Volume I, Number 23  •  February 2010 
CONTENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS
•  Sunday, February 14: Valentine's Day Lonely Hearts Dinner
•  Friday, February 26: Fernbank Planetarium & Observatory
•  Saturday, March 13: Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade & Festival

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
•  USS Republic to be featured in STARFLEET Communiqué
•  The Stage Door Bar & Grill closes
•  New Star Trek group for "Geek Girls"
•  Time to order new Republic shirts
•  Need a custom, tailor-made costume?
•  Visit the Republic's Forums web site
•  Personnel Records
•  Recent Chapter Event Photos

SIDEBAR
•  February
Birthdays
•  Member Reenlistments
  Wish List
•  About the Republic
•  For More Information
•  USS Republic Online
•  Related Sites
•  Our Member Benefits Program Partners
•  Fun Facts about the USS Republic
•  News from TrekToday.com
    — CBS to Sell Assets from Original
Star Trek: The Experience

UPCOMING EVENTS
Valentine’s Day Lonely Hearts Dinner
and First MCC food bank benefit


7:00 p.m. Sunday, February 14, 2010
Ribs, Etc.
4233 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs GA  30342
(404) 843-8200
Single and alone on Valentine's Day?  Don't be!  Join the USS Republic at Ribs, Etc. in Sandy Springs for an evening of fun, friendship and delicious barbecue!  Locally owned and operated since 1986, Ribs, Etc. offers a large selection of food prepared and smoked daily, including baby back ribs, barbecue pork and chicken, wings, burgers and sandwiches.  Yes, you can bring a date, and yes, couples and families are also welcome!  They've got a full-service bar for the grown-ups and a children's menu for the kids, so make plans now to have a Happy Valentine's Day with your friends in the USS Republic!

Click here for a Buy One Entrée, Get One Half Off coupon!

FOOD BANK DONATION: Please bring one or more nonperishable food items for the First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta's food bank, which has been recently depleted by an increasing demand from our friends and neighbors adversely affected by the economic recession.  Donated items will be given to First MCC the following Thursday evening.

WEB SITE  ||  MENU & PRICE LIST  ||  MAP & DIRECTIONS
"Away Mission" to Fernbank Planetarium & Observatory

8:00 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, February 26, 2010
Fernbank Science Center
156 Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta GA  30307
(678) 874-7102
The Fernbank Observatory at Fernbank Science Center—the largest telescope in the southeast!
If at first you don't succeed... try, try again!  Last month's "away mission" to Fernbank Observatory was cancelled due to inclement weather... namely, a thunderstorm that made stargazing an impossibility.  Although seven of our members braved the elements and attended the 45-minute planetarium program (see Recent Chapter Event Photos below), no one made it to the observatory.

Never say never!  We shall try it again in February!  The Republic shall return to Fernbank Science Center for a different planetarium program and, weather permitting, a visit to the largest observatory telescope in the southeast.  Join us for what will hopefully be our first-ever trip to the biggest telescope in the South!

"Beyond the Pyramids"—8:00-8:45 p.m. at Fernbank Planetarium; $4.00 for adults; $3.00 for students
The civilization of Ancient Egypt has fascinated us for thousands of years.  With the planetarium projector as a time machine, journey into the distant past to observe the night sky and explore how math and astronomy was used to align the huge stone pyramids.

Public Observations—9:00-10:30 p.m. at Fernbank Observatory; free admission
The Fernbank Observatory houses a 36-inch Cassegrain reflector beneath a 30-foot dome.  This is the largest telescope in the southeastern United States and one of the largest instruments ever dedicated to education and public viewing.  An astronomer will be available to position the telescope and answer questions.

Come on out to the Fernbank Science Center and join your Republic crewmates for an evening of astronomical fun!

FERNBANK PLANETARIUM  ||  FERNBANK OBSERVATORY

Atlanta St. Patrick's Parade

Saturday, March 13, 2010
Line-up begins at 10:00 a.m.
Step-off is at 12:00 p.m.
Peachtree Street at Ralph McGill Boulevard
Atlanta GA  30308

Republic and IKAV Nemesis members marched together in the 2009 Atlanta St. Patrick's Parade.

It's official: The USS Republic's entry in the 2010 Atlanta St. Patrick's Parade has been confimed and we are listed on their web site as a "parade unit."
Last year, we marched with our friends aboard the IKAV Nemesis under their entry.  This year, both groups have been registered separately but we've requested to be staged together so we can march together in a strong showing of Star Trek solidarity!

