| CONTENTS |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
•
Friday, February 21: Valentine's
Day Lonely Hearts Dinner
• Saturday, March 1: TrekTrax
Atlanta Volunteer Staff Meeting
SAVE THESE DATES NOW: DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED
•
Saturday, March 15: Atlanta's
St. Patrick's Parade
• Saturday, April 5: TrekTrax
Atlanta Volunteer Staff Meeting
• Friday-Sunday, April 25-27:
TrekTrax Atlanta
NEWS
& ANNOUNCEMENTS
• St. Patrick's Parade: To
march, or not to march? YOU decide!
• Mike Henigan named
USS Republic's 2013 Member of the Year
• Project: Potemkin
to film "Ladies Night Out" at TXA
• Announcing the new KAG
ship in Atlanta: the IKV Resurgens
• Vice Commander, STARFLEET,
fired after less than a month
• Scotty T-Shirts still available
• Personnel Records
• Library Computer
• Recent Chapter Event Photos
SIDEBAR
• Belated January Birthdays
• December Reenlistments
• Membership Renewals
• About the Republic
• For More Information
• USS Republic Online
• Crew Roster
• News from CNN.com
— Leonard
Nimoy's pace slowed by lung disease
• News from TrekMovie.com
— Star Trek
Continues releases second episode "Lolani"
— Star Trek's
heart is in television, says Ron D. Moore
— Phase
II releases "Kitumba" as New Year's surprise
— Star Trek:
Renegades releases new two-minute teaser video
• News from TrekNews.com
— New
Star Trek fan film project
being presented to CBS |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Valentine's
Day Lonely Hearts Dinner
7:00 p.m. Friday, February 21, 2014
China Buffet Chinese Restaurant
North Decatur Square Shopping Center
2887 North Decatur Road, Decatur GA 30033
(404) 299-1303 |
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ORIGINALLY
SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14—
POSTPONED DUE TO SNOWSTORM & POWER OUTAGES
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We
had a good turnout for this event in 2010... let's
do it again!
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Single
and alone on Valentine's Day? Don't be! Make plans
now to join the USS Republic for an evening of fun
and friendship at the Republic's fourth almost-annual
Valentine's Day Lonely Hearts Dinner! This year,
we've arranged for group seating at the China Buffet Chinese
Restaurant in the North Decatur Square Shopping Center at
the southeast corner of North Decatur Road and DeKalb Industrial
Way in Decatur. The Captain has previously dined
at this 100-item buffet and recommends it! The
cost is only $8.50 for dinner plus $1.39 for a drink, so it's
quite affordable for just about everybody. Bring
a date, bring a friend, bring your spouse, bring your whole
family!
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TrekTrax
Atlanta Volunteer Staff Meeting
7:00 p.m. Saturday, March 1, 2014
Three Dollar Cafe, Jr.
Embry Village Shopping Center
3537 Chamblee Tucker Rd, Chamblee GA 30341
(770) 457-8875 |
Want to
attend TrekTrax
Atlanta, but the price of a membership is a
little out of reach? Or, want to be in the middle of
things and help out wherever you can? Good news! TrekTrax
Atlanta has vacancies and needs help in ALL departments.
Anyone and everyone who is planning or who would like to serve
as a staff volunteer at TrekTrax Atlanta is requested to attend
an important all-staff meeting on Saturday, March 1, at 7:00
p.m. at the Three Dollar Cafe, Jr., in the Embry Village Shopping
Center in Chamblee, near the I-285 and Chamblee Tucker Road
interchange. We've booked their meeting room and
they're waiting for us! A full-service menu will
be available, but dinner is optional. Visit their
web
site for more information on their offerings.
 Volunteers
may actually be assigned to multiple departments on an as-needed
basis.
We have a great convention planned for 2014 but we need YOUR
help to pull it off. At this meeting, we'll be briefing
the troops on what we already have planned, what we're still
working on and what our staffing needs are as we approach
the convention in just a few weeks.
THANK YOU for volunteering and we look forward to seeing you
on Saturday, March 1!
