In Brief

Grab the sun screen and water-wings; Beach Blanket Bingo 3 will hit the beach Saturday, July 13 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

The event, which benefits AIDS Delaware, the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware, Delaware Pride, and the Metropolitan Community Church of Rehoboth, features 15 games, with each prize more fabulous than the last.

Join the fun as the beach bunnies and surf rats do to bingo what they did to surfing and the clambake. It’s the most fun you can have above the tan line!

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the first game will be called at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance ($15 at the door) and can be purchased at the AIDS Delaware office on Rehoboth Avenue, the Pelican Loft and CAMP Rehoboth on Baltimore Avenue, and The Beacon Consignment/ Thrift Shop in the Midway Shopping Center.

Delaware Liberty Fund Endorses Mark Aguirre

The Delaware Liberty Fund (DLF), the state’s only GLBT political action committee, is announcing their endorsement of Mark Aguirre for Rehoboth Beach City Commissioner. The elections will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2002. Any person who owns property in Rehoboth Beach may vote in the election, even if registered to vote in another locale. The DLF believes that Mark Aguirre will provide excellent leadership and will support issues important to the GLBT community in Rehoboth. This is especially important since a large number of properties and businesses in Rehoboth Beach are gay-owned.

We believe that as an active member of the gay community with a professional background in business, Mark will provide a voice for the gay community on the City Commission and will live up to his campaign theme of “Bringing people and ideas together.” In addition, he has pledged to fight for passage of gay and lesbian civil-rights legislation similar to HB99 or to pursue changes in the Rehoboth city code if that attempt fails. Mark will make an appearance at the 3rd annual summer DLF fundraiser on August 3rd at All Saints Episcopal Church on Olive Ave.

The DLF seeks to survey candidates in Delaware political races, endorse those who support equal and civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, announce these candidates in a voter guide, and make financial contributions to their campaigns. The DLF has raised over $20,000 and has contributed most of these funds to Delaware candidates.

For more information or membership in DLF, visit www.delawarelibertyfund. org. Or call either Preston Watkins or Phil Cross at 302-633-6635, or e-mail psly@bellatlantic.net.

enCIRCLES Opens at the Blue Moon

Every year since 1984, the Blue Moon Restaurant on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach has presented a new show by Murray Archibald, and 2002 is no exception. Murray’s new show entitled enCIRCLES, opens July 11, with the opening reception on Saturday, July 13, from 2-4 p.m.

A recent issue of Delaware Beach Life magazine ran an article about restaurants and art in the Rehoboth area, and featured a photograph of Murray and this year’s Sundance painting.

“Restaurants in the Rehoboth area provide a great service to artists,” Murray says, “and Joyce Felton at the Blue Moon has been at the forefront of that movement-she has been wonderful to me over the years, and to the arts community in this town.”

Murray’s 2002 show continues his great love of color and pattern, but this year unites it all in overlapping concentric circles. “The circles are many things,” he says, “individuals, groups, cultures, society, all of life. Life grows and overlaps and circles around to do it all over again.

The paintings are about the way we touch one another-about the effect we have on one another and the world around us.”

The title of the show is taken from this year’s Sundance painting, enCIRCLES (of love). “All of the paintings contain a pattern of hearts,” Murray says, “because love is such a powerful and creative force. Especially in the Sundance piece,” he goes on to say, “love is what has made the difference in our response to the AIDS epidemic. Signed, limited edition prints of enCIRCLES (of love) will be available later in the month, with all the proceeds donated to Sundance. The original will be auctioned at this year’s Sundance, Labor Day Weekend.

enCIRCLES will be on display in the Blue Moon restaurant through July 31.

Best Pet at the Beach Photo Contest

Atlantic Color Lab is holding its 5th Annual Best Pet at the Beach Photo Contest. Categories include: Best Dog, Best Cat, and Best Other. The contest runs through August 31 and winners will be announced on Labor Day, September 2nd. Contestants will have until July 31 to bring in their favorite picture of their pet, then friends and customers can vote between August 1-31. Each vote requires a $1.00 donation. All donations will go to the Sussex County SPCA Building Fund. The animals desperately need your help. Vote generously.

Atlantic Color Lab would like to thank the following merchants for their donations of some wonderful prizes: Photos In the Sand (Pet Portraits), Spoil Me Rotten (Pet Sitting), The Pampered Pet (Grooming), A Wizard of Paws (Grooming), Concord Pets (Pet supplies), Wash & Wag (Pet wash, grooming and supplies), The Dirty Dog (Grooming and supplies, and Never Never Land Cattery and Kennel (Boarding).

Atlantic Color Lab is located at 149 Rehoboth Ave. in the Village By The Sea, Rehoboth Beach (second block of Baltimore Avenue). Stop by or call 302-226-3415 for more information.

