. Fourth St., Laurel, DE Tel: 302-875-3184

FREE condoms are always available at CAMP Rehoboth and many other locations, including: Diego’s, Northbeach, Lighthouse, Shrimpy’s, Freddie’s, and Aqua.

Tuesdays..................................... 9 AM-12:30 PM

Thursdays................................... 9 AM-12:30 PM

4th Fridays...................................................1-3 PM with Christiana Care Health Screening

Mpox: Stop the Spread!

Addiction Medical Facility 1309 Bridgeville Hwy., Seaford, DE Tel: 302-629-2300

Springboard Village 411 Kimmey St., Georgetown, DE Tel: 302-253-8246

2nd & 4th Mondays................................ 7-11 AM

2nd & 4th Mondays.......................10 AM-1 PM

For the best protection, get two doses of the vaccine! Find the latest information on mpox and where to get your vaccines at cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox.

ACE Peer Resource Center 547 N. Bradford St., Seaford, DE Tel: 302-628-3016

KNOW YOUR STATUS! Results in only 15 minutes!

No Hassle!

Letters 28

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

3rd Wednesdays........................................1-3 PM with Tidal Health Screening

GET TESTED and get a new CAMP Rehoboth hat, sling bag, or gift cards to Lori’s Cafe or Aqua!

Scan the QR Code for the most up-to-date testing hours and locations.

DON’T MISS CAMP REHOBOTH THEATRE COMPANY’S 2023 UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS

RAINCHECK

by Claudia Allen Directed by Kelly Sheridan

October 5, 6 & 7 8:00 pm

THE WEIR

by Conor McPherson Directed by Russell Stiles

November 2, 3 & 4 - 7:30 pm November 5 - 2:00 pm This organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com

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

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

29 Letters

THE DOGS OF WAR

BY FAY JACOBS

Swapping Syrian Strife for Rehoboth Life

S

andy Neverette and Pam Cranston had a long history of rescuing bichon frisé pups. Visitors and weekenders at the beach since 1993 and full-timers since 2015, they were ready to adopt a bichon again.

They’d just come back from a dream trip to Australia, not even unpacked, when they got a tip from a Baltimore rescue organization that an adorable female bichon, between two and five years old, was available. They filled out the 10-page adoption application and waited to be approved.

It was only two days into the 2020 COVID pandemic lockdown, March 15, when they found themselves on a nearly empty I-95 heading for Baltimore to meet the dog.

According to Gracie’s foster mom and the rescue organization, a Syrian woman from Northern Virginia returned to her country, spied the pup at a Syrian rescue site outside Aleppo, and arranged to bring her to America. It cost a lot, but after four days in a crate, traveling from Syria, to Turkey, to Germany, and finally to Virginia’s Dulles Airport, the dog was on American soil. From there, the rescue group sought a home for her.

Was she a bichon? Um, probably not.

More likely she was a cross between a little white schnauzer (and this reporter would know) and several other small breeds. It didn’t matter. Pam and Sandy took the cute dog home and named her Gracie.

Driving from Baltimore, “she was perfect in the car,” Pam says, “no barking, no car sickness, just silent.”

Back in Rehoboth, even as Pam and Sandy seriously questioned Gracie’s bichon credentials, they fell madly in love with her. She did have the bichon (and terrier) loyalty gene, sticking close to her humans, wanting the whole pack to be together at all times. “She gets upset if we’re not a matched set,” Sandy says.

In the early days of the adoption, Pam and Sandy, wondering how to communicate with Gracie, tried Google Letters 30 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

translator to speak her Arabic language.

No need; Gracie picked up “sit,” “stay,” and “treat” in English really quickly, Fast forward a year to March 14, 2021, when late at night Pam got a Facebook messenger note from a Syrian woman, now living in another mid-east country.

Back in Rehoboth, even as Pam and Sandy seriously questioned Gracie’s bichon credentials, they fell madly in love with her.

She wanted to know if Gracie was her dog, originally named Lexie, who had come from Syria. Pam and Sandy panicked.

“We quickly asked the rescue organization if they had given our names out, and they said, ‘No. We’d never do that.’”

The answer was the same from the Syrian woman who brought the dog to the US. But it was clear that the rescue organization was all over Facebook, and posts made by Pam and Sandy connect-

ed the dots for the woman named Hala who had contacted them.

In time, the girls responded to Hala and were relieved that she only wanted news of the dog, not to get her back. In fact, Hala shared Gracie’s baby pictures (she adopted her at 40 days) and many photos through the years. A lot of years.

Gracie turned out to have been at least eight at the time of her adoption.

Pam and Sandy learned that Hala, who moved to Kuwait, left Gracie in Aleppo, Syria, with her parents, a nephew, and other relatives hunkering down amid the war. Life was hard for them, as they had no heat or water, and suffered terribly during the conflict. Due to the hardship, Hala believes a family member gave the dog to a friend, but she somehow wound up in the streets of Aleppo where the Syrian rescue organization picked her up—the first step in her improving fortunes and journey to America.

These days, Pam and Sandy hear from Hala every six months or so, just to check in. And even Hala’s mother texts from time to time. They love following Gracie on Facebook.

As for Gracie, she rules her Rehoboth roost, barking furiously (not a prevalent bichon trait) when guests enter her house or get ready to leave. And the calm car-riding demeanor she showed on first her trip home? “Oh, she’s a horror in the car; she needs drugs,” Sandy says, laughing.

Bichon or not, world-traveling Gracie, the Syrian immigrant, is now a proud citizen of the Nation’s Summer Capital.

Pam and Sandy are thrilled to have helped a refugee and nobody cares what breed she is as long as she’s home with her humans. I still vote for majority schnauzer. She’s got the eyebrows and the strut. ▼ Fay Jacobs is the author of five published books and is touring with her one-woman sitdown comedy show, Aging Gracelessly.

Join the

fun!

Oct. 14

11 AM - 2 PM | Rehoboth Bandstand Rehoboth Beach, DE

Featuring Dock Dogs Drag Show

featuring Magnolia Applebottom

Live Music

by Bachelor Boys Band

Adoptable Pets!

In Partnership with Browseabout Books

Yoga with Puppies Kids Fun Zone Vendor Village

Scan for more info & to purchase tickets!

BARKONTHEBOARDS.ORG

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

31 Letters

DAGNY HUMAN COMPANION: Paul BREED: Golden Retriever AGE: 3 years old FUN FACT: Dagny is a survivor after getting an artificial hip at just 10 months of age. She’s good as new! #SurvivorPup 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.

ADOPT YOUR BOO THIS HALLOWEEN! Midway Shopping Center 18675 Coastal Highway, Suite 8 Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

humaneanimalpartners.org | ( 302) 200-7159 | Letters 32 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

@HAPDelaware

19470 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach 302.227.2524 www.stuartkingston.com SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

33 Letters

THE ARTISTS OF BLOCK PARTY

BY MARY JO TARALLO

Glass and Ceramics and More—Oh, My!

I

t’s probably safe to assume that most artists don’t have their studio in their living room, but Richard Thibodeau is not just any artist. His technique is original and very much in demand. He stumbled upon it almost by accident.

“Since I was a boy, I have always been artistic, starting with a coloring book and I excelled in the arts during high school,” he said. “I picked up this form—enamel on reverse glass—45 years ago after an art deco picture broke during a move of my first partner’s elderly mother. It was a picture of a woman sitting at a vanity.

Richard wanted to take it apart and replace it. I saw how it was done and copied it and that is how I started this technique which I love,” he says.

His colorful and sparkly array of images painted on glass include male and female mermaids, the cast of Sex and the City, cocktail glasses, and more.

He sells his creations mostly at festivals and art shows and two local shops—Conversation Peace Jewelers in Lewes and Gidget’s Gadgets in Rehoboth—carry his work.

Millie Crotty started making ceramic pieces when she was still in high school.

She earned a BFA in Ceramics from Alfred University in New York.

“I loved working with clay immediately, but it took me a while to realize that I could do it for a living,” she says. She has been practicing her trade since 1997.

Millie and her wife, singer Kerry Hallett, are active in the coastal art and music

Letters 34 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

communities. Hallett performs at various restaurants around town and previously worked at CAMP Rehoboth. Millie has taught ceramics at the Rehoboth Art League and in the Philadelphia area. She

“We would find all kinds of wonderful beachy things along the bay, and we started making ‘sea glass’ windows to give out as gifts.” is an active member of the Developing Artist Collaboration.

The couple had intended to move to Puerto Rico recently but decided that the threat of hurricanes made that a bit too risky. Instead, they bought a fixer-upper in Milton where Millie plans to have a studio and possibly get back to teaching.

Millie expects the local art community to continually expand. “There are so

many markets and shows to sell work!

And more artists are moving to the area, increasing the diversity and breadth of the art scene here,” she said.

She has displayed her work at retail and wholesale craft shows on the east coast and the Midwest. She also sells online through her website: missmillie.net.

Pat Catanzariti wrapped up her career as Global Manager/Data Management for Bristol-Meyers Squibb, where she worked for 28 years before retiring and pursuing her art. Her new career-life began in 2013 when she and wife Carol were living at Slaughter Beach. “We would find all kinds of wonderful beachy things along the bay, and we started making ‘sea glass’ windows to give out as gifts. We would make “beachy” scenes on the glass and overlay the scene with clear epoxy resin.” Their gift recipients encouraged them to market their work, and Sea Screens was born.

Pat and Carol had learned about the art of painting on screens, popular in certain Baltimore neighborhoods. They visited the city and had a private threeday training with the granddaughter of a renowned screen painting artist, but soon discovered that the art form was not that popular in Delaware. Pat refocused her craft by utilizing epoxy resin and designing art on just about any surface.

Yona Zucker says she has always loved glass, texture, color, and lighting.

So, when she retired, she took a stained-

“The sea, the sand, the ponds, the marsh land, the birds, the sunsets, the boats are inspirational. This land is an ever-changing, glowing artistic place to be.”

glass class at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia, and “fell in love with it on day one.”

Originally from Israel, Yona came to the US as a teenager and has lived in Rehoboth Beach for 14 years. She has been practicing her trade for about 15 years and works on it daily. Many of her panels are commissions, but some of her inspirations come from books or things she sees in nature. One popular panel is from an image that she saw on a pillow, and she converted it to stained glass panel.

Yona considers her art a hobby and says the most difficult part of the process for her is choosing glass colors for her projects. She often consults with her spouse, Renata, who she says is a great artist in her own right. Yona displays in local shows, and only teaches for friends.

The husband/wife team of Gary and Kerry Stewart complement each other with their crafty wares. Kerry has long been interested in aromatherapy.

“It’s important to me that the products my family and I use on our bodies are clean, ethically formulated and free of unnecessary chemicals, artificial fragrance and additives,” she says. She started making artisan soap in 2017 and only uses essential oils and plant-based ingredients. Friends started asking her to make them other products such as solid lotion bars, beard oil, and facial serum, and her business took off.

Kerry is an avid organic gardener and a beekeeper. She applies to her craft much of the knowledge she has gleaned about the interconnectivity of vegetables, flowers, and bees. She knew that she needed more formal training, though, so she joined the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild, a national guild that offers classes, proper formulating instruction, labeling advice, and insurance to thousands of artisans in the country.

Gary embarked on his lifelong passion for woodworking in his early 20s as a carpenter’s helper and soon realized that he had a natural talent for woodworking.

He started building homes in the Re-

hoboth and Lewes area and eventually started his own company. After Gary and Kerry started their family, he took a job as a carpentry/mill and cabinetry teacher at

“It’s important to me that the products my family and I use on our bodies are clean, ethically formulated and free of unnecessary chemicals, artificial fragrance and additives…”

Sussex Technical High School; the position allowed him to share his talent and insights with his students. He retired in 2016, founded Tall Oak Trading Company, and started making hardwood cutting boards, wine racks, and pepper grinders.

The duo displays at vendor events throughout Sussex County. They have a booth in the Lewes Shore Market Place, Frankford’s Story Hill Farms carries their products, and they also have an online

store.

Bev Pasquarella is multi-talented.

She is a trained classical musician (piano) and has a master’s degree in vocal performance. For a time, she sang at Villa Sorrento in Lewes. When she retired in 2016, she began turning seriously toward the visual arts and took her first art class at Wilmington University in Rehoboth. Perhaps it was meant to be!

As a young woman, Pasquarella says, she would sneak into her daughter’s room and sketch her while she was sleeping.

“I loved to draw then and found myself taking a tiny sketchbook on camping trips so that I could sketch trees and greens growing in the woods,” she says. She still has the sketchbook; she now specializes in watercolor.

Bev is active with the Developing Artist Collaboration, the Delaware Shore Artists Group, Women’s FEST, the St. Peter’s Art Show, and CAMP Rehoboth’s Handmade Markets. She considers herself a “young artist” with much to learn, even as she approaches 81 years of age.

Her sentiments echo those of many in the artists’ community, who note that so many artists offer encouragement and are generous with the tricks of their trade and the secrets of marketing. “Our wonderful art shows provide opportunities to interact with a variety of artists,” she said.

“The sea, the sand, the ponds, the marsh land, the birds, the sunsets, the boats are inspirational. This land is an everchanging, glowing artistic place to be. I’m staying.” ▼ 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.

Photos opposite page, top: Pat Catanzariti. Bottom L-R: Richard Tibodeau, Millie Crotty, Yona Zucker, Bev Pasquarella.

Above, top to bottom: Gary Stewart, Kerry Stewart.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

35 Letters

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

37 Letters

STAR POWER AT THE BEACH!

True Blue Jazz Festival 2023

G

et ready to mark your calendars with multiple events you’ll want to attend October 11-15, as you learn what True Blue Jazz Festival 2023 is bringing to the community.

The independent, straight-ahead Jazz Festival is celebrating their 11th Anniversary in style, featuring an array of great jazz performances, including local favorites like Libby York, to 10-time Grammy winner Janis Siegal, from Manhattan Transfer.

True Blue Jazz offers multiple options for both free and ticketed shows in a dozen venues in both Rehoboth and Lewes.

True Blue Jazz always kicks off on Wednesday of the Festival week at Bethany Blues with Youth Jazz Appreciation Night from 6:00-9:00 p.m. The local middle school band students start the event followed by high school jazz bands from multiple school districts across Sussex and Kent counties.

Headline shows are held at the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel featuring vocalist Paula Johns with the Joe Holt Trio on Thursday night, the Camille Thurman Quintet on Friday night, Libby York and Randy Napolean on Saturday night, and Eddie Sherman and Peggy Raley’s Sunday Closing Brunch with special guests and jazz giants, Terell Stafford, Gerry Weldon, and Vince Ector.

A second Saturday night headline concert will be held at Nassau Valley Vineyards in Lewes, featuring multi-time Latin Grammy winner/Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria and his 24-piece Multiverse Big Band with vocalists Janis Siegal, Antoinette Montague, and Jennifer Jade Ledesna.

True Blue Jazz’s “Local & Live” venues feature free jazz shows across the weekend at Rehoboth venues Aqua, The Blue Hen at Avenue Inn, Blackwall at the Beach, Cooter Brown’s, and The Ocean Glass Inn. Lewes venues are: Lefty’s, Bramble & Brine at The Buttery, and Nassau Valley Vineyards.

On Saturday, October 14, from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Rehoboth Beach Fire House, the six-hour Big Band Marathon Letters 38 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

kicks off with the Cape Henlopen High School Jazz Band, followed by the Temple University Big Band, the Columbia Jazz Orchestra, and the DelMarVa Big Band with a Hammond B3 Organ Trio between bands. All proceeds from this concert benefit the Rehoboth Volunteer Fire Company.

True Blue Jazz was formed as a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of America’s one true art form, jazz.

True Blue Jazz was founded in 2012 by local jazz musicians Eddie Sherman and Peggy Raley, in response to the void of straight-ahead jazz being offered throughout the Cape region. While producing monthly supper club shows featuring jazz artists from across the mid-Atlantic, fans urged them to put together a Festival dedicated to Real Jazz.

As music education has always been paramount to both Peggy and Eddie, True Blue Jazz was formed as a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of America’s one true art form, jazz. This is accomplished through the many-faceted True Blue Jazz/Youth Jazz Initiative that supports young musicians throughout Sussex County and across Delaware.

The Initiative has provided thousands of dollars in scholarships to local graduating seniors going on for professional careers in music as either music educators or ca-

reer musicians. It provides instruments to kids in need and private instruction, at the behest of band directors, for students to excel in the audition process for college admissions.

Additionally, local school bands, student ensembles, and individuals are given multiple performance opportunities across the school year. The pinnacle of these activities comes during the Festival week when True Blue Jazz headline artists come into area schools to conduct Master Classes/Clinics with the students.

Peggy Raley says, “These moments are, by far, the most rewarding for Eddie and me. Over the course of a few hours under the mentoring of these world-renowned artists, you watch these kids transform.

You see the light bulbs going off. You witness them dig into parts of themselves they didn’t know they had. They’re playing one-on-one with legends, and for a lot of them—it’s life altering.”

Cape Henlopen High School (CHHS) Band Director Chris Burkhart says, “True Blue Jazz Festival is a champion for jazz education. In the past five years alone, the festival has brought in Wycliffe Gordon, Camille Thurman, Vuyo Sotashe, Paul Carr, Peter and Will Anderson, the Fred Hughes Trio, and Emmet Cohen to give clinics to the CHHS Jazz Band. Cape students have hung backstage at True Blue concerts with Christian McBride and the late great NEA jazz master Jimmy Heath.

“True Blue has given thousands of dollars in scholarships, bought horns and equipment for kids, and supported our young performers as they’ve gone on to achieve their own professional success.

Eddie and Peggy aren’t just providing world-class concerts to our region, they are ensuring the future of the great American art form by investing in youth jazz education. We are incredibly lucky to have these jazz crusaders supporting us and are eternally grateful for what they do.”

For the True Blue Jazz Festival schedule, more information, and tickets go to truebluejazz.org. ▼ True Blue Jazz “Alumni” performer, Trumpeter and Vocalist Benny Benack III, photo by Deny Howeth

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

39 Letters

Out & About

BY ERIC C. PETERSON

A Cage of My Own Making

W

hen I was about seven, I heard the word “homosexual” for the first time. I didn’t know what a homosexual was, but it had the word “sex” in it, so I figured it had to be juicy.

So, I asked my mother, “Mom, what’s a homosexual?”

Neither my mother nor I knew at that moment that a homosexual was, among other things, me. So, my mother answered as best she could: “Well, Eric…a homosexual is a man who loves men the way he ought to love women, or a woman who loves women the way she ought to love men.” Needless to say, I didn’t come out to my mom for quite a while after that.

And I want to be clear, I’m not writing this to attack my mother. This was 1977, and just five years before, homosexuality was still listed in the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental illnesses. My very heterosexual mother had come of age in the 50s and early 60s, and there was every reason for her to believe that homosexuality was a choice—and a bad one, at that.

But those words affected me. I spent my teenage years ogling the men’s underwear section of the JCPenney catalogue, but convincing myself that it was only because I wanted to look like that—not because I wanted to get with that.

When I was 25, I was living in Washington DC as an aspiring playwright. Gay theatre was booming in the 90s, and I remember wishing that I was gay, because it would be good for my career. But even so, I still couldn’t face the truth about myself.

