Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach theater announces new managing director
Clear Space hires Joe Gfaller after national search
Rehoboth Beach’s Clear Space Theatre Company announced Tuesday that its board of directors has unanimously selected Joe Gfaller to join the company as managing director after a national search.
Gfaller, who currently serves as managing director for Metro Theater Company in St. Louis, will join Artistic Director David Button as co-leader at CSTC, which marks its 20th anniversary in 2024.
“I am thrilled at the opportunity to help Clear Space Theatre Company grow its civic and philanthropic footprint as it begins a third decade of serving the community in coastal Delaware,” Gfaller said.
“Rehoboth is a special place to all who call it home, both year-round and seasonally. It is an extraordinary honor to work with such a creative and dynamic team as the CSTC staff and board to help the company grow to represent and reflect the fullness of this community.”
At Metro Theater Company, which is St. Louis’s primary professional theater for youth and families, Gfaller guided campaigns that helped grow the company’s revenues by 40% over four years, according to a release from Clear Space.
“Joe brings a wide range of theater experiences to the position and is sure to make an immediate impact on the company,” said Clear Space Board chair Laura Lee Mason. “His impressive track record and visionary leadership will undoubtedly elevate Clear Space to new heights. Joe shares our dedication to providing the community with outstanding education and theatrical experiences, and we look forward to collaborating with him to achieve those artistic aspirations.”
CSTC Artistic Director David Button added, “I look forward to Clear Space Theatre Company’s growth alongside Joe Gfaller. Not only will Clear Space benefit from his talent, but so will the community and state arts industry as a whole.”
Gfaller will begin full time in Rehoboth Beach in mid-November. During an October visit for the opening of “Young Frankenstein” at CSTC on Oct. 13, there will be opportunities for the public to meet him during the CAMP Rehoboth Street Festival on Oct. 15. He will be joined by his husband Kraig and their two dogs, Sprout and Emmit.
Rehoboth Beach
CAMP Rehoboth’s Sunfestival to feature comedy, DJs, auction
Annual Labor Day fundraiser a highlight of summer at the beach
CAMP Rehoboth is preparing for a weekend of celebration and fundraising, featuring comedians, auctions, and DJs. Proceeds will support future projects essential to the LGBTQ community center’s work in Delaware.
CAMP Rehoboth will host its annual Sunfestival Labor Day celebration from Aug. 31 through Sept. 1 at the Rehoboth Convention Center.
The weekend kicks off with an auction featuring global travel packages, performances by popular gay comedian Joe Dombrowski, and music from renowned DJ Robbie Leslie of Studio 54 fame, alongside gay circuit party DJ Joe Gauthreaux.
Auction items include a seven-day stay at the four-star Westin Paris-Vendôme, a nine-day all-inclusive LGBTQ Prague and Danube river cruise, a “Choose Your Own Cruise for Two” on Avalon Waterways with itineraries in Europe, Asia, or Southeast Asia, a seven-day 2025 Puerto Vallarta LGBT Experience for two during high season at Almar Resort, and a “Dine Around the World Without Leaving Rehoboth Beach” dinner package featuring gift certificates to 13 local restaurants, valued at $1,900.
In addition to the various worldly excursions, the auction will also feature an electric bike and artwork created by one of CAMP Rehoboth’s co-founders Murray Archibald.
Proceeds from the auction, comedy show, and dance party will go toward funding CAMP Rehoboth, dedicated to fostering inclusivity and providing support through specialized programs, events, and advocacy. Its mission is to create a positive environment for residents and visitors alike, promoting equality and well-being for all.
CAMP Rehoboth supports the Delaware LGBTQ community through various arts and cultural programs, health and wellness efforts (including mental health resources and HIV/STI testing), and LGBTQ community building.
Dombrowski performs Aug. 31 with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The Sept. 1 “A Night of Dance” kicks off at 7 p.m. until 1 a.m. featuring DJ Robbie Leslie and DJ Joe Gauthreaux. Various ticket packages are available. Tickets for the comedy show start at $50 and tickets for the dance party start at $70.
