August 2011 Issue B

anthony page leads new arts alliance | PAGE 19

verge AUGUSTA & THE CSRA

FREE | AUGUS T 18 2011 | VOL 4 ISSUE 12 | YOUR SOURCE FOR COMMUNIT Y DRIVEN NEWS

THE VISION OF PAUL PEARMAN

THEATRE RUTHLESS + SPORTS SOUL CITY SIRENS + MUSIC M-TANK BENEFIT + BOOKS VICKY BURNS + HISTORY TRACING ANCESTORS + ART WILLIAM WILLAS

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4 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

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yeah, we made this publisher Matt Plocha editor Lara Plocha events editor Andrea Bennett ad sales Erica Pastecki, Paul Rogers contributors Alison Richter, Christopher Selmek, Dino Lull, John Cannon, Ben Casella, Kris Cook, Skyler Andrews, Gabi Hutchison, Elizabeth Benson, Jennifer Maslyn, Holly Birdsong, Mariah Gardner, Josef Patchen, Luke Wilby, Samantha Sprague, Amy Swann, Stephen Delaney Hale, Alison Ryan, Anne Lovell Swan, Michael Swan

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GENERAL POLICIES: Contents

copyrighted 2011 by verge. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Editorial content of verge is the opinion of each contributing writer and is not necessarily the opinion of verge, its staff or its advertisers.

DISTRIBUTION: verge is published twice a month and available free of charge at locations throughout the CSRA, including Publix, Kroger, Bi-Lo and Earth Fare.

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16, 36 46 10, 47 6, 8, 10, 12, 51 4 18 48 6 8 22 12, 14 50 44 8 14, 30 12 12 6 43 45 24, 33 36 6 14 40 42 10 38 2, 31, 37 11 20 11 8, 28 32 34, 40 3 52

1102 Bar & Grill 8th Street/Aficionados Augusta Market Bar on Broad Blue Sky Kitchen Big Day Cakes Book Tavern Buzz on Biz Casella Eye Center Casa Blanca Copy Center Plus Domino’s Pizza edge salon Family Y First Round Garlic Clove halo salon and spa Imported Auto Exchange International Uniform LOYO Music Festival Manuel’s Bread Café Metro Pub & Coffeehouse MITS Monk Solutions Moon Beans/New Moon Nacho Mamas Oddfellows Gallery Palmetto Curbs Peach Mac Rock Bottom Music Sanford Bruker Banks Sit a Spell Sky City Soy Noodle House Sundrees The Loft Wild Wing Cafe’ Windsor Fine Jewelers

WHAT’S INSIDE

SMATTERINGS

FALL IS IN THE AIR

It is starting to be talked about. It is longed for all summer long and, after an unusually hot summer, yes, autumn is almost here. We have to bear through another few weeks of heat and sporadic weather but, before you know it, cooler days will be upon us. With school back in session and everyone getting back to the routine, there is a lot of buzz in the air surrounding festivals, events and, yes, football. There is so much to look forward to this time of the year and it seems that the next few months will be packed with perennial fall favorites.

Arts in the Heart takes a new twist this year and relocates to Broad Street, a move that we applaud. We are positive that our downtown district as a whole will see more foot traffic and exposure to what we have to offer. The Westobou Festival breaks away on its own schedule toward the latter part of September and, as always, our pages will be packed with events and cultural opportunities the festival brings to our community. We can hardly wait.

As you read through the pages ahead, please take note of our advertising partners. Many are running late summer specials. There are business birthday parties to attend, grand openings and open mic nights to check out – and maybe even participate in. There are your favorite restaurants and some new ones to explore, providing you with great cuisine. There are bakeries making cupcakes and cafés providing muffins and freshly brewed coffee. There are savings on your groceries and maybe even your insurance. There are live bands to see and writing contests to enter.

