Buzz Issue Feb/March 2019

Business owners speak up on downtown parking plan Pages 8-9

MARCH 2019 • THE CSRA’S MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE

The Columbia County Performing Arts Center (foreground) is now under construction across from Evans Towne Center Park. The Plaza at Evans Towne Center (background) opened last fall. It is home to Meybohm Real Estate and is expected to include restaurant and retail space. The area is envisioned as a downtown for Evans. Photo by Gary Kauffman

A TRUE DOWNTOWN

AMBITIOUS VISION FOR EVANS TOWNE CENTER TAKING SHAPE

By Witt Wells Tammy Shepherd, president and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, can tell you all about Columbia County, from the area’s history to exactly where on Belair Road she boarded her horse when she was growing up.

But Columbia County is a young county. While it was technically founded in 1790, the area’s rapid commercial and residential development is a recent phenomenon. The center of Evans doesn’t have the deeply historical infrastructure that one would find in downtown Augusta, for example.

Columbia County’s solution? Build a “downtown” Evans from the ground up.

The new downtown is already well underway across the street from the Lady A Pavilion.

The Plaza at Evans Towne Center officially opened last fall, and Meybohm Real Estate occupies the majority of two of the four floors. The rest of the 59,000-squarefoot building (Meybohm occupies around 16,000 square feet) has yet to be developed and is being planned for restaurant and retail space.

The first floor, in addition to housing Meybohm, will contain a restaurant suite and professional suite. The second floor

contains the main lobby, restaurant suites and retails suites. The third floor contains Meybohm’s offices and a professional office suite.

The top floor contains an event and restaurant space and a rooftop veranda, which has space for about 300 people and will be available for lease, private parties and other functions.

“It can do nothing but enhance our business,” said Grey Meybohm, sales manager for Meybohm’s Columbia County office. “Great things to come.”

The tenants for those spaces have not yet been solidified.

“It is fabulous to have Class A office

THE

space and mixed-use, whether it’s professional business, retail,” Shepherd said.

“And, of course, future plans to have some type of residential facilities there as well.

Because we need that synergy with businesses coming together.”

Shepherd said she would love to see a cyber contractor move into the facility.

“Something in the professional services, something that keeps that talent in our community versus going outside the county,” she said.

East of the plaza will be the new Columbia County Performing Arts Center, See EVANS on Page 2

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The Plaza at Evans Towne Center opened last fall, and Meybohm Real Estate occupies the majority of two of its four floors. The rest of the 59,000-square-foot building (Meybohm occupies about 16,000 square feet) is not yet developed. Photo by Witt Wells

Continued from Page 1 which is currently under construction.

It is set for completion in around 16 months, Meybohm said.

The 84,000-square-foot performing arts center will have around 2,200 seats across three levels, including two balconies. It will also include box seats and a concessions area.

Broadway plays, concerts and a variety of musical acts will be possible at the new $31 million facility.

“We hope to be part of something, to be on the leading edge of something that’s truly very unique as far as what the county’s vision is,” Meybohm said. “We’re very proud of that.”

The performing arts center is far from the end of the planned downtown Evans development. The construction zone sits in the middle of a 26-acre space, almost all of which is still empty and will be developed into more professional, residential and retail space.

The county’s vision involves a holistic community hub, complete with a thriving business district, high-end residential options and robust support for arts and entertainment.

That will include a new open-container ordinance for the area to increase walkability and the development’s attractiveness as an entertainment district.

“Going from one restaurant to a piano bar, and maybe to a concert, it’s the walkability to go from one type of retail location to another,” Shepherd said. “It just creates that culture and that environment.

And that, again, is that downtown feel

2 Buzz on Biz March 2019

that you would like to have.”

On the entertainment front, Shepherd said she envisions the final product to be similar to Aiken’s “The Alley” but on a much larger scale.

“The people who are now moving here, especially the cyber people, are very into art,” Shepherd said. “That is, of course, going to be another attractor to our community, having that cultural arts center.”

Earlier this month, E.G. Meybohm, founder and chairman of Meybohm Real Estate, won the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award, largely for his role in making Evans Towne Center Park a reality.

“He was first chairman of the Board of Directors in 1987,” Shepherd said. “And he used to be a Harlem High School teacher. He was the gym teacher. I’ve known him since 1976. His daughter and I cheered together from sixth grade through 12th grade.

“He’s a visionary. The biggest thing is what he’s contributed back to the community has been fantastic. He’s somebody who really truly has a heart for his own community.”

It will take years to complete the development — the performing arts center won’t be finished until mid-2020, and that’s if the project sticks to the current timeline. Residential development, restaurants, shops, walkways — a true downtown — won’t take shape until years down the road.

“For us as a community, it’s great to have again another quality-of-life feature in our backyard,” Shepherd said.

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FROM THE EDITOR

Hard as it can be, honesty is still the best business policy

By Gary Kauffman Honesty, Benjamin Franklin once said, is the best policy.

That is absolutely true, but it is hard sometimes, isn’t it? We all want to be nice to others, especially colleagues and business partners, but sometime honesty honestly seems like it would be a hindrance.

A friend of mine recently faced this dilemma. Her company was considering partnering with another business, but there were concerns about whether the other company had policies that would be offensive or would negatively affect her customers.

Asking those questions, though, sounded harsh. She scrambled for several hours trying to figure out how to address those questions innocuously or possibly just avoid them now and wait for the developing partnership to eventually reveal the answers.

Finally, though, she decided that honesty was the best policy and put her concerns and questions out in the open. The other company seemed glad to have the opportunity to address those concerns up front.

It’s still too early to tell if that partnership will develop, but both companies at least now have a good understanding of

each other’s policies. Best of all, that honesty and openness have laid a foundation of trust between the companies.

This is not an unusual circumstance, since businesses are often approached about partnering for mutual benefit. One of the hardest things to deal with is when one or even both parties are not completely honest with each other, because it can lead to misunderstandings and destroy the trust needed to make partnerships work.

Years ago, when I had my own advertising/marketing business in Indiana, I had a conversation with another businessman about his project that involved some of my clients. This man had taken advance payments from several businesses for the project but had missed his deadline for delivering the finished product.

He gave me several reasons for the delay, and I offered my help if he needed it.

The next day I received calls from two of the businesses he’d left in the lurch, claiming this businessman had told them I was taking over the project!

Obviously, that had never been discussed in our initial conversation. I did eventually negotiate with him to take on the project, but I involved a third person as a mediator and got everything in writing. Then I had to set about earning the trust he had damaged among the various clients.

Running a business, whether selling directly to consumers or business-tobusiness, is all about human interaction.

And honesty and openness can be just as important within a company when dealing with employees.

One person I know has experienced some serious trust issues because the business owner plays everything close to the vest. That results occasionally in surprise policy announcements and changes in direction that keep the employees on edge. While a business owner has no obligation to share decision-making with the employees, the smart business owner knows that employees who are dealt with openly and honestly are happier — and happier employees are more productive

Features

and loyal.

And, of course, you want to treat your customers with the same honesty. Sometimes that means saying no. Occasionally, I had customers approach me about a project that I knew was beyond my capabilities or had a time frame I couldn’t meet, or more frequently, was such a lowbudget production that doing it could actually harm my reputation. Even though there was the temptation to say yes, either for the money or to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, I would always say no (and tried to direct them to someone who could do the work for them). I don’t think my honesty ever hurt me.

So, when faced with the temptation to dissemble, either to protect someone else’s feelings or in a misguided effort to protect your own reputation, remember that the old adage is as true today as when Ben uttered it hundreds of years ago — honesty is the best policy.

In addition to serving as editor of Buzz on Biz, Gary Kauffman is a Christian life coach working from an office in Martinez. Contact him at 803.341.5830 or kauffman coaching@gmail.com or visit kauffmancoaching.com.

The Buzz on Biz mission is to act as an inspirational tool for those in the workplace and those who are entrepreneurs, and to provide useful, practical information to increase their companies’ bottom lines.

An End in Sight...........4 License extension for Broad Street clubs denied after protests.

Upcoming Events................................ 14, 15

Buzz Bits................................................... 6-7

Breaking a Generational Curse........... 26-27 Fatherhood Coalition strives to get men involved in kids’ lives.

To order a 12-month subscription mailed to your home or office, please mail a check for $49 (includes sales tax) to cover postage to the address below.

Openings, Closings................................... 12

Promoting Prosperity............................... 28 Study shows that Augusta area enjoys economic freedom.

Greatest Showman in Augusta................ 13 Pexcho’s Dime Museum recreates popular 1800s form of entertainment

Rolling on the Canal................................. 29 Augusta Canal ready for new events and Friday Music Cruises.

Publisher Ashlee Duren, ashlee.duren@augustamagazine.com Editor in Chief Gary Kauffman Assistant Editor & Layout Amanda Holahan Multimedia Journalist Witt Wells, witt.wells@buzzon.biz Photography Witt Wells, Gary Kauffman Sales Manager Lisa Dorn, lisa.dorn@augustamagazine.com Sales and PR Leslie Whitney, leslie.whitney@augustamagazine.com, 706-823-3719 Ad Building Michael Rushbrook Distribution Ken Brown

The Debate Continues.................................8 Business owners speak out about city’s proposed parking plan.

Businessperson of the Month.................. 20 Love for cars, people motivates Clements

Columnists Mark Alison: Translate your words into ‘languages’ of colleagues................................................................................................18 Samantha Barksdale: A couple of shows that will tickle your funny bone...............................................................................................30 Terra Carroll: North Augusta introduces Chamber leadership.................................................................................................22 Ben Casella: Lack of groundhog shadow segues into spring beer styles................................................................................................30 Tony Creighton: Seek professionals when washing home’s exterior......................................................................................................27

Ed Enoch: Love is in the air — and in the workplace.................23 Christine Hall: Don’t fall for myths about the new tax code...10 Russell Head: What is a 1095 form, and what is it good for?...16 Millie Huff: Rhinehart’s gives business lunch a casual beach vibe..............................................................................................................31 Dagan Sharpe: Recapturing a lost art – taking time to think............................................................................................................23 Witt Wells: Augusta’s coffee scene growing slowly but surely..........................................................................................................24

Opinions expressed by the writers are their own and their respective institutions. Neither Morris Media Network nor its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for informational purposes only.

For the latest news, visit us at buzzon.biz Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/buzz-on-biz Follow us on Twitter @BuzzonBiz 643 Broad Street, Augusta GA 30901

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

3

AN END IN SIGHT

LICENSE EXTENSION FOR BROAD STREET CLUBS DENIED AFTER PROTESTS

By Gary Kauffman Two spots have long been a bane to commercial development on lower Broad Street, and for about a week at the beginning of February it looked like that might continue indefinitely.

Two nude dancing establishments, Discotheque Lounge on Broad Street and Vegas Show Girls on Sixth Street, had their licenses “grandfathered” in 2002 to allow them to stay open when the city decided to ban such venues from downtown Augusta. The licenses would stay in effect until the owner of the clubs, James “Whitey” Lester, either sold the properties or passed away.

Then, in its Jan. 28 meeting, the Augusta Commission decided to allow the licenses to be passed along as part of the Lester estate, which could have kept the clubs running for many years.

That’s when Joe Edge, owner of Sherman & Hemstreet Real Estate, and others stepped up to protest.

“I moved our main office downtown last year because I saw the laws on the books and I was assured that when the club owner passed away, the clubs would be discontinued,” Edge said.

Sherman and Hemstreet’s offices are at 624 Ellis St., just about a block from Vegas Show Girls at 212 Sixth St. and two blocks from Discotheque Lounge at 533 Broad St. Edge said the two establishments have kept commercial and retail businesses from considering that area of the city for development.

“I bring businesses in all the time and they won’t go past Sixth Street because of the clubs,” he said. “The Discotheque cuts that block in half. The only things that will go near a strip club are tattoo parlors and pawn shops — that’s not a theory, it’s proven.”

He was informed by a friend about the commission’s decision to extend the clubs’ licenses.

“The majority of the people were not aware of it because it was quietly done,” Edge said. “I saw it as our mission to make everyone aware of it.”

It didn’t take long for his awareness campaign to go viral. Within two days he had gathered 500 signatures against extending Lester’s license to his estate, and by the time the commission met again, he’d surpassed 1,000 signatures.

“It surprised me it happened so fast,” he said.

But that wasn’t the only thing that happened quickly. At its Feb. 4 meeting,

4 Buzz on Biz March 2019

Discotheque Lounge has been at 533 Broad St. since the mid-1960s. It is one of two nude dancing establishments downtown. Many in the community say Discotheque and Vegas Show Girls, at 212 Sixth St., have been a stumbling block for development for years. The Augusta Commission changed its decision to allow the clubs’ licenses to be made a part of the owner’s estate after public outcry. The businesses will close when the owner, James “Whitey” Lester, 75, either sells the properties or passes away. Photo by Gary Kauffman

“I bring businesses in all the time and they won’t go past Sixth Street because of the clubs.

The Discotheque cuts that block in half. The only things that will go near a strip club are tattoo parlors and pawn shops — that’s not a theory, it’s proven.”

– Joe Edge, owner of Sherman & Hemstreet Real Estate the commission did a full 180 and unanimously rescinded its previous ruling, defying the usually slow grinding of government wheels.

Edge said that without the affirmation that the license will expire when Lester sells or dies, that area of Broad Street “would look exactly like it does now for the next 20 years.”

There is, of course, still no firm date for when those clubs might disappear, although the 75-year-old Lester is said to be in failing health.

“I don’t know how long it will be, but

I do know the end is in sight,” Edge said.

“It’ll open lower Broad to development.”

That will take some time, he admitted.

“You can’t crush a part of town for 50 years and expect it to come back in five years,” Edge said.