Back then, the Washington Theatre Festival was an annual event that staged works by local writers, and in 1996 one of my plays was produced. The play featured a scene between a committed gay couple, debating whether to have a child, and it ended with a kiss—not a hot, passionate snog with lots of tongue; Letters 40 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

more of a romantic we’ll-get-through-this and I-really-do-love-you kiss.

One Saturday, as we were auditioning for actors, an actor showed up alone.

The other actor who was scheduled was a no-show, and this tall, lanky drink of water had no one to read with. Knowing that I had done some acting, the director asked me if I’d be willing to read with him, and I agreed.

After all, anyone who literally writes their own script to facilitate their first kiss wants out of the closet, desperately.

As the scene drew near the close, I wondered if he was going to kiss me, as the script indicated. My heart started to race, and my mouth went arid. Somehow, I continued to say my lines, the lines I knew so well because I had written them myself. And then he did it. He kissed me.

I think, for a moment, my brain left my body. I felt that kiss in my toes. It was an experience I’d never had before, and I now knew what people meant when they used the word “fireworks” to describe romantic attraction.

I drove home in a state of shock.

There was simply no longer any point in denying what I had kept from myself for so long. I was gay. I was a homosexual.

I was a man who loved men the way he always thought he ought to love women.

I came out to my mom about six months later. All things considered, she took the news pretty well.

But for years afterward, I marveled at my own coming out story. What if I’d changed the scene so it was no longer gay? What if my scene partner hadn’t decided to plant one on me? And what

if that other, forgotten, nameless, actor had shown up for his audition? Who knows how long it would have taken me to figure myself out? (By the way, whoever and wherever you are, thank you for staying home that day.)

For a long time, I believed that if I had been born in a less tolerant time, I might have lived in denial forever. If I had come of age in the 50s and early 60s like my mom, I might have married a woman, had kids, and never had the top of my head blown off by another man’s lips touching mine. And I felt lucky.

But now I believe that I probably would have figured myself out eventually. After all, anyone who literally writes their own script to facilitate their first kiss wants out of the closet, desperately.

Because people want their freedom.

Each of us will do just about anything to get it, and in the meantime, we will pull whatever scraps of joy we can find to nourish ourselves and fight another day.

I’m now convinced that we will do just about anything to escape our chains, whether they be literal chains, or simply a lie we’ve been telling ourselves our whole lives.

I think about E.M. Forster, who wrote an entire gay romance novel in 1913 that he knew he couldn’t print so long as homosexuality was illegal in the UK (Maurice was eventually published in 1971). I think about Jane Addams, who spent her days fighting for women’s suffrage and her nights with Mary Rozet Smith, a philanthropist. I think about Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, who fought at Stonewall and spent the rest of their lives advocating for their rights and nurturing a found family of young LGBTQ people. I think of Josephine Baker, Gertrude Stein, and James Baldwin, who all moved to Paris so they could be themselves in ways that America would never allow.

I think about all the gay people whose names I will never know, who snuck into back-alley bars and

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improbably found love, either for a night or for a lifetime, at a time when being gay could cost them their jobs and land them in jail.

In 2023, we know these stories, or we should. And yet, there are still those in Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and elsewhere who are trying to protect our children from what they call “the gay agenda,” which as far as I can tell contains only two items: love and freedom. A record number 417 antiLGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures around the country.

Those who sponsor these bills say they’re protecting their children from those who would groom them and seduce them into a life of depravity, pain, and despair.

If these folks had ever met an LGBTQ person and listened to our stories, they’d know that for many of us, the only pain and despair associated with being gay are the years we spent pretending to be something we’re just not. Those who sponsor these bills say they’re protecting their children from us, but what they’re doing is hiding their

children from their own minds.

I don’t know if this column will reach anyone who truly needs to read it, but let me just state for the record: A book about gay penguins or lesbian mommies will not make your child gay. A comic

And then he did it. He kissed me. I think, for a moment, my brain left my body. book about a trans superhero or a drag queen reading stories at your local library will not make your child question their gender. And if you’re scared to death of books, movies, or the fact that LGBTQ people simply exist in the world, then I suspect your child is already the thing you fear most. And all you’re doing is telling your child that a gay man is a “man who loves men the way he ought

to love women” and that a trans woman is “a man who sees a woman where he ought to see a man.”

It would be so much easier for everyone, yourself included, if you’d just tell your kids that you love them and let them be. And who knows, maybe your child will be the cisgender heterosexual you always wanted. And if that’s true, your cisgender heterosexual child will know they are loved for who they are, not tolerated because of who they’re not. And if your child turns out to be neither straight nor cisgender, believe me when I tell you that they would have found their way to themselves someday anyway.

Because that’s what we do. ▼ 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.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

41 Letters

Words Matter

BY CLARENCE FLUKER

So Happy to See You

T

his summer I saw him smiling and my heart was full. It seemed poetic as I watched a video of him smiling at the camera and dancing at Beyonce’s Renaissance world tour.

My heart was full, knowing the renaissance that he has gone through over the last several years and to now see him fully embracing and enjoying his life.

We met at a dinner party, talked for a bit, and at the end of the night we exchanged business cards. That happens often. I figured that maybe we would meet up for coffee once and then stay connected just to keep each other in the loop about trends in our industry and networking events that we were both fond of. Unexpectedly, and fortunately, that is not what happened. Instead, we met up for coffee and could not stop chatting. It was a natural connection, and I knew this guy would be a friend.

He is smart, kind, encouraging, and always committed to learning. Building a friendship with him was easy. We hung out with each other; sometimes we would hang out with our mutual friends. No matter the case, we would always have a good time. I was delighted by the new gift of friendship. Later I was even more delighted when he invited me deeper into his world.

At brunch one Saturday he noticed me looking at a guy across the room. He asked me if that was the kind of man that typically catches and keeps my eye. I confirmed that to be true. Then he went on to tell me about the men that he finds attractive. I stuttered a bit asking him to repeat himself. I was sure that I did not hear him correctly. Nope! In fact, I did hear correctly. After months of building our friendship, he was trusting me and sharing that he identified as bisexual. It was a piece of him that he had not shared with very many people, so I felt honored he had shared it with me.

Since then, I have witnessed him grow more comfortable with himself, overcoming some of the challenges and obstacles faced by people who identify as bisexual.

It has strengthened my empathy for a part

I have witnessed him grow more comfortable with himself, overcoming some of the challenges and obstacles faced by people who identify as bisexual.

Letters 42 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

of the LGBTQIA+ community that I think is sometimes ignored and often misunderstood.

Coming out/inviting is not easy for everyone. We live in a world where fear and discrimination still exist. A world where the price you pay for living your truth may be living a life of forced isolation from your family if they choose not to accept you. Where friends may become foes. Where if you cannot fit neatly into the box someone else has created for you, they will box you out from opportunities for friendship and love. Where myths about bisexual Black and Latino men in particular have demonized them. A world where you could be standing right in front of someone as your full self, and they may choose not to see you at all. Even though we all deserve to be seen.

I see my friend, though, and I reaffirm his wholeness. I am proud of the self-work he has done to be able to navigate the conversations with women and men about his attraction to both genders. His commitment to his truth is now bigger than his fear of rejection.

Even in his professional life he has become more confident. At a recent meeting for a diverse leaders networking group he is a member of, he raised his hand and voice in a discussion that years ago he would have sat silent in. No one in the group previously knew that he identified as bisexual. His comments that day made his dual identities known. He opened himself up to be seen more fully and was embraced.

I hope to see more of that. I am so happy to see him. ▼ 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 Instagram: @Mr_ CJFluker.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

43 Letters

Dining Out

BY LESLIE SINCLAIR & DEBBIE WOODS

Just In Thyme

F

rom the moment we entered Just In Thyme, located on the “forgotten mile” in Rehoboth Beach, we were enveloped in an ambiance that can only be described as warm and inviting. The restaurant’s commitment to preserving its heritage is evident not just in its physical space, but also in the dishes that grace its menu.

We peeked into the fully occupied bar, and we couldn’t help but draw parallels to the iconic TV show, Cheers.

The bar exudes a sense of camaraderie that instantly makes you feel like you’re amongst friends, whether you’re a regular or a first-time visitor. Much like the show, it’s a place where you can unwind, share stories, and where “everybody knows your name.”

George greeted us and seated us at a nice table we had already spied near the window. We inquired and found out that John and Leslie Orlando have owned this local institution for 24 years and have lived and worked in the area for 39. (They are also the former owners of Potpourri at the site of what is now Chesapeake & Maine on Rehoboth Avenue.) John is also the chef, and he came out of the kitchen to greet us. Much like the community it serves, John and the entire staff exude a genuine friendliness.

We began our meal with one of Just In Thyme’s specialty cocktails. Leslie selected a New Orleans Old Fashioned, and Debbie chose the Blueberry-Acai Cosmo. Both were excellent. The cocktail menu has a total of 10 specialty drinks, and it was difficult to choose!

The restaurant likes to blend traditional local favorites, newly conceptualized entrees, and twists on classic recipes for a varied and fun menu. For example, you can find traditional appetizers like flash-fried calamari, Delmarva crab dip, and Caesar or wedge salads. We shared two appetizers; the first was baked mushroom caps made with lump crab imperial, fontina cheese, and Old Bay. Tasty and delicious! The second was spicy garlic shrimp, which is also a popular happy hour item. They had a

Letters 44 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

wonderful flavor with a perfect amount of heat.

A haven for both meat and seafood lovers, Just In Thyme boasts an entree

…we were treated to a dessert tray to dazzle the eyes and satisfy all palates. menu that showcases the finest offerings from both land and sea. Drawing upon chef John’s influences, you can also choose Cajun specialties that add a burst of Southern charm. The jambalaya has a zesty kick, and the Pork Orleans is a tenderloin served with smoked gouda grits, fried green tomatoes, and Dijon sherry cream.

For our entrees, Leslie had one of their daily specials—short ribs braised and

simmered in Dogfish Head chicory stout, served with shaved Brussels sprouts. Rich and delicious.

Another tempting special that day was a stuffed rockfish. However, Debbie selected Seafood Margherita, one of Just In Thyme’s most popular dishes—a mouth-watering combination of shrimp, scallops, lump crab, tomatoes, and fresh basil in a marinara sauce with grated Parmesan over fettuccini. Marvelous!

Since we couldn’t sample everything, we canvased a friendly table of regulars about what they like. They heartily recommended the Pork Orleans and the smoked fish appetizer as two of their favorites among many. The restaurant is particularly proud of their cured in-house fish served with tomato, capers, Bermuda onion, naan bread, and remoulade.

To conclude our meal, we were treated to a dessert tray to dazzle the eyes and satisfy all palates. With difficulty, we selected the chocolate cake with Kalua mousse and buttercream icing. Just yummy!

Do you hanker for pan seared scallops, oysters Rockefeller, or New York strip and filet mignon? You will find them all and more at Just In Thyme. And we found all prices to be reasonable too.

Just In Thyme participates in Rehoboth’s annual Jazz Fest by hosting live entertainment. On Saturday October 14, they will feature Roo Brown; and on Sunday the 15th, Shore Jazz will appear with local favorite Holly Lane. We plan to return that weekend.

If you and your dinner guests are looking for a great variety of well-prepared dishes, served somewhere you will be enveloped in a warm and inviting ambiance, try Just In Thyme! Or find yourself a seat at the bar for that Cheers camaraderie and a chance to unwind.

Free parking is always available. ▼ Leslie Sinclair and her wife Debbie Woods are longtime fans of the Rehoboth Beach dining and entertainment scene and have been fulltime residents since 2009.

JAZZ FESTIVAL 2023 FROM 6-10 PM Friday, Oct. 13: The Mike McShane Trio with Joe Holt and Paul Midirini Featuring vocals by Roo Brown Sunday, Oct. 15: Shore Jazz Featuring Vocals by Holly Lane CALL 227-3100 FOR RESERVATIONS

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45 Letters

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47 Letters

CAMP Stories

BY RICH BARNETT

Remembering the Rehoboth Beach Book

I

was cleaning out the bottom drawer of a pine chest on my screened porch a few weeks ago when I came across a cache of Rehobothiana—photos, post cards, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera that I’d used in past columns and books and then squirreled away. At the bottom of the pile was the torn-off cover of an old 1999 Beach Book, a publication I hadn’t thought about for at least 20 years.

Some of you reading this column will remember the Beach Book. It was a 6x9 summer paperback beach directory published annually by CAMP Rehoboth from 1994 to 2007. What made the directory unique and useful was the fact that the individuals appearing in its pages were listed alphabetically by first name (followed by last name) and also by their summer house addresses. Local landline phone numbers were associated with each name and address. Interestingly, a similar gay directory existed for the Fire Island communities of Cherry Grove and The Pines.

It sounds kind of quaint, given the popularity of mobile phones and social media sites today. But back when the Rehoboth Beach Book started, less than 30 percent of Americans had mobile phones or personal computers. Gays and lesbians faced inequality and violence throughout the country. You could lose your job for living openly. Bars were about the only places where you could meet others like yourself.

Yet despite all this, the seeds of change were sprouting. Here in Rehoboth a young organization called CAMP Rehoboth was working not only to build bridges between the straight community and the growing numbers of gays and lesbians coming to Rehoboth, but also to create a visible and Letters 48 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

respected LGBT community in the town.

The Beach Book played an important role by providing a new way to connect with someone you might meet on the beach, at a house party, or at the popular Blue Moon happy hour. The culture in Rehoboth during the 80s and 90s was for groups of gay guys from the Mid-Atlantic to go in together and rent houses at the beach for the summer. Chris Riss, one of the originators of the Beach Book, realized that the sooner guys from different cities and houses got to know each other and could more easily communicate, the more they’d feel a sense of belonging, good times, and community.

Putting the book together was a lot of work. According to Riss, he and his collaborators printed out simple forms asking for the beach house address, landline telephone number at the house, and the full names of each house member.

They spent the month of May running around Poodle Beach and seated at a table on Baltimore Avenue in front of the CAMP Rehoboth courtyard with multiple clipboards, encouraging “house mothers” to fill out the forms.

CAMP Rehoboth staff sold ads and CAMP co-founders Murray Archibald and Steve Elkins entered the artwork and names into a format that was then turned over to a printing company in northern Virginia run by Greg Albright, the (now) husband of CAMP Rehoboth’s current Board chair, Wes Combs. Murray did the artwork for the front covers. The books arrived back in Rehoboth in early June and were sold for $1 apiece. Guys lined up to buy them on the beach.

Curious to see any surviving copies of the Beach Book, I paid a visit to none other than archivist extraordinaire Tony Burns, one of my go-to sources for info about old Rehoboth.

Naturally, he had copies. Flipping through them, we saw many familiar names, some for people no longer with us.

We were also able to discern some interesting trends. In 1995, for example, there were 241 beach houses listed— most of them looked like group houses

The Beach Book played an important role by providing a new way to connect with someone you might meet… given the number of names linked to the addresses—and 1,092 individuals. By 2000, the house listings had increased to 266 houses and there were 1,340 individuals. It was, we seemed to remember, the apex of the group house scene. Seven years later, the final 2007 edition included 196 listings, many of them couples, and far fewer group houses. In fact, there were only 448 names listed.

The Beach Book by then had lost much of its purpose. More and more gays and lesbians were eschewing group houses and buying their own homes and starting businesses as a vibrant LGBTQ community blossomed in Rehoboth.

Mobile phones with robust built-in contact directories were much more mainstream.

It’s not hard to see why the Beach Book, Rehoboth’s home-grown social media network, was replaced by mobile phones, apps, and cutting-edge platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and later Grindr and its geolocation technology. Today, you can talk and meet up with anyone in the world, not just “Rob on Robinson Drive.” New technologies certainly broaden our horizons. But do they foster a sense of belonging, good times, and community like the Beach Book did? ▼ Rich Barnett is the author of The Discreet Charms of a Bourgeois Beach Town, and Fun with Dick and James.

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49 Letters

BANNED BOOKS WEEK

BY NANCY SAKADUSKI

Reading Is Fundamental Unless the Characters Are LGBTQ+

B

ack on June 12, 2014, the Cape Henlopen School Board voted 6–1 to remove The Miseducation of Cameron Post from a list of novels students could choose from to complete a summer reading requirement. The reason given was foul language, but several of the other books on the list contained the same words—the ones commonly heard in any high school hallway. Could the actual reason have been that the book featured a lesbian teenager?

As news spread, the website AfterEllen. com organized an effort to make copies of The Miseducation of Cameron Post available to any student who wanted one. Browseabout Books became a distribution point to hand out the books, which had been donated for that purpose. Any high school student could walk into Browseabout Books and walk out with a free copy of the banned book.

Since 2014, the number of challenges targeting LGBTQ books has risen dramatically, and since 2021, more than half the books challenged were objected to for LGBTQ content. The people lodging the complaints often said they were objecting to the sexual content, by which they meant GAY sexual content.

Much of the concern stems from ignorance. The Washington Post examined challenges from across the country and noted comments such as: [This book gives] “ideas to children [on how to] discover that they are gay [and] how to persuade others they may be gay as well,” “The theme or purpose of this book is to confuse our children and get them to question whether they are a boy or a girl,” and “Books like this is where teens get the idea it’s ok! [to be gay].”

One could perhaps see humor in the obliviousness if not for the fact that LGBTQ+ teens are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide as their heterosexual peers, and factors such as lack of support, depression, bullying, and social isolation play a key role. School is one of the greatest stressors for trans children. Can there be anything more isolating and depressing than thinking you are one of a kind? One of an undesirable kind?

The American Library Association (ALA) documented 1,269 challenges to more than 2,500 books in 2022—a 75 percent jump from 2021 and the highest number of attempted book bans since the association began tracking such efforts in 2001. Of the 13 books that made the ALA’s list of “Most Challenged Books” last year, seven titles—

Banned Books Week Activities in Lewes

F

or Banned Books Week, October 1–7, the Lewes Public Library is hosting Let Freedom Read: We Love Banned Books, a week of events sponsored by ACLU of Delaware, Browseabout Books, and Groome Church.

Starting Monday, October 2, vote in the library’s Tournament of Banned Books. There are four categories: Classics, Adult, Young Adult, and Juvenile. Each category has 16 books, paired two at a time, with the winner of each pairing moving forward. Each day vote for your favorites, either online or in-person at the library. The tournament winner will be announced on Friday, October 6. Information: https://tinyurl. com/WeLoveBannedBooks

Letters 50 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

AMONG THE OTHER BANNED BOOKS WEEK ACTIVITIES ARE: Unveiling of a one-of-a-kind mural in the Teen Room painted by John Donato Monday, October 2, 6:00 p.m.

Book Banning: Past & Present Wednesday, October 4, 5:00 p.m., in-person and online How far can the government—federal, state, local, or library—go when it comes to banning books it deems objectionable? How much latitude can the government have in suppressing books on science, literature, religion, race, gender, and history? In today’s culture wars, too often the answer depends on which books offend which group. Two noted free speech scholars

will join in spirited and informed conversation. Registration and information: https://delawarelibraries.libcal.com/ event/11110196 Banned Books/Silenced Voices Friday, October 6, 5:00 p.m., inperson Members of Del Shakes Artistic Squad bring the strength and the beauty of banned texts to life through dramatic readings. Stay afterward for a moderated discussion, led by Dr. Adenike Davidson, on the readings and the issue of banning books. Registration and information: https://delawarelibraries. libcal.com/event/10976524

including three of the top four—were challenged for having LGBTQ content.

Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said “It’s a way of telling young gay and transgender persons that they don’t belong in school, that they don’t belong to the community.”

A small number of people are responsible for most of the book challenges.

The ALA reported that, prior to 2020, the “vast majority” of challenges against books were made by individuals who sought to restrict access to a single book their child was reading. But the group found that 90 percent of last year’s challenges were directed at multiple books and nearly a fifth of them were made by “political/religious groups.” The Washington Post found that individuals who filed 10 or more complaints were responsible for two-thirds of all challenges.

Book challengers often use the word “inappropriate” and argue that young children shouldn’t be exposed to the existence of homosexuality, with transgender material being a particular hot button. Yet a Washington Post-KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) poll found that a third of trans adults began to understand their gender

identity when they were 10 or younger, and another third realized it between the ages of 11 and 17.

“I wanted to write about kids like me because kids like me exist,” said Schuyler Bailar, the first openly transgender NCAA

Since 2014, the number of challenges targeting LGBTQ books has risen dramatically Division I swimmer and author of Obie is Man Enough, a novel about a transgender middle school swimmer. “We know when kids aren’t allowed to be who they are until they’re adults—or if they have to hide their identity—it’s harmful to them,” he said. “When we affirm children’s identities, we can actually save their lives.”

Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, a professor at Ohio State in the 1990s, promoted literature as a tool of self-affirmation for all children. “Books,” she wrote, “are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange.” She also talked about books

serving as mirrors. The metaphor of children needing to see themselves in books (mirrors), as well as see others different from themselves (windows) is important to understanding how children learn about a diverse world and their part in it.

“These book bans absolutely affect authors,” explains Bailar, “but I think they affect the children more. Our stories are not getting out to the kids who need to be reading them.”

It’s important that all children learn about LGBTQ+ individuals but essential that LGBTQ+ children learn they are not alone. Pushing back against book bans is one way to help ensure that our LGBTQ+ youth are in the mirrors and windows of books available from our school and public libraries.▼ Nancy Sakaduski is an award-winning writer and editor who owns Cat & Mouse Press in Lewes. She writes for children and adults and has authored 24 published books. Nancy volunteers in the children’s room at the Lewes Public Library and serves on the library’s Board of Commissioners. She was recently chosen to moderate the children’s panel for the History Book Festival.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

51 Letters

CAMPshots

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

Let the Sunshine In! SUNFESTIVAL 2023 Battle of the Bachelors and Bachelorettes, Rehoboth Museum Beach Ball, DDOA Award Winner Reception at CAMP Rehoboth, Bay Pride Raft-Up on Dewey Bay, and More!

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at SUNFESTIVAL 2023: DJ Robbie Leslie, Michael Fishman, Edsel Gayoso, Matt Blocher, Will Tuttle, Matt Alion, Dennis Shine, Claire Ippoliti, Barb Lennon, RB Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski, Bruce Clayton, Jeff Brydzinski, Al Drulis, Scott Silber, Chris Otiz, Tyler Prete, Kyle Taylor, Kyle Pacelli, Joseph Mingari, Brian Barber, Robert Simpson.

OPPOSITE PAGE 2) at SUNFESTIVAL 2023: DJ Joe Gauthreaux, Teri Seaton, Joanie Murphy, Gwen Osborne, Katie Handy, Kim Smitas, Matt Hagen, Marc Charon, Jon Dauphine, Clarence Pineda, Sarah Herrmann, Kelsey Grant, Angelo Ciro, Lon Miller, Nate Metz, Steph DaLee, Richard Dominico.

1

Letters 52 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

More CAMPshots page 54

2

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

53 Letters

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

1

(Continued from page 53) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at SUNFESTIVAL 2023: Michael Fetchko, Keith Petrack, Robert Mittleman, Rut Paul, Randy Roberts, Domenic Mannello, Craig Scindiver, Dusty Abshire, Gary Alexander, Tony Zacchei, Robby Kilpatrick, Aaron Gia, Kenny Sanchez, Matt Siletta, Cliff Lassahn, Jon A. Kaplan, JoAnn Gulssick, Suzanne Krupa, Rex Varner, Tom Balling, Charles Vandergrift.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 2) at SUNFESTIVAL 2023: Joe Filipek, Bill Amery, Mike Lucas, Larry Richardson, Derrick Johnson, Tara Sheldon, Matty Brown, Kim Leisey, Michael Fishman, Chris Beagle, Kay Young, Donna Sifflett, Sedusa DuBoyz, David Gudelunas, Washington Heights, Ian Muldowney, Randy Roberts, Dixie Longate, Debbie Woods, Bill Green, Leslie Sinclair, Catherine DeViloada, Cathy Picard, Amber Cardinia, Richard Thibodeau, David Carder, Michelle Manfredi, Laurie Thompson, Hope Vella, Kevin McDuffie, Gianni Ballarin.

(More CAMPshots page 102) Letters 54 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

More SUNFESTIVAL 2023!

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

55 Letters

It’s My Life

BY MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

Novel Ideas

I

have a new novel out.

It’s called Every Star That Falls, and you really want to read it. It’s funny, and moving, and it contains what I’m pretty sure is the first gay triad in young adult novels. It’s basically what would happen if Heartstoppers and Red, White and Royal Blue had a baby.

If this sounds like an elevator pitch, it’s because it is. In the weeks leading up to the book’s release, my publisher’s publicity team suggested I practice saying it until it sounded unrehearsed, because in the days after the book’s launch I would be saying it approximately 37,000 times to the various media outlets they’d lined up for me to talk to.

This is not, of course, my first novel.

It’s my sixty-first, I think. But this one is different from the ones I usually do.

For one thing, it’s a sequel to my novel Suicide Notes. Being a sequel isn’t unusual, but being a sequel to a book that came out 15 years ago is. Making it even more unusual, Every Star That Falls begins the day after Suicide Notes ends.

So even though no time at all passes between the books, in my life a whole lot has happened. Suicide Notes was written six houses, four years of caring for my mother as she died, and one exhusband ago.

Interviewers are really interested in this. “Why did it take you so long to write the sequel?” is the first question I usually get.

“Well,” I tell them, thinking about how we have only 10 minutes before the next interview, “I was kind of busy.”

Every Star That Falls is also different for me because it’s the first YA (young adult) novel I’ve released in the era of social media. When I first started publishing, you sent books out to a handful of professional review journals and waited to see what they thought.

While that still happens, now more emphasis is placed on social media, where books are judged not necessarily by professional reviewers but by pretty much anyone with an Instagram or TikTok account.

Letters 56 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

This is, unsurprisingly, a perfect setup for inducing anxiety in those of us who do things like write books. Social media is not exactly known as a place where measured, in-depth discourse about art occurs. It’s more like, “I listened to this book while riding rollercoasters with my friends yesterday, and I guess it’s okay, but what I really want to talk about is my new nail polish.”

In one photo it was sandwiched between new titles by Zadie Smith and Stephen King, which I’m fairly certain is the only time that will ever happen.

The day the book came out, I mostly looked to see what would happen on Instagram. This is where most readers of YA fiction post. Also, bookstores use it to promote the newest releases. I was relieved to see that Every Star That Falls was featured in dozens of posts. In one photo it was sandwiched between new titles by Zadie Smith and Stephen King, which I’m fairly certain is the only time that will ever happen.

Once I got past the thrill of seeing my book getting some love, I started to look at all the other books in the photos.

Mine was usually one of a dozen or more new releases. Every book was decked out in a beautiful cover and adorned with glowing blurbs designed to tempt readers. Every book wanted to be picked up and bought. Every book wanted to be loved. And behind every one of those books, I knew, was an author like me, someone looking for proof that THEIR book was standing out in the crowd.

The part I tried not to think about was how next week there will be another crop of new books. This week’s class will

make room for the new arrivals. Gone are the days when books lingered on bookstore tables for months. Now, you get a brief window to convince readers to pick you up. I try not to compare it to the way the boys of summer quickly become the middle-aged men of fall, but it’s hard not to.

In a couple of days, I fly to Chicago for a bookstore event. Will anyone come? Or will I, as has happened several times in the past, end up reading to an audience of only store employees? I know from experience that these things are completely unpredictable. (Once, I flew across the country to discover that no one had bothered to tell the store manager that there was even an event happening.)

On the other hand, I could be met with an enthusiastic audience of dozens and spend a happy hour or two talking to readers about my book and signing their copies. If so, I hope I can convey to them how much I appreciate them coming out to see me.

I’ve been putting out books for more than 30 years. Every time a new one comes out I think it won’t be as exciting as the last time. But it always is. It’s also always as nerve-wracking.

You put so much time into books, not to mention a piece of your heart. And while intellectually you understand that whether or not a book succeeds has almost nothing to do with you once it’s out in the world, you of course want it to be recognized.

All of which is to say—I have a new novel out! It’s a good one! I bet you’ll love it. ▼ Michael Thomas Ford is a much-published Lambda Literary award-winning author. Visit Michael at michaelthomasford.com.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

57 Letters

Letters 58 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

59 Letters

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

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

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

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

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

REHOBOTH FOOD & DRINK 1776 Steakhouse, Midway Shopping Center................................302-645-9355 Aqua, 57 Baltimore Ave................................................................ 302-226-9001 Back Porch Café, 59 Rehoboth Ave...............................................302-227-3674 Blue Moon, 35 Baltimore Ave........................................................302-227-6515 Café Azafrán, 18 Baltimore Ave.....................................................302-227-8100 Café Papillon, Penny Lane Mall......................................................302-227-7568 Chesapeake & Maine, 316 Rehoboth Ave.....................................302-226-3600 Coho’s Market & Grill, 305 Rehoboth Ave......................................302-227-2646 Diego’s Bar Nightclub, 37298 Rehoboth Ave................................302-227-1023 Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats 320 Rehoboth Ave.......................302-226-2739 Dos Locos, 208 Rehoboth Ave.......................................................302-227-3353 Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant, 3 South First St.......................302-527-1400 Go Fish, 24 Rehoboth Ave..............................................................302-226-1044 Goolee’s Grille, 11 South 1st St.....................................................302-227-7653 Just In Thyme, 38163 Robinsons Dr..............................................302-227-3100 Lori’s Café, 39 Baltimore Ave.........................................................302-226-3066 Loves Liquors, LLC, 305c Rehoboth Ave........................................302-227-6966 Lupo Italian Kitchen, 247 Rehoboth Ave.......................................302-226-2240 Purple Parrot Grill, 134 Rehoboth Ave...........................................302-226-1139 Rigby’s, 404 Rehoboth Ave............................................................302-227-6080 Shorebreak Lodge, 10 Wilmington Ave.........................................302-227-1007 The Pines, 56 Baltimore Avenue....................................................302-567-2726

Letters 60 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

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

SERVICES AT THE BEACH BUILDING/CLEANING/REMODELING/LANDSCAPING

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

CHURCHES/SYNAGOGUES

All Saints’ Episcopal, 18 Olive Ave.................................................302-227-7202 Epworth UMC, 19285 Holland Glade Rd.......................................302-227-7743 Grace of God Lutheran, ELCA, 20689 Shoppes at Long Neck.......302-947-1044 M.C.C. of Rehoboth, 19369 Plantation Rd.....................................302-645-4945 Seaside Jewish Community, 18970 Holland Glade Rd..................302-226-8977 St. George’s Episcopal, 20271 Beaver Dam Rd, Harbeson......302-227-7202 St. Peter’s Episcopal, 2nd & Market Sts, Lewes.............................302-645-8479 Unitarian Universalist, 30486 Lewes-G’Town Hwy........................302-313-5838 Unity of Rehoboth, 98 Rudder Rd, Millsboro.................................717-579-2612 Westminster Presbyterian, 301 King Charles Ave.........................302-227-2109

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

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

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

COUNSELING/THERAPY/LIFE COACH

Jewish Family Services........................................................ 302-478-9411 Karen Abato, LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor........... 302-500-3691 Kevin J. Bliss, Personal/Professional Coaching.............................302-754-1954 Time to Heal Counseling & Consulting, Lewes ............................302-574-6954

LEGAL/ACCOUNTING/TRUST SERVICES

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

MASSAGE THERAPY/FITNESS

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

PEST CONTROL

Activ Pest Solutions, 16803 New Rd, Lewes................................ 302-645-1502

PET RETAIL

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

PET SERVICES

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

Brandywine Valley SPCA, 22918 Dupont Blvd, G’twn.......... 302-856-6361 Humane Animal Partners (formerly Delaware Humane Association & Delaware SPCA).......................................................... 302-200-7159 Little Landmines Pet Waste Removal. littlelandmines.com.......... 302-521-3983 Parsell Pet Crematorium, 16961 Kings Hwy, Lewes............ 302-645-7445

EVENT PLANNING/CATERING

REAL ESTATE

ELECTRICIANS

Plate Catering.................................................................................302-644-1200

FINANCIAL SERVICES

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

FLORISTS

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

FUNERAL SERVICES

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

HAIR SALONS/TATTOO & PIERCING

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

HEALTH-RELATED

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

Allen Jarmon, NextHome Tomorrow Realty...................................302-745-5122 Bill Peiffer, Patterson Schwartz, 18958 Coastal Hwy....................302-703-6987 Chris Beagle, Compass..................................................................302-273-4998 Donna Whiteside, Berkshire Hathaway, 16712 Kings Hwy...........302-381-4871 Hugh Fuller, Realtor........................................................................302-745-1866 John Black, Patterson Schwartz, 18958 Coastal Hwy...................302-703-6987 Lana Warfield, Berkshire Hathaway, 37230 Rehoboth Ave...........302-227-6101 Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, 16698 Kings Hwy....................... 302-645-6664 Lingo Realty, 246 Rehoboth Ave....................................................302-227-3883 McWilliams Ballard, Kevin McDuffie.................................. kmcduffie@mcwb.com McWilliams Ballard, Justin Orr.....................................................jorr@mcwb.com Randy Mason/Shirley Kalvinsky, Lingo Realty................................302-227-3883 Sea Bova Associates, 20250 Coastal Hwy........................... 302-227-1222 The Joe Maggio Group, 37169 Rehoboth Ave Ext., #11....... 302-226-3770 Troy Roberts, Mann & Sons, 414 Rehoboth Ave............................302-228-7422

RETIREMENT LIVING/SENIOR CARE FACILITIES

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

TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION

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

POPULAR LGBTQ BEACHES

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

INSURANCE

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

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

61 Letters

OUTlook

BY BETH SHOCKLEY

The Lives of Dogs

A

ugust 26 was National Dog Day, and for the first time since I moved to Delaware in 2005, I had no doggies of my own to celebrate. This year has been a rough one for us; we lost both of our beloved German shepherds. Our 11-year-old, Sydney, passed away unexpectedly in January. Abby, who was 13, died in June.

They were both the best girls and loved each other as sisters.

I miss them both terribly, each for different reasons. Abby taught me so much about how dogs love unconditionally. We got her as a little sausage from a responsible breeder in western Maryland. She was so cute and the sweetest little girl. But she was also very stubborn. Despite her obstinance, she graduated at the top of her class after vigorous (and months-long) obedience training.

Abby’s line was Belgian, so she grew into a big, burly girl with forelegs the size of small trees. She loved baby carrots and string cheese, her treats of choice, along with sour cream and whipped cream. But her favorite thing was a ball; she was obsessed. We would spend hours in the backyard throwing the ball. She always brought it back.

Much to our chagrin, we discovered Abby loved men. Friends, relatives, contractors, you name it—she was a shameless hussy once she was introduced. She was the biggest flirt whenever a man was around. She’d immediately turn to butter, begging for belly rubs. My brother-in-law was basically an Abby pork chop.

After a few years, one destroyed love seat, and two holes in the wall while we were at work, we thought it would be a good idea to get Abby a sister. We adopted Sydney from a local shelter.

They got along beautifully at the meetand-greet. At home, they happily shared hedgehog stuffies and gave each other baths.

But on a few occasions, they fought to the point of drawing blood.

Letters 62 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

It was scary because we couldn’t intervene; there weren’t enough pots to bang or buckets of cold water to

If you are blessed to love and be loved by a dog, give them some extra attention, one more toss of the ball, another walk or treat. throw to separate them. We decided to let Sydney stay with us and did our best to enable them to work out their differences with more appropriate behaviors. The fights were blessedly few and far between, especially as they got older.

Sydney taught me even more about how dogs love. She’d had a rough beginning, which I identified with, and she knew we were giving her the

chance to be loved the way every dog should be. She let us know every day how grateful she was just by being so full of joy. She was never grumpy and never let us know she had an autoimmune disorder. We found out by accident during a routine vet check.

She was put on medication and went into remission for years. She was such a sweet girl; such a good girl. She loved the ball, too, but the most fun thing for her was tug. She was the most joyful dog I’ve ever known.

I don’t measure my grief by the number of boxes of tissues I’ve gone through, or the pain of my heart that broke two times in relatively short succession. For me, it’s the silence.

There is an astounding lack of sound now in the house—no panting, no paws running across the floors, no officious German shepherd barking at the door.

We have three absolutely delightful kitty boys still with us, thank heavens, but they don’t make much noise. Except at dinner. But Pi, who was close to both Abby and Sydney, went upstairs after Abby died at home and let out a hairraising, mournful meow/howl. These days, JoJo likes to sleep in Abby’s spot by the sliding glass door to the back deck. I think Charlie is simply relieved.

He never learned that if he didn’t run, they wouldn’t chase.

If you are blessed to love and be loved by a dog—on National Dog Day or any other day—give them some extra attention, one more toss of the ball, another walk or treat. You probably do already. Because you already know a dog’s love—and if you know, you know ▼ Beth Shockley is a retired senior writer/editor living in Dover with her wife and furbabies.

Photo (L-Sydney, R-Abby)

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

63 Letters

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

65 Letters

A MAN FOR ALL REASONS

BY DAVID GARRETT

David Mixner: Activist Extraordinaire

D

avid Mixner has had quite an interesting life and career. He has shed blood, sweat, and tears as a political activist, an LGBTQ activist, a civil rights activist, and an environmental activist. He has experienced both successes and failures over the past six decades. Various people have been honored by having received recognition in the form of scholarships, trusts, and foundations named after them, due to their accomplishments in society alone. Mixner is a member of that group.

David Mixner’s name is now attached to a CAMP Rehoboth Intern Scholarship.

At a recent gathering in the home of Danny Sebright, Mixner made his first trip to Rehoboth to inaugurate this scholarship. Those gathered were spellbound by the stories he shared of his advocacy and activism over the years.

Mixner shared some of his well-earned wisdom. “I love what CAMP Rehoboth stands for. I call the LGBTQ group the Rainbow Community. It is important that we develop new young leadership. It is time, and it is important, that I yield and create room and create hope for the younger generation. It’s nice to be remembered for your journey, and I appreciate that.

“You cannot separate injustices, or the search for justice. We tend to forget the purpose of movements. We tend to get very self-righteous. We tend to demand that before someone is given the honor of joining us, they have to agree to a list of 20 things, and if they disagree with one of them, they cannot join us. The purpose of a movement is to find that 5-10 percent you have in common with others and build on that, even if you disagree with other things. You want to create change.”