We recently ran a campaign on our Facebook page, promoting a hot air balloon floating across a blue sky. It proudly began displaying the verge logo as it drifted on to the screen and then in full view. We actually had several people who requested to go up for a ride. To wit, you are already actually enjoying the ride by following verge. But, alas, the balloon is online only, yet we did this for a reason. We set out to demonstrate that verge is not just a downtown newspaper. Actually, we have not been a “downtown” newspaper for more than two years. We have expanded our print edition to include more than 150 locations throughout the entire market. With the addition of our online issue, we have continued to expand. Verge is read consistently over five continents, in 16 countries and 208 cities from Mililani, Hawaii to Brisbane, Australia and Vancouver to Moscow. Our readership fan base across the United States stretches from Alaska to Massachusetts and from New York to California. You can go online and see our balloon touch down on the many places our readers reside. Area visitors and residents that have relocated to parts far off continue to check in on Augusta through our online paper. This growth is a perfect example of the greatness and “essence” of our community and speaks volumes for our advertising and business partners.

The vision of “the new generation of print media” we began to share with you a few years ago continues to grow. Our growth began when we made the decision to expand our advertising and editorial base to incorporate more coverage of the entire CSRA. Community news and events from Aiken, Evans, Martinez and North Augusta have been covered. We have added more features including the New York Times crossword puzzle for your entertainment.

Online, verge has added hundreds of hyperlinks to the entire publication. This is a feature that no one else in the market is providing to the community, hence “the new generation.” If you visit us online, you can explore our community, an organization or a story by a click of the mouse. You can also explore our advertising partners. All advertisements online have hyperlinks to their website or Facebook page. Very soon, there will be even more ways for you to get connected to our advertising partners and all of their great offers.

So as you can see, verge is not “just a downtown newspaper.” Someone recently commented that verge captures the true essence of our community and is exactly what people visiting our community, folks that are relocating or residents of the area should read.

you won’t want to miss a page

the main feature

13 Joining the Big Leagues 17 Finding Catharis Through Writing 19 The Great Arts Divide The journey of the Soul City Sirens to national status

Vicky Burns heals past wounds through her new novel

New arts alliance seeks to bridge the racial gap in the Arts

21 Rooting the Present in the Past 23 A Quiet Voice of Reason

Lisa Marks find a sense of place through her ancestry

Cedric Johnson leads the Colesium Authority to unity

26 It Takes A Team to Create Art

The making and hanging of Paul Pearman’s chandelier for GHSU

heard around town 7 9 9 9

Diversity Crucial for Community Building Volunteering at Doctor’s Hospital Aiken’s ACTS Celebrates 25 Years New Business: Just Essentials

music | theatre | art | film 15 25 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 47

Music: Recording Studios Dance: Niki’s Block Party Music: Nappy Roots Film: The Film Reel Music: Sound Bites Art: William Willis Theatre: Ruthless Music: The Heap Literary: Red Summer The Profiler: The Radar Cinema

regular stuff 07 11 29 37 45 47 48 49

Heard Around Town Living Green Chow Bella & Food Bites The Daily Planner Between the Covers Nightlife Ask Dr. Karp Crossword & The Last Word

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Thanks again Augusta for making this all possible.

here’s what inspires us

We’ll see you out and about capturing the essence of our community.

Always family-friendly, forward thinking, pro-growth and pro-community.

Are you on the verge?

– Matt

ON THE COVER SCULPTURE HANGING by SALLY KOLAR

Paul Pearman’s nine-month-long project for the Georgia Health Science University College of Dental Medicine building was unveiled on Aug. 18. Read more about this unusual project and the team behind it on page 26.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER Sally Kolar is one of approximagely 40 certified Professional Photographer of America photographers in the state.

She specializes in event photography, such as documnetaing the hanging of Paul Pearman’s recent sculpture, but also photographs weddings, families and children. SALLYKOLAR.COM

“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!”

— WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, HAMLET

“Read, read, read. Read everything -

trash, classics, good and bad and

see how they do it. Read! You’ll absorb it.

Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not,

throw it out the window.

— WILLIAM FAULKNER

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heard

around town

what’s happening in augusta and aiken

Charlayne Hunter-Gault taking questions aside GHSU’s vice president for Diversity and Inclusion, W. Kent Guion.