MAP
AND DIRECTIONS |
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NEWS
& ANNOUNCEMENTS
Atlanta's
St. Patrick's Parade: To march, or not to march? YOU
decide! |
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CLICK
IMAGE TO ENLARGE
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2009
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2010
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2012
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The USS
Republic has marched in Atlanta's St. Patrick's Parade
three times, in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Member participation
was great the first year, not as great the second year and
downright disappointing the last year... so disappointing,
in fact, that we didn't even bother in 2013. We
have the opportunity to march again this year, but your Commanding
Officer is reluctant to submit a registration application
without the assurance of a decent turnout of members. So,
it's up to you: Will you commit to marching with the USS
Republic in Atlanta's St. Patrick's Parade on Saturday,
March 15? The parade starts at noon and runs
about an hour and a half. Your Captain wants a
minimum of ten members, preferably in costume, to commit to
this event before applying (and he's willing, so we only need
nine more people to commit). The deadline to apply
is VERY SOON, so if you would like to participate,
please contact
the Captain RIGHT NOW!
For more information about Atlanta's St. Patrick's Parade,
please visit their web
site. |
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Admiral
Mike Henigan named USS Republic's 2013 Member of
the Year
|
 Since
2007, the USS Republic's annual Member of the Year
award has been presented to the one person whose contributions
and service to the chapter during the previous twelve months
exceeded those of any other member. At the Republic's
annual Holiday Party in December, Commanding Officer Capt
Eric L. Watts presented this prestigious award for
2013 to Adm Mike Henigan.
Admiral Mike is paradoxically and simultaneously one of the
Republic's oldest and newest members. He
has been a member of STARFLEET International since 1988 and
he first joined the Republic shortly after relocating
to Atlanta in 1994. He served as the Republic's
eighth commanding officer for about a year in 1998 and remained
a member in good standing until late 2006, when he transferred
to the USS DaVinci in Columbus, Georgia, just a few
months after Captain Eric's election as commanding officer
in May of that year. While on board the DaVinci,
Mike and a handful of other former members of the Republic
launched the USS Atlanta in 2007, of which he served
as commanding officer until December 2012. During those
five years, the Republic and the Atlanta coexisted
sometimes as partners, sometimes as competitors; sometimes
on good terms, sometimes... not.
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Adm
Mike Henigan and Capt Eric L. Watts appear together
on a FOX 5 Atlanta newscast about the premiere of
Star Trek Into Darkness on May 17, 2013. Click
the photo to watch the video.
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Captain
Eric and Admiral Mike first began discussing the possibility
of reuniting the two ships in 2009, but it wasn't until the
Republic's joint Holiday Party with the Atlanta
in 2011 that the two of them finally agreed to make it happen.
Captain Eric declared 2012 as the Republic's
"Year of the Phoenix" and all chapter activities during those
twelve months were planned and held jointly between the two
chapters until that year's Holiday Party, when the USS Atlanta
was officially decommissioned and her crew transferred to
the Republic. Upon the Atlanta's decommissioning,
Admiral Mike accepted the position of the Republic's
Executive Officer, and the two of them have worked as a team
ever since.
Captain Eric stated that this year's Member of the Year award
was given to Admiral Mike not so much for his service to the
Republic over the past year as it was for his 25 years
of service to STARFLEET and the noble sacrifice of his own
chapter one year ago in order to help bring peace, harmony
and reunification to STARFLEET fandom in Atlanta.
Congratulations to Admiral Mike Henigan on this well-deserved
award! |
| Hyperspace
and Go, Robo! Go! to perform at TrekTrax Atlanta |
TrekTrax
Atlanta
is pleased to announce that Hyperspace and Go, Robo!
Go! will perform as part of our "Saturday Night Live Music"
concert block on April 26.
Formed
in September 2011, Hyperspace
is a nerdy pop punk band from Atlanta comprised of Jason
Kochis (guitar, vocals), Ryan Paul (drums, backing
vocals, brony advocate) and Todd Ensworth (bass, backing
vocals). The band mixes punk, distorted guitars and
catchy songs to create their own brand of pop punk. Their
songs tend to be about girls (with or without glasses), Star
Wars, Dragon*Con, comic books and other nerdy stuff.
Go,
Robo! Go! is a post-pop/nerd rock band hailing from
Atlanta comprised of Matt Nix (vocals, guitar), Joe
Dolan (bass, vocals) and Chris Preziotti (drums).