But he said that once the clubs are closed, the owners of the surrounding properties will be able to bring in new businesses or sell their properties at a profit, which is what happened to properties where other strip clubs had been located.

Plans are being formed to convert the

former train depot on Reynolds Street, just a block from Discotheque Lounge, into an area for apartments, offices and retail. Edge thinks that will make the area on Broad between Sixth Street and Gordon Highway a prime location for apartments, offices and retail as well.

“I think you’ll get another restaurant down there, some type of retail use and loft apartments in the area,” he said. “I’ve had a conference with almost every grocery store there is about getting something downtown, and the access for one is good over there. We’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Olde Town Neighborhood Association and Olde Town Augusta LLC, among others, had joined Edge in protesting the change to allow the clubs to continue. The protest was primarily based on business and development, although a few people also spoke against it on religious or moral grounds.

Discotheque Lounge is one of the oldest continuing businesses downtown.

Lester opened it in the mid-1960s, and it has developed some notoriety as a popular attraction during Masters Week and with soldiers from Fort Gordon.

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buzz bits Applications for Youth Leadership available The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for its Youth Leadership Columbia County program.

The program, a junior version of the chamber’s Leadership Columbia County program, is designed to educate and motivate young leaders through experience, enabling them to take an active role in their community.

The Chamber’s vision for the program is to develop strong leaders who have hope for the future and the tools to influence a positive and progressive community.

Participants must be rising sophomores or juniors in Columbia County high schools or residents of Columbia County.

Applications can be downloaded at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce website and are due to the chamber office no later than 5 p.m.

Thursday, March 28.

For more information on the program, contact Olivia Reich, member services specialist, at 706-651-0018 or olivia@columbiacountychamber.com.

Columbia County Chamber urges ESPLOST vote The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce PAC, with the full support of its Board of Directors, has announced its support for the continuation of the county’s ESPLOST (education special purpose local option sales tax).

“The PAC provides a mechanism to raise funds to support and advertise for the passage of the ESPLOST,” said Chamber President and CEO Tammy Shepherd. “It is extremely important to educate our many new residents on how the Columbia County School System funds new schools through sales tax. Basically, through support of the ESPLOST, new schools can be built and rarely carry a mortgage, which, in turn, saves millions of dollars.”

6 Buzz on Biz March 2019

A special election has been called for the ESPLOST Referendum on Tuesday, March 19. Early voting began on Monday, Feb. 25.

The ESPLOST, a one-cent sales tax on each dollar of a purchase, is used to fund capital improvements, including new schools or additions to current schools to relieve overcrowding. Funds generated from ESPLOST are restricted to construction, new technology and buses and can’t be spent on expenses, such as operating costs.

The ESPLOST, which has funded construction of 16 schools in the last 19 years, is a continuation of the current sales tax that has been in place since 1997. Prior to the approval of the ESPLOST, the Columbia County School System built 15 schools over 41 years.

The Chamber’s PAC, established in September 2018 to advocate on behalf of its nearly 1,000 business members, will work to inform and educate the community on the benefits of the ESPLOST.

GreenJackets first team to host drone light show The Augusta GreenJackets will pull off a baseball first in June, when it becomes the first professional baseball team to host a drone light show. The event is in partnership with EDTS Cyber.

The fully customized light show with 25 drones will take place after the game against the Rome Braves on June 14.

“EDTS Cyber are excited to be collaborating with the Augusta GreenJackets to bring an innovative alternative to fireworks to the CSRA this baseball season,” said

Charles Johnson, founder and CEO of EDTS Cyber. “We are looking forward to seeing the excitement and joy this light show will bring to the faces of baseball fans this year.”

“I became familiar with these types of shows about two years ago and have been waiting for the opportunity to do something this unique since then,” said Jeff Eisman, president of the Augusta GreenJackets. “This is going to be a very cool experience and not one to be missed.”

Augusta Tech hosts ladies’ STEM night Augusta Technical College is hosting its annual “Ladies Night Out: Women in STEM” event at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, in the Jack B. Patrick Information Technology Center Atrium and Auditorium in Building 1000.

The purpose of this free event is to introduce prospective students to nontraditional career paths, especially Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Door prizes and light refreshments will be available.

Advanced Services is named one of best employers Advanced Services Pest Control has been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the nation.

To receive this honor, Advanced Services answered a series of questions about its human resources practices, and employees completed questionnaires asking their thoughts and opin-

The Augusta GreenJackets, in partnership with EDTS Cyber, will host a drone light show at SRP Park after the game against Rome on June 14.

ions about what it is like to work for Team Bugstopper. The questionnaires were used as the criteria for determining winners.

“We always want Advanced Services to be a great work environment,” said Dena Thomas, the president of Advanced Services Pest Control. “We believe our people are our biggest asset, and we want them to know it. We cannot provide friendly, expert service if the people on Team BugStopper aren’t happy to be here.”

Some areas in which Advanced Services Pest Control rated better than the regional average were compensation, benefits and employee solutions; employee enrichment, engagement and retention; employee education and development; communication and shared vision; work-life balance; and community initiatives.

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For is a program of the National Association for Business Re-

sources. One of the purposes of the program is to raise the benchmark for company practices implemented to improve the work environment for employees. Companies that win, including Advanced Services, are found to deliver exceptional human resource practices and an impressive commitment to their employees.

Advanced Services Pest Control has been providing pest control, termite control and wildlife control solutions since 1986 and now offers environmentally friendly pest-control techniques.

Chamber’s business academy is largest ever The Augusta Metro Chamber Small

buzz bits Business Marketing Academy: January–June 2019 program kicked off Wednesday, Jan. 30, with the largest class to date.

The academy, now in its third year and presented by South State Bank, assembles small business owners and managers to learn, share and plan for a growing, thriving business.

The current class includes Ashlie Arsenault, Augusta Sports Leagues LLC; Betsy Barrow, Stage Front; Jennie Booker, Pine Knoll Farms; Brenda Brown, Patterson-Brown & Associates; TeKay Brown-Taylor, Brownstone Mediation Services; Ann Campbell-Kelly, Walton Options for Independent Living; Laurie Easterlin, Staged to a Tee; Travis Gamble, Southern Residential Installations; Stacey Gordon, ZEL Engineers; Ginger Gray, Fehrman Investment Group; LaShanda Green, Medical Associates Plus; Heather Hill, Mosaic United Methodist Church; Lillian Huber, Marco’s Pizza; Orin Jackson, Dryer Vent Wizard of the CSRA; LaBorron Jackson, Universal Carpet Cleaning; Liz Klebba, Closet Play Image; Debbie Kleinbub, Debbie Kleinbub – Meybohm Realtors; Ali Mays, Dickinson Architects PC; Vicky Mistry, Rodeway Inn & Suites; Shannon Mitchell, Augusta GreenJackets Baseball Club; Diamond Robinson, Walton Options for Independent Living; Safia Siddiqui, R6 Industries; Kim Swinson, Integra Business Brokers; and Sally Wood, Baby Azur.

Participants come together once a month for six months for a full day of learning from local industry experts and to engage in roundtable discussions applying practical advice and best practices. The academy runs twice per year.

Classes are held on the last Wednesday of the month (excluding December).

For more information on the program, visit augustametrochamber.com/ marketingacademy.

Local HarleyDavidson dealer earns high award Timms Harley-Davidson of Augusta earned the prestigious Gold Bar & Shield Circle of Excellence Award for 2018 from Harley-Davidson Motor Co. This award is given to the top four dealerships in each U.S sales market.

Metro Chamber seeking 2019’s Top 10 in 10

Timms Harley-Davidson of Augusta earned the award based on motorcycle and related product sales performance, customer service and satisfaction, and operational measures.

“We’re proud to present this high honor to Rocky Timms in recognition of the outstanding work being done at Timms Harley-Davidson of Augusta,” said Dave Cotteleer, vice president and managing director of Harley-Davidson for the United States. “Dealers like Rocky Timms are a big reason why Harley-Davidson is one of the most respected and recognized brands in the world and why we enjoy having the loyalty and commitment of our riders.”

Timms Harley-Davidson of Augusta, 4200 Belair Frontage Road, has been in business since for more than 60 years. This is the seventh consecutive year that the dealership has earned the award.

Redevelopment plan in Aiken gets scrapped A plan to redevelop the former Aiken County hospital property in Aiken has been scrapped because of a missed deadline.

The Marian Group withdrew its plans to create 160 apartments and an outdoor recreation space on the 9.3acre property when it missed a financing deadline. The group said it missed the deadline because the Aiken City Council had tabled its review of the concept plan and rezoning request.

The Kentucky-based Marian Group had not yet bought the property, so Aiken County retains ownership of it.

Riverwatch area getting facelift Drivers along Riverwatch Parkway

Applications are now available online for the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce 2019 Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. This award recognizes rising professional stars between the ages of 25 and 35 who have a clear vision for their next 10 years.

The Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch was developed in 2009 by the Augusta Metro Chamber, in partnership with Augusta Magazine, to annually highlight 10 young professionals (age 25-35) in the Augusta region.

In recognizing these individuals, the Chamber aims to expand recognition for Augusta’s young professional talent throughout Georgia. Winners are selected based on their professional goals, significant achievements, previous awards, and volunteer and community activities.

Each winner will receive a biohave noticed a lot of landscaping work going on along the boundaries of The Village at Riverwatch, home to Costco and Cabela’s.

The plan is to create a more pleasing landscape that aligns it more with Alexander Drive and provides a better aesthetic, especially for visitors who use that route during Masters Week.

The landscaping project includes flattening the steep embankment and planting it with flower beds and eastern cypress, bald cypress, crepe myrtles and wildfire tupelo trees. The project is expected to be finished this spring.

Paine College gets back its accreditation Paine College has been reinstated to accreditation status after a judge overturned a ruling by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

graphical feature article in the June 2019 issue of Augusta Magazine; a submitted nomination for Georgia Trend Magazine’s 2019 Top 40 under 40; and recognition and an award presentation at the June Augusta Metro Chamber Member economic luncheon.

Applications must be completed online to be submitted for consideration and must include the completed application form, a resume and letters of recommendation. Further significant documentation in support of the application may also be submitted.

Applications can be viewed before applying for a summary of questions and the information required on the application.

To begin the application process, visit augustametrochamber. com/top10in10.

The deadline to apply is Friday, March 15. that had removed accreditation. The announcement was made during the college’s Presidential Scholarship Gala.

The judge’s ruling means Paine College again has all the rights and privileges of a fully accredited college.

Paine College is also accredited through the Trans-National Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.

Legislators may speed up rural internet Slow internet service has been a way of life for many rural Georgians. But a proposal being considered by the General Assembly could change that.

The proposal would allow electric cooperatives and some telephone cooperatives to offer broadband service to rural customers. Many rural residents have limited access to internet services and virtually no high-speed service.

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

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THE DEBATE CONTINUES

Augusta’s parking task force has proposed a plan for paid parking downtown. It includes a charge of $1 to $1.25 per hour for a maximum of two hours in a parking spot from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If approved, the plan would be implemented on Broad Street (above), Greene Street and some side streets from Fifth to 13th streets. Photo by Gary Kauffman

BUSINESS OWNERS SPEAK ON PROPOSED PARKING PLAN

By Witt Wells Last month, Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis announced that the city’s parking task force, which had reportedly met nine times since last February, would implement a new paid parking plan by July.

No official plans have been solidified, but the proposal includes a charge of $1 to $1.25 per hour for a maximum of two hours in a parking spot from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The system would be implemented on Broad Street, Greene Street and some side streets, from Fifth Street to 13th Street.

The parking debate in Augusta has come and gone over the years, and it has resurfaced as the task force appears to have a short timeline for implementation, should the plan be approved.

Proponents of the plan say that Augusta has reached a point of growth downtown that merits a parking system like the ones in other dynamic cities of its size and larger. Those against paid parking say that downtown still has plenty of open spaces most of the time and that paid parking will discourage people from coming downtown.

8 Buzz on Biz March 2019

“I think it’s an inevitable move at some point to generate revenue. ... I believe that it’s going to happen one way or another. I just hope we can keep the funds that it does generate downtown to improve things.”

– Havird Usry, co-owner, The Southern Salad at 1008 Broad St.

Some downtown business owners are confident that paid parking will be an economic improvement for the area.

Others oppose paid parking altogether.

Here’s what some had to say about the issue:

Havird Usry: Co-owner, The Southern Salad

“My opinion on it is, what city do you go to and not pay for parking downtown?

I think it’s an inevitable move at some point to generate revenue. So, I’m not

against it. I believe that it’s going to happen one way or another. I just hope we can keep the funds that it does generate downtown to improve things.

“In this city, everything is so close to drive and close to walk — instant gratification. I think we’ve got to get over that mentality if we’re going to grow. It’s okay to walk a few blocks to go to a restaurant you want to go to. It’s okay to have that problem. What’s the No. 1 way you see a place? It’s not by driving by. It’s by walking, getting on a bike.

“From a business owner perspective, I think it also gives the owners on Broad Street that have the opportunity to create parking spots ... the opportunity to improve our own properties, too.

“There are places on Ellis Street that have dirt all over the back of their property. It’s going to force us to get creative ways of parking on our own property. I’m okay with that. I’ll create convenience if I have to. We have to embrace it at some point in time, and I think that time is now.

“I think people just find it an inconvenience to have to park. It’s a pain, but at the same time, the city does have to control parking, and they also have to create some different streams of revenue to improve things down there. I feel the people’s pain. It is a pain to have to get out of your car and have this process.

“It’s the city’s responsibility to make sure they have the best mechanism for this, too. You need to be able to pay by phone using the tag number. I think the technology needs to show where spots are downtown. They should be able to go on an app. That’s the city’s responsibility to do that right.

“You know what I think this mechanism is for the city at the end of the day?

At the end of the day, they’re going to be paying for this service. It’s more of a volume-control mechanism. It serves as a mechanism to make people park in specific places.