For more information on the weekend’s events and tickets, visit camprehoboth.org and tickets can be purchased at give.camprehoboth.org/events/sunfestival-2024.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach getting two new commissioners
Suzanne Goode, Craig Thier prevail in weekend election
Rehoboth Beach, Del., held an election for two soon-to-be-open seats on its Board of Commissioners on Saturday. Suzanne Goode and Craig Thier are Rehoboth’s newest Commissioners-elect.
The election was held at the Rehoboth Convention Center. Thier, a 22-year resident of Rehoboth received the most votes with 611, with Goode following right behind with 521 votes. Rachel Macha received 448 and Mark Saunders 489 votes. Saunders was the only LGBTQ candidate running in the election.
In total 1,147 people sent in ballots for this election with 652 cast in person and 495 sent by absentee ballot. Current commissioners Toni Sharp and Tim Bennett did not seek re-election, triggering the election.
Thier and Goode will be sworn in during the Sept. 20 commissioners meeting.
For more information, visit the city of Rehoboth Beach’s website at cityofrehoboth.com.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach to elect two new commissioners Aug. 10
Sharp, Bennett not seeking re-election
Rehoboth Beach will elect two new commissioners on Aug. 10.
The Rehoboth Beach Board of Commissioners will have two new members to replace Toni Sharp and Tim Bennett. Four candidates are running to replace Sharp and Bennett, as neither filed for reelection.
Suzanne Goode, Rachel Macha, Craig Thier, and Mark Saunders are running for the two open seats.
Mark Saunders is the only candidate who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community. Saunders was formerly a Realtor, has owned property in Rehoboth with his husband since 2005, and has been a full-time resident since 2013 according to his open letter to The Cape Gazette.
Saunders has some experience in local leadership, acting as president-elect during COVID-19 for the Rehoboth Beach Homeowners’ Association, and later becoming president for the next two years. He also has experience serving on the Rehoboth Board of Adjustment.
Saunders’s goals include establishing a “reasonable and sustainable balanced budget” for Rehoboth’s business owners and residents and advocating for more full- and part-time residents in the city.
The other candidates for the seats have a range of experience in the Rehoboth area. Susanne Goode has made a career in economic analysis for private firms and government agencies, including for the Executive Office of the U.S. President. Goode also has done local volunteer work with the Parent Teacher Association.
Goode said her goals for Rehoboth Beach include preserving the beaches, controlling government spending, and raising revenue.
Rachel Macha is also running for the board of commissioners. Macha brings extensive experience working with the Rehoboth local government. She has served on numerous boards, including on the Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission from 2019 to 2022, Rehoboth Beach Plant, Shade and Tree Commission from 2018 to 2020, as well as the Rehoboth Beach Main Street board of directors. In addition to her local government experience, Macha has 30 years of senior management experience for both public and private companies.
Macha highlighted in her open letter that she wishes to “leverage her business background” to make the commission and its decisions “run efficiently and effectively.” She explained she would do this by using “Common Sense Decision-Making,” to improve Rehoboth’s policies and processes as well as minimize unnecessary city spending.
Craig Thier is the last of the four running for the two open seats. Thier is a full-time resident of Rehoboth and has owned property in the area for the past 22 years. His local experience includes being a founding partner of Blue Line Planning, an institution that focuses on financial growth and planning, experience on a New Jersey school board, and serving on the Rehoboth Boardwalk and Beach Committee since 2021.
Thier has said his goals for Rehoboth include overhauling the annual budget by using two-year projected financial forecasts for devising future city plans, as well as more consistent checks on the city’s comprehensive development plan as actions go into motion.
Election day is Saturday, Aug. 10 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Rehoboth Convention Center located at 229 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Del. A city spokesperson announced there are 1,664 registered voters in town. The two winners will join the commission in September and serve three-year terms.
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