LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
This is the labor day issue of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth and the last one of our biweekly, summer editions. Starting in September Letters will return to its off-season, monthly, publication schedule. Though on the surface, every summer seems much like the one before it, each one has its own mood, themes and defining moments. Overall, this summer has been tinged by worry over the economy and a general sense of unease and lack of confidence. Fortunately, as the summer comes to a close we have Michael Phelps and his eight stunning, gold medal winning performances at the Beijing Olympics to boost our spirits. Now, let's see what happens at the conventions.
I suppose we could also call this the Sundance issue, because, well, Sundance is Sundanceand the biggest event we produce all year long. This is the 21st Sundance and to celebrate that coming-of-age benchmark Stefani Deoul has put together a collection of quotes and stories that remind us of the many years between the first and the 21st times this community has gathered to dance the Sundance. In his CAMPmatters column, Murray also writes about the event and what it means. Accompanying both articles, don't miss the interviews with Sundance DJ Mark Thomas and the lightman Paul Turner, as well as a sneak peek at some of the exciting things that can be purchased at the Sundance Auction. Speaking of the Sundance Auction, for many years Murray has created a special Sundance painting that has been auctioned in the Sundance Live Auction and also made into smaller prints that were sold to benefit Sundance. This year because of some health problems in the winter Murray was unable to complete his summer show (the first time in 25 years) and this year's Sundance painting. Fortunately, back in 1998, his Sundance painting was purchased at the Live Auction by Tim Cabrey who then, very kindly, turned around and donated it back to us with instructions to keep it or re-auction it if that was what we wanted to do. So, ten years later, thanks to Timand though I have to say, it's hard to part with itMurray's original painting Colors of Life will once again be "going once, twice, and sold" at this year's Sundance Auction. By the waythough we still have one of the smaller, numbered prints in the Sundance archives and Murray still has a couple of the Artist's Proofs, the Colors of Life print is the first in the series to sell out. To donate an item to the Sundance Auction, call the CAMP Rehoboth office. To purchase tickets to Sundance ($45 per night or $80 for the package) call CAMP Rehoboth or simply go to sundancebenefit.com. Sundance prints from previous years as well as Sundance t-shirts can also be purchased on-line. Looking ahead to September, the annual Delaware Pride Festival will take place at Gordon's Pond State Park on the 13th. Admission is $5 and the event will feature the DC Cowboys, Tiffany, Sister Funk, Josh Zuckerman and more. For information about this year's Pride Festival, visit their web site at delawarepride.org. Also, make plans to participate in AIDS Walk Delaware on October 5. This year, the walk will take place in Wilmington, Dover, and Rehoboth. To register, visit aidswalkdelaware.org, or join the CAMP Rehoboth team by contacting Sal Seeley at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. As I've said before, we're encouraging community members to organize small cocktail and dinner parties so we can talk about the work and the future of CAMP Rehoboth. Our thanks to David Nelson and Bill McManus for hosting just such an event on August16; it was a wonderful evening and a great way for us to reconnect with community members. As the summer comes to a close, thank you to those who have helped us make it through another summer season. Some of you are well known; others prefer a behind-the-scenes approach. We thank you all. See you at Sundance. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 12 August 22, 2008 |