“Those parking spots should be for people who are frequenting our businesses. You should have to provide parking for apartments and condos and things of that sort.

“In my opinion, it’s not going to be a big money-maker, but it will give the city that control mechanism, and that money needs to be put back into downtown.”

Linda Wilcox and Donna Anderson: Antique dealers at Marketplace Antiques

Wilcox: “If somebody comes to go to Farmhaus or Frog Hollow or the restaurants now, they’re already going to be here.

But they’re going to have to run back to pay a meter. If they’re down by Whiskey Bar, and they’re coming back here, that’s kind of an inconvenience.

“The tickets are high at the Imperial, tickets are high at The Miller and all the other stuff downtown. I think they could raise money doing a lot of different things. Raise money in other ways.”

Anderson: “I don’t agree with it at all.

If you want to charge for parking, make a parking deck and make them come in and pay to use it. Other than that, leave the businesses alone.

“If you’re going charge us to come down here and park, well then, you better give me my money’s worth. Clean the streets up. Keep it pristine down here and everything. If I’m going pay money to come down here, I want it top-notch. I want what I pay for.

“I went to Greenville with my cousins and saw their downtown … oh my gosh. It was great, beautiful. Would make this look like a hellhole. You got pristine shops, everything was just so clean … tons of people, tons of traffic.

“The only thing I would say, like I said before, if I’m going to pay for parking, I expect things to be pristine. I expect that money that they’re going to make from parking to liven up the area, to clean it up,

“The evidence in markets all across the United States is that ... it actually encourages growth and development, that it gets people down who actually will spend money, thus boosting up the possibilities for retail, for restaurant, for professional services. Vibrant shopping districts are made by good parking management.”

– David Hutchison, owner, The Book Tavern, 936 Broad St.

to make it worth coming down there and paying that money, just like in Greenville. I didn’t mind paying in Greenville, because I knew I was getting something really good.”

David Hutchison: Owner, The Book Tavern

“I’m certainly a proponent of metered parking. The foremost expert in parking management, Donald Shoup, who wrote an incredible book called The High Cost of Free Parking, outlines in great detail why metered parking works for cities our size and why, in fact, it is very rare to have a scenario where metered parking is not the answer to the parking problems.

“There are other answers obviously — we could have other forms of parking management out there — but the metering is one of the most positive ways of dealing with it. “(The book) has been recommended for a long time to our commission. These are guys who have not ever stood up for what is best for Augusta. They back down from it all the time, over and over again.

They have no gut as far as I can tell.

“There’s no one up there who’s like, ‘You know what? Parking meters are the best solution, so we’re going to help convince the people of that.’ Instead, they’re like, ‘We don’t really know what the best solution is. We’ll listen to everybody’s advice, and then we’ll just go with whatever.’ There’s no leadership up there, no forward-thinking. I’m resigned to the incompetence of our current governmental structure.

“If you’re going charge us to come down here and park, well then, you better give me my money’s worth.

Clean the streets up. Keep it pristine down here and everything.”

– Donna Anderson, dealer at Marketplace Antiques, 1208 Broad St.

“There has been a lot of vocal antago“To the members of the Augustanism. I will admit, over 10 years ago, there Richmond County Commission, was a proposal to put (parking meters) in, “I would like it to be known that I am and I was so shocked by this. Suddenly against the proposed parking managethey’re telling us they’re going to meter ment plan being put forth by the mayor everything, and they haven’t even talked and task force. This is stupidity at its finto anybody? And my gut reaction was to est. oppose it.

“And then I decided to actually talk and listen and research it. And it took me several months, but I was convinced that it was what was best.

“By that time, of course, the political will to do it had totally collapsed. And they’ve never been able to get it back.

There’s always some rabblerouser who is so convinced that it’s bad.

“You’ll not find a consultant that we’ve hired who hasn’t recommended this or been in favor of it. You’ll not find a professional study of a city with our demographics where it hasn’t been the recommendation.

– David Daitch, owner, Our Shop There’s literally zero eviMenswear, 1014 Broad St. dence on the side of people who don’t want it other than their own belief that it will stop every“Yes there is a parking problem downbody from coming downtown. That’s town; however this is not the proper what they always say, right? ‘It’s going way to solve the issue at this time. There to stop people from coming downtown.’ is simply not enough parking downBut the evidence in markets all across town and this plan will only rotate cars the United States is that it has the exact and drive people away, not solve the probopposite effect, that it actually encour- lem. ages growth and development, that it “Downtown needs more parking which gets people down who actually will spend would be solved by building three sevenmoney, thus boosting up the possibilities story parking decks on the 800, 1000 and for retail, for restaurant, for professional 1100 blocks of Broad Street — ideally services. where the old Kress is on the 800 block, “Vibrant shopping districts are made the old pawn shop and back space on the by good parking management.”

1000 block and the old Sky City on the 1100 block, but of course, that’s too easy a solution.

David Daitch: Owner, “We don’t need more studies to waste Our Shop Menswear As a response to our question about his money figuring out a simple solution. If support or opposition to the parking proposal, you really want to be progressive, then Daitch provided a letter he wrote to the Au- build more parking garages. This time is not right for parking meters downtown.” gusta Commission on Jan. 17.

“We don’t need more studies to waste money figuring out a simple solution. If you really want to be progressive, then build more parking garages. This time is not right for parking meters downtown.”

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

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TAX MATTERS

Don’t fall for myths about the new tax code

By Christine Hall The complexity of the tax code generates a lot of folklore and misinformation that could lead to costly mistakes, such as penalties for failing to file on time or, on the flip side, not taking advantage of deductions you are legally entitled to take and giving the IRS more money than you need to.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at common small business misconceptions.

Myth: Startup costs are deductible immediately

Business startup costs refer to expenses incurred before you actually begin operating your business. These include both startup and organizational costs and vary depending on the type of business.

Examples of these types of costs include advertising, travel, surveys and training. These startup and organizational costs are generally called capital expenditures.

Costs for a particular asset, such as machinery or office equipment, are recovered through depreciation or Section 179 expensing. When you start a business, you can elect to deduct or amortize certain business startup costs.

Business startup and organizational costs are generally capital expenditures. However, you can elect to deduct up to $5,000 of business startup and $5,000 of organizational costs. The $5,000 deduction is reduced (but not below zero) by the amount your total startup or organizational costs exceed $50,000. Remaining costs must be amortized.

Myth: Overpaying the IRS makes you ‘audit-proof ’

It is never a good idea to knowingly — or unknowingly — overpay the IRS. You should only pay the amount of tax that you owe. The IRS doesn’t care if you pay the right amount of taxes or overpay your taxes; how-

10 Buzz on Biz March 2019

ever, it does care if you pay less than you owe and you can’t substantiate your deductions with good record keeping.

The best way to “audit-proof ” yourself is to properly document your expenses and make sure you are getting good advice from your tax accountant.

Myth: The home office deduction is a red flag for an audit.

While the home office deduction used to be a red flag, this is no longer true. In fact, with so many people operating homebased businesses, the IRS rolled out a new simplified home office deduction in 2013, which makes it even easier to claim the home office deduction (as long as it can be substantiated with excellent record keeping).

Furthermore, because of the proliferation of home offices, tax officials cannot possibly audit

It is never a good idea to knowingly — or unknowingly — overpay the IRS. You should only pay the amount of tax that you owe. all tax returns of small business owners who are taking the home office deduction. In other words, there is no need to fear an audit just because you take the home office deduction; however, a high deduction-to-income ratio, however, may raise a red flag and lead to an audit.

Myth: You can’t deduct business expenses if you don’t take the home office deduction.

You are still eligible to take deductions for business supplies, business-related phone bills,

travel expenses, printing, wages paid to employees or contract workers, depreciation of equipment used for your business, and other expenses related to running a home-based business, whether or not you take the home office deduction. These deductions will be reported on Schedule C if you are unincorporated.

Myth: An extension to file gives you an extra six months to pay any tax you owe.

This is probably the most

common misconception there is.

The truth is that extensions enable you to extend your filing date only. Penalties and interest begin accruing from the date your taxes are due, which is most cases is April 15 for individual taxpayers.

Income tax preparation is complex and becomes more so with every passing year. If you currently do not have a tax preparer, it might be time to think about hiring one.

Misconceptions that folks here on the street have are widespread, and ignorance is no excuse as far as the government is concerned.

Christine Hall is a partner in Hall, Murphy & Associates PC, a full-service accounting firm.

For a complimentary accounting, tax or business consultation, call 706.855.7733 or email cmh@hallmurphycpas.com.

You handle the presentation

We’ll handle everything else

H O S P I TA L I T Y G R O U P

Contact our talented team of event professionals 706.854.4728 azabel@goodwillworks.org 3165 Washington Road, Augusta, GA www.EdgarsGrille.com

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

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openings, closings and moves OPENINGS

The Village at Riverwatch The Village at Riverwatch, which is anchored by Costco and Cabela’s, will soon be home to several new businesses.

Augusta Animal Emergency and Specialty Center, currently located on Stevens Creek Road, plans to construct a 12,000-square-foot critical care facility at The Village at Riverwatch, triple its current size. Later it will add a 7,000-square-foot facility for veterinary specialties such as surgery, internal medicine, cardiology and dermatology.

It is expected to be completed by the fall.

In addition, Guitar Center plans to break ground soon for a new store, and Southeastern Aesthetic Surgery also plans to open an office there. WRDWTV has started work on its new studio, which will be open at the beginning of 2020, and the Residence at Riverwatch, with 240 apartments, is nearing completion.

Giddit Giddit, an on-demand mobile and online delivery service, has made its way to Augusta.

Giddit is designed to help busy people manage their time by shopping for them. The company was founded by Alona and Johnny Guillory in 2016.

Customers can use the app to order almost anything they want to be delivered, from food to dry cleaning.

To use Giddit’s services, users can download the free app, create an account and start ordering. Giddit runners then pick up orders and deliver them to customers’ homes, offices or wherever they are located.

“Not only will we deliver takeout from your favorite local restaurant, but we will also do your grocery shopping or go pick up that new pair of shoes you’ve been eyeing,” Alona Guillory said. “Essentially, we are your personal shopper,” Alona said.

Giddit serves Aiken, Augusta and Fort Gordon. The veteran owners, who spent four years stationed at Fort Gordon, were partly inspired by their own experience of the hassle of not being able to leave the post to shop.

“Being able to serve Fort Gordon was very important to us because of our military background and living on the fort,” Johnny Guillory said. “It will make getting the things they need so much easier, and we’re excited about that.”

12 Buzz on Biz March 2019

Co-working company opens Augusta office Co-working company SharedSpace has opened its new downtown Augusta workspace at the corner of Ninth and Greene Streets.

The 15,000-square-foot office space, which used to be the Georgia Department of Corrections Probation Office, includes private offices and conference rooms and features phone booths, furniture and WOW! fiber internet.

The facility is SharedSpace’s third and its first outside metro Atlanta; the other two are in Dunwoody and Cobb County. The new Augusta facility will have the same function: a workspace open to professionals who need office and meeting space for either shortterm or long-term needs.

SharedSpace will be open to a wide range of workers and industries, but the opening of the Georgia Cyber Center has been a big The delivery service is looking to hire runners and to partner with businesses around the area. To apply to become a runner or to learn more about becoming a business partner, go to www.giddit.com.

ACQUISITIONS

U-Haul The former Kmart building in south Augusta, which has been vacant since the retailer moved out in 2016, will soon have a new tenant.

U-Haul International has announced that it has acquired the 100,000-squarefoot building on Gordon Highway and will use it as a storage and retail center. The acquisition includes only that building and not the rest of the shopping center.

This will be the fourth U-Haul location in the area. U-Haul also has facilities on Broad Street and two locations on Wrightsboro Road.

The Joint Chiropractic

Chiropractor Dan Jolich, the owner of Aiken Chiropractic and Grovetown Accident Rehab, has purchased two Augusta locations of

draw.

“It’s super easy for them to just kind of slot in and get their logo up and really just be a part of the space without too much headache of finding that real estate,” Michael Everts, president and co-founder of SharedSpace, said in May, when the company announced its new location.

“It’s very easy for them to stop working out of a coffee shop or out of their home and just come to a nice office space where they can meet other people with them.

“You know, in Augusta, that might be a little bit different with the focus on the cyber. It might be more cyber- or tech-focused, but we’re really welcoming to all different types of businesses. We’re not choosing a specific type.”

Visitors can take tours of the new facility. SharedSpace is at 901 Greene St.

The Joint Chiropractic, a franchise with more than 460 offices nationwide.

The locations are in the Washington Crossing and Mullins Crossing shopping centers, both on Washington Road.

“The idea with The Joint is the same thing I’m doing at my practices,” Jolich said. “I believe in the idea that chiropractic care should be affordable so people can benefit from quality chiropractic services on a regular basis. They can come in for maintenance and prevention.”

All locations are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Appointments are not required, and a monthly membership plan is valid at all locations.

“Most private practices can’t compete with those hours and that level of accessibility,” Jolich said.

“And the fact that you don’t need an appointment means you can just stop in while you’re out shopping and get adjusted.”

For Jolich, the whole point of chiropractic care is to relieve pain, maintain the body’s overall wellness

and prevent pain before it starts.

“Somebody comes and has symptoms, and we treat those,” Jolich said. “Once they are out of pain, they enter wellness care, which should be done regularly. It’s kind of like your car. You don’t wait for the car to break down before you change the oil. You change it regularly to keep it running right and to prevent damage before it happens.”

EXPANSIONS

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Tropical Smoothie Café continues to be such a popular spot that owners Reginald Foster and his wife are expanding.

