C R E A T I N G
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M O R E
P O S I T I V E
R E H O B O T H
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BOTH CEL HO
August 21, 2026 Volume 36, Number 7 camprehoboth.org
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35 YEARS
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-of-
RATES ♦ EB
It’s SUNFESTIVAL! And Summer Is Almost Over…
M U NIT
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MAKE AN IMPACT TODAY
Your support helps us forge proud and safe communities where gender identity and sexual orientation are respected. CAMP Rehoboth’s mission isn’t just about programs and services—it’s about making sure every person feels embraced for who they are. That takes resources, and it’s the member-driven donor system that keeps the mission moving forward. I donate because I believe in CAMP Rehoboth’s ability to create a stronger, more inclusive community for all of us here in Delaware. — Dennis Diaz
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AUGUST 21, 2026
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CAMP Matters BY ROBIN BRENNAN, DRPH
The Pause Between the Notes
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t a recent CAMP Rehoboth team meeting, we found ourselves talking about something many of us know all too well: the cost of always being available. In community work, there is always more to do: another phone call to answer, another email to return, another meeting to attend, another event to support, another person seeking help. We strive to be responsive because that’s what our mission calls us to do. We are proud to support others. But there is a cost to constantly saying yes and constantly being available. To serve others well, we have to remember to pause. Pausing isn’t stepping away from the work. It is part of the work. It might be taking a walk by the water, enjoying a cup of coffee, meditating, spending time with the people we love, or simply finding a moment of silence in a world that rarely offers one. For me, one of the spaces I find that pause and often find myself is in music.
Pausing isn’t stepping away from the work. It is part of the work. There are artists whose songs don’t simply entertain us, they become part of us. They somehow find words for emotions we haven’t yet discovered ourselves. They remind us that our struggles, our joy, our grief, and our hope are shared. In those moments, we realize we are not alone. For me, that artist has always been Glen Hansard. Whenever someone asked me about the music I enjoy, I would always say, “There’s this incredible Irish singer who will change your life.” I had the privilege of experiencing Glen perform many times and, quite unexpectedly, meeting him in New York nearly a decade ago. Every time he toured near Philadelphia, my wife and I eagerly bought tickets. What struck me wasn’t
simply his extraordinary talent. It was his humility, generosity, kindness, and authenticity. His voice was pure soul, and his storytelling was deeply relatable and profoundly human. Even after international success and winning an Academy Award, he never forgot his beginnings as a street musician. He continued busking because he believed music belonged to everyone. There were no barriers between performer and audience, just people sharing a human experience. His music became part of the soundtrack of my life. In many ways, his voice was always there. From heartbreak to falling in love, his music gave voice to emotions and vulnerability I couldn’t yet express. Whether I heard him in a neighborhood pub, an intimate theater, or a packed arena, the feeling was always the same: a room full of strangers becoming a community through music. That is the remarkable gift of art. It reminds us of our shared humanity. On July 29, Glen Hansard died. Even writing those words feels surreal. Heartbroken, I was surprised by the depth of my grief. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t really know him. After all, we had only met once. But then I realized something important: I wasn’t mourning someone I knew personally. I was grieving someone whose art had quietly walked beside me through some of the most meaningful moments of my life and whose humility, compassion, and activism I deeply admired. His music was there when I fell in love with Alli with “When Your Mind’s Made Up.” It was there when we had our daughter, Olive, through “Star Star.” It was there when I lost my father and helped comfort my mother through “Bird of Sorrow.” It was there during moments of celebration, uncertainty, and healing. His songs gave language to emotions I couldn’t always express myself. That’s what extraordinary artists do. They make us feel understood. They
remind us that even our most private feelings are shared by someone else. We are never as alone as we think. The beautiful truth is that great artists leave something behind that cannot be taken away. Their voices continue to accompany us. Their songs continue to comfort us. Their art continues to connect strangers who discover the same lyrics years later. Every time someone hears “Falling Slowly” for the first time, every time a musician opens a guitar case on a street corner, every time a room full of strangers sings together, a piece of Glen’s spirit lives on. As I reflect on what it means to pause, I am reminded it’s about making space for ourselves: To reflect. To grieve. To give thanks. To laugh. To feel. To escape. To return. To allow art, nature, friendship, or silence remind us that we are human before we are busy. At CAMP Rehoboth, we create spaces where people feel seen, welcomed, and connected. We prioritize the spaces to pause, to breathe, to mourn what we’ve lost, to celebrate what remains, and to allow ourselves to be restored by the people, places, and art that remind us who we are. Perhaps that’s what both community and music do at their very best: they remind us that none of us was ever meant to carry life alone. Because community is built not only through what we do for one another, but also through what we allow ourselves to feel together. So, I will keep making room to pause. To grieve. To heal. And I will continue sharing Glen Hansard’s music every chance I get. Music has taught me that pauses matter. And perhaps, that’s where we find ourselves and one another again. ▼ Robin Brennan, DrPH, is Executive Director of CAMP Rehoboth. AUGUST 21, 2026
3 Letters
inside 3 CAMP Matters ROBIN BRENNAN, DRPH
THIS ISSUE
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 7 • AUGUST 21, 2026
98 Gallimaufries & Curiosities
32 Out & About
The Necessity of Travel ERIC PETERSON
6 In Brief 8 President’s View LESLIE LEDOGAR
Let’s Tie One On
34 Write On
TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
CHRISTOPHER MOORE
The Beast Who Won’t Shut Up
100 View Point
Everybody Get Up and Dance
10 Community Connections
38 CAMP Stories
RICHARD ROSENDALL
SHAE WAGNER
RICH BARNETT
Batter Up!
12 CAMP News
40 Wherever You Go
16 Reflections
MIKE SMITH
Your Age Isn’t the Whole Story PATTIE CINELLI
102 Home Run Derby
The Shell Game
Dream a Little Dream
42 Be a Sport!
L-R: Dylan Miles, Matthew Stensrud, Peter Miles, Joey Parrick, Michael Cohen on Poodle Beach. See more CAMPshots on page 70.
Up a Creek With a Paddle
18 It’s My Life
MARY JO TARALLO
Identity Crisis
MICHAEL THOMAS FORD
KIM SMITAS & RENEE EJDAHARIAN
46 The Real Dirt
The Blossoms That Built Delaware ERIC WAHL
20 Health & Wellness
50 Sounding Off
MARJ SHANNON
STEPHEN RASKAUSKAS
Sunrise, Sunset
Planes & Trains & Automobiles
24 AIDS Walk Delaware
54 OutTakes
DOMENIC MERENDINO & TYLER BERL
SANDY CLARK
Every Step Counts
26 Aging Gracelessly
Calling all Captains, First Mates, and Crews FAY JACOBS
28 Words Matter
The Season of Possibility CLARENCE FLUKER
30 Flash Fiction: Reader’s Choice BOBBIE COMBS IKECHUKWU HENRY
See page 96. Photo courtesy RonMar Studios
Letters from CAMP Rehoboth welcomes submissions. Email editor@camprehoboth.org. Photographs must be high resolution (300 dpi). Documents should be sent as attachments in Microsoft Word®. Deadline for submissions is two weeks prior to the issue release date. Letters to the Editor (up to 300 words) are published at the discretion of the Editor on a space-available basis. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.
Letters 4
AUGUST 21, 2026
Power Failure
58 OUTlook Arcade Dreams BETH SHOCKLEY
60 SUNFESTIVAL is Here (Nearly) Get Ready to Love Out Loud NANCY SAKADUSKI
69 Volunteer Spotlight
Cursed with a Low-Salt Diet RUSSELL STILES
74 Deep Inside Hollywood
112 Leaving a Legacy
80 Historical Headliners
114 We Remember
ROMEO SAN VICENTE
To Protect & Advance MARY JO TARALLO
Radical Steps: Sergei Diaghilev ANN APTAKER
84 Sea Salt Table Corned Beef Hash ED CASTELLI
88 Visiting View Finding Community ROBERT DEDOMINIC
ON THE COVER
SUNFESTIVAL 2026
90 CAMP Arts
LOGAN FARRO & JOE GFALLER & NANCY SAKADUSKI
93 Booked Solid TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
SHAE WAGNER
94 Celebrity Interview
70 CAMPshots
MICHAEL COOK
Hot Times in the Old Town Tonight!
108 Musings
Save the Queen
EDITOR: Marj Shannon EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE: Matty Brown DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Mary Beth Ramsey ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER: Tricia Massella DISTRIBUTION: Mark Wolf CONTRIBUTORS: Ann Aptaker, Rich Barnett, Tyler Berl, Robin Brennan, Matty Brown, Ed Castelli, Pattie Cinelli, Sandy Clark, Michael Cook, Robert DeDominic, Renee Ejdaharian, Logan Farro, Clarence Fluker, Michael Thomas Ford, Joe Gfaller, Fay Jacobs, Leslie Ledogar, Tricia Massella, Dominic Merendino, Christopher Moore, Eric Peterson, Mary Beth Ramsey, Stephen Raskauskas, Richard Rosendall, Nancy Sakaduski, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Kim Smitas, Mike Smith, Russell Stiles, Marj Shannon, Beth Shockley, Mary Jo Tarallo, Laurie Thompson, Shae Wagner, Eric Wahl, Rick Welk
Letters from CAMP Rehoboth is published 11 times per year, between February and December, as a program of CAMP Rehoboth Inc., a non-profit community service organization. CAMP Rehoboth seeks to create a more positive environment of cooperation and understanding among all people. Revenue generated by advertisements supports CAMP Rehoboth’s purpose as outlined in our mission statement. The inclusion or mention of any person, group, or business in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth does not, nor is it intended in any way, to imply sexual orientation or gender identity. The content of the columns are the views and opinions of the writers and may not indicate the position of CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. © 2026 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved by CAMP Rehoboth. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the editor.
From the Editor
CAMP REHOBOTH
MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE MISSION CAMP Rehoboth is an LGBTQ+ community center determined to Create A More Positive (CAMP) environment that is inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in southern Delaware and beyond. We seek to promote cooperation, understanding among all people, and well-being, as we continue our work to build a safer community with room for all.
VISION CAMP Rehoboth envisions communities in southern Delaware and beyond where all LGBTQ+ people thrive.
VALUES Community | Belonging | Positivity Diversity | Visibility | Transparency Safety | Partnership | Compassion
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BY MARJ SHANNON
nd, just like that—it’s August! In which case, can SUNFESTIVAL be far behind? No; in fact, it’s almost here. Turn to the centerfold for more on what awaits and browse CAMP Arts (page 92) to meet the Design Team folks who are working to make the event shine. Literally.
Of course, this issue is not just all-things-SUNFESTIVAL. For example, we bring you news also of the Ninth Annual Bay Pride Rainbow Raft-up. Fay Jacobs chronicles that event and its origins—read all about it on page 26. You’ll want to find a boat you can motor (or paddle) on over so you can join in the fun. Speaking of boats— take a look at Be a Sport! It’s all about kayaking. Hmm…one of those might work for that Raft-up…. Maybe you prefer land sports? We have a report from the recent Home Run Derby; see page 102. Or, how about a walk? AIDS Walk Delaware will be held on September 19, in both Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach. Read more about the Walk and learn how you can be involved on page 24. For those of you for whom Skee-Ball and Whac-a-Mole count as sports, Beth Shockley can relate. See OUTlook on page 58 for more. But maybe you’d like to just enjoy a lazy end-of-summer? We’re here for you. Find that hammock and settle in to enjoy this issue’s two Flash Fiction stories (page 30) and Clarence Fluker’s take on summer as a season of possibility. Maybe read them while listening to Madonna’s new album—Christopher Moore loved it, as he reports on page 34—and savoring one of the juicy Delaware peaches Eric Wahl writes about. After that refreshing interlude, perhaps you can bestir yourself to celebrate Bow Tie Day on August 28? Ann Aptaker introduces us to one dashing historical figure who sported one, while Terri Schlichenmeyer fills us in on all-things-ties.
PRESIDENT Leslie Ledogar VICE PRESIDENT Polly Donaldson SECRETARY Pat Catanzariti TREASURER Kevin Ussery
Eric Peterson whiled away part of his summer traveling; he recounts his adventures (and lessons learned) on page 32. If Eric’s piece whets your own travel appetite, maybe browse Stephen Raskauskas’s column for some things to consider before you book.
AT-LARGE DIRECTORS
What else? (There’s always more!) In Health & Wellness, we look at the impact our ever-shortening days have on some folks—winter doldrums, anyone? Pattie Cinelli reflects on myths of aging, and Robert DeDominic recounts the many ways he finds connection and community—right in the heart of NYC. Rich Barnett consults AI to help solve a mystery in his yard, and Michael Thomas Ford searches for his identity amidst the myriad ways he spends his time.
Robin Brennan, DrPh (non-voting) Lorne Crawford, AJ Eckman, David Garrett, Jenn Harpel, Michelle Manfredi, Marty Rendon, Teri Seaton, Hope Vella, Joe Vescio EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Robin Brennan, DrPH
All that, and yet more. Thanks for reading Letters! ▼ CAMP REHOBOTH
37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 tel 302-227-5620 email editor@camprehoboth.org www.camprehoboth.org
CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to CAMP Rehoboth are considered charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes and may be deducted to the fullest extent of the law. A copy of our exemption document is available for public inspection.
AUGUST 21, 2026
5 Letters
City of Rehoboth Beach Elects First Gay Mayor
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n Saturday, August 8, the city of Rehoboth Beach elected Susan Stewart as its new mayor. She makes history as the city’s first gay mayor. Rehoboth Beach has long been known as an LGBTQ+-friendly haven, and this momentous news comes after decades of progress. CAMP Rehoboth enjoys a strong partnership with the city of Rehoboth Beach and looks forward to working with Mayor Stewart as she assumes this role. Commissioners Patrick Gossett and Mark Saunders have been re-elected to the Board of Commissioners. Stewart, Gossett, and Saunders will be sworn in at the September 18 commissioners meeting. CAMP Rehoboth also extends its gratitude to outgoing Mayor Stan Mills on his tenure and longstanding dedication to the city. Mayor Mills often collaborated with CAMP Rehoboth and has been a tremendous ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Under Mills’s leadership, the city of Rehoboth Beach partnered with CAMP Rehoboth to raise its Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index Score from a 61 to 100. ▼
Bear Weekend Ready for Rehoboth
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et ready! Rehoboth Beach Bear Weekend 2026 is about to take over the city. Hosted by the Rehoboth Beach Bears, the event will be held Wednesday, September 16, to Sunday, September 20, 2026. The Rehoboth Beach Bears is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of camaraderie and inclusiveness. The Rehoboth Beach Bear Weekend is its annual flagship event. The event is a fundraiser for the Bears’ Scholarship Fund for LGBTQ+ youth in Sussex and Kent Counties, Delaware, and for other philanthropic efforts. Many activities are planned. Among them is the CAMP Rehoboth Paws, Claws, and Creativity art exhibit, with a reception and happy hour planned for September 19, 3:00-5:00 p.m., at CAMP Rehoboth. For more information, visit rehobothbeachbears.com/. ▼
Photo: RB Commissioner Patrick Gossett, RB Mayor-Elect Susan Stewart, and RB Commissioner Mark Saunders at City Hall on Saturday, August 8. Credit: Tony Burns.
History Book Festival Partners with CAMP Rehoboth
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he History Book Festival will be held in Lewes September 25-27. Now in its 10th year, the festival boasts more than 20 authors, including one for whom CAMP Rehoboth is a proud presenting partner: Mayukh Sen. Sen is the author of Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood’s First South Asian Star. Sen’s presentation will be Saturday, September 27, at 2:00 p.m. at the Lewes Public Library. Love, Queenie shines a light on Ms. Oberon and her world. Mayukh Sen is an author, professor, and journalist who primarily focuses on film. He has won fellowships for his ongoing work to document the history of South Asians in Hollywood. He lives in Brooklyn and teaches at NYU. For more information about the festival and this year’s lineup, visit historybookfestival.org/. ▼ Photo by Samantha Mellina Letters 6
AUGUST 21, 2026
Send Off Summer at SUNFESTIVAL’s Signature Dance
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AMP Rehoboth’s signature benefit SUNFESTIVAL takes over the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center this Labor Day weekend! Across September 5 and 6, headline entertainment and star DJs will send the summer off with the best party in the Mid-Atlantic. While the Night of Entertainment headlined by David Archuleta is sold-out, the Night of Dance has limited tickets still available. On Sunday, September 6, CAMP Rehoboth hosts the only LGBTQ+ nightclub in the First State. To enjoy an open bar, world-renowned DJs, and a community feeling that can’t be replicated, get your tickets today at camprehoboth.org/events. ▼
Mrs. Kasha Davis Comes to CAMP Rehoboth
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n Friday, September 18, CAMP Rehoboth is excited to host author Parker Garrett and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Mrs. Kasha Davis for a book launch and drag bingo event. The book launch will start at 5:30 p.m.; community members are invited to visit CAMP Rehoboth for a chance to purchase Garrett’s new book, get it signed, and listen to an author reading. Mrs. Kasha Davis will host the event. Then, at 8:00 p.m., Mrs. Kasha Davis will host “Drag Me to Bingo.” Ticketed options include table seating (great for hosting bingo cards!) and theater seating. Parker Garrett is the pen name of Parker Nolen, a nationally recognized expert in bioethics, regulatory affairs, and institutional oversight. Writing as Parker Garrett, he brings this background to his debut medical thriller, Adverse Events. Set in a near-future America where government oversight has been deliberately dismantled, the novel follows research ethics officer Ethan Marris as he uncovers a conspiracy hidden inside one of the nation's most prestigious hospitals. Mrs. Kasha Davis is a cornerstone of the upstate New York drag scene and an internationally recognized drag artist, performer, educator, and advocate. Together with her husband, Steve Levins, and their business partner, Tim Evanicki, she co-founded the production company DRAG ME TO THE STAGE, which has become a leading platform for drag performance in their region and beyond. Parker Garrett After competing on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 7 and RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars Season 8, Mrs. Kasha Davis embarked on successful national and international tours, bringing her solo shows, speaking engagements, and drag appearances to diverse audiences around the world. Tickets are available at camprehoboth.org/events. ▼
Restaurants Show Out for Pride
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AMP Rehoboth extends its gratitude to the following restaurants that celebrated Pride Month with promotions that directly supported CAMP Rehoboth’s programs and services: Big Chill Beach Club hosted a Dine & Donate on July 19 and raised $2,300.
L-R: Emily Burns, Laurie Thompson, Mary Wennberg
DiFebo’s Restaurants and Market donated $2,126 from sales raised from its specialty Pride cocktails and featured desserts throughout June.
L-R: Brid Egan, Laurie Thompson, Megan Allen, Heather Marinelli
Shorebreak Lodge raised $1,230 from portions of sales made via every espresso martini sold throughout June.
▲
TRAVELS WITH LETTERS ▼
PROVINCETOWN Russ King (Miss Ritchfield), Holly Lane, John Flynn
L-R: Ben Winiarczyk, Diane Winiarczyk, Laurie Thompson, Anastasia Epstein, Robin Brennan, Derrick Johnson
AUGUST 21, 2026
7 Letters
President’s View
BY LESLIE LEDOGAR
Volunteering
Yet Another Way to Show Up and Show Out
A
s we continue celebrating our 35th anniversary with our Show Up and Show Out theme, I wanted to focus on volunteering as yet another way to show up and show out for CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. I would also like to thank the myriad volunteers who do that for us every day! Folks often ask me why I volunteer in general, and why I give so much time to CAMP Rehoboth in particular. For me, volunteering is an amazing way to feel connected to causes in which I believe. And this feeling of connection is well-supported by a significant number of studies that show volunteering provides a wide range of advantages for individuals and communities, including: • Improving mental health— Volunteering can significantly reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, thereby enhancing overall happiness. • Improving physical health— Engaging in volunteer activities is linked to lower mortality rates and improved physical well-being. • Increasing social connections— Volunteering fosters new friendships and strengthens community ties, creating a sense of belonging. • Developing new skills—Volunteers often gain valuable skills and experiences that can enhance their career prospects and stimulate their mental acuity. • Providing a sense of purpose— Many volunteers report a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose in life, which contributes to their overall life satisfaction. In an article published in the July 11, 2025, issue of Psychology Today, entitled “Volunteering and Mental Health—Why you should give back to the community, and bring your family,” Heather Rose Artushin, MSW, LISW-CP posits that volunteering is both important for the community, AND can be beneficial for the volunteer’s mental health. Artushin comments that, “The Letters 8
AUGUST 21, 2026
benefits of serving others are astounding,” citing research that shows that volunteering can reduce mortality and increase overall functioning, that reflecting on one’s experience of serving others seems to boost these effects, and that regularly volunteering has positive effects on depression, life satisfaction, and well-being.
I believe in the mission, vision, and values of CAMP Rehoboth and I want to do more than just believe. I want to show up and show out. Volunteering also has positive effects on families with children. Artushin points out that “volunteering with your children will not only build a healthy habit that can contribute to their own physical and mental health benefits, research shows that children and teens who volunteer are less likely to experience anxiety and behavioral problems, and that it can even reduce feelings of social isolation which are particularly salient in adolescence. For teens, volunteering is associated with a decrease in risky health behaviors and depressive symptoms in adulthood.” As to why I volunteer with CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, it’s because I believe in the mission, vision, and values of CAMP Rehoboth and I want to do more than just believe. I want to show up and show out. As an out lesbian, volunteering at CAMP Rehoboth helps me feel connected to our LGBTQ+ community writ large. It has also helped me to make new friends and to strengthen my connections with existing ones. And, it has allowed me to interact with people from diverse backgrounds, allowing me to learn other perspectives.
Doing something I feel is worthwhile and valuable for our community gives me a sense of accomplishment that helps me feel more fulfilled about my own life. At the end of the day, volunteering at CAMP Rehoboth just plain feels good. I find it’s important to contribute to projects and organizations that mean something to me, and CAMP Rehoboth is very high on that list. CAMP Rehoboth enjoys a strong volunteer base, and to those who show up and show out every day, I say THANK YOU! It’s because of our event volunteers that we can produce enormous events such as Women’s+ FEST, SUNFESTIVAL, and the Block Party. It’s because of our CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) that we can give back to other worthy causes such as the Food Bank of Delaware while promoting ourselves and our community. And it’s because of our CAMPcierges, who provide invaluable office support, that we can keep the phones answered and the doors open while our paid staff attend to myriad duties. So, in continuing the celebration of our 35th Anniversary, let’s Show Up and Show Out by volunteering! Shae Wagner, our Event and Volunteer Coordinator, has let me know that SUNFESTIVAL, CAMP Rehoboth’s biggest fundraiser of the year, is looking for volunteers to help behind the scenes as well as the day of the event. Additionally, CROP is constantly working to cultivate community and strengthen relations and connections among us all. Please visit camprehoboth.org/volunteers to register as a volunteer and to sign up for available opportunities. Your volunteer efforts are bound to benefit you as much, if not more, than CAMP Rehoboth, and we at CAMP Rehoboth will be most grateful for your time and talent! ▼ Leslie Ledogar is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.
HAPPY LABOR DAY! HAPPY SUNFEST 2026 THE BEST MEMORIES BEGIN WITH AN INVITATION.
START YOUR REHOBOTH GROUP FOR OLIVIA'S XOXO CARIBBEAN CRUISE: FEB 13–20, 2027 TODAY!
Women of Rehoboth aboard Olivia's 2026 Alaska in Spring Cruise
Women of Rehoboth aboard Olivia's 2025 35th Anniversary Coral Jubilee
OLIVIA IS DONATING A TRIP FOR 2 ON OUR
XOXO CARIBBEAN CRUISE: FEB 13–20, 2027 AT THE LIVE AUCTION Olivia is a Proud Diamond Sponsor of SunFestival 2026 Olivia is a Proud Premier Sponsor of CAMP Rehoboth Visit Olivia.com for a full trip calendar
OLIVIA.COM · (800) 631-6277 BOOK YOUR DREAM VACATION WITH 24/7 ONLINE BOOKING
AUGUST 21, 2026
9 Letters
Community Connections BY SHAE WAGNER
Volunteers Give—and Receive
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ne of the most inspiring things about CAMP Rehoboth isn’t just the programs we offer or the events we host—it’s the people who make them possible. Last year, nearly 400 volunteers generously gave more than 18,330 hours of their time in support of CAMP Rehoboth’s mission. Those hours represent so much more than a number. They reflect countless warm welcomes at the front desk, carefully prepared event spaces, meaningful conversations, community outreach, fundraising efforts, and acts of kindness that help create a place where LGBTQ+ people and our allies feel supported and celebrated. Volunteering is often thought of as giving back, and it certainly is. But what I’ve discovered is that volunteering also gives something back to us. It creates friendships, builds community, and reminds us that we all have something valuable to contribute. Whether you volunteer once a year or every week, your time becomes part of something much bigger than yourself. Before joining the nonprofit world professionally, I spent years volunteering in my own community. What began as simply wanting to help eventually became a source of purpose for me. Those experiences introduced me to incredible people, challenged me to grow, and ultimately inspired the career path I’m fortunate to be on today. It’s a reminder that sometimes the greatest gift we receive from volunteering isn’t what we accomplish, it’s the community we find along the way. That spirit of community is the heart of CAMP Rehoboth. Every program, support group, fundraiser, and community event is made stronger because volunteers choose to share their time and talents with us. That generosity allows our staff to dream bigger, serve more people, and continue creating spaces where everyone can feel at home. As we prepare for SUNFESTIVAL, our largest fundraiser of the year, we’re looking for volunteers to help make another unforgettable weekend possible. Whether you’re welcoming guests, assisting with registration, or helping to decorate, there’s a role for everyone. No matter your experience or availability, your time truly makes a difference. If you’ve been looking for a way to become more connected to CAMP Rehoboth or simply hoping to meet new people while making a meaningful impact, we’d love to welcome you to our volunteer community. Together, we can continue building the vibrant, inclusive community that makes CAMP Rehoboth so special.▼ Shae Wagner is Event and Volunteer Coordinator at CAMP Rehoboth.
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AUGUST 21, 2026
CAMP REHOBOTH THANKS OUR
2026 ANNUAL SPONSORS PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSORS
For information on how to become a CAMP Rehoboth Annual Sponsor, email development@ camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620.
CAMP R EHOBOTH C HORUS
presents
100 YEARS OF
BROADWAY
FALL 2026
Friday, September 25 7pm Saturday, September 26 7pm Sunday, September 27 3pm Epworth United Methodist Church Rehoboth Beach, Delaware $30 Adult $15 Student Tickets at camprehoboth.org Doug Yetter Artistic Director David Zipse and the CAMP Chorus Band CAMP Rehoboth
A CENTUR Y OF
S h ow S t o p p e rs, H e a r t G ra bb e rs, a n d CurtainDr opp ers !
h
CAMP Rehoboth Chorus is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on delawarescene.com.