Since 2007, the group has been collectively entertaining
audiences with their blend of catchy rock and roll and undeniable
good looks. With lyrics that draw inspiration from tentacle
monsters, apocalyptic scripture, gay romance in the 1800s
and demon possession—and a sound that combines new-age
electronics and programming with old-school, fiery guitar-driven
rock—the band touts a catalog that is equally as dynamic
as their energetic, critically acclaimed live show. Celebrating
the release of their new EP, Still Unprofessional,
the band is looking forward to a year of giant explosions
and uncomfortable noises.
TrekTrax
Atlanta will be held April 25-27 at the Atlanta
Marriott Northwest at Galleria hotel. The convention
features Arlene Martel (T'Pring from Star Trek
"Amok Time"), Felix Silla (Twiki from Buck Rogers
in the 25th Century and Retah from Star Wars VI: Return
of the Jedi), Jeremy Roberts (Lt. Cmdr Dimitri
Valtane from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
and Star Trek: Voyager "Flashback") and Keith
R. A. DeCandido as our celebrity guests, two tracks of
programming, many special events and activities, plus a dealers
room, gaming room, video programming, con suite and much more. Visit
the web
site for more information and to purchase your membership
today! |
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Project:
Potemkin to film "Ladies Night Out" at TrekTrax
Atlanta
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TrekTrax
Atlanta
is pleased to announce that Project:
Potemkin will be filming another vignette for
their web-based Star Trek series during the convention
on Saturday night, April 26. Project: Potemkin
filmed "Closing
Time" at the 2013 TrekTrax Atlanta and had so much
fun doing it, they're doing it again!
"Ladies Night Out" will feature the talents of Renda Carr
as Dr. Maura Drake, Abby Evans as Lt. Tyler Landon,
Leslie Lewis as Lt. Seren and Christin Woods
as Ensign T'Noshi. The script was written by David
Eversole and Randall Landers. To be filmed,
directed and edited by Landers, this production will be shown
at TrekTrax Atlanta and released online the same weekend. Any
attending member of TrekTrax Atlanta who has a Star Trek
movie-era Starfleet costume (a "monster maroon,"
as they're often called) has a very good chance of being included
in the filming, most likely as an extra; please contact
Randall Landers and let him know of your availability.
Project: Potemkin is southwest Georgia's Star Trek
fan film series, having 14 productions online, with another
13 scheduled to be released through the next year. Set
after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,
the cast is comprised of professional, amateur and student
actors from throughout the Albany, Georgia, area. The
stories range in duration from five minutes to an hour in
length. Most are short, sweet and to the point, and
many evoke the tone of Star Trek, The Twilight Zone
and even The Outer Limits.
Join the cast and crew of Project: Potemkin in their
panel presentations for sneak previews of forthcoming productions
and visit them at their fan table where you can make a donation
and take your choice of DVDs.
TrekTrax
Atlanta
will be held April 25-27 at the Atlanta Marriott Northwest
at Galleria hotel. The convention features Arlene
Martel (T'Pring from Star Trek "Amok Time"), Felix
Silla (Twiki from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
and Retah from Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi), Jeremy
Roberts (Lt. Cmdr Dimitri Valtane from Star Trek VI:
The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek: Voyager
"Flashback") and Keith R. A. DeCandido as
our celebrity guests, two tracks of programming, many special
events and activities, plus a dealers room, gaming room, video
programming, con suite and much more. Visit the
web
site for more information and to purchase your membership
today! |
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Announcing
the new KAG ship in Atlanta: the IKV Resurgens
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USS
Republic
Commanding Officer Capt Eric L. Watts made the formal
announcement at the Republic's Holiday Party in December
and the following "Special Report" was published
in the Winter 2013 issue of the Klingon
Assault Group's quarterly newsletter, Mindscanner,
a few days later.
Once
upon a time, the Atlanta area was a hotbed of Klingon activity:
the KPV Arrow QeyHa' (Atlanta), the IKAV Battle
Fury (Decatur), the IKV Defiant Blade (Union City),
the KPV Eagles Talon (Snellville), the IKAV Fek'lhr's
Fury (Woodstock), the IKAV Nemesis (Lawrenceville),
the IKAV QIbtaj (Lawrenceville), the IKV Saman qo'
(Marietta), the IKV Talon's Revenge (Smyrna) and probably
others whose names and adventures have been lost to the ages.
