Beware The Ides Of March !

from The Life and Death of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Soothsayer: Caesar!
CAESAR: Ha! who calls?
CASCA: Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!
CAESAR: Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.
Soothsayer: Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR: What man is that?
BRUTUS: A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
CAESAR: Set him before me; let me see his face.
CASSIUS: Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.
CAESAR: What say'st thou to me now? Speak once again.
Soothsayer: Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR: He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.
---Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 2

CAESAR: The ides of March are come.
Soothsayer: Aye, Caesar, but not gone.
—Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1

New Sights on the River

Breaking News

The Spirit of Independence Sailboat Charter Service to start in Portsmouth
Click here for more information and recent events.

* Added March 13 from the Starboards Newsletter
Join Starboards "Sail to the Sea" Sunday, April 5, 2009 1:00 p.m.
To the Friends of Starboards,
We are excited to have the opportunity to offer our first customer event aboard the schooner The Spirit of Independence.
On Sunday April 5, 2009 at 1:00 we will be taking our first Starboards "Sail to the Sea" aboard the schooner The Spirit of Independence. This is a great opportunity to join your friends, family and Starboards customers in welcoming the schooner to Olde Towne Portsmouth. The Spirit of Independence will offer sailings from High Street Landing starting this spring (see related story below).
We will board by 12:30 p.m. at High Street Landing for a hour and a half trip. Due to the nature of this event, you can't come late or leave early.

The cost is only $16 per person. Our Facebook Fans will have an opportunity to win "two tickets" for this event. If you're not a Starboards Fan on Facebook, join today.
Space is limited to 49 people for this inaugural sailing trip from Olde Towne Portsmouth. Don't miss the boat! Advance ticket sales only. Click here to make your reservation today!
Both David and I look forward to welcoming you aboard the schooner The Spirit of Independence.

Sincerely,



Betsy Cartier, Proprietor
Starboards Coffee Kiosk

Meetup Photo Shoot ( SURVOPS ) at the Botanical Garden

Great weather, good subjects, plenty of places to practice different settings, super companions. Aimelie, Jeff and I headed for the Rose Garden first, hoping to loop back around and regroup with Kelly and the rest of the unit. We bribed a troll and crossed his bridge and sneaked up on a pair of enormous cranes and tried different aperture settings to get different DOFs. Aimelie hypnotized them so they didn't move a muscle the whole time. Then we checked out the Eagles' Nest, The NATO Tower ( where we watched a goose orgy in the nearby creek - no respect for the visitors ! ), then through the Colonial Herb Garden where we shot some selfies whilst watching out for IEDs disguised as duck doo. A detour through the outback off the trail led us to the shore of Lake Whitehurst where we encountered a rare wetlands sea monster sunning on a log. Somebody tried to make it look like an army helment, but we knew better. Jeff used his expert tactics to send him scurrying. After recon in the Statuary Villa and searching, identifying and questioning the usual suspects, we thought about navigating the Coronation Pool until I remembered the double-headed cotton mouth serpents with rattles hiding there. We cut a trail through the brush and encountered nine lions guarding the pond from the other side. They appeared to be non-hostile, so we left the area. Through the Camellia Garden and around the Friendship Pond where we spotted an orange alligator who had sabotaged the fountain. ( Well, it looked like a gator through my lens. ) A short cut through the Sunken and Japanese Gardens finally led us back to Command Post, but it was abandoned. We had left a trail of bread crumbs to mark the trail, but the ducks had eaten them. We kept hearing a lot of aircraft activity within close range, but it appeared to be friendly. Aimelie's cell phone was out of range and it was getting dark and stormy and there were strange noises coming from the trees, and a squirrel ran off with my shoes so we decided to retreat to our vehicles and assess the damages and stow our gear. I think we had a good mission, considering all the unexpected. We never did see the other units. I hope they didn't fall prey to the Pumas or Gazorts that live in the crevices. Bring 'em back alive has always been my motto. I think we may have managed to capture a few good images during all this. If so, they will be posted in the Picture This Photostream on Flickr

Strange resemblance to Yours Truly



M/T Emma Miller - Christening

Click on the title/link above to go to this photo set on Flickr
or copy and paste the url below into your browser:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldetownephotos/sets/72157614291458122

This is some additional reading on the Christening Ceremonies of the M/T Emma Miller that I had the pleasure of attending and taking photographs.