AUGUST 21, 2026
11 Letters
CAMP News
LGBTQ+ Youth Empowerment Program
Support Groups Active; Additional Workshops Coming
W
hile many LGBTQ+ youth are thriving, they continue to face higher rates of mental health challenges and barriers to affirming care than their peers. CAMP Rehoboth and Delaware Psychological Services (DPS) are here to help with our LGBTQ+ Youth Empowerment Program, funded through a Highmark Small Grant-BCBS. The Youth Empowerment Program provides no-cost/low-cost behavioral health support to Sussex County LGBTQ+ (including gender-expansive) youth 13-18 years of age and their families with individual counseling, mental health support group sessions for both youth and parents/caregivers, and community workshops. For youth, individual sessions are currently active with mental health support group sessions beginning in September. ▼
Parent/Caregiver Groups
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arents and caregivers may also benefit from mental health support as they navigate their own experiences, build knowledge, and strengthen their ability to support their young person. The purpose of these groups is to normalize shared experiences, reduce isolation, and provide peer support in a safe, affirming environment. Groups are currently meeting twice monthly on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. in Lewes. Registration is encouraged but not required. Drop-in is permitted. ▼
Second Workshop Scheduled
T
he second community workshop, “Identity, Mental Health, Resilience in LGBTQIA+ Adolescents,” will take place at Lewes Public Library on September 11, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. This engaging, hope-filled workshop will explore the unique mental health experiences of LGBTQIA+ adolescents, while celebrating the incredible resilience that helps so many young people thrive. The workshop is open to all. To learn more, contact CAMP Rehoboth at 302-227-5620, DPS at 302-703-6332 (mention CAMP Rehoboth), or visit camprehoboth.org/ camp-programs/youth-empowerment-program. ▼
Women In Circle Offering Additional Social Outings
C
AMP Rehoboth’s Women In Circle is growing. The program, which meets monthly as a discussion group from 10:00-11:30 a.m. every first and third Saturday morning, is expanding to include social outings as well. The outings began as a Dinner Club, with its members exploring local favorite restaurants and engaging in supportive conversation and mutual connection. Additional social outings look to include recreational activities like kayaking and hiking, as well as potlucks and beach days. Interested in getting involved? The best way is to first attend a Women In Circle meeting. More information will be shared with attendees of the Circle. During the Rehoboth Beach parking season, the group convenes at the Lewes Public Library; outside of the parking season, the Circle meets at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.
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AUGUST 21, 2026
LGBTQ+ Veterans Group Shares Resources
I
n 2024, CAMP Rehoboth’s LGBTQ+ Veterans Group kicked off and has been growing ever since. Among other goals, the group celebrates and amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ veterans in the community. Part of the group’s recent endeavors include educating veterans about available resources. Often, veterans face challenges such as finding services, benefits information, healthcare navigation, and financial assistance. Members of CAMP Rehoboth’s LGBTQ+ Veterans Group are stepping up to address those challenges. Thanks to group members John Zinmeister, Jim Mease, and Tammy Smith, the group is sharing resources via CAMP Rehoboth’s LGBTQ+ Veterans Group webpage. Resources include the Delaware Commission of Veteran Affairs (DVA), which serves as an advisory board to the Governor for issues that impact the 72,000 military veterans living in the First State; SPARTA Pride, a nonprofit organization that’s home to a community of transgender service members, veterans, and their allies; and Sussex County Vet Center, which offers confidential help for veterans, service members, and their families at no cost in a non-medical setting. Visit camprehoboth.org/veterans for the full list of resources. Interested in joining the group? Every first Thursday of the month, plan to attend the LGBTQ+ Veterans Group at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center to learn more and help shape this growing contingent. ▼
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Blood Drive: September 25
C
AMP Rehoboth is partnering with the Blood Bank of Delmarva for a blood drive on Friday, September 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This partnership began when the FDA, in 2023, lifted its ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSMs). Since then, CAMP Rehoboth has partnered with the Blood Bank of Delmarva twice annually for a drive. Visit camprehoboth.org/events for more information on blood donor eligibility and to schedule an appointment today. ▼
AUGUST 21, 2026
13 Letters
the big summer party
labor day weekend
September 5-6, 2026
at Rehoboth Beach Convention Center
D U O L T U O
LOVE
rt to suppo it f e n e b a hoboth camp re
ay Da n c e Sund
day Entertainme r u nt S at
dl
ta
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DJ
ine
r Dav i d A r c h
u
le
Rob
bi e Le s
lie
Live auction
p
en
er
m
O
(donated by danny sebright) and more!
s
including a trip for two to greece
A s hl ey W i l
li a
D
J
Ja
mes antho
ny
tickets will sell out! get yours today! Accessibility + Event Info at camprehoboth.org Letters 14
AUGUST 21, 2026
camp rehoboth thanks our sponsors for their generous support of sunfestival * annual sponsors
diamond sponsors
sapphire sponsors
Rodney Street Realty, LLC Edward Chrzanowski Rick Perry Danny Sebright
ruby sponsors
JOE FILIPEK & LARRY RICHARDSON
vip room Greg Albright & Wes Combs Easy Rider Stables
emerald sponsors Jenn Harpel
Summer Logo 1 “A”
JOE FILIPEK & LARRY RICHARDSON Summer Logo 1 “B”
Gary Alexander & Craig Sencindiver
Jim & Duane
Tom Balling & Rex Varner
Adam Entenberg & Bruce Namerow
Carolyn Billinghurst & Carol Bresler
Fatula Fishman Tucker
Jay Chalmers, John Potthast, John McLaughlin & Paul Frene
John Hackett & Tom Newton
Marc Charon & Jon Dauphine
Sondra N. Arkin media sponsors
water sponsor
Mike DeFlavia & Tony Sowers Dennis Diaz & Michael Ewald Max Dick, Jim Villareale, Ed Miller & Glen West Polly Donaldson Lewis Dawley, Greg Becker, Kevin Goeltz & Pete Slesser
CAMP REHOBOTH
SUNDAY, OCT. 18 | 11 AM-4 PM
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Kelly Johnson & Todd Gerdes Jon Kaplan Kerry Kegerise Jamie Kotchek & Craig Schwartz Suzanne Krupa & Joann Glussich Chris Lay & Dr. Mari Blackburn Kim Leisey & Kathy Solano & SODELO
Dennis Morgan, Paul Christensen, Paul Nye & Jerome Hofer Fran O’Brien & David Gifford Mark O’Connor & Scott Wistner Clarence Pineda, Compass Porter-Gordon Family Jen Rubenstein, Diane Scobey, Leslie Sinclair & Debbie Woods Nancy & Robert Sher Dennis Shine & Edsel Gayoso Dr. Dean Tyson & Michael Linardi
Evelyn Maurmeyer in memory of Natalie Moss
*All paid sponsors through August 7, 2026
Registration Open and Sponsorship Opportunities Available Scan here for Vendor/Sponsor Information
Block Party on the 2nd block of Baltimore Avenue For questions/inquiries contact: blockparty@camprehoboth.org
AUGUST 21, 2026
15 Letters
Reflections
BY PATTIE CINELLI
Your Age Isn’t the Whole Story
F
orget where you left your keys? You chalk it up to a senior moment. Struggle walking upstairs? That’s expected because you are old. Have aches and pains? As an older person, that’s normal. Many of these old wives’ tales have become so common they sound like facts even though research shows they’re incomplete or simply wrong. It drives me nuts when I hear friends thoughtlessly blame physical and mental changes on age when many can be improved through awareness and effort. I think of my body much like I think about my 12-year-old Rav 4 with more than 100,000 miles: It still runs well because I maintain it, but I no longer expect it to accelerate the way it did 10 years ago. It has different limits now. My body works the same way. It serves me best when I respect what it needs. Aging isn’t the problem. There are lots of elders who are great examples of living long and well. I was fortunate to have a mentor with whom I practiced yoga for almost 20 years. At 101.5 years, Tao Porchon Lynch taught her regular yoga class the week she transitioned. At 88 she took up ballroom dancing and won more than 700 plaques and medals at dance competitions. At 96 she danced off the stage in red high heels after performing with her 29-year-old partner on America’s Got Talent. Regular physical activity and a good attitude go a long way toward helping one stay vital. While processing speed may slow, many mental abilities such as vocabulary, emotional intelligence, judgment, and pattern recognition often improve with age. The brain continues to form new connections throughout life. Occasional memory lapses are common at many ages and can be caused by conditions that include taking certain medications, lack of sleep, dehydration, or stress. Occasional forgetfulness doesn’t signal dementia. So what are the deciding factors that affect how we age? Genes play a role but are only part of the story. If genetics determine how I age, Letters 16
AUGUST 21, 2026
I would probably be dead now. Most of my elder relatives died younger than I am now after suffering for years. Many scientists estimate that only about 20-30 percent of how we age is determined by genetics, while about 70-80 percent is influenced by lifestyle, environment, and attitude. Genes can affect how you are protected against certain diseases and they can also affect how your body repairs itself. However, having ‘good genes’ doesn’t guarantee
Aging is inevitable, but how we respond to it is, to a remarkable degree, still our choice. healthy aging nor does having ‘bad genes’ doom you to poor health. Daily habits can influence chemical changes (epigenetics) that turn genes on or off without changing the DNA sequence itself. People believe myths about aging for many reasons, and many of those beliefs are reinforced throughout life rather than questioned. We notice what confirms our beliefs and ignore what doesn’t. We remember an 80-year-old who repeats a story but fail to recall an 85-year-old running a business. We confuse aging with disease. Conditions that are often
associated with age (but not limited to older folks) such as arthritis, hearing loss, or heart disease are not inevitable. Science increasingly shows that aging is far more individual and variable than myths suggest. How a person feels about age can also influence physical makeup. I’ve found when I think the worst will happen, it usually does. These days, I listen more closely to what my body is telling me. I no longer push myself beyond what my body signals—something I did when I was teaching fitness classes. I still enjoy court play, though I am much less competitive. Now when I feel tired I rest, and I’m more conscious of my daily fluid intake. I no longer brush off a backache. If my own efforts do not eliminate the discomfort, I consult a professional (my chiropractor) to assist me in feeling better. I don’t expect to just live with any chronic ailment and I don’t. While some physical changes are inevitable with age, (I hate the wrinkles!), many abilities can be maintained or even improved. These include strength-building, increased wisdom and perspective, and greater emotional resilience. Becoming an older woman also made me a woman with a new-found wisdom and a love for myself—a person I did not give much credit to for decades. I also love how people, situations, and events that used to upset me no longer make my blood boil. I’m calmer, more visionary, and happier than I’ve ever been. Aging is inevitable, but how we respond to it is, to a remarkable degree, still our choice. Every day offers another chance to move a little more, rest a little better, learn something new, and question assumptions that say getting older means grower weaker and irrelevant. Birthdays simply mark the passage of time. They don’t define our beauty, curiosity, resilience, or capacity to thrive. ▼ Pattie Cinelli is a writer and fitness professional who devotes her time to aging well and sharing her experience with others. Contact her at: fitmiss44@aol.com.
DO YOU
LEAK?
Do you tinkle when you laugh, sneeze, cough, or exercise?
Do you carry around extra underwear, just in case?
Do you constantly wake up at night to go to the bathroom?
Do you notice blood in your urine?
Do you feel like you need to pee, but can’t go once you try?
Do you feel pain when you start to go to the bathroom?
Do you sometimes just can’t get to the bathroom quick enough?
Is your worry starting to take over your daily life?
Brandywine Urology Consultant’s Dr. Alice Y. Wang, MD, is Fellowship trained in Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery who, depending on your symptoms, can provide a variety of treatment options ranging from lifestyle changes, minimally invasive treatments or surgical operations. Dr. Wang is accepting male and female patients in all three offices. Please contact the office today to schedule your conversation with Dr. Wang. Brandywine Urology Consultants, Delaware’s leading urological practice, delivers comprehensive urological solutions for men and women enabling them to remain in Delaware throughout the duration of their treatment. Brandywine Urology Consultants team of Surgeons and Advanced Practice Providers specializes in urinary cancer care, reproductive and sexual health, bladder and kidney dysfunction, chronic urinary tract infections and prostate health.
Dr. Alice Y. Wang, MD
Phone (302) 652-8990 • Fax (302) 652-8646 • www.BrandywineUC.com AUGUST 21, 2026
17 Letters
It’s My Life
BY MICHAEL THOMAS FORD
Identity Crisis
“W
hat did you do before you retired?” A few days ago, I went to our local post office and ended up talking to someone from the village who was also picking up his mail. I had not interacted with him much before, but on my way out he stopped me to ask about a street construction project that is going on. “Retired?” I said, not understanding the question. “Well, I know the mayor thing doesn’t pay much,” he explained. “Usually, people who take the job on are retired and don’t need the money. What did you do before this?” He’s right about the mayor job not paying much. I get $100 a month, $88 after taxes are taken out. But I’m not retired. At least, not in the way he’s thinking. Still, I was unsure how to answer him. This is not a new problem. My entire life, I’ve dreaded the, “So, what do you do?” question that inevitably pops up in social situations. For a brief time, I had an answer to it. “I’m an editor,” I could say. If the questioning continued, I could explain that I worked for a publisher of children’s books, acquiring and editing manuscripts. That was always enough to satisfy people. Then I started writing books instead of editing them. You might think that being able to answer, “I’m a writer” would be a satisfying thing. Many writers dream of being able to do it full time and getting to tell people about it. But the funny thing about being a writer is that most people have a definition of “writer” that ultimately boils down to the soul-shriveling question, “Have you written anything I might have read?” Now, if you’re a writer who actually has written something a lot of people have heard of, this is not as much of a problem. But if, like me, you’ve written a whole lot of books in a whole lot of genres, and none of them wildly successful in a commercial sense, you find yourself having to choose between
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AUGUST 21, 2026
explaining your career in greater detail or saying, “No, probably not,” which sounds defensive when, really, it’s just the truth. For this reason, I generally don’t talk about my books unless somebody asks. There’s another reason I avoid talking about the writer thing, which is that I don’t really feel like a writer these days. For the past few years, I’ve not done much writing, as I’ve been focused on a project I started to bring a restaurant back to our village. This was something I thought would take a couple of months,
…you don’t have to wait until you’ve published your work to call yourself a writer. and I planned on getting back to writing when I was done and could turn the restaurant over to someone else. But as the project dragged on and on and on, I found myself doing a whole lot of things that weren’t writing. And then the mayor thing came along and, well, even less writing happened. One of the things I tell new writers who want some advice is that you don’t have to wait until you’ve published your work to call yourself a writer. If you write, you’re a writer. And if someone wants to argue that you shouldn’t call yourself a certain thing unless you’re 100 percent supporting yourself financially from doing it, that someone probably inherited a whole lot of money from someone else. For 35 years, I’ve supported myself fully on my writing. By this metric, I think I can safely say I am a writer. But now that I’m not writing nearly as much, and certainly not making nearly as much from it, I feel weird about the whole subject. One of the nice things about being a mayor now is that it’s a job that people can understand. Everyone sort of knows what a mayor does, and generally they’re utterly uninterested in hearing any details about it. “I’m a mayor,” is
usually a sufficient answer to the “What do you do?” question. But not always. Sometimes, as I learned the other day at the post office, people want to know more. What do I really do? Or what did I do before the mayor gig? Sometimes I tell them that I manage a nonprofit, which is mostly true. I started a nonprofit as part of the project to bring a restaurant back to the village. And that nonprofit now does quite a lot of other things. But I don’t get paid for doing any of it. So, the two things that take up the majority of my time pay me almost nothing. Does this mean they don’t count as jobs? They certainly feel like jobs. Meanwhile, writing, which does pay me, no longer feels like what I do. I know that what we do for work isn’t who we are, doesn’t define us unless we want it to. I also know that my reluctance to tell people I’m a writer is tied up in bigger issues of aging, time rushing by, and wondering what being a writer even means right now. A lot of friends my age are retiring from careers. That’s not something I can ever do, both for financial reasons and because I don’t think you ever stop being a creator, even when what you create morphs into something else. But I still have trouble naming myself. I’m working on being a writer again. I have a couple of projects signed up with publishers, and more on the evergrowing to-do list. I know I need to take my own advice and claim the identity of being a writer. But right now, I have some mayoring to do. ▼ Michael Thomas Ford is a much-published Lambda Literary award-winning author. Visit Michael at michaelthomasford.com.
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AUGUST 21, 2026
19 Letters
health+wellness
BY MARJ SHANNON
Sunrise, Sunset…
B
y the day this issue of Letters is released (August 21), we’ll be two months out from the longest day of 2026, June 21. Here in Delaware, we will have lost about one hour and 10 minutes of daylight over those two months. And the pace of loss is picking up: during August and September, we’ll lose about 2.5 minutes of daylight per day. Given our sticky, sweltering summer, I’m relieved, at some level, to have less daylight: nights can be a little cooler as a result. And I’m more than ready for that. But overall, for someone like me—who dreads the advancing darkness—the ominous little drumbeats are growing louder each day. I don’t suffer from fullblown seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but I do lean that direction. So—what is SAD, exactly? Per the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) it’s a type of depression, characterized by a recurrent, seasonal pattern, and lasting about four or five months. Winter-pattern SAD—occurring during the fall and winter months—is more common than summer-pattern SAD, though the latter does occur. Though many people experience “winter blues” or “holiday blues,” feeling down due to holiday or seasonal stress does not constitute SAD. Rather, SAD is caused by a change in daylight hours. But why? How can daylight hours have such an impact on some people’s mood? Because winter-pattern SAD is more common, it’s been researched more extensively than summer-pattern SAD. But even with winter-pattern SAD, researchers still aren’t sure of its cause. Studies done to date find that people with SAD have lower levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which helps regulate mood. Sunlight affects the molecules which help maintain normal levels of serotonin. So, fewer daylight hours may translate into less serotonin, which in turn impacts mood. Another contributing factor may be reduced vitamin D levels; vitamin D is thought to promote serotonin activity. Although people obtain vitamin D through consuming foods containing it—e.g.,
Letters 20
AUGUST 21, 2026
fatty fish, fish oils, egg yolks, cheese, and fortified foods such as milk and breakfast cereals—they also make their own: sunlight on skin enables people to generate vitamin D. So, reduced sunlight (and perhaps weather conditions limiting the amount of time spent outdoors) may translate into reduced levels of vitamin D. Other studies point to altered levels of melatonin, which is a hormone important to maintaining a normal sleep-wake cycle. People with winter-pattern SAD produce too much melatonin, resulting in excess sleep. In contrast, people with summerpattern SAD may have reduced melatonin levels, also resulting in disrupted sleepwake cycles. Added to these physiological changes may be negative thoughts or feelings that people with SAD (as well as many others) experience around certain seasons. It can make it hard to determine what is cause and what is effect, and to distinguish between people with SAD and those with winter blues. Consequently, there are specific criteria for diagnosing SAD. These rely
on a pattern of symptoms over time. For one, someone must experience symptoms of depression. Further, those symptoms must occur during the same season across at least two consecutive years. And finally, the depressive episodes that occur during the specific season (e.g., winter) must be more frequent than those experienced during other seasons of the year. As SAD is a type of depression, the depressive symptoms of SAD—not surprisingly—are consistent with the symptoms arising in other types of depression. These can include: • Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood most of the day, for most days, over at least a two-week period • Ongoing negative feelings such as hopelessness, pessimism, irritability, frustration, restlessness, guilt, or helplessness • Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies or activities • Decreased energy; heightened fatigue • Difficulty concentrating, remem-
SAD is not something one simply has to endure; there are treatments which have been shown to be effective.
health+wellness
bering, or decision-making • Changes in sleep patterns or appetite • Physical aches or pains that do not have a clear physical cause or do not go away with treatment In winter-pattern SAD, additional symptoms can include oversleeping, overeating—especially, a craving for carbohydrates—and social withdrawal, i.e., something akin to “hibernating.” Millions of people experience SAD: it affects about five percent of US adults; an additional 10-20 percent experience winter blues. Usually beginning in young adulthood, SAD is more common among women and (no surprise) among people living farther north, where winter daylight hours are especially short. It may run in families and be more common in people whose relatives have depression or other mental disorders. The good news is that SAD is not something one simply has to endure; there are treatments which have been shown to be effective. Per NIMH, treatments fall into four main categories and may be used alone or in combination: light therapy, vitamin D supplements, antidepressant medications, and psychotherapy. Light therapy and vitamin D supplements are used specifically for winter-pattern SAD, while antidepressant medications and psychotherapy are used to treat depression in general. Let’s take a look at each of these…. Light therapy has been used to treat SAD since the 1980s; it exposes people to bright light to compensate for the seasonal loss of natural sunlight. Specifically, it consists of sitting in front of a very bright light box for about 30-45 minutes every day, usually in the morning, from fall through spring. The light box filters out potentially damaging UV light, making it a safe treatment device for most people. As light boxes can be purchased without a prescription or healthcare provider’s order, it can be tempting to simply buy one and try a course of self-treatment. But it’s not a good idea to do so; some people should not use a light box at all, and others should use one only with medical supervision. Some examples: people with
eye conditions such as glaucoma or cataracts or retinal damage, those with skin conditions such as lupus, or those taking medications that increase light sensitivity—e.g., tetracycline or lithium. Vitamin D supplements may help improve symptoms, though research results are mixed. Some studies show the supplements to be as effective as light therapy; others show no effect. Again, self-treatment is tempting but discouraged: vitamin D can interact with other medications (prescribed or over-thecounter), so talking with a healthcare provider before popping that pill is important. Antidepressant medications, which work by changing how the brain produces or uses chemicals impacting mood or stress, can be effective in treating SAD. One type of antidepressant—selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs—has been found to be effective. SSRIs increase serotonin levels, which are reduced in people with winter-pattern SAD. Another antidepressant, bupropion—a norepinephron-dopamine reuptake inhibitor, or NDRI—has been shown to be effective in preventing the recurrence of SAD in some people when taken daily from fall through spring. Both SSRIs and NDRIs are available only by prescription. Psychotherapy—aka talk therapy or counseling—can be effective in treating SAD by teaching people new ways to think and behave. One type of psychotherapy—cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT—has an adapted form specifically for SAD: CBT-SAD. This therapy, which typically lasts about six weeks, focuses on helping people to replace negative thoughts about winter (or summer) with more positive thoughts, and to schedule pleasant, engaging indoor and outdoor activities to offset their usual seasonal loss of interest and energy. Studies have shown that CBT-SAD is as effective as light therapy, though light therapy sometimes brings symptom relief a little more quickly. However, the positive results of CBT-SAD seemed to last longer. This is a good time of year—as fall approaches—for those who experience SAD to be proactive in managing its upcoming impact. Waiting till the darkest
days of the season arrive may find one with little energy to tackle SAD’s symptoms. For myself, it turns out I have (unwittingly) been applying some of those CBTSAD techniques to managing my own winter doldrums: I push through November and December, buoyed by holidays and a calendar stuffed with plays and concerts and get-togethers. I plan a few special outings for January and February and force myself outdoors for walks on all but the most abysmal days. I work to maintain my usual (aka spring-throughsummer) diet and exercise patterns. It is, for sure, an effort. But it offers rewards: less gloom, fewer extra pounds, and more energy. ▼ Marj Shannon is editor of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth and a retired epidemiologist. Photo by Nick Page on Unsplash
LET’S STAY CONNECTED! All of CAMP Rehoboth’s programs, services, and events are listed here: camprehoboth.org/ events-calendar/. Please visit the site often to ensure you have up-to-date information on what is being offered—and when. Youth Crisis Support: Crisis intervention services for children under 18. Parents and caregivers are connected to a crisis clinician. Available 24/7. Call 800-969-4357 or text DE to 741-741. 988: Free, confidential support and resources for anyone in distress. Available 24/7. Call 988. Delaware Hope Line: Free coaching and support. Links to mental health, addiction, and crisis services. Available 24/7. Call 833-9-HOPEDE (833-946-7333). AUGUST 21, 2026
21 Letters
Medical Foundation
Letters 22
AUGUST 21, 2026
We Care. From the Heart.
Trusted Care for More Than a Century. For more than 100 years, Beebe Healthcare has proudly served our community delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care with dedication and heart. From primary care and walk-in visits to advanced surgery and 24/7 emergency services, we’re here for every stage of life.
To learn more about our services, visit BeebeHealthcare.org
AUGUST 21, 2026
23 Letters
AIDS Walk Delaware
BY DOMENIC MERENDINO & TYLER BERL
Every Step Counts
Honoring 40 Years of AIDS Walk Delaware
F
orty years is a long time to keep walking. It is long enough for once-impossible treatments to become routine care and for people with HIV to live long, healthy lives. But 40 years is not long enough to forget. On September 19, Delawareans will gather in Brandywine Park in Wilmington and at the bandstand in downtown Rehoboth Beach for the 40th anniversary of AIDS Walk Delaware. One of the country’s longest-running HIV walks, it represents four decades of grief, courage, advocacy, persistence, and community. AIDS Walk Delaware began when an HIV diagnosis brought fear, isolation, and few answers. Families lost loved ones. Friends became caregivers. Volunteers raised money, shared information, fought stigma, and demanded urgent action. They walked because standing still was not an option. That determination changed the epidemic. Testing became faster and more accessible. Medical advances transformed HIV into a manageable chronic condition for people with consistent care. PrEP became a highly effective prevention tool. U=U, the principle that a person with an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit HIV, reshaped treatment, prevention, and stigma. These advances are extraordinary. They are also fragile. Across Delaware and the country, funding for HIV services is being reduced while community needs remain significant. Cuts affect outreach, testing, education, case management, and the supports that keep people connected to care. For the people we serve, those cuts are never abstract. They can mean fewer tests in trusted settings, less prevention education, and fewer staff members to explain PrEP, navigate insurance, schedule appointments, secure transportation, or support treatment. They can mean choosing between food and medication, losing housing stability, or facing a new diagnosis without a case manager. Effective HIV care depends on housing, nutrition, mental health, transportation, insurance access, substance use treatment, and trusted healthcare providers. When one support disappears, the entire system becomes harder to navigate. Letters 24
AUGUST 21, 2026
TAKE THE NEXT STEP AIDS Walk Delaware is more than a one-day event. It is a statewide commitment to HIV prevention, care, dignity, and community. Join us September 19, 2026, in Wilmington or Rehoboth Beach. REGISTER TO WALK: Walk as an individual, create a team, or join an existing team. MAKE A DONATION: Every contribution helps sustain HIV testing, prevention education, case management, food assistance, housing support, and connections to medical care. LEARN MORE: Visit aidswalkdelaware.org for event details, registration, fundraising information, sponsorship opportunities, and ways to volunteer. Scan to register for the Walk or to donate—or both!