They opened their first store in the Augusta Exchange shopping center in May 2016 and a second location in Mullins Crossing in Evans in July 2018. Now they plan to open a third location at Fort Gordon within the next few months, and they have signed a franchise agreement for a fourth location in Grovetown that should be open by early 2020.

Tropical Smoothie Café serves a variety of smoothies made with fresh, healthy ingredients and offers flatbreads, wraps, sandwiches and salads.

The Diablo’s Southwest Grille at 3201 Washington Road should open soon.

Diablo’s Diablo’s Southwest Grille will soon open its long-awaited location at 3201 Washington Road. It will be the sixth Diablo’s restaurant in the area.

It will reportedly include indoor and outdoor dining, with a retrofitted garage door (the building last housed a Jiffy Lube) that will be able to be opened and closed depending on the weather.

The chain has also expanded to Columbia, S.C., Braselton, Ga., Thomasville, Ga., and McCalla, Ala. When the chain’s Evans location opened last May, Carl Wallace, one of the co-founders of Diablo’s and partner in the venture, said that the company is also looking to open a location in south Augusta.

GREATEST SHOWMAN IN AUGUSTA

PEXCHO’S DIME MUSEUM RECREATES POPULAR 1800s FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT

By Gary Kauffman If you enjoyed the “sideshow freaks” depicted in the movie The Greatest Showman, you’ll probably enjoy visiting Pexcho’s American Dime Museum when it opens later this spring.

The Dime Museum, located on Sixth Street next to Hildebrand’s restaurant between Broad and Ellis streets, promises to house “a collection of natural oddities and scientific curiosities from America’s most peculiar past.”

That means things like severed and shrunken heads, alligator men and women, flesh-eating toads and even a kissar, a musical instrument from Tibet created out of a human skull, antelope horns and strings.

“It’s an authentic mid-1800s dime museum,” said owner Peter Excho. “It’s everything you would have seen back in the 1800s.”

With his flowing facial hair, nose rings, lips rings, ear gauges and tattoos (including one on the back of his head), Excho is the perfect host for such an exhibit. But while it will exhibit the strange, bizarre and actual live “freaks,” Excho promised that it would not be gory and would be completely family friendly.

In fact, Pexcho’s American Dime Museum will be as much a historical attraction as a freak show. Even the name has a historical precedent, as owners often combined their first initials with the last name.

Excho said that back in the mid-1800s, the dime museums (so called because the admission price was 10 cents) were the first form of entertainment for the working class.

The upper class at the time had what they called Cabinets of Curiosities, featuring their collections from travels abroad. But these were exhibited only to carefully selected friends and peers.

The dime museums featured many of the same types of exhibits, but for the masses.

One of the most successful purveyors of the strange and bizarre was P.T. Barnum, who ran Barnum’s American Museum (although he charged 25 cents) before he joined James Bailey in the circus business. But Barnum was also the man who made the dime museum a safe form of entertainment.

“Barnum didn’t allow any drunks in, so it was safe for women and children,” Excho said.

Of course, people didn’t always know if they were seeing a bona fide oddity or something pulled from Barnum’s imagination.

Peter Excho is working to open his Pexcho’s American Dime Museum in time for Masters Week. The museum, on Sixth Street next to Hildebrandt’s in downtown Augusta, will house natural oddities and scientific curiosities, and feature live “freaks,” much like the sideshows that were popular in the 1800s. Excho says it will be a completely family friendly attraction. Photo by Gary Kauffman

“I love the history here, I love the buildings; we’ve got a home in Summerville. We’ve been embraced like crazy here.”

– Peter Excho, owner of Pexcho’s American Dime Museum “People would spend their dime, but they didn’t know if it was real or not,” Excho said. “They couldn’t google it to see if there was such a thing as a flesh-eating toad.”

The downfall of the dime museums came around 1900, when other forms of entertainment, especially movies, became popular.

“Once the movies hit, there was nothing the dime museums could do,” Excho said. “They died out around 1920. That’s

when the birth of the traveling sideshow happened.”

Excho said he has always been a collector of weird things but it was while he lived in the Washington, D.C., area that he came across a dime museum owned by the late Dick Horne, who taught him the dime museum business. Excho had his own shop in Louisiana for a time, but when his wife, who is in the Army, had to move, they chose to come to Augusta.

Excho said it’s been a great move.

“I love the history here, I love the buildings; we’ve got a home in Summerville,” he said. “We’ve been embraced like crazy here.”

Excho has applied for his business license but said it will take about four weeks for him to unpack his collection of about 2,000 oddities and display them.

He expects to be open by Masters Week.

For his grand opening, whenever that might be, he plans to bring in sideshow freaks from around the country.

At the museum, Excho will demonstrate being a “blockhead,” a sideshow stunt of driving a nail into his own head — a skill he’s passed on to his son. There

will also be demonstrations of other sideshow talents, such as sword swallowing.

He hasn’t decided on an admission price yet but said it will be “a dime, plus inflation.”

In addition to the museum displays, Excho plans to carry as many of the 10 rarest coffees that he can and serve coffee and espressos. With the train running down the middle of Sixth Street several times a day, Excho plans to run specials that are only valid during the time the train is actually passing by.

Pexcho’s American Dime Museum will also be open for parties and various special events, such as a party to unwrap a mummy, a recreation of a popular 19thcentury event. Eventually, his plans include opening a small restaurant that will include the option of dining with real-life sideshow freaks.

Excho expects his dime museum to be a tourist attraction. When he had a similar venture in Louisiana, he drew people from as far away as Chicago and even Russia. His Facebook page (facebook. com/americandimemuseum) already has more than 750 followers.

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

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upcoming business events Tuesday, Feb. 26

Tuesday, March 12

Caffeinated Conversations, 8:30 a.m., Aiken Chamber of Commerce, 121 Richland Ave., Aiken. City Council members Ed Girardeau, Andrea Neira Gregory and Ed Woltz will speak about the goals for the city of Aiken. Registration is required. For more information, visit aikenchamber.net.

Columbia County Career & College Expo, 5 p.m., Columbia County Exhibition Center, 212 Partnership Drive, Grovetown. This event will provide parents and students with information about career and college opportunities.

The goal is to show students what their post-high school career path could be. For more information, visit columbiacountychamber.com.

Thursday, Feb. 28

Tuesday, March 19

Business After Hours, 5 p.m., Trinity on Laurens, 213 Laurens St. NW, Aiken. A networking event for local businesses. For more information, visit aikenchamber.net.

Friday, March 1

First Friday Means Business, 7:30 a.m., 117 Newberry St. NW, Aiken. Informative breakfast meeting with a keynote speaker.

For more information, visit aikenchamber.net.

North Augusta Chamber 68th Annual Meeting & Banquet, 5:30 p.m., Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1060 Center St., North Augusta. Cocktail attire is expected. The 2018 Small Business of the Year Award will be announced. Registration is required. For more information, visit northaugustachamber.org.

Saturday, March 2

Project Vision, 7:30 a.m., Aiken Chamber of Commerce, 121 Richland Ave., Aiken. Aiken Young Professionals will partner with the United Way of Aiken County to provide services to a local disabled or senior homeowner. Registration required. For more information, visit aikenchamber.net.

14 Buzz on Biz March 2019

Ribbons cuttings scheduled March 20: Jokers Comedy Club, 2507 Thomas Lane, Augusta, 12 p.m.

March 28: Young & Partners Real Estate Team, 3633 Wheeler Road, Ste. 270, Augusta, 4 p.m.

Monday, March 4

Member Town Hall, 4 p.m., Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce office, 1 10th St., Ste. 120, Augusta. The Metro Chamber hosts “The Power of Progress: Destination Fun” presented by Bennish Brown, president/CEO, Augusta CVB; Brian Graham, CEO, Augusta Sports Council; Glenn Parker, director, Augusta Recreation & Parks; and Dayton Sherrouse, executive director, Augusta Canal Authority. Subjects to be discussed include All In Augusta, plans for Olmstead Stadium, sports competitions and new features on the canal paths. Registration is required. For more information, visit augustametrochamber.com.

Tuesday, March 5

Ladies Night Out: Women in Stem, 6 p.m., Augusta Technical College, Jack B. Patrick Information Technology Center Atrium and Auditorium, Building 1000. This annual event will introduce prospective students to nontraditional career paths, especially Women in Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Door prizes and light refreshments will be available. For more information, visit augustatech. edu.

Wednesday, March 8

Post-Legislative Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., Savannah Rapids Pavilion, 3300 Evans to Locks Road, Martinez. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce allows local elected officials and community to discuss the outcomes of Georgia’s legislative session. Registration is required.

For more information, visit columbiacountychamber.com.

Women in Business, 11:30 a.m., Legends Club, 2701 Washington Road, Augusta. Details to be announced. Registration is required. For more information, visit augustametrochamber.com.

Tuesday, March 26

Good Morning, North Augusta, 7:30 a.m., North Augusta Municipal Building, Palmetto Terrace, 100 Georgia Ave., North Augusta. Topic to be announced. Registration is required. For more information, visit northaugustachamber.org.

Thursday, March 28

Columbia County Chamber Executive Luncheon Series, 11:30 a.m., Savannah Rapids Pavilion, 3300 Evans to Locks Road, Martinez. Details to be announced. Registration is required. For more information, visit columbiacountychamber.com.

Business After Hours, 5 p.m., Stable View, 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. A networking event for local businesses. For more information, visit aikenchamber.net.

AUGUSTA’S INNOVATION NEWS

At theClubhou.se MARCH EVENTS March 6: 1 Million Cups features Melting Pot Solutions and 25:Eleven. 8-9 a.m.

March 13: ATDC Lunch & Learn. Noon to 1 p.m.

March 13: Tech, developer and startup community, join us for Beer & Bytes, our monthly networking event. Come meet the new class of Startup Life 2019! 5:30-7 p.m.

March 14: PyAugusta is covering exploratory/explanatory data analysis for this serendipitous Pi Day. 6-8 p.m.

March 19: Join Peacing Life Together for an evening of talking about grief at the Academy on Telfair Street. 6-7:30 p.m.

March 21: Join us for an evening of Continuous Integration at the next Cloud Meetup. 6-8 p.m.

March 26: Agile Augusta presents on the cultural and organizational mindset of Agile Project Management. 6-7 p.m.

March 28: Augusta Developer will have AppVizo presenting a new app it has created for a local company. 6-8 p.m.

March 29: AFCEA Small Business Roundtable connects the public with activities surrounding Fort Gordon. 8-9 a.m.

March 29: Study hall with the Code Boot Camp at theClubhou.se. 4-7 p.m.

March 29: DIY Bacon Curing is part of this month’s Growler Gardening with Augusta Locally Grown at theClubhou.se Community Garden on Telfair Street. 5-7 p.m.

ONGOING EVENTS • Entrepreneur members of theClubhou.se meet every Wednesday morning for Founders Circle, 9-10 a.m.

• Augusta Locally Grown’s downtown pickup location is at theClubhou.se’s Telfair Street location every Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. ALG has launched its Nourishment19 initiative out of theClubhou.se. This includes a variety of agricultural endeavors, from harvesting to buying local produce, to educational movie nights and collaborative projects. Read more at its website, augustalocallygrown.org.

Catch the Buzz!

Get more on upcoming events and follow business and economic news across the CSRA at buzzon.biz.

THE

ACCELERATOR

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Integra Business Brokers Mordecai Evans Mordecai Evans genuinely wants you to make the most of who you are and what you endeavor to create as an entrepreneur. Self-employed as an agent of Integra Business Brokers, Mordecai works with the owner, Tim Dalton to, “help business owners through the process of selling when they’re ready to exit. In addition, we help buyers through the buying process to ensure a smooth transition for both parties.” Considering the multiple facets to business brokering, it is helpful to have business ownership experience as well as the ability to sell and influence people. “Integra has completed over 300 business sales over more than 20 years, and I’ve spent over 20 years in sales, marketing and business ownership which has served me well.”

In 2003, Mordecai opened his first company, HCMS, an employee testing firm, specializing in assessments for optimized job fit. Along with a variety of smaller clients, Mordecai secured a large one: Pfizer. Working with a Fortune 50 company gave Mordecai the opportunity to hone his skills in time management as he worked with company executives to help them identify and select the right people to hire. In 2005, Pfizer went through a company-wide reorganization which concluded being a client of HCMS. As the largest client of HCMS, this departure created a void which led to Mordecai shutting down the operation.

For the next ten years, Mordecai worked in the pharmaceutical industry, unfulfilled because it was a job working for somebody else. Mordecai wanted more control over his life and

opportunities. In 2013, he started Gideon Health, a healthcare marketing firm; and in 2015, he left the pharmaceutical industry to run the company full-time and has not looked back.

Through all of these experiences, Mordecai has been driven by a passion for business. “I am fascinated by free enterprise and find entrepreneurs and their businesses interesting,” elaborating, “I want to have an impact. To do so, you have to get behind your customer’s eyes and understand what they are looking for. You have to always be in the mindset of adding value for someone else. It’s the only way to succeed in business. Everyone wants to be understood.

In the end, people are people.”

As wonderful an opportunity as it was to have Pfizer as a client, the lesson Mordecai walked away with was to not put all your eggs in one basket.

Mordecai now works directly with a variety of business owners who have built their companies and developed a solid customer base over many years. “I’ve always been interested in the diversity of businesses that exist,” he said. “Being a business broker allows me the opportunity to interact with all kinds of businesses and personalities which is exciting!” Along those lines, Mordecai shared, “theClubhou.se is an awesome collaborative work space which has allowed me the opportunity to meet a diverse group of like-minded individuals.

If I need help in an area where I’m not proficient, I can always find someone there to provide sound advice.”

Once a business owner has decided to exit, the real work begins. “We like to help business owners prepare the business for sale at least one year before they’re actually ready to sell, utilizing our Value Builder Program to help owners improve the value of their companies

Mordecai Evans and make the business more attractive

to prospective buyers.” The average transition takes six to twelve months from listing to closing, so patience is the key to finding the right buyer.