To the best of my knowledge, only two of these ships—Fek'lhr's
Fury and Nemesis—still officially exist, although
sadly, neither of them have been active in any meaningful
way in several years, with the latter having been recently
declared "in drydock" by the current commanding officer.
I, personally, think this is a terrible shame. The Klingon
Assault Group has a long and proud history of activity and
community service in this, the largest city in the southeast,
and I, personally, believe that something should be done to
restore the pride and presence of KAG in the city of Atlanta.
I, personally, believe that I am the person to take
on that challenge.
In 1864,
in the midst of the Civil War, Union Army General William
T. Sherman's troops captured the city of Atlanta and burned
much of it to the ground. Twenty-three years later,
in 1887, after much of the city had been rebuilt and established
as the economic center of the "New South," the Atlanta city
government created and adopted a new city seal incorporating
the mythical phoenix and the motto "Resurgens," which is Latin
for "resurrection" or "rising again."
With this in mind, I am pleased and excited to announce the
formation of the IKV Resurgens.
It is my intent and goal to stoke the embers of a dying KAG
in Atlanta and, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, rebuild
and restore a meaningful Klingon presence in this city.
My service to Star Trek fandom is already well-known
to most people who know me personally. For those who
don't, I was the founder and president of the United Federation
of Trekkers in Columbia, South Carolina, from 1980 to 1988.
I was also Dragon*Con's Director of Star Trek
Programming from 1993 to 2009 and have been the commanding
officer of the USS Republic (SFI) since 2006. I
am the founder and chairman of TrekTrax Atlanta, the Star
Trek convention in Atlanta, as well as the creator, producer
and host of the world-famous Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant.
I have been a member of the Klingon Assault Group since
2005 and until now was assigned to the Nemesis. I
played the Klingon bartender in the Project: Potemkin
vignette "Closing Time" and appeared as a Klingon in the YouTube
music video "We Are Klingon."
I believe that I am well-qualified to take on the challenge
of launching a successful new KAG ship in Atlanta and I am
pleased to already have the support of Dark Moon Fleet Deputy
Fleet Commander IXL Colonel Keela zantai-Septaric (Leila
McMichael), Dark Moon Fleet Commander Admiral Kolex zantai-QIHqem
(Darren Carter) and Thought Admiral Krikor epetai-jechwI'
(Krikor Ajemian) in this endeavor.
The events and activities that the IKV Resurgens will
participate in in the months and years ahead will be decided
by its crew, which is in the process of being assembled. I
expect that the Resurgens crew will likely be most
interested in community service activities and high-profile
events, and the first such events that might be considered
are the annual St. Patrick's Parade in March and a presence
at TrekTrax Atlanta in April. Other events and activities
after that time (or even possibly before) can and will be
considered, but before that can happen, we must actually have
a crew. With that in mind, I invite you to join me on
this exciting new journey aboard this brand new ship. If
you are already a member of KAG and would like to join or
transfer to the Resurgens, let me know and I will send
you an invitation to join the Resurgens' members-only
Facebook group, which has been created but is currently designated
as "secret."
That page will go public upon the completion of some paperwork
required by KAG for official recognition, and I am currently
working with Dark Phoenix Quadrant Commander Marine Lt. Col.
HoS duqwI' sutai-DevnoH (Chris Jones) towards that
goal. Once that is done, the IKV Resurgens will
be a member of the Dark Phoenix Quadrant  (Tennessee,
Georgia, Alabama and Florida) of the Dark Moon Fleet (eastern
United States) of KAG.
For the glory of the Empire... Q'pla!
Lt. Korgoth vestai-LaMarr (Eric L. Watts)
Commanding Officer, IKV Resurgens
TrekBearGA@aol.com
As of February 9, the crew of the IKV Resurgens
also includes Andrea Benton, Mike Henigan, Karen
Neal and Dustin Strobel. If you would
like to join the Resurgens, please contact Korgoth.