[ embracing diversity crucial for community building ] Georgia Health Science University’s Diversity Summit on Aug. 3 attracted 153 medical and educational professionals and community leaders to celebrate their multifaceted heritage and what it means for the future of health care.

Dental student June Murakaru and dental resident Andrew Currie perform a dental exam. By PHIL JONES, GHSU

[ fair provides medical care and practical experience]

Three hundred and twenty-five seasonal workers at Layman’s Wholesale Nursery in Trenton, S.C., received free medical care July 15, at the sixth annual Georgia Health Sciences University Health Fair.

More than 50 medical professionals from various colleges in the Allied Health system were involved in delivering health care through the university outreach program, which gives students hands-on experience working with a mostly Hispanic population and gives the workers an opportunity to receive basic health screenings without taking time off from work.

Keynote speaker Charlayne Hunter-Gault, an award winning journalist and the first black woman to attend the University of Georgia, delivered the keynote address on the event’s theme of Building Success Through Inclusion and related her experiences with the Civil Rights movement and apartheid in South Africa.

“Freedom, justice and human dignity are universal values that are important at home and abroad,” she said. “But it is an ongoing process, like democracy. It’s not an endgame when you get to a point where you have gotten rid of Jim Crow and you’ve gotten rid of apartheid. That’s not the end of the story.

You have to maintain a vigilance about it.”

The opening dinner also included a televised address by GHSU President Ricardo Azziz and comments delivered by Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver.

“This community outreach event has become well established and is a wonderful example of how academia and business can partner up to meet the unique needs of each,” said Debbie Layman, a co-owner of the nursery and a GHSU College of Nursing alumnae.

“As the local population becomes more diverse, we find ourselves interacting with patients who are culturally and linguistically diverse, and it is important that our students be prepared to handle to sensitivities of a diverse clientele,” said Azziz.

“It expands our view of our health care world,” said professor of community health services Dr. Pamela Cromer. “We have a definite desire in helping this population understand their own health care needs and seek appropriate care. Screening is always prevention, so if nothing comes up they can feel better about their own health, but if something does come up we can enlist health partners to assist them.”

“I have long stressed that having a wonderfully diverse citizenry is one of our community’s greatest strengths and

I am pleased to be able to attend Georgia Health Sciences University’s first Diversity Summit as Augusta continues to seek new and innovative ways to embrace this principle,” said Copenhaver. “Augusta is an international city by definition, and to see us, as a community, embrace new people and new ideas suggests a new age of enlightenment for the city.”

Near the end of her speech, Hunter-Gault led the gathering in singing the Civil Rights hymn “Nobody Gonna Turn Me Round” and then answered questions from the audience.

“I would tell young people graduating college today, whether black or white or whatever, to dream on,” she said when asked what advice she would give this year’s college graduates.

“Dream your biggest dream and go for it. And find someone who can help you out and who you can confide in, even if it’s a peer you can talk with. But dream on.”

The second day of the event featured more workshops and speakers, including University of West Georgia President Beheruz N. Sethna, paralyzed veteran Jeff Snover, GHSU senior legal advisor Anthony Hightower, Hargrove Leadership Services President Dr. Carolyn LaFaye Hargrove, ASU Vice President of Student Services Dr. Joyce Jones and Georgia Power Vice President of Diversity Moanica Caston.

This was also the first public event held in the recently completed Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, which Copenhaver said he hopes will become “an epicenter for diversity in the community.”

[ boathouse renovations complete ]

Although the worker population of Layman’s fluctuates to meet the needs of the nursery throughout the year, it consistently has the highest number of workers during the fall production and spring shipping seasons. This year’s worker population was significantly higher than last year because of an expansion of operations into a new growing facility.

Screenings offered to workers included height, weight, blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol/glucose, eye, skin and dental checkups.

Workers could also choose to participate in an HIV screening or a sleep apnea lab. This year also saw the addition of a bone density screening, and the program organizers hope to add more to next year’s fair.