2010 will be the largest, best-attended St. Patrick's Parade & Festival since the first Atlanta St. Patrick's Parade held 152 years ago, in 1858.  The Grand Marshal this year is legendary football coach Vince Dooley.  The parade begins at 12:00 noon, starting at Peachtree Street and Ralph McGill Boulevard, proceeding down Peachtree past Woodruff Park, then left on Decatur Street to Pryor Street and right on Pryor through Underground Atlanta and the huge Underground Atlanta Festival where there will be free entertainment and vendors.

The 2010 Atlanta St. Patrick's Parade will have over 200 units, including clowns, floats, bands of every kind, military units, bagpipe and drum corps, thousands of children, Irish dancers, clowns, high-tech firefighting equipment, police units, drill teams, dogs, horses, antique cars, dignitaries from Ireland and our own government leaders.  Join us for a great day and for a grand time as we celebrate Atlanta and her Irish Heritage in 2010.

Please contact the Captain as soon as possible if you're planning to join us so we can have a reasonably accurate idea of how many to expect.  This is a costume-encouraged event, so please plan to wear your Republic chapter sport shirt, chapter t-shirt or your best Star Trek costume.  If you don't care to march with us, consider coming out with your camera and cheering for us as we go by!

ATLANTA ST. PATRICK'S PARADE WEB SITE

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
USS Republic to be featured in STARFLEET Communiqué
Not the actual cover that will be used, but rather, a comp created by Capt Eric L. Watts showing how our Victory Lunch photo might be used in the real thing.
In recognition of the Republic's achievement of breaking the 100-member mark in December 2009, one of the group photos taken at our Victory Lunch last month will grace the cover of the next issue of the STARFLEET Communiqué, the bimonthly newsletter of our parent organization that is mailed to all of STARFLEET's 4,000 members around the world.  The issue will also feature a 6,000-word article by Capt Eric L. Watts detailing many of the Republic's successful member recruitment strategies and marketing campaigns used over the last four years that helped us reach this tremendous milestone.  It's been almost three years since a specific chapter received a front-page story in the CQ and four years since another chapter's group photo was on the front page.  CQ #156 is currently in the mail and our issue, #157, should arrive in your mailboxes in April.  This one's a keeper!
The Stage Door Bar & Grill closes
The Stage Door in Tucker hosted several chapter events and was a Member Benefits Program Partner.
Commanding Officer, Republic, was saddened to learn that one of our original Member Benefits Program Partners, the Stage Door Bar & Grill in Tucker, Georgia, closed its doors for the final time on December 31, 2009, due to insufficient business during our nation's ongoing economic recession.  The Stage Door hosted several chapter events over the last four years, including our monthly meeting in June 2006, our Star Trek: New Voyages Barbecue in July 2006, a screening of Starship Farragut: "The Captaincy" in May 2007, the Captain's Birthday Party in August 2007, and a screening of Star Trek: Phase II: "Blood and Fire, Part I" in January 2009.  As a Member Benefits Program Partner, the Stage Door offered Republic members 10% off their total food and drink tab with their chapter membership card.  Stage Door owner Bryon Noel was always supportive of our chapter and warmly welcomed our members into his establishment.  We would like to offer him our thanks and best wishes for the future.
New Star Trek group for "Geek Girls"
A new "Meetup" group called Geek Girls of North Georgia will hold their first official meeting at the High Museum of Art on Thursday, February 18.  According to their web site, "Sometimes being a geek girl is a lonely experience.  It's hard to connect with other women when they're staring at you funny because you're trying to explain your theory that the nature of a child's mutation stems partially from genetics as seen in Polaris and Magneto, but mostly from some sort of trauma before puberty, the time in which most mutants first exhibit abilities. Example: Nightcrawler wanted to disappear because of his demonic appearance and he did.  You flashed 'em a little bit of your geek and people just sidle away cautiously.

"Not at this meetup.  We LOVE your inner geek.  We want you to pull it out of its hiding place, doll it up and make it sing for our amusement.  This is a place where you can meet girls who share your interests, socialize, have fun and not feel ostracized.  Geek girls of all shapes, colors and creeds are welcome!"