The Walk supports AIDS Delaware and the Delaware HIV Consortium while uniting healthcare providers, advocates, businesses, elected leaders, families, and people directly affected by HIV. It reminds us that no single organization can end the epidemic alone. Its public visibility matters. HIV stigma has not disappeared. Too many people avoid testing because they fear judgment. Too many do not know about prevention tools. Too many people living with HIV still face assumptions about who they are or what their diagnosis means. Every participant affirms that people living with HIV deserve dignity, care, and community. Every donor, volunteer, sponsor, and advocate helps sustain services and keep HIV among Delaware’s public health priorities. This anniversary is not only a celebration of where we have been. It is a decision about where we go next. We can honor those who built this movement by protecting what they created, remember those we lost by refusing to let preventable barriers return, and celebrate medical progress while recognizing that treatment only works when people can access it. Progress requires investment, public policy, education, and organizations ready to respond. It requires people willing to speak openly, challenge stigma, and insist that care remain available statewide. On September 19, we will walk with gratitude for those who came before us and determination for those who still depend on this work. We will walk for the newly diagnosed person, the person who needs transportation to an appointment, the young person who deserves accurate prevention information, and the longtime survivor who has watched this movement grow and change. We will walk because 40 years of progress deserves to be celebrated. And we will keep walking because 40 years of progress must be protected. Last year, we said progress can’t pause. This year, we prove that we meant it. ▼ Domenic Merendino is Executive Director of AIDS Delaware. Tyler Berl is Executive Director of the Delaware HIV Consortium
40 YEA
RS Donate Here
Register Today: AIDSWalkDelaware.org Brandywine Park, Wilmington & Bandstand, Rehoboth Beach Time: 8:30AM - 12PM
AUGUST 21, 2026
25 Letters
Aging Gracelessly
BY FAY JACOBS
Calling all Captains, First Mates, and Crews!
I
Rehoboth Bay Pride has become a tradition. Last year, more than 40 boats converged.
Letters 26
AUGUST 21, 2026
t’s been a great boating season, and I only know this because I have friends with boats. It wasn’t always this way. Many of my newer readers and newbies to the Rehoboth area (Welcome!) probably don’t know that my wife Bonnie and I arrived in Rehoboth 31 years ago by boat. A 28-foot power boat. Our friends from DC were all buying second homes here, and we absolutely could not. All of our expendable cash was, as they say, being thrown directly into the water by owning a boat. So in June 1995, we left Annapolis, put a life jacket on our schnauzer (the late, lovable Max), and traveled up Chesapeake Bay. At the north end of the Bay we entered the C&D Canal, buzzed through it, and came out into Delaware Bay. From there we hung a right, cruised south to Lewes, rode through the Lewes canal, under the Rehoboth Avenue Bridge, and into Rehoboth Bay to Dewey. Time elapsed: nine-ish hours. At Rehoboth Bay Marina, we lived aboard for weekends, vacations, and some random “sick days” spring, summer, and into the fall of 1995, ‘96, and ‘97. It was glorious! Oh, and the name of our boat was Bay Pride. Bay, with a B, a wink, and a rainbow. After all, it was the ’90s. When we became landlubbers in ’98, we (sadly) sold the boat, and passed our nautical cocktail flag (when it was flying you were invited for drinks!) to a couple of guys at the marina who’d become dear friends. Exactly two decades later, under that cocktail flag, these same guys, us, and other marina slip-holders (all living on land by now) had a conversation. The details are lost to the booze-fueled happy hour but it was decided we needed to fly the cocktail flag by hosting the Rehoboth Bay Pride Rainbow Raft-up. It happened. Under the leadership of the cocktail flag owners and their friends, a bunch of boats showed up at the coordinates advertised on Facebook’s Rehoboth Bay Pride page. The sandbar
was easy to find with the enormous rainbow flags planted in the shallows early that morning. Pontoon boats, fishing boats, speedboats, and all manner of vessels anchored in a huge circle as boaters waved boat-to-boat or swam or walked around in the knee-deep water, visiting other boats and their crews. There were prizes for the best and most outrageous boat decorations (balloons, bunting, blow-up unicorns), people brought crazy inflatable rafts, sandwiches and beverages, or gourmet catered luncheons with fine wines. There was laughter, music, camaraderie, sunburn, and silliness. It was a great day on the water. I’m telling you this because Rehoboth Bay Pride has become a tradition. Last year, more than 40 boats converged. And on Sunday, August 30, 2026, 11:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m.-ish, it’s time for the Ninth Annual Bay Pride Rainbow Raft-Up. If you’re a boater or can rent a boat, join the fun. Invite some friends. Anchor and hoist your flags at a hilariously happy event with no tickets, no fundraising, just LGBTQ+ boaters and their allies. Let’s make this the biggest, most fun round-up yet. And you never know about the tides. So come prepared for the sandbar to offer hard sand, two inches of water, waist-deep real estate, or be totally swimmable. But there’s always depth to anchor and party on or off the boat! Check out the Rehoboth Bay Pride Facebook page, pack a lunch, and fly your rainbow flag on the Bay. Bonnie and I got together with friends and rented a pontoon boat. Can’t wait. See you there! ▼ Fay Jacobs is a freelance writer, storyteller, and author of six books of (mostly) comic essays. She has written for the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, The Advocate, the Washington Blade, Delaware Beach Life, and—for 30 years—Letters.
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27 Letters
Words Matter
BY CLARENCE FLUKER
The Season of Possibility
F
or as long as I can remember, I’ve thought of summer as the season of possibility. And as Labor Day approaches, we’re reminded that summer is fleeting. Long afternoons give way to shorter days, routines return, and the easy rhythm of the season begins to disappear. I’ve always thought there’s something bittersweet about that transition because summer has never been just a season to me. It has always represented possibility. More than 20 years ago, while home from college one summer in Cleveland, I spent my Saturdays searching for a bigger world than the one I knew. That search almost always led me to the main branch of the Cleveland Public Library. I’d arrive before the doors even opened, and I’d leave only after a librarian announced that I had no other choice but to get out. At the time, the library had one thing that my mom’s house did not: the internet. I spent hours surfing the net and striking up conversations in chatrooms with people from all over. I loved it. One Saturday was different though; I caught the eye of the guy sitting at the computer station across from me. He was handsome, muscled, and when he smiled you could see his dimples. Somehow, he was a perfect combination of rugged good looks and gentlemanly allure. He was the real-life version of the guys that I’d daydream about. I learned that his name was Robert. He too was a college student home for the summer, and we shared similar interests in art and history. When the library closed that afternoon, we left together. We rode the elevator downstairs, exchanged a few words, and then lost each other in the crowd. I thought I’d never see him again. That evening, my friend David called and asked if I wanted to go dancing at the Grid, a gay club in downtown Cleveland where we spent many summer nights. Despite the fact that we were both underage college students, one way or another, we always managed to get inside. In retrospect, I think the staff knew we were innocent and there was nowhere else for Letters 28
AUGUST 21, 2026
…our encounter made me think of Robert and this now familiar feeling of quiet excitement that comes when an ordinary summer day suddenly becomes extraordinary.
us to hang out, so they didn’t mind. We would order sodas, dance for hours, and quietly live a part of ourselves we hadn’t yet shared with our families. During a break from dancing, I walked downstairs toward the pool tables. There was Robert. Of all the places in Cleveland, we had found each other again. When he saw me, he smiled and later told me something I’ve never forgotten. “I thought you were an angel,” he said. “You came into my life, and then you disappeared.” At 19, I didn’t know anyone could say something that beautiful to me. He was one of the first guys that I’d ever really talked to in that way. I was woefully inexperienced. Robert was special. Robert helped me believe in possibility. For the first time, he helped me to believe that someone might actually see me and want to know me. A friendship slowly unfolded, but it never became the relationship I would have liked. Robert was still trying to make peace with parts of himself that the world told him to hide. We kept in touch for some time before we eventually lost touch. Last summer on a family trip to Memphis, I’d wake up each day to walk a few miles from our hotel to Tom Lee Park to enjoy the waterfront view before the sun and heat got too intense. One of those mornings, I caught the attention of a fine
brother who stepped outside the Peabody Hotel for a smoke. He lured me in with a greeting seasoned with a southern twang that I couldn’t resist. He was an artist, originally from Florida, now based in Brooklyn. He was in town for a Black art and culture event. Standing there outside the Peabody Hotel, our encounter made me think of Robert and this now familiar feeling of quiet excitement that comes when an ordinary summer day suddenly becomes extraordinary. That evening we shared a drink and a kiss. I’m glad we met. This summer, I’ve again found myself getting to know someone who makes me smile, encourages me to try new things, and gently reminds me that we’re never finished becoming ourselves. The details are different now. I’m older, more confident, and kinder to myself than I was at 19. But the feeling, that quiet anticipation of wondering where a connection might lead, hasn’t changed. At 19, I believed possibility meant finding the right person. At 46, I’ve learned it means remaining open to wonder, to unexpected conversations, surprising connections, and the people who arrive just when we need them. If we pay attention, possibility has a remarkable way of finding us. ▼ Clarence J. Fluker is a public affairs and social impact strategist. Follow him on Instagram: @ Mr_CJFluker.
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AUGUST 21, 2026
29 Letters
BY IKECHUKWU HENRY
Reader’s Choice READER’S PANEL COMMENT “Daughter of the Sea” is a story worthy of mention. I enjoyed this imaginative tale, so beautifully written.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR IkeChukwu Henry is an Igbo Nigerian writer whose writings tackle the issues of environmental and climatic crisis, mental health, queerness and family dramas, and speculation of the otherworldly. When not writing, he can be found sourcing the latest magazine to submit to. He lives in a country that threatens to swallow him whole and tweets at @Ikechukwuhenry_ on X. Letters 30
AUGUST 21, 2026
Daughter of the Sea
A
t your funeral, people will speak of the cruel hands of fate they believe took you—how could death claim someone like you, a young girl with svelte figure and kinky hair, always dressed in quaintly old-fashioned style despite your lithe body. They will console your fifth mother, sprawled on the ground, wailing, tearing at her hair in despondence. Tears streak down her cheeks, licking every part with a familiar anguish that grips your heart. The perfect childless mother has lost again, her fifth child to the cold hand of death. It isn’t the schemes of death that cause this. It’s you—and your spirit siblings— returning. Your life unfolds in syllables with no parameters. You don’t decide who comes and goes. You merely follow the proclivity of ChukwuOkike’s divinity and Idemili’s, your spirit mother. The one whose very essence flows in your pedigree. Some call your kind Àbíkú. Or Arụsi, which is a half-truth. But you are mmụọ mmiri. Water spirit. You watch—in your obscurity, as you’re no longer in earthly form—as Dada Ngọzi clasps her hands around your fifth mother. Sorry, your former mother. Yet, she remains your mother until you return, perhaps in another womb, another family. A memory surfaces: you remember before you became her child, when she told your fifth mother to visit the distant dịbia Ajụ àlà to see if someone was behind her childlessness. None of her children ever exceeded the age of ten. All were your spirit siblings who come and go. You sighed from your world at the obliqueness of her mind, wondering why she cared so much when it wasn’t in your fifth mother’s control. Your fifth mother had shrugged and nodded, perhaps trying not to voice her reluctance, as it would taint her Christian beliefs. Her piety to her God unnerved you. It made you wonder why her God allowed you and your spirit siblings to come and depart, yet remained indifferent to her plight. Where was His love? His compassion? Why was He silent? Was He testing
her faith? You didn’t know, for you weren’t created to ponder over such matters. Your awareness of His existence was enough. You sought no further. Now Dada Ngọzi’s face is awash in a grimace, perhaps reminding your fifth mother of her earlier advice. Your fifth mother sighs, takes her hands, and hauls herself up, wiping the tears from her cheeks, dusting off dirt, and scanning the ground for her scarf that had fallen during her heart-wrenching wailing. Its inharmonious sounds rattled your heart with melancholy, much like Miss Ude, your second mother. Her piercing shrieks made you flinch, even in the otherworldly domain. Her scrawny body, bearing the signs of her waning pregnancy, clung to your dead body, her grip firm and fierce as she snarled at the men trying to take you for burial. Despite her viciousness, reality set in, rendering her frail and vulnerable. Then a wail followed. You watch your fifth mother now, gently picking her scarf from the floor, as if it were you, as if she could wake you from your earthly slumber. A boisterous chime wafts through the air, and you tense. You know what that sound means. Another soul is preparing to enter the human world. —You’re still watching the burial, a sonorous voice says. You turn to see your spirit sibling gliding beside you, their form ethereal and transient. —There’s nothing wrong in watching, you retort and drift toward your fifth father. His burly form is poised against the rubicund-painted wall of a rectangular mansion. His face is ashen, his jaw clenched tight. —and I just left the human world a few weeks ago. —If you wish. Anyway, Mother calls for you urgently, Dịrị. You watch as your spirit sibling dematerializes into a whirlwind of shadow. You glance at his friend, Chika, approaching him and placing a hand on your fifth father’s hunched shoulders. Your heart aches. This is the man who ensured you lacked nothing. His benevolence made you long for the comforts of Earth, but you knew it was never possible. Such
BY BOBBIE COMBS
I Don’t Recommend It
I
t was a brand-new year, and part of me was thinking about making a fresh start—while a much larger part of me was more comfortable with lingering in the past. Still, looking ahead to February 14, anxious about facing another Valentine’s Day alone, I began searching the world for some sage advice. “Would it be OK to buy myself a Valentine?” I asked the tattooed CVS clerk. “I don’t recommend it,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It seems like an awfully weird thing to do.” As I left the store, I could hear him saying to his co-worker, “Girl, can you believe she wants to send a Valentine to herself?” At my Tuesday night session, I asked my grief therapist, “Do you think it’s a bad idea for me to call out sick and spend Valentine’s Day alone, at home in bed?” “I don’t recommend it,” she said, shaking her head. “Don’t you think it would be better for you to stay busy? Why don’t you make some plans with friends?” She scribbled furiously in her notebook, and I wondered why she always answered my questions with her questions. A few days later, I visited the town library. I chose a romance with a promising
cover from the Valentine’s table and said to the librarian, “What do you think of this book?” “I don’t recommend it,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “It’s not an award winner. I could show you some better choices.” On Valentine’s Day morning, I woke up early. In my bathroom, I looked at the woman in the mirror and asked her, “Isn’t it about time you moved on?” “I don’t recommend it,” she answered. So I tucked my Valentine into my romance novel and went back to bed. There would be plenty of time for a fresh start next year. ▼
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bobbie Combs is a writer and career children’s book professional who lives in Milford with her artist wife, a glassblower.
Reader’s Choice READER’S PANEL COMMENT I very much enjoyed this story. There’s a quiet cleverness to the structure, with the repeated title refrain setting the reader up for one kind of ending and delivering another. It reminds me how easily other people’s voices can slip into one’s thinking, and how convincing they can sound once they get there. I was particularly fond of “I Don’t Recommend It.” I found the story inventive in its repetitive use of the common expression, and the narrative was concise in the way Flash Fiction should be.
Daughter of the Sea hope never materialized. You see him sniff, dabbing his bloodshot eyes that are cocooned in tears. —Ndo nụ. God will give her a child that will stay, his friend says, his voice soothing the pain masking your fifth father’s expression. —How, Chika? Your fifth father convulses as the first tears course down. He dabs them quickly and sniffs. —What kind of God takes away a child He gave to humans? —Have faith, ńnà. Or do you want to take a second wife? Your father darts his gaze at Chika, a wave of uncertainty in his eyes. Is he considering it? —Go and check on your pregnant wife before she starts missing you. I will be fine. Chika nods and shakes your father’s
hand, patting his shoulder before leaving. Oh no! You feel a familiar pull and see yourself floating away. Mother is calling. You stand before your spirit mother, Idemili, on her throne of sea pearl, coral, and leafy luxuriance that makes her skin glint brighter than the argentine paleness of Ọnwa. Apologies to Ọnwa for the comparison. —Dịrị, you’ll be returning to Earth again, she says, her mellifluous voice calming your thumping heart. You bow. —Yes, Ézè nwanyì mmịrị. —You’ll stay for a short time, though. She moves in a blink, her hand cupping your cheek. A smile flickers on her beguil-
ing face, adorned with cryptic lines that transcend time and human comprehension—a bridge between past and present. —Five years only, and I want you back, my favorite daughter. She whispers into your ear. A shivery sensation flares at your skin as nervousness and excitement mingle in your veins. You’re excited to leave for the human world again and nervous about the grief another family will endure. —Which family am I going to? you ask, heart heavy with trepidation and anticipation. You blink, and she’s back on her throne, beaming. —To Chika’s. You’ll be the child his wife is carrying. ▼
AUGUST 21, 2026
31 Letters
Out & About
BY ERIC C. PETERSON
The Necessity of Travel
J
ust after I moved to the beach, almost a year ago, a dear friend from DC announced that he would be celebrating his 50th birthday by taking a 10-day Atlantis (gay) cruise from Venice to Barcelona and asked me (and several other friends) if we’d like to join him. My initial instinct was to say no—it looked expensive, and besides, who was I to be traipsing around Europe spending all that money and creating memories that would last a lifetime while democracy was crumbling all around us and I technically didn’t have a job yet? Fortunately, I overrode my frugality and said yes, for a couple reasons. Firstly, I was sitting on a pile of cash obtained from the sale of my home in DC. This didn’t make the trip any less expensive, but at least it would be pre-paid. Also, my own 50th birthday took place during the winter of the COVID pandemic, and its high point was a wine tasting that happened with a group of friends…over Zoom. I figured I was owed this, and having enough money in the bank to cover it was the universe telling me to get over myself and have some fun. Before we left, I was asked by more than a few people if I’d ever been to some of these places. My answer was always, “well…not since I was five. So no, not really.” And some of them were new to me entirely. Venice was just as magical as I’d hoped it would be. If you’ve never been, believe the hype. Had I to do it over again, I would have stayed the night there instead of traveling to Trieste (our first port) in the afternoon, and could have seen Venice at night, with all the gas lamps glimmering in the canals. But instead, we spent our first night in Trieste (itself a charming and fascinating place) before boarding The Scarlet Lady the next afternoon. If the name of the boat sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because she made global headlines earlier this summer when ports in both Turkey and Egypt refused to let her dock, once they found
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out that the ship was chock full of homosexuals, prompting Patti LuPone, who had been booked for several concerts, to make a typically strong statement condemning such foolishness. Our cruise was actually the second half of an even longer voyage—luckily without nearly as much drama, but also without La Patti. (Coincidence? You decide.)
It occurred to me that no one was hurting anyone, and everyone was doing exactly what they wanted to do. This was my first time on a gay cruise, and I’ll be honest: I was a little nervous. I needn’t have been. Were there all-night circuit parties where boys clad with harnesses, jockstraps, five percent body fat, and eyes only for each other danced until dawn? Well, yes. But there was also every other sort of gay man imaginable onboard and lots of piano bars and quiet cabanas designed for conversation. Most days on the cruise began as I was headed to breakfast, ready to explore yet another port on our amazing itinerary (which included Split, Palermo, Naples, Rome, and Marseilles). On the way, I’d be greeted by nearly-naked tweaked-out twinks just headed back to their rooms after partying all night. And yes, I originally had a little judgment about all of it. I was here to see these amazing ports of call, and from what I could tell, they planned to sleep through most of them only to emerge for breakfast sometime in the mid-afternoon, take another disco nap, eat lunch at twilight, and dance through the night once more. Meanwhile, these hunky young boys weren’t giving me a second thought. They were too busy having a wonderful time. It occurred to me that no one was hurting anyone, and everyone was doing exactly what they wanted to do. Yes, I
once or twice wished I could grab one or two of them by the ear and force them to experience the grandeur of the Roman Colosseum, the stunning vistas of the Amalfi Coast, or the best damn pasta you’ve ever had in your whole effing life. But as soon as the thought occurred to me, I felt like someone’s grandpa. Soon, I let them have their fun and focused on my own. Diocletian’s Palace in Split and the ancient capital of Malta were awe-inspiring. The catacombs of Palermo and the city of Pompeii, frozen in time, were vaguely creepy and oddly beautiful. Rome was simply stunning, from the gorgeous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi to the epic grandeur of the Roman Forum. Our stop in Avignon was spent mostly sipping wines at Chateauneuf-de-Pape, and at the end of it all, we spent two days in Barcelona, wandering the markets, gaping at Gaudi’s still unfinished masterpiece La Sagrada Familia, and scooping paella from a gigantic cast iron skillet. Mark Twain famously wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness,” and I think he was right. This trip, and others like it, feel luxurious, but in fact, they’re vital. I thought I was a fairly open-minded person before this trip, at least as much as I appreciated the different cultures I was stepping into. Turns out I needed a little work on how I view members of my own tribe, and all I can say for myself is that it was money well spent. ▼ Eric Peterson is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) practitioner, pop culture junkie, and sometime novelist. His debut novel (Loyalty, Love & Vermouth) is available at Broweseabout Books and online.
AUGUST 21, 2026
33 Letters
Write On!
BY CHRISTOPHER MOORE
Everybody Get Up and Dance Madonna’s Magical Moment
M
adonna’s new album, Confessions II, is a triumph. It is not simply because this is her strongest album in two decades, though it almost certainly is. Its greatest achievement is that it reminds us why Madonna has remained one of the most fascinating artists in popular music for more than four decades. At almost 68, she is still making music which challenges expectations. She is still interested in desire, grief, freedom, family, memory, and reinvention. These are not concerns reserved solely for the young. They are the things that follow us across a lifetime, changing shape as we do. After years of searching, experimenting, and occasionally losing her way, Madonna has returned with music which feels joyful, reflective, confident, fresh, and still unmistakably her own. I say that as someone who has spent a lifetime following her career. Madonna’s music has been a constant companion for most of my life. I have defended the controversial reinventions, celebrated the artistic risks, and argued that even some of her least successful records contained ideas other artists would never have attempted. But every fan has a limit, and by the end of the last decade, I had quietly reached mine. To understand why Confessions II feels so extraordinary, it helps to remember the winding road that brought Madonna here. Few artists have sustained her level of cultural impact. For more than 40 years, she has shaped popular music while moving between music, film, fashion, publishing, performance, and philanthropy. Longevity, however, comes with complications. Madonna’s career has never been a straight climb. It has been defined by enormous success followed by equally enormous backlash. There were blockbuster albums and sold-out world tours, but also films that flopped spectacularly and controversies that sometimes overwhelmed the work itself.
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…Madonna has returned with music which feels joyful, reflective, confident, fresh, and still unmistakably her own. Those setbacks now feel less like defining failures than chapters in an unusually long career. Very few artists remain culturally relevant for four decades. Fewer still continue taking risks after achieving virtually everything there is to achieve. Perhaps the finest period of Madonna’s recording career came between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s. Bedtime Stories revealed a softer, more introspective side of her songwriting. Ray of Light reimagined her sound by blending electronic music with spiritual reflection. Music proved the transformation was no accident, while American Life, initially dismissed by critics and audiences, has aged into one of the more compelling political pop records of its era. Then came 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor, a dazzling celebration of disco and electronic music that reaffirmed Madonna’s place at the top of popular music. The years that followed were far less certain. As Madonna entered her 50s and 60s, audiences who had grown older alongside her seemed to expect her to age differently. There was an unspoken
assumption that she should become quieter, more restrained, perhaps even more conventional. Madonna, predictably, refused. She embraced younger collaborators, experimented with hip-hop and electronic production, covered her teeth with diamond grills, and cultivated an increasingly chaotic social media presence. Still, the music often lacked the confidence of her strongest work. By the time Madame X arrived in 2019, even many devoted fans wondered whether she had lost her artistic compass. Her near-death experience in 2023 may have provided the catalyst for this return. The Celebration Tour later that year reminded audiences that she remains one of the greatest live performers of the modern era. It was also striking how little attention the show paid to much of her recent catalog. The omissions felt intentional. When news broke that Madonna had returned to the studio, I consciously lowered my expectations. That may be part of why Confessions II feels so exhilarating. The album does not pretend the uneven years never happened. It gives them context. What once felt like a decade and a half of creative missteps now resembles a long period of artistic wandering that eventually led Madonna back to herself. From its opening moments, the album announces that something has changed. “I Feel So Free” blends atmospheric production with spoken verses before exploding into a soaring chorus. It feels contemporary and timeless, balancing sleek production with genuine emotion. The first six tracks are among the strongest of Madonna’s career, and the buoyant “Danceteria” may be the brightest. Playful, infectious, and deeply autobiographical, it revisits the legendary New York nightclub where Madonna found both her artistic identity and her chosen family. Filled with affectionate references
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to her peers from the downtown art scene, it becomes less an exercise in nostalgia than a joyful acknowledgment of the people and places that made her. It is one of the most self-aware songs she has ever written, and one of the album’s most irresistible. If “Danceteria” celebrates where she came from, “Fragile” explores what she has lost. Written about her complicated relationship with her late brother Christopher, the song marks the return of something many fans have missed: Madonna the balladeer. Her restrained vocals allow the emotion to emerge without spectacle. Near the end comes the album’s most human moment: Late last night I was fast asleep And you came to me in a dream You said don’t you forget about me Don’t forget to be happy. It stopped me in my tracks. On the surface, the lyric is a conversation with her brother after his death. But like the most effective songwriting, it reaches beyond its immediate subject. It becomes a reminder about grief, memory, and the ease with which we forget to pursue happiness while carrying the
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weight of loss. There is no attempt to provoke or shock. There is only vulnerability. “L.E.S. Girl” continues the reflective mood, painting the Lower East Side through gentle piano, acoustic guitar, and understated production. Madonna has often revisited her early years in New York, but rarely with this degree of warmth. The song is less concerned with mythology than memory, allowing us to glimpse the young woman from Michigan who arrived in Manhattan with little more than ambition and stubborn faith in herself. In that sense, Confessions II unfolds like a great night out. It begins at full throttle, all anticipation, movement, sweat, and release. Then the hour gets late. The crowd thins. The music softens. The pulse of the DJ’s music is replaced by the rhythm of the heart, felt deepest in moments of silence. That is what makes the album more than a return to the dance floor. It becomes a full expression of the human experience. Madonna knows that experience all too well. She is also still challenging the culture’s expectations of how an older woman should behave, what she should
sing about, and how much space she should occupy. But she is also writing about matters that become more urgent with time: the people we have lost, the selves we have outgrown, the places that formed us, and the difficult instruction to keep choosing happiness. Confessions II does not try to convince us that Madonna is still relevant. It does not need to. It trusts that great songwriting, irresistible dance music, and emotional honesty are enough. Decades ago, on Like a Virgin, Madonna sang that she had “made it through the wilderness.” Looking back now, it seems another wilderness was still waiting for her. This time, she emerges with fewer answers, deeper questions, and a renewed appreciation for love, loss, and joy. The beats are still irresistible, but it is the humanity between them that lingers after the music fades. ▼ Christopher Moore is a writer, a teacher, and a lover of NPR, yoga, dead malls, reproductive freedoms, and a man and a dog who live in Toronto. AUGUST 21, 2026
35 Letters
Letters 36
AUGUST 21, 2026
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AUGUST 21, 2026
37 Letters
CAMP Stories
BY RICH BARNETT
The Shell Game
S
ome strange things have been happening in my yard this summer. First off, there’s an expanding family of tiny rabbits living under the screened porch that have no fear of humans. Two sunflowers and four stalks of corn magically appeared and are now five feet tall. Small Japanese painted ferns are growing in places I never planted them. Last, but not least, some creature began playing a game involving me, an oyster shell, and a pot of French lavender. Let me explain. There’s an antique curved concrete bench in my front garden. I don’t sit on it. Mostly the bench holds pots of boxwood and herbs—parsley, lavender, thyme, and purple basil. I like to surround my potted herbs with oyster shells instead of mulch. I’ve noticed recently one specific shell from a green-glazed pot of lavender keeps being removed and set beside the pot on the bench. After the third time I replaced it and then found it removed again my curiosity was piqued. My initial thought went to a large crow that suddenly had begun showing up to enjoy the bird bath. I knew crows are highly intelligent birds, but honestly, I didn’t know much about them. So, I decided to have a little fun and ask Claude—the trendy Anthropic AI chatbot— whether the crow might be the culprit. I signed up and explained the mystery. According to Claude, crows are indeed considered among the smartest animals on Earth. “They are clever, socially complex, occasionally mischievous, and definitely paying attention to you,” Claude wrote. Watching me? How? Why? “With those sharp, unsettling eyes of theirs. Their eyesight is exceptional. They notice everything. They talk to each other about you.” Seriously? I’ve heard plenty of warnings about kooky and sometimes dangerous AI info. But Claude’s tone was casual and friendly. Unexpectedly alluring. Not what I’d ever experienced from a chatbot. Letters 38
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Claude suggested I consider the incident from the crow’s perspective. It identified me and my yard as interesting. It invented a little game where it moves a thing and watches what I do. Most importantly, it’s always the same shell. That’s a telling detail. I was delighted when Claude suggested I might have just accidentally acquired a crow. Then I walked out the next morning and saw a squirrel on the concrete bench. It was holding the oyster shell and gnawing on it. It looked at me, dropped it beside the green pot, and scampered away. I asked Claude if the mystery culprit might instead be a squirrel. I purposefully did not reveal what I’d seen. Claude wrote we couldn’t rule it out because curiosity and repetition are squirrel traits. But the clean, isolated, repeated replacement of one object to a secondary location leaned more towards an animal that picks things up with intention. Like a crow. A squirrel could easily knock a shell out while rooting around the lavender. Squirrels, however, tend to create general disorder. I typed out what I’d seen. Claude quickly answered back that the squirrel was gnawing on the shell for its mineral content. Oyster shells, according to Claude, are calcium-rich and squirrels will seek out calcium. It’s completely mundane animal behavior with a perfectly sensible explanation. “You have unknowingly created a health food store for the squirrel,” Claude continued. Moving the shell wasn’t a random act. It wasn’t play. It was need. The crow, Claude now explained, was a red herring. Say what? So why, I asked, didn’t you suggest the squirrel as a possible culprit in the first place? Seems that because I’d introduced the crow first, Claude followed my lead. Claude was telling me what my curiosity wanted to hear, not challenging it or offering an alternative explanation. At this point
[The crow] identified me and my yard as interesting. It invented a little game where it moves a thing and watches what I do. I realized I was dealing with a sycophant with excellent manners. A mood ring that could talk! The conversation, however, had gone delightfully sideways. I’d imagined writing a quiet little summer essay about curiosity and nature—something vaguely Verlyn Klinkenborg. Instead, I found myself exploring confirmation bias with an AI chatbot. I know the arguments. AI is a crutch. Anything it touches isn’t really yours. I mostly agree. Then I sat down to write this column, the one that exists only because I asked Claude about a crow and an oyster shell and its answers led me somewhere more interesting than where I was originally headed. So, I ask the reader: who owns this story? Me, or Claude? A year ago, I never would have wondered who owned it. Now I do. And I’m thinking maybe that’s the real shell game. Out on the bench, the oyster shell hasn’t moved in days. Which leaves me with another mystery. ▼ Rich Barnett’s column just celebrated its 20th year in Letters. He is the author of two books and is an occasional contributor to Delaware Beach Life. He can be reached at richbarnettwriter.com.