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Vice
Commander, STARFLEET, fired after less than a month on the
job
|
 As
reported in the November 2013 issue of The
Republiqué, Admiral Wayne Lee Killough,
Jr. and Commodore Reed Bates were elected Commander
and Vice Commander of STARFLEET, respectively, with their
terms of office to begin on January 1, 2014. The
following announcement was posted on the Region 2 Facebook
page on January 24:
Dear Members:
As you are all aware, STARFLEET is not just a fan club...
but a corporation that must be handled professionally. The
running of this organization depends on leadership styles
meshing and the leaders working together as a unit. Sometimes,
this works out and the leadership grows together. Sometimes,
sadly, it is apparent that there must be a change made for
the greater good of the organization. As the line goes,
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...
or the one."
In life, we are faced with situations to where our hearts
and our heads do not agree. I would love to be able
to always follow my heart... but that is not what you, the
membership, elected me to do. You elected me to use
my head and to ensure this organization is run to the best
of my abilities. That being said, it is my duty to notify
you that a change is being made within the Executive Committee
[EC].
This change is not being done lightly. Several weeks
have been spent weighing this issue and asking, "What
is best for STARFLEET?" After discussing this situation
(one that has been growing for quite some time) with the rest
of the EC, I feel this is the best decision for STARFLEET
itself.
Effective immediately, Commodore Reed Bates has been relieved
of her duties as Vice Commander, STARFLEET. Issues arose
prior to taking office, and more have occurred since. I
feel for my team to work together, we must have trust in each
other and our abilities to better [serve] Fleet as an organization.
Sadly, at this time, we do not have that feeling with
Reed.
I wish the best for Reed in her future endeavors. I
want to personally thank her for her service to this organization
and its members.
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Commodore
Reed Bates
(left) and Admiral Wayne Killough (right) munch down
on "a plate full of warm, homemade cookies"
during their 2013 campaign for Commander and Vice
Commander, STARFLEET
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The
position of Vice Commander, STARFLEET is one that must be
confirmed by the Admiralty Board. Once this confirmation
has been secured, I will make an announcement on the new VCS.
Until that time, Admiral Robert Westfall, as
next in the order of succession, will assist me in handling
all duties that would normally fall to the Vice Commander.
In Service,
Fleet Admiral Wayne Lee Killough, Jr., SFMD
Commander, STARFLEET
As of February 9, no additional information about this
matter has been posted to the Region 2 Facebook page. |
| Scotty
T-Shirts still available |
|
This stunning
and dramatic portrait of everyone's favorite chief engineer
is available on a high-quality 50/50 polycot t-shirt. This
exclusive, limited edition t-shirt is available only from
TrekTrax
Atlanta,
only in black and only in sizes Medium to 3XL for only $20
postpaid. Visit the TrekTrax Atlanta web
site and click the Merchandise button to order.
Please allow five business days for delivery. This
collector's item is offered as a fundraiser for TrekTrax Atlanta.
Thank you! |
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Personnel
Records
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 STARFLEET
Academy is a special collection of correspondence courses
available to every STARFLEET member. Over 60 Academy
Colleges offer courses spanning all aspects of Star
Trek and science fiction; some courses even cover non-sci-fi
real world topics. Each college offers dozens of different
courses at varying levels of challenge from super-easy to
really hard. In total, there are nearly 1,000 different
courses available. Take
a course today!
Something
special going on in your life? Submit
your Personnel Record for publication in the next
issue of The Republiqué!
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Library
Computer
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE |
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William
Shatner and Leonard Nimoy on location in full costume before
or between scenes look at Mad magazine issue #115
from December 1967. This issue contained the Star
Trek parody "Star Blecch." The term would be used
repeatedly in following Mad parodies (i.e.,Star Blecch
III: The Search for Plot, Star Blecch: The Next Degradation,
Star Blecch: Voyeur, Star Blecch: Worst Contact, and so
on). This shot was probably taken during the filming
of "A Private Little War."
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Recent
Chapter Event Photos
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE |
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USS
Republic Holiday Party || December
21, 2013
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Adm
Kelly S. Hilliard, XO Adm Mike Henigan, CO Capt Eric L.
Watts, ENS2 Tracey S. Harwell, CDT Zarena Nova Tucker, ENS3
Richard Tucker, ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker and Ens Chris Jones.
