LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
The spectacular weather over the Memorial Day Weekend got the 2008 summer season off to an amazing start. I love living here year-roundeven in mid-winterbut there's something special that happens every year on that first big weekend of the summer season. Maybe it's just a reminder of why we all started coming to Rehoboth Beach in the first place. Whatever the reason, however, when the weather co-operates as it did this past holiday, and friends we haven't seen in months return for the season, this is, indeed, a very magical place to be.
all of us here at CAMP Rehoboth were delighted to see that the new CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard was busy all Memorial Day weekend long. The redesigned courtyard is far from complete, however, and our major focus in recent months has just been to get it open for the summer season. Though it will be affected, to some degree, by the new construction all summer long, the coming weeks will see continued improvement that includes: landscaping, additional brick work, the construction of two new step units from the courtyard into CAMP Rehoboth and into the building occupied by Lambda Rising, the construction of an information kiosk and exterior bulletin board, benches, and signage. Change is always difficult, but as I'll be saying all summer long, "forgive our mess," I know it will be worth it in the end. One of the most difficult things about running any organization is communication, and I'm always amazed at the misinformation that people speak as though it were the truth. Not long ago Murray overheard someone in the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard saying: "Can you believe that they dug up the courtyard because they didn't like the color of the bricks?" He just shook his head and rolled his eyes, I'm sure, all the while knowing, aside from the fact that there were no bricks in the old courtyard, the massive work that had gone into building the new drainage system, adding footers for the new construction, adding planting beds, installing new electrical and plumbing systems, and extensively grading the courtyard so that the new building could be wheelchair accessible. To us it sometimes seems like all we talk about is the new building, but to get the truth across, I guess that's what it takes. Now that memorial day is past, the big July fourth weekend looms on the not-so-distant horizon, and that means it's time for LoveRed, Hot & Love, to be specific. Now in its 14th season, Love Weekend 2008 will continue this year to raise both fun and funds for our communityagain benefiting Sussex County AIDS Council and the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. Included in the Love Weekend line-up of events is the Love Welcome Party at Aqua, the Love Sponsor Party, and the Love Main Event, Red, Hot & Love, with music by Julian Marsh and lights by Paul Turner. For some Host and Sponsor levels, the main event also includes access to the Love Lounge. To kick off Love 2008, the Blue Moon will once again host its long-running and popular Love Bachelor Auction with all proceeds benefiting Love 2008. The Bachelor Auction is Saturday, June 21 at 5 p.m. Right now the focus is on signing up sponsors and hosts for the Love Weekend event so please take a moment to fill out the form on page 33, or visit the CAMP Rehoboth web site, click on the Red, Hot & Love link, and fill it out on line, or simply call the CAMP Rehoboth office. As I've said before, the CAMP Rehoboth web site is in the process of being redesigned. One of the many goals of the new web site is to improve our ability to promote Rehoboth as a great tourist destination. As a part of the design we are putting together a food, drink and lodging guide that will run in both this magazine and as a feature of the new site once it is launched. For info about the new guide contact the CAMP office. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 06 May 30, 2008 |