One of the hallmarks of an attractive, saleable business is that it does not require all of the owner’s efforts to conduct the day-0to-day activities. This type of business makes it easierfor the buyer to transition into their new role as owner. Mordecai closed with, “I am often asked ‘When is the best time to start planning my exit?” My answer is, ‘The day you start the business!’”

WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER? VISIT www.theclubhou.se Would you like to schedule a tour?

STOP BY 100 Grace Hopper Lane Suite 3700 Augusta, Ga EMAIL heythere@theclubhou.se

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

15

TAX MATTERS

What is a 1095 form, and what is it good for?

By Russell Head By now, most large employers are aware (or should be aware) or their annual reporting obligations concerning the type of health care benefits they have (or have not) offered their full-time employees during the prior year. While the deadline for furnishing these forms to employees has been extended until March 4 this year, some of these forms have already been sent, creating a storm of questions from employees.

Whether you are on the sending or receiving end of these forms, here are some quick answers to questions you might be asking: Why am I getting this form? The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created responsibilities for employers as well as individuals. These forms are designed to help establish whether those responsibilities are being met — for individuals, they report which months they and their dependents maintained qualifying health coverage; for employers, they report which months qualifying coverage was offered to full-time employees, and if not, why.

I thought these forms were no longer needed. In December 2017, President Donald Trump signed a tax reform bill into law, which eliminated the individual mandate penalty beginning in 2019. Now that this mandate is no longer in effect, individuals will not be penalized for failing to obtain health insurance.

However, the employer mandate for large employers to offer qualifying coverage to their full-time employees remains, along with the requirement to report on that coverage.

Since 2019 is the first year the individual mandate penalty has been eliminated, it remains to be seen whether all of the forms will be required going forward.

However, all reporting requirements remain in place for this reporting season.

Do I need this form to file my individual taxes? No. The IRS has repeatedly said that the forms are not needed for filing individual taxes. Once received, they can be kept with other supporting tax documents as proof of coverage, or offer of coverage, for the year.

I received two of these forms – one from my insurance company and one from my employer. Is this a mistake?

The 1095 series forms can come from

16 Buzz on Biz March 2019

Remember that the [1095] forms are designed to report proof of health care coverage (from a health coverage provider or the health insurance marketplace) and/or offers of health care coverage (from an employer), so the forms may not be reporting the same information. several sources with varying reporting responsibilities, so it is very possible for an individual to receive more than one form.

Large employers, health coverage providers and the Federal Exchange all have reporting requirements which may result in multiple forms being issued to the same person. Changing jobs and/or insurance

coverage can trigger multiple forms as well.

Remember that the forms are designed to report proof of health care coverage (from a health coverage provider or the health insurance marketplace) and/or offers of health care coverage (from an employer), so the forms may not be reporting the same information.

I did not receive a form, but I had health care coverage. Is this a mistake? Depending on the size of your employer and the type of health care it offers, the company might not be required to send you a form. (For example, employers with fewer than 50 full-timeequivalent employees are exempt from reporting if they are fully insured.) Also, since the forms are not due until March 4,

they may be received at a later time.

My spouse and children were covered on my employer’s plan. Will they receive a form, too? Generally, only one form will be issued to each employee. Copies might need to be made for adult dependents who are filing taxes separately from you.

My employer or health coverage provider has suggested that I opt to receive these forms electronically rather than on paper. Are they allowed to ask me that? Yes. Employers and health coverage providers may ask for your consent to receive the forms electronically. This is entirely acceptable and might be more convenient for you.

Russell T. Head is CEO of Head Capital Advisors, an Acrisure agency partner and Augusta’s largest employee benefits brokerage. He can be reached at 706.733.3459 or rthead@ headca.com.

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March 2019 Buzz on Biz

17

BUSINESS BASICS

Translate your words into ‘languages’ of colleagues

By Mark Alison This multipart series is for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Whether you are starting or have been in business for a few years, these insights and personal lessons may save you a load of money and regret.

I call it “Blood and Guts,” because that’s what it takes to be a business owner. You deserve a medal. What most people think is liberation from a 40-hour workweek is often an 80-hour or more workweek, and the reward is not always financial.

Having started multiple small businesses of my own and marketed/consulted with many others over the past 40-plus, years I have seen or personally experienced a lifetime of good and bad decisions. I hope these insights will be valuable to anyone who chooses to take the risk.

In the last installment, we covered: watch your mouth; read, read, read; and stay flexible.

Here are some additional tips: Learn how to communicate well: Everyone has a communication style, and if you want to have an efficient staff, it is best if you learn how to speak into each person’s style. There are a number of personality tests available to help you, including the granddaddy of them all – Myers-Briggs.

Each one divides a person’s style into no less than four categories and some as many as 16. For our company, we used these four titles: “Communicator,” “Completer,” “Commander” and “Calculator.”

They are not fancy titles but pretty much said what the person was all about.

Outside of each employee’s work area was a posted sheet that detailed the dos and don’ts for efficiently communicating with that particular style or combination of styles.

It worked like a charm internally, but we took it a step further. We determined the styles of all of our customers and preferred vendors.

Whether our communication was written or spoken, we related to clients or vendors in the style with which they were most comfortable – the one most like them.

If it was a Commander-style person on the phone, we quickly got down to business and found ways to handle the issues so he or she didn’t have to. If it was a Communicator-style, we took time to ask about “Momma and them” and followed his or her lead as to when it was time to discuss business.

18 Buzz on Biz March 2019

Learning to communicate with different personality types found among employees and customers is crucial to a business’s success.

Calculators were given facts and figures that added up to their expectations, and Completers were given time lines.

Of course, there are combinations of the above and situations that called for modification of our behavior, but for the most part this was a great way to follow Dale Carnegie’s advice to Win Friends and Influence People.

By the way, regardless of a person’s style, never put anything in an email that can come back to bite you. The whole Hillary C thing should be lesson enough, but I find that people still don’t understand the repercussions of angry or tasteless emails and texts.

Imagine there are a couple of people fuming, and you weigh in on the side of one. Later they make up, but your critical email is still in the hands of the one just waiting, like a guillotine over your head, for the opportune time to use that leverage against you.

Simply re-read your email before you send it with an eye toward, “Can this in any way cause me grief down the road?” I promise you will delete a few.

Hey, a phone call is much better because it isn’t recorded for all time … Hello? An

actual voice call or face-to-face meeting to resolve an issue! Millennial generation, listen up.

You don’t know what you don’t know: How profound is that? We hired and rehired for the front desk. It seemed everyone thought the front desk was the entry to the next “real” job, while we saw it as a job unto itself.

Part of the training was to tell them to ask questions if they didn’t understand something. But time after time, there would be a hangup because that person was afraid to ask a question or afraid to appear to not know something.

Guess what? No one knows everything. Encourage people to ask questions — even “dumb” ones. I’ve made a living out of being dumb. When trying to help a company become more efficient, I often asked the dumb questions.

It’s the only way to uncover an obscure answer, help the clients question their own processes and build on a solid platform.

I once asked a mortuary client a seemingly dumb question – “Is there a season for your business?”

It is a question we asked all beginning

clients as we worked through their marketing because it helped determine when to spend marketing dollars. It almost seemed out of place here, but I asked it anyway.

“You mean is there a season for death?” our client responded.

“Yes,” I said.

The answer was “Yes.” The busiest time for funeral homes is the first quarter of the year. And we went on to explain why.

No question is a dumb question — because you don’t know what you don’t know.

Watch for the next part of this series and share this with other entrepreneurial friends. Believe me, small business and entrepreneurs need all the help they can get.

Got any good stories yourself ? Shoot me e-mail at mrkalison@yahoo.com.

Mark Alison, the Business Accelerator, is an independent marketing counselor. He can be reached at mark9226@me.com.

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March 2019 Buzz on Biz

19

BUSINESSPERSON OF THE MONTH

LOVE FOR CARS, PEOPLE MOTIVATES CLEMENTS

By Gary Kauffman

One thing you quickly realize when talking to Aaron Clements: The man loves cars.

Whether working on cars or talking about cars, Clements, president of C&C Automotive and the host of a popular automotive radio show, has been living his dream for nearly 40 years.

Aaron Clements, C&C Automotive Clements began the dream even earlier — as a young teen in the early 1970s — when he worked on cars with his father, John, a mechanic at a local shop.

“We enjoyed working together, and we always wanted to start a shop together,” Clements said.

First, though, he took some time to chase some other dreams in the Air Force.

“I loved cars and I loved airplanes, and I wanted to travel and get an education,” he said. “In 1976, I joined the Air Force and did all of the above. Working on jet fighters was awesome!”

During that time, John Clements started his own automotive shop, and his son joined him in 1981. His mother, Mary, joined the business as bookkeeper, and Clements’ sister, Velda Coleman, came aboard, making it a true family business.

Over the years, the business grew out of one building after another, until one day in 1995, when Clements stopped in an office building on Telfair Street and offered to buy the building. About a week later the owner agreed, and C&C Automotive moved into its present headquarters.

“It was a good move for us, because we had room to grow,” Clements said.

It has continued to grow, opening a second location on Wrightsboro Road in 2008 and a third facility on Washington Road in 2018.

The business also grew into a third generation when Clements’ daughter, Amanda Clements Drake, decided to forego a medical career in favor of joining the family business.

She had graduated from college, but before attending medical school Clements advised her to take business classes to help her in her future career. But the classes did more than that.

“She said she wanted to change her mind and to go into business,” he said.

“She said she wanted to go into this business. She came for all the right reasons.”

20 Buzz on Biz March 2019

Aaron Clements, president of C&C Automotive, has seen it grow from one location to three since his father began the business in the late 1970s. Photo by Gary Kauffman

First, though, Clements had more to teach her. “I told her, ‘You’re like a really good computer but with limited software,” he said.

But she learned quickly, and she became the manager at the new Wrightsboro Road store. Now Clements’ son, Brad, is also working to join the business, having taken automotive technician classes at Augusta Technical College and business classes at night.

Clements found early on that other people became like family to him and were integral in the success of the business. Helping grow the business were Jim Burdeshaw, Al Wildes, Marty Morris, John Ryan Mooney and Joe Deloach.

“They’re really the heart and soul of C&C Automotive,” he said, adding that his wife, Joye, has also been a rock of support for him.

Part of what Clements enjoys about his work is the loyal customer base the business has built over the years.

“There are so many wonderful customers, they make it enjoyable to come to work each morning,” he said.

Clements’ love for cars didn’t diminish his love for airplanes. After leaving the Air Force, he attained both his private and commercial pilots’ licenses.

“Some of the really enjoyable things I did with my father was to just fly around and talk,” he said.

Clements has been a longtime member of the 13,000-member Automotive Service Association, serving at the local, state and national levels, including a year

as national chairman for the association.

Clements also gained some national exposure with the C&C Automotive Car Care Show. The local show has grown to be syndicated to about 25 stations nationally, including stations in California and New York. Locally, it can be heard Saturday mornings on WGAC radio, 580 AM, 95.1 FM and streaming online.

The show came about in the early 1990s, when Clements was asked if he’d like to do a car care answers show.

“I said I’d be interested and asked when,” Clements recalled. “He said, ‘Tomorrow morning.’ I got shoved into the deep water right away.”

Since then, Mooney has joined him on the air.

“I love the entertainment side of it, but I also feel people want real-world information about modern cars,” Clements said. “Hopefully we give people a little sunshine on weekends, talking about the fun side of cars and the seriousness of taking care of cars.

In his own words

What are you passionate about in your business?

“Improving the industry. I’d like to see the perception of the industry more of what it actually is. When you go to classes, you see people are there to improve their service. People are keeping their cars now more than 12 years, and we’re the ones who keep them rolling. That’s why we go to classes at night. We have a complete training room here. We have so many

good people working in this industry.”

What did you learn from your father that you’ve passed on to your children?

“I think the work ethic and the desire to do what’s right when working on a car.

The thing my parents taught us, plain and simple, was treating people the way you’d want to be treated. I wouldn’t want to sell something that I wouldn’t sell to my mother or father, brother or sister, or do something I wouldn’t do to my own car.

Treating the customer fairly is important, and doing things in a timely manner. Be courteous and professional. My kids see me go to classes at night and learning new things. My father and mother both did those things.”

How do you unwind?

“I used to go flying, but I haven’t done that for three or four years. The one thing I enjoy doing that helps me relax is the radio show. I enjoy talking with people, cutting up and joking with them. I like going to meetings in different states with a lot of other automotive techs or management classes. I love being around automotive people who have done well. I like reading automotive articles. I’ve had all types of cars throughout the years. The car I enjoy most right now is an older Mazda Miata.”

Who has influenced you the most?

“My kids have influenced me a lot.

My family and co-workers have been the most help to me. I ask their opinions about a lot of things. There are different people in different areas of the industry in different areas that I can call if I need guidance in a particular area. I also listen to a lot of motivational podcasts.”

How do you give back?

“I feel the radio show helps in some way. We also sponsor car shows. From time to time we give away a car. We had a good customer who said that we’ve taken great care of their van, but they’d bought another and wanted to give us their old van. About a week before I’d seen one of our cleaning ladies carrying her supplies, walking from business to business, and found out she hadn’t had a car in three years. So, we presented her with the title to the van.”

What does the future hold for you and your business?

“My daughter, Amanda, who is vice president, will in the near future move to president, and we’ll have managers for each store. Then, I will work for them for as long as they’ll let me work. I trust them.

They’ve learned the culture of the shop.

We’ll continue to grow; it’ll be healthy growth to maintain the level of service and keep the company culture intact.”