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AUGUST 21, 2026
39 Letters
Wherever You Go
BY MIKE SMITH
Dream a Little Dream
I
met Rick in 2002 at Imago Dei, an LGBT (back then it was simply LGBT) Metropolitan Community Church in Media, Pennsylvania. The congregation rented space from the Unitarian Universalist Church on Rose Tree Road. At the time, Imago Dei was searching for a new location, and the minister knew I was a Realtor. She handed Rick my business card, and we connected almost immediately. It was one of those rare moments when you meet someone and just know. After dating for more than a year, we decided to move in together. Rick was living in Wilmington, Delaware, and I was in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. The distance wasn’t the problem. The real challenge was my two Doberman pinschers, who made it difficult for me to stay at his place. If you’ve ever known a Doberman, you know they don’t just like attention— they demand it. I adored those dogs and always referred to them as my puppies. The first time Rick came to my house, he was a little startled—he had been expecting actual puppies. Long story short, he fell in love with both of them, and we decided to make our home in Drexel Hill. One day, while we were driving to IKEA in Plymouth Meeting to buy a new bed and desks, my brother Buzzy called. “What are you doing?” he asked. I told him that Rick and I had decided to move in together. Now, you need to understand something about Buzzy. At that point in his life, he was one of the most homophobic people you could have met. I braced myself, expecting criticism or a lecture. Instead, he surprised me. “That’s great, Mike,” he said. “I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.” He was on speakerphone. I turned and looked at Rick with a smile. Was this really my brother? The same guy who had criticized nearly every decision I’d ever made? I thanked him while trying to hold back tears. Then he asked, “What should I tell people when they ask about you and Rick?” Letters 40
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It was a good question. More importantly, it was an honest one. I paused for a moment before answering. “The truth,” I said. “Tell them the truth.” Our relationship was real, and neither of us wanted to live a lie. Buzzy honored our wishes. From that day on, he welcomed Rick into our family with open arms. Heartwarming how people can surprise us when we least expect it.
In 2016, we moved to Delaware and discovered Rehoboth Beach. It was love at first sight. In 2010, Rick proposed while we were walking on the beach in Sea Isle City. At the time, same-sex marriage was legal in only a handful of states, and Massachusetts was one of them. Unsure of how to make it happen, I spoke with our minister, Rev. Karla Flashman. She smiled and said, “Why don’t you go to Provincetown? You can get married there without any problems.” It sounded perfect. Rick went online and found a town councilman who performed weddings. After speaking with him, we made arrangements for the ceremony. Then he asked an unexpected question. “Would you like me to marry you as myself—or as Lady Di?” It turned out he was a drag performer who did a pretty convincing Princess Diana. Rick looked at me. I laughed and said, “No, I don’t think so. That feels a little too much like getting married by Elvis in Las Vegas.” He laughed too, then explained that we had to register in person and wait five days before we could receive our marriage license. We rented a cottage at the Five Gables (sadly, it’s no longer there), a beautiful property with three cottages, two apartments, and magnificent gardens.
It was the perfect setting. Our wedding happened in reverse—we enjoyed our honeymoon first and then had the ceremony. On Friday, we were married in the garden. It was just the two of us, the councilman, and his friend, who kindly took photographs. Afterward, we celebrated with dinner at The Lobster Pot and cake at Joe Coffee & Café. It was the first time in our lives that we truly felt we could let our hair down. We weren’t the minority there. Provincetown embraced us exactly as we were. I don’t think either of us had ever felt that safe—or that free—to simply be ourselves. In 2016, we moved to Delaware and discovered Rehoboth Beach. It was love at first sight. Being so close to home made it even better. We found a house on Hickman Avenue and have spent every summer there since. It’s only four houses from the ocean, so we walk to the beach every day. The town is full of wonderful shops and outstanding restaurants. Several times each week we ride our bikes from Gordon’s Pond to Lewes. Every spring, one of the first things we do is check the schedule at Clear Space Theatre. Their plays and musicals are always outstanding. As we dream about retirement, I know exactly where I want to be. Rehoboth Beach. To me, it’s a little piece of heaven tucked away in Delaware. When I was younger, I loved the line from The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: “No matter where you go...there you are.” These days, I’ve changed it just a little. “No matter where I am, I’d rather be in Rehoboth with Rick.” ▼ Mike is the author of two books: My View from the Balcony, an intimate memoir, and A Ghostly Wind in DELCO, a semi-fictional mystery filled with spectral twists.
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41 Letters
Be A Sport
BY MARY JO TARALLO
Up a Creek With a Paddle
A
“connection with nature” is one of the motivating factors for many kayakers, including Rehoboth Beach resident Stephanie Hoenig, who says she’s been kayaking “on and off” for 10-12 years. She lives right on Rehoboth Bay. “Kayaking to the marsh area is my favorite for the turtles and bird life,” she said. Hoenig also explores other locations. “I have also been to Canalfront Park in Lewes which was a great ride with other boaters around. It’s somewhat more protected as far as wind goes, which makes it a good ride,” she added. “Trapp Pond is a great ride with all the bald cypress trees in the water and lining the route, making it a very memorable trip.” She also loves the fishing pier in Cape Henlopen State Park “because of the view and dolphin sightings.”
Looking at colorful, light-weight, modern-day kayaks, one would think that they were just invented yesterday. But truth be told, kayaking is one of the oldest forms of transit over water. The origins of kayaking can be traced back at least 4,000 years and early kayakers used this mode of transportation more for day-to-day living than recreation. Kayaks were originally developed by Indigenous Inuit people, who used the boats to hunt on inland lakes, rivers, and coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean, North Atlantic, Bering Sea, and North Pacific oceans. The Inuit constructed kayaks from stitched seal or other animal skins stretched over a wood or whalebone-skeleton frame: western Inuit used wood, but the eastern Inuit used whalebone due to a scarcity of trees. The word “kayak” means “man’s boat” or “hunter’s boat,” and native kayaks were a personal craft, each built
…kayaking offers numerous health-related benefits. It is a full-body workout that combines cardiovascular endurance with strength training.
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by the man who used it—with assistance from his wife, who sewed the skins—and closely fitted to his size for maximum maneuverability. Kayak construction has changed dramatically and so have the reasons for taking up the sport. In addition to being a fun, recreational pasttime, kayaking offers numerous health-related benefits. It is a full-body workout that combines cardiovascular endurance with strength training. It builds core and upper body muscles. Paddling strokes tone the arms, shoulders, chest, and back. Forward strokes require torso rotation, which contracts abdominal muscles and helps stabilize the spine. Kayaking also offers aerobic activity since it gets the heart pumping. Depending on one’s weight and paddling ability, it is possible to burn 350-500 calories per hour. Kayaking is also a low impact activity, plus it offers mental wellness benefits. Physical activity on the water stimulates the release of mood-enhancing chemicals such as endorphins and dopamine. Other mental health benefits include stress reduction and exposure to nature. A friend taught Stephanie Hoenig the main points of kayaking, and she attended several kayak outings that included instruction. She claims the sport is easy to learn, especially if newcomers are accompanied by an experienced kayaker for their first couple outings. “I love being on the water whether it is a stream, a lake, or bays,” says Stephanie. “Each location has its own natural beauty and animals and/or birds to see up close. I also like the exercise it provides for the arms and core.” Stephanie paddles as often as her schedule allows but outings depend on weather—especially on the wind. Both play a huge role in her decision. “Calmer and better weather makes for a more fun and longer ride,” she explained. She owns a recreational sit-on-top kayak that is lightweight and compact, so she can handle it easily by herself. “It’s really for streams and lakes in Jersey, but
Want to Give Kayaking a Try? Several local businesses provide kayak outings, lessons, rentals, and sales; these include: • Dewey-based DelMarVA Board Sport Adventures is behind the Bay Resort Waterfront Hotel. • Quest Adventures is located on Savannah Road in Lewes on the east side of the canal. It provides rentals and tours. Quest maintains an “outpost” with equipment behind the Milton Library to make it easy for anyone to try the sport. • Delaware Paddlesports maintains a wellstocked inventory for those interested in purchasing and it hosts kayak gatherings during the summer season. It is located on Coastal Highway near Surf Bagel.
I brought it down here when I moved, and it’s been fine on bays.” Washington, DC, transplant Rosemary Giangiulio agrees with Stephanie about Trapp Pond and cites Milton’s Broadkill River, Oyster Rocks, and Cambridge Blackwater Refuge as ideal kayaking options. An inland dweller who lives in Milton’s Paynter’s Mill community, Rosemary uses her pick-up truck to transport her vessel. She has been paddling for 25 years. Lewes resident Lisa Moseley also endorses the nature connection. “Kayaking is so peaceful,” she said. “You’re at one with nature while paddling across the water, taking a deep breath and enjoying all the different wildlife.” Lisa has been kayaking since she was a teenager. She favors sticking close to home for kayaking since she also has easy access to water. “I enjoy launching from my community and friends’ communities,” she said. “We are all connected to Rehoboth Bay through multiple waterways.” Lisa also paddled in France, Germany, Belgium, and Spain while in the military and stationed in Wurzburg, Germany. She paddled extensively in Bavaria. Curiously, the oldest existing kayaks are exhibited in the North America department of the State Museum of Ethnology in Munich. That’s perhaps fitting, since kayaking was first included in the kayak/
canoe category of competition during the 1936 Olympics, held in Berlin, Germany. The appearance was short-lived. Kayaking disappeared from the Olympic program for nearly six decades before returning in 1992 at the Barcelona Games. This turning point solidified the sport’s position as a key part of the Olympic program. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation notes that wooden kayaks and fabric kayaks on wooden frames dominated the market up until the 1950s, when fiberglass boats were first introduced in the US. That same year, inflatable rubberized fabric boats were first introduced in Europe. Today, 95 percent of all plastic kayaks are made of polyethylene (PE). It is the plastic best suited for roto molding. There are several types of kayaks, each built for specific purposes. Recreational kayaks—either sit-inside or sit-ontop—are designed for stability and value. According to paddlingmag.com, touring kayaks typically pick up where recreational kayaks leave off. They are usually longer than 14 feet and narrower than 24 inches. They are specialized sit-inside kayaks designed for long-distance travel, camping, and open waters. Sea kayaks are a more specialized set of touring kayaks that are typically longer and narrower than general-purpose touring boats.
Other types are built for whitewater paddling, fishing, and surf riding. The most recent study on the growth of kayaking was published in 2023. The research company Statista reported that kayaking participation grew from 9.9 million in 2010 to 18.6 million in 2021. There are plenty of opportunities to kayak in Sussex County given the plethora of rivers, lakes, and even the bays. A website called EZ Dock offers what they call the “best kayaking spots in Delaware,” citing over 17 state parks plus rivers, ponds, and bays to explore. Another useful site—visitdelaware.com— is broad-based tourism focused but includes detailed kayaking information. Delaware Kayaking is a social/recreational page on Facebook that provides specific information about or responses to questions regarding kayaking. The group has over 10,000 members. It is a public group, but one needs to answer a few basic questions to enroll. ▼ Mary Jo Tarallo is a former journalist and public relations professional for various non-profits including a ski industry trade association. She won a Gold Award for a United Way TV program starring Oprah Winfrey. Opposite page: Bay paddlers Stephanie Hoenig (blue kayak) and friend; above, Lisa Moseley photos: Mary Jo Tarallo
AUGUST 21, 2026
43 Letters
Where the
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Letters 44
AUGUST 21, 2026
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AUGUST 21, 2026
45 Letters
The Real Dirt
BY ERIC W. WAHL
The Blossoms That Built Delaware
T
here is a brief moment each spring when Delaware seems to blush. Before the leaves fully emerge, before summer settles over the fields, peach trees awaken with thousands of delicate blossoms in shades of soft pink. Their display lasts only a short time, but it reminds us that some of our greatest stories are also our most fleeting. It is no wonder that the peach blossom became Delaware’s official state flower in 1895. More than simply beautiful, it is a reminder of a time when the First State was better known for peaches than poultry. It is difficult to imagine today, but there was a period during the nineteenth century when peaches defined Delaware’s landscape. Orchards stretched across Kent and Sussex Counties. Farmers timed their harvests with the arrival of railroad cars that carried Delaware peaches to markets in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. The peach became more than a crop—it became part of our identity. Entire communities revolved around the orchards. Families pruned trees through the winter, watched nervously as late frosts threatened spring blossoms, and celebrated when heavy limbs bent beneath the weight of ripening fruit. Packing houses buzzed with activity, baskets were built by local craftsmen, and rail stations became gathering places during harvest season. Peach festivals celebrated not only the fruit but also the people whose lives were rooted in the land. The peach tree, Prunus persica, did not originate in Delaware. Its journey began thousands of years ago in China before it made its way across Europe and eventually to North America. Our warm summers, generally mild winters, and well-drained sandy loam soils created favorable growing conditions. Peach trees thrive in full sun and appreciate good air circulation, especially because their blossoms appear early and can be damaged by late frosts. Letters 46
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…landscapes are shaped not only by what we plant today but also by the stories planted generations before us. Unlike mighty oaks that measure their lives in centuries, peach trees remind us that some plants live fast. Most remain productive for little more than 15 years, growing quickly, flowering generously, and asking for constant attention along the way. Every winter, careful pruning shapes the tree into its familiar open vase form. Removing crowded branches allows sunlight to reach the center of the canopy and improves air movement, helping reduce disease while producing sweeter fruit. Later in spring comes one of gardening’s greatest lessons in restraint. Tiny developing peaches must be thinned, sacrificing quantity for quality. It feels almost wrong to remove healthy fruit, yet the remaining peaches become larger, sweeter, and less likely to break their supporting branches. The trees demand vigilance against borers, brown rot, peach leaf curl, bacterial spot, and other persistent challenges. Successful growers understand that healthy orchards begin with observation.
Walking among the trees becomes as important as watering or fertilizing. The trees have a way of telling you what they need—if you take the time to notice. During the late nineteenth century, a devastating disease known as peach yellows swept through thousands of trees, forcing growers to destroy entire orchards. Insects and additional diseases followed. At the same time, expanding orchards in Georgia, South Carolina, California, and other states produced peaches on a larger scale and often at lower cost. Improved transportation opened new markets, and Delaware gradually lost the competitive advantage that had once made it famous. As the decades passed, many orchards disappeared. Some gave way to grain fields. Others became poultry farms. More recently, housing developments have replaced fields where blossoms once announced the arrival of spring. It is one of those quiet changes that happen slowly enough to escape notice until we look back and realize an entire landscape has been transformed. A single flowering tree in a backyard, an old orchard tucked along a country road, or a handful of blossoms catching the morning light all carry echoes of Delaware’s agricultural heritage. They remind us that landscapes are shaped not only by what we plant today but also by the stories planted generations before us. Perhaps that is why the peach blossom continues to resonate so deeply. Its beauty is temporary, lasting only a week or two, but its meaning has endured for well over a century. It reminds us that history, like gardening itself, is rooted in seasons. We nurture what we can, celebrate what blooms, and hope that future generations will recognize the value of what we chose to preserve. ▼ Eric Wahl is a landscape architect at Pennoni, artist, author, and president of the Delaware Native Plant Society. Photo by Sandra Oberer on Unsplash
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47 Letters
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AUGUST 21, 2026
49 Letters
Sounding Off
BY STEPHEN RASKAUSKAS
Planes & Trains & Automobiles
I
Four Tips for Responsible Travel t’s the end of the summer, and lots of folks are trying to squeeze in a last-minute vacation. A moment comes to mind from the end of Voltaire’s Candide. After experiencing earthquakes, wars, and lots of bad luck, the hero says, “certainly a man should travel.” Written today, we’d hope Voltaire would say “a person” to be more inclusive. But however you say it, the sentiment holds up hundreds of years later. Travel can certainly change us. We can disconnect, relax, and get fresh perspectives. But, in communities like the Delaware beaches that exist because of tourism, we think about the impact of travel differently. For most of us, travel is a luxury, not a right. Vacation days are limited. Money, even more so. And when we can finally get away, it’s natural to want everything to be perfect. We want the best beach, the top-rated restaurant, five-star everything. But “perfect for me” and “sustainable for the place I’m visiting” aren’t always the same thing. Here are four tips to keep in mind when you’re planning your next trip.
SEEK RESPONSIBLE HOUSING
Housing is where tourism’s impact shows up first and stays longest. All over the world, short-term rentals are changing how cities are built and who gets to live in them. Every apartment or house converted into a vacation rental is one fewer home available to someone who actually lives and works there year-round. And when rents climb, longtime residents get pushed out. Some places have hit a breaking point. Barcelona, for example, plans to eliminate short-term tourist apartment licenses entirely by 2029, as part of a broader European reckoning with vacation rentals pushing out locals. But you don’t have to look overseas to see the effects. In Delaware’s “quiet resorts,” the impact of tourism on land development and rents is anything but quiet. It’s harder and harder for locals Letters 50
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to make ends meet, especially when it comes to housing. Tourism has even impacted architecture. New construction increasingly favors properties designed for short-term rental turnover rather than long-term residents. That’s because a house that sleeps 16 guests a week earns more for developers than a house that shelters one family for a year, so that’s what gets built. How development has impacted the environment permanently is a whole ‘nother topic. So, before booking that seemingly perfect Airbnb, it’s worth asking: would staying in a hotel significantly impact my trip? The answer is usually a resounding, “no.” BEAT THE ALGORITHM
Aside from housing, another issue with modern tourism is that everyone goes to the same places. Everyone eats at the same five or six restaurants, because TikTok or TripAdvisor told them to. The result is overcrowded, price-gouging spots that people patronize for photo ops. And often, the experience doesn’t even live up to the hype. Meanwhile, dozens of wonderful, family-run businesses just two streets over never get a chance to grow because you followed your algorithm instead of your own curiosity. Doing your own research doesn’t just make for a better, more unique trip. It spreads tourism dollars more evenly through a community instead of concentrating them in a handful of businesses. SPEND LIKE THE ROMANS
This matters everywhere, but especially for international travel—currency privilege. When the dollar or euro stretches two to 10 times further than it does at home, travelers can suddenly move through a foreign country like the top one percent of local income earners. A single meal that seems “cheap” to you might represent a meaningful
Travel can certainly change us. We can disconnect, relax, and get fresh perspectives. percentage of a worker’s daily or weekly income. That’s not an exaggeration. Someone with an advanced degree, earning a competitive wage in their local market, might be taking home anywhere from $35-50 USD a day. Local minimums might be under $20/day. So, if you’re spending like local royalty when you travel, you’re not actually experiencing the place the way the majority of people who live there do. You think the pace of life in say, Mexico, is so relaxed because you’re on vacation! You’re not working! And, you’re spending like only the richest locals can. When in reality, Mexico has a six-day workweek, and the daily minimum wage is under $18.50. You don’t need to feel guilty. You just need better info. Before travelling, look up the local incomes. Then determine your budget. This approach will not only save you from getting totally ripped off; you’ll have experiences that are closer to how locals live on the daily. Continued on page 116
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AUGUST 21, 2026
51 Letters
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AUGUST 21, 2026
AUGUST 21, 2026
53 Letters
OutTakes
BY SANDY CLARK
Power Failure
Y
ou never appreciate your intimate knowledge of every square inch of your home until you are pet- /house-sitting for a friend as I did recently. Those little things like knowing where the sugar is after you’ve already poured your coffee. The clock ticking away that window of time to enjoy the perfect cup while it is still hot as you frantically search every drawer and cabinet before finally realizing, “Hey, there is a pantry behind this door! Eureka! They do use sugar!” My friends’ kitchen is neat and organized. A place for everything and everything in its place…except for these two sharp knives on the drying pad. I looked everywhere I could think of and still could not identify the proper storage location for these two darned knives. The knife rack was full. There were no other sharp knives in any of the drawers. So, for the duration of my stay, these stayed exactly where they were when I arrived. Even outside the house things were different. For instance, did you know that wildlife can behave differently from place to place? I saw a squirrel sitting in a tree eating a large mushroom. I had no idea they did that! How did they know it wasn’t poisonous or hallucinogenic? At my house, the birds that come to my feeders just fly in, eat, and fly out. They do not try to draw any undue attention to themselves. Not so at my friends’ house. As I was reading one afternoon, I kept hearing a noise in the living room. I didn’t see anything as I glanced up at first. I decided to investigate. Looking out of the large front window, I saw a cardinal perched on the back of a bench on the porch. Suddenly, it flew up and attacked the glass with its feet like an eagle snatching a fish from a river. Then it did it again… and again…and again. For a half hour! After a brief period of quiet, it returned. This time attacking the window in the back of the house, the one that I was sitting next to! I’m certain it paused the noise just long enough to lull me into a false sense of security so that I would be good and rattled when it attacked again in such Letters 54
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If you really want to appreciate the familiarity of your own home, try staying somewhere else when the power goes out.
close proximity, knowing I was powerless to stop it. Speaking of powerless, a most unexpected learning opportunity presented itself later in the day. If you really want to appreciate the familiarity of your own home, try staying somewhere else when the power goes out. It was dark. Well not DARK dark since it was only 10:30 in the morning, but with rain clouds and lots of trees around, it was dark enough that I couldn’t see very well. At home, I would just get out the emergency lantern or a flashlight. But I was here, in my friends’ house, where the location of auxiliary lighting had never been a topic of conversation over dinner. I know you must be thinking, “Why doesn’t she just use the flashlight app on her phone?” Well, because I’m older than dirt and I still consider my phone a communication device, not an electronic Swiss Army knife. So now what? I had been on my iPad watching Professor T on PBS, but that stopped as soon as the WiFi was without electricity. I could read the book I bought last weekend…yeah, that would be the e-book that I hadn’t yet downloaded onto my iPad. I could read one of the many real books that were on my friends’ bookshelves. Sure, give that a try in the dark with your over-60 eyeballs. Nope, no reading. About this time, I realized that the coffee I drank earlier was compelling me to get to the bathroom. I briefly wondered
whether I could still flush the toilet without electricity. As I was considering the virtues of water conservation and the “mellow yellow” philosophy of waste management, I realized I had a much more pressing problem. I couldn’t get out of the recliner I was sitting in. No, this is not like the joke about getting stuck on an escalator for hours during a power failure. I was fully reclined, with my short little legs and my very full bladder in a chair that required electricity to un-recline. Further, there was a very cute sleeping dog on one side of the chair where I might have tried to reach a leg to the floor. Did I mention that there was a terrifyingly large houseplant with spiky-looking tendrils on the other side of the chair? I finally crab-walked over the footrest while holding most of my weight on the arms of recliner. Freedom! Also, you CAN flush the toilet without electricity…at least once. So, the next time you are visiting a friend, take the time to notice the little things that make a house a home. Also, ask them where they keep their flashlights and if their recliner has an emergency un-recline button in case of power failure. ▼ Sandy Clark, retired and living in central Delaware with her wife and two cats, loves sharing her humorous observations on the weirdness of life.
