LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
Somehow I just can't quite believe that the summer is passing at such a rapid pace. Come to think of it, I guess I say that about this time every year. What I really can't believe is how wet the summer has been. Hopefully the rest of August will bring a return of those high blue skies and warm temperatures that normally make this the best time of the year. Over the years, Rehoboth Beach has become a destination for gay travelers and vacationers, many of whom eventually buy homes here and become either full time or part time residents. Gay people have become a part of the fabric of Rehoboth. In our Rehoboth Gay History columns written by Fay Jacobs and Libby Stiff over the past year or so, many of the stories of our community have been told and relived and celebrated. In my twenty year history with Rehoboth I've seen changes, and in my mind have marked milestones that remind me of those changesincluding the seven years of The Strand, moving SUNDANCE to the Rehoboth Convention Center, and police sensitivity training. Last weekend marked another of those milestonesand makes me smile just to think about it. In what can only be termed "a grand entrance" a number of guests in full showgirl drag arrived at 208 Rodney's Viva Las Vegas Partywith sirens and flashing lightsin two of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Department trucks. "The times they are a changing." Viva Rehoboth! Speaking of change, the human rights campaign, in a recent press release, noted that the Communications Workers of America have signed a memorandum of understanding with GTE to extend domestic partner benefits to employees of Verizon Communications. Verizon is the new corporation formed by the merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic. The announcement, according to HRC, "ended speculation about the fate of Bell Atlantic's gay-friendly policies following its merger with GTE on July 1." Bell Atlantic has been a sponsor of SUNDANCE in previous years and we are pleased that Verizon will continue that tradition. In case you are new to the area, SUNDANCEin its thirteenth yearis our big Labor Day weekend, two night fundraiser at the Rehoboth Convention Center. Saturday, September 2 is the SUNDANCE Live and Silent Auction, which includes a cocktail buffet coordinated by Joyce Felton and the Blue Moon Restaurant; and Sunday, September 3 is the Dance. Both nights include an open bar. The few weeks remaining between now and Labor Day will be filled with SUNDANCE volunteers working to complete plans for this huge event. Over the next couple of weeks SUNDANCE 2000 auction letters and volunteers will again be going out into the community as we put together the 400 or so items that make the auction an eclectic and interesting experience for all tastes and price ranges. To be part of the volunteers for this event or to donate to the auction, call or come by the CAMP Rehoboth office. As life in Rehoboth gets busier and busier and the area continues to grow, there's much good work being done. A sign of progress being made is the growing number of organizationsfrom arts to serviceseeking to do good things within our community. CAMP Rehoboth has always sought to be a connector between organizations and we will continue to do so in the future, just as we will continue to encourage and support everyone trying to make this a good place to live and work and vacation. We are aware and thankful for the wonderful support we have had and continue to have from the community here in Rehoboth. Part of the plan for our Community Center is to include as many different groups and organizations as possible. Working together we really do have a chance to "create a more positive" Rehoboth. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 11, Aug. 11, 2000. |