CHAMBER’S 14TH ANNUAL BANQUET HONORS MANY BUSINESS LEADERS The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce hosted its 14th annual Banquet and Business Showcase on Thursday, Feb. 7, at the Columbia County Exhibition Center.

With an estimated attendance of 600 local, state and federal business leaders, the event celebrated and saluted the Chamber’s accomplishments of 2018, with a look ahead to a prosperous 2019.

The evening kicked off with the business showcase and reception.

One of the Chamber’s largest networking opportunities, the showcase provided attendees the opportunity to mix, mingle and network with nearly 30 local vendors.

Chamber President and CEO Tammy Shepherd opened the dinner program with a welcome and highlighted the successes of the Chamber in 2018 and the prospects for a brighter future.

Shepherd and 2018 Board of Directors Chairman Robbie Moore of Blanchard and Calhoun Insurance presented the awards for Ambassador of the Year and Volunteer of the Year, respectively, to Laura Kitchens of Home2 Suites by Hilton, Grovetown; and Larry Lynn of Allegra Image 360.

A highlight of the evening was the ceremonial passing of the flag of leadership from outgoing Chairman Moore to 2019 Chairman Ed Burr, the senior vice president of legal and regulatory affairs with University Health Care System.

In his remarks, Burr expressed his appreciation to the Board for the confidence shown in him and relayed his

E.G. Meybohm received the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Banquet on Feb. 7. Pictured from left are Chamber President Tammy Shepherd, 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Tom Clark, Meybohm and 2019 Chamber Board Chair Ed Burr. Photos contributed

Spherion Staffing Services, represented

by Angela Swartz, received the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year Award.

goals and aspirations for the year.

During the program, the Chamber presented several awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. Given annually since 2005, the award seeks to honor one leader of the community for his or her professional and philanthropic achievements.

This year’s award winner, E.G. Meybohm, was recognized for his entrepreneurial spirit, his leadership in commercial development and his legacy of innovation and forward momentum for Columbia County.

Additionally, the Chamber named Spherion Staffing Services the Small Business of the Year and Ellefson Trans-

portation Group as Large Business of the Year.

The Leadership Columbia County Alumni Award went to Elizabeth Lamb of Doctors Hospital.

The 14th annual Banquet and Business Showcase was presented by South State Bank.

Premier sponsors included Doctors Hospital, Gerald Jones Auto Group, Premier Networx, Savannah River Nuclear

Solutions and Savannah River Remediation.

Executive sponsors included Allegra Image 360, ADP, AT&T, Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate, Cleveland Group CPAs and Georgia Power Co. Corporate sponsors included Alison South Marketing Group, Augusta Collection Agency, Bill Beazley Homes, Gold Cross Emergency Medical Services, Herbert Homes and Jani King.

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Ellefson Transportation received the 2018 Large Business of the Year Award. Pictured from left are John Allen of 2017 Large Business of the Year winner Allen-Batchelor Construction, Brian Ellefson and Nyles Ellefson of Ellefson Transportation, and Jay Forrester of event sponsor South State Bank.

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March 2019 Buzz on Biz

21

ADVOCACY

North Augusta introduces Chamber leadership

By Terra Carroll It’s a new year, and great initiatives are on the horizon for the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce.

Our mission is to promote and meet the unique needs of local business and industry in order to strengthen the community in which we live, work, play and do business.

Thank you to our outgoing Board chairman, Brett Turner with RhodesMurphy Income Tax, who has dedicated his time and leadership to the Chamber since 2009. Brett will continue to serve as immediate past chairman until December.

Retiring Director Don Goggans (Executive Committee) and Kevin Toole (2016-17 chairman) have been champions of the Chamber and instrumental in the revitalization of our vision and mission. We appreciate their support, service and leadership.

We are excited to present our 2019 leadership and welcome our newest members.

Patricia Allen began serving as our 2019 Board chair on Jan. 1. She has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2010. As environment, safety, health and quality assurance (ESH&QA) and contractor assurance (CA) director for Savannah River Remediation, Patricia has more than 35 years of experience in the fields of nuclear operations, support, engineering, research and development, safeguards and security, environmental, safety and health, and technical management.

Her skills in quality assurance and contract performance will be essential to helping businesses un-

Executive team

PATRICIA ALLEN 2019 Board Chair

JAMES DOLLAR 2019 Chairelect

MACHELA KNOX Treasurer

KRISTINA BAGGOTT At Large

Directors

BRETT TURNER Immediate Past Chair

Ex-officio

KEITH AIKEN

TONY BERNADOS

MARY COMMONS

BECKY DEARDEN

SEAN ALFORD

TOM CLARK

TOM DENLINGER

MARY DRISCOLL

KRIS HARWOOD

CRYSTAL MARTIN

TODD GLOVER

BILL HIXON

KEN SHAH

CHUCK SPRUILL

derstand and meet local, state and federal guidelines. We look forward to sharing her talent with our members.

The Chamber’s Executive team includes: Chair-Elect: James Dollar, director of nuclear

22 Buzz on Biz March 2019

DON WHITE At Large

proliferation planning and integration, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Treasurer: Machela Knox, assistant vice president, project management, SRP Federal Credit Union At Large: Kristina Baggott, associate vice presi-

WILL WILLIAMS

dent, volunteer services and engagement, Augusta University At Large: Don White, attorney, Don H. White, P.C. Immediate Past Chair: Brett Turner, vice president, Rhodes-Murphy In-

come Tax Service Our new Board members (*) will be officially introduced at the annual meeting on March 1 but have taken office effective Jan. 1.

Directors: • Keith Aiken*, employ-

ment coordinator, Austin Industrial Inc. • Tony Bernados*, president, The Augusta Chronicle • Mary Commons, director of resource development and the ATC Foundation, Aiken Technical College • Becky Dearden*, marketing director, SME CPAs • Tom Denlinger, vice president, GreenJackets Baseball • Mary Driscoll, vice chancellor for advancement and external relations, University of South Carolina-Aiken • Kris Harwood, office manager, Quality Printing & Graphics • Crystal Martin*, financial sales manager, platform sales, First Citizens Bank • Ken Shah*, owneroperator, Holiday Inn Express North Augusta • Chuck Spruill*, director, creative services and brand management, WJBF News, Channel 6 Ex-Officio: • Dr. Sean Alford, superintendent, Aiken County Public School District • Dr. Tom Clark, executive director, CSRA Alliance for Fort Gordon • Todd Glover, city administrator, City of North Augusta • Rep. Bill Hixon, South Carolina House District 83 • Will Williams, president and CEO, Economic Development Partnership As we journey into 2019, we hope you will join us in fulfilling our mission and creating the best North Augusta for living, working, playing and doing business.

Terra Carroll is the president and CEO of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce. Reach her at terra@northaugustachamber.org.

LEGAL EASE

PERSONAL GROWTH

Recapturing a lost art — taking time to think

By Dagan Sharpe

Love is in the air — and in the workplace

By Ed Enoch As I write this column, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Remember in school how awkward this day could be? But that was nothing compared to the pitfalls of romance at work.

People are going to get romantically involved at the workplace. As adults, most of us spend more time at work than anywhere else.

What is a company to do? Some companies have a strict policy against romantic relationships among employees. I do not agree with such a policy, because I believe companies should only have policies they can effectively enforce. Zero tolerance does not eliminate workplace romances, it just makes them secretive and covert — which means they are that much harder to deal with as an employer.

Several obvious pitfalls accompany office romances. There is the potential, actual or perceived, of favoritism toward a love interest. There is the obvious possibility of sexual harassment if one person in the relationship has authority over the other person’s job. And, ultimately, what happens if the relationship ends badly?

There is no law that prohibits consensual romantic relationships between adults in the workplace. And each workplace is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all policy that will work everywhere. There are some things that are critical in any workforce and some things that might help in certain situations.

First and foremost, companies need to have effective anti-harassment and anti-dis-

crimination policies. Even small companies, for whom the federal law prohibiting these behaviors does not apply, should have these policies, because they are simply good practice. This means not only having a policy in the employee handbook, but having regular periodic training for managers and rank-andfile employees about the policy, how to report harassment and that the company will not retaliate for any such report.

Some optional policies include: (i) a complete prohibition on supervisor/subordinate relationships; (ii) an obligation to inform the company of the existence of a romantic relationship and (iii) so-called “love contracts.”

Love contracts primarily serve to establish that the relationship is consensual. They can also reinforce other company policies, such as the harassment/discrimination policy. These contracts are every bit as awkward to implement as they sound, but properly drawn, they can help everyone in the workplace navigate an otherwise precarious situation.

The time to create and implement these policies is before there is an obvious issue with any two employees. Otherwise, whatever path the company chooses can feel like targeting to the affected employees.

jenoch@enochlaw.com.

J. Edward “Ed” Enoch has practiced law in Augusta for more than 20 years, mostly focusing on helping business owners and companies to include formation, transition, business planning, contract writing, employment law and other areas of the law. Email

A strategy or plan isn’t necessarily needed if we don’t have any competitors to contend with in business, athletics or even when pursuing our goals. However, if a competitor exists, then so does the need to develop a plan or strategy that exploits our advantages over our competitor(s).

Unfortunately, this basic concept seems to be a fundamental element often missed in strategic planning and development.

Instead, checklists of activity are often highlighted toward a particular line-item goal, but key tactics to exploit particular strengths and unique competitive advantages are often overlooked or unmentioned.

Perhaps one reason is the competitive advantages of the individual team or organization aren’t always known.

Therefore, one of the most powerful elements of planning is the actual time invested to pause and think.

So often we are in such a rush of activity and business that we rarely stop to think about what we do, why we do it and how we can do it smarter. We run in a blaze of activity and feel that this is somehow productive and good.

Rarely do we redeem the value of actually thinking, scribbling and simply stretching our imaginations to create new and better ways at achieving our goals and growth.

As such, some of the best plans can be reduced to being summarized on the back of a business card.

In essence, they are simple to understand, remember, share and execute.

The execution elements should

then be focused on the strengths and competitive advantages of the organization, team or individual as compared to its competitors.

When a strategic plan accomplishes this, strengths are emphasized, challenges from competitors are addressed and execution tactics are highlighted and streamlined, which greatly help in the challenge of actually taking the thoughts off paper and putting them into action.

This is one of the greatest challenges of any plan — implementation.

How often have we planned, but never implemented it, or had it endure for a consistent period of time?

Strategic planning is powerful because it gets us to stop and think, focus on our strengths, identify our advantages, address our competitors, and simplify and streamline our actions — when done well.

However, the challenge is often getting past step one — taking time to think, identify strengths, developing activities that exploit competitive advantages and finally putting it all into action.

Granted, these are not always easy things to accomplish and definitely require our time investment.

Yet perhaps this is exactly the reason why those who actually do it reap the rewards more often than those who do not.

Strategic planning is powerful because it gets us to stop and think, focus on our strengths, identify our advantages, address our competitors, and simplify and streamline our actions.

sharpe@qnbtrust.com.

Dagan Sharpe is senior vice president of Queensborough National Bank & Trust and the author of Highways End and Full Disclosure.

Email him at dagan.

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

23

DOWNTOWN BUZZ

Augusta’s coffee scene growing slowly but surely

By Witt Wells A few months ago, I was interviewing a local government official about the future of downtown development.

She’d recently moved to Augusta from the Northeast, where she had worked in a similar position in planning and zoning. She was generally positive about the direction that downtown Augusta is headed and was confident that years of continuous, smart development in an area that has good bones could result in a truly thriving district.

But on a personal level, there was one thing she was particularly frustrated about: a lack of coffee options downtown.

Coming from the land overflowing with Dunkin’ Donuts and its faithful fanatics, she found downtown’s lack of coffee variety to be a pain.

She’s far from the only person to have expressed that sentiment (I talked to someone last week who told me that she and her husband occasionally drive to a shop in Columbia to get the kind of coffee that really hits the spot for them), but the area’s coffee scene has already changed significantly since that interview just a few months ago.

First, Ubora Coffee Roasters opened on Jones Street in November and, aside from its excellent coffee, it has quickly become one of my favorite spots to hang out, as well as my office away from the office.

The shop that began as a Jacksonville, Fla.based coffee truck brought a much-needed boost to local coffee lovers looking for new flavors; head to the back of the roastery, and you’ll find barrels of coffee from Ethiopia, Honduras, Brazil and Sumatra, to name a few.

The shop is always experimenting with new blends, so you might just get a sample if you’re sitting at the bar at the right time.

If blended coffee drinks are your preference, it has plenty of solid options, not the least of which is the

Options for a good cup of coffee across the area have changed significantly in recent months — and for the better. New spots include Ubora on Jones Street in downtown Augusta and Stone Roastery (above) in North Augusta. Photo by Gary Kauffman

subtly sweet Vietnamese: four espresso shots, milk and condensed milk shaken over ice.

“I was visiting some friends in Italy,” owner Andre Leon said when I asked

I remember till this day.”

Ubora isn’t the only shop growing the coffee scene downtown. Less than a month after Ubora opened, Buona Caffe cut the ribbon on its new location at the Georgia Cyber Center.

The company had already bought the 8,400-squarefoot building a few blocks east at 520 Reynolds St. to add to its Central Avenue location. That facility will serve as an expansion of Buona Caffe’s roasting operation.

Add to that a new and improved coffee menu at Metro — the “Coffeehouse and Pub” was light on the coffeehouse part for years — and downtown Augusta suddenly has a handful of options in an area where, less than a year ago, New Moon was just about the only place to grab a cup of coffee.

Buona Caffe’s slogan “Happily Caffeinated” seems like an apt description of Augustans these days.

24 Buzz on Biz March 2019

him about the origin of his love for coffee. “They live in a small town up in the mountains named Campli. My friend took me to this small cafe in their main piazza. There, the owner treated me like I was part of her family and made me a cappuccino, with coffee that was freshly roasted and milk that came from the farm about two miles from there.