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AUGUST 21, 2026
55 Letters
The Chore of Choreography
Solution on Page 116 ACROSS 1 Robin Williams’ home, in Aladdin 5 Use it to stroke your head 10 Go lickety-split 14 Baby Doll director Kazan 15 Pound part 16 Tournament for all 17 College cram session 19 Cheeky 20 With 23-Across, Jerome Robbins musical set in a Jewish community 21 “___ Darling, Are You Working?” 22 Son of Aga Khan 23 See 20-Across 25 Worn-out stallions 28 Stick in the wrong place 31 Egypt neighbor (abbr.) 32 Have a yen for 33 Like some gasoline 37 Robbins musical set in the palace of Siam 40 Summer for Rimbaud 41 Dawson’s Creek characters 42 Letters in many Black church names 43 Sappho’s B 44 Lacking, with “of” 46 Robbins musical set in Neverland 49 Kahlo’s cash 51 “Yeah, right!” 52 Robbins musical set on Manhattan’s streets
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56 Language of Bangkok 57 Met highlights 58 Greenish blue 60 What homophobe Vance is president of? 61 They fly in formation 62 Meaty sandwich, maybe 63 Roddy McDowall’s Planet of the ___ 64 One of the Fords 65 Marine birds DOWN 1 Fig part over a private part 2 Weight loss product 3 Not burning the mouth much 4 Bamboo munchers 5 Kiddy frightener 6 German industrial area 7 “Golden rule” word 8 Flower shop emanations 9 The other woman 10 “Feel Like Makin’ Love” singer Flack 11 Ohno of speedskating 12 It comes between the knees 13 Short ___ the stick 18 Not in the pink 21 “___ stand, head in hand” 24 Hammerlock, e.g. 25 Capone colleague 26 Like Arthur of the Aids Quilt? 27 Environmental awareness group
29 Cunt author Muscio 30 Terence of Priscilla 32 Most prudent 34 Fast food fixture 35 Kett of the comics 36 James of East of Eden 38 Play it under the table 39 Bridal bio word 43 Eggy sweet bun 45 Morsel of AZT, e.g. 47 Fez attachment 48 Shakespearean verb ending 50 Successfully donated sperm 52 Party big shot 53 Peters out 54 “___ On Down the Road” 55 Fish story 56 Dam agcy. 59 “I have a headache” et al.
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57 Letters
OUTlook
BY BETH SHOCKLEY
Arcade Dreams
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t won’t be long before my wife and I visit Rehoboth for vacation, and of course, I can hardly wait. We like to spend a week at the beach after Labor Day, when the big crowds vanish but everything is still open and the weather is still warm. Even though we live in Dover, we stay a week almost every year, for going on 20 years now. What’s not to love? We get the golden sunrise mornings followed by a nap, then coffee on the balcony to watch the ocean, sitting on the beach, swimming in the ocean, pink sunsets, dinner at a fabulous Rehoboth Beach restaurant or just something quick from the tiny condo kitchen. Being at the beach is just one of our very favorite things and always has been. When I was a kid growing up in the 1960s and 70s in Salisbury, Maryland, my family also stayed a week at the beach every year. But in our case, it was in Ocean City, Maryland. Believe it or not, I never visited Rehoboth until I lived in DC, beginning in 1988. One of my very favorite things to do when I’m at the beach is to visit the arcades. Even at my age, there remains just something so happy about arcades; they are places that are almost always about having fun or deploying skills you never knew you had. Marty’s Playland, in Ocean City, remains a favorite. I remember the place in the 1960s when their floors were wooden boards and the adults would chain smoke cigarettes while playing the poker machines, coming away with towering stacks of tickets for really cool loot. I used to save up my winning Skee-Ball tickets and trade for lighters and knives, or a genuine Duncan yo-yo. Now THAT was some treasure for young me. Marty’s (and their fabulous Skee-Ball) was one of my happy places when I was a child. My mother would give me and my older brothers 20 whole dollars (a king’s ransom for us) to play at Playland, while she smoked cigarettes and people-watched on a bench nearby or rode the boardwalk tram.
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I call winning those cute little stuffed animals at the Funland claw machines a special skill, and maybe it really is, but that skill set doesn’t carry over for me to Whac-A-Mole. These days, going to Marty’s is something of a pilgrimage, at least for Skee-Ball, at which my wife is reigning champ. I don’t know how many decades those battered old machines have been wheezing beat-up wooden balls down the chute to eagerly waiting hands. Those machines must be at least as old as I am—they look the same as when I was a child more than six decades ago. Maybe older than that. But while visiting Marty’s is fun for a day, what’s also a vacation staple for this arcade aficionado is spending a few evenings at Funland in Rehoboth. I love their arcade games because they’re just the most fun. The horses, the frog pond catapult, the whiffle ball toss. But the very best things are the claw machines.
My love of claw machines must be genetic because my mom used to love to play the really old machines at Marty’s when she was a child (and adult). I have a photo taken in the 1980s of her playing one of the machines, her face delighted as the crane’s claw released treasure into the bin she took home. Little plastic animals, a compass, a plastic ring, and always some rice—all worth more than gold when you won them in the claw machines. The claw machines at Funland are very different, but they are great because they are challenging. They rely a little less on mechanical physics and more on strategy. You’ve got to waste some quarters to find your bearings. You’ve got to know which machines are likely to pay off, you have to locate the claw just so. But seeing the claw capture that cute little stuffed bear and then dropping it into the bin is just so thrilling. Even if it cost you $20 or more in quarters to capture it. Victory is sweet. I call winning those cute little stuffed animals at the Funland claw machines a special skill, and maybe it really is, but that skill set doesn’t carry over for me to Whac-A-Mole. My wife is the champ at that game, too, while I plod along because of not-so-great peripheral vision. But then there’s the horse races. I love to play the horses and I have won countless times, but that’s no guarantee I will this again year. Rolling those balls into the holes also takes a special skill, mainly focus. So, as our vacation draws closer, I can’t wait to go to Funland and Marty’s. I have several more weeks of radiation treatments to kick this breast cancer to the curb. Our trip to our beloved Rehoboth Beach will follow that. And that is quite something to look forward to! ▼ Beth Shockley is a retired writer and editor, and shares life with her wife and kitty boys. Photo by Long Ltiga Nguyen on Unsplash.
AUGUST 21, 2026
59 Letters
SUNFESTIVAL 2026
BY NANCY SAKADUSKI
Get Ready to Love Out Loud Labor Day weekend approaches and that can mean only one thing—no, not the end of summer—a two-day celebration of SUNFESTIVAL: Love Out Loud 2026!
A NIGHT OF ENTERTAINMENT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Star-studded Saturday kicks off with local singing and theatrical star Ashley Williams, followed by headliner and international pop star David Archuleta. But the real star of the night might be you. Perhaps this is the year you decide to do well by doing good—get a vacation of a lifetime (or other dream item) by giving a generous donation to CAMP Rehoboth through the live auction.
A NIGHT OF DANCE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 Blow-your-socks-off Sunday is of course the Night of Dance—and what a night it is. Two dances for one ticket, starting with legendary DJ Robbie Leslie at 7:30 p.m. A veteran of Studio 54, Palladium, The Saint, and other top clubs, Robbie definitely knows how to get a party started. He performs internationally and at special events coast to coast and has played for crowds as large as 12,000 people. Called “The Godfather of Disco,” Robbie has received the DJ Music Award for his lifetime contribution to the world of dance music. He is a SUNFESTIVAL favorite and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. The second part of the night is when producer and SiriusXM host DJ James Anthony takes over. James is a worldwide dancefloor innovator and renowned New York City-based DJ who is known for his signature blend of big room, tribal, and vocal house music. His proven versatility and musical intuitiveness have made him a much-sought-after DJ. From his earliest years, James has been delivering music to the masses while cultivating a deep musical knowledge as a tastemaker. He’ll keep things rocking until 1:00 a.m. If you’ve never been to a SUNFESTIVAL dance, you are in for an experience like no other; if you’re returning, you know you can expect something fresh and new every year. The SUNFESTIVAL team of designers and event stagers develop a vision that includes lighting, sound, décor, fabrication, and special effects. It’s a glorious opportunity to experience a world-class club right here in Rehoboth. For tickets, go to give.camprehoboth.org/ events/sunfestival-2026.
LOOKS OUT LOUD Throughout SUNFESTIVAL, be sure to take lots of selfies and other pictures to share online with the hashtag #SUNFESTIVAL2026. Who knows, one of your photos might make it into CAMP Rehoboth’s official event recap album! Letters 60
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Ashley Williams
DJ Robbie Leslie
DJ James Anthony
SUNFESTIVAL 2026
DAVID ARCHULETA BOOK SIGNING SEPTEMBER 6, 2:00 P.M. | BROWSEABOUT BOOKS David Archuleta is fabulous onstage, but even better in the intimate setting of a book signing. “It’s more personal,” David explains. “It’s more conversational, and I feel like you’re able to get a lot deeper. You can talk, discuss life, and be a little bit more cerebral. It’s a discussion—it’s going two ways. I really like that about the book events.” David’s book, Devout, was an instant New York Times bestseller. Described as “a raw and powerful coming-out story,” the book details his transformation from a closeted Mormon teen to a global pop star. There is no charge for the event. Copies of Devout will be available for $29. ▼
LIVE AUCTION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 (DURING THE NIGHT OF ENTERTAINMENT) Luxury Greece Getaway: 7-night Stay + 2 Business Class Tickets on United, donated by Danny Sebright. Imagine jetting off to Greece in United Polaris Business Class with lie-flat seating, elevated dining, premium amenities, and access to the United Polaris Lounge before your flight. Danny Sebright has generously donated a seven-night luxury Greece getaway for two that includes two to three nights at the iconic Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, one of Europe’s most celebrated luxury hotels. (The remainder of the stay can be customized at another participating luxury Marriott property in Greece). Spectacular Amadeus River Cruise: Roundtrip from Lyon, France, donated by Brand g. Maybe France is more your cup of café? How would you like to step aboard the Amadeus Provence, one of the beautiful, contemporary river ships from Amadeus Cruises, and visit some of the most acclaimed wine regions in the world and the villages of artistic masters like Monet and Van Gogh? Brand g Vacations, an LGBTQ+ tour operator that offers river cruise and land tour vacations all over the world, has generously donated a spectacular all-LGBTQ+ river cruise for two, roundtrip from Lyon (gastronomic capital of France) from September 28 to October 6, 2027. Unforgettable Caribbean Adventure: 8-day, 7-night 2027 XOXO Cruise, donated by Olivia Travel. Prefer something curated for LGBTQ+ women? Olivia Travel, a longtime supporter of both SUNFESTIVAL and Women’s+ FEST, has provided an unforgettable eight-day, seven-night adventure through the Caribbean aboard Olivia Travel’s 2027 XOXO Caribbean Cruise. The trip includes breathtaking destinations such as Half Moon Cay (Bahamas), Frederiksted (St. Croix), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Grand Turk, all while sailing aboard Holland America’s beautiful MS Eurodam.
Luxury Escape to Costa Rica: Experience the City, Rainforest, & Beach, donated by Accent on Travel. Want adventure? Accent on Travel has donated a luxury Costa Rica escape for two. The trip includes stays at the Hotel Presidente in the heart of San José and the Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, as well as a Tico Beach Experience at Nantipa, making it the perfect blend of city culture, rainforest adventure, volcanic hot springs, and breathtaking beach experiences.
GREECE
FRANCE
Rehoboth Beach DineAround Adventure: Restaurant gift cards, donated by Local Restaurants. More of
a stay-close-to-home type? Dine around Rehoboth all year long with a bounty of gift cards. Indulge your palate at a curated selection of exceptional restaurants, each offering a unique and tantalizing taste of our coastal haven. From fresh seafood straight from the Atlantic to innovative American cuisine and international flavors, this package provides the perfect opportunity to savor diverse culinary experiences and uncover your new favorite Rehoboth Beach dining spots. All this and more! New auction items continue to be added. Check for the current list at: camprehoboth.org/SFauction26.
CARIBBEAN
COSTA RICA
ACCESSIBILITY: Inclusivity is more than a buzz word here. CAMP Rehoboth is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment for all participants. If you plan on joining us for SUNFESTIVAL and have needs related to accessibility, please contact accessibility@camprehoboth.org to ensure needs may be met.
AUGUST 21, 2026
61 Letters
OUR SUPPORTERS make it happen
E
very CAMP Rehoboth member plays an important role in creating a safer, more welcoming community with room for all. Our members show up through their generosity and involvement, strengthening programs, building connections, and ensuring that CAMP Rehoboth remains a trusted resource for the LGBTQ+ community. We extend a special welcome and gratitude to our newest members. By joining CAMP Rehoboth, you are adding your support to a community that continues to grow and thrive. We are so glad you are here.
PURPLE Greg Albright & Wes Combs* Sondra N. Arkin* Robin & Allison Brennan Carol Bresler & Carolyn Billinghurst* Dr. Bruce Brown & Joe Ilardi Pat Catanzariti & Carole Ramos* Beth Cohen & Fran Sneider* Lorne Crawford & Simon Fares Polly Donaldson Skip Dye & Steven King* Will Freshwater & Stephen Cremen Cindy Gruman & In Memory of Angela Strano* Judy & Carole Jesiolowski* James W. Johnson & Matthew H. Shepard* Melissa & Amanda Kaufman* Bonnie Kirkland & Wanda Bair* Russell Koerwer & Stephen Schreiber* Jay Kottoff & Mark Matey* Anita Matson Doreen Millon & Julie Boughn* Celie & Tabitha Niehaus Kathleen Nilles & Camille Nichols* Jennifer Rubenstein & Diane Scobey* Danny Sebright* Gary Seiden & Ah Bashir* Leslie Sinclair & Debbie Woods* Drs. Diane C. Sweeney and Karen S. Beling* Rex Varner & Tom Balling S. Hope Vella Jen Walker* Christopher Yochim* Karen Zajick & Jennifer Weeks
INDIGO Terry Albarella & Shannon Manchester* Andrea F. Andrus & In Memory of Maggie Shaw* Murray Archibald & In Memory of Steve Elkins* Todd & Jack August Alex Benjamin & Pete Grover* Jane Blue & Louisa Watrel* John Boggan & In Memory of Daniel Speck Deb Chase & Terry Barrera Jewell Estes Lou Fiore & Jim Burke* Kathy Fitzpatrick & In Memory of Henry “Corky” Fitzpatrick* Connie Fox & Donna Adair* Richard Gamble & Paul Lindsey* David & Marti Garrett* Gail Gormley* Leslie Hegamaster & In Memory of Jerry Stansberry* Holly Horn & Kathleen Garrity* Bernadette & Michele Humphrey-Nicol
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Jeffrey Jones & Robert White Roger Kramer* Areta Kupchyk & JoAnn Kane Susan Kutliroff & Barbara Snyder* Christine Lay & Mari Blackburn* Kim Leisey & Kathy Solano* Linda Martin & Lucy Kennedy Lynette Matson & Laure Larkin Sherri McGee & Kris Aulenbach* Rick Mowery & Joe Conn* Tom Negran & In Memory of Marc Anthony Worosilo* David Nelson & Bill McManus* John Newton & Mowry Spencer* Mark Niehaus & Brooks Honeycutt* Jennifer Noel Mark OConnor Jeanine O’Donnell* Gwen Osborne & Katie Handy Vincent Pompo & Bob Yungman Porter-Gordon Family* Virginia Reaves Lori & Renee Rocheleau* Mark Roush & Dave Banick* Maria Scannapieco & Kris Painter Mitchell Shahade Tammy Smith & Tracey Hepner* Jeff Sube & Ross Peddicord* Frank Surprenant, DDS Susan Tobin & In Memory of Cathy Martinson* Terry Vick* Kevin Warr Brian Yanofchick & Scott Bunch*
BLUE Ronald Bass & George Robbins* Teresa Bolduc & Kim McGeown* David Bower* Chris Bowers* Matthew Brown Tony Burns* Paul Christensen & Dennis Morgan* Coleen Collins & Berdi Price* Donna Davis & Gail Jackson* Sharon Denny & Kim Parks Anne Geary* Miguel Gomez* Irene & Lou Katz* Nancy & Tora Kennedy* Paul & Anne Kuhns* Amy Lyons & Donna Deely Matthew Rogers & Erik Hein Chris Rouchard* Doug Sellers & Mark Eubanks* Kimberly Sheaffer & Karen Brause* Donna Voigt & Jo Hamilton*
GREEN Michael Beigay* Joseph Bennett & Corey Andrew Andrew Benson
AUGUST 21, 2026
CAMP REHOBOTH MEMBERSHIP 2026
We also celebrate our members marking five (or more) years of support. Your continued commitment has helped sustain CAMP Rehoboth’s work and expand our impact. Thank you for continuing to show up and show out for CAMP Rehoboth and our community. Founders who are not current members no longer appear in this membership listing and are instead recognized separately each year. We remain grateful for their vision and generosity in helping to establish CAMP Rehoboth and shape the organization we are today. ▼
Wesley Blickenstaff* David W. Briggs* Barry Bugg* Cheryl Buxton* James Chalmers & John Potthast* Rod Cook & In Memory of Charlie Browne* Stephen Corona* Mike DeFlavia & Tony Sowers* Marianne DeLorenzo & Linda Van de Wiele* Max Dick* Whit Dunkle & Tom Wright Cynthia Flynn & Deirdre Boyle* Roland Forster & David McDonald* Joseph Gfaller & Kraig Turner Kathy Giles & Theresa Leonard Perry Gottlieb & Tim White* Wesley Hacker & David Block* John Hackett & Tom Newton* David Hagelin & In Memory of Andy Brangenberg* Jenn Harpel & Katie Rickards* Steve Hoult & Rick Bane* Karen Hugues & Cathy McCallister* Anthony Incalcatera & James Buswold* Claire Ippoliti* Alex IX & Gare Galbraith Valerie Johns* Dorsey Johnson & Kay Jernigan* Dee Dee Jones & Julie Blake* Jocelyn Kaplan & Idalie Adams* Jon Kaplan Eric Korpon & Steven Haber* Greg Kubiak* Stacey Lawson & John Redmond Leslie Ledogar & Marilyn Hewitt* Judy Lettes* John Mackerey & Donald Filicetti* Jill Masterman & Tammy Jackson* James Mease & Philip Vehslage* Susan Morrison* Doug Murray & Bob Mancuso* Kim Nelson & Lori Simmons* Fran O’Brien & David Gifford* Keith Petrack & Michael Fetchko* Anne Pikolas & Jean Charles* Bill Rayman & Frank King* Marty Rendon & John Cianciosi* Lucien Rossignol & Tom Harris* Sheila Sferrella & Cindy Wedel Marj Shannon & Carla Burton* Scott Shaughnessy* David Streit & Scott Button* Laurie & Matthew Thompson Anne Tracy & Mary Gilligan* Patrick Turner & Fr. Michael Callaghan Ron Verblaauw & Manny Meli Lee Voegler & Larry Munsey Kathy Wiz & Muriel Hogan* Melanie Wolfe & Monica Niccolai*
YELLOW Ann Abel & Carol Morris* Keith Anderson & Peter Bish* Dale Aultman & Paul Gibbs* Bad Hair Day, Inc.* Pamela Baker & Diane Dixson* Mike Ballenger & In Memory of Martin Thomas* Ronald Barisano* Chris Beagle & Eric Engelhart* Tom Beall* Joel Berelson & Charles Maples* Sherry Berman & Deb Hamilton* Tim & Meredith Birrittella* Linda Bova & Bridget Bauer - The Sea Bova Associates Michael Boyle & Greg Murphy* Mary Ann Brewer Mark Bromley & David Salie* Daniel Bruner & Tim Beymer* Joe Burton & Matt Castrina David Carder* Nick Carroll & Ken Naugle Kate Cauley & Pat Newcomb* Jim Chupella & Jim Wigand* Dottie & Myrna Cirelli-Kelley* Steve Clayton & Brad Lentz* Nancy Commisso* Monica & Lona Crist* Kenneth Currier & Mike Tyler* Lewis & Greg Dawley-Becker* Anthony Delacruz & Ronald Mangano* Fred DiBartolo & Steve Wood* Maureen Dolan & Karen McGavin* Joan Doyle Pete Drake & Thomas Horvath Gary Espinas & Daniel Sherlock* Karen Faber & Lisa Balestrini Faber* Alice Fagans & Ruth Ann Mattingly* Cecily Fisher & Loretta Higgins* Deb Fox & In Memory of Deb Bonneau* Bill Fuchs & In Memory of Gerry Beaulieu* Cynthia Gooch Copley Susan Goudy* Ken Green & Joe Kearney* Susan Griesemer & Jean Chlastawa* Siobhan Halmos & Beth McLean* Matthew Hastings Mary Hoban Kathy Jantzen & Debi Cunn* Elaine Kakareka Mark Kehoe* Mary Layne & Monika Ruppert Curtis J. Leciejewski, DDS, PA* Ted LeFevre & Keith Wiggs* David Lindeman & Andrew Phipps Larry Mackall & Onnie D. Dickerson Patricia Magee & Anita Pettitt* Robb Mapou & Mike Zufall*
Evelyn Maurmeyer & In Memory of Natalie Moss* Jedediah Millard & Alex Reed* Sherril Moon & Lou Montgomery* Margaret Moore & Sheree Mixell* Kerry Muldoon & Terri Ryan Pat Nickols* Donna Ohle & Susan Gaggiotti* Judy Olsen & Joanne Kempton* Carolyn Ortwein & Ann Barry* Maggie Ottato* Dotti Outland & Diane Mead* Rutland Paal & Robert Mittleman* Peninsula Gallery - Tony & Carol Boyd-Heron* Denny Pintello & Coke Farmer* Frank Pirhalla Stephen Pleskach & In Memory of Mark Owens* Barbara Ralph* Gene Roe* Thomas Rose & Thomas Sechowicz* Kate Sapio Mark Saunders & Bob Thoman* Joe Schnetzka & In Memory of Frank Liptak* Troy Senter & Stacey Chan* Carol Sieger & Maggie Guardino Scott Silber & Albert Drulis* Polly Smale & In Memory of Charlotte Reid* David Smith & Kenn Williams* Susan Soderberg & Terri King* John Michael Sophos & Miss Dot Sophos* Diane Sozio & Patricia Hutchinson* Lorraine Stanish & Beverly Miller* Matthew Stensrud & Michael Cohen* Greig Stewart & Jake Hudson* Pete Stoehr Lenny Stumpf & John B. Pitchford* Kaye Sullivan* Kimberly A. Takacs Diane Taylor & Cathy Forthuber Barb Thomas & Colleen Harper Linda Tiano Kenna Utt & Lauren Ghidotti Scott & Rashida Walshon Lana Warfield & Pamela Notarangelo* Michael Weinert* Justin Weitz & Kevin Gray Walter Welsh & Martin Thomas Paul Weppner Scott Wood & Tod Callis Steven Wunder & Rod Hastie Joanne Yurik* John Zingo & Rick Johnson*
ORANGE Dawn Alexander & W. Kerr Gracie* Continued on page 64
LGBTQ+ YOUTH LGBTQ+ YOUTH EMPOWERMENT EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM PROGRAM
GROUP THERAPY GROUP THERAPY SESSIONS SESSIONS ARE ARE NOW OPEN NOW OPEN TO TO PARTICIPANTS! PARTICIPANTS! Learn more about Caretaker / Family and Youth Group Sessions!
SCAN HERE SCAN HERE → →
Hosting a birthday party? Conference? Board meeting? Summer potluck? Performance? The Elkins-Archibald Atrium is the perfect place for your event.
Hold your next event in CAMP Rehoboth’s Atrium!
Ask us about rates and availability. Call 302-227-5620.