“Every booth there has the opportunity to present something more advanced, but our focus is on student learning and how to partner with the community,” said Cromer. “It was a very positive atmosphere that enriched the student learning experience, and it’s nice to know that the College of Nursing is already ahead of the curve on Dr. Azizz’s mission of outreach.”

Augusta’s Recreation and Parks Department recently completed $300,000 in exterior renovations on The Boathouse Community Center, which hosts many public events and is a destination for many tourists.

“If you have things falling down at the boathouse, it’s not going to be a good experience for tourists, and it would reflect badly on the city,” said District 1 Commissioner Matt Aitken. The Boathouse did not need to close at any point during the renovations. It is located at 101 Riverfront Drive on the Savannah River. For information, call 706.796.5025.

Around Town is written by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

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heard

around town

what’s happening in augusta and aiken

[ volunteering opens windows for the future ] On a typical summer day, 13-year-old Mayank Gandhi might be found at home studying for his upcoming advanced placement world history and biology classes at Evans’ Lakeside High School, when he is not reading or helping his mom with the cooking. But, two days out of the week Gandhi becomes a student volunteer at Doctor’s Hospital, where he helps the nursing staff make beds, serve patients and take vital signs.

“It’s fun, and it’s better than staying home being bored,” he said. “It’s showing me what it’s like working in a hospital and what doctors and nurses do during the day, and I find it interesting that they do this kind of stuff for their profession.”

Gandhi is one of about 50 local high school students age 14 to 17 involved in Doctor’s Hospital’s summer Junior Volunteer Program. Junior volunteers help make beds, fill water pitchers, stock supplies and discharge patients along with other basic tasks that do not require a doctor or a nurse.

“Our patients love these students and are really excited about all they can do, and the hospital really does rely on them to accomplish a lot of daily tasks,” said Doctor’s Hospital Public Relations Manager Barclay Bishop. “They aren’t getting paid to work here, they’re doing it because they love it.”

Doctor’s is a 354-bed hospital and Gandhi says he sees nearly 20 patients on an average day. However, most of his interactions with patients are limited because of patient confidentiality.

“I don’t know anybody’s first name, I just call them Mr. or Mrs. and refer to whatever’s on the chart,” he said. “I don’t get to find out what’s wrong with them, I just take the results to the nurses and let them handle the technical work.”

mayank gandhi volunteers at doctor’s hospital

When Gandhi volunteered last summer, his role was limited to giving patients water, answering phones and other basic

“It seems like a fun field to go into and I enjoy talking to and helping patients,” he said. “Last year I was fixed on becoming a dentist but, after I volunteered, my ideas started to change and now I’m thinking about becoming a physician or pediatrician.”

Gandhi said he is considering entering the pre-med program at the University of Georgia after he graduates high school. Bart Grey, the manager of volunteer services and a student services recruiter, said he is still in contact with several students who went to medical school as a result of this 37-year-old program.

“It gives them a chance to see what working in a hospital is really like,” said Grey.

Although the student volunteer program only runs June through July, the hospital is still on the look-out for adult volunteers. Anyone over the age of 18 can assist in the waiting room, information desk, gift shop or in offices throughout the hospital.

The majority of adult volunteers are over 50 who then receive membership into the hospital’s senior program, Grey said.

There are also a large number of college students gaining experience toward their degree. Anyone interested in finding out more about either the student or adult volunteer program can call Grey at 706.651.6717.

“I rotate between the Intensive Care Unit and the Progressive Care Unit, since they are on the same floor,” said Gandhi.

“I would encourage anyone who wants an eye-opening experience to do the same thing. They should definitely check it out.”

[ just essentials ]

[ 25 years of acts ] Many of the acts of kindness and charity in Aiken County over the past two-and-a-half decades have emanated from the rambling Park Avenue warehouse of Area Churches Together Serving, the nonprofit who celebrated its 25th anniversary on Aug. 4.

Just Essentials, which opened on Aug. 1 at 956 Broad St., proposes to offer downtown shoppers just that, essential cleaning and beauty-related items at a reasonable price.

