LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
Contrary to rumor and the creepy work of a telephone scam operator, I am alive and well and living in Rehoboth! Someone claiming to be me, or a friend of mine, was calling local gay businesses last month and trying to get them to send money. One scenario reported to us by the owners of the Delaware Inn, involved a collect phone call from Seattle and the plea to send money because the caller had been beaten and robbed and was in the hospital. Other stories were tried on The Mallard (with the caller claiming to be Russ Stuckie), Harlows, At Melissas, the Coffee Mill and Silver Lake Guest House. Fortunately, this is a small town and most of you know me well enough to say to this fraudulent trickster, "I know Steve Elkins, and you, sir, are no Steve Elkins!" It is always a shock to me when this time of year rolls around again and we come out with the first issue of the new season. Its even more of a shock to realize that this is the ninth year of CAMP Rehoboth and the ninth year of LETTERS from CAMP Rehoboth. In some ways as I look back over the last decade it seems like all the years have run together. Its funny how just as we begin to get a real sense of what defines a decade, it ends. And what an end this one will bethe decade, the century, the millennium. In some ways this whole year will be an endingwhich to me means that there is a new beginning on the horizon. All our lives the year 2000 has been "the future." Now that future is almost here and there is something magical about it. It makes me feel optimistic about where we are going. It makes me believe that we can continue to Create A More Positive World, which is, of course, what CAMP Rehoboth is all about! As we prepare for the new millennium it is important for us as gay and lesbian people to take active roles in the process of change. I hope you will pay special attention to the words on page 5 about the "Equality Begins at Home" project. The purpose of this nationwide campaign is to focus attention on the need to support local gay and lesbian legislation. If you can, please set aside Thursday, March 25, 1999 to join us for Lobby Day at Legislative Hall in Dover. I would also like to direct your attention to the article on CAMPsafe on page 6. As the article highlights, we are delighted to announce that CAMPsafe has a new director for the 1999 season. Bill Sievert has been an important part of CAMP life since its beginning back in 1990, and I am excited to see him move into an even more active role within the organization. In what has become a winter tradition, The Beach House Rush Party will take place on Sunday, February 7, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Lizard Lounge (at Eleventh Hour), 1520 14th Street, NW in Washington, DC. Presented by CAMP Rehoboth and produced by Tom Minnuto, this party attempts to provide a place to renew summer friendships and create new ones. If you have or need a summer share, or just want to be reminded of the "good ole summer time," this is the place to be. As we celebrate Valentines Day 1999, it is my wish that "cupids arrow" finds its way into all our hearts. I hope that it is love that creates the patterns that will shape our lives during this year and into the new millennium. Happy Valentines Day! |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 1, February 5, 1999 |