LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Being Scene |
by Tom Minnuto |
Two weeks ago, at the Cherry Delight Sunday Brunch in DC, 37 Quillens Dan Kyle and Rehoboths social sovereign Chris Riss conversed about the beach season ahead. Eavesdropping, as a good gossip columnist should, I overheard Dan announce that it was going to be a "big summer." He should know. Dan, like any Rehoboth veteran, can see that Rehoboth is growing and changing faster than ever. With the addition of so many new businesses, services, beach houses, parties, events and faces in town, its hard to believe that we ever lived without them. Just think back seven or eight years ago when The Strand still stood over Rehoboth Avenue. You might recall picking up a copy of the same publication you now hold in your hands. Surprisingly, it was a mere four pages back then. The CAMP Rehoboth office, believe it or not, had just been born. The summer beach directory, The Beach Book, didnt exist. Cloud 9 didnt exist. The July 4th LOVE dance benefit didnt exist. If you walked down any street in Rehoboth, you might have noticed that relations between the gay and straight communities were tense, and that police sensitivity training wasnt in effect. I could go on, but wed be here forever. Today, Rehoboth has more to write about than there is space for this column, but it never hurts to mention whats new about town. For instance, it seems that many more gay-owned businesses are helping to expand the gay parameter of downtown Rehoboth this year by occupying spaces on Rehoboth Avenue. Gabbys South Pacific Florist has relocated to the space formerly occupied by Paper Moon, and two new bars are joining the ranks of Cloud 9 as Rehoboth Avenue hang-outs for gay men and lesbians. Harlows is apparently heating up as a great new spot for men, while the new Beach House Restaurant & Bar makes a total of three cool hang-outs for womenPlumb Loco and The Frogg Pond are the other two. Another new bar located on Rehoboth Avenue Extended (before the drawbridge) is Double L, Rehoboths very first "Levi and Leather" bar. When it comes to clothes shopping this season, forget the Gap or J. Crew outlets, and head down to Baltimore Avenue to run through Dirty White Boy and the newly revived and relocated Splash in the old Chop Shop building. Speedoboy, Mike Ferens, should be on hand to help you correctly size your swimsuit. He does ask, however, that people read the old sign above the register before trying on new suits. It reads: "Be realistic, spandex only stretches so far." At any rate, when youre done lying to yourself about your waist size, walk down the block to Beach EssentialsDavid Schaefers new store which sells everything under the sun including clothing, skin and hair care products, even furniture. I havent seen the interior of this shop yet, but Im sure the cathedral ceilings of the old Bagel, Bagel store will give it a wonderful ambiance. Beach Essentials grand opening is May 15th, so stop by even if you cant get a sun-dried tomato bagel anymore. If you havent already heard of CAMPsafe, you have now. CAMPsafe is an HIV/AIDS education and outreach program to gay and bisexual men in Kent and Sussex Counties. Headed by Michael Cover through CAMP Rehoboth, CAMPsafe promises not to be a preachy kind of educational program, but one that is incorporated into the fun we have at the beach. Expect to see all of this summers parties and events handing out CAMPsafe goodies that will also include safe-sex tips and information. In the words of Michael Cover, Rehoboth "is a place that should help us leave our cares behindwe just want to ensure that in leaving our cares behind, we dont act carelessly." Sounds good to me. If youd like more information or would like to be a volunteer with CAMPsafe, contact Michael at 227-5620. "This little piggy went to the market, this little piggy stayed home..." Those were the words heard at Matt Blocher and Matt Alions housewarming party in Georgetown last weekend when the rain forced all the guests to leave their shoes at the front door. You can learn a lot about a person by the socks they wear. While most of the guests donned your basic white athletic sock, others made statements with argyle and plaid or by displaying a toe or two. There were a few guests, unfortunately, who tried to mask their foot odor by placing Altoids breath mints between their toes. This didnt fare well with many of the 200 or so guests, and...well...lets just say that those little piggys who were caught cried wee, wee, wee, all the way home. All in all, the party was quite fun, and served as a great kick-off to the summer social season. Speaking of social events, its time to start wearing the dance floor out again at Cloud 9. DJ Darryl Strickland is kicking the season off May 16 and will surely set the tone for summer with a new batch of pretty songs. Or you can always join Joyce Felton, Rob Dick and the whole gang over at The Blue Moon to start summer off right. And The Renegade is celebrating its 19th anniversary on May16th. Keep your eyes on the decor over the next few weeks because the word on the street is that The Renegade is being revamped. LOVE is on the way! If you would like to be a sponsor for this years July 4th LOVE benefit, be in DC on Tuesday, May 19th for the LOVE98 sponsor kick-off party at the home of Bruce Johnson. Well be spreading love from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with delicious food by Ric Marinos Well Dunn Catering and drinks courtesy of J.R.s Bar and Grill. Remember, the money we raise for LOVE is benefitting Food and Friends of DC, SCAC of Delaware, HERO of Baltimore, and AIN of Philadelphia, so please join us and sign up to be a sponsor. For more info, please contact me through CAMP Rehoboth at (302) 227-5620. Happy Summer! |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 4, May 8, 1998. |