“Downtown is the hidden jewel of Augusta,” said co-owner Johann Cohen, who arrived in Augusta in 2002 with his wife, Monika, and their two sons. “We come from New York where we’re used to walking around enjoying the variety of stores, but it didn’t seem that Augusta had an essentials store like this before us.”

Under the apt acronym ACTS, scores of volunteers from dozens of Aiken County churches funnel the good works of their fellow man to those among us who find themselves in need of help.

The Rev. William Johnston, a retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church, remembers when Pat Bisschop came to him with a mission more than 25 years ago. She had started a clothes closet for the needy and it had quickly run out of room. Bisschop approached him with the idea of helping those in need through an organization supported by the area’s churches.

office tasks. Now that he is in his second year, he has learned how to take vital signs, blood sugar levels and help patients in and out of bed.

Cohen sells kitchen utensils, toiletries, car care items and a selection of cold drinks. He also hopes to expand to include more health-related items such as aspirin.

Maxine Dexter, left, and Myrle Jett, hold up two and five fingers to signify the twenty five years that both of them have volunteered in service to Area Churches Together Serving.

Starting with 20 Aiken-area churches, ACTS now has 70 member churches involved. Last year, church members volunteered 29,000 hours and collected and processed nearly 4,000 donations: clothing, food, bread and baked goods, furniture, books, house wares and electronics.

A few years after Bisschop established ACTS in 1986, the sisters of Charity from Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church began to manage the organization.

Current Executive Director Vicki Bukovitz, who attends St. John’s Methodist Church in Aiken, told those at the anniversary event that “we have a high volume of new clients. Sadly the economy is in a serious slump and the needs are great. That only means we will work more and pray more.”

ACTS Board Chairman Beth Barkau of St. Paul Lutheran Church agreed, reminding the assembled volunteers, “You are God’s love in motion.”

For more information, contact ACTS of Aiken at 803.649.3800 or visit ACTSOFAIKEN.ORG.

by STEPHEN DELANEY HALE

“We want our store to adjust to the needs of the public and carry the kinds of items they find essential, and at the right price,” he said.

Cohen is also an instructor at Fort Gordon’s Signal School, while Monika tends the counter most afternoons.

“Quite a few people have been in already and they seem surprised because they’ve been waiting for a store like this one,” she said. “We love Augusta because it’s easy to drive through, the schools are excellent and the people are friendly, plus you get to see people downtown in their natural environment rather than structured the way a mall is.”

Just Essentials is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

[ bikes for ballet correction ] In the August 3 issue of verge, Bike for the Ballet article, an important part of the opening paragraph went missing. The sponsorships for the bike ride – which followed the same training route for the the ESi Ironman Augusta 70.3 – went to the Augusta Ballet’s outreach fighting childhood obesity.

The ESi Ironman Augusta did not fund the endeavor. Our apologies if we inadvertently misrepresented the Ironman’s role in the Bike for the Ballet. unless otherwise noted, Around Town is written by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

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living the

green life practical ways to be more eco-concious

Protect wildlife by creating backyard habitats According to the United States Census Bureau, the Central Savannah River Area is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the nation. While this might be good news for our local economy, it is not great news for our furry and feathered friends. When land is developed for human use, natural habitats for native plants and wildlife are destroyed.

This habitat destruction reduces the diversity of wildlife in our communities and is a leading cause for declining populations of several endangered species.

One way you can reduce the impact of urban development is to share your space with native wildlife by creating a backyard habitat. Creating a backyard habitat is easy, you just need to provide food, water, shelter and a place to raise young. It does not take large amount of space to make a difference. Even a small yard or apartment balcony can be designed to attract birds, small animals, butterflies and other beneficial insects.

The first step in creating a backyard habitat involves taking an inventory of what you already have.

Oaks trees, hollies and other plants that produce fruits, nuts and seeds can provide food for many birds and animals. Shrubs and evergreens can provide shelter and protection from predators. A dying tree can provide a home for many animals and a smorgasbord of insect food for birds.

