THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9509010179
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Chatterbox is a not-quite-newsy look behind the scenes from City Hall to City Park.
BACK IN CALIFORNIA - Tommy Newsom, a Portsmouth native who played saxophone on the ``Tonight'' show for a long time, is back in California this weekend.
Newsom came home to Portsmouth to live this year after spending many years on the West Coast.
A stalwart in the Los Angeles Jazz Festival since its inception some time ago, he returned for the 1995 edition, where he'll play alongside another Portsmouth born musician, Mahlon Clark.
PORTSMOUTH POETRY - Mary Paulding Murdaugh Martin's new collection of poetry has been called ``autobiography in prime rhyme.''
It encompasses everything about her life from growing up in Portsmouth to politicians in Baltimore, where she has lived for the past 45 years.
In a recent Baltimore Sun interview, Martin turned away a reporter's question about age with a quote from her grandmother: ``My grandmother said that was a question one never asked a lady and a question no lady ever answered.''
She is the widow of Hugh McDonald Martin, an architect.
Her book, ``Verses from My Marble Steps,'' was designed by her son-in-law, Robert R. Anderson, and the illustrations were done by her daughter, Rebecca.
The book sells for $15 and the proceeds will go to charity.
IT'S A BOAT - The city has leased berthing at the old Coast Guard base south of City Hall to Rainbow Hope, a small freighter ship.
The ship is paying $4,000 a month rent with payment due in advance.
HARD SELL - A River Shore Road resident says Portsmouth needs to ``improve its image'' with projects like the proposed Hoffler Creek wildlife refuge.
David Horen said he placed an ad to sell a car and received some 30 calls about it.
``But I couldn't get any of them to come to Portsmouth,'' he said.
Ultimately, Horen had to drive the car to Virginia Beach to sell it, he said.
Educational projects such as the one proposed in his neighborhood could make a difference, he said. by CNB