An Evening of New Music at the Beach

On July 15 Delaware residents will have the opportunity to hear William Finn, TONY award winner for best book and best score for the musical Falsettos, present a new song along with other works in an evening dedicated to the future of American musical theater.

An Evening of New Musical Theater is being presented in collaboration with Coastal Concerts, The Henlopen Theater Project and New York University’s Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program.

This unique evening features Mr. Finn who also wrote the musical A New Brain, which was presented at Lincoln Center Theater, and is currently writing the music and lyrics for The Royal Family to be directed by Jerry Zaks. Also featured is Kirsten Childs, who wrote the multi-award winning musical The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, co-starred with Chita Rivera in Chicago, and performed on Broadway in Dancin’, Jerry’s Girls and Sweet Charity.

As well as these two talented writers, performers, and teachers will be several alumni and students of NYU’s Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program, which is the only program of its kind within a university accreditation. The students in the program come from a diverse background of classical music conservatory, and playwriting programs and many have earned professional credits before entering the program. This program has given voice to a new generation of African- American, Asian-American and Latin American writers who will enrich and broaden the perspectives of American musical theater for decades to come.

This incredibly unique event is the brainchild of Sarah Schlesinger who is the chair of Graduate Musical Theater Writing at NYU as well as an established lyricist. Ms. Schlesinger, who is a Lewes resident, helped coordinate with the other two organizations to put on this one of a kind event. Not only will audience members be the first to hear new works, they will have a chance to talk with the artists after the presentations. The songs featured in the evening will be performed not only by the authors but also by professional actors and singers such as Ron Butler, who has appeared in Big River among others, and local talent such as Donna Dekuyper of Lewes, who has appeared on Broadway and with Possum Point Players.

An Evening of New Musical Theater will take place Monday July 15, at 8:00 p.m. at The Little Theater at Cape Henlopen High School. Tickets are $10 and for an additional $10 you can join the cast and writers for a reception at Sydney’s Restaurant in Rehoboth after the performance.

For information and reservations please call 302-226-4103.

Abra...ca...dinner! Puts Dinner on the Table

It’s no surprise “What’s for dinner?” is a common question in most homes as busy families spend millions of dollars each day dining out. The answer to this age-old question is only a phone call away with Abra-ca-dinner! Personal Chef Service, an in-home cooking service operated by Personal Chef Kris Etze. Abra...ca...dinner! stirs up delicious meals for clients in the Milton, Lewes, Rehoboth and Bethany areas.

This in-home cooking service takes the fuss out of mealtime. Many people find it difficult to prepare nutritious meals after working a long day. Abra...ca...dinner! offers variety and convenience without compromising quality. Chef Kris notes, “Watching a grandmother who loved to try any unique recipe inspired my love of cooking. Gram Jo was my personal inspiration to learn and expand the art and craft of cooking and to turn that into my own personal chef service. It gives me a lot of joy to know that my clients are now able to sit down together and enjoy delicious meals prepared specially for them.”

Abra...ca...dinner! Personal Chef services are perfect for anyone who needs great food but doesn’t have the time, desire or ability to cook for themselves. Chef Kris even offers Gift Certificates, great for those who have everything!

A free culinary consultation evaluates each client’s tastes and needs. Abra...ca...dinner! services include menu development, grocery shopping, meal preparation and packaging...and Chef Kris will leave your kitchen spotless! All you have to do is heat and eat! Menu selections include an assortment of ethnic cuisines and traditional comfort foods.

Additional services include dinner parties, luncheons and brunches, and personalized in-home cooking classes. Call Chef Kris today to learn more about her services and how she can put dinner on your table.

Chef Kris Etze can be reached at 302-228-6125 or chefkris@personalchefsnetwork.com or check out her website at www.abracadinner.biz.

Third Annual Youth Camp-Camp It Up Set

AIDS Delaware’s third annual Youth Camp-Camp It Up is set for August 7 to August 10 at the Cape Henlopen Youth Camp in Lewes, Delaware.

This year’s camp, which is designed for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, and questioning youth, will focus on how our community is affected by AIDS/STI’s and drug and alcohol addiction. During the time spent at camp, youth will be empowered to take control of their lives and communities through dialogue, skill building, creativity and interactive experiences.

“We are hoping to get 40 participants,” says René Pugmire, Director of You’re Not Alone at AIDS Delaware. “Last years camp was so successful that we are promoting Youth Camp-Camp It Up throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region,” The camp is offered at a price of $20 and includes transportation from Wilmington, meals, and lodging and is open to youth 13 to 23 years old.

“Camp was Awesome,” says Jason Spencer, a youth participant from last year’s camp. “It was so much fun. The dance was the bomb.” For more information on Youth Camp-Camp It Up contact AIDS Delaware at 302-652-6776 or the Delaware Youth Hotline at 1-800-810-6776.