After you have assessed your yard, become familiar with the native wildlife and decide which kinds of animals you want to attract, as this will dictate the combination of habitat elements you will need to provide. The combination of habitat elements you need to provide is dependent on the type of wildlife you wish to attract. If you want to attract butterflies and humming birds begin by planting fragrant, brightly-colored flowers and shrubs such as cosmos and crepe myrtle. Amphibians depend on water – a nearby pond or a shallow dish of water that you keep filled regularly is necessary to attract frogs and toads. Planting a variety trees and shrubs will attract birds, squirrels and other mammals to your yard.

Once you have identified the types of wildlife you want to attract, you can begin the development of your backyard habitat by providing a reliable food source. Using native plants shrubs and trees to provide foliage, berries, seeds and nuts is the best option. Natives are well adapted for our climate, require little maintenance and are familiar to local wildlife. When natural food sources are not available, feeders can be used to provide food. Just make sure you keep them filled.

Providing a dependable source of fresh water is also important for your backyard habitat. Birds and animals use water for many purposes, including drinking, bathing and reproduction. The water source for your habitat can be a natural feature such as a nearby pond, lake or stream; or it could be something you provide such as a dish of water, a bird bath or a water garden. Water evaporates quickly in the summer heat, so be sure you replace the water regularly. In the winter, remember to check the water daily and remove ice when temperatures drop below freezing.

In addition to food and water, birds and animals need places to hide from predators and inclement weather. Planting native shrubs with bushy leaves and thorns is a great way to provide cover in your yard. Brambles and brush piles also provide great hiding places for backyard wildlife. If natural options are not available for you, artificial cover, such as birdhouses, bat boxes and toad abodes can be provided. Creating a backyard habitat also includes creating a safe place for wildlife to reproduce and raise their young. Many of the habitat features that serve as cover can also provide a safe home for the wildlife you attract to your yard.

If you decide to create a backyard wildlife habitat, you can have your yard certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. The $20 dollar cost is minimal and your name will be listed in the NWF national registry of certified habitats. Information is available at nwf.org.

Anne Lovell is an environmental consultant who lives in Aiken with her husband and three dogs. Her new column, Living Green, focuses on practical ways to be more environmentally conscious.

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the big leagues embrace

the soul city sirens augusta’s women’s flat track roller derby

Kristina “Pink Sox” Perez of the soul city sirens (in blue) races against a skater of the Atlanta Rollergirls’ Apocalypstix. by Charlotte Shockey of {Magnolias’ Muse} Photography

On July 18, the Soul City Sirens – Augusta’s only all women’s flat track derby team – was accepted as an apprentice league in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, joining the ranks of more than 100 worldwide WFTDA roller derby leagues.

WFTDA was established in 2004 to standardize the modern game of roller derby. It is the governing body for the sport and sets the standard for rules and safety regulations. WFTDA offers guidance and networking for member leagues; membership solidifies leagues’ legitimacy and their future in the world-wide derby community. As a WFTDA Apprentice League, the Soul City Sirens will benefit from the mentorship of a veteran league on the path to gaining full membership.

“After three-and-a-half years of working on learning the sport of roller derby and forming a solid league, we are extremely excited to move on to the next step in our development by joining the national roller derby community,” said Jessica “Inskatiable” Thompson, the Siren’s league founder and president.

Thompson, a librarian at Fort Gordon, cannot remember exactly how she initially learned about roller derby.

“I heard about it from a friend, who had a friend who knew someone who played. I had never even been to a bout,” she said.

Worldwide, women have been following in the strides of the Texas Rollergirls, the league commonly credited with the rebirth of roller derby. In the nine years since its revival, the grassroots sport has grown significantly. Today, derbyroster.com lists almost 900 active worldwide leagues. Thompson researched the concept online and attended a few regional league practices.

“I realized it was something you could just do – you could just start a team,” she said.

The Soul City Sirens was formed in January 2008. Thompson was not alone. The team quickly learned that roller derby was more than simply skating left and knocking each other down.

“When you start a derby team, it’s like all of these girls trying to do something. People get all incensed about crazy stuff that doesn’t even matter, it’s because you aren’t focused on the point that it’s supposed to be a sport and a team,” she said.