A committed activist on many levels, Mixner also operates on a spiritual level.

“I’m a liberation theologist. Bishop Oscar Romero said you are put here by God on earth for only one reason—to serve others and to make their lives better. And I have done that for 63 years.

“Jesus would be at CAMP Rehoboth [if he were here today]. He loved everyone.

Letters 66 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

I take my spirituality very personally. I pray that those who are struggling may have their lives improve in some way. My simple prayer is: Dear God, I know that you could put all sorts of challenges in

The purpose of a movement is to find that 5-10 percent you have in common with others and build on that….

You want to create change.” front of me today. However, I know that somewhere in this day there will be one moment of joy. My only request is that you not let me miss it.”

CAMP Rehoboth is fortunate to have such strong connections with this man of vision and purpose. Wes Combs, President of the Board of Directors at CAMP Rehoboth, has known Mixner for 30 years, dating back to when Wes served on the Board of the Human Rights Campaign.

Danny Sebright, a major donor for CAMP Rehoboth, graciously hosted this gathering. Mixner and Sebright met in 1993 on the Bill Clinton campaign and have stayed close friends since.

As Kim Leisey, Executive Director of CAMP Rehoboth shared, “A scholarship in David Mixner’s name makes sense for CAMP Rehoboth. President Bill Clinton’s

words about him ring true. Clinton said, ‘David’s heart burns with social justice.

David has never forgotten where he came from and he suffered the pain of great loss during the AIDS crisis.... David is known for his energy, heart and compassion.’”

One of Mixner’s success stories from his estimable activist career involved meeting with then-Governor Ronald Reagan. They met to discuss Proposition 6, a bill that would remove teaching credentials from any teacher found to be gay or lesbian. Knowing the conservative credentials of Reagan, it seemed like a fool’s errand to try to convince the governor otherwise.

But Mixner did it. Instead of appealing to the heart strings and trying to get Reagan to put gay and lesbian teachers on an even footing with the straight community, Mixner showed him the actual language of the bill. He told Reagan, “Look how they drafted this legislation. If anyone accuses a teacher of being gay, they have to go on trial before the school board. If a student has failing grades, he could make that accusation about the teacher, whether it was true or not. Teachers will live in fear of retribution from their students, and you will have anarchy in the classroom.”

Reagan looked closely at the bill and said, “Those stupid [idiots]!” With Reagan now opposed to it, Proposition 6 failed.

There is so much more to David Mixner. He is a man for all reasons—social justice, Rainbow Community, civil rights, the environment. He speaks with the expertise of accomplishments and accolades; he reflects with the experience of failures and tremendous loss of dear friends to AIDS. David Mixner is a man of conviction, compassion and vision. And he is now part of CAMP Rehoboth. ▼ David Garrett, a CAMP Rehoboth Board member, is a straight advocate for equality and inclusion. He is also the proud father of an adult trans daughter. Email David Garrett at davidg@camprehoboth.com.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

67 Letters

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Letters 68 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

69 Letters

Historical Headliners

BY ANN APTAKER

Poetry of Pleasure: Abu Nuwas

I

n these days, when religious fundamentalism is gaining power in various parts of the world, including in our own backyard, LGBTQ+ literature is often squarely in the fundamentalists’ crosshairs for banishment from libraries, academic curricula, and even bookstores. Whole generations of writers and their words are at risk of being lost. A history is in danger of being lost.

Among the poets whose voices were silenced by twenty-first century fundamentalist prudery is Abu Nuwas, master of classical Arabic poetry during the period of Baghdad’s Abbasid Caliphate.

He was born in Ahvaz, Persia (now Iran) sometime between 756 and 760 (the precise year of his birth is unclear) to a Persian mother and a father who has been identified as Persian or more likely Syrian. His father, a military police officer, died when Abu Nuwas was 10 years old, whereupon his mother moved with her son to the city of Basra.

It was in Basra where the boy’s talent for poetry and literature was noticed and nurtured by noted poet Waliba ibn al-Hubab al-Asadi. Waliba made Abu Nuwas his apprentice, eventually taking him along to the city of Kufa. There is strong evidence that Walibi and the teenage Abu Nuwas formed a sexual relationship.

Through the years in Kufa, and his immersion into the high art of Arab language poetry, the young man started to feel that the elegant Arabic of the poetry was too elitist, too fancy to convey the truth of life. He eventually left Kufa and travelled through smaller cities, picking up the everyday language of everyday people. During these travels, he wrote poetry in a melodious Arabic rooted in the older forms but in a contemporary cadence.

He was making a name for himself as an original voice.

In the year 786, Abu Nuwas ceased his traveling and moved to the city of Baghdad, considered the center of learning and sophistication in the Islamic world and beyond. It was in Baghdad that he earned his reputation as a free thinker, a man who merrily defied convention, Letters 70 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

glorified the pleasures of wine (a taboo in Islamic teaching), and engaged in assorted love affairs. His affairs were mostly (but not limited to) relationships with men, and though love affairs per se were tolerated in the Islamic society of the time, homosexual affairs, like wine, were forbidden.

Despite official religious strictures, Abu Nuwas’s poetry celebrates these

LGBTQ+ literature is often squarely in the fundamentalists’ crosshairs for banishment from libraries, academic curricula, and even bookstores. pleasures. His Khamiryyat poetry, for example, is an entire cycle celebrating wine. But it was not only wine which Abu Nuwas believed opened the heart and mind to enlightenment. He saw philosophical truth in the beauty of the male body, and even found humor in the passions it aroused, as we see his poem “In the Bath-house”: “In the bath-house, the mysteries hidden by trousers Are revealed to you.

All becomes radiantly manifest.

Feast your eyes without restraint!

You see handsome buttocks, shapely trim torsos,

You hear the fellows whispering pious formulas to one another (“God is Great!” “Praise be to God!”) Ah, what a palace of pleasure is the bath-house!

Even when the towel-bearers come in And spoil the fun a bit.”

His poetry, though much admired in Baghdad’s more sophisticated circles, nonetheless attracted the scrutiny of the religious and state authorities. By all accounts, he did nothing to alter his poetry just to please officialdom. Protected somewhat by Baghdad’s social and intellectual elite, the latter admiring his breadth of knowledge, Abu Nuwas was able to continue writing his erotic poetry and escape the consequences—at least for a while.

The politics of the Abbasid Civil War during the years 814 to 816 could not tolerate what the Islamic clerics regarded as heresy, and Abu Nuwas was briefly imprisoned. He died at the age of 57 or 58 in the year 814, shortly after his release.

His cause of death is still disputed.

Not only did Abu Nuwas’s art find a place in Arabic literature, so did his life. He is featured as a character in the grand epic of The Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

The poetry of Abu Nuwas is still admired in certain circles in the Arab world, and condemned as heresy in others. There are monuments to the poet in Baghdad, but in 2001 the Egyptian Ministry of Culture ordered the confiscation and burning of 6,000 copies of Abu Nuwas’s homoerotic poetry.

As we know, the censorial practices of religious fundamentalism are not limited to one part of the world or one era of history.

Fundamentalism shows its fist right up to our own place and time. It’s part of the legacy of Abu Nuwas to laugh in its face. ▼ Ann Aptaker is the author of short stories and the Lambda & Goldie award winning Cantor Gold series. Her latest book, A Crime of Secrets, was released July 4, 2023.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

71 Letters

Letters 72 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

73 Letters

50 YEARS OF WOMEN’S MUSIC

BY KATHY LEHMANN

“Something About the Women” - HOLLY NEAR

F

ifty-some years ago, something remarkable was incubating in the United States. A cultural revolution through music was emerging out of the labor, civil rights, and peace movements. Women’s Music, a term coined by Meg Christian, was growing, flourishing, and evolving in creative pockets around the country. These women activists wanted to be done with the constraints of a music world defined by men.

Some of these women had been unable to find commercial success in the mainstream music scene. Others had been subjected to emotional and sexual abuse by that often-misogynistic mainstream system. They wanted to change the world, creating a safe space for freedom of expression.

The early 1970s was an incubator. In Washington, DC, there were the Furies, evolving into the Olivia Collective. These women were determined to work as a collective, sharing power, work, and decision making. Knowing nothing about producing records, they set out to learn each piece of the record-producing business. Olivia Records was born. The earliest records to come out of the collective were Meg Christian’s I Know You Know, in 1974, followed by Cris Williamson’s The Changer and the Changed, a year later. Olivia would move operations from Washington, DC, to Los Angeles.

Although we often associate Olivia with Women’s Music, there were other pockets of creative women-focused music and artistic expression. Oakland, California was bubbling with activity. Spaces emerged where artists could authentically express themselves and audiences could see themselves reflected in the words and music of those performers.

Promotion and production of shows grew as women flocked to fill the seats.

Along with the growth of shows, including some touring, the genre would see the rise of music festivals—a place for musicians to perform and for lesbians to gather and celebrate. Festivals pulsed with the energy of place, freedom, camaLetters 74 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

raderie, and collective power. And always the music.

I am very glad that I came of age during this rich moment. Though memories dim, I can recollect my first experience at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival in 1978—or was it 1979? Gathered together on a warm August night, Holly Near came on stage and sang “Mountain Woman.” As she sang, acapella, in her clear strong voice, the crowd was silent, spellbound. It was a singular moment for me.

One of the first efforts to preserve the history of Women’s Music was the documentary Radical Harmonies, released in 2002…

The 10th anniversary of Olivia Records was celebrated with a concert at Carnegie Hall, featuring Meg Christian and Cris Williamson. What an exciting night that was! Olivia would evolve from a record-producing company into a lesbian travel company, though continuing to include lesbian performers in their travel itineraries. The 50th anniversary was highlighted with performances by those initial pioneers of Women’s Music.

Alas, time moves on; society continues to change. As the lesbian and queer community has become more integrated into the larger society, the need for separate and affirming spaces has become less vital. Lesbians now enjoy mainstream and commercial success. (Think: Melissa Etheridge, Tracy Chapman, Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile….)

However, it is important to document and preserve the history that was so important to many of us.

One of the first efforts to preserve the history of Women’s Music was the documentary Radical Harmonies, released in 2002 at approximately the 30-year mark.

A full-length film, it chronicles the early

years of Women’s Music. It was co-produced by an early sound engineer (and current Milton resident), Boden Sandstrom. Boden’s late wife, Casse Culver, was one of the early musical pioneers and one of the artists featured in the film.

Casse recorded her first album, Three Gypsies, with an East Coast women’s record company, Urana Records, of Wise Women Enterprises, in 1975. Radical Harmonies can be found on-line at WomanVision.org.

Other efforts—Holly Near has been interviewing women from the Bay area who were important in those early days.

A curated archive of photos and links to the interviews can be found at BecauseofaSong.com. A history of Olivia, written

by Ginny Berson, is also available: Olivia on the Record—A Radical Experiment in Women’s Music (Aunt Lute Books, 2020). Berson, an original Olivia collective member, chronicles those early days and the dream to create a revolution for rights, justice, freedom, and ownership for women.

A local celebration of 50 years of Women’s Music is scheduled for Sunday, October 29, 2023, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., at Epworth United Methodist Church, Rehoboth Beach. Some of our local bands, including GirlsRoom, Christine Havrilla, Natalie Darkes, Bettenroo, and Robin and the Hoods, as well as other local talented women, will perform some of the early beloved favorites. During the second half of the show the performers will perform songs from the generations of women artists who have followed those early artists. The show will end with original music by our local artists.

Tickets for this show are $25 and are available on Eventbrite; search for “50 Years Women’s Music Rehoboth Beach.” ▼ Kathy Lehmann is a retired social worker who moved to Delaware from New Jersey in 2020.

She has been a part of the Women’s FEST planning committee for the past two years.

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Continued on page 76 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

75 Letters

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77 Letters

HUMANITY’S FIRST PETS

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Fido, Flicka, and Fluffy

“C

an he sleep in my room?”

You can practically hear those words, if you imagine the first kid who ever came across a soft abandoned pup somewhere on the edge of a forest. You just know the kid begged his mom to keep the animal and, like mothers everywhere, she rolled her eyes and said some version of, “Okay, but you have to walk him.”

Yeah, it may not have gone down exactly like that, but scientists say that canines were most likely humanity’s first pets, having been domesticated in prehistoric times—but not like you grew up thinking. Researchers now say that dogs didn’t come from wolves; instead, the two share a common ancestor, the descendants of which went one of two ways: one stayed wolfish and wilder, and the other became more and more dog-like.

We picked up the cuter, less growly one, brought him to the hearth, hunted with him, shared dinner, bought squeaky-toys, and eventually gave him most of the bed.

Canine domestication was followed by the horse (domesticated around 5,500 years ago) and probably the cat (in the Neolithic period, if you’d like to pretend the cat is actually domesticated). It’s easier to ask how many cat breeds there are

than to want to know the number of dog breeds, but neither question will get you Jeopardy answers. For dogs, the American Kennel Club and the UK’s Kennel Club each recognize a different number of breeds, and neither number coincides

…scientists say that canines were most likely humanity’s first pets, having been domesticated in prehistoric times… with what’s believed to be a world-wide count. At best guess, there are likely more than 300 different breeds of dogs in the world, ranging in size from the teensiest, palm-size Chihuahua to the no-nonsense mastiff, who may be bigger than you.

For small cats, the kind you’d change a litter box for, it’s believed that there are more than 40 different breeds, but that number doesn’t go over 80 on anybody’s roster. They range in size from the dwarf breeds that tip the scales at mere ounces to the Maine coon cat, that can weigh upwards of 25 pounds.

For the record, there are more breeds of horse than there are breeds of cats, but fewer than the number of dog breeds.

You need to know this because, literally, the smallest horse breed is littler than the largest dog breed, in both height and weight. The smallest horse breed at birth can be dwarfed by a well-fed adult cat.

What would your landlord think if...?

So why do you care? Why do we keep pets anyhow?

We love our dogs because they invite us to play and because they’re good listeners. We love our cats for their zany behavior and how they make us laugh.

Pets can help us de-stress, and being with them, stroking their fur, can lower both blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart problems. Studies show that children who have pets are less likely to develop allergies. Having Fido or Fluffy around helps insulate us from depression.

We’re happier. We’re comforted. And studies show that Mom was right: dogs help us keep active when we walk them every day. ▼ Terri Schlichenmeyer’s second book, The Big Book of American Facts, comes out this fall.

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79 Letters

A BEAR BY ANY OTHER NAME

BY TARA LYNN JOHNSON

Celebrating Teddy

N

ational Teddy Bear Day was Saturday, September 9, and it’s no surprise these cuddly companions get a special celebration. Teddy bears are one of the most well-known and loved stuffed toys for good reason.

I would argue that teddy bears are the stuffed toy G.O.A.T. As you may know, teddy bears are named for President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, who spared the life of a bear captured by his friends during a hunting trip in 1902. A political cartoonist drew a depiction of this bear clemency, which then went the early 20th century version of viral. Soon after, a candy and stuffedtoy maker created the teddy bear, and the rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Since then, teddy bears have been toys, birthday or get-well-soon gifts, antianxiety friends, sleeping buddies who aren’t afraid of the dark, and an item collected by kids and kids at heart.

I have celebrated National Teddy Bear Day for years, having been a collector since I was little. This year, I celebrated by cuddling a bear I’ve had since 1993. (It’s my favorite, but please don’t tell the others.) My father adopted this particular bear for me during a road trip pit stop in Tennessee, from a restaurant known for its southern style food and toy- and nostalgia-filled gift shops.

His name—unsurprisingly—is Cracker and he’s a brown oatmeal bear who wears a spiffy red, gold, and green plaid bow tie. He looks good for being 30 years old. Of course, I took excellent care of him, especially after my dad died in 1999. Cracker has always been a comfort—but he was especially so then.

All teddy bears’ middle names should be comfort. That’s, like, their main job, from the cradle to the grave.

There’s something soothing about snuggling a soft and stuffed bear. That’s even more true if there’s meaning attached to it—who gave it to you or why, like the fact that my father gave Cracker to me.

Letters 80 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

And that’s true, too, for the creations of Delaware Hospice’s Memory Bears program, which provides “a huggable connection to your loved one,” according to their literature. The organization believes that one of the

There’s something soothing about snuggling a soft and stuffed bear. most difficult tasks for grievers is sorting through and removing a deceased loved one’s clothes and personal items.

Crafting bears—out of a favorite shirt, for example—aims to ease that difficulty and create a lasting connection.

Volunteers use clothing or other items selected by grievers to make the bears. When the bears are ready, people receive a comforting companion with a special connection to the deceased—“a one-of-a-kind memory of your one-of-a-kind loved one.” There is no charge for the service, though donations are encouraged to cover supply costs. Most bears are created for Delaware Hospice patients and

families, though some have been made for community members who requested them, too.

Melody Cline, Delaware Hospice’s Volunteer Coordinator, had four bears made—one each for her son, daughter, niece, and nephew—when her mother, Michele, died in 2019 after a long cancer journey. Cline, of Milford, let the kids choose an item from Michele’s closet that reminded them of “Nanny.”

The children received the bears on a family vacation that Michele was to have attended. Four years later, “all of the kids still have their bears proudly displayed on their beds,” says Cline.

Cline said she has seen in her 16 years with the organization the joy the bears bring to families as well as to the volunteers who make these keepsakes that will be cherished for years.

Like many people, Cline had stuffed bears and animals growing up. “They were a special part of my life,” she said.

A Memory Bear is even more so. “I think it brings peace, closure, and loving memories to loved ones. It feels good to wrap your arms around them and give them a squeeze.”

Cracker, a different kind of memory bear, brings me peace, too. He’s extra special because of who he represents.

All teddy bears carry and are stuffed with love, including that of those no longer with us. They definitely deserve a special national day for that. ▼ Tara Lynn Johnson is a former journalist and lifelong teddy bear fan. Connect with her at TaraLynnJohnson.com. For more information about Memory Bears and Delaware Hospice’s services and community resources, visit delawarehospice.org.

Photo: Memory Bear made with a shirt of her late husband, Will, for Nicole Fullmer, Delaware Hospice Director of Marketing and Community Engagement

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81 Letters

Diversity is Beautiful!

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83 Letters

View Point

BY RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

Stealing Peace

Seasons Change; Connections Abide

U

rban environments contain countless noises that would disrupt our inner lives if we did not filter them out: the beeping of a delivery truck backing up; the siren of an emergency vehicle; impatient drivers blasting their horns as if surprised to encounter traffic while driving downtown.

I find detachment in various ways, from turning my phone ringer off, to listening to music, to sitting on my roof deck gazing at the moon. Often when I am there with a glass of wine in the evening, cheers rise up from a nearby soccer field.

At home in the city, we still need moments of solitude. Some afternoons I spend in a garden owned by the nonprofit Resources for the Future on a quiet street across from First Baptist Church. In the mornings I like to sit in the park at Dupont Circle. These green spaces provide respite from the 24/7 news updates on the latest volleys in the GOP’s politics of rage.

Autumn is in the air as I walk to the Circle with my morning coffee. Even here there are reminders of the world’s tumult: to the north, across the lanes of traffic, stands the Dupont Circle Hotel, where former Putin media czar Mikhail Lesin was found bludgeoned to death in November 2015.