This group is for women only and is not a singles group.  For more information, visit their web page.
Time to order new Republic shirts
Detail of our embroidered sport shirts--click to enlarge
Several members mentioned at our Victory Lunch in January that they'd like to order one of our spiffy USS Republic sport shirts, so we're once again accepting orders.  These high-quality collared shirts with a black yoke, collar and sleeves with royal blue torso, reminiscent of the Voyager-style Starfleet uniform, have the Republic's red, blue, yellow and black logo embroidered on the left breast.  They have been very popular at Republic events and activities where full Star Trek costumes aren't necessary or appropriate (see "Recent Chapter Event Photos" below).

Available in all sizes from Small to 3XL, these great-looking shirts are available for only $40.00 each (plus $5.00 shipping, if needed).  We don't keep these shirts in stock... we special-order them once we've received a minimum of six payments.  Payment options and instructions can be found in our Ship's Store.  Don't miss your chance to get this great-looking shirt... order yours today!
Need a custom, tailor-made costume?
Consider contacting Bruce Tidwell for your Star Trek or other alternate reality costuming needs.  Bruce did costume design for theater in the late '80s and early '90s, then went to work as the custom designer for 4Skins Leather in Midtown in 1998.  Three years later, he started his own custom design label, House of Blackthorn.  Don't have a pattern?  No problem.  He can generally make almost anything he has an image of.  He says:

I'm a perfectionist with an attention to detail.  One of my last big projects was the female captain's uniform from Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.  My client brought me a copy of the movie and I watched it until I could freeze frame on the two seconds of film time where she turned her back to the camera and I could see how her leather collar fastened.  I appreciate how important those details are to fans.  I can work from pictures and I'm willing to sit down with people and sketch what they describe until we come up with a workable design.

Bruce is particularly interested in working with people who are inspired to create personal identities, outside of mundane reality, inspired by fiction, mythology or history and develop social networks based on their adopted persona.  Contact Bruce by email or at (404) 242-9386
Visit the Republic's Forums web site
Thanks to the efforts of Ens Drew Schlosser, the USS Republic's Forums web site is an online community where our membership can log in, create a variety of topics for discussion, post messages and announcements and, best of all, not have such messages emailed to every member subscribed to our members-only YahooGroups message board!  All members are encouraged to visit the site, register and get the discussions going!  And be sure to thank Ens Drew Schlosser for his excellent work!  The Forums web site can be found at www.ussrepublic.info!
Personnel Records
Many thanks to ENS3 Joanne Trew who, in a single trip to Office Depot, purchased one or more of every single office supply listed in last month's Wish List, including address labels, manila envelopes, a ream of card stock and several rolls of packing tape.  We are now fully stocked!  Thank you, Ensign Joanne!
Congratulations to Ens Pamela Richards, who received a grade of DISTINCTION for the STARFLEET Academy exam AQ 104 - Ferengi from the IOAS - School of XenoAnthropology completed on January 9, 2010.
Congratulations to Ens Kenneth Cribbs, who received a grade of PASS for the STARFLEET Academy exam Officer's Training School from the IOLS - Officer's Training School completed on January 11, 2010.
Transporter Room: Ens Amber Godat recently relocated from Lawrenceville to Lilburn, Georgia!
Shuttlecraft: Ensigns Glenn and K'La Albertini recently relocated from Atlanta to Champaign, Illinois!
Heavy Cruiser: Lt. JG Christian and Ens Heather Shepherd recently relocated from Panama City, Florida, to San Diego, California!
Something special going on in your life?  Submit your Personnel Record for publication in the next issue of The Republiqué!
Recent Chapter Event Photos
Victory Lunch & Photo Shoot  ||  January 9, 2010
At Jason's Deli in Midtown.  Front Row: ENS3 Marilyn Teague, Ens Ken Cribbs, Ens Page Lewis.  Second Row: CRMN3 Jenilee Trew, ENS3 Julianne Trew, Ens Eddie Hines, ENS3 Joanne Trew.  Third Row: ENS3 Jeff Trew, CO Capt Eric L. Watts, Capt Michael Cowart, Ens Victoria A. White.  Fourth Row: Ens Donnie Hendrix, ENS1 Mark A. Ozanick, ENS3 Todd Dissinger, CDT Karl Dissinger.  Fifth Row: Ens Blake Anderson, ENS3 Daniel Wolfgang, ENS2 Sue Lin Lange, Ens Sarah Burroughs.  Everybody Else, Roughly Left to Right: Ens Barbara Nies, Ens Mark S. Strozier, ENS3 Reginald Franklin, Ens Eric Curtiss, Ens Barry Bynum, CRMN Jessica Curtiss, Lt JG David Churvis, Ens Charles G. Smith, Ens Rob Gilliam, Ens Drew Schlosser.
Fernbank Planetarium & Observatory  ||  January 29, 2010
Kneeling/Sitting: ENS2 Sue Lin Lange, Ens Ken Cribbs, Ens Eddie Hines.  Standing: ENS3 Wolfy, ENS3 Joanne Trew, ENS3 Jenilee Trew, Ens Barry Bynum.