M/T Emma Miller Vessel Description

Length _____________ 88.6 feet

Beam ______________ 27.0 feet

Cargo Capacity ______ 52,656 US Gallons in 10 segregated tanks

Power Plant_________ 2- 650 HP Cummings QSK Main Engines

__________________2- 35 KW Cummings Generators

Transfer Pumps______ 2- 30 HP Electric Motors

____________________ driving 4 inch Roper Pumps

Navigation__________ 3- Furuno Global Positioning Satellite Systems

____________________Radar and Automatic Identification System

Built_______________C & G Boat Works, Mobile Alabama

Completed__________ February 10, 2009

Construction Time____ 18 months

~ Christening of the M/T Emma Miller ~

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Welcome ~ Rolf Williams, President, Anders Williams Ship Agency

Remarks ~ Burt Miller, President, Marine Oil Service

Prayer and Blessing of the Vessel ~ Rev. Robert A. Davenport,

Church of the Good Shepard, Norfolk, Virginia

Vessel Naming ~ Catherine Miller

Toast ~ Burt Miller

~ Reception ~

~ Emma McCurdy Miller ~

The M/T Emma Miller is the third small double-hulled tank ship

constructed for Marine Oil Service. Built during 2008-2009 at C&G

Boat Works in Mobile, Alabama, it is 89 feet long, 27 feet wide and

has a capacity of 52,626 US gallons of product. It is powered by

twin 600 HP Cummins diesel engines and has state of the art

electronics and safety features. Marine Oil Service operates similar

tankers in Norfolk and New York and provides safe, environmentally

conscious service to all the major oil companies.

Emma McCurdy Miller was born in 1913 in Geneseo, NY. After

spending her childhood and early schooling in Canada, she

graduated from the State University of New York in three years.

She began teaching at the age of 19 and went on to receive her

Masters of Education and spent over 40 years educating young

and old. She served on the county board of the New York State

Department of the Aging and was most proud of her work as

literacy volunteer, teaching adults to read. She was no stranger to

the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Upon retiring, she visited

Hampton Roads every year for 3 months, and decided it should be

her home.

Today's Sponsor is Emmas's Granddaughter, Catherine Miller.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldetownephotos/sets/72157614291458122

AOL & Bebo

Why would AOL lay off people, then buy Bebo for $850 million?

AOL to lay off 20 percent of workforce News Blog - CNET News

Bebo Webware100 - CNET

Bebo To AOL for $850 Million CenterNetworks

Bebo - Company Information on Bebo

Bebo Co-Founder: AOL Sale Would Be ‘Mildly Disappointing’ paidContent.org

Founder's Day - Feb 27 & 28

Greetings,
Hope you can make it to one of the tours for Founder's Day this Friday and Saturday. If you think you know someone who might also like to attend and learn a bit about our incredible history, please pass this message along.

Have a great day,
Eric (Ricky) Price
aka - Colonel Wm. Crawford
Portsmouth, Va. Founder - 1752


Starboards Coffee Kiosk
Portsmouth Founder's Day Celebration
February 27 & 28, 2009
PHOTO CREDIT: Special thanks to Starboards customer and local photographer Clyde for the above photo of the statue of Col. William Crawford at TowneBank, located at High and Crawford streets in Olde Towne. Commemorative postcards of the photo are available exclusively at Starboards.
Happy Birthday, Portsmouth!

This Friday, February 27th, Portsmouth turns 257 years old. Founded in 1752 by Col. William Crawford, Portsmouth is rich in history. The Town of Portsmouth established by act of General Assembly and named for Portsmouth, England, by its founder.

Still standing is the original downtown intersection that the Col. William Crawford dedicated to public use -- one corner each for a church, a market, a courthouse, and a jail. In fact, Trinity Episcopal Church on the southwest corner -- founded in 1762 -- still rings its bells across the street from the 1846 Courthouse that now serves as a museum - the Courthouse Galleries. With six districts listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places, it's no wonder Portsmouth played a significant role in our history.
Portsmouth CIty Employees, with a City Photo ID, can purchase a cup of coffee for $0.99 as our way of saying thanks! Now that's a stimulus package! This offer is good either Friday or Saturday.