Luckily I have never been bludgeoned, but I was threatened in 2009 after writing a column titled “ProGay, Pro-Choice” in response to the murder of Dr. George Tiller in his church in Wichita by an anti-abortion fanatic.

The man threatening me by email called me an abortionist and said, “The only good abortionist is a dead abortionist.”

I contacted the FBI. He was later convicted of making threats against James Zogby of the Arab American Institute.

On the evening after Dr. Tiller was killed, a candlelight vigil was held Letters 84 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

beside the Dupont Circle fountain.

Mourning is part of what binds us.

Most people making violent threats are just venting, but some few will act on them. The leading Republican presidential candidate for 2024 has a penchant for inciting violence.

As I sit in the park, a squirrel climbs up my leg looking for a handout, then scampers off. A few minutes later, a tiny spider crawls on my knee; I gently blow

Part of the strength of diversity is that it brings different perspectives to our shared challenges. it onto the grass. Some spiders migrate by clinging to gossamer carried on air currents.

I wonder what it would be like to live that way and not be tied down by belongings. I know several LGBTQ refugees in Nairobi who have next to nothing; they had to flee for their lives, mostly from Uganda. I send a photo of the park bathed in the morning light to a few of them. Some have been resettled, but many are still waiting. It is humbling to think that despite cruelty and hate running rampant here, so many are still eager to come.

As acclimatized to humans as the park’s wild creatures are, I suspect they would manage without us. Indeed, they might do better if we disappeared and stopped heating up the planet.

Years ago, I read a book called The World Without Us that considers what would happen if we were wiped out (say) by a virus that left our infrastructure intact.

Nature would slowly overtake the ruins.

We are imperiled by a politics of aggressive ignorance. Demanding control without understanding courts catastrophe. Part of the strength of diversity is that it brings different perspectives to our shared challenges. If we treat it as a weakness, we may learn too late that we have only sabotaged ourselves.

To lessen my burden of possessions, this year I donated several cartloads of books to a local library for its occasional book sales. After decades of accumulating them, it was time to share.

I still have plenty, but not on every surface. The top of my rolltop desk has three musical instruments decorating it instead of the previous row of books, which included a three-volume boxed Shakespeare set too massive to be practical. Now I use a Kindle edition on my smartphone and tablet that allows quick searches.

The ways we connect change over time. The online world allows faster connections without an editor’s mediation. This facilitates greater participation, but also accelerates the spread of poison. Noise drowns out thought. Rancor banishes solutions.

Contempt blinds and deafens us.

To center ourselves and regain perspective requires seeking out places that help restore our peace of mind. Then we can more fully connect, inspired by our better angels. ▼ Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and activist at rrosendall@me.com.

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85 Letters

Q Puzzle Nothing Compares 2 Her ACROSS 1 Cameron and Mitchell, to Lily 5 Lauren of fashion 10 Rainbow banner, e.g.

14 Spamalot writer Idle 15 “Honk ___ are gay!”

16 Smooth sailing 17 Bitch botherer 18 Voyeurs look through them 19 Similar (to) 20 Start of what happens when people “live with the Devil,” per 53-Across 23 Mountain in The Sound of Music 24 Snaky shape 25 The Guardians writer Castillo 28 Where to look for the “gay gene” 30 Child care writer LeShan 31 Mil. jet locale 34 More of what happens 36 End of what happens 38 Oscar-night transport 39 Base-running term 41 Rivera’s rivers 42 Exams on sexual technique?

44 Vegas drama 45 Declining in health 46 Barmaid, to the Bard 47 Cleveland cager, for short 48 __ Male War Bride

Letters 86 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Solution on Page 116 49 Subject of auto-erotic fantasy?

51 Shaft output 53 “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer (1966-2023) 58 Station wagon, e.g.

59 Get in the sack again 60 Boy George’s “___ Is So Civilised” 62 Toward shelter 63 US investment 64 Ward of Once and Again 65 Forgets the words, maybe 66 Gay rodeo target 67 Bipedal dino DOWN 1 Thumb one’s nose at 2 His grandmother had a Woody 3 Debussy’s deity 4 Milano opera house, with “la” 5 Tear up 6 Out and then some 7 Just As I Am novelist E. ___ Harris 8 Verlaine or Rimbaud 9 Stonewalled 10 Homophobia and such 11 Swan ___ 12 Label on a lemon that isn’t a fruit 13 Rowlands of An Early Frost 21 The Great actress Fanning

22 Morales of La Bamba 25 Tickled pink 26 B te ___ 27 Darrin Stevens, for one 29 Not on purpose 30 Be ambiguously gay, for example 31 The Seven Samurai director Kurosawa 32 Clean with string 33 How sailors come 35 They shoot off hot stuff 37 Pirate ship perch 40 Fed. property manager 43 Andrew of Melrose Place 45 Austria’s capital, to Austrians 50 Comes quickly 52 Paul Monette’s partner Horwitz 53 Star Trek navigator 54 Ted Casablanca bit 55 It’s in the winds 56 Out partner 57 Tick off 58 Mouth-open-wide sound 61 Airport at the home of the Sparks

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87 Letters

The REAL DIRT

BY ERIC W. WAHL

Creating Legacy: Propagation as Preservation

T

here’s been lots of chatter over recent years about the preservation of trees, their importance to the community both ecologically and culturally, and their significance to our “sense of place.” But many of our local towns, cities, and counties do not have a defined tree preservation program.

However, that is beginning to change.

There are some jurisdictions that provide tree ordinances protecting trees during construction, mitigate for trees that are removed, and some that provide recommended tree lists for public spaces such as street trees.

Many of these new ordinances rely on reactive measures for the demolition or removal of certain trees, due to new home construction or renovation, commercial activity, or new development in general. Of course, the definition of these specific trees is part of the ordinance as well. Sometimes a tree is defined as a Legacy Tree or Heritage Tree based on its historical or cultural significance, its size, or due to the perception that it is irreplaceable.

What is not taken into account, though, is that these trees may be lost by means other than human activity. For example, a tree could come down during an extreme weather event such as a lightning strike, high winds, flooding, or even an extended drought. Along the coastal areas, saltwater intrusion could be the death knell for some trees as many trees lack the tolerance for saltwater. In other cases, insect infestation or disease can wipe out entire stands of trees of the same species—we need look no further than to the American Elm and American Chestnut for examples.

And we must not forget that trees are living things with a life cycle. Yes, some trees can live to be hundreds of years old, but they all will die in the end. Old age is indeed another way for our wonderful trees to be lost.

However, we can start thinking another way about these Legacy Trees and preserving them for future generations. I Letters 88 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

often talk about designing and planning for the garden or public spaces, and how they will look next year, in five years, or in 10 or 20 years down the road. That’s

What if we truly recognize them as Legacy Trees and establish their heritage throughout our public spaces? because as garden designers and landscape architects, we must consider how the plants will mature and fill their spaces.

Remember, the right tree for the right spot also includes considering how big they will eventually get—not just the conditions in which they are planted.

This is where propagation as preservation comes into play. The definition of legacy or heritage draws upon the lineage or history of the item being defined as such. This is true for a tree too.

Perhaps it’s a very large tree and therefore it can be assumed that it tolerated a

multitude of conditions over the years and includes healthy genes to combat disease or insects. Or maybe it’s a tree that was present during historically important times and played witness to culturally significant events. What happens when these trees die of old age, get broken in half by lightning, or flooded during a hurricane and cannot recover? They are lost forever…or are they?

What if we plan for their future? What if we truly recognize them as Legacy Trees and establish their heritage throughout our public spaces? We could literally propagate them through their seeds, take cuttings from their young stems, even graft parts of them to other root stock of the same species. This would involve considerable planning, maintenance, and vigilance to succeed. But if it’s one thing I have noticed while living here the past 20 years, it’s that our communities and neighborhoods are filled with exceptional volunteers and people who care for the places they call home.

Whether we are native Delawareans or have relocated here from all reaches of the country, we take pride in our towns, villages, and communities throughout the state. And what better way to pass on the legacy of our trees than to preserve them through propagation?

We need to educate and incentivize our neighbors to create additional canopy from these Legacy Trees. For example, if we were to lose a mature oak for whatever reason, we would probably lose about 2,000 square feet of canopy. However, if we were to propagate 25 trees from its acorns and plant them in other areas, in 50 years they would equal 50,000 square feet of canopy…that’s over one acre of new canopy of oaks. That’s what I call a legacy!

Be well, and let’s garden together. ▼ Eric W. Wahl is Landscape Architect at Pennoni Associates, and President of the Delaware Native Plant Society.

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89 Letters

arts+entertainment

BY LESLIE SINCLAIR | MATTY BROWN

SPOTLIGHT ON THE

arts

CAMP Rehoboth Puts Art at the Heart of Our Community

It’s All About the Bear Returns with a Roar

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AMP Rehoboth is proud to host the return of its annual art exhibition, It’s All About the Bear, which will be on display through October 7, 2023. This exhibition is a vibrant showcase of art celebrating the bear and LGBTQ culture.

It’s All About the Bear is not just an art exhibition; it is an exploration of identity, diversity, and unity within the bear community. While bears are often associated with the four-legged variety in nature, this exhibition focuses on a different kind of bear—a group of men within the gay community who proudly call themselves bears.

From digital graphics to oil painting on wood, mixed media, photography, stained glass, graphite on canvas, and more, It’s All About the Bear offers a wide array of artistic expressions.

The works not only highlight the remarkable talents of the participating artists but also reflect the rich tapestry of LGBTQ culture.

A team of community members juried this exhibition. It includes works by artists JS Adams, David Camorali, Brad Cox, Amanda Coelho, Timothy P. Credle, Vincent DeLissio, Maxwell Fleishman, Robert Fleming, Todd G. Franson, Jeffrey Todd Moore, Keith David Trievel, and Sabina Troncone.

By the time you read this, we already will have hosted a community-building art reception during the annual Rehoboth Beach Bears Weekend. However, you still have a chance to see this exhibit! Whether you are a bear, an ally, or simply someone who appreciates art that transcends boundaries, It’s All About the Bear is must-see. Stop by the CAMP Rehoboth Gallery, Monday through Friday, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., before it closes on October 7. ▼

Above: (detail) Black Bear Combo 3 by Maxwell Fleishman.

Right, top to bottom: Redbeard by Keith David Trievel; Harness by Brad Cox.

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.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

arts+entertainment Ephemeral Expressions: Capturing Fleeting Moments through Fine Art Crafts

CAMP Rehoboth’s Leslie Sinclair Appointed to the Delaware State Arts Council

ur area abounds with fine art craftspeople, and from October 14 to November 30, CAMP Rehoboth provides them with an opportunity to display their work. Ephemeral Expressions is a juried fine art crafts exhibition that delves into the concept of fleeting moments through the lens of various craft forms. The exhibition explores the beauty, depth, and emotional connections that can be found in moments and the temporary aspects of life. It celebrates the passing of time, while highlighting the skill and artistry of fine craft techniques.

Featured mediums include: ceramics that capture fleeting emotions; textiles that symbolize the interwoven nature of lives and experiences; glasswork that plays with light and reflection; woodworking that highlights natural imperfections and uniqueness; paper art that explores the balance between strength and fragility; metalwork that weathers and changes over time; and mixed media which combines various forms and represents interconnectedness in an ever-changing world.

If you are a fine art craftsperson who would like to be considered for this exhibition, the Submission and Registration Form can be found at: https://forms.gle/ VGpbM6Aoqxn88hVq8. You can enter up to three works for consideration. Please do so quickly, as the submission period closes on September 26, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ▼

ongratulations to Leslie Sinclair who was recently appointed by Governor John Carney to serve on the Delaware State Arts Council. She has already begun her first term, which runs through October 2024.

The Delaware State Arts Council is the advisory body to the Delaware Division of the Arts. The Council advises the Division of the Arts on matters of arts policy, funding for the arts, and other issues relevant to support for the arts in Delaware.

Council members serve as advocates for the arts, promoting and encouraging participation in and appreciation of the arts throughout the state. Council members are citizens of Delaware and serve at the pleasure of the governor.

At CAMP Rehoboth, Leslie is known for her passion for the arts. She serves as an arts advocate and for seven years has led a team of volunteers who plan for and organize the visual art shows in the CAMP Rehoboth Gallery. Under Leslie’s direction, this group organizes an average of 10 exhibitions per year and has grown this aspect of CAMP Rehoboth’s programming.

The exhibitions explore themes and aspects of our unique history and culture. Group shows have provided hundreds of artists with a chance to exhibit. The work of emerging and established LGBTQ+ artists have been promoted in solo shows. Black History Month and youth shows have attracted new artists to CAMP Rehoboth and increased artist diversity in all exhibitions.

Leslie also served on the CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors from 2011 to 2022, served as Vice President of the Board for two years, and led and participated on several committees.

Leslie also pursues the arts herself. She is an active member of the Coastal Camera Club, where she served as President for two years, and currently leads a group of photographers exploring Fine Art Photography and what defines it.

Leslie’s work has been exhibited at the Rehoboth Art League, the Biggs Museum, and CAMP Rehoboth.

Leslie brings a mix of creativity and arts experience to the Delaware State Arts Council, coupled with a strong business background in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. She has also forged relationships with numerous arts organizations and artists. As a Sussex County resident, she will bring this voice and guidance to the Council. Congratulations, Leslie! ▼

O

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Raincheck Opens Soon at CAMP Rehoboth

T

ickets are on sale now for the October 5, 6, and 7 performances of Claudia Allen’s Rain Check, directed by Kelly Sheridan. Come see what happens when Thema (Kelly Sheridan) moves back home to live with her grandmother and great-aunt, Pansy (Caroll Huckabee) and Flora (Linda DeFeo). Thema, who has left behind four marriages, rekindles a friendship with her childhood buddy, Gwen (Gwen Osborne), a county nurse watching over Pansy and Flora. In renewing their friendship, Thema realizes what’s been missing from her marriages all along: a woman. ▼

C

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

91 Letters

arts+entertainment

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

BOOKED SOLID Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America by Krista Burton c.2023, Simon & Schuster $28.99, 320 pages The last stool on the left, over by the neon beer sign, is yours.

That’s your spot, the place where you can see almost the entire place.

You hold court there, have a few drinks there, and you meet new friends. On that stool, you’re among your people. Better enjoy it while you can: in Moby Dyke, by Krista Burton, watch how your seat is in a dwindling place.

A few years ago, toward the end of pandemic masking and lock-downs, Krista Burton was asked what she missed most.

Her answer was a surprise: she longed to be in a crowded “dyke bar,” shoulder-to-shoulder with people like her.

Dyke bars. Wouldn’t that make a great subject for a book?

Burton found an agent but then she found bad news: supposedly, there were just 20 lesbian bars left in the entire country!

Not wanting to miss any more opportunity, and with a book contract in-hand, Burton began planning road trips. It was, she said, “the gayest possible dream project….”

She began in San Francisco at “the oldest...lesbian-founded, owned, and continuously operated bar” there. From her home in Minnesota, she flew to New York City to visit two lesbian bars. A visit to a San Diego bar was wrapped up with a friend’s wedding. Burton’s husband, a trans man, loved the football atmosphere in a Milwaukee lesbian bar.

Burton caught a drag show in Indiana. Columbus, Ohio was

Letters 92

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

“extremely queer-friendly.” She endured karaoke in Nashville, and she visited a cannabis dispensary while in Denver.

Seattle was a place of nostalgia. She was mistaken for straight in Houston, was impressed by a real Dallas club, and almost missed visiting a Mobile bar. She wanted to quit when she was in Atlanta (but didn’t), then went to Phoenix and Richmond, imagined herself as a “senator’s gay wife” in Washington DC, and wrapped up her tour in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Once, Burton says, LGBTQ people were persecuted and arrested for dancing, drinking, and for being themselves in a public place. “We could all go anywhere now.”

Just 20 lesbian bars? You’re giving that “Whaaaat?” squint, aren’t you?

It’s okay; author-blogger Krista Burton addresses that number at the end of Moby Dyke by writing with delight that since lock-downs are over, lesbian bars have rebounded.

She doesn’t address the bars she missed in the first place....

And yet, you’ll get the picture with the 20 she includes—in part, because, as she admits and as many bartenders and owners told her, lesbian bars aren’t just for lesbians anymore.

To call a drinking establishment a “lesbian bar” ignores the diverse crowds, drag shows, quiet activism, and the inclusion that’s now offered alongside the fun Burton craved.

Don’t think this book is all about bar hopping, either. It’s funny, with observations that are so sharp they’ll cut you, and it’s part memoir. That’ll hurt your heart.

Yes, there are omissions in this book. But what’s here overshadows what’s missing. If you want a fun, funny, memoir-in-abar, grab Moby Dyke and pull up a stool. ▼ 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.

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93 Letters

OUR SUPPORTERS MAKE IT HAPPEN PURPLE LEVEL Greg Albright & Wes Combs X Sondra N. Arkin X Aaron, Heather, Gia & Joe Book* Catherine & Katie Brennan Carol Bresler & Carolyn Billinghurst X Pat Catanzariti & Carole Ramos* Lee Chrostowski & Anne Tinen* Edward Joseph Chrzanowski * Jim D’Orta & Jed Ross & AJ, Cubby & Maryrose Skip Dye & Steven King* David Grossman & Jeremy Graboyes William Himelright & David Carter Deborah Hrab Judy & Carole Jesiolowski James W. Johnson & Matthew H. Shepard* Kim Leisey & Kathy Solano Chris Rinaldi & Brian Powers X Jennifer Rubenstein & Diane Scobey X Danny Sebright Gary Seiden & Ah Bashir X Leslie Sinclair & Debbie Woods X Diane Sweeney* William E. Cross Foundation, Arthur Brisker, Director Karen Zajick & Jennifer Weeks

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Letters 94

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YELLOW LEVEL Keith Anderson & Peter Bish X Dale Aultman & Paul Gibbs X Shannon & Sarah Avery* Pamela Baker & Diane Dixson* Linda Balatti & Shirley Gilmer X Mike Ballinger & In Memory of Martin Thomas* Miriam Barton* Chris Beagle & Eric Engelhart* Tom Beall Barbara Beavers & Kathy Carrell Michael Beigay 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* Jim Chupella & Jim Wigand* Dottie Cirelli & Myrna Kelley X Steve Clayton & Brad Lentz* Betsy Cohen Gary Colangelo & Gerald Duvall X Nancy Commisso* Thomas Conway & Thoth Weeda* Billy Cox & John Carr* Drexel Davison - Bad Hair Day?*

CAMP REHOBOTH MEMBERSHIP 2023 Fred DiBartolo & Steve Wood X Maureen Dolan & Karen McGavin* Polly Donaldson Albert Drulis & Scott Silber* Sandy Duncan & Maddy Ewald* Ann Evans* Karen Faber & Lisa Balestrini Faber* Alice Fagans & Ruth Ann Mattingly* Lisa Fernandez & Allison Lindon Cecily Fisher & Loretta Higgins Monica Fleischmann & Lona Crist X John Flournoy & Jim Chrobot Gary Gajewski - In Memory of Dr. John A. Boscia* Susan Goudy* Ken Green & Joe Kearney* Robert Henthorne & Roger Bolduc Theodore Hickman Carol Holland - Holland Jewelers X Caroline Huff & Brenda Robertson* Nan Hunter & Chai Feldblum Philip Johnson* Dee Dee Jones & Julie Blake Frank Jump & Vincenzo Aiosa* Marilyn Kates & Laura Glenn* Leigh Ann Kidd 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* Patricia Magee & Anita Pettitt X Jill Masterman & Tammy Jackson* Tony Mazzarella* Howard Menaker & Patrick Gossett X Ray Michener & Tom Carlson* Bob Morris & James Weygandt 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* Michael Strait & Tim O’Bar Lenny Stumpf & John B. Pitchford* Kaye Sullivan Brett Svensson & Bill Quinn - Dust Doctors LLC* Thrasher’s French Fries* Lana Warfield & Pamela Notarangelo X Michael Weinert X Walter Welsh & Martin Thomas 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 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 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 John D’Amico* Kathy Davison & Ruth Dickerson X Linda DeFeo X Anthony Delacruz & Ronald Mangano 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 Continued on page 96

Did you FALL in love with the beach this summer?

