About Williamsburg County, VA

Colonial Williamsburg SALUTES MILITARY SERVICE ON VETERANS DAY, NOVEMBER 11

Colonial Williamsburg honors the sacrifices and dedication of United States veterans,

active military personnel and their families during special Veterans Day programs on

Tuesday, November 11.

On Veterans Day, a military parade honoring America's veterans will be held at 4:30 p.m. and will begin at the Capitol. All veterans of service in America's armed forces are invited to participate in the parade. Groups will begin forming at 4:15 p.m. A ceremony will follow the parade at the Courthouse on Market Square. Colonial Williamsburg's militia and cannon crew will fire volleys in honor of those who have served in America's forces.

Colonial Williamsburg's Fifes and Drums will perform tunes as a salute to the veterans. As part of the tribute, Colonial Williamsburg offers special complimentary admission passes to active duty military, Reservists, retirees, veterans and their families from November 7 through 11, 2008.

Colonial Williamsburg's Golden Horseshoe Golf Club invites military golfers to enjoy special rates when they play. The discounted rates on the Green Course are offered as the Military Appreciation Golf Special to honor our country's service men and women. The Golden Horseshoe is part of Colonial Williamsburg's Resort Collection located adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area.

Through Nov. 24, members of the military may play the Green Course Mondays - Thursdays for $39, ( normally $79 a day) and Fridays - Sundays for $49. Nov. 25, 2008 - March 31, 2009, service members may play a round of golf for only $35 Mondays - Thursdays, and $45 on Fridays - Sundays. Special rates available any time Monday through Thursday and after 11 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Price per person includes 18 holes of golf, cart and green fees. The special is valid for up to four people and not available to groups. Tee times may be booked up to five days in advance. Subject to availability, and course operating schedules may vary.

Call 1-800-648-6653 or (757) 220-7696 for tee times or to inquire about special rates available for the Gold Course.

Recent awards for this course include :

America's Top Golf Courses," Zagat Survey®, Gold and Green Courses (2007, 2005, 2003)

Four and ½ Stars," Green Course, Best Places to Play, Golf Digest (2006)

Platinum Places: The World's Best Golf Destinations; Best Resorts for Family Foursomes," Golf Odyssey: The Insider's Guide to Sophisticated Golf Travel (2007 - 2008)

Many people start their tour of Colonial Williamsburg at the wonderful and interactive Visitor Center, or if you are more adventurous, like myself and already have a background in history, try driving directly into Historic Williamsburg and do some exploring on your own. Be prepared for large groups most times of the year including LARGE groups of children. Below are a few images taken on a recent excursion to Williamsburg.

Below is The Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds. This building was the first devoted solely to the treatment of mental illness in the new world. The first patient was admitted October 12, 1773. The architecture of the building matches closely the Wren Building at the nearby College of William and Mary.

Among the many period reproductions of 18th century colonial transportation is the example below of a traveling coach used by wealthy residents of Williamsburg.

Upon it's completion in 1722, The Governor's Palace was considered one of the finest homes in Colonial America. It has been home to seven Royal Governor's, Patrick Henry and also Thomas Jefferson until the Capitol was moved to Richmond. The Palace has also served as a hospital twice during The Revolutionary War. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1781. The Restoration below was completed in 1934.

Fall is a wonderful time to visit Colonial Williamsburg, wood smoke is in the air, the leaves are changing and you can almost picture what our nation must have been like some 300 years ago.

As the closing date for InBev $52 billion takeover of Anheuser-Busch ( The developer of Kingsmill and Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA) nears, some investors fear they may be forced to renegotiate or even shelve the debt-financed deal to create the world's largest brewer.

A banking industry meltdown and corresponding market volatility has already caused the Belgium-based brewer to postpone a $13.4 billion rights issue it planned in connection with the deal. Analysts say there could be more changes in store.

Some possibilities include offering a stock component in return for Anheuser shares, instead of the current cash deal terms, as well as trying to persuade Anheuser Busch to accept a lower deal price as tumbling stock markets wipe out trillions of dollars of assets worldwide.

"Could the purchase of Anheuser Busch be delayed ? Could the purchase be restructured? Inbev has repeated stated that it still expects the deal to close by the end of the year.

InBev, which makes Stella Artois Beer and Beck's Beer, has repeatedly said the deal remains on track. But Anheuser's shares have remained well below the $70 deal price, proving at least some investors are skeptical.