“It didn’t get any fresher than that, and the taste and quality is something

Across the river, Stone Roastery, which started selling a variety of blends last year, recently opened on Belvedere Clearwater Road in North Augusta. At certain times you can watch the roasting process in a roaster set in the corner of the retro-garage-themed store.

Owner Brad Stone develops and roasts his unique blends of beans himself.

And even if you can’t get into the downtown, you can enjoy coffee out in Evans at Rooted, a unique coffee shop at the Market at Riverwood. It’s stated goal is to help people develop real friendships “though the art of coffee.”

Buona Caffe’s slogan “Happily Caffeinated” seems like an apt description of Augustans these days.

Witt Wells is a Memphisborn writer with a love for comedy, the written word and the outdoors. He lives in Augusta, where he reports on business news in the CSRA. Contact him at witt.wells@ buzzon.biz.

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March 2019 Buzz on Biz

25

BREAKING A GENERATIONAL CURSE

FATHERHOOD COALITION STRIVES TO GET MEN INVOLVED IN KIDS’ LIVES

By Gary Kauffman Three scourges of the late 20th century — high school dropout rates, teen pregnancy and the incarceration of young men — have reached almost epidemic proportions in some areas. But according to research done in the early 2000s, all three problems have one common denominator — absent fathers.

“Where you have involved fathers, those things typically don’t happen,” said Ronald Hilton, site director for the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition in Aiken.

Midlands is one of 11 such programs in South Carolina dedicated to helping men become better parents and productive members of society.

In the United States, about 35 percent of children under age 18 live in singleparent homes (primarily raised by mothers), but the rate is about 66 percent in the black community. In some urban areas, the percentage of children raised without a father present reaches as high as 75 percent among the black community.

The trifecta of issues associated with absent fathers goes beyond family relationships. They have a ripple effect throughout the community, often leading to poor employment skills, increased reliance on welfare and rising crime rates.

Worst of all, it creates a cycle that repeats from generation to generation.

Hilton doesn’t know what percentage of the participants in the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition came from homes without fathers, but he said it’s not uncommon.

“We’re trying to break that generational curse,” he said.

The coalition focuses on four areas: Parenting, healthy relationships, economic stability and men’s health. Participants are required to work through weekly courses, which typically take about nine months to complete.

Men (and occasionally women) enter the program in two ways — voluntarily, because they recognize their need, or as an Alternative to Incarceration (ATI).

ATI occurs when a man (or sometimes a woman) falls behind in child support payments. Rather than jail him for 60 or 90 days, the court refers him to the Fatherhood Coalition.

It is not just a youth program. In fact, the average age of participants at Midlands is 32. Anyone with a child under the age of 18 is eligible to participate. The majority of participants are noncustodial parents.

The Fatherhood Coalition has a strong

26 Buzz on Biz March 2019

By the numbers Midlands Fatherhood Coalition’s 2017 statistics

149

Participants served

32

Average age of participant

328

Children positively affected

61 percent

Number of participants who gained employment

$199,000

Amount of child support paid Midlands Fatherhood Coalition in Aiken is one of 11 such programs in South Carolina that is working to help men become better parents. Encouraging the men to learn a trade and helping them find gainful employment is an important part of the program.

employment component to help participants thrive in the workforce. But Hilton stressed that it isn’t merely a program for those in poverty.

“You could be making $100,000 a year but don’t know how to be a father,” he said. “Not everybody who comes in here is unemployed. We’re not an employment agency; we’re a parenting program. This program is for anybody who has parenting issues.”

But being good employees and working to improve their job capabilities does play an important role in the program. Included in the training is a weeklong employability boot camp that covers such things as soft skills, how to dress appropriately, interview techniques, mock interviews and resume writing.

“Once they’ve completed the program they’ll be able to become productive citizens in the community,” Hilton said.

“They’ll be able to return to work and maintain their child support obligation, as well as living independently. It’s a lot about personal development.”

Sha Williams, job coach for Midlands, said that participants’ relationship with employers is important.

“Before we put someone in employment, we make sure they’re ready to go to work and are willing to be at the job longterm,” she said. “The employers know some of the problems but are willing to

give them a second chance — or maybe even a first chance.”

Hilton said Midlands maintains an ongoing relationship with the employers.

“Once an employer hires someone, we don’t walk away from it,” he said. “We make sure the person that came from our program is doing what they’re supposed to do.”

If a participant is a high school dropout, he is encouraged to get a diploma or a GED. Midlands also emphasizes learning trade skills at a local technical college.

“The job market now doesn’t require a four-year degree,” Hilton said. “You can pick up a certification and be a productive member of society.”

In 2017 (the latest data available), 70 percent of the participants entered the program unemployed, but most of them were employed by the end of the program. That helped the participants to pay $199,000 in child support payments.

But the program also helped taxpayers — the state of South Carolina saved an estimated $488,000 it didn’t have to pay for jail time or welfare benefits.

But while money is important, Midlands stresses that relationships with the children are the most important. Unfortunately, many of the participants have not had an example to follow or even been told how to be a good father.

“I can’t expect them to know how to do

$488,000

Amount saved by South Carolina taxpayers To learn more about the coalition, visit www.scfathers andfamilies.com. it if they don’t know,” Hilton said.

Williams said that part of the coalition’s teaching is to go beyond just buying things for the children to spending quality time with them. The Midlands office has a shelf of books that fathers are encouraged to read to their children.

“We teach our parents that when you have your child for the weekend, you don’t have to spend a lot of money,” she said. “Read a book to them. Spending quality time makes a difference.”

In addition to parenting skills, developing healthy relationships with a child’s mother and employment training, Midlands also helps men maintain their personal health. That includes screening for blood pressure and cholesterol problems, and counseling about smoking, substance abuse and sexual health.

Midlands Fatherhood Coalition’s current work with fathers is designed to make a difference in the future by breaking the cycle of absentee fathers.

“If we can get Mom and Dad right today,” Williams said, “we shouldn’t have to deal with their children 10 or 15 years from now.”

INFRASTRUCTURE & LOGISTICS

Seek professionals when washing home’s exterior

By Tony Creighton Do us a favor: The next time you are outside, take a look at your home’s exterior. Does it have a visible layer of dirt from recent storms? Is your driveway covered in black spots and oil? What about algae? Are you seeing spots of green or black algae on your brick or siding?

If so, your home needs some TLC in the form of an exterior pressure wash, and ensuring that you pick a reputable, licensed pressure-washing company is key to a safe, nondamaging and costeffective cleaning.

Once you’ve made the decision to use a pressure-washing company, you might find yourself overwhelmed with the amount of companies listed on Google searches, through the Yellow Pages, Facebook, or friend and neighbor recommendations.

Choosing one may seem like a huge hassle and can be discouraging for some homeowners.

However, if you keep in mind a few things, the choice can be an easy one.

First, it’s important to remember that the terms “power washing” or “pressure washing” are a bit of a misnomer. In fact, a licensed pressure-washing company uses a technique called SoftWashing, which uses essentially the same pressure you would get from a common garden hose.

This technique uses commercialgrade detergents to do most of the work and ensure no damage to your home’s siding, stucco or brick surfaces. This technique, in conjunction with specially formulated soaps, helps treat and re-

Your home is your biggest investment, and trusting it to flyby-night, unlicensed and uninsured companies can lead to damage, plus more money spent on hiring a professional pressure-washing company to come in and complete a poorly done cleaning. move things such as mildew, algae and other organic growth, while also lifting dirt and debris from your home.

Do your research so you can make an informed decision. Allow the company to educate you on the processes used to clean a home, as well as answering any and all questions you have.

When speaking with a prospective company, we encourage you to find out how long the company has been in business and if it’s insured.

This weeds out the good from the bad, especially if you’re getting several estimates from companies in the area.

It might seem like you’re getting a bet-

ter deal from that fly-by-night company until it ruins your siding, brick, paint or other home surfaces — and then leaves.

Ask what chemicals the company will be using to clean your home. If the representatives say only bleach, and never mention detergents or SoftWashing techniques, it’s the wrong company and may potentially cause serious damage to your home or not give you the most effective, long-lasting clean.

Lastly, you should know an approximate length of time your specific cleaning should last. A typical wash for a 2,000-square-foot home should take, on average, one to two hours. Not all homes are the same, and some jobs are dependent on weather, so there is some deviation to this.

In the end, we encourage homeowners to do their research, ask questions and choose a reputable company with knowledge and experience to assist them with their home’s exterior cleaning needs.

Your home is your biggest investment, and trusting it to fly-by-night, unlicensed and uninsured companies can lead to damage, plus more money spent on hiring a professional pressurewashing company to come in and complete a poorly done cleaning.

Tony Creighton is the owner/operator of ALLCLEAN™ Pressure Washing LLC and its subsidiary, Augusta PROCLEAN™ — committed to providing high-quality cleanings for the CSRA’s commercial properties and homes. Call 706.651.8089 or email allcleanaugusta@gmail.com.

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March 2019 Buzz on Biz

27

PROMOTING PROSPERITY

STUDY SHOWS THAT AUGUSTA AREA ENJOYS ECONOMIC FREEDOM

By Gary Kauffman The Augusta area ranks high in economic freedom, according to a report, and that’s good news for the area’s prosperity.

The Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank, recently released a study on economic freedom compiled by Dean Stansel, a research associate professor for the O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The study looked at 52 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) of more than 1 million people, and 330 MSAs with a population of less than 1 million.

Augusta ranked 74th in the under 1 million category, placing it in the top 25 percent of MSAs with the most economic freedom.

“Economic market freedom is the freedom of the individual or business to use their resources as they wish without undue interference from the government,” Stansel explained.

That’s important because it promotes prosperity. “It’s been proven that areas with higher freedom tend to have better outcomes,” he said.

His research shows that the MSAs in the top 25 percent on the economic freedom list saw their population grow by 4.8 percent during a four-year period, compared to only 1.2 percent growth for those in the least-free areas.

In addition, per capita income in the top 25 percent was 5.7 percent above the MSA average, while in the least-free areas per capita income was 4.9 percent below the average.

“Living in one of the least-free areas amounts to taking an 11 percent pay cut compared to living in one of the mostfree areas,” Stansel said. “The slower population growth there also creates a more stagnant economy with fewer economic opportunities for all.”

Stansel’s Economic Freedom Index used nine different measures of state and local government policies across three broad areas — taxes, spending and labor market restrictions (labor market freedom). The scores in each of the three areas were combined into an overall score, from 0 (least free) to 10 (most free).

Augusta scored 7.04, which ranked it just behind Lafayette, La., and just ahead of Billings, Mont. In Georgia, Atlanta ranked first at 7.23. But among Georgia MSAs below 1 million in population, Columbus was first at 7.07 and Augusta was second, just ahead of Warner-Robbins at 7.03. Those were the only MSAs

28 Buzz on Biz March 2019

Economic freedom across the U.S. Map shows results of the study of metropolitan statistical areas across the United States.

Source: The Reason Foundation

MSAs WITH LESS THAN 1 MILLION POPULATION Most free Score 1. Naples-Immokalee, Fla. ................................8.55 2. Midland, Texas ..................................................8.54 3. Sebastian-Vero Beach, Fla. ...........................8.43 4. Sioux Falls, S.D. .................................................8.28 5. Manchester-Nashua, N.H. ............................8.28 6. The Villages, Fla. ...............................................8.19 7. Tyler, Texas .........................................................8.06 8. Crestview-Destin, Fla. ....................................7.99 9. Pensacola, Fla. ..................................................7.97 10. San Angelo, Texas .........................................7.95

in Georgia to top 7.

Augusta was strongest in the labor market freedom category, scoring a 7.81, but that score was dragged down by a 6.60 in government spending and 6.70 in taxes.

“Spending on insurance and retirement payments (which includes pensions) is by far the area where spending is the most excessive,” Stansel said of the government spending in Augusta.

The study was based on census numbers from 2012, the latest that were available. He said the studies are done twice in

Least free Score 1. El Centro, Calif. .................................................4.22 2. Kingston, N.Y. ....................................................4.39 3. Visalia, Calif. .......................................................4.39 4. Binghamton, N.Y. .............................................4.81 5. Glens Falls, N.Y. .................................................4.81 6. Ocean City, N.J. ................................................4.81 7. Merced, Calif. ....................................................4.86 8. Yuba City, Calif. .................................................5.05 9. Atlantic City, N.J. ..............................................5.09 10. Vineland-Bridgeton, N.J. ............................5.10

between the censuses taken at the turn of each decade, in the years ending in 2 and 7. He will update the study with the 2017 numbers when they become available.

“It’s limited by the census bureau, but it typically doesn’t change much,” he said.

Augusta has scored over 7.00 each year since 1987. In 2007, it had a score of 7.18 and 7.01 in 2002.

Stansel said his research is most often used by other academics and think tanks like Reason Foundation to do further research. But he said it can also have some

application at the local level to see if changes need to be made.

“It sparks conversations,” he said.

Among the MSAs with a population under 1 million, cities in Florida and Texas dominated the top 10, while the bottom 10 were all from New York, California or New Jersey. Naples, Fla., ranked first, with an 8.55 score. El Centro, Calif., was last with a score of 4.22.

Among the bigger MSAs, Houston ranked first at 8.00, while San Bernardino, Calif., was last at 5.23.

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AUGUSTA CANAL READY FOR NEW EVENTS AND FRIDAY MUSIC CRUISES

By Gary Kauffman

For the past few months, the Augusta Canal has contained barely enough water to float a toy boat. But that should change soon, and when it does, the Petersburg boats will again be plying the waters for daily and special tours.

The canal had been mostly drained for maintenance work on the banks, which grounded the Augusta Canal’s Petersburg boat tours. The canal is expected to start filling up again around March 1.