37 Baltimore Ave Rehoboth Beach, DE camprehoboth.org
AUGUST 21, 2026
63 Letters
Continued from page 62 James Apistolas & Christopher Galanty* Romulus Barba & Dean Yanchulis* Miriam Barton* James Beal & In Memory of David Van Patter* Sue Becker & ME Wivel Jeri Berc* Bea Birman & Mary Malgoire* Kathy Board & Jackie Maddalena* Boland Family, In Memory of Michael J. Kelly* Bill Briganti & Gary Moore* Ronald Butt & Steve Cannon* William Byron* James Carfagno & David Szumski* Deborah Carroll Teena Clayton & Amelia Riley Chris Coburn & Anne Kazak* Lois Cortese & Jill Stokes* Carl Alan Cox & Darin Henderson Kay Creech & Sharon Still* Billie Criswell & Graham Spellman Timothy Davis & Sandro Souza Kathy Davison & Ruth Dickerson* Ann De Blasi Linda DeFeo* J. Lynne Dement & Lisa J. Snyder* Karen DeSantis & Carol Brice* Romy Diaz & Dennis Bann* Kevin Doss & Arie Venema* Lissa Dulany Brenda Dunn & Karen Anderson* Mary Dupont Susan Eig & Ellen Schiff* Jeanne Embich* Peggy Englebert & Evie Wills Maureen Ewadinger* Ellen Feinberg & Lesley Rogan* Paul Finn & Joseph Porporino* Gary Fisher & Josh Bushey* Patricia Fitzsimons Peter Garneau & Dennis Rodriguez Kathleen Gilroy & Rosanne Marroletti* Ron Glick & Tien Pham* William Gluth & Channing Daniel* Joe Gottschall & Scott Woody* Maryanne Graham Debbie Grant & Carol Liewen* Tracey & Erica Hellman* Bill Hillegeist* Sharon Hoffer Vance Hudgins & Denny Marcotte* John H. Hulse* Janet Idema & Patricia Higgins* Marilyn Kates & Laura Glenn* Rob & Jean Krapf* Barbara Lang & Diane Grillo* Jim Lawrence & Bob Palandrani* Jim Lesko* Jen Liner & Dina McCullough Nancy Maguire & In Memory of Anne Denner Marsha Mark & Judy Raynor* Marie Martinucci & Pam Kozey* Michael & Stephan Maybroda Liz McGovern & Judy Eckert Jean Metzar & Deborah Bonn Steve Mrozowski & Douglas McDonald Sandy Neverett & Pam Cranston* Sandra Pace & Barbara Passikoff* Steve Parker* Patricia Pawling & Jennifer Butz* Rina Pellegrini* Colleen Perry & Jane Kuhfuss* Joanne Picone & Kathy Bostedo* Susan Reinagel & Dawn Henderson* Pat Renninger & Tammy Plumley* Judy Rosenstein & Elva Weininger* Deborah & Charles Ross* Katherine Sams*
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Jill Sasso & Roe Manghisi Laurie Schneider & Margie Ripalda* Sheryl Schulte & Jeanne LaVigne* Teri Seaton* Frank Shockley & Arthur Henry* Susan Shollenberger* Guillermo Silveira Marty Smith* Tina Snapp & Susan Leathery* Christine Stanley & Joyce Rocko* Robert Stoltzfus & Gerald Warhola* Sandra Sullivan & Lorie Seaman* Terrence Sullivan* Trudie Thompson & David Welch* Lisa & Nikki Turgeon-Williams James Vernicek & Jeff Dailey* Joseph Vescio* Tama Viola* Don Wainwright & Tom Jamison* Paula Walker & Gayle Dumonceaux Lee Ann Walling Troy Watson & Dennis Wolfgang* Don Wessel & In Memory of Donald Prol* Westminster Presbyterian Church Ralph Wiest & Anthony Peraine* Lynne Wilmer & Jeannie Marsh* Robert T. Wright & Jack Lim* Sherri Wright & Dick Byrne* Niki Zaldivar & Cecil McNeil* Helaine Zinaman & Roselyn Abitbol*
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Together We Thrive SCAN FOR INFO
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Continued from page 64 Linda Miniscalco & Jeanne Drake* Beth Mitchell & LuAnn Zimmick Richard Monck Martha Monell Teri Moore & Barb Kulbaba* Todd Moore & David Coccagna Meg Morgan & Susan Lynham* Pearl Morris* Jack Morrison & Bob Dobbs* Joan Moses & Janine Davidson* Barry Moshinski & Robert Ponzini* Barbara Moulton & Susan Huber Jeanne Mueller Joanie Murphy Lisa Murphy Cynthia Myers* Denise Myers & Alexis McKenzie* Taniea Myles & Bea Canal Noelle Navarro Karen Neelans John Neff Mariah Nelson James Newkirk & Leon Wilkowsky* Arletta Nicholl & Mary Anderson* Scott Nickle* Konrad Noebel, MCAT, LMT & Brian Cox* Teri Noel* Sharon Owens & Doreen Halbruner* Christopher Pajak Bud Palmer* Fran Panzo & Karen Groething Marilyn Pate & Dorothy Smith* Michelle Peeling & Wendy Adams* Kevin Pelland Al Perez & Gary Kraft* Grace Pesikey & Janet Urdahl* Beth Petitte* PFLAG-Rehoboth Beach* Cynthia Phillips & Virginia Riegel Peggy Phillips & Norma McGrady* Angela Pierce Alynda Ponder-Pope & Louann Ponder-Pope Trudy Portewig & Luanne Schinzel* Linda Porto & Linda Tobin Renata Price & Yona Zucker* Jana Puffenberger Joseph Purdy & Anthony Pontorno* Julie Pusey Mark Quiming Mary Rakosky Elaine Raksis & Maxine Klane* Linda Rancourt & M. Sue Sandmeyer* Ginny Ranson Julie Rasmussen & LeAnn Erickson Julie Rathman & Sandi Eagles Nancy Ratner & Linda Feinman Carole Redman* Carolyn Redmon & Nancy Allen* Ken Reilly & Tony Ghigi* Virginia Reime & Gene Tadlock* Jeff Reinhart & Jack Miller* Don Reppy* Thomas Resh & Jeffrey Meyers* Judith Rhodes & Martha Hughes Gloria Richards* Sherri Richman Paula Rickter Patricia Ridge* Keith & John Riley-Spillane* Wm Paul Robbins & Gary D. Ralph* Valerie Roberts & Nohemi Sanchez John & Susan Roehmer* Debbie Ronemus & Peggy Sander* Mary Rossettini & Kathleen Taylor* Gail Ruffins Pamela Rule Herbert Russell* Kelly Sabol & Erin Reid* Gaukhar Sadvokassova
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spotlight VOLUNTEER
BY SHAE WAGNER
Kim & Liz Lokhard CR: When did you start volunteering at CAMP Rehoboth? KIM/LIZ: We started volunteering around the time we moved here full-time. It was around 2023—we were excited that we could participate in all of the experiences this community has to offer. CR: What’s your best memory from volunteering here? LIZ: I loved being a greeter for SUNFESTIVAL last year. All the attendees looked amazing—they were so fashionably dressed, and everyone was excited and happy to be there. KIM: I enjoyed volunteering at Women’s+ FEST last year. It was like a marathon! I think we volunteered every day. It was great to see our community all gathered in one place. So many diverse people coming together to celebrate each other. CR: Best place to watch the sunrise or sunset? KIM/LIZ: Our choice is sunset at Tower Beach and sunrise at Cape Henlopen. For many years, our dogs got us up early enough to see many sunrises over the ocean here in Rehoboth. Never the same sunrise or sunset twice. CR: If you could have dinner with anyone, living or historical, who would it be? KIM/LIZ: Tough question!!! So many people to think of. KIM: Immediately, I thought of Dolly Parton! LIZ: My brother, Dave—just to share one more meal with him. CR: What is a hidden talent or fun fact about you? LIZ: I’m proud of the fact that I can write backwards. I learned because I wanted to be like my brother Dave, who was lefthanded. KIM: My secret joy is planning road trips for Liz and me to take with our pups. CR: What advice would you give to a new CAMP Rehoboth volunteer? KIM/LIZ: Be yourself, have fun, and know that there is no wrong way to volunteer. Just get in there and participate! ▼ ShaeWagner is Event and Volunteer Coordinator at CAMP Rehoboth. Pictured (L-R: Kim, Liz)
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CAMPshots
SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH & BEYOND
Hot Times in the Old Town Tonight! Rehoboth Beach Pride, Code Purple, Christmas in July, and More !
THIS PAGE (left to right) 1 ) at Rehoboth Beach Pride at RBCC: Tye Mills, Lionel Grayson, Jonathan Steadman, Joss Norwood, Jen Evans, Michael Beigay, Tony Burns, Carlos Muralles, Keith Petrack, Rod Cook, Michael Fetchko, Jamara Wyant, David Mariner, Brenda Snowden, Julie Setting, Taylor Goicuria, Lori Rocheleau, Kate Rocheleau, Renee Rocheleau. OPPOSITE PAGE 2) at Rehoboth Beach Pride at RBCC:
Kadet Kelly, Roxy Overbrooke, Nico Lang; 3) at RB Pride Gay Women of Rehoboth Show: Karen Mills, Lynette Matson, Laure Larkin; 4) at RB Pride Weekend Pool Party: Gavin Kirby, Evan Datillo, Tommy Skillman, Tony Zacchei, Blake Gault, Bailey Green, Michael Clay, Chuck McSweeney; 5) at Novus Grand Opening: Congresswoman Sarah McBride, Cynthia Poletti, Brett Applebaum, Sparrow LeJeune, AJ Eckman, Robin Brennan, Matty Brown, DE State Rep. Alonna Berry, Lisa Soens, DE State Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall. (More CAMPshots page 72)
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SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH & BEYOND
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(Continued from page 71) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Aqua: Chris Burkley, Jeff Donovan, Eric Leduc, Amber Leduc, Mike McGraw, Bob Mahoney, Evan Hrvinak, Kevin McDuffie, Magnolia Applebottom, Angelo Tabbita, Tyler Townsend, Bill Shields, Bob Suppies, Grayson Rouchard, Chris Rouchard, Edmund Tan, Paul Booth, Edwin Rodriquez, Amy Tan, Gary Taylor, Ken Knecht, Garrett Taggert, Rocco Del Monte, Derrick Kelley, Brittany McCunney. OPPOSITE PAGE: 2) at Aqua: Tim Colfer, Tom Durso, Jason Abela, Sam Steward, Linden Will, Duane Bair, Ski Rowland, Gary Mosher, Henry Stenta, Tony Burns, Rawley Florax, Bruce Rohr, Mary Pendleton, Andrew Willis, Hailey Rubino, Chloe Prejean, Erika Pritchard, Rick Tedrick, Shawn Wright; 3) at Blue Moon: Edward Chrzanowski, Joodh Waleedh, Vasco Bramao, Michael Solonoski, Anthony Stumpo, Steven Quinn, Chris Handlin, Isabella Raughley, Larry Richardson, Meghan Murphy, Joe Filipek. (More CAMPshots page 104) Letters 72
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Santa Baby, It's Summertime!
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73 Letters
Deep Inside Hollywood
Gus Van Sant & Nicholas Galitzine
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BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE
François Arnaud Hangs with Lindsay, Shailene, and Superman
egendary gay filmmaker Gus Van Sant is currently in talks to direct a feature film about model Hoyt Richards. Don’t know that name? He was widely known in the fashion world for being the highest paid male model of the 1980s and ’90s. He worked in the same places as Cindy, Naomi, and Linda and was the face of ad campaigns for Gianni Versace, Ralph Lauren, and Valentino. Meanwhile, he also found himself part of a strange New Age cult of models called Eternal Values, a group that is currently the subject of the HBO docuseries Bring Me the Beauties. Nicholas Galitzine (Masters of the Universe, Red, White & Royal Blue) has signed on to play Richards, who worked in front of the camera while giving lots of time and money to the cult and its leader behind the scenes. We assume the docuseries will inform the narrative when it eventually begins shooting and Van Sant strips away the glamour. More information to come as this project takes shape. ▼
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Gus Van Sant, photo credit Denis Makarenko
Dreams in Nightmares ushers in Queer Cinema Autumn
rançois Arnaud, queer breakout star of Heated Rivalry, has a lot on his plate. He’s just joined the cast of the Hulu limited series Count My Lies, from Love, Simon writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, in which he’ll play friend to co-star Lindsay Lohan. The series is about a woman (Shailene Woodley) who untruths her way into working as a nanny for Lohan and Game of Thrones alum Kit Harington. Turns out they live in a house full of ready-made secrets, and their new pathological employee might be the match that lights it on fire. Arnaud will also be hitting Broadway in a revival of Richard Greenberg’s acclaimed 1997 play Three Days of Rain, to be directed by Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro (Eureka Day). Joining him there—it’s also a family drama with secrets revealed— will be Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Superman star David Corenswet, with performances on track to begin in February of 2027. This should keep him busy until it’s time put the skates back on for season two of Rivalry. ▼
I Reshaping Rocky Horror for The Sphere
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as Vegas entertainment ball The Sphere has already struck gold once with its AI-altered and truncated version of The Wizard of Oz. Now another classic film with special relevance to queer people is getting the tourist attraction treatment: The Rocky Horror Picture Show is coming to immerse your senses in 2027. The flop that became a cult and cinematic rite of passage for generations of LGBTQ+ audiences has, after 50 years, found its way to the Vegas strip. What will be done to it in the process to satisfy the greatest number of people? There’s no telling, especially when AI is thrown into the mix, and currently there’s no news of what elements will be added or lost in the process. But the hopeful news is that the lead character is a ”sweet transvestite from transexual Transylvania” and nothing short of complete overhaul will be able to dilute that level of heroic queerness. Anybody want to lay bets on the rest? ▼
Romeo San Vincente wants it now. Letters 74
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t’s been a packed Pride Season, with multiple queer indie films opening across the country in multiplexes and arthouses, from big releases like Leviticus and Girls Like Girls, to smaller films like She’s the He, Drunken Noodles, and more. And yet more titles are coming to wrap up the summer and usher in fall. Among them is Shatara Michelle Ford’s next (her first feature was the 2019 indie drama Test Pattern), a highly anticipated drama called Dreams in Nightmares, which finds three queer Black friends on a road trip as they try to find a friend who’s disappeared. The largely queer cast is impressive: Broadway star and Tony Award nominee Denée Benton (Hamilton), Yellowjackets star Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sasha Compere (Single Drunk Female), Charlie Barnett (Chicago Fire), Mars Storm Rucker (A Strange Loop) and newcomer Dezi Bing. The film’s been making the festival rounds to acclaim and will wisely begin its arthouse rollout in August and September. Seek it out. ▼
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Historical Headliners
BY ANN APTAKER
Radical Steps: Sergei Diaghilev
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ugust 28 is Bow Tie Day. In recognition of this cultural event, when the fashionable of every gender across the LGBTQ+ spectrum and beyond will don the bow at their necks, I’ve chosen impresario Sergei Diaghilev as the subject of this issue’s column. Not that Diaghilev wore a bow tie every day, but he wore one often enough to merit an Historical Headliners column. I’m sure it comes as no surprise that the ballet world is home to a sizeable number of gay men. Diaghilev, as the creator of Ballet Russes, not only availed himself of the gay dancers and choreographers willing to become his lovers, he changed how ballet was perceived. He demolished ballet’s fusty traditions—really, how many dying swans are enough?—and encouraged his choreographers and dancers to create radically modernist dance. Born Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev in 1872 in Selishchi, Novgorod, Russia, Diaghilev remained Russian to his core despite his eventual immigration to Paris, where he produced some of the most exciting and controversial productions the ballet world had ever known. His road to becoming the most avant-garde impresario of the early twentieth century began as a child in an arts-loving household, where noted musicians and artists would drop by. During his student days at Saint Petersburg Imperial University, he became a member of the Nevsky Pickwickians, young men devoted to the best of Russian and Western arts and culture, and the modernism influencing both. After university, Diaghilev organized art exhibitions featuring modern Russian artists. These exhibitions were meant to educate Russian audiences who’d been exposed to more traditional art. Diaghilev brought these exhibitions to wider audiences across Europe, as well. The success, or even the notoriety, of these exhibitions brought Diaghilev to the attention of Prince Serge Wolkonsky, director of all of Russia’s Imperial theaters. In 1899, Wolkonsky made Diaghilev Officer on Letters 80
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The ballet caused an uproar, and the evening became famous not only for the music and choreography, but for the near riot that greeted the performance. Special Duty. Though this post was largely an editorial one, it brought Diaghilev into the world of the theater and dance. His attendance at the Imperial Ballet changed his life. Initially skeptical of ballet, Diaghilev, through his friendships with modernist artists, set designers, and composers, began to see how music and ballet could express the modernism that interested him. In 1909, Diaghilev took his own leap into ballet and created the Ballet Russes. This was to be a Russian ballet company unlike any other. The music, choreography, sets, and costumes were to be modern but drawn from the twin influences of Russia’s folkloric past and the current fascination with what was called Orientalism. These were the years of Sheherazade and The Polovotsian Dances, among others. Diaghilev’s closest musical association was with fellow Russian Igor Stravinsky. Stravinsky, together with designer and
artistic director Leon Bakst, would create some of the most radical, controversial, and exciting ballets ever seen up to that time. After Stravinsky’s Firebird and Petrushka, Diaghilev commissioned yet another ballet score from Stravinsky. This was Le Sacre du Printemps, or The Rite of Spring. Choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, the star dancer of the Ballet Russes and Diaghilev’s lover, the ballet premiered in Paris at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on May 29, 1913. The ballet caused an uproar, and the evening became famous not only for the music and choreography, but for the near riot that greeted the performance. Curses were hurled at the stage. Fists literally flew between audience members who hated the work and those who supported it. Diaghilev, complete with bow tie and other fashionable accoutrements, was very much the cultured dandy-abouttown. His Ballet Russes was noted not just for its courageous productions but as a cultural magnet for Paris’s and Europe’s opulent queer society. Though Russian to his marrow, after the Russian Revolution Diaghilev was no longer welcome in his homeland. Instead, he introduced Russian modernism to audiences across Europe and America, where his influence was felt by the Stieglitz group of artists and photographers, among others. The ballet world still feels the effect of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes. Among his most famous disciples was the New York City Ballet’s George Balanchine. Stravinsky’s Firebird, Petrushka, and most notably, Le Sacre du Printemps, are still being performed, the latter now met with cheers, not curses and fists.▼ Ann Aptaker is the author of short stories and the Lambda & three-time Goldie award winning Cantor Gold series. Her latest in the series—Gold for the Dead—was released in October 2025. (Detail) Portrait of Sergei Diaghilev. Painting by Léon Bakst, 1906
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The Sea Salt Table
BY ED CASTELLI
Corned Beef Hash STEPS
Mix the following, then ‘fridge
overnight: • 5 cups southern style frozen hash potatoes, thawed • 12 oz. deli corned beef, diced • 2 celery stalks, diced • ½ of a red pepper, diced • 1 onion, minced • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil • Seasoned salt, to taste
Melt 3 Tbl. butter in a large skillet
over medium high. Stir in the hash, then cover and cook 5 minutes.
Uncover and continue to fry, stirring
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rowing up in a four-kid house would sometimes create mealtime mayhem. Especially breakfast. Lots of elbowing for the last waffle, fighting over the cereal box toys, competing schedules, and running late. But it was “the most important meal of the day.” Thus, never skipped. I loved waking up to the smell of Mom making breakfast. Insert bacon. Or better yet, scrapple! Home fries with onions, dippy eggs, and toast. OJ, or more likely Tang. And scrambled eggs, covered in maple syrup or catsup. I know, most of you think “ick” to eggs with condiments. It was a different time. If breakfast had to be faster, we fended for ourselves. No time for cooked oatmeal? Pour yourself cereal and grab milk from the insulated box outside the front door. Yes kids, milk used to be delivered. Don’t be thinking horsedrawn carriages. I’m not THAT old. Sadly, in retrospect, I now know cold cereal meant sugar. Lots of it. The kind that started my lifelong love of all things sweet and carb-y. There used to be a cereal called Freakies. Made of sugar with a hint of
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occasionally, until desired crispiness. I lean toward very crispy, so figure 25 to 30 minutes.
overprocessed wheat, it was the definition of deliciousness. It made the milk turn a pinkish-tan, akin to melted ice cream. Like you’re about to run out the door, and you think “I’d like to nosh on a hunk of fudge laced with cavities and gum disease.” That was Freakies. My mom had an annoying habit of combining cereal boxes that were almost empty. Maybe to make them healthier? But imagine my aggravation pouring a bowl of Cap’n Crunch to find it was one-third Cheerios. Fast forward to today, and I’m doing the same thing (albeit with healthier choices involving lots of fiber). I can’t even tell you why. Maybe just keeping the cabinets organized, and expiring freshness dates, and all that? We truly can’t outrun our gene pool. To this day, I love someone else making breakfast whilst I linger over coffee. It’s my favorite meal to eat out. For certain, it can involve a lot of pots and pans. And nobody wants to start their day washing a mound of dishes. So, this month I’m highlighting my prep-ahead Corned Beef Hash. Perfect to fuel your beach crowd. Let’s get started, shall we?
TIPS • Dice the beef, celery, and pepper roughly the same size as the potatoes. You can use corned beef from a can but chill it to make cutting it easier. • Serve with dippy eggs on top. Frying an egg is a skill everyone should master. Google techniques, then practice! • Make it a BOGO month by adding a round of my Bloody Marys. For each, mix: 4 oz tomato juice, 2 oz vodka, 3 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp horseradish, ½ tsp Worcestershire, and ¼ tsp hot sauce. Garnish with lemon and celery. ▼ Ed and his husband Jerry split their time between homes near Harrisburg Pennsylvania and Bethany Beach. Ed builds websites to pay the bills but loves to cook, garden, hike, and dote on their dog Atticus.
AUGUST 21, 2026
85 Letters
FRIDAY NIGHTS
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EVENT CALENDAR
20 20 RA A TT II NN BR EB E
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YEARS YEARS
SEPT 11 Decade 80s SEPT 18 DJ Niko SEPT 25 DJ Biff
WEEKEND NIGHTS SEPT 12, 19,26 Night Parties with DJ Malachi SEPT 13, 20 27 Sunday Tea with DJ Biff
WEEKDAY VIBES SEPT 09 Closed for Employee Appreciation SEPT 14, 21 Acoustic Monday with Kerry Hallett SEPT 16 Last Ladies Night with DJ Const SEPT 28 Acoustic Night with Robbie LaBlanc
SPECIAL EVENTS SEPT 03-07 Labor Day Weekend & White Party SEPT 19 Bear Weekend: “Bearlesque” - DJ Malachi SEPT 23 2nd Annual Espresso Martini Contest
CHECK OUT:
AQUAREHO
57 BALTIMORE AVE, REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE - PHONE (302) 226 -9001 Letters 86
AUGUST 21, 2026
20 20
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THU 09.03
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FRI 09.04
SAT 09.05
9PM - 1AM
9PM - 1AM
9PM - 1AM
SUN 09.06*
DJ BIFF
SUN 09.06*
DJ MALACHI
MON 09.07
4PM - 8PM
9PM - 1AM
3PM - 7PM
DJ FIXED RATE
DJ MATT DJ JUSTIN BAILER CASE DJ BIFF
*SUNDAY 09.06 - WHITE PARTY: COME DRESSED IN WHITE AND READY TO PARTY. 57 BALTIMORE AVE, REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE - PHONE (302) 226 -9001 AUGUST 21, 2026
87 Letters
Visiting View
BY ROBERT DEDOMINIC
Finding Community
G
reetings, Letters readers. Robby from Brooklyn here, writing to you on a hot, hazy, humid August summer day, waiting for a thunderstorm to hit us. They don’t call these the dog days of summer for nothing. Still, even through all the heat and sun and afternoon storms, I’m loving summer in NYC. And since these days are a little tougher on the wallet for me—and maybe you and others—my NYC summer has turned into a staycation. Unfortunately, I’d accepted a job this summer with a company that had a non-compete agreement with another company I work with over the school year. (I think non-compete agreement is the right phrase lol.) For some odd reason, the Department of Education (DOE) would not clear me for this company when I was already cleared with another company. By the time all the red tape was cut it was a little too late to find a summer job in education. Still hopeful though for August; you never know when or why something opens up. Add to that the s*** economy we have—as I write this, inflation is up 3.5 percent over the past year The core consumer price index is up 2.6 percent year over year. Food prices rose 3.0 percent over the last 12 months, and energy prices are up a whopping 15.7 percent over the past year. Unemployment is at 4.2 percent and gas prices stand at an average of $4.11 nationally. So maybe your wallet is hurting just as mine is and maybe you are having to spend August doing a staycation and pushing that European trip to next year. (I did just go on a Mexican cruise in May, so I know these are first-world problems— but they are still problems!) But—there are so many places to find community in and around NYC. Last weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to go to Hudson County for the weekend. My good friend, the renowned artist Vincent Pomillio and his long-time husband, Bob, invited another friend and me up Letters 88
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for a few days. Their beautiful house sits upon a creek…with their own personal waterfall!! Idyllic is the perfect word that comes to mind. We met many of their friends, most of whom have lived up there for decades.
…there are so many places to find community in and around NYC. Vincent explained to friends and guests that “as we get older, community is more important. Over the years, many friends from the city got houses in Hudson. An influx of people in the arts, many of them gay, got houses that needed a makeover. The movement heated up in the early 2000s; the people came from the city, so [there’s] a definite NYC vibe. I feel as if a community of friends all grew here together and I landed in the right spot.” (Vincent’s work is showing at the Carie Hadid Gallery through the end of August—if you find yourself in the Hudson area, check it out.) Upon returning to Manhattan, I met my friend Jack at Flex for Happy Hour. Jack and I met volunteering together at SAGE. (It was originally called Senior Action in a
Gay Environment; now it just operates as SAGE.) Speaking of community, SAGE has been providing community and so much more to LGBTQ+ senior citizens since 1987. Jack also finds community as part of the intramural bowling league. His team— the Backshot Boys—was playing later that night, so I walked him to Lucky Strikes and kept walking down 9th Avenue, seeing what community I could find. This coming Saturday—weather permitting—I will be going to the beach in NYC—Jacob Riis. If you are looking for gays amongst the sand, ocean, and boardwalk, you go to Riis beach. It’s lovingly known as Queer Beach. For a visual, check out @riis.beach on Instagram. Continuing with community over the weekend, Sunday is the monthly gay meet-up—Second Sundays in Central Park. Per Second Sundays NYC on Facebook: “On the Second Sunday of the summer months, Sheep Meadow tends to attract an organic gathering of LGBTQ+ folks and friends starting in the early-tomid afternoon. No agenda, no official event—just sunshine, blankets, friends, and a very good day in the park.” Hundreds of hotties in Speedos descend upon Sheep Meadow, meeting up with friends and making new friends. Drinks, Frisbees®, hacky sacks, and cornhole games abound. Perfect people watching. And if you don’t want to hike up to Central Park you can still find community at the Christopher Street piers as gay men have been doing since the 1970s. Then make your way to the Sunday Beer Blast on the Eagle rooftop to find a different type of community! OK, readers, that’s it for me for this month; gotta figure out what I am wearing to all these community events this weekend…. Have a great August and rest of summer. I’ll “see” you in September, when I am back in a classroom…wish me luck! ▼ Robert DeDominic is a queer freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Follow Robert on Bluesky at robertdominic.bsky.social.
Star-Studded Cabarets at Clear Space Theatre Company
Send off Summer with Show-Stopping Performances Aug 29, 2:00pm Tennesse Waltz
Sept 1, 7:30pm Matt Doyle
A concert reading of a new play by Kit Williamson
Tony Award winner for Company
Sept 2, 7:30pm Ian Hawkins
Sept 3, 7:30pm Philip Boykin
in The Answer is Always Why Not
with John McDaniel
with John McDaniel
Direct from London BBC humorist and storyteller
Broadway star and Tony nominee
Sept 4, 7:30pm Kit Williamson
Sept 5, 5:00pm Karen Mason
in Pathological
with John McDaniel
Emmy Award winning writer and actor
Star of the original Broadway run of Mamma Mia!
Sept 11, 7:00pm LAFF4 Prostate Cancer
Emmy & Grammy Award winner John McDaniel
Comedy Night featuring Chief Meteorologist Paul Williams
on the keys
Cabarets featuring John McDaniel include VIP front row seating and private artist meet and greet to follow.
PLUS!
Tickets on Sale Now for The Rocky Horror Show! OCT 9 - 31, 2026
Late night audience participation performances every Saturday night! This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.
Tickets at clearspacetheatre.org or (302) 227-2270 AUGUST 21, 2026
89 Letters
arts+entertainment
BY LOGAN FARRO
SPOTLIGHT ON THE
arts
CAMP Rehoboth Puts Art at the Heart of Our Community
Rising Tides: An Exhibition by Dianna Poindexter Through September 10, 2026
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he opening reception for CAMP Rehoboth Gallery’s current exhibit, Rising Tides: An Exhibition by Dianna Poindexter, was held on Friday, August 7. Attendees had the opportunity to meet the artist, view the exhibit, and mingle with fellow enthusiasts. Dianna Poindexter is a contemporary expressionist painter who works primarily in environmentally friendly water-soluble Red White & Blue oils and acrylics. She draws inspiration from the Atlantic coastline, tidal marshes, rolling waves, weathered boats, and moments that have shaped our collective history. ▼ Rising Tides Art Reception: pictured L-R, Celeste Beaupre, Dianna Poindexter, Logan Farro, Debbie Woods, Dianna Poindexter, Diane Scobey, Leslie Sinclair. Exhibit reception photos courtesy: Jennifer Rubenstein
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Upcoming Exhibit: Paws, Claws, and Creativity September 17 – October 2 Opening Reception: Saturday, September 19
J
oin us for a fun-filled opening reception for our annual Rehoboth Beach Bears show! The show, by and about Bears, will showcase a variety of works and is always a viewer favorite.