Considering what's happened with the financial meltdown, it's just a really serious situation. If they are able to close a deal at the current terms, they're going to be handicapped for years. It's very much in their interest to try to renegotiate."

InBev planned to take a $45 billion jumbo loan to finance the deal, along with other debt.

Lenders signed up for a first round of funding in August, but a second round of loan syndication has been going more slowly in recent weeks due to the global financial crisis, sources told Reuters.

Other analysts agree that InBev's offer now values the U.S. maker of Budweiser and Michelob too highly, especially if consumers worldwide are less likely to open a cold one.

In a recent example, private equity buyers of radio station operator Clear Channel Communications negotiated a lower deal price in May after debt financing costs surged and their lenders balked at the transaction. That was before a wider financial crisis erupted in September.

InBev could also renegotiate the deal so some or all of it could be paid in InBev shares, rather than cash, she said.

Anheuser Busch shares fell further Friday ( closing at $56.93) and traded nearly 20% below the proposed price of the InBev NV acquisition amid continued jitters about the deal, while InBev said it was committed to the acquisition at the agreed-upon terms. On the other hand, Anheuser shares are up more than 10% from where they were in May before merger speculation sent them soaring. The two companies formally agreed on a deal in July.

Without a pending deal, some analysts feel that Anheuser shares would trade in the mid-$30s.

Another needle in InBev's side is Mexico's Grupo Modelo, which is half-owned by Anheuser.

Modelo, which makes Corona, has begun arbitration against Anheuser, claiming Anheuser did not consult it about the deal, even though Modelo has a right to choose its partner.

Anheuser and InBev have both said Modelo's claims lacked merit and would not interrupt the deal. A Modelo spokeswoman said that for now, the brewer just wants its rights to be respected.

The companies are facing other complications to the deal. InBev recently said "unprecedented volatility" in capital markets has forced the company to delay raising new equity that was intended to help fund the deal. At that time the company said it still expected to complete the purchase by the end of the year and instead of raising equity, the company would rely on a bridge loan, which expires six months after the deal closes.

Traders also point to other factors in play. One arbitrage trader said many investors are selling stocks such as Anheuser-Busch simply because they need the cash.

A panel discussion on The Wall Street collapse, bailout and worldwide repercussions is free and open to the public. It will be held at the College of William and Mary in an attempt to put the current worldwide economic crisis into context. Tonight Oct 15th at 6pm. Moderated by Professor Dick Ash in the auditorium in the William and Mary Office of Admission.

Parking is available in the big lot (known as the "plant lot") behind the Campus Center.

The fiscal rescue plan passed by Congress in recent weeks has, thus far, failed to calm jittery financial markets. William and Mary Law Professor Eric Kades says the bailout might not be the only option.

"The legal system may have failed us here," Kades said in a recent interview. "One of the best ways to maintain incentives and deal with these financial difficulties is to run these companies through bankruptcy quite quickly."

Kades will take part in a panel discussion of the crisis Wed., Oct. 15 on the William and Mary campus. Other panelist will include John Merrick, Richard S. Reynolds associate professor of business and John Boschen, Brinkley-Mason professor, Mason School of Business; and Till Schreiber, assistant professor of economics, College of William and Mary. Dick Ash, clinical professor of entrepreneurship and private equity at the Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary will serve as moderator.

The forum will feature a discussion about the current financial situation and thoughts for the future. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the auditorium in the William and Mary Office of Admission. It is free and open to the public.

A former venture capitalist, Professor Ash serves on boards of companies that are trying to deal with the fallout from the credit crunch and stock collapse.

He says it's important for people to try to understand why the "crisis of confidence" happened in the first place.

"Everybody wants to know what happened, how's it going to affect me, my children and my grandchildren," Ash says. "We're trying to give people as much information as we can, so people can plan their futures."

Ash says the problems on Wall Street became a self-fulfilling prophesy, because many people had no idea such a large credit headache was looming and panicked when the news became public. "One of the problems that Wall Street has had is a lack of communication about what's been happening."

Ash says that's one of the reasons for the panel. He says citizens need to ask questions, and companies need to be eager to provide answers.

The panel will include John Merrick, Richard Reynolds and John Boschen from the Mason School of Business; Eric Kades, vice dean of the School of Law; and Till Schreiber of the College's department of economics.

Ash says the goal of the forum is for attendees to take away a non-partisan analysis of the crisis, and specific facts about why it happened, and how things might improve.

You can also see a live feed of the forum here