“Once that’s done we can get our tours going again,” said Rebecca Rogers, marketing director for the Augusta Canal.

“But we’ve had pretty good attendance of people going to the museum.”

The 14th season of the canal’s popular Friday night Moonlight Music Cruises kicks off on April 5 with folk and bluegrass group The Henrys. It will continue every Friday night, with the exception of Masters Week, through June 28. After a two-month summer hiatus, it resumes on Sept. 6 and runs through the end of October, closed out by an encore performance

by The Henrys.

A new group featuring Celtic music, called De Ceadaoin, will be part of this year’s tour.

Rogers said there will be even more music this year on Saturdays. In the past, the canal had offered three-hour cruises once a month on Saturdays. That will be discontinued in favor of cruises featuring music legend tribute performances. Rogers said the final list hasn’t been confirmed yet, but riders can expect to be entertained by tributes to acts including The Beatles, Billy Joel and Motown artists.

Another new activity is the Great Canal Clue Caper, a type of scavenger hunt that involves daily clues on the Augusta Canal’s Facebook page that will help participants solve the puzzle.

“The goal is to get people on the trails and explore the canal in a new way,” Rogers said. “Winners will get fabulous prizes.”

The contest will launch in April.

Also coming in April will be a major piece of public art near the Mill Village Trailhead. The Augusta Canal had applied for and received a Porter Fleming Art

Eryn Eubanks & The Family Fold performs during a Petersburg Boat cruise. The Augusta Canal’s Moonlight Music Cruises will be starting up again April 5. Photo contributed

Grant to develop the art project.

Rogers said 26 artists applied with more than 30 art concepts. “We were really impressed with the quality,” she said.

Out of the applications, Brian Rust, a faculty member at Augusta University, was chosen for his art concept called Stone Boat. It will be a replica of a Petersburg boat shaped from recycled granite slabs.

The sculpture will be visible from the trail and also from the Canal.

“We’re really excited about it,” Rogers said. “It’s a new thing for us. If it goes well, we’ll look to put in other art in future years.”

Rogers said the canal is also hoping to be able start the completion of the river levee trail that will connect the canal trail with the Riverwalk trail in downtown Augusta. The project has been on the drawing board for decades, Rogers said, but bids for the project have always come in too high.

Another round of bidding is expected this year, and if a suitable bid is accepted, the work could start by the end of the year.

The Petersburg boats give daily tours leaving from the Augusta Canal Museum in Enterprise Mill on Greene Street. There are two general tours Monday through Saturday, with a third tour added on Sundays, plus a daily tour specifically dedicated to Civil War history. Times can be found on the Augusta Canal’s website, www. augustacanal.com/boat-tours.php.

Friday Moonlight Music Cruises All seats $25. Reservations required at 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or www.augustacanal.com. Bring snacks and beverages of your choice.

DATE TIME ACT April 5 6:30 p.m. The Henrys April 19 6:30 p.m. Angela Easterling April 26 6:30 p.m. Wayne Capps May 3 7 p.m.

Fred Williams May 10 7 p.m.

De Ceadaoin May 17 7 p.m.

The Dubber May 24 7 p.m.

Gwen Hughes May 31 7 p.m.

Eryn Eubanks & Family Fold June 7 7 p.m.

Jaycie Ward/ June 14 7 p.m.

Brandy Douglass, She-n-She June 21 7 p.m.

Matthew Dickerson

June 28 7 p.m.

Joyce Lynn Chandler Sept. 6 6:30 p.m. Double D Sept. 13 6:30 p.m. Karen Gordon Sept. 20 6:30 p.m. Christian Ndeti Sept. 27 6:30 p.m. Mike Frost Duo Oct. 4 6 p.m.

The Clydes

Oct. 11 6 p.m.

Art of Expression

Oct. 19 6 p.m.

Roger Enevoldsen

Oct. 26 6 p.m.

The Henrys

GENRE Folk & bluegrass Americana Carolinacana Smooth Jazz Sax Celtic Original Roots music Jazzy torch songs Americana bluegrass Varied covers Originals and covers Easy listening & Celtic Originals and covers Classic rock Blues, pop & jazz Sultry soul Jazz, funk, Latin Bluegrass, honkytonk Smooth R&B, jazz, pop ’50s, ’60s, ‘70s classics Folk & bluegrass

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

29

ARTS & LEISURE

A couple of shows that will tickle your funny bone

By Samantha Barksdale Oh, how quickly things change! Only three weeks have passed since my extended vacation ended, and I’m busier now than I ever was before. On top of going back to work, I’ve also been moving.

Needless to say, there hasn’t been much opportunity for binge-watching multiple seasons of obscure foreign television. What I have been able to do, however, is listen. It’s times like these that I fall back on an “old reliable” — standup comedy. Fortunately for me, Netflix has a pretty extensive library to choose from.

Sebastian Maniscalco: ‘Stay Hungry’

I was introduced to Sebastian Maniscalco years ago through another Netflix special. While I’m no goody-goody, I sometimes have trouble finding comedians who aren’t uncomfortably vulgar.

He was just what I was looking for.

His comedic style is adult, with a few choice words added for emphasis, but lacking the lazy, obscenity-driven tirades so many comedians favor these days. The son of Italian immigrants, Maniscalco looks on today’s youth with an old-world perspective, and the results are hilarious.

First and foremost, I’ll admit I was a bit surprised by Maniscalco’s fashion

Let’s face it, our lives are usually ordinary.

Rather than pretend there’s something wrong with that, I choose to smile.

Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias often focuses on family in his standup act, with heartwarming and hilarious results. Special photo

choice for this special. Old-world Italian and purple leather jacket just don’t mix well in my closed mind.

Once I got past that, however, I was able to truly enjoy a set focused on topics I can relate to: marriage, having a new baby, and how very differently two people can view the damage done to a car when it sideswipes a pole on the side of the road. Yes, this special was right up my alley.

Although I realize there are some who may consider Maniscalco’s brand of comedy a little ordinary, I find it entertaining. Let’s face it, our lives are usually ordinary. Rather than pretend there’s something wrong with that, I choose to smile, and Maniscalco helps me do that.

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: ‘One Show Fits All’

As usual, I was late to the Fluffy game. Apparently, Gabriel Iglesias has been doing comedy for 20 years, very successfully, while I’ve been doing goodness knows what. After watching one of his specials last year, I went on a little bender and watched all that I could find.

Not only is he able to make himself sound like anyone (or anything, for that matter), he always has a heartwarming family message intertwined with his show.

Long-time Fluffy fans will be familiar with his son, Frankie. His sets always include an update on Frankie, and this one was no different. Now a high

school graduate, Frankie is still living at home, sans job, and Fluffy does a great job of sharing his frustration and concern for his son in a light-hearted way.

All parents worry about their children, especially when we can’t understand their motivations for doing, or not doing, something. It’s nice to be able to laugh about that feeling for a change.

Along with stories about Frankie, Fluffy also shares heartfelt and hilarious moments with his mother, his first fans, and — wait for it — Snoop Dog. Yes, Snoop Dog is a Fluffy fan. Enjoy!

Samantha Barksdale, “Sam the Movie Chick,” is on a mission to find the best movies and TV shows for you to stream from Netflix. She loves good flicks, good food and good friends. Her eclectic tastes are sure to give readers a wide range of viewing choices.

Lack of groundhog shadow segues into spring beer styles

By Ben Casella As I continue to undergo the aging process, it seems as though I become a little more heat-intolerant from year to year. Maybe I just enjoy my sweaters and jackets more than I used to, or maybe I just enjoy visiting the dry cleaners with relatively less frequency.

At any rate, suffice it to say that I am not pleased with Punxsutawny Phil for his ineffectiveness at seeing his own shadow this year. Was that too much to ask for? I don’t want it freezing. I just remember a few years back when it hit 100 degrees in May. Well, I suppose I’ll just jump right to the last phase of grief and accept

30 Buzz on Biz March 2019

that my six more weeks of winter seem to be gone the way of New Coke and Crystal Pepsi. So, I’ll take a small step and segue into spring to review a beer for the season: a bock beer.

Cherry Chocolate Bock

This German bock from the Boston Beer Company (which you may know better as Samuel Adams) is a decent representative of its craft of beer, which you might come across on tap or in the beer aisle of the grocery store.

It’s pretty dark, as you might have guessed, with a cappuccino head to match. Cherry is readily apparent on the nose, as is chocolate. However, it is the chocolate that wins out on the tongue. The chocolate (with detectable

bits of cherry) is a bit sweet for my taste, but I’m not one to eat a candy bar or hoard the Jolly Ranchers, either.

The ABV is 5.8 percent and is relatively protected in the taste. All in all, I’d say Cherry Chocolate Bock is, well, pretty good for my taste. Moreover, I think it’s fun to have a beer every now and then that’s a little “off-the-menu” from one’s customary palate. As we’d say down South, it keeps you honest.

While writing this column, Ben Casella kept typing “segway” in the third paragraph.

However, it kept being autocorrected to being capitalized.

He learned something that day.

AT THE TABLE

Rhinehart’s gives business lunch a casual beach vibe

By Millie Huff For many Augustans, the advertising slogan “beyond casual” immediately conjures up the image of a local restaurant known for its “come as you are” attitude and atmosphere: Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar. While I have been to Rhinehart’s a number of times for dinner, it has never been at the top of my lunchtime choices.

However, after this experience, and on days I wear pants to work, Rhinehart’s will definitely be added to my list.

Pulling into the full, unpaved parking lot at the original Washington Road location is reminiscent of pulling up to a favorite locally loved fish restaurant at the beach; you know the food will be good, and it doesn’t matter if you are wearing sandy flip flops and a floppy hat.

Known by locals as a great place for oysters and other seafood, the casual, beach vibe continues indoors at Rhinehart’s as well.

Walking into the restaurant at lunchtime was a bit unexpected as guests enter through a small vestibule into a large bar area. It might lead one to ask: Is it a restaurant with a bar or a bar with a restaurant? The walls and tables are covered with patron-provided graffiti, some more polite than others. With upbeat music playing and a friendly bartender inviting us to seat ourselves, my colleague and I headed toward a sunny dining room toward the front of the establishment.

The lunchtime patrons were a mixed bunch, with no one in a hurry to give up their oversized wooden picnic table. Tip: Don’t wear a skirt on a visit to Rhinehart’s, since it makes it difficult to gracefully climb onto the wooden benches.

My colleague and I sat on the enclosed porch, which was cozy and warm on the cold day we visited. Other diners seated around us were diverse: two large groups of co-workers wearing suits and matching name tags; several couples; a few single diners; a table of medical professionals dressed in scrubs; and even a family with young children. Everyone seemed relaxed and happy, which was appropriate for such a relaxed and happy restaurant.

A friendly server promptly took our drink order and pointed out the specials of the day. I’m a seafood lover, so I was tempted by several menu selections. After some debate, I ordered the Bayou Shrimp and Grits. My colleague prefers turf over surf, and while there were numerous meat-lover choices, such as the Beyond Burger and a grilled chicken sandwich, he ultimately ordered the fried tilapia plate

Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar’s Bayou Shrimp and Grits is deliciously gooey and creamy and served up in generous portions. It is one of several dishes the popular casual eatery offers at lunchtime.

Patron graffiti and upbeat music complement the laid-back vibe. Photo by Millie Huff

Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar Rating is based on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best).

Food Price Location Networking Noise Level Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar has two locations: 3051 Washington Road in Augusta and 305 N. Belair Road, Evans. Both locations are open starting at 11 a.m. seven days a week. Learn more at www.rhineharts.com.

at the recommendation of our waitress.

For those who haven’t had shrimp and grits before, this low-country staple varies in texture and flavor but always includes the basics of shrimp and sauce over a bed of grits. Rhinehart’s preparation was made with a brown roux (gravy) with sautéed onions and celery, grilled smoked sausage, tender grilled shrimp and fresh scallions over a generous bowl of cheesy

grits, all topped with more cheese.

Some varieties of shrimp and grits are too heavily seasoned for me to enjoy, but this one had enough seasoning to be flavorful without being spicy. The cheese made it gooey, creamy and hard to put down. The portion was so generous that I was unable to finish my bowl, but I certainly gave it my best shot. It was delicious!

My colleague’s plate was filled to capacity with three large pieces of fried fish.

He declared it crispy, flaky and light. The pieces of fish were so large that two were plenty, and he took his third piece home as leftovers. He chose cheese grits as his side, and it was the perfect complement to his fish.

Since he wasn’t interested in eating the coleslaw that came with his meal, I took a taste as a sample and ate every last morsel of it.

In our dining area, upbeat music played throughout our lunch. I wondered, though, what radio station or satellite channel alternated between hard rock and country music, as our background music did. There was a song selection for just about everyone.

My fish-and-grits dish was delicious and reasonably priced at just $7.67.

With a drink and a tip, my cost was about $12. My colleague’s fried fish platter was justifiably a bit more at $13.99, so maybe not an “everyday” lunch splurge, but well worth it as a special lunch treat at nearly $20 with drink and tip.

Since opening in 1983, Rhinehart’s on Washington Road near Interstate 20 has become a favorite of locals for seafood and as a fun hangout. A second location of Rhinehart’s is on Belair Road in Evans and has the same “come as you are” atmosphere. Both have daily lunch specials and beer and adult beverage specials that begin at 11 a.m. for those who don’t have to go back to work after lunch.

While Rhinehart’s has always been a fun destination for casual, relaxed dinners with friends for me, I’ll definitely go back again at lunchtime, and just maybe plan to take the afternoon off so I can linger.

Millie Huff is a freelance writer, part-time teacher and new executive director of Sacred Heart Cultural Center. She has eaten lunches in the Augusta area since 1996 and loves any excuse to dine with friends and colleagues. Her restaurant reviews are written with a businessperson in mind.

March 2019 Buzz on Biz

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