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A
Honeybaked™ spiral ham, fried chicken, green bean casserole,
macaroni and cheese, stuffing, fresh veggies and more were
among the many delicious dishes served at the Republic's
holiday dinner.
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USS
Republic
CO Capt Eric L. Watts gives a low-key State of the Chapter
address which establishes a new direction of member-driven
events and activities for 2014 that do not have to be scheduled
around his work schedule and do not require his attendance.
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BELATED
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
Wednesday, January 8
Ens Tov B. Brog
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MEMBER
REENLISTMENTS
These members renewed their memberships
in December. Thank you!
ENS1 Nelson M. Barnhouse
ENS1 Renardo Hunter
ENS2 Tracy O'Quinn
ENS2 Richard Tucker
ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker
CDT Zarena Nova Tucker
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MEMBERSHIP
RENEWALS
These members' dues expire in February and March. Please
renew now!
Lt. Katherine E. Cline
ENS1 Edward L. ("Eddie") Hines
Lt JG Robert Louis Simon
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ABOUT
THE REPUBLIC
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The
USS Republic NCC-1371 was originally commissioned
as a chapter of STARFLEET International on May 14, 1988,
at the Dixie-Trek convention in Atlanta, Georgia. As
of February 5, 2014, the Republic crew includes 38
members who are active members of STARFLEET in good
standing.
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The
Republic plans and coordinates an active schedule
of events for its members, but does not hold meetings
on a consistently fixed date each month.
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Because
the USS Republic is a duly commissioned chapter
of STARFLEET International and is bound and governed by
its Constitution and By-Laws, membership in STARFLEET
is a prerequisite for membership in the Republic. Combined
annual dues for both groups are $25 per person and is
collected by the chapter (family discounts are available
with certain conditions and restrictions). Membership
in the Republic includes access to our YahooGroups
message board, voting privileges in chapter elections
and additional privileges that occasionally become available.
Additional information on Republic membership
and how to join or reenlist is on our award-winning web
site.
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FOR
MORE INFORMATION
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USS
REPUBLIC ONLINE
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CREW
ROSTER
AS OF FEBRUARY 5, 2013
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Crmn Eliya Brog
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CDT
Zarena Nova Tucker
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NEWS
from
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| Leonard
Nimoy's pace slowed by lung disease |
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By
Tom Watkins
February 7, 2014
|
| (CNN)
-- The man who dared to boldly go where no one had gone
before has revealed that he can't go as many places as he
used to. |
| "I'm
doing OK," Leonard Nimoy tweeted Friday. "Just can't
walk distances. Love my life, family, friends and
followers." |
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Nimoy
announced last week that he has been diagnosed with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—30 years after
having given up cigarettes.
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LEONARD
NIMOY
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"Not
soon enough," tweeted the 82-year-old actor and director
who played Spock, the half-human science officer aboard
the Starship Enterprise from 1966 to 1969 on the
TV series Star Trek and in movies during the decades
since. "I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit
now!!! LLAP."
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| Nimoy,
who told an interviewer last year that he flunked chemistry
in high school, may not have grasped the long-term risks
associated with smoking, but his announcement is not surprising,
said Dr. Richard Casaburi, a pulmonologist at Los Angeles
Biomedical Research Institute in Torrance, California. |
| Smoking
could very well be responsible for the appearance of symptoms
of COPD decades after quitting, because it is a progressive
disease and lung function declines with age, said Casaburi,
who is not involved with Nimoy's treatment. |
| COPD
is the third-leading cause of death in the United States—after
heart disease and cancer—and smoking is responsible
for the vast majority of cases, he said. |
| Some
12 million people in the United States have been diagnosed
with the disease, and perhaps another 12 million have it,
but don't know it, he said, adding that about 30% of people
who smoke will get clinically significant COPD. "The
mystery really is why everybody doesn't get it." |
| Initial
symptoms can include cough, sputum production and shortness
of breath, especially on exertion, which limits their activity. |
| But
medications typically can ease the symptoms, he said. "It's
a disease of the older person, but the damage is started
when they're young." |
| Though
smoking rates have declined in the United States in recent
years, COPD takes years to develop, so the incidence is
rising, said the 66-year-old doctor. "We're now seeing
the results of people my age who started smoking in the
1960s and now are reaping the consequences." |
| He
predicted the incidence will decline sharply over the next
20 to 30 years. |
| More
severe symptoms can require oxygen therapy and may lead
to pneumonia and heart failure, said Dr. Norman Edelman,
senior medical consultant to the American Lung Association. |
| He
praised Nimoy for his announcement and his admonition to
stay away from tobacco. "We're delighted," Edelman
said in a telephone interview. "The more people speak
out, the more ammunition we have to fight—for not only
smoking cessation but for research that will lead to better
treatment of COPD." |
| Funding
has been limited by the belief among some that patients
have only themselves to blame, a point of view that is unfair,
he said. "These people deserve the best treatment
that we can provide," he said, adding that most smokers
take up the habit before they are adults. |
| But
Nimoy's illness has not interfered with his goal of living
long and prospering. In 2010, life expectancy at birth
for someone born in the United States reached 78.7, and
Nimoy, who is 82, appears to be continuing to prosper, too.
