We would like to thank our Sponsors; Diamond: Sea Witch Manor Inn & Spa, Roni Posner and Jeri Berc, Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, and Wawa Food Markets. Gold: Dos Locos Mexican & Seafood Restaurant, Natalie B. Moss, CPA (MD), The Coffee Mill, and Lana Warfield, Realtor. Silver: Cloud 9 Restaurant, Sharon Harris and Marie Mayor, and Niki Aldivar, M.D. and Katherine Sams. Raffle Sponsors: Vickie York, and The Debbie Reed Team.

We could not have put the event together without the many volunteers who helped us decorate and blow up all of those balloons.

We look forward to another successful event next year.

The Starburst Gayla Committee

On behalf of the DSHA staff and the Burton Village children and residents, we would like to thank you for your generous donation, and the time and effort of wrapping all the presents. Our annual Christmas party was a success.

The children of Burton Village had an enjoyable and entertaining evening. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Happy New Year!

Karen Ressel, Housing Manager
Roxann Stayton, Social Worker/Case Manager

Editors Note: With the help of community donations, we provided hats and mittens for each of the 150 children under age 12 who live at Burton Village.

Thank you so much for your recent donation to our annual fundraiser. This year’s live and silent auction, held at the Lewes Yacht Club, was by far our most successful fundraising event to date.

Thanks to you and our other wonderful supporters, we were able to raise $15,000.00 for marine mammal and sea turtle rescue. MERR responds to an ever increasing number of marine mammal and sea turtle strandings each year. The funds raised during our auction will help to provide services for these animals in the area of rescue, rehabilitation, research and education.

Suzanne Thurman, Executive Director MERR Institute

I am sending thanks for holding the student art contest and getting kids more aware of AIDS. I think it’s great to take time out of your busy schedules to get kids involved.

I also wanted to thank you for the great gift bag. I have already used everything and even did a watercolor. I used the gift certificate for art reference materials that I could never afford otherwise. The gifts were greatly appreciated.

Keep up the great work!

Samantha Bateman

State employees in Delaware may insure their pets but not their domestic partners. In this sense some Delawareans thus have less privilege than a dog or cat. While some domestic partners are gay, others are heterosexual but opt not to marry for economic or other reasons.

S.B. 10 would permit state employees’ domestic partners the same health insurance as spouses. Currently in the Senate Finance Committee, this bill would simply mandate what most Americans believe in: equal pay for equal work. Fourteen states already have this.

The projected cost is surprisingly low. Numerous studies find only 1 to 2 percent of eligible domestic partners enroll. Some already have employer-provided insurance; others will want to avoid the income tax on the benefit; gay domestic partners may still be closeted.

But those 1 or 2 percent who would benefit would be that many more Delawareans leaving the ranks of the uninsured. Delaware would also gain by attracting better-qualified employees, and saving recruitment and training costs to replace those who leave state employment for a better benefits package in private industry.

I urge the Delaware Legislature to rethink Delaware’s insuring of dogs and cats but not the loved ones of its employees.

Douglas Marshall-Steele

Editor’s note: The following letters were copied to Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.

We want to express our gratitude to Bill, Gene and all the staff at Partner’s Bistro in Rehoboth Beach for making our Commitment Ceremony unforgettable.

Bill took great care of us by calming our nerves, offering suggestions, setting up the tables and he even offered a toast at the Reception. Chris baked and decorated an amazingly delicious carrot cake. (We will have the joy of another sample once we reach our anniversary.) All of the waiters were gracious and attentive to our needs and the needs of our guests. It was a beautiful day for us and Partner’s helped make it perfect.

Jennifer Myer and Sally Childears

KINfolk is grateful to Rehoboth resident Cheryl Blackman who is dedicated to making a difference for a small non-profit organization that serves the needs of seriously ill and injured children.

KINfolk’s 2006 raffle raised funds to support their free laptop lending and Internet accounts program for sick children throughout the state of Delaware.

The management of local Rehoboth area establishments, and their patrons, supported Cheryl, who, with their help, raised an astonishing $28,615.The raffle drawing was held on December 7, 2006.

KINfolk is grateful to Cheryl and all her friends at the beach for their tremendous support of our mission.

Linda White, Exec. Director, KINfolk