Image from 2025 show: Bears Rainbow Roar by Barry Moshinski.
This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.
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arts+entertainment
BY NANCY JOE GFALLER SAKADUSKI
CAMP REHOBOTH ARTIST PROFILES ⊲
A Peek Behind the Curtain: SUNFESTIVAL Décor & Lighting Magic
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hen Jefferson Rougeau was tapped for the allimportant job of heading the design team for SUNFESTIVAL: Love Out Loud 2026, one thought came to him: glitter ball. From day one, his mind harkened back to the circuit party days, when the atmosphere—the lights, colors, and design elements (like glitter balls)—was as much a part of the experience as the music. He wanted something fun, light, and shiny, and needed décor that could be changed from one night to the next so that the atmosphere for the Night of Dance would be a different experience from the Night of Entertainment. As I write this, it’s only July, but Jefferson and his design team partner, Charles Marino, are already hard at work. Today, he is laying out some of the SUNFESTIVAL décor elements on the floor of the Elkins-Archibald Atrium. “We’re stepping it up,” he explains, as he sorts through what seem to be hundreds of shiny, silvery, and sparkly elements that will adorn the walls, ceiling, and entrances of the convention center. I sense that he can see it all in his mind’s eye; his excitement is full body. (No lie—he asked for the air conditioning to be turned up.) One would think that creating the atmosphere for the SUNFESTIVAL Night of Dance would be a big enough job, but the design team also plans to create a completely different design scheme for the Night of Entertainment. For that, the focus is on the talent and the auction, but the VIP lounge will get the full treatment and expect flowers to play a role as well. Nevertheless, the dance is where the design team goes all out. Jefferson, a former graphic designer, has a clear vision for this project. “Think of the rosy cloud of your childhood,” he says with a sly smile that says he’s not ready to divulge all the secrets—the longstanding tradition of keeping SUNFESTIVAL décor a
secret is still in full force. He does give me a bit of an amuse-bouche, though, and let’s just say “stepping it up” doesn’t quite cover it. Get ready for a real jaw-dropper. (Psst: “cloud” is a clue.) According to Jefferson, one of the challenges is managing the extraordinary transition. Attendees walk into a convention center and then burst upon a high-energy dance club. In the wrong hands, it’s a whiplash moment. But, lucky for us, the SUNFESTIVAL Design Team is placing extra emphasis on the passageway, constructing a worthy and memorable entrance. But before all this, Jefferson created a vision board for the event, which allowed him to develop his ideas and share his concept with CAMP Rehoboth staff members. “He made all my dreams come true,” says Shae Wagner, who oversees the work of the design team. The team was aiming for a new look. “We were looking for something different,” Charles explains. “Something fresh.” (He and Jefferson can’t help but come up with fresh ideas; it is their first time on the SUNFESTIVAL Design Team.)
Shae agrees that “fresh” is the word. They add that this will be an “elevated experience that we can amplify with the lights.” Speaking of lights, the lighting team has their own vision. They will be completely transforming the convention center from a plain-Jane civic hall into a dynamic world of light, featuring floorto-ceiling LED screens streaming vibrant visual imagery, soaring light towers, and razor-sharp laser arrays sweeping across the crowd. It promises to be an electric, fully immersive atmosphere, where every beat hits with total visual impact. Lights and Sound Committee Chair Teri Seaton says she has been working on SUNFESTIVAL lighting for five years or so. She sees her job as “taking what we’ve done in the past and then [determining] how can we change it—make it better or different.” She’s pleased with the design team’s vision. “It has opened the door for us to be more creative with the lighting,” she says. Teri admits it gets a little tricky because of the venue’s limited space but says, “Technology is always changing, too—when we went to LCD boards and towers instead of regular lighting, it made a huge difference, not just in the temperature of the room but what we can do with it.” Like the décor folks, the lighting team likes to keep the details under wraps but gave up a few details. “With David Archuleta, it’s going to be very simple,” says Teri. “We’re not going to over-light him because he is the show. It’s the dance where we get to put our spin on things and get creative.” She did say that the 40-inch disco ball will be there—as it is every year. “That’s a must.” Teri promises that whether you are new to SUNFESTIVAL or a long-time attendee, you’re in for a high-octane experience with “pure visual magic.” Continued on page 93 AUGUST 21, 2026
91 Letters
arts+entertainment
BY JOE GFALLER
Andrew Lloyd Webber Thinks Broadway Is in Peril But that Doesn’t Mean Theater Is
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arlier this summer, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber made waves when he shared his feelings about the financial health and sustainability of commercial theater on Broadway. “The idea [of Broadway],” he wrote “is now in dire danger.” The impetus for his essay? His critically acclaimed revival of Cats, restaged as a ballroom competition straight out of Pose or Paris Is Burning, had announced an early closure. After producers had put in over $18 million to bring the show to life, it became impossible to recoup the investment. Rather than let running costs continue to mount each week, the producing team pulled the plug to cut their losses. It’s an all-too-familiar story on Broadway today. While some investors are lucky enough to pick a winning title, for most commercial theater producers today, bringing a new show to life isn’t a profitable investment; it’s a labor of love. The financial benefit for most comes in the tax shield created by having a business loss to write off on a tax return. Investors who want to see their investments grow have shifted away from Broadway. Lloyd Webber went on to recognize the danger that creates in his essay: “Bringing any new show to Broadway makes little financial sense. Without investors willing to take risks and without artists able to make a living, where will Broadway’s next generation of shows come from? Broadway cannot survive creatively or commercially on three old shows. New and daring work must have a future. Without action, Broadway risks rivalling Hollywood’s empty sound stages: increasingly dark theatres where bold new work once lived.” So how can Broadway be in peril but regional theaters like ours in Rehoboth Beach be vibrant and growing? What’s the disconnect? A big part of the difference is structural. And for once, being a nonprofit gives regional theaters a series of remarkable advantages. Nonprofits are given their status (and the ability to
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receive charitable donations) because they exist to be of service to the community. That means across an entire season of theater, companies like Clear Space seek to create a balance of programming—new and familiar, musical and play, introspective and joyful. Why? Because there is a portion of our community looking for each of those things. Coastal Delaware isn’t monolithic. Our programming shouldn’t be either. On the other hand, for a city as diverse as New York is, commercial Broadway theater generally is monolithic. Why? The focus of commercial theater isn’t to serve the community, but to serve the bottom line, just like any for-profit corporation. Rather than have a dozen shows fill a Broadway theatre in a single year, an investor’s goal is to have one show run for as long as possible. The audience for Broadway isn’t a regional community. It’s a cross section of all American and international tourists with disposable income who see Broadway as part of their New York City experience. To convince those audiences to part with several hundred dollars at a time, they have to see as little risk in the equation as possible. So, increasingly, Broadway relies on star power (like Daniel Radcliffe in Every Brilliant Thing or the rotating A-list celebrities appearing in Oh, Mary!) or well-known intellectual property (like Back to the Future or Death Becomes Her, whose original film versions have created brands with enduring loyalty) to build confidence that those audiences will get their money’s worth. But of course, the more expensive the star you hire or the more you need to make a Delorean fly over the audience, the more money audiences have to pay just to get a ticket. It’s a vicious cycle. In a regional theater, on the other hand, a relationship of trust is built between a theater and its audience. We can get to know our patrons personally because we see them every month at a different unique experience. We can do our best to offer them the right unique
experiences because we know them. We can program for this community because we are dedicated to it. A successful regional theater is as loyal to its audience as its audience is loyal to it in return. It’s a virtuous cycle. And it’s not a cycle Broadway is structured to mirror. What also makes the experience of seeing regional theater unique is that each show is cast, rehearsed, staged, and performed just for this audience. Even on a national tour, the intent is that you see a production as Broadway audiences did: comparable staging, designs, and acting choices. But at a regional theater, no director worth their salt wants to put on stage something derivative of another director’s or designer’s work. Instead, in design team meetings and rehearsals, this unique group of creative artists can discover their own take on each moment of the show and honor each of those individual voices and talents. So, even if the show you’re seeing was written 50 or 75 years ago, the production you’re seeing is a fresh and new invention of the team that gathered together to create it. I share some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s concerns about Broadway, but I also believe Broadway isn’t the endgame for great theater or for most great theater artists. If he’s looking for new and daring, he can find that at every healthy regional theater. To do that work across the country (and here in coastal Delaware), we don’t need to do the calculus he’s worried about and balance risk against return for commercial investors. What we need to do is reframe the investment. Theaters and audiences simply need to invest in each other—and not just through financial support, but through trust and time and listening and loyalty. Whether or not that light of new and daring work burns brightly any given year on Broadway, it will always burn brightly on any regional stage where that trust is earned and nurtured. ▼
arts+entertainment
BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
BOOKED SOLID
Bromantasy by Maire Roche © 2026, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $20, 339 pages “Danger” just happens to be your middle name. Any fray, any tussle, anytime anybody needs help, they count on you to step in and save the day. You’re brave, smart and strategic, kind to old people, children and small animals and, as in the new book Bromantasy by Maire Roche, dragons. Of all the things there were to do—preserving food, keeping house for himself and his best friend Morningthall “Mo” Elmthorn, advanced skincare, and drinking at the local tavern down the road—the one thing Juniper O’Reilly couldn’t resist was a good brawl. It happened so often that Juniper honestly looked forward to it, though Mo wasn’t a fan. Mo was more grown-up, calm, thoughtful, able, and Juniper loved him for it. He loved Mo, in fact, since they were little boys. He loved Mo in ways that they didn’t talk about, so they kept a wall between their bedrooms in their cottage. Except for that one time. They didn’t talk about that, either. Instead, as they did often, on a warm fall night, Juniper and Mo went to the tavern, where mead was served and they could learn about the king’s weekly quests. There, Juniper could also find a good brawl, which is how he and Mo accidentally got into trouble: Juniper trounced one of the king’s men and was forced into a quest.
He didn’t want to fight dragons and he felt bad that Mo had been dragged along. He felt even worse leaving their farm, sleeping on the ground, wearing the same clothes every day, and not having enough skincare product along. A campfire added to the problem. A roving, lying prince, also in search of dragons, didn’t help. And though a quest was no place for a child, Juniper and Mo found a frightened little girl they had no choice but to protect. A child with strange eyes, sharp teeth, and fire on her breath. “And just like that, Juniper and Mo had a dragon.” Bros + romance + fantasy = Bromantasy. It also could equal one of two other things: a romp full of humor, dragons, kings, princes, and adventure. Or it could equal a whole lot of eye-rolling. It’s a fact that this book is funny, in the way that a 1980s high school comedy movie is funny—meaning that it’s dippy, giddy, and very caricaturish but you’ll laugh quite often. The story contains everything you want in a fantasy romance (a “romantasy”), including human-like alternate species, a life-changing journey, and plenty of nudge-nudge-wink skirting around the attraction the two main characters have for one another. It’s a decent story, convoluted in just the right way. Purely, it’s an escape. So why wouldn’t you want to read it? See above, and depending on your favorite reading genre. High-brow literature, this ain’t. For the right reader, Bromantasy is a decent-enough vacation read, something not too taxing or hard on the brain. It’s for novel lovers, dragon hunters, king’s questers, princes, and romantics. For everyone else, this tale is just middling. ▼
CAMP Rehoboth Artist Profiles Continued from page 91 Volunteer event co-lead Lewis Dawley has been attending SUNFESTIVAL for many years. He says, “I continue to be amazed by the imagination and creativity of the design teams, who raise the bar year after year. I’m thrilled to see how this year’s team is following that trend and then some, making it an even more incredible and immersive glitterball experience.” AUGUST UPDATE ⊲ Now that we’re in the final few weeks before SUNFESTIVAL, I checked in with Jefferson to see what the design team has been up to. Among other things, they’ve been focusing on the pivot from the Night of Entertainment to the Night of Dance. “The setup will transition from a low-key atmosphere that highlights the auction
and entertainment to a full-on dance party,” Jefferson says. He adds, with I think a fair bit of understatement, “I think there will plenty of opportunities for photo ops.” The SUNFESTIVAL Design Team plays a central role in making the event not just a success, but also a pinnacle experience. “Ultimately,” Jefferson says, “we are trying to capture the celebratory feeling and style our community is known for. Rather than just recreating the past, we are drawing inspiration from it while keeping our focus squarely on the future and the new ideas brought by new leadership.” WANT TO JOIN IN THE FUN? VOLUNTEER! ⊲ Volunteers are crucial to
FESTIVAL Design Team has tasks for all ability levels, and no amount of help is too small. Sign up at camprehoboth.org/ about-us/volunteers/. ▼ Logan Farro is CAMP Rehoboth’s Visual Arts Coordinator. They may be reached at logan@ camprehoboth.org. Joe Gfaller is Managing Director of Clear Space Theatre Company. Nancy (Day) Sakaduski is an award-winning writer and proud ally who has provided writing services to CAMP Rehoboth for 14 years. She also serves on the Lewes Public Library Board of Commissioners and the Delaware Art Museum’s Sussex County Advisory Council.
making the magic happen. The SUNAUGUST 21, 2026
93 Letters
Celebrity Interview
SAVING THE
Queen How a Drag Artist’s Story Became a Documentary About Hope, Family, and Resistance
W
hen Emmy-winning television producer Marcie Mulé first heard Memphis drag artist Bella DuBalle speaking about Tennessee’s anti-drag legislation, she immediately knew she’d found the story she wanted to tell. Originally envisioned as a documentary exploring drag’s influence on fashion and pop culture, the project evolved into Save the Queen—an intimate portrait of one performer navigating political attacks, personal loss, and ultimately finding hope again. Ahead of the film’s Rehoboth Beach screening, I spoke with Mulé and DuBalle about the documentary, queer resilience, and why this story extends far beyond drag. MICHAEL COOK: Marcie, congratulations on the film. You’re in Reho-
both now?
MARCIE MULÉ: Thank you! I am. Technically, I’m in Lewes. My wife and
I moved here from New York City exactly a year ago. After living there for 30 years, we were ready for a slower pace. Our two college-aged kids are near Philadelphia, so it’s an easy drive, and if we need a city fix, New York is only a few hours away. MC: Bella, where are you joining us from? BELLA DUBALLE: Memphis, Tennessee. MC: Marcie, you’ve had an incredible career—from Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List to The A-List: New York. How did Bella’s story become your next project? MM: My producing partner, Ronnie Selig, and I launched RonMar Studios in 2020 because we wanted to focus on projects that mattered— stories that could actually move the needle. We’d been developing a series called Drag to Riches, exploring drag’s contributions to fashion and pop culture. It was an exciting idea, but it wasn’t connecting with buyers. Then one day I heard Bella on NPR discussing Tennessee’s antidrag legislation. She was so articulate and passionate that I thought, “We have to meet this person.” Letters 94
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BY MICHAEL COOK
… we wanted to focus on projects that mattered— stories that could actually move the needle. MARCIE MULÉ
We sent photographer Jen Graylock to Memphis to interview Bella and photograph her performing at Atomic Rose. When she came back with the footage, everything changed. Then the attacks on drag intensified across the country, and suddenly this wasn’t just a documentary about drag culture anymore. It became Save the Queen. MC: Bella, what was your reaction when filmmakers wanted to tell your story? BDB: Honestly, my first thought was, “Why me?” At first, the project centered around the legislation and my activism. Then Simon O’Keefe, our director, came to Memphis and started documenting my life. Over time we became incredibly close. Every time he came back to film, he’d stay
in our guest room. He wasn’t just documenting events anymore—he became part of the journey. Unfortunately, that journey became much harder than anyone expected. MC: What changed? BDB: The drag ban was initially overturned, and we celebrated. We thought we’d won. Then a higher court reinstated it. My bar closed. I lost my livelihood. Two weeks later my father passed away. Everything just collapsed. I genuinely wondered whether I needed to pack away all my drag forever and find a completely different career. I was applying for jobs at Walmart, Target—anywhere that would hire me—and getting rejected for positions teenagers were getting.
Simon happened to be there during some of those darkest moments. There were days where he had the camera rolling and I spent most of the interview crying. It was incredibly raw, but eventually things began changing. I was offered opportunities to host nationally touring drag shows. Local businesses started reaching out. My career slowly began rebuilding. The documentary became about something much larger than loss—it became about hope. MC: One thing that really struck me is how vulnerable you allowed yourself to be. That’s often the moment audiences truly connect with someone. BDB: I had to trust them. Simon came into this project knowContinued on page 96
AUGUST 21, 2026
95 Letters
Celebrity Interview Continued from page 94
ing almost nothing about drag or queer culture. Watching him discover this world with genuine curiosity reminded me why these stories matter. If they believed my vulnerability could help someone else, I trusted them to tell that story honestly. MC: Bella, one of the most touching aspects of the film is your drag family. Tell me about them. BDB: I never imagined becoming a drag mother. Two performers from a competition I directed eventually became my daughters. It turned out the relationship wasn’t really about drag—it was about family. One is transgender. Another had virtually no relationship with her biological mother. What they needed wasn’t makeup tips. They needed someone to love them. That’s really what drag families are about. They’re built around care, support, and chosen family.
MC: What do you ultimately hope audiences take away from Save the Queen? MM: I hope people leave inspired. Yes, this is a film about drag. Yes, it’s about LGBTQ+ rights. But more than anything, it’s about people fighting to exist authentically. Whether you’re queer, straight, transgender, a parent, or someone facing your own battles, there’s something universal about refusing to let adversity define you. We all have something worth fighting for. MC: Tennessee has become one of the focal points of this national conversation. Does living there change how you view activism? BDB: Absolutely. The attacks forced people to understand why activism still matters. For years younger LGBTQ+ people grew up thinking the fight was largely over. Many had never needed to think
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about Stonewall or earlier generations of activists. Now they’re learning why those stories matter. MC: Bella, what would you say to someone who assumes this is simply a documentary about drag? BDB: I’d tell them it’s really a documentary about love. About family. About resilience. About finding hope after you’ve lost everything. The drag is simply the doorway into that conversation. For more information on Save the Queen, follow at: indiegogo.com/en/ projects/marcie-mule/savethequeen Michael Cook has been a part-time resident of Rehoboth Beach for over a decade. He is currently a contributor to WERRRK.com., OUTSFL, & The Philadelphia Gay News. Photos: courtesy RonMar Studios
AUGUST 21, 2026
97 Letters
Gallimaufries & Curiosities
BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Let’s Tie One On!
T
hroughout the years, you’ve done some dumb things in the name of fashion. Take, for instance, those wide collars you wore back in the day. Or eight-inch disco platforms that nearly caused broken bones (IYKYK). You’ve worn your clothes backwards, mismatched, roomy enough for two, and you’ve worn plastic. Lots and lots of plastic. Regrettable, right? Probably uncomfortable, too. So, ask yourself this: what possesses a person to tie a hank of cloth around their neck, cinch it tight against their Adam’s apple, and sally forth into the world. Daily? You have to reach back a lotta workdays to understand. The Thirty Years War in central Europe in the early 1600s was brutal. It had originally started in 1618 as a religious conflict between Catholic Hapsburgs and Protestant elites. But it quickly spun out of control, ultimately involving parts of Sweden, Spain, and France. Some of the warriors were Croatian and as part of their military uniform, the soldiers wore brightly-colored cloths fastened around their necks. The cloths, it’s surmised, served several uses: they might have been a symbol of hoped-for protection, tied lovingly by sweethearts before men marched off to war. Or maybe the cloths protected a man’s face from dust and dirt on the battlefield. Of course, the cloths
were warm (or at least warmer than nothing), and they were handy as quick bandages, if needed. It probably also helped that the cloths were of similar colors, so that a man could identify friend Letters 98
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from foe in the heat of battle, kind of like a life-or-death version of flag football. Well, King Louis XIII of France, who’d hired the Croatians to fight on his behalf, was quite taken by the cloths. It’s said that he liked the tied cloths much better than the ruffled collars that were used by soldiers previously (duh, who wouldn’t?) and so he ordered his men to henceforth wear what he called the cravate. And because then, as now, Paris was the world’s fashion hot-spot, the hunk-of-cloth-around-your-neck thing spread across the pond to Great Britain and around Europe because nothing’s more fun than a fad. By the 1700s, all fashion-forward men sported cravats worn in whatever manner, width, color, denseness, or length that was deemed to be de rigueur by each town’s fashionista—although, in the end, the cloths were generally just tied around the neck in a knot, that’s that. Spiffy, eh? Change was a-coming, though, in the form of an Industrial Revolution that made different kinds of textiles available to a wider range of folks who wore clothes. By the early nineteenth century, just haphazardly tying a knot started to look sloppy and the rules for neckwear became more rigid. Not a problem; all men could afford to become Best-Dressed with the simple addition of newly-manufactured silk, wool, or cotton fabric placed neatly around their necks. Enter the bow tie. Legend has it that in 1886, Tuxedo Park (NY) resident and heir to the Lorillard Tobacco Company, Pierre Lorillard IV, cheekily showed up to a black-tie-and-tails family soirée (one also attended by Astors and Vanderbilts) with a bow tie around his well-to-do neck. Instantly, the rich wanted in on the look and you shouldn’t be surprised. Also in the late 1800s, ties became even neater when coachmen put the final touches on what we recognize as a tie by knotting the cloth, fancy-like, in what is now known as a four-in-hand. Over, under, loop-de-loop, chances
are that if you wear a tie, you still use something like a four-in-hand knot to tie it. And in the late 1800s, what began to be called “neckties” eased into women’s fashions, too—although not exactly in the same way and let’s be honest, no woman wore a tie better than Diane Keaton, which is a whole other story…. Anyhow.
By the 1700s, all fashionforward men sported cravats worn in whatever manner, width, color, denseness, or length that was deemed to be de rigueur by each town’s fashionista… By the razzmatazz Jazz Age, bow ties were the neckwear of choice for all cool cats. In 1926, a tailor from New York invented the bias-cut, which helps a long tie to stay flat and not get twisty. The Windsor Knot became fashion-forward in the 1930s because of the ill-fated Duke of Windsor, who wore it well. Ties became fat in the 1940s and 1960s, skinnier in the 1950s and 1970s, and slender in-between. As for presentation, they’ve been plain-colored, simple black, fish-shaped, or with a multitude of patterns and bold colors for about a century now. Today, ties are near-mandatory in some places, and they’ve fallen out of fashion in others, depending on the industry. At their peak, sales of neckties were in the billions of dollars, but the acceptance of business casual and the loosening of social expectations have caused sales of ties to drop, right along with that of suits and formal wear. But you know fashion, and you know how styles tend to resurface. So hang on and don’t get rid of anything. Tie a knot in that hunk of cloth, and hold tight…. ▼ Terri Schlichenmeyer is the author of four books on trivia.
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AUGUST 21, 2026
99 Letters
View Point
BY RICHARD J. ROSENDALL
The Beast Who Won’t Shut Up Trump tyranny doomed by ineptness, indiscipline
I
am sitting outdoors on a balmy morning sipping my coffee in one of the last surviving “streateries” on 17th Street. Without these curbside tables, many of the restaurants on the street would not have survived COVID-19. I appreciate this one still being here because the relative peace and quiet of the McDonald’s was disrupted by a mentally ill man in a wheelchair shouting f-bombs and homophobic epithets at no one in particular, except possibly his personal demons. I resisted an impulse to say “Shut the hell up.” It does not help to challenge a crazy person, as reporters have discovered when questioning the president. Before I headed out one morning, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was on TV grilling Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate hearing. Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is a well-deserving recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sen. Paul treated him like a notorious criminal about whom it is a shock to the public conscience that he remains at large. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights so skillfully that he had no need to yell or curse. It is 45 years since the AIDS pandemic hit the front page of the New York Times. Friends of mine who are HIV/AIDS policy professionals have nothing but praise for Fauci. He is a distinguished scientist and public servant. During the COVID crisis, he had to explain that our response to the virus inevitably changed as we learned more about it. Meanwhile, President Trump called for less testing, as if ignoring the spread of the disease would magically make it disappear. He also suggested introducing ultraviolet rays and disinfectant into the body. Taking their cue from the blathering ignoramus in the White House, Republicans like Sen. Paul love to pontificate on matters in which they lack expertise. Paul’s medical background is in ophthalmology, not virology. Elsewhere in the administration, efforts to bend justice to suit Trump’s hunger for revenge are not going well. Trump was angry at US Attorney Jeanine Pirro for deciding to drop the case against former Olympian David Hearn when it turned out that the evidence for his vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was as flimsy as most of us knew all along. We live in a time when saboteurs and grifters are crudely bending the machinery of government to their
Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights so skillfully that he had no need to yell or curse.
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own ends. “The boss wants this money,” a quote from Trump fundraiser Meredith O’Rourke, has emerged thanks to the Wall Street Journal as a vivid summary of her boss’s shakedown efforts to get multimillion-dollar donations from corporations. Trump’s hand is perpetually in the cookie jar. This misuse of his office will end only with his departure or removal. In the meantime, it helps me to go offline and savor the simple joys of a summer day. Most of my neighbors do not curse at the top of their lungs. We are diverse, to use an unjustly demonized word, and get along rather well. Decent daily habits help keep progressive values alive, even if we are not, say, rescuing artifacts from the Smithsonian to prevent them from being smashed by MAGA fanatics. I worry that Trump’s slanders may inspire such destruction, though for now he has settled for posting signs outside museums warning of the lies allegedly being told inside. As others have noted, every accusation 47 makes is a confession. Smithsonian Secretary Dr. Lonnie Bunch led in the creation of the widely praised National Museum of African American History and Culture. He is one of the finest people in Washington. It is hard to imagine anyone feeling threatened by historians and museum curators; but White nationalists are afraid of the truth. The problem for those eager to rewrite history is they overplay their hand and underestimate millions of fellow Americans determined to defend our ancestors’ legacy. I have feared that Trump is pushing us toward civil war. He reminds me of the “rough beast” darkly described by Yeats in his poem “The Second Coming” as “slouching towards Bethlehem to be born.” Yeats, however, never mentioned that his beast spoke, much less in such an ungoverned way. Trump continually undermines himself because he can’t shut up. He is governed by whim, makes things up, lies, and contradicts himself. This beast is malevolent, but also ridiculous. The man aching to be a fearsome tyrant cannot stop his clowning. On a hot summer evening I pour some chilled wine and raise my glass to our mouthy monster’s looming crash. ▼ Richard Rosendall is a writer and activist who can be reached at rrosendall@me.com.
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE LIVE MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS
SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
BRANDEN & JAMES
Operatic Tenor & Cello Virtuoso
August 29 - 2:00 PM
17 SHOWS: September 24 to October 11
ADRENALIZE
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
The Ultimate Def Leppard Experience
September 4 - 7:30 PM
10 SHOWS: October 22 to November 1
ELF THE MUSICAL BEATLEMANIA NOW!
