May 6, 2005 - SPEAK Out

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth

SPEAK Out

Seeing Rehoboth grow and change over the years brings so many thoughts to mind. No community ever remains the same, and that's both good and bad. Many will miss the sleepy little beach town that Rehoboth once was, I'm sure. But the mothers and fathers of Rehoboth Beach have worked hard to retain that wonderful "small town" feel. I strongly believe that CAMP Rehoboth has played a major and productive role in helping to make all the changes positive.

It is exciting to see such diversity in Rehoboth today. I know that the transition into a diverse community has not always been an easy one. People are often afraid of what they don't know or understand. You have played such a great role in helping bring the gay and lesbian community into the mainstream of life in Rehoboth Beach and making all people in the community understand why this is such a positive thing for Rehoboth Beach.

Twenty-five years ago when Joyce Felton opened the Blue Moon restaurant and bar on Baltimore Avenue things were very different. Those twenty-five years have brought a new perspective for so many of us on what makes a great community. And Rehoboth Beach today is definitely a great community.

I don't get to town nearly as often as I would like, but I enjoy it immensely every time I do get there. I promise you that I will continue to work hard in Washington to ensure that we have the money for such things as beach replenishment and the other federal programs that help to make life in our great Delaware beach communities so wonderful.

Rehoboth is becoming a great destination for retirees both gay and straight. But when people move to Rehoboth from places like New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC, they will need and expect the kind of services they have come to rely on in the cities from which they are moving. I will fight to ensure that our citizens in the beach communities, and the organizations that serve them, can continue to provide these essential services.

I see your community center becoming a major social service center and providing services to an ever-growing part of the community. Again, please accept my congratulations on the new center and my gratitude for the work you are doing to serve all the people of Rehoboth Beach.

We are all better off because of the work of CAMP Rehoboth.

Senator Tom Carper Washington, DC(Editor's note: Tom Carper is a United States Senator from Delaware.)

HB36, the civil rights bill, has been assigned to the Delaware state senate Judiciary committee. In the past, HB 99 was kept bottled up and died in committee by close-minded individuals.

The HB36 bill has been re-written from HB99, and bends over backwards to remove the basis for opponents to vote against the bill. Delaware needs this bill to protect ALL citizens from discrimination and hate. It is only fair, right, moral, and just that all people be treated equally and fairly. It's not a religious issue. Gay people are discriminated against in subtle and not always visible ways. Gays can be fired, denied housing, or public accommodations simply due to their orientation.

Over 500 complaints of discrimination based on orientation were filed in 1999. Unfortunately, the Deptpartment of Labor cannot do anything to stop these situations from occuring, because it is still legal to discriminate in Delaware.

I would like to ask all readers to urge Senator Vaughn to release the bill for a vote in the full senate on this important legislation. That's the only truly Democratic thing to do.

Mike Figiel

All who worked on the Women's Conference last month are to be congratulated. The conference was outstanding in every way. The quality of the performers and presenters was excellent. Margie (Adam) and Kate (Clinton) were great choices.

Workshop diversity allowed people of different interests to become involved. The labyrinth workshop conducted by Margie was just another winner. So bravo to all.

I can't wait until the August concert featuring Suede.

Mary Anne Fleetwood

It is with great pleasure that I present to the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center a donation for $1000 for the Capital Campaign Building Fund.

The fundraising event we had in December was a success. The evening turned out as I expected, which was to enjoy the evening with some good wine, food, and entertainment as well as develop a relationship with the CAMP Rehoboth community. It was a pleasure meeting many of the CAMP staff and mixing with all present.

That evening and for many weeks after, many people booked appointments for exams. Over the next two months we saw many patients who attended the event, as well as many patients who were unable to attend but saw the event advertised in Letters From CAMP Rehoboth.

Richard S. Grifasi, OD

Thanks to your help and support, last years' Rehoboth Beach Open tennis event was a great success. This year we are ready to build on that experience and to further stimulate sports development in the Rehoboth Beach Community.

The next catalyst for that development is going to be organizing a delegation from Rehoboth Beach to the Seventh Quadrennial Gay Games in Chicago 2006. We've already got tennis players, bowlers, and racquetball players signed on, and with 30+ sports offered at all levels of competition, we hope to develop a great deal of participation. When our banner and our team march into the packed stadium of attendees and our image is beamed into the living rooms of viewers throughout the US, many will see for the first time that Rehoboth Beach has a great GLBT community with great sense of pride and spirit that rivals any other city team at the Gay Games.

We hope that you will also look forward to that moment and join us in making Team Rehoboth Beach a smashing success and a legacy we can all be proud of. For sponsorship inquiries, please take a look at our website and contact me at rwilliams@teamrehobothbeach.org or Jim Beauter at jbeauter@teamrehobothbeach.org.

Rich Williams President Team Rehoboth Beach

Letters should be sent to CAMP Rehoboth, 39 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth, DE 19971, or e-mail: editor@camprehoboth.com.

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 15, No. 4 May 6, 2005