You don't have to LEAVE.

#1 IN DE HOME SALES IN 2022 #1 REAL ESTATE TEAM IN COASTAL DE

#2 BHHS NATIONWIDE

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

95 Letters

Continued from page 94

Maureen Ewadinger* Ellen Feinberg & Lesley Rogan X Paul Finn & Joseph Porporino* Barbara Fitzpatrick & Denise Centinaro Keven Fitzsimmons & Jeff Stroud X Deb Fox & Deb Bonneau Charlie Gable Ron Glick & Tien Pham* William Gluth & Channing Daniel* Ed Gmoch* Gail Gormley* Deborah Grant & Carol Loewen* Robert Grant & Chris Cossette Renee Guillory & Melissa Vila-Guillory Siobhan Halmos & Beth McLean* Tracey & Erica Hellman Bill Hillegeist X Sharon Hoffer Cindy & Wilma Holt Vance Hudgins & Denny Marcotte* Janet Idema & Patricia Higgins* Anne Kazak & Chris Coburn X Kathleen Kelly & Jeff Van Siclen Maryl Kerley X Ned Kesmodel & Matt Gaffney X Bonnie Kirkland & Wanda Bair X Rob & Jean Krapf X Robin Kroft & Elina Toole Barbara Lang & Diane Grillo* Mary Jo & Rachel Lauer Jim Lesko* Robert & Yen Ling Chip Logan Duncan MacLellan & Glenn Reighart* Susan Macy Amanda Mahony & Alex Albanese Robb Mapou & Mike Zufall* Marsha Mark & Judy Raynor* James Mastoris & Edward Chamberlain X Michael & Stephan Maybroda* Marcia McCollum Kathy & Steve McGuiness* Sherril Moon & Louise Montgomery* Margaret Moore & Sheree Mixell X Carol Morris & Ann Abel Lisa Mosley Judy Olsen & Joanne Kempton X Sandra Oropel & Linda Frese* Carolyn Ortwein & Ann Barry* Rutland Paal & Robert Mittleman* Sandra Pace & Barbara Passikoff X Stephen Pape & Jerry Clark* Steve Parker* Ellen Passman X Marilyn Pate & Dorothy Smith* Patricia Pawling & Jennifer Butz* Rina Pellegrini Deena Pers X Grace Pesikey & Janet Urdahl* Russ Phipps & Stephen Jacobs* Peter Pizzolongo & Carlos Prugue* Jay Raksin* Susan Reinagel & Dawn Henderson* Pat Renninger & Tammy Plumley X Judy Rosenstein & Elva Weininger X Deborah & Charles Ross X Katherine Sams* Richard Sargent* Richard Scalenghe & Thomas Panetta*

Letters 96

Gary Schell & Jim DiRago Laurie Schneider & Margie Ripalda* Carol Scileppi & Valerie McNickol* Craig Sencindiver & Gary Alexander* Marj Shannon & Carla Burton* Tara Sheldon* Frank Shockley & Arthur Henry* Cathy Sieber & Brenda Kriegel* Anita Smulyan Tina Snapp & Susan Leathery* Christine Stanley & Joyce Rocko* Robert Stoltzfus & Gerald Warhola* Sandra Sullivan & Lorie Seaman* Terrence Sullivan Trudie Thompson James Vernicek & Jeff Dailey* Joseph Vescio Tama Viola* Don Wainwright & Tom Jamison* Patricia Walker Bryan Warner & Mike Nonemaker Troy Watson & Dennis Wolfgang* Don Wessel Ralph Wiest & Anthony Peraine* Daryle Williams & Steven Fretwell* Lynne Wilmer & Jeannie Marsh Melanie Wolfe & Monica Niccolai Robert T. Wright & Jack Lim* Sherri Wright & Dick Byrne* Niki Zaldivar & Cecil McNeil X Helaine Zinaman & Roselyn Abitbol X

RED LEVEL Guy Abernathey X Dale Adams Debra Adrian Jim Affonco X Mark Aguirre & Wayne Gleason X Nancy Ahluwalla Bill Alldredge X Chris Allison Stephani Allison & Judith Gorra X Katherine Alteneder Alan Anderson X Daniel Anderson & Greg Melanson Andrea Andrus & Maggie Shaw X Peter Antolini X Patricia Antonisse X Wanda Armwood & Illona Williams* Cynthia Arno Diane Athanas Josh Bach & Edward Ginley Kathleen Bailey X Christine A. Baker John Baker & Richard Latham X Ruth Ball & Mary Ellen Jankowski* Sarah Barnett Curtiss Barrows X Barbara Bastow & Margaret McHale John Batchelor X Karen Beck* Beebe Medical Foundation* Mike Behringer & Nelson Correa* Alex Belano George Benes & Michael Mallee X Suzanne Bennethum & Deborah Smith* Jeri Berc X John Berdini X Joel Berelson & Charles Maples* Lisa Beske - In Loving Memory of Steve Elkins*

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Christine Bielenda & Karen Feuchtenberger* Thomas Biesiadny X Deb Bievenour & Susan Shollenberger* Beatrice Birman & Mary Malgoire Lorraine Biros* Cathin Bishop & Laura Simon X Ann Black & Kaye Wachsmuth X Carol Blair* Eric Blondin - State Farm Insurance Rehoboth Beach X Jacquelyn Blue X Rev. Dr. Tom Bohache & Tom Laughingwolf Simmons X Annabelle Boire* Carl Bomberger & Mike Rhoads Robin Bond & Leanna Johannes* Bob Bonitati X Joy Boone & Marina Simmers X Randall Borgerson X Pete Borsari X Laura Borsdorf X Nancy Bouse & Norma Morrison X David & Donna Bowman X Deni Boyer & Loretta Imbrogono* Brian Boyle & Larry Gee X Beth Bozman* Jim Brady & Mike Hays X Kelly Brennan & Susan McVey* Susan Brinsfield & Barbara Devenport Kevin Brown X Lyn Brown & Winsome Boyd* Matthew Brown Al Bulliner X Belinda Buras & Linda Simeone* Geoffrey Burkhart & Bruce Williams* Carol L. Burnett X Timothy B. Bush X Richard Buske & Shawn McHugh Sherry Butler James Byrnes X Chris & Richard Cahill X Robertine Cale* Debbie Cali & Maddie Cunningham* Ingrid Callmann & Karen Askins* Leslie Calman & Jane Gruenebaum* Pat Campagna & Debra Sansoucie Terri Campbell & Victoria Smith Michele Campisi & Julie A. Slick X Joe Canter Matt Carey X Jim Carlo X Justine Carpenter X Shirley Carpenter & Mary Coldren X Deborah Carroll & Jill Steiner Jo Cason & Peggy Neidlinger Teresa Cason & Lynda Schepler X Sara Cavendish & Wendy Bunce X Denis Chandler & Sebastion DiMauro Linda Chaney & Irene Lawlor* Helen Chang & Pat Avery* Dr. Harvey J. Chasser X Mike Chateauneuf X Dan Childers & Ted Hernandez* Tom Childers & John Hall X Sandra Chinchilla & Michelle Holmes X Curt Christensen & Ellen Heald* Billy J. Christian X Dennis Chupella & Rob White X Norma K. Clark X Rob Cline

Amy Clouse & Betty Long X Julie Cockley Anne Cole & Sandy Freeman Carolyn Cole & Sandy McDevitt X Stuart Comstock-Gay X Inez Conover X Bill Cooley & Ken Watkins DVM X Josh Cooper & Steve Rathburn Jeffery A. Coover X Michael Cornell X Lois Corson X Mary Costa & Kris Nygaard* Renate Costner Becky & Tom Craft X Robert Crocetti X Bill Cross & David McCall X Madeline Cunningham & Linda Matulaitis Mark Cunningham & Ken Tattersall X Rich Custer Howard Cyr & Lynn Ashley* Ellen Dahl* William T. Darley X Carol Davidson Denise Davis & Jeanne Bilanin Jeremiah Davis Marsha Davis & Bev Lesher X Patricia Davis Frederick Dean & Steven Swierzy X Scott Dechen & James Maino* Michael Decker & Arley Jaimes X Michael DeGraffenreid Susie Ball & Susan Delaney X Ann DeLazaro & Annette Potemski Bernie Delia X Frank Dell’Aquila X Tracy Denton & Brenda Welsh Karen DeSantis & Carol Brice* Nancy DeToma & Meg Smith* David DeVargas & Steven Champion X Henry & Marcia DeWitt X Romy Diaz & Dennis Bann Geri Dibiase Photography* Julie Dickson X Phyllis Dillinger Tony DiMichele & Jeff Smith* Mary Dipietro & Wendy Schadt* Deb Dobransky & Ketty Bennett* Arthur Dochterman X David & Lizann Dockety X Peg Dolan & Mary McDevitt X Millie Donnell Frances Doyle X Paul Dradransky X Michael Driscoll & Ben McOmber X Susan Dube & Diana Patterson* Barry Dunkin* Deborah Duran Gene Dvornick X John Eckardt Eden Restaurant X Richard Egler Gail Elliott & Bea Hickey* Pamela Elliott* W. Kay Ellis* LeAnn Erickson & Julie Rasmussen Lisa Evans & Joann Gusdanovic John Farley & Dennis Wilson X Dent Farr & Erick Lowe* Susan Farr & Joanne Pozzo* Jane Farrell Rene Fechter

Larry & Ro Fedorka* Karen Ferguson* Mark Fernstrom Virginia Fessler * Jayne Fetterman* Irene & Edward Fick* Louise Fickel & Robin Mullican Ben Ficks & Bob Angell Allen Fred Fielding X Jerry Filbin* Mark Finkelstein & Michael Zeik X Rick Fischer X Barbara Fischetti & Janet Thoden Gary Fisher & Josh Bushey* Chuck Flanagan X Paul Florentino & Chris Pedersen X Sandra Fluck & Bev Pasquarella* Bill Ford Mary Ford & Judy Hedrick X Beebe Frazer X Jon Frazier Phil Fretz X Neil Frock & Bob Harrison* Susan Furman Cathy Gaiser Lynn Gaites & Faye Koslow X Nina Galerstein* Marcia Gallo & Ann Cammett Jerry Gallucci & Conrad Welch* Karen Gantz & Jeanie Geist* Kathryn Gantz & Kathryn Gehret Don Gardiner X Alexis Gardner Annette Gardner Peter Garneau & Dennis Rodriguez Ed Gasper Mindy Gasthalter* Wilson Gates X Charles George & Dennis Rivard X Tracey Gersh & Amy Johnson Gary Gillard X Edward Ginley Joan Glass X Angela & Cheryl Glodowske Karen Glooch X Jane Godfrey* Randall Godwin X Jackie Goff & Mary Vogt X Dave Gold & In Memory of James Yiaski X Robert Gold X Suzanne Goldstein & Dana Greenwald X Milton Gordon & Bill Hromnak X Teresa Gordy & Barb Ford X Dan Goren & Peter Robinson X Anita Gossett & Ronnie Smith* Robert Gotwalt & Norman Jones Shelley Grabel Bill Graff & Jeff Schuck* Lisa & Raymond Graff* Joe Greenhall & Tom Klingler Harvey Grider Richard Grifasi X John Grillone & Paul Schlear Jr. X Joseph Gritz X Carol Gross X James Gross X Richard & Frances Grote* Paula Grubbs X Helene Guilfoy X Bill Gunning & Joe Greoski X Mary Gunning* Continued on page 98

Indulge Yourself...

Buy a Beach Home this Fall Expandable to 5BR 4BA

A

Seaside Court

Enclave of 5 Homes on Rehoboth Avenue Ext. 4BR, 3BA, Fireplace Full Basement w/8’ Ceiling

From $1,325,000

Under construction

Dewey Beach Ocean Block Townhouse 3BR, 3.5 BA, 2Fireplaces, Updated kitchen, baths & flooring

$1,395,000 Robinsons Drive just across Silver Lake Bridge 2 Unit home each with 2BR. Rent out or convert to single family

$1,895,000 Shirley Kalvinsky

Randy Mason

Cell: (302) 236-4254

Cell: (302) 236-1142

Shirley@jacklingo.com

Randy@jacklingo.com

246 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 302-227-3883(office) SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

97 Letters

Continued from page 96

Jay Haddock & Hector Torres* Gerard M. Haley & George D. Zahner X Cynthia Hall X Roberta Hamer Mark Hare & Mike Newman X Kelley Harp X Sue Claire Harper David Harrer & Floyd Kanagy* Thomas F. Harris II Mary Hartman & Laurie Nelson Jeff Haslow X Janece Hausch* John & Mary Havrilla* Christine & Brooke Havrilla-Downes Nancy Hawpe Daniel F.C. Hayes* Ceil Hearn & Liv Ault Gail Hecky* Barb & Len Hedges-Goetti Leslie Hegamaster* Linda Heisner X David Herchik & Richard Looman X Fred Hertrich X Howard Hicks & Stephen Carey X Helen Hilderbrandt Barbara Hines & Nancy Froome X Howard C. Hines, MD X Karen & Mickey Hinman Janel Hino & Patricia Ann Scully X Mary Hoban Derrick Hodge David Hogue Harold Hogue Harris Holden X Connie Holdridge* Christine Holloran Robert Holloran & Ed Davis* James & Edna Holsinger Chris Holt & Emory Bevill X Mollyne Honor & Shelley Garfield* Larry Hooker X Mary Anne Hoopes & Dianna Johnston* James T. Hopkins X Elaine Horan & Debbie Sciallo X Frank Hornstein & Mark Henckel X James Hospital & Jack Fraker* Robert Hotes X Corey Houlihan & Karen Abato Ellan Hylton Batya Hyman & Belinda Cross* Thomas Ingold X Claire Ippoliti X Chris Israel & John Stassi X Debbie Isser & Fran Leibowitz* Geoffrey Jackson & Will Delany X Fay Jacobs & Bonnie Quesenberry X Sharon Janis X Steve Janosik X Kathy Jantzen & Debi Cunn Allen Jarmon & Ward Ellinger X Robert Jasinski* Mary Jenkins & Laura Reitman Susan Jimenez & Cathy Benson X Donna A. Johnson* Ken Johnson X Randi Johnson Jim Johnston* Richard Jolly & Charles Ingersoll X D. J. Jones* Gay Jones & Barb Bartels

Letters 98

Glenn Jones X Sandra Jones* Tom Jones X Beth Joselow Wayne Juneau X Mick Kaczorowski X Darleen Kahl & Susan Poteet* Bob Kaplan & Jeff Davis X Daphne Kaplan & Steve Scheffer* Sharon Kaplan & Pamela Everett* Kevin P. Kaporch X Amylynn Karnbach - One Day At A Time Gifts, LLC* Dawn Kasow Jennifer & Michaele Kayes Peter Keeble & Tom Best* Mark Kehoe X Donald Kelly* Michael J. Kelly X John Kennedy* Hunter Kesmodel X Laurie Kessler & Jennifer Ierardi Tom Ketterman Marge Keyes & Julie Arenstein X Charlotte King Jim King Spencer Kingswell X Jane Knaus & Cindy Myers* Karen Konkel Stephen Kopp* John Kort & Hung Lai* Robert Kovalcik & Bob Howard X Marcia Kratz* Karen Kreiser & Beth Nevill* Kevin W. LaBarge X Beth Lake Cheryl Landry & Lisa Corrado Peter Lanzaro & Frank Bodsford X Gail Larabee Dr. Mathilda Laschenski & Dr. Kathleen Heacock X Ruth Lauver & Judy Wetzel* Kate Lavelle X Carol Lazzara & Sheila Maden* Charlie Lee X Tara Leek Jon Leeking & Dieulifete Jean* Monica Lehman & Cathy Amberman Lisa Lekawa Charles & Matthew Lentz Jen Leonard & Claire McCracken* Marsha Levine & Susan Hamadock X Arlene & Ginny Levy-Balmforth Barbara Lewis Barbara Lilien* Alexander Lincoln Cindy Lins & Diane Milam Jamie Lipinski & Lisa Lintecum Duwayne Litz X Eleanor Lloyd & Celeste Beaupre* Robert E. Long X Cynthia Lowe & Rae von Doehren* Debbie Lupton & Ramona Dobbs* Diane Lusk X Donna Lynch Becky Lyons & Ebie Hamrick X Tina Maddox & Susan Green Joe Maggio X Bernadette Maher & Cheryl Tarlecky* Jack Maher X Barbara Mahoney Nancy Maihoff X

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Eddie Major X Bruce Majors X Scott Mallan & E.B Easter Harvey Manchester X Domenic Mannello X Stephanie Manos & Reber Whitner X Anyda Marchant X Kathi Marek & Mary Seminara Harold Marmon & Robert Hill* Shelly Marsh Norma Martin X Nan Martino* Marie Martinucci* John Matthews & Nick Polcini* Eric Matuszak X Linda Mazie & Terry Koff Donna McCabe & Mac Ignacio X Edward McCord Kathleen McCormick & Elizabeth Fish X Mary McElhone & Nancy Kaiser X Thomas McGlone X Joe McMahon X Jeanne Ann McManus & Robin Robertson Anita McMullin Joseph McNally & Terry Jones X Charlotte McNaughton Chuck McSweeney & Michael Clay X Jim & Bruce McVey-Back* Buck Melton X John Messick X Alicia Mickenberg & Kathleen Fitzgerald* Jamie Middelton* Dr. Phyllis J. Mihalas X Melissa Milar* Alicia Miller & Shawn Noel* Bruce R. Miller & Dean D. LaVigne X Frank Miller X Marilyn K. Miller & Candice Zientek* Marvin Miller & Dan Kyle X Robin Miller Shelly Miller Todd A. Miller & Michele Frame X Doreen Millon Lee Wayne Mills X Stan Mills & Marcia Maldeis X Linda Miniscalco & Jeanne Drake* Martha Monell Andrea Monetti & Karen Petermann* Sue Monismith X Teri Moore & Barb Kulbaba* Mary Morgan & Beth Fitton X Meg Morgan & Susan Lynham X Richard Morgante & Edward McHale* Maryellen Morris Pearl Morris* Richard Morris Jack Morrison & Bob Dobbs* Barry Moshinski & Robert Ponzini Andrew K. Moss & Richard Blevins X Brent Mundt X Mary Murdoch X Joanie Murphy Marie Murray & Deb Ward X Robert Murray Cynthia Myers* Marc Nasberg & Howard R. Nelson X Noelle Navarro Keith Neale X