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

February 2
ENS3 John Stump

February 3
Ens Sue H. Towhey

February 3

CDT Michael Hurst
Ens David Gregory

February 14
Ens Victoria A. White

February 21
Ens Mark S. Strozier

MEMBER REENLISTMENTS
These members renewed their SFI and chapter dues in January


ENS3 Russell Broomfield
ENS1 Tony Cade

WISH LIST
The Republic needs certain items on a continuing basis to operate.  To help keep our expenses and membership dues as low as possible, donations of the following items would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your support!

CRITICAL NEED: HP 10 black, cyan, magenta and yellow ink cartridges and print heads

Also:
Wi-fi enabled Windows XP laptop with remote mouse
postage stamps

ABOUT THE REPUBLIC
Commissioned on May 14, 1988 at Dixie-Trek in Atlanta, Georgia, the USS Republic NCC-1371 is a chapter of STARFLEET International (SFI) and a member of STARFLEET Region 2.  The Republic currently has 103 active members (as of February 8) and is the largest chapter of STARFLEET in the world.

The Republic plans and coordinates an active schedule of events for its members, frequently partnering with other local science fiction groups in the Atlanta area for joint activities, but does not hold meetings on a consistently fixed date each month.

Membership in the Republic includes membership in STARFLEET International.  Annual dues are $25 per person for both groups (family discounts are available with certain conditions and restrictions).  Membership in the Republic includes a subscription to our award-winning quarterly magazine, The Sovereign Star, access to our YahooGroups message board, voting privileges in chapter elections and a personalized laminated membership card which entitles the member to discounts and rebates on products and services offered by our Member Benefits Program partners.  Additional information on Republic membership and how to join is on our award-winning web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

USS REPUBLIC ONLINE

RELATED SITES

OUR MEMBER BENEFITS PROGRAM PARTNERS

FUN FACTS
about the
USS Republic

•  The USS Republic represents 2.47% of STARFLEET's total membership

•  The USS Republic represents 15.84% of Region 2's total membership

The USS Republic has:
•  1 member in South Carolina
•  1 member in Wisconsin
•  2 members in California
•  2 members in Illinois
•  3 members in North Carolina
•  5 members in Alabama
•  89 members in Georgia

Of the 89 members who live in Georgia:
•  1 lives in Avondale Estates
•  1 lives in Carrollton
•  1 lives in Chamblee
•  1 lives in Colbert
•  1 lives in College Park
•  1 lives in Columbus
•  1 lives in Conyers
•  1 lives in East Point
•  1 lives in Fairburn
•  1 lives in Griffin
•  1 lives in Hampton
•  1 lives in Kennesaw
•  1 lives in Lithonia
•  1 lives in McDonough
•  1 lives in Newnan
•  1 lives in Norcross
•  1 lives in Peachtree City
•  1 lives in Sandy Springs
•  1 lives in Smyrna
•  1 lives in Woodstock
•  2 live in Acworth
•  2 live in Claxton
•  2 live in Jonesboro
•  2 live in Lilburn
•  2 live in Rockmart
•  2 live in Stone Mountain
•  2 live in Tucker
•  3 live in Alpharetta
•  3 live in Doraville
•  3 live in Douglasville
•  4 live in Whitesburg
•  5 live in Marietta
•  12 live in Decatur
•  25 live in Atlanta

The USS Republic has:
•  3 members under the age of 10
•  8 members between 11 and 20
•  14 members between 21 and 30
•  21 members between 31 and 40
•  40 members between 41 and 50
•  13 members between 51 and 60
•  4 members over the age of 60

NEWS
from
CBS to Sell Assets from Original Star Trek: The Experience —Still Working on Creating New Experience
by Anthony Pascale
In September 2008, the Trek-themed attraction Star Trek: The Experience closed at the Las Vegas Hilton, after running for a decade.  Since that time, CBS has been working on developing a new Star Trek: The Experience at a new location, and that work is still ongoing.  However, they have decided that most of the assets from the first attraction won't be able to be used and so they are going to be sold off.

