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Women’s events organizer Spruell dies at 66

Longtime supporter of Black Pride

Published

9 years ago

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Wanda "Woo Woo" Spruell, gay news, Washington Blade

Wandra ‘Woo Woo’ Spruell died at age 66.

Wandra “Woo Woo” Spruell, a legal secretary at the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C., for more than 20 years and an organizer of women’s events associated with D.C.’s Black Pride celebration, died Aug. 15 from complications associated with a heart attack, according to her friend and colleague Michael Stratton. She was 66.

Stratton said Spruell played an active role in D.C.’s black LGBT community in past years, focusing on social events for women during the early years of Black Pride.

A biographical write-up distributed at a memorial service for Spruell on Aug. 25 says she and her friend and business partner Willette Griffin founded and operated the WW Connection, an events organization that hosted women’s parties and other events for more than a decade. The write-up says the events were held along the East Coast from New York through the Carolinas.

Stratton said Spruell also worked as a bartender at the Bachelor’s Mill bar during the 1980s when it was located in its original building on Capitol Hill that’s now the home of the Banana Café.

Spruell was born and raised in Alexandria, Va., where she excelled academically at Charles Houston Elementary School and graduated from George Washington High School in 1968, the write-up says.

She entered the workforce after attending a trade school and later began work at the Communications Department of the American Bar Association.

“Wandra loved to travel domestically and internationally, play the slots at casinos and cook for family, friends and anyone who was in need of a home cooked meal,” the biographical write-up says. “She was a lifelong fan of the Washington Redskins through their good and bad seasons,” it says.

“Her larger than life personality attracted her to people from all walks of life which explain the host of adopted children who she welcomed, consoled and cared for with open arms,” the bio says. “Her smile and distinctive laugh could warm the coldest of hearts.”

It says she “rededicated her life to Christ” at the House of Praise Church in Northeast D.C. and spent her later years “as a prominent figure volunteering her time, heart, spirit and culinary skills whenever she was needed.”

She is survived by her life partner, Carolyn Thompson; her son, Damien Spruell; daughter, Kimberly Griffin-Muschette; sisters Della Nesbitt and Kathy Griffin; brothers Shawn Griffin and Mark Christin; and numerous other loving relatives and friends, the write-up says.

A memorial service was held Aug. 25 at House of Praise Church. She was interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suitland, Md.

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Baltimore

Popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s to temporarily close after owner’s death

Ron Singer passed away on July 7

Published

2 days ago

on

July 17, 2026

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Leon’s Backroom Bar in Mount Vernon. (Photo by Jessica Gallagher for the Baltimore Banner)

By WESLEY CASE | Leon’s Backroom, Baltimore’s oldest gay bar, temporarily shut down after service on Wednesday night, according to a post on the business’s Instagram page.

The announcement comes a little more than a week after the death of the Mount Vernon bar’s owner, Ron Singer, who died at 66 on July 7.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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Local

Comings & Goings

New garden center offers array of products in Rehoboth

Published

3 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Bay Laurel Home & Garden is located just outside Rehoboth on Route 1.

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected]. 

Congratulations to Stuart Ortel and Scott Marker, and Dave Lyons and Rick Hardy, on the recent opening of their garden center on Route 1 in Rehoboth Beach, in the former Farmer Girl site. It is called Bay Laurel Home and Garden and debuted earlier this year. The four owners are all well known to the denizens of Rehoboth Beach. 

Stuart and Scott have been active members of the Rehoboth Beach community since 1999. Stuart is a landscape architect, and has established relationships with many local folks in the building and landscape industry. When this opportunity for Bay Laurel Home & Garden presented itself, and they had the perfect team of people in place, he and Scott were committed to making it a reality. So, when Scott and Stuart introduced this opportunity to create a new garden center to Dave and Rick, they embraced the chance to cultivate a business where beautiful plants, inspiring home and garden products, and outstanding customer service come together. Dave and Rick knew about owning a business in Rehoboth as they previously owned Coho’s Market, where they discovered firsthand the value of serving their community, and the rewards of running a locally owned business. 

The garden center launched with a refreshed brand identity, updated merchandising, and expanded product lines, all designed to create an inspiring and welcoming environment for your home. Bay Laurel Home & Garden offers a beautifully appointed garden center and curated home and gift shop. 

The new center features a full nursery with annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and seasonal selections; a garden center offering pottery, fountains, and garden ornamentation, and essential tools and garden supplies. It has a garden shop featuring unique indoor/outdoor furnishings and accessories, and a gift shop featuring botanical and coastal style items for home and entertaining.

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Rehoboth Beach

Celebrate Pride in Rehoboth Beach this weekend

‘A vital space for community, healing, and connection’

Published

5 days ago

on

July 15, 2026

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Rehoboth’s Pride festivities kick off Friday. (Washington Blade file photo by Daniel Truitt)

Pride in Rehoboth Beach is kicking off this week on Friday, July 17, with events happening throughout the weekend.

“Rehoboth Beach Pride is more than a festival — it is a vital space for community, healing, and connection,” said David Mariner, director of Sussex Pride, which organizes many of the events.

The weekend will begin with the Grand Opening & Community Preview from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, July 17, celebrating the opening of Novus Medical Services and the new Sussex Pride Community Center. 

This will be followed by an Interfaith Pride Service at 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Community Church Rehoboth to gather for healing and the affirmation of queer spirituality with Rev. Carla Christopher, chair of Sussex Pride Faith.

Members of the community are then invited to head over to join the Rehoboth Beach Bears at the Pines to have dinner, mingle, and give back to local initiatives. 

End the first night of Pride in Rehoboth at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub with music by DJ Joey P from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Rehoboth Beach Pride Festival will take place on Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. inside the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. A full list of events is available at rehobothbeachpride.org.

Roxy Overbrooke will host on the main stage as live performances take place throughout the day, featuring music from DJ MK and Tribe 9 Entertainment.  

The festival will include educational workshops, community meetups, and a raffle dedicated to raising funds for unhoused LGBTQ+ youth across Delaware. 

Feature workshops include panels discussing topics such as unhoused LGBTQ+ youth in Delaware, the needs of trans and non-binary youth, as well as the increase in HIV and syphilis diagnoses amid federal budget cuts, in a panel moderated by Blade Editor Kevin Naff. 

Saturday night will also feature an evening comedy and entertainment show at the Convention Center presented by the Gay Women of Rehoboth. Performers will include comedians Suzanne Westenhoefer and Karen Mills as well as musician Kristen Merlin. Tickets are available at gaywomenofrehoboth.org. 

The Rehoboth Beach Pride Ride will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, hosted by the Dykes on Bikes Rehoboth Beach Women’s Motorcycle Club, starting at Lefty’s.

Goolee’s Drag Brunch will also take place on Sunday from 12-2 p.m at Goolee’s Grille. This is a family-friendly event hosted by Regina Cox and Ruby, featuring Aurora Sterling, Michelle Leigh Sterling, Scarlet St. Cartier, and Joanna Blue. Tickets can be purchased online. 

Pride in Rehoboth will conclude at 2 p.m. with the official Rehoboth Beach Pride Closing Party at Aqua Bar & Grill, celebrating the venue’s landmark 20th anniversary with DJ Biff until 7 p.m.

Due to an influx of visitors for the summer season, those coming from out-of-town are encouraged to use the Park & Ride.

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