"Just taped my comments for Star Trek Fest
to be aired on EPIX Feb. 16th," he wrote. "Still
enjoying my life. LLAP." |
|
|
NEWS
from
|
|
|
| Star
Trek Continues releases second episode "Lolani" |
|
By
Brian Drew
February 9, 2014
|
| The
fan production Star Trek Continues will premiere
its second installment this weekend. Star Trek
Continues, a TOS-era production, made a splash last
year when it released its first episode, "Pilgrim of Eternity"—a
sequel to the second season TOS episode "Who Mourns for
Adonais?", which featured the return of actor Michael Forest
as Apollo. The second episode, "Lolani," which was
crowd-funded as part of a successful Kickstarter campaign
last fall, debuted before a live audience Saturday night
at the Dallas Sci-Fi Expo, and has now been made available
online. |
| "Lolani"
features appearances by two longtime genre favorites. Lou
Ferrigno (yes, THE Lou Ferrigno), whom many fans remember
fondly as The Incredible Hulk, will be playing an unspecified
role. Erin Gray, known to many fans as Colonel Wilma
Deering in the 1979 television revival of Buck Rogers
in the 25th Century, will be playing Commodore Gray. |
|
|
|
LOU
FERRIGNO
|
| The
series stars voice actor Vic Mignogna (who is also executive
producer) as Captain Kirk, voice actor Todd Haberkorn as
Mr. Spock, Trek author Larry Nemecek as Dr. McCoy,
Chris Doohan as Scotty, Mythbusters' Grant Imahara
as Sulu, Kim Stinger as Uhura, Michele Specht as Dr. McKennah
and Steven Dengler as Drake. |
| After
a successful run on Kickstarter, Star Trek Continues
has been funded for another three episodes. More
information about the production, which includes several
video vignettes, can be found at startrekcontinues.com. |
|
|
Star Trek's heart is in television, says Ron D. Moore |
|
By
Matt Wright
February 5, 2014
|
| The
web site Digital Spy recently caught up with Ron D. Moore
to interview him about his new SyFy Channel show Helix. They
couldn't help but talk a little Trek with him. |
|
|
|
RON
D. MOORE
|
| I
think its home and its heart is really in television. That's
really what Star
Trek
is—the core concept is really a TV show. |
| I
think the features are good and I really admire what J.
J. Abrams has done with the last two films—I think
it's great—but the heart and soul of that franchise
demands a return to television. |
| The
kinds of stories that you'll tell in the features are not
the kinds of stories that made that show so popular. The
features all have to be action-oriented. |
| The
TV shows were morality plays... they were more thematic,
they were examining society in different ways. Sometimes
the stakes were just one crew member's life, sometimes the
stakes were just one alien world, or the Enterprise. |
| On
bringing Trek back to TV: |
| The
TV show is really what Star Trek is to me. I think
the features are great, but I think it has to return to
TV if it's going to remain an ongoing franchise. |
| On
being the one to relaunch Trek on TV: |
| I'd
love to do Star Trek again, in all honesty, but I
also don't have a great new Star Trek idea. I'm
not saying I know exactly how to do a new TV show—I
don't. Maybe I shouldn't do it until I have that
great epiphany! |
|
|
Star
Trek: Phase II releases "Kitumba" as New Year's
surprise |
|
By
Matt Wright
January 5, 2014
|
| Star
Trek: Phase II (formerly New Voyages), the long-running
fan film project, has released its newest episode, titled
"Kitumba." This is a Klingon-centric episode that
was developed from an original 1977 Phase II script,
when TOS was going to be relaunched as an updated TV series. |
|
|
| Originally
a two-part story draft for the Star Trek: Phase II
TV series in 1977, it was rewritten into a one-part episode
for this production. A good deal of the episode takes
place on Qo'nos, the Klingon homeworld, which was shot on
location at Fort Ticonderoga, New York, and at a local restaurant. Members
of the International Klingon Federation helped out with
the location shoots. |
| The
Phase II team is busy cranking out more episodes. Their
next episode, "The Holiest Thing," is due out in February.
