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Summer may be over, but September quite often seems to bring some of the
best weather of the year. (Unless, of course, there’s the threat of a
hurricane!) As I write, however, outside is a perfect example. It’s also
September 11, and it’s hard not to remember the vivid blue skies that
provided such a stark contrast to the smoking horror of the terrorist
attack two years ago. There is contrast as well, in the state of the world—then
and now. From the war to the economy, I think we’re all a little anxious
about how much our world has changed.
Whatever anxiety we may all be feeling about the world, didn’t seem
to put a damper on Sundance 2003. This year’s event was the most
successful in its 16 year history, raising a net amount of $178,000. The
whole thing is quite amazing to watch come together, and I am always
humbled by the amount of time and effort and money that people in our
community are willing to give. It was thrilling to watch the live auction
where Pam Sadler’s $8,500 bid for Murray’s Sundance painting set a new
record for us. On pages 10, 11, and 13 of this issue there is a list of
all the Sponsors, Supporters, Hosts, volunteers and auction donors who
made Sundance possible. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part in
this years festivities, the funds raised will serve our community well
during the coming year.
On Saturday, September 27, the seventh annual Delaware Pride Festival
(the second to be held in the Rehoboth area) will take place at Gordon’s
Pond, in the Cape Henlopen State Park. The event seems to have triggered
an outbreak of anti-gay rhetoric on local talk radio. A couple of days
before Labor Day Weekend, I spoke on-air with Dan Gaffney of WGMD, whose
talk show callers focused on the event for several days. One of the issues
seemed to be about tax payers dollars supporting gay activities, which it
certainly doesn’t do. As I pointed out, any group can pay a fee to use
the park. The Park service does not discriminate. Another question asked
what would happen if a family should stumble upon the event. I explained
that it would be wonderful, and that they would enjoy it, and that the
whole festival was about families.
The ridiculous nature of the whole thing only pointed out why it is
necessary to get together and celebrate in the first place. I can only
imagine that all the publicity will work to make it the most successful
Delaware Pride event ever. For more information about the Delaware Pride
Festival visit their Web site at www.delawarepride.org
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On Sunday, October 19, from 4-5:30 p.m., CAMP Rehoboth will host a book
signing for our beloved local writer, Anyda Marchant, who writes under the
name Sarah Aldridge. The newest Sarah Aldridge novel, O, Mistress Mine, to
be released by A&M Books will be on the shelves this fall. Anyda and
her partner of 55 years, Muriel Crawford, created A&M Books and handle
the entire Sarah Aldridge catalogue. Don’t miss the chance to stop by
the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center for a glass of wine and the chance to
visit with these two local legends. For more information on Sarah Aldridge
see the IN BRIEF page.
Now that the summer has come to a close, the pace of life for those of
us involved with CAMP Rehoboth becomes much more manageable. During the
summer months we’re moving so fast it’s all we can do to keep up. In
fact, right before Memorial Day, Murray told us to, "take a deep
breath, because we’re going to be under water for a long time." Now
that we can come up for a breath of fresh air, it’s time to look ahead
at the projects and programs that need work in the coming months. On page
6, Murray addresses some of the issues facing us now. Have a great fall.
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