Cindy Necaise & Debbie Cole X Lee Ann Nelson X Darrell Netherton & Robert Wheeler X James Newkirk & Leon Wilkowsky* Janet Newkirk X Arletta Nicholl & Mary Anderson* Scott Nickle Konrad Noebel, MCAT, LMT & Brian Cox* Teri Noel* Janet Nosal* Terry O’Bryan & Jack Musser James O’Dell X James O’Malley X Richard O’Malley X Lisa Orem & Debby Armstrong* Missy Orlando & Patty Violini X Jeffrey & Lisa Osias X Kathy Osterholm* Randy Overbaugh X Sally Packard & Dinah Reath X Richie Pagnotta X Bud Palmer X Fran Panzo & Karen Groething Diane Pasatieri Emilie Paternoster & Monica Parr X Carol Patterson & Carol Hughes* Tim Patterson & Harvey Sharpe X Lucille & Dan Payne* Michelle Peeling & Wendy Adams* Roy Perdue X Al Perez & Gary Kraft* Colleen Perry & Jane Kuhfuss* Susan Petersen & Luz Cruz Don Peterson & Jeff Richman X Eric Peterson X Elizabeth Petitte & Erin Reid Bruce Pfeufer X PFLAG-Rehoboth Beach* Peggy Phillips & Norma McGrady* Frank Pileggi & Jon Blackman X Terry Plowman X Mary Lu Pool Trudy Portewig & Luanne Schinzel Linda Porto & Linda Tobin Roni Posner X Sue Potts & Karen Kohn X Timothy Price & Gerard Sealy X Sam Profeta X Sarajane Quinn* Jean Rabian & Ralph Hackett X Joie Rake & Nan Flesher X Elaine Raksis & Maxine Klane* Barb Ralph X Rob Ramoy X Bob & Mary Beth Ramsey X Linda Rancourt & M. Sue Sandmeyer* Lewis Rathbone* Julie Rathman & Sandra Eagles Nancy Ratner James Raynor & John Kolonko Carole Redman Janet Redman X Carolyn Redmon & Nancy Allen* Randy Reed X Rehoboth Art League* Peter S. Reichertz X Ken Reilly & Tony Ghigi X Virginia Reime & Gene Tadlock* Jeff Reinhart & Jack Miller* Don Reppy Thomas Resh & Jeffrey Meyers X

Judith Retchin & Elyse Wander X Deborah Reuter & Deborah Bea* Sarah Reznek & Babette Pennay Sandie Riddell & Eileen Siner* Patricia Ridge Marion Ridley & Mark Lundy X Ronica Ridley-Martin & John Martin Linda Rikard & Mary Jo Tarallo Keith & John Riley-Spillane X Heather & Cathy Rion Starr Joel Robbins & Michael Linder X Sandra Robbins X William Robbins & Gary Ralph* Sandy Roberts X Rob Robertson & Carlos Taylor X Teri & Amy Robinson-Guy* Craig Rocklin X Tim Rodden & Randy Clayton X John & Susan Roehmer* Chris Rogahn Jeanne Rogers* Roy Rollins X Lauren Romig X Debbie Ronemus & Peggy Sander* Ed Rose & Sandra Robbins X Michael Rose & David Le Sage Peter Rosenstein X Larry L. Ross X Mary Rossettini & Kathleen Taylor Ellen & Terry Roth Perreault X Barb Rowe X Ski Rowland & Gary Mosher X Joan Rubenstein X Herbert Russell* Kelly Sabol* Steve Sage & Thom Swiger X Joe & Nancy Sakaduski* Margaret Salamon* Sanford & Doris Slavin Foundation X Kim Schilpp* Nancy Schindler & Eric Youngdale Michael Schlechter & Kevin Sharp X James Schmidt & Carl Horosz Rosemarie Schmidt & Carolyn Horn X Sharon Schmitt* Holly Schneider & Linda Haake* Jaime Schneider & Glenn Randall X Peter Schott & Jeffrey Davis* Carol Schwartz & Robert D. Tyler X Craig Schwartz & William Pullen X Diane Schwarz Diane Scobey X John Scotti & Greg Landers* David Scuccimarra & Dorothy Fedorka* Shirley Semple* Joann Seppelt Dale Sheldon & Pat Coluzzi X Banner Sheppard & Marlin Hubler Kelly Sheridan & Debra Quinton* David Sherman X George Shevlin & Jack Suwanlert* Davis Short & Beverly Castner Frank Silverio X Marc Silverman & John Campbell* Sandra Skidmore X Ken Skrzesz X Jeffrey Slavin X Anne Smith & Lisa Taylor Carol Smith* Harlan Joe Smith & Dustin Abshire* Leonard Smith X Continued on page 101

jacklingo.com

Discover Your Wonder with Jack Lingo, REALTOR®

Coastal Delaware Sales & Rentals

REHOBOTH BEACH

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

99 Letters

Join us!

Become a member today!

Support our mission.

Join with others to continue our mission of celebrating diversity and building a strong community for all.

37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 | 302.227.5620 | camprehoboth.com Letters 100

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Continued from page 98

Marty Smith & F. Price Connors* Rosanne Smith & Brenda Butterfield* Rich Snell X Sandra Sommerfield & Cindy Scott X Dee Speck & Linda Kauffman X Jim Spellman X Lorraine Stanish & Beverly Miller* Christy Steer X Frank Sterner X Diane Stetina Shelley Stevens & Joanne Locke Lisa Stewart X Libby Stiff & Bea Wagner X Russell & Patricia Stiles* Allison Stine & Pete Jamieson* Terry Stinson* Caroline Stites & Elizabeth Coit X Tracy Stith & Laura McCarthy Dr. Frederick C. Stoner * Michael Stover* Christine Strauss X Lois Strauss X Jackie Sullivan & Sharon Padbury John Swift & Ron Bowman X 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 Thomas Tibbetts X Otto F. Tidwell X 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 Charles Tyrrell Bruce Uliss X Michael Utasi Debra Van Dyke* Jennifer Varone* V. James Villareale & In Memory of Dale Ebert* Beverly Vogt & Waneeta Mack X Patrick Wadsworth & Mike Converse X Scott Wagner & John Sohonage* Marianne Walch X Jennifer Walker & Mary Ann Veitch X Paula Walker & Gayle Dumonceaux David Wall & Robert Houck* Valerie Walters Kenneth E. Walz & Robert G. Ward, Jr. X Garold Wampler X Michael E. Ward X Sharyn Warwick X Ellen Watkins X Debbie Webber & Terry McQuaid* Michael & Angel Welborn 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 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

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

101 Letters

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

1

(Continued from page 55) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at SUNFESTIVAL 2023: Nick Parish, Steve Hayes, Greg Albright, Joe Walker, Subhayo Nayek, Garrett Gacusana, Ryan Reed, Michelle Mobley, Ryan Bos, Eric Engelhart, Jeff Enck, Diane Taylor, Bridget Bauer, Linda Bova, Cathy Forthuber, Joe Coates, Mike Ballas, Payam Hariri, Dylan Herbs, Vicki Martina, Linda Kemp, Nancy Hewish, Scott Brinitzer, Matt D’Amico.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 2) at Gallery 50: Wes Combs, Jerry Gallucci, Conrad Welch, Peter Rosenstein, Nancy Kaiser, Dave Lyons, Mary McElhone, Sarah Houde, Gary Fisher, Annie Gutherie; 3) at Rehoboth Art League: Bruce Clayton, Nick Serretore, Rebecca Raubacher, Jan Konesy; 4) at DDOA Award Winner Reception at CAMP Rehoboth: Francis Taylor, Olive Taylor, Naiomi Phillips, Charlene Phillips, Kim Leisey, DE State Senator Russ Huxtable, Kristin Pleasanton, Kim Hoey Stevenson, Cony Madariaga, Anne Yarbough, Bryant T. Bell, Charlise Phillips, Barbara Proud, Leslie Sinclair, Laura Fravel. Zoe Bell, Bryant T. Bell, Patricia Stiles; 5) at Browseabout Books: Margaret Kirby, Michael Kirby; 6) at The Pines: Jeff Bellon, John Hulse.

(More CAMPshots page 104) Letters 102

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

2

3

5

4

6 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

103 Letters

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

1

(Continued from page 103) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Battle of the Bachelors and Bachelorettes at Aqua: Jeffrey Morales, Elisha White, Kristina Kelly, Dan Spivey, Bret Applebaum, Kyle Ream, RB Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski, Kim Leisey, Kathy Wiz, Muriel Hogan, Dottie Cirelli, Carolyn Billinghurst, Carol Bresler, Thomas Balotska, Judson Dryer, Brittany McCunny, Sol Leone, Alonza Parker, Katie Lydell.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 2 at Battle of the Bachelors and Bachelorettes at Aqua: Justin Fritz, Jarret Smith, Chey Hillsgrove, Rob Weed, Angelo Tabbita, Tommy Holden, Chris Rouchard, Gianni Ballarin, Bob Cartwright, Mel Damascena, Mike DeFlavia, Bob Suppies, Connor Serley, Philip Townsend; 3) at RB Museum Beach Ball: Ken Effinger, Sharon Rose, Anne Lyman, Richard Lyman, Sallie Forman, Tony Burns, Melissa Clink, Doug Wingate, Trish Vernon, RB Mayor Stan Mills, Marcia Maldeis, DE State Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, RB Commissioner Jay Legree, Enid Legree, Kate Markert, RB Commissioner Bunky Markert.

(More CAMPshots page 112) Letters 104

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Celebrity Interview

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

A Crowning Moment

Matthew López, Tony winner for The Inheritance, Breaks New Records with Feature Directorial Debut Red, White & Royal Blue

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ro-queer viewers have spoken, and they’re royally head over heels for Red, White & Royal Blue. The film’s widespread success is a win for director and co-writer Matthew López, for Amazon Prime Video and, most notably, for LGBTQ+ representation.

After the gay romance premiered in July, Prime Video reported that the film hit No. 1 on the popular streamer, placing it in the top three of Prime Video’s most watched rom-com films ever. Amazon also noted that there’s been a big uptick in new Prime membership sign-ups due to the buzzy film. Even with what seems like a homophobic R rating, the movie couldn’t be stopped. Consider, also, that this is an unsettling time in our queer history, when LGBTQ+ people are routinely under attack across the world. A hit queer love story on a global streamer is a win for all of us.

But before the film, there was Casey McQuiston’s 2019 book. Those who pored over every juicy word in it already had bigger crushes on Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) than they did for each other. Now readers can find new ways to love them in López’s film, where, like in the book, their romance doesn’t begin as a romance— Alex is the son of the US president (Uma Thurman), and Henry is British royalty; they have reputations to uphold. But the two families shift into damage-control mode after something goes awry at a royal event, leading to a tentative friendship between the royal studs. That friendship gradually leads to the bedroom, where more than friendship-type things happen.

Ahead of the film’s release, López, who became the first Latino to win the Tony Award for Best Play for The Inheritance in 2021, spoke in depth about his approach to the movie’s sex scenes and how he looked to the Harry Potter films Letters 106

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to inform his approach to turning a fanloved book into a film.

CHRIS AZZOPARDI: What has it been like promoting this movie without the cast given the SAG-AFTRA union strikes?

MATTHEW LÓPEZ: Well, look, working in this business, you wear multiple hats. And the multiple hats that I’m wearing right now are, I’m very angry and I’m very sad. The part of me that’s sad is that I know how much love this film was made with, how much love that was put into this film. And that the cast is such a huge part of the film’s success.

This cast deserves to be celebrated.

And especially Taylor and Nick deserve to go out into the world and introduce themselves to the world. And I’m sad that Taylor and Nick don’t get a chance to do that.

I’m angry because this strike could have been avoided and it wasn’t. And that ain’t the fault of the actors and that ain’t the fault of the writers. So at the end of the day, I’ll be fine. The movie will be fine. Nick and Taylor will be fine.

But unless we get a fair deal from the studios, nobody’s going to be fine.

CA: From your point of view as director and co-writer, what was it about Taylor and Nick that made them ideal romantic leads for this film?

ML: They’re just really special. I saw hundreds, and I mean hundreds, of actors for these parts over the course of about five months. And from the moment I met each of them for the first time, they stood out as special. And I saw a lot of really special people, and it wasn’t an easy decision in many ways, but it was indisputably the right decision to go with these two. And we kind of knew it from the moment we met each of them.

It’s rare that you get one young, dynamic actor giving what is in effect an introductory performance. To have two of them, and to have them both be so individually special, and together jointly otherworldly, is a unique thing.

And I recognize that I am a lucky, lucky filmmaker.

CA: During the film, I was thinking about the conversation around why

I think hopefully what it does is it allows the audience to understand that sex between two men can be loving, can be tender, can be emotionally connected…

authentic queer sex is missing from a lot of content. But you give the LGBTQ+ community what we’ve been asking for.

What was on your mind when it came to shooting those sex scenes?

ML: It was really keeping in balance two seemingly diametrically opposed things, which was to deliver authentic-seeming queer sex, gay sex, and allow the audience an opportunity to understand something about the characters that they had yet to understand until this scene. So, it was sort of like, how do you do both things?

And I also knew that the most important thing, actually, was the characters and that I had to serve the characters’ needs before the audience’s needs. In this scene you have Alex having penetrative sex for the first time with another man. And for Henry, the decision that Nick and I made before shooting this scene was…I allowed Nick to determine for himself the truths of Henry’s past. And there are a lot of things that Nick knows about Henry that I don’t know and that not even Casey knows. But one of the things that Nick and I decided together was this is the first time that Henry is having sex with someone he has real feelings for. So for both of them, it’s an

incredibly life-changing experience.

There’s no way to have a life-changing experience without having an actual experience. And so, on the other side of the equation, I knew working with Robbie Taylor Hunt, my intimacy coordinator, and with Nick and Taylor, the four of us spent a lot of time talking about this scene and what I needed from it and how we were going to do it. And we all kind of arrived at this decision, led by me, that I wasn’t going to shoot any wider than the mid-torso because I couldn’t sacrifice for a moment the looks on their faces. And so what these two actors were going to need to do was, instead of merely perform a sex act, they were going to act the emotional response to a sex act, which is what I was really interested in telling.

But I also knew that the people watching this film who knew what was going on would know what was going on, and we couldn’t cheat. We couldn’t flub it. We couldn’t deliver anything other than something that was really authentic. So yeah, this was a scene that was devised by a queer filmmaker who knows a thing or two about what’s going on in that scene and what I wanted down to the most minute gesture. The thing that Robbie and I talked a lot about is, just the

momentary moment of consent for the bottom to say to the top, “Go further.”

This was probably the most carefully thought out, choreographed, edited scene in the whole movie. But I think it had to be, in order to get it right. I think hopefully what it does is it allows the audience to understand that sex between two men can be loving, can be tender, can be emotionally connected, as well as being very sexy and physically satisfying.

CA: What would this film have meant to you as a kid?

ML: This was the movie I needed to see, that I didn’t get to see when I was younger. And I say that not to self-aggrandize, but this is the story that I needed to see. That’s why I made the movie in the first place. I read the book and I thought to myself, “Where were you all my life? Where was Alex Claremont-Diaz all my life? Where was this beautiful fairytale all of my life? Why didn’t anybody think to write a fairytale for me?”

And so, for me, it really was my reaction to the book. I needed to make a movie in response to this book, in some ways, to make it up to young Matthew.

Even though it wasn’t my fault that these things weren’t being made, but I needed Continued on page 108 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

107 Letters

Celebrity Interview Continued from page 107 something for the younger me to retroactively get. And so even though I had to wait until I was 46 and make it myself, I do hope that this is one of many things that makes life for queer audiences different than the life that I had growing up.

CA: The Inheritance came to mind while I was watching this, and both that and Red, White & Royal Blue are based on books. What were the differences for you in adapting a work to stage versus screen?

ML: Well, those are two incredibly, vastly different experiences. With The Inheritance, what I got to do, what I challenged myself to do with Howards End, is take my favorite novel and reframe it in a queer way. And to take it and update it by 100 years. And examine how much has changed in society, but how little has changed in human hearts and human behavior. And I allowed myself seven hours to tell the tale, and it really was in a way, not just an adaptation, but it was a reclamation, and it was an opportunity to just retell my favorite story in my own way. I knew that with Red, White & Royal Blue, I had a very different set of responsibilities. All respect to my beloved E.M. Forster, there’s a slightly less rabid fan base for Howards End than there is for Red, White & Royal Blue. I had many more responsibilities to other people when I was making this film, not just financial.

CA: The fandom around Red, White & Royal Blue is rabid.

ML: Yeah. I actually had to allow myself to forget about it while I was making the movie, because if I thought about it, I would freeze up. And I think some of the worst film adaptations are the ones that are too worried about the fans. I’m going to say something bad about another filmmaker, and I don’t really mean it. Until the filmmakers of Harry Potter decided to just make movies rather than take the books and turn them into screen, that’s when those movies started to breathe.

Those first couple of movies were really tight. They were really tight. And then [director] David Yates came on board, and David Yates said, “Let’s just make movies.” And they worked better. And I love [director] Chris Columbus, but David Yates made those movies films.

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So I knew that if I was too observant to the novel, I would end up failing the very people that I was making this for in part. So, for me, it was very simple. It was Alex and Henry. It was their journey. It was their story. Anything that didn’t help me tell that story didn’t belong in the film.

This was the movie I needed to see, that I didn’t get to see when I was younger…this is the story that I needed to see.

And my goal at the end of the day was to simply give the audience an opportunity to feel exactly the same way they felt at the end of the movie as they did at the end of the book. I always say that however long the runtime of the audiobook is, subtract that by two [hours]. The number of hours that it runs subtracted by two, and that’s what’s not in the movie.

CA: I was watching this and thinking it could have been episodic. Had you ever considered making Red, White & Royal Blue a TV series?

ML: You would have the same problem, but in reverse—you’d have too much time to fill. And instead of subtracting, you would’ve ended up adding. That’s when you’re going to really get into trouble with the fans. And I was talking to Casey McQuiston about it the other day, actually. Casey has seen the film and really loves the film. I got to show Casey the movie at a screening room a couple of months ago. And my hope for it, and Casey’s hope as well, if I’m allowed to speak for them, which I think I am in this regard, is that instead of one thing, the fans of the book now have two things.

They have their novel, which they can always return to anytime they want to, and now they have the movie, which is different enough from the book to be its own thing, but respectful enough to the book, and in love enough for the book, to also deliver exactly the same feelings that the book delivered.

CA: With The Inheritance, what’s it like to see a work so close to you being brought to theaters around the world?

ML: Especially a play that is so personal to me as that is—it’s why you write theater. You don’t just write theater for the New York and London audiences.

You write theater—you create plays—for everyone. And that so many different communities, not just in the United States, but around the world, are getting to see this play, and that it’s being translated into so many languages, it makes all the sacrifices that I had to make in order to bring that play into the world worth it.

CA: You made history as the first Latino playwright to win a Tony Award for Best Play. Where do you keep that Tony?

ML: At my house in London. It’s an ongoing debate in my relationship as to where to put the Tony, because we moved into this house about a year ago, and there is this beautiful fireplace mantel. And my husband put my Tony Award and my Olivier Award next to each other on the mantel. And I walked in and I looked at it and I was like, “That’s gauche.” I was like, “Let’s put it on the fourth shelf from the bottom, and let’s just let people find it.” And he was like, “No, no, no, no, no. We are proud of this.