And there are two more episodes at various stages
in the production pipeline after it. "Kitumba" is
the last episode in front of the camera for the founder
of the project, James Cawley. He will be replaced
by professional actor Brian Gross starting with the next
episode due out in February. |
| More
information on "Kitumba" and alternate viewing/downloading
links, including versions with subtitles, can
be found here. |
|
|
Star Trek: Renegades releases new two-minute teaser
video |
|
By
Matt Wright
December 27, 2013
|
| Fan
production Star Trek: Renegades has released a new
two-minute preview video. Renegades is
from the same group that made the incredibly popular TOS-era
fan film Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. The production
has multiple Trek alums involved as well as other
familiar names from sci-fi TV and movies. Walter
Koenig, Tim Russ (also directing), Robert Picardo, Gary
Graham (Soval in Star Trek: Enterprise), Sean Young
(Blade Runner), Manu Intiraymi (Icheb in Star
Trek: Voyager) and quite a few more. It is expected
to be completed by Summer 2014. |
|
|
|
WALTER
KOENIG
|
| It
is ten years after Voyager's return from the Delta
Quadrant, and the Federation is in a crisis. The Federation's
main suppliers of dilithium crystals are disappearing. Space
and time have folded around several planets, effectively
isolating them from any contact with outside worlds. And
this phenomenon is not natural—someone or something
is causing this to happen. This necessitates drastic
measures; some of which are outside the Federation's normal
jurisdiction. For this, Admiral Pavel Chekov,
head of Starfleet Intelligence, turns to Commander Tuvok,
Voyager's former security officer and current head
of the newly reorganized Section 31. Tuvok must
put together a new covert, renegade crew—mostly outcasts
and rogues—even criminals. This new crew is tasked
with finding out what is causing the folding of time and
space, and stopping it—at all costs. But will
they be able to put aside their differences and stop trying
to kill one another in time to accomplish their mission? |
| Click
here to see the new trailer. |
|
|
NEWS
from
|
|
| New
film project being presented to CBS: Star Trek Equinox:
The Night of Time |
|
By
Brian Wilkins
January 1, 2014
|
|
A
new independent Star Trek film project is currently
in production. Starring Voyager‘s John
Savage ("Equinox" Parts I and II) as Captain
Rudy Ransom, Gary Lockwood reprising his TOS "Where
No Man Has Gone Before" role as Gary Mitchell, and
Blanca Blanco as Lt. Cmdr. T'Lexa, Star Trek Equinox:
The Night of Time is written by Camren T. Burton and
John Savage.
|
|
|
|
JOHN
SAVAGE, GARY LOCKWOOD, BLANCA BLANCO
|
|
The
filmmakers plan to present the film to CBS in the next
year, as a pilot for a potential television series.
|
| Also
attached to the project is veteran special effects makeup
artist, film and model maker, VFX artist Steve Neill. |
| Additionally,
TMZ is reporting that former WWE wrestler and announcer
Matt Striker has just signed on to play the part of a Rumulan
Commander. |
| The
IMDB synopsis of the film reads: |
| Fifteen
years after the destruction of the USS Equinox (approximate
stardate 2393), Captain Rudy Ransom, who was beamed from
his doomed ship by the Krotownans, is held prisoner in the
Delta Quadrant for crimes against the race including trespassing
in Krowtownan space and the deaths of Krowtown crew members. Captain
Ransom has very few choices, but one chance to return to
the Alpha Quadrant some 30.000 light years away. |
|
|
|