Pick up a piece of Star Trek: The Experience 1.0
After Star Trek: The Experience closed its doors at the Las Vegas Hilton, the attraction was dismantled and much of what was savable was put into storage at a warehouse in Las Vegas, where it has remained.  Since that time, CBS has been working with the Neonopolis development in downtown Las Vegas on a plan to put in a new Star Trek: The Experience at that location.  According to CBS, they are still in the planning phase, but a decision has been made that most of what is in the warehouse will not be needed for any new Trek attraction.  So they have decided to let the fans get a piece of what was Star Trek: The Experience.

A spokesperson for CBS has provided TrekMovie with the following statement:

CBS Consumer Products remains committed to opening a new and exciting Star Trek attraction.  We continue to work with our partners at Neonopolis regarding the development of a new Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas.  In the interim, there are elements from the original Star Trek: The Experience that we know will not be utilized in any new attraction and plan to make those items available to the many wonderful fans of Star Trek: The Experience either by sale or auction in the near future.  The final dates and details of such sales are in progress and we hope to announce more very soon.

Currently, CBS is working on a deal with PropWorx to handle the sale of the assets.  PropWorx is the same company that handled the Battlestar Galactica auction last year for NBC/Uni and is currently conducting a sale of Stargate assets for MGM.  PropWorx CEO Alec Peters has made a post about the Star Trek: The Experience sale on his Star Trek Prop, Costume & Auction Blog.

The preliminary plan is to sell most of the larger items at a warehouse location sale in Las Vegas, with many of the smaller (and more easily shippable) items being sold at a later Star Trek auction.  Items that will be sold include signage, the big "ships," the seats from the rides, prop replicas, set pieces, costumes, fixtures from Quark's Bar and the "Promenade" shops.  As of now it appears that the items from the "Museum of the Future" will not be sold (apparently, these are being held for the "new" Star Trek: The Experience).

What’s next for Star Trek: The Experience 2.0
As for the future of Star Trek: The Experience, it seems that CBS is still committed to bringing it back.   However, it appears that the problems that hit the credit markets and the economy shortly after the first Experience closed seem to be slowing progress.  Certainly, early estimates that a new Experience would open by 2010 were overly optimistic.  There are no estimates on timing available, but the release of the next Star Trek movie in the summer of 2012 is likely to be top of mind for those working on the new Star Trek: The Experience.

It is actually an encouraging sign that CBS and Neonopolis are not planning on just transporting the Hilton version of the attraction to the new location.  The original Star Trek: The Experience was designed in the mid-nineties and is heavily themed around the 24th century of Trek seen in Deep Space Nine, The Next Generation and Voyager.  Of course, the Trek franchise is much larger than that, including the 22nd century of Enterprise and the 23rd century of the original Star Trek.  Obviously, with the success of the new Star Trek movie, the new aesthetic (of an alternative 23rd century) will likely play a major part in a new Experience.  Also, the assets from the first Experience have a lot of wear and tear, including being removed from the Hilton itself.  So it is also encouraging that any new Experience will be built with new components.  For now, there are no detailed plans to report, but TrekMovie continues to monitor the situation and will have an update when there is something new to report.

Take a virtual tour of original Star Trek: The Experience
If you want to get a good look at the original Star Trek: The Experience, the "virtual tour" company DigitalProperties has created a site with 360 degree virtual reality images from the attraction as it was at the Hilton. Visit the site at startrek360.com.
REPRINTED FROM TREKMOVIE.COM
© 2010 SciFanatic Network
USS Republic NCC-1371
B O L D L Y    G O I N G 
 B O L D L Y    D O I N G ™
2902 Aspen Woods Entry
  Atlanta, Georgia  30360-2759
  www.USSRepublic.com
Commanding Officer
  Captain Eric L. Watts
Executive Officer
  Commander Brian Holloway

The Republiqué Volume I, Number 23, February 2010.
Published monthly by and Copyright © 2010 USS Republic NCC-1371.
Captain Eric L. Watts, Editor.

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