We put it out there.” And so it is sitting very prominently on a mantel in my living room. And sometimes I am proud of it, and sometimes I’m like, “One day I think I’m going to move it someplace a little more discreet.” But for now, he wins.

CA: Proud husband wins.

ML: Proud husband wins, and it’s on the mantel. Once he starts installing the spotlight and the lights blinking at it and the seat in front of it, staring up at it, then I do draw the line there. ▼ This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey, and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

109 Letters

Deep Inside Hollywood Saltburn Is Promising a Little Class Warfare

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merald Fennell, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director of the incendiary drama Promising Young Woman, is back to turn your Thanksgiving upside down with Saltburn. It’s her second feature—where she’s once again handling writing and directing—and it’s the second time working with producer Margot Robbie (third if you count Fennell’s onscreen cameo as pregnant Midge in Barbie) on a mystery set at a very rich, very British Downton Abbey-style country home. Starring Academy Award-nominated Irish actor Barry Keoghan (heartbreaking in The Banshees of Inisherin) and Euphoria star Jacob Elordi (soon to be seen as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s film Prisccilla), the story involves Keoghan’s character becoming infatuated with Elordi, a charming young aristocrat, and subsequently winding up at his family’s immense estate, Saltburn. Co-starring Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant and Carey Mulligan, we’re told it’s about desire and intrigue and the inscrutable behavior of the extremely wealthy.

Taking its bow in October at the British Film Institute Film Festival, it opens November 24 in the US, just in time to see it with your own dysfunctional family. ▼

Luke Macfarlane Is Going to Kiss a Man on The Hallmark Channel

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uke Macfarlane occupies a unique space in the entertainment world, one where his work in comedy projects like the Seth Rogen/Rose Byrne sitcom Platonic and the film Bros overlaps with his status as a go-to leading man in the world of Hallmark Channel romantic dramas for heterosexuals. And now the gay actor will get to take his Bros queer career cred and finally play a gay character in the Hallmark world. In Notes of Autumn, Macfarlane stars as the love interest of gay actor Peter Porte, himself a Hallmark regular who usually plays heterosexual. There are some straight people in the mix, too, of course, with Ashley Williams and Marcus Rosner (also members of the… should we call it the HCU at this point?) as the not-gay characters. It is also a 100 percent certainty that everyone will kiss their respective meant-to-be person at the end because there may now be LGBTQ+ representation on this greeting card planet but there is never going to be an unhappy ending. It all gets cozy and smoochy on September 16. ▼

BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE

Ariana DeBose Has a Lot Going On

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elcome to your Ariana DeBose career achievement checklist.

The Academy Award-winning queer powerhouse has, let’s say, some (OK, a lot of) projects in the pipeline. Last year we reported that she’d be taking on an unspecified role in the upcoming Marvel film, Kraven the Hunter, but now we know that she’s playing the priest Calypso, opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven, and that the film is slated for a late summer 2024 theatrical bow.

She’s also still involved in the Blumhouse horror House of Spoils, opposite queer former Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira (but still no drop date for that one). And while you’re waiting, she’ll voice the lead role of Princess Asha in the coming-soon Disney animated feature Wish; she co-stars in the Chris Pine-directed Chinatown-esque water heist mystery-comedy Poolman that’s about to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival; she’s in the sci-fi thriller I.S.S. from filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite, which just got picked up for distribution by the indie Bleeker Street; and finally she’s been cast opposite both Henry Cavill and Dua Lipa in the Matthew Vaughn-directed spy action thriller Argylle. Like we said, she’s busy. ▼

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero Taking Over TIFF

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he Toronto International Film Festival is about to get an in-depth look at the world of Montero Hill, aka Lil Nas X, with the Grammy Award-winning rapper, singer, and songwriter’s documentary, Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero. Shot over the course of his first tour, the cameras follow him in a diaristic portrait as he navigates the business, the music, the fans, his family, and his place in the history of queer Black artists.

Directed by Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting, Raya and the Last Dragon) and Zac Manuel (the Sundance Film Festival Jury Award Winner—Best Non-Fiction Film: Time, Alone). Since scoring the longest-running No. 1 single in Billboard Hot 100 history in 2019 with “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X has come out as queer and lived it all out loud despite opposition from anti-LGBTQ forces in the culture and within the music industry. And with scores of other pop artists working the documentary angle during the course of their career trajectories, this film is going to be a welcome addition to the canon of queer artists telling their own stories in their own way. We’re not sure where this film will land after the festival—theaters or streaming or both—but keep your eyes and ears open. ▼

Romeo San Vicente cares enough to send a meaningful text.

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111 Letters

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(Continued from page 105) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Bay Pride Raft-Up on Dewey Bay: Tom Newton, Marc Charon, John Dauphine, John Hackett, Tom Balling, Rex Varner, Drexel Davison, Patti Kim, Fay Jacobs, Bonnie Quesenberry, Rick James, Richie Gehman, Kevin McDuffie, Geoffrey Jackson, Victor Camacho; 2) at David Mixner LGBTQ+ CAMP Rehoboth Scholarship Benefit: David Mixner, Richard Bankowitz, Cece Cardano, Elizabeth Birch, Kevin Wells, Stamos Katenis, David Garrett, Laurie Thompson, Derrick Johnson, Leslie Sinclair; 3) at CAMP Families Sunset Cruise on the Cape Water Taxi: Carole Jesiolowski, Judy Jesiolowski, Jill Taylor, Laurie Thompson, Susan Taylor.

OPPOSITE PAGE 4) at Drift: Dave McCarthy, Walt Cassell, Lion Gardner, RB Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski, Jason Abella, Kyle Hrivanak, Allyssa Vitella, Sam Steward; 5) at Dionne Warwick at the Freeman Arts Pavilion: Jim Pressler, Joe DeRanieri, Suzy Ruiz, Gayle Dumonceaux, Paula Walker, Dennis Winstead, Deb Hamilton, Sherry Berman, Scott Egler, Sheena Hall, Marcy Berman; 6) at Aqua: Lisa Oberdorf, Alison Watts, Tama Viola, Jeanine Gordon, Lesly Lasa-Blandon, Anthony DelaCruz, Marion Lasa-Blandon, Ruthann Gordon, Chris Beagle, DE State Senator Sarah McBride, Mike DeFlavia, Jim D’Orta, US Rep. Mark Takano, Evan Ruiz, Sam Carlin. ▼

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113 Letters

WE REMEMBER The Reverend Raymond “Ray” William Michener

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aymond W. Michener, 76, of Millsboro, died Thursday, August 17, after a courageous battle with cancer. Ray is survived by his life partner of 23 years, the Reverend Thomas Carlson; the mother of his children, Carol Michener; his loving children: Jennifer (Robert) Edwards, Laura (Darren) Apisa, Michael (Toni Ann) Michener, Joshua Michener, Laura Lee Holmbo, and Amy (Stephen) Pyle; his 19 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his loyal dog, Gabriel.

Ray was a retired Lutheran minister. After nine years in parish ministry, he entered the Navy as a chaplain, supporting Navy,

Susan K. Ball

Physician and Citizen Scientist

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usan “Susie” K. Ball, May 1943-July 2023, was born during an air raid and spent her youth in war-torn London; thus, she was hardwired to succeed against any odds. She ventured to New York City in the 1960s along with the Beatles.

She pursued a biology degree from City College of New York, worked in a university laboratory, made lifelong friends, and became a United States citizen. She loved science and was a passionate believer in the power of nature to provide great beauty, mystery, and a profound sense of awe. The Atlantic seacoast, and later, the Chesapeake Bay, provided the classroom for her love of birding, photography, sailing, and all marine creatures.

She attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and pursued internal medicine and psychiatry as her specialties. In mid-career she achieved a second board in geriatric psychiatry and later became director of geriatric psychiatry at Crozer-Chester Medical System. Her skill and compassion helped many individuals and their families with geriatric and PTSD issues. She also actively supported compassionate care settings for death and dying in hospitals and hospices.

Upon retirement and relocation to Rehoboth Beach, Susie volunteered at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and the Sussex Bird Club. But her best gift was joining the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (CIB). Her passion, leadership, and love of the Inland Bays led her to other CIB opportunities, most recently becoming its board chair.

Susie was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her loving spouse of 30 years, Susan Delaney, and the extended Delaney family, along with many friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, October 21, at the Center for the Inland Bays. Donations in memory of Susie Ball may be made to the Center’s Student Estuary Exploration Program. ▼ Letters 114

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel and their families. Ray served for 20 years as Lieutenant Commander; his assignments included two tours in Beirut.

Since moving to Delaware, Ray had served as Associate Priest at Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lewes, where he shared the message of faith and hope with wit, compassion, and an ability to give parishioners clarity.

Services were held on September 16, at Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church. Donations can be made in Ray’s honor to the Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church Building Fund, (302) 645-8479. ▼

David Messina

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avid (Dave) Messina of Ashburn, Virginia died unexpectedly on June 24, 2023, in Herzliya, Israel, while on holiday travel with his partner, Bob. David Messina was born in 1956 to Arlene and Salvatore Messina in Hammonton, New Jersey. After his father passed away at a young age, Dave was adopted by Joseph Berenato and always considered him his father. He majored in computer science at the University of Delaware, graduating in 1978. His career included 30 years at Lockheed Martin, where he retired as Director of Business Development. Two years post-retirement he was recruited by Modern Technology Solutions, Inc., serving most recently as Executive Vice President of National Security.

To anyone lucky enough to know him, Dave was a true Renaissance man. His many passions included gardening, entertaining, international travel, snow skiing, a love of cooking, and—especially—being around his family and friends. He loved Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and planned to retire there.

His strength of character was evident to all who knew him personally and professionally.

Dave is survived by his partner of 24 years, Robert W. McCollar, and two children: a daughter, Stephanie (Kevin) Miranda, and their children, Lillian and Adrian, of Alexandria, Virginia; and a son, Adam Messina, and his partner, Ashley Watson, of Leesburg, Virginia.

A celebration of life service will be held September 22, 2023, at Rehoboth Beach Country Club, from noon to 3:00 p.m. ▼

Advisor to philanthropists.

Trusted partner and resource to professional advisors.

“We’re philanthropically inclined, but the DCF brought a whole new audience — a group of people from all across the state and all kinds of different professions.”

Marilyn & Nathan Hayward, Montchanin, 1916 Fund

At the Delaware Community Foundation, we help donors and their professional advisors make savvy decisions about charitable giving to maximize tax advantages and community impact.

To learn more, contact Mike DiPaolo, vice president for Southern Delaware, at mdipaolo@delcf.org or 302.335.6933.

delcf.org/daf SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

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CHORUS LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE Bill Fuchs Dianna Johnston Judy Olsen Dave Scuccimarra Sandra Skidmore COMMUNITY AWARENESS DAY Lissa Dulany CROP SERVES ISOP DINNER Karen Anderson Rick Buske Yvonne Cipressi Brian Cox Mike DeFlavia

Richard Dietz Brenda Dunn Patti Magee Shawn McHugh Tony Sowers GRANTS COMMITTEE Leslie Calman Kate Cauley David Garrett John Roane Leslie Sinclair LETTERS DISTRIBUTION TEAM Todd Hacker Glenn Lash Jim Mease

Russell Stiles Linda Yingst MEMBERSHIP TEAM Jane Blue Ann Evans VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Jim Mease Kim Nelson Rina Pellegrini Leslie Sinclair John Michael Sophos Debbie Woods

LETTERS MAILING TEAM Nancy Hewish Grant Kingswell Vicki Martina Stephen Palmer

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

117 Letters

AD INDEX Activ Pest Solutions..................................................77 AG Renovations......................................................116 Atlantic Jewelry........................................................49 Atlantic View Hotel...................................................89 Beach View Hotel.....................................................77 Beebe Healthcare....................................................76 Brand g Vacations....................................................11 Brandywine Urology Consultants............................... 9 Brandywine Valley SPCA..........................................31 bsd............................................................................57 Café Azafrán.............................................................65 CAMP Rehoboth Annual Sponsors............................. 6 CAMP Rehoboth Block Party...................................... 7 CAMP Rehoboth Chorus...........................................17 CAMP Rehoboth Letters Subscription....................117 CAMP Rehoboth Membership................................100 CAMP Rehoboth SUNFESTIVAL..........................14, 15 CAMP Theatre..........................................................29 CAMPsafe.................................................................28 Caroline Huff, Artist..................................................19 Chris Beagle Group, Realtors...................................19 Christiana Care.........................................................37 Clear Space Theatre.................................................64 Coho’s Market & Grill................................................63 Collins Podiatry........................................................81 Country Lawn Care.................................................118 County Bank.............................................................82 Delaware Community Foundation.................. 85, 115 DE Div of Public Health, Cancer Screening..............21

Letters 118 SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Delaware Hospice....................................................81 Delaware Symphony................................................67 Design Center of Rehoboth .....................................78 Diego’s Bar Nightclub................................. 71, 72, 73 Dogfish Head...........................................................69 Donna Whiteside, Realtor........................................10 Epworth United Methodist Church...........................75 Fifth Avenue Jewelers..............................................65 Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant.........................119 Gay Women of Rehoboth.........................................81 go fish go brit...........................................................86 Groome Church......................................................109 History Book Festival...............................................79 Hugh Fuller, Realtor..................................................58 Humane Animal Partners Delaware.........................32 Jack Lingo, Real Estate............................................99 Jenn Harpel, Morgan Stanley...................................23 Jolly Trolley............................................................111 Just In Thyme Restaurant.........................................45 Lana Warfield, Realtor..............................................41 Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Realtors..........................95 Little Landmines Pet Waste Removal.....................111 Lori’s Café................................................................82 Loves Liquors...........................................................43 Maplewood Dental Associates.................................41 McWilliams Ballard Real Estate................................93 MERR Institute..........................................................41 Milton Theatre....................................................46, 47 New Wave Spas........................................................36

Oliver Whitby............................................................87 Olivia Travel..............................................................25 Purple Parrot............................................................59 PWW Law..................................................................36 Randy Mason/Shirley Kalvinsky, Realtors................97 Rehoboth Art League...............................................63 Rehoboth Beach Dental...........................................86 Rehoboth Beach Museum......................................111 Rehoboth Guest House..........................................111 Saved Souls Animal Rescue.....................................45 Sea Bova Associates, Realtors...............................120 Shore United Bank...................................................89 Shorebreak Lodge....................................................51 Springpoint Choice...................................................83 State Farm - George Bunting...................................68 State Farm - Jeanine O’Donnell/Eric Blondin...........45 Stuart Kingston Gallery............................................33 Sussex Family YMCA................................................68 The Joe Maggio Group, Realtors.............................81 The Lodge at Truitt Homestead................................43 Time to Heal Counseling & Consulting....................92 Troy Roberts, Realtor................................................23 True Blue Jazz..........................................................39 Unfinished Business.................................................63 Village Volunteers....................................................65 Volunteer Opportunities.........................................117 Volunteer Thank You..............................................117 Windsor’s Flowers..................................................116 Zane Jones, Realtor...............................................109

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

119 Letters

LINDA BOVA

BRIDGET BAUER

BROKER-ABR®

ASSOC. BROKER-REALTOR®

CELL

CELL

302-542-4197

CAMELOT MEADOWS Rehoboth. 2001 Commodore 3BR/2BA home has formal LV & family room. Big kitchen.

Community pools & just 3.5 miles to beach. $159,000 (2046172) Lot Rent $927/mt.

CONCH CAYE - Milford.

1952 renovated 3BR/1BA 980sf “cottage” on 0.45 ac lot. East of Hwy 1 w/easy access to Dover & beaches. $259,900 (DEKT2021492)

Pam Schaefer 302-388-8299 cell

302-245-0577

SEA AIR - Rehoboth.

1BR/1BA 2009 Fleetwood 42’ RV w/4 slide-outs. Nice kitchen. Dinette area. Full bath. Community pool & 3 miles to beach. $39,500 (2047758) Seasonal 4/15-11/15

VILL. OF COOL BRANCH - Seaford. Remodeled 1997 3BR/2BA home is 984sf.

Front & rear decks.

Community pool & catchn-release pond. $124,999 (2044252) Lot Rent $526/mt.

SAWGRASS SOUTH - Rehoboth Beach. This 3-story townhousestyle condo has 4BR/3.5BA & its own private elevator. 3,340 sq. ft. includes the heated 4-season porch on the 2nd floor. The living room & the porch share a see-thru gas fireplace. The living room adjoins the dining area. Gourmet kitchen w/granite counters.

Den or home office. Main bedroom has FP, sitting area & tray ceiling. 1st floor suite w/living room.

Patio & balcony. 1-car garage. Community pool & more. 6 miles to the beach & boardwalk. $714,900

SUSSEX WEST - Lewes.

2006 3BR/2BA. 1,624sf home.

1-car garage. 3-Season porch. Partially fenced.

Indoor community pool & 6 miles to beach. $184,900

(2047884)

(2047626) Lot Rent $718/mt.

NEW PRICE

SUN RETREATS - Millsboro.

Water views! 2BR/1BA 2019 Skyline Park Model w/ enclosed porch. Nice kit.

Big bath. FP in LV. Marina, pool & more. $135,000

LOCHWOOD - Lewes.

New Construction. 3BR/2BA 1,767sf. Granite & stainless steel appliances. Hurry - Still time for “pick outs.” $525,000

SUSSEX WEST - Lewes.

2002 3BR/2BA. 1,454sf home w/1-car oversize garage on corner lot. Large deck.

Indoor community pool & 6 miles to beach. $170,000

CAP’T GRANT - Millsboro.

2002 4BR/2BA 1,404sf Class C home on 0.37 ac.

Oversized 12’x20’ shed.

Nearby marinas & 15 miles to the Rehoboth boardwalk. $319,900 (2045944)

(2047026) Seasonal 4/15-10/31

(2041516) Lot Rent $937/mt.

(2044614) Theresa Cappuccino cell 609-515-5820

LOCHWOOD - Lewes.

New Construction. 3BR/2BA 1,634sf. Vinyl plank flooring.

Gas FP. SS appliances & granite in the kit. $424,900 (2027444) Theresa Cappuccino cell 609-515-5820

COLONIAL EAST - Rehoboth Beach. 1978 3BR/2BA doublewide. Split BR plan. Extra parking. Shed. Community pool. Just 4 miles to the beach. $115,000 (2039994)

Lot Rent $563/mt.

*A/C

SEA AIR - Rehoboth.

2019 Clayton 4BR/2BA 2,128sf doublewide! 3 miles to the beach. Community pool. $295,000 (2045590) Lot

Rent $620/mt. Luz Escobar cell 302-260-2080

SEA AIR - Rehoboth.

2020 Champion 3BR/2BA doublewide home is on a corner lot. This home has exquisite finishes! $280,000 (2027444) Lot Rent $689/mt.

Luz Escobar cell 302-260-2080

20250 Coastal Highway - Suite 3, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971  302-227-1222 office www.SEABOVA.com 

EMAIL – RealEstate@SEABOVA.com

Office Independently Owned & Operated by SBA, Inc. Prices, promotions & availability subject to change without notice. *A/C Active/Under Contract -- Accepting Back-Up Offers