The confusion began to take away from sport, so taking a cue from several online derby forums and advice from the WFTDA, the Sirens established a board of directors and bylaws. By 2009, the Sirens were playing other regional teams and, at the end of the 2010 season, held a 9-1 record.

Modern roller derby is different from the 1970s staged bouts that sometimes air on late night television. Today’s skater-run leagues demand a strong commitment from each skater, and even more from the board. Thompson said that while many roller girls have said they don’t know what they did before roller derby, the board members agree they don’t know what they do now besides roller derby.

“It takes over your life,” Thompson said.

Kristan “Damn Yankee” Flores has been with the team since 2008 and is in her third term as vice president. She estimates that in addition to practice three times a week, she spends 10 to 15 hours a week doing derby business.

“I am truly a part of something big and I love every minute of it.”

– LINDSEY “WREN A GADE” RIVERS

“I spend at least an hour every day keeping up with happenings,” she said. “I do everything from coordinating referees for our bouts, to making sure we have the correct color of bandanas.”

Because of a knee injury, Flores is not currently an active bouting member of the team but she still spends as much time on skates as the others. Flores referees for other regional teams and, as head of training and recruitment, has overall responsibility for developing new skaters, known as “Fresh Meat.” She said her favorite part of the job is watching the new skaters progress from learning to be individual skaters to learning group skills.

team accepted to the worldwide league

Inskatiable (020) of the Soul City Sirens blocks jammer Emma Wantsome (934) of the Atlanta Apocalypstix. by Steven Hewett

practice the day after her first bout. One minute she was doing a simple drill with a teammate and the next minute she was on the ground, her skate hanging awkwardly from her leg.

“I was absolutely devastated. I had only been skating for a short time and had just experienced the thrill of my first game. It sounds dramatic, but I literally couldn’t imagine my life without derby,” said Rivers.

Despite her injury, Rivers has remained active in the league, volunteering her time and graphic design experience to create flyers, programs and advertisements.

“There is no way to describe how being involved in this sport makes me feel. It’s like I am truly a part of something big and I love every minute of it,” she said.

That type of commitment is the driving force behind the league and the acceptance to WFTDA offers even more opportunities for growth.

“We will now get support and guidance from our national governing body,” Thompson said, “which will help us become a more effective team that is focused on the sport of roller derby and not the spectacle.”

Thompson said the added support will allow the league to continue to grow: “We are forming a Junior Roller Derby League and hope to have enough skaters to develop the talent base necessary for a national travel team. We are well on our way to becoming a lasting institution in the Augusta area.”

by Kristin “Vixen Toshankya” Pierce

“There is a difference between learning to skate and hit someone and learning when to do it with your teammates,” said Flores.

Recruitment is a constant process with the league. Flores estimates three-quarters of Fresh Meat quit after three months and, after one year, only one-third of those remain.

Most of the initial attrition can be attributed to the mistaken notion that roller derby is all about sassy monikers and striped socks. After falling and sweating their way through a few practices, many new recruits throw in the towel. However, among the girls who stick around, a variety of factors can still take them out of the game for a bout or a whole season.

In roller derby, a contact sport done on the dubious stability of eight wheels, there are ample opportunities to get injured.

Lindsey “Wren A Gade” Rivers broke her tibula and fibula at

EXPERIENCE A BOUT

WHAT The Soul City Sirens vs.

Athen’s Classic City Roller Girls WHERE Redwing Rollerway| 3065 Washington Road WHEN Sunday, Aug. 21 | 5:30 p.m.

TICKETS $10 to $15 MORE soulcitysirens.com

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recording, mixing and mastering

the sounds

the recording studios and talent of nick duke and cliff jennings

Mention Augusta musicians and most people immediately think of James Brown and Lady Antebellum.

But Augusta has always had great talent, two people helping showcase that talent are Nick Duke and Cliff Jennings. Both are in their 20s and well-intertwined in the Augusta music scene, providing accessible means for bands to record and distribute their music in a professional manner. During the past year or two, their studios have consistently produced some of the best local music. Each studio has its own strengths – here is what to expect if your band is in the market to record.