September 5- 3:00PM & 7:30PM
23 SHOWS: November 19 to December 13
NIGHTRAIN
The Guns N’ Roses Experience
September 6 - 7:30 PM
MORE EVENTS
AUGUST 26 - OZZMOSIS: Ozzy Osbourne Tribute Show AUGUST 27 - AL FRANTIC BAND: Quayside@Nite AUGUST 27 - HIGH NOON: Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd AUGUST 28 - KNOW RETURN: A Tribute To Kansas & Styx AUGUST 29 - GREEN RIVER: CCR & John Fogerty Tribute AUGUST 30 - BEGINNINGS: A Celebration Of The Music of Chicago SEPTEMBER 2 - AMISH OUTLAWS SEPTEMBER 3 - POP-UP OPERA With Opera Delaware: Quayside@Nite SEPTEMBER 3 - THUNDERSTRUCK: America’s AC/DC Tribute
SEPTEMBER 10 - MAMA’S BLACK SHEEP: Quayside@Nite SEPTEMBER 10 - THE GATHERING GLOOM: The CURE Tribute SEPTEMBER 11 - TEAM PLAY IMPROV: With Delaware Comedy Theatre SEPTEMBER 12 - JINGO: The Heart & Soul of Santana SEPTEMBER 12 - DIVAS CABARET: Live Cabaret Show SEPTEMBER 13 - THE FUNSTERS: Benefit Dance Party SEPTEMBER 17 - LOWER CASE BLUES: Quayside@Nite SEPTEMBER 18 - DRAG QUEENS OF COMEDY: Drag Show SEPTEMBER 19 - SEPTEMBER SCHTICK: Stand-Up Comedy SEPTEMBER 27 - PRINCESS TEA: Interactive Show for Kids
For more information on tickets, show details, and full events calendar go to:
www.MILTONTHEATRE.com
302.684.3038 | 110 Union St. Milton, DE
AUGUST 21, 2026
101 Letters
Home Run Derby
BY KIM SMITAS & RENEE EJDAHARIAN
Batter Up!
T
he First Annual Rehoboth Women’s Senior Softball League Home Run Derby, held on Wednesday, July 29, was a tremendous success, bringing together players, families, friends, and fans for an evening filled with excitement, competition, and community spirit. Conceived and planned by the league’s umpires as a way to give back to the Rehoboth Women’s Senior Softball League, the inaugural Home Run Derby exceeded all expectations. The umpires transformed an idea into one of the league’s most memorable events. Spectators lined the fields to cheer on the league’s top sluggers as they battled for the inaugural Home Run Derby title. The crowd was treated to an impressive display of power hitting, with home run after home run soaring over the fence throughout the competition. Every round featured exciting moments, creating an electric atmosphere from start to finish. In the championship round, Shellie Hlavac from team Riptide
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hit four of Jaye Lazczynski’s pitches over the fences to clinch the win. Beyond the competition, the event offered something for everyone. Great music, delicious food, lots of raffled prizes from local sponsors, and fun activities
In the championship round, Shellie Hlavac from team Riptide hit four of Jaye Lazczynski’s pitches over the fences to clinch the win. helped make the evening a true celebration of the league. The enthusiasm of the players, umpires, and spectators showcased what makes the Rehoboth Women’s Senior Softball League such a special organization. The Home Run Derby would not have been possible without the umpires, who generously gave their time and resources. Their dedication helped create an event that exceeded expectations
and demonstrated the strong sense of community within the league. Umpirein-Chief Renee Ejdaharian flawlessly executed her plan to enable league members to have fun and get to know each other without innings and scores. With such an overwhelming turnout and positive response, the First Annual Home Run Derby has set the stage for what promises to become a favorite annual tradition. The Rehoboth Women’s Senior Softball League extends its sincere thanks to the donors—and especially to everyone who attended and helped make this inaugural event such a memorable success. We can’t wait to do it again next year! ▼ Kim Smitas is a retired middle school teacher and basketball official. Renee Ejdaharian is a retired educator and active counselor. Both are still umpiring softball in the Rehoboth Women’s Senior Softball League. Pictured: all participants. Photo by G Michael Beigay.
SCAN FOR
PASSES THE REHOBOTH BEACH BEAR GROUP IS A 501(C)3 DE. CORPORATION DEDICATED TO BETTER THE COMMUNITY. AUGUST 21, 2026
103 Letters
SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH & BEYOND
1
2 (Continued from page 73) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Woke and Proud at CAMP Rehoboth: Siva Reyna, Marian Nakada, Nicole Reyna, Holly Lane, Lisa Graff, John Francis Flynn, Joni Ciolko, Edie Coppotelli, Linda DiDomenicis, Rob Melton, Ron Livingston; 2) at Queer Connections at CAMP Rehoboth: Ben Egerman, Carolanne Deal, Deni Boyer, Loretta Imbrogno, Donna Cardiello, Beth Kelly; 3) Code Purple at RBCC: Denise Karas, Anita Broccolino, Kim Witmer, Ann Garvey, MaryEllen James. OPPOSITE PAGE 2) at Code Purple at RBCC: Renate Costner, Tina Arcaro, Michele Steinhauer, Jim Jackson, Cathy Herman, Helen Henderson, Deb Murray, Annette Hahn, Laura Panek, Diane Corsi, Joanie Pegler, Marianne Sheridan, Suzanne Weidner, Eve Wyatt, Michele Barreled, Mare Mart, Lida Tusick, Lynn Johnson; 5) at RB Lifesaving Association Fundraiser: Patrick Saparito, Bill Hillegeist, Shawn Evans, Joe Petrone, JD Beam, Maria Beam, Nathan D’Angelo, Zach Beck, Joe Maton, Konner Knarr, Henry Senta.
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105 Letters
SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH & BEYOND
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(Continued from page 105) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Diego’s: Joe Zuber, Darryl Ciarlante, Michael MaLoon, Michael Dick, Chris Kettner, Pamala Stanley, Jo-Ann Hernandez, Lisa Potok, Katie Durban, Jackie Bullock, Tim Wyrauch Sr., Nelson Wyrauch, Ron Dobson, Pablo Damon, David Herchik, Kenny Chauby, Kevin Comerford, Richard Looman, Mike Padilla, Bruce Namerow, Bev. OPPOSITE PAGE 2) at Women's Senior Softball Home Run Derby Event: Cindy Holt, Wilma Holt, Isabell Ortiz, Susan Shollenberger, Claire McCracken, Patti Blackman, Chris Lopez, Rene Guillory, Pam Notarangelo, Marina Hayden, Melissa Vila-Guillory, Leslie Jennings, Jen Leonard, Stacey Steinber, Rina Pellegrini, Renee Ejdaharian, Kim Smitas, Susan Jimenez, Cathy Benson, Jamie Sheaffer; 3) at Rehoboth Art League: Nick Serratore, Sara Ganter; 4) at Rising Tides Opening Art Reception at CAMP Rehoboth: Jim Miller, Jane Knaus, Tom Kiddy, Ann Barry, Carolyn Ortwein; 5) at Peninsula Gallery: David Johnson, Michelle Marshall, Jill Matthews, Ed Matthews, Linda Delaney. (More CAMPshots page 110) Letters 106
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107 Letters
Musings
BY RUSSELL STILES
Cursed with a Low-Salt Diet
I
’m sitting in the ER waiting for the discharge nurse, having spent the last five hours getting tests, bloodwork, blood pressure checks, fluid drips, and one of those plastic urinals designed to humiliate anyone who has just started Lasix. (Also, those hospital gowns that tie in the back are useless.) The nurse returns to discharge me, handing me a folder full of paperwork and a 10-page handout entitled “No Salt Diet.” She tells me, “Your cardiologist wants you to follow this diet; you are restricted to 1500 mg of salt per day. Please follow up with an office appointment.” She glides away and I try to untie the gown and search for my clothes—I find them hidden in a plastic bag and concealed in the drawer with the spare plastic urinals. A volunteer then whisks me away in a wheelchair, delivering me to the parking lot and freedom. I’d thought I was doing rather well with my salt intake. That was pure fantasy. Here are some of the danger areas that I am now forced to navigate: hot dogs, plus buns and condiments, can total over 1600 mg of salt—over my new daily maximum. I used to live on cheeseburgers and fries. Forget it, those halcyon days are in the past.
I’d thought I was doing rather well with my salt intake. That was pure fantasy. Pasta sauce—one cup has 800 mg of salt. A bagel with cream cheese can blow my entire daily allotment of salt. I find myself standing at the deli counter with a very charming gent, who is reading the posted salt content of processed lunch meat. “I used to love their pastrami; look at that, two slices of pastrami have 900 mg of salt!” he reports. He continues to read aloud the salt content of each type of deli meat. I am grateful that the market posts the information, but I just want to eat my sweet Lebanon bologna without feeling guilty. I walk away just as my fellow shopper hits the Virginia ham slices. They have a bench outside the store where the workers can have a smoke break and eat their sandwiches. I find a space to sit down, surrounded by secondhand smoke and salt-loaded hoagies and boxes of fried chicken. I know I am absorbing salt and smoke from the atmosphere sitting there, but it feels almost as good as a hot dog and fries. ▼ Russell Stiles is a theater director, playwright, and activist. Letters 108
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★
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
TO ALL AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION/ NO PARTY VOTERS Delaware is a closed primary state. Only Delaware voters registered with the Democratic and Republican parties may vote in their party’s primary election. Under the old rules, all voters who were automatically registered to vote through the Delaware Department of Motor Vehicles ("AVR voters") were automatically assigned “No Party” rather than being given the opportunity to select a political party affiliation at the time of registration. Later, these voters received a mailing that instructed them how to change their party affiliation from No Party (NP) to Democratic or Republican Party and were required to do so no later than Friday, May 29, 2026. However, recent legislation has extended the May 29, 2026 deadline by which AVR voters may switch party affiliation. Now, AVR voters may switch from NP to a party affiliation up to and including on September 15, 2026, the date of the Primary Election. The 2026 Primary Election will be the last election in which this AVR/party-affiliation provision applies. Pursuant to a recent change in Delaware law, individuals registering to vote through the DMV will soon be given the opportunity to select a political party affiliation as part of the voter registration process. To review your registration, make updates, or request an absentee ballot, please search for your record at ivote.de.gov. Because every vote, including a vote in the primaries, counts: over half of this year's seats will be won in Delaware’s primaries because the winner faces no opposition in November's general election. ▼
windsor's 28-02_windsor's 14-15.qxd 3/30/2018 2:26 PM Page 1
“WHERE FLOWERS SPEAK A BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE” FLORIST SHOP • GREENHOUSES 20326 Coastal Highway • Rehoboth Beach, DE (Next to Arena’s Café)
302-227-9481 AUGUST 21, 2026
109 Letters
SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH & BEYOND
1
(Continued from page 107) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at The Pines: Lowell Scott, Derrick Johnson, Alli Brennan, Michael Roccini, Billy Wieczorek, Robin Brennan, Chris Beagle, Mark Purpura, Eric Engelhart, Sharon Rose, Debbie Kaieen, Joel Rivera, Scott Brinitzer, Matt D’Amico, Carolyn Rooney, Muriel Hogan, Matthew Adams, Kathy Wiz; 2) at Theo's: Shane Griffith, Frank Albino, Joe Petrone, Eduardo Valle, Shawn Evans. OPPOSITE PAGE 3) at Rigby’s: Ken Higham, Bill Ehrlich, Bob Kaplan, Jeff Davis, Kevin Kay, Dan Dutcher, Joe Wozniak, Tom Zamonsky, Ed Moore, Stephen Decker; 4) at Golden Gay Girls Villages Picnic at Gordons Pond: Kim Nelson, Deb Bievenoiur, Jan Tricarico, Laura Johnson, Linda Wieser, Barbara Lewis, Phyllis Dillinger, Susan Leathery, Nancy Webster; 5) at Poodle Beach: Steve Fretwell, Daryle Williams, Nicholas Bigioli, Bruce Clayton, Steve Morris, Brent Quinn. ▼
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111 Letters
To Protect & Advance
BY MARY JO TARALLO
Leaving a Legacy
T
here comes a point in life’s journey when we experience an epiphany about “the inevitable”—whether it is the loss of a beloved or the recognition and acceptance that one day our time will come. Planning one’s estate is a crucial part of the journey. Today’s topsy-turvy environment makes it even more important to plan decision-making carefully. CAMP Rehoboth’s Steve Elkins Legacy Society, named after one of CAMP Rehoboth’s founders, is a straightforward way to support the work of the vibrant nonprofit. Most know that Steve and his partner, Murray Archibald, founded CAMP Rehoboth in 1991, the same year as the debut of the Victory Fund, created to build LGBTQ+ political power. That was 35 years ago. It was a year that turned out to be an important and positive turning point for our community. Steve and Murry recognized the need for creating a bridge between the general population and the LGBTQ+ community. They founded CAMP Rehoboth “to provide a safe and affirming space for the community in Rehoboth Beach and beyond.” Steve served as executive director and Murray served as Board President, each for 25 years. That alone represents a legacy from a historical perspective and is testament to the impact that CAMP Rehoboth has had over the years. Realtor and former CAMP Rehoboth Board President Chris Beagle and his husband, Eric Engelhart, recognized the crucial role CAMP Rehoboth played in the community, and they wanted to help it grow. “When we met with our estate attorney several years ago, and began the process of planning for our retirement, such as completing wills and medical directives, we also discussed how important it was to include CAMP Rehoboth and specifically to honor the legacy of Steve and Murray,” said Beagle, who served on the CAMP Rehoboth Board from 2010 to 2022. He also wrote for Letters, served as chair of CAMP Rehoboth’s volunteer Letters 112
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development committee, and originated the fall signature event, Block Party, among other notable contributions. “I was fortunate to have experienced first-hand the impact of CAMP Rehoboth’s vision and leadership on this community, not only here in Rehoboth but in the region and throughout the state,” he added. Younger people may not fully grasp the difficulties experienced by the LGBTQ+ community prior to 1991, even though 22 years had elapsed since the Stonewall Uprising in 1969.
Planned giving helps ensure the continuation of CAMP Rehoboth programs… “Now more than ever, the LGBTQ+ community needs to remain vigilant and work to protect the rights that took so long to achieve,” added Beagle. “Joining the Elkins Society helps ensure that CAMP Rehoboth continues to have a voice and can advocate on our behalf— not only for what is happening today but for the benefit, and protection, of future generations,” he said. “Steve, along with Murray and others, helped give us a voice and a seat at the table. In his memory and in honor of the many who helped bring us to where we are as a community today, we welcome the opportunity to help protect that legacy and hopefully to advance it.” Planned giving helps ensure the continuation of CAMP Rehoboth programs that address arts and culture, education and advocacy, health and wellness, community building, safety, sports, charitable service, book clubs, support groups, and social events specifically for the LGTBQ+ community. The CAMP Rehoboth website details Planned Giving options via the Elkins Society. One important question to ask regarding bequests pertains to whether it is more advantageous to leave a charitable gift through a will or a trust.
The University of Delaware website states, “estate planning attorneys recommend Revocable Trusts, over Simple Wills. Trusts are more efficient ways to (1) provide for your own benefit in case you become incapacitated, (2) transfer assets upon death, and (3) to avoid expensive probate.” Regardless, donors to the Society should consider a two-pronged approach—consult with one’s attorney, financial or tax adviser, AND contact CAMP Rehoboth’s Development Director, Laurie Thompson. The two prongs work hand-in-glove but the order often varies, according to Thompson. “Some people reach out to us first to discuss their plans while others include CAMP Rehoboth in their estate plans on their own and let us know afterward,” she said. “Sometimes, we do not learn about a bequest until after the donor has passed. When donors share their intentions, we can thank them, understand their wishes, and welcome them as members of the Steve Elkins Legacy Society.” Chris and Eric celebrate 37 years as a couple on September 15! They were the first same-sex couple to hold a marriage ceremony in Sussex County when they tied the knot at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center in 2013. “We started to prepare for our future together nearly 30 years ago when we met with a financial advisor for the first time,” Chris said. “In many ways, as we set our sights towards retirement, we have learned more and more the importance of not taking anything for granted. Life is short so we encourage others to start planning. Please consider joining the Elkins Society and helping to secure the future of CAMP Rehoboth.” There is no better time than now. August is National Make-a-Will Month. ▼ CAMP Rehoboth is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Donations are considered charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes and may be fully deductable.
MAKE AN IMPACT TODAY
Whatever brings someone to CAMP Rehoboth, your gift helps ensure they find a place where they belong.
REASONS TO GIVE Connection
Helping people find friendship and community
Purpose Creating opportunities to volunteer, advocate, learn, and give back
Solidarity Building a stronger, safer, and more inclusive community for everyone
WAYS TO GIVE Bequests Retirement Accounts & Life Insurance IRA Charitable Rollover
Appreciated Stock & Bonds Gifting Real Estate or Personal Property
“We’re honored to stand on the shoulders of Steve Elkins and to join this society to ensure CAMP Rehoboth’s future is as bright as both he and Murray envisioned.” — Chris Beagle & Eric Englehart
GIVE NOW
Contact our Development Manager, Laurie Thompson, at Laurie@CAMPRehoboth.org to learn more about these ways to give. CAMPRehoboth.org/PlannedGiving EIN # 51-0331962 © CAMP Rehoboth 2026
AUGUST 21, 2026
113 Letters
We Remember
Charles “Carlos” Prugue
C
harles “Carlos” Prugue, 75, of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2026. Born January 13, 1951, in Lima, Peru, Carlos lived a life centered around his love of family, friendship, and the many things that brought him joy. Carlos lived in several places as a child, thanks to his father’s service to Peru as the country’s representative to the Inter-American Development Bank. The family emigrated to the United States in the early 1960s. Carlos graduated from Carmelitas High School in Lima, Peru, in 1969, after which he received his education across several disciplines at Montgomery (Maryland) College (general studies), University of New Mexico (theater), Spain (tourism), and England (cinematography). Following these studies, Carlos worked on two kibbutzim in Israel. Returning to Washington, DC, in 1980, he worked as a filmmaker for the World Bank and later as a travel counselor for various businesses, organizations, and federal agencies. He then took a break from travel counseling in the 1980s to study baking at the Culinary Institute of America and worked for several years as a pastry chef at the Willard Hotel and for Italian chef and restaurateur, Roberto Donna. Carlos returned to the travel profession and ended his career as an International Travel Counselor for a top-security federal agency, retiring in December 2017. Carlos met the love of his life, Peter Pizzolongo, at an aerobics class held in a Washington, DC, bar in 1988. While it was love at first sight, for the next five years Carlos and Peter ‘took turns’ being in relationships with other people, while remaining friends. In 1993, both were single, and they began to date during the Washington, DC, International Film Festival—seeing movies seven nights in a row. In 1993, they moved in together and purchased a townhouse at the Iowa Condominium in 1998. Following the 50th wedding anniversary celebrations of both of their parents Letters 114
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(who were married one day apart in 1947 in Lima and New York, respectively), Carlos and Peter (aka “the CarPetes”) decided to hold a commitment ceremony. The celebration was attended by friends, family, and work colleagues at the Washington News Women’s Club in Washington DC. Many attendees noted it was “the best wedding celebration they’d ever attended!” Following the ceremony, the CarPetes honeymooned in Brazil, visiting Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, and Recife. Following the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage, Carlos and Peter were married on October 12, 2013; the wedding was officiated by their best friend, Jerry Filbin. The CarPetes traveled to Sydney, Australia, to celebrate their marriage and the 50th birthday of Carlos’s youngest brother, Roberto. In addition to movie-going, Carlos’s interests included travel, baking, cooking Peruvian dishes, entertaining, going to the beach, and attending professional and community live theater in the
Washington, DC area, New York City, and coastal Delaware, as well as in other countries during the CarPetes’ travel. With Peter, Carlos’s travel included the Galapagos Islands, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, pretty much all of Peru, and many trips to New York City. Above all, Carlos loved his family— the Prugue side and the Pizzolongo side. Carlos and Peter attended many major celebratory events—across the globe— for their parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends during their 33 years together. Carlos was especially close to his niece Ximena and nephew Rodrigo, both of whom visited the CarPetes often as teenagers and young adults. The CarPetes often visited Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and purchased their part-time retreat there in 2010. Upon their retirements in 2017, the CarPetes moved to Rehoboth Beach full time and became active residents in their new community. Carlos was preceded in death by his parents, Armando and Norah; in-laws, Peter and Gloria; and older brother, Armando. He is survived by his spouse, Peter Pizzolongo; his siblings Norah (Enrique), Lucho, Enrique, Jorge, and Roberto; and by numerous extended family members and friends. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. The family thanks the medical teams that provided care to Carlos during his 10+ year battle with cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Beebe Hospital in Lewes, Delaware, and especially appreciates the staff and volunteers of Delaware Hospice who provided care for Carlos as his passing drew near. Memorial donations may be made to Delaware Hospice, the Cancer Support Community Delaware, or Clear Space Theatre. Mr. Prugue’s Life Memorial page may be visited at parsellfuneralhomes.com. ▼
We Remember
Patricia “Lynn” Miller
P
atricia “Lynn” Miller passed away peacefully Friday, July 31, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family and friends. Lynn was born January 8, 1943, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Fredrick Albert and Clara Fairbank Albert. She raised her two children before moving to Lewes in 1996, where she co-owned a store on Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. Those who knew Lynn knew her as a true being of light. She gave freely of her love and her kindness, earning the affectionate names “the Reiki Goddess” and “the Queen of Kindness” from those who felt her gentle presence. She walked softly through this world and left it brighter for everyone she met. Lynn had a special love for animals, and pet sitting brought her endless joy. She never had
an unkind word to say about anyone, and her warmth and grace touched all who knew her. Lynn is survived by her wife, Carla Boynton, of Lewes; her son, John Miller, of Manchester, Maryland; and her granddaughter, Samantha Dzwonczyk (Matthew), of Baltimore, Maryland; as well as many extended family. She also leaves behind friends whom she loved dearly and who loved her in return. Lynn was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Christina Whitney; and her beloved daughter, Lindsay Ruark. The world has lost a true being of light, but her kindness, warmth, and gentle spirit will live on in the hearts of everyone she touched. ▼
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Sounding Off Continued from page 50 When in Rome, do as the Romans do—and spend like them, too. If billions of people can live their lives fully on less, you can too. If you struggle, maybe you’re not as good at traveling as you thought you were. You’re just good at spending money fast. LEARN A LITTLE OF THE LANGUAGE
You don’t need to become fluent in French just to go to France for a week. But, if you’re headed somewhere that doesn’t speak your language, take the flight time to learn a handful of phrases like “hello,” “please,” “thank you,” “excuse me,” and “do you speak English?” It’s basic respect. And it’s a small effort that changes the tone of every interaction you’ll have on your trip. Before you start making excuses about why you can’t learn a few basic phrases, take inventory of all the useless data in your head like sports stats, celebrity gossip, or recognizing brand logos. I’m pretty sure you have the brain power to learn a handful of two- to five-word phrases during a seven-hour flight. Voltaire was right. People should travel. But responsible travel means recognizing that the places we visit are someone else’s home. Pick accommodations responsibly. Wander past the algorithm. Know what things actually cost for the people who live there. And by all means, learn to say “thank you” in the local language—you’ll thank me later. ▼ Stephen Raskauskas is a Sussex County native who has produced content for radio, TV, digital, and print. Letters 116
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CAMP REHOBOTH ADMIN Sherri McGee CAMP REHOBOTH ADVOCACY COMMITTEE Daniel Bruner David Garrett Leslie Ledogar CAMP REHOBOTH CHORUS LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE Bill Fuchs Karen Gantz Rob Jasinski Sue Pound Gloria Richards Dave Scuccimarra Rose Verona
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AD INDEX AIDS Delaware.............................................................25 Amanda Valcik, Barrows & Associates Real Estate....49 Aqua Bar & Grill..................................................... 86, 87 Atlantic Jewelry...........................................................57 Beebe Healthcare........................................................23 Beebe Medical Foundation.........................................22 Brandywine Urology....................................................17 Café Azafrán................................................................69 CAMP Rehoboth Annual Sponsors..............................10 CAMP Rehoboth Atrium...............................................63 CAMP Rehoboth Block Party.......................................15 CAMP Rehoboth Chorus 100 Years of Broadway.......11 CAMP Rehoboth Development Ways to Give...............2 CAMP Rehoboth Letters Subscription...................... 117 CAMP Rehoboth Membership.....................................66 CAMP Rehoboth Membership Sign Up.......................67 CAMP Rehoboth Mental Health Support Program.....63 CAMP Rehoboth Online Store.....................................65 CAMP Rehoboth Planned Giving Legacy Society.... 113 CAMP Rehoboth Required Minimum Distribution......65 CAMP Rehoboth SUNFESTIVAL............................ 14, 15 CAMPsafe.................................................................. 115 Chris Beagle Group, Realtors......................................19 CHRIS, Christopher Wilson, PhD, LMF........................51
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Clear Space Theatre....................................................89 Coastal Concerts.........................................................97 Collaborative Mental Health LLC.................................45 County Bank................................................................51 Debbie Reed Team, Realtors.......................................41 Delaware Resort Expo.................................................13 Diego’s Bar Nightclub.....75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83 Dogfish Head...............................................................37 Dwayne Bensing for Delaware Attorney General.......29 Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant........................... 119 go fish go brit...............................................................45 Gregory Kompes, Author.............................................27 Humane Animal Partners.............................................36 iHeart Media......................................................... 48, 68 Island Tiki Tour.............................................................56 Jack Lingo, Real Estate................................................55 Jenn Harpel, Morgan Stanley......................................19 John Black, Realtor......................................................53 Jolly Trolley............................................................... 109 Kendall Furniture & Patio.......................................... 120 Lana Warfield, Realtor.................................................96 Law Firm of Brockstedt, Mandala, Federico...............27 Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Realtors.............................47 Lewes Artist Studio Tour..............................................41
Lori’s Café................................................................. 109 Loves Liquors...............................................................35 Maplewood Dental Associates....................................96 Mark Macomber, Realtor.............................................45 MCC of Rehoboth........................................................96 McWilliams Ballard Real Estate...................................39 Milton Theatre........................................................... 101 Olivia Travel....................................................................9 Radio Rehoboth........................................................ 118 Rehoboth Beach Bears............................................. 103 Rehoboth Beach Dental..............................................51 Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company.................49 Rehoboth Guest House...............................................85 Rigby’s Bar & Grill........................................................52 Sea Bova Associates, Realtors....................................37 Stuart Kingston Gallery................................................33 Top Notch Heating and Air..........................................59 True Blue Jazz..............................................................44 Volunteer Opportunities........................................... 117 Volunteer Thank You................................................ 117 Where 2 Next Travel....................................................99 Windsor’s Flowers.................................................... 109
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119 Letters