Starboards is pleased to recognize and celebrate 257 years of Portmouth's maritime history with our own Founder's Day Celebration...

Starboards Introduces Colonial Coffee Drinks
Special Introductory Price $2.57 ea.

As part of our Founder's Day Celebration, Starboards will introduce a new line of Colonial Coffee Drinks. These coffee drinks are only $2.57 ea. to celebrate Portsmouth's 257th birthday.

Here's a tribute to a few of our Portsmouth notables...

Colonel Crawford Cappuccino A blend of Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate and Caramel syrups, double Espresso, foamed milk, whipped cream and dusted with espresso. Colonel William Crawford was the founder of Portsmouth, Virginia's quaint historic seaport. $3.25 Reg. Price.

Marquis de Lafayette LattéCinnamon syrup, double Espresso, steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and dusted with Betsy's original cinnamon topping. Marquis de Lafayette was the Frenchman who led our Colonial troops in the American Revolution. $3.50 Reg. Price.

General Cornwallis Café MochaCaramel syrup, double Espresso, steamed and foamed milk, topped with whipped cream and Dark Chocolate drizzle. General Cornwallis resided in Portsmouth before going to Yorktown. $3.75 Reg. Price.

Click here to see Starboard's Regular Menu. All beverages subject to tax.

Meet Col. William CrawfordWalking Tours - February 27th & 28th
10:00 a.m.

On Friday February 27th and Saturday February 28th, take a walk through the historic district of Olde Towne with Portsmouth's own Col. William Crawford to celebrate the 257th anniversary of the founding of Portsmouth.

The morning walking tours are led by Col. William Crawford (Ricky Price) in period attire. During this hour-long tour, you will get a taste of Portsmouth's history, the legends and folklore of Olde Towne and you'll learn about the district's unique architectural styles, which include Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, Georgian and Victorian. Walking tours start at 10:00 a.m. and depart from Starboards at High Street Landing. Col. Crawford will be on hand at 9:30 a.m. to meet and greet customers, visitors and locals. Tickets are $10.00 per person or $15.00 for two. Tickets include a Starboards Coffee Coin for a FREE 12 oz. cup of coffee. Purchase tickets in advance or immediately before the tour at Starboards. For more information, call 757.478.0056 or email us. After the tour, you can enjoy lunch on your own at one of the local restaurants on historic High Street. We encourage you to support or restaurants, shops and attractions in Portsmouth.
Walking Tour Tip: It is recommended that flat, comfortable shoes be worn, as the walk is approximately one mile. Dress appropriately for rain or shine since there are no refunds for inclement weather.

Historic Olde Towne Portsmouth DVD
On Sale Now Save $5.00Join Col. William Crawford (Ricky Price) for a virtual walking tour of Olde Towne Portsmouth. This narrated DVD provides an insight into the history of Portsmouth. The DVD's are available for a discounted price at Starboards during our Founder's Day Celebration.

Watch the DVD TrailerSale Price: $14.95. List Price: $19.95.
Win a FREE DVD, if you give the correct answer to our Portsmouth History Trivia Contest. You may find this Portsmouth information helpful. Drawing to be held February 28, 2009. No purchase necessary.

Win "Two Tickets" to The Commodore Theatre
The Commodore Theatre is a true Portsmouth landmark. You can go to the movies or you can go to The Commodore and experience this unique dinner movie theatre. This luxuriously restored 1945 Art Deco-style motion picture theater shows first-run movies while serving light dinners.

Register at Starboards to win "two tickets" to The Commodore Theatre in Olde Towne Portsmouth. Drawing for tickets to be held February 28, 2009. No purchase necessary.

Here's a piece of Portsmouth history. Did you know? The Commodore Theatre is named for Commodore James Barron, veteran of the War of 1812, who is buried in the churchyard next to the theatre.


You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too!
Only at Starboards this Friday
Enjoy our FREE birthday cake on Friday February 27th - while supplies last. While it is Founder's Day for Portsmouth, Starboards proprietor Betsy Cartier celebrates her birthday on February 27th as well.


Starboards Winter Hours
Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
visitstarboards.com
Watch for the March Issue of our CoffeePerks™ Newsletter

Olde Towne Portsmouth

Click on the TITLE above for some local stories that have been featured in the Virginian-Pilot