“I want it to sound like an orange.”

— JOHN LENNON to GEORGE MARTIN, THE BEATLES’ PRODUCER

CLIFF JENNINGS

Cliff Jennings started his career in sound engineering by apprenticing with his uncle Gerald Jennings and Andy McCraw at their family-owned studio in North Augusta, Imagine Studios Inc. He has been a full-fledged producer for three years. The studio has a live room, a vocal booth and an isolation room. Each room can help to create a clean slate from which to build each track. The studio plans to expand, increasing the studio space and adding a rehearsal space. Jennings uses Pro Tools and the numerous plug-ins that accompany it. Imagine Studios also offers preamps and interfaces.

Production-wise, Jennings says he is influenced by Lady Antebellum’s album Need You Now and any Sanctus Real album, but his style is not limited to these records. Remaining true to the artist’s genre is important in Cliff ’s work. He has worked with artists from country to rock, including Doug Joyner, McKenna and Undead University. Jennings’ rates are $75 per hour: cliff@cliffsideproductions.com

by DAVIS BRANCH photos HOLLY BIRDSONG

NICK DUKE

Nick Duke began recording in 2008. After learning a few things on his own, he decided to go to school at SAE Institute where he earned a degree in audio engineering. While at SAE, he studied under Scott Kieklak, who has mixed for Missy Elliot, Ginuwine, Ghost Face, Monica and Lil’ Kim. Upon returning to Augusta, Duke used his creativity and the knowledge he gained from SAE to fashion a reliable home studio in his backyard. The studio has strategically placed foam paneling on the walls and various instruments lining the room. Duke works with Blue and Neumann microphones, Waves plug-ins, Pro Tools and Logic Pro. He can also record live shows, which can make for quick and easy demos to help get a good understanding of what songs might sound like in the studio. Duke finds production inspiration from artists such as Copeland and Death Cab for Cutie. He also admires the production work of Matt Goldman and Aaron Marsh. While these are his influences, he is not opposed to fitting the mold of the genre of the artist and finding a sound that works for them. Duke has worked with Adam Sams, Koko Beware, Mazes & Monsters, My Instant Lunch and The Rambling Fevers. Duke’s rates are $40 per hour: ndukesounds@gmail.com.

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16 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

for vicky burns, the healing process came by

writing a book native augustan turns tragedy

and love for words into suspense novel

Augusta native Vicky Bennett Burns, writing as Victoria Miguel-Joseph, recently released her first novel, When Never Comes Again. In addition to making her mark as an author, writing the book was a healing process for Burns, who worked through her past as she created characters and a storyline based on personal tragedy.

In a candid interview with verge, Vicky Burns, now based in Atlanta, discussed the events that inspired When Never Comes Again, the journey that took the novel from idea to published work and what lies ahead in her writing career.

Verge: The story is set in 1982. Was that timeline significant for you?

BURNS: Absolutely. My life changed forever that year. My brother, Michael Bennett, was murdered and my son was born a week later.

Verge: The press release describes When Never Comes Again as “inspired by real-life events … a story about tragedy, love, healing and forgiveness.” Is the book essentially fact-based fiction? Was writing it cathartic?

BURNS: Yes, I suppose that’s exactly what it is: fact-based fiction. I certainly witnessed my brother’s murder, ran for my own life and a host of other things in the book that I experienced. The old cliché is true, you know: Truth is stranger than fiction. However, with that being said, I chose to make the book fiction rather than nonfiction because writing the story as fiction allowed me to take liberties, to embellish and be creative with the characters. My brother’s death was certainly the catalyst for writing When Never Comes Again. Writing became the outlet for the pain that was bottled inside. It was difficult rehashing all the memories. But at the same time, it was good to face everything again and know that I was OK, to know that I had actually made it through. Writing When Never Comes Again was definitely therapy for me.

Verge: A percentage of the proceeds are being donated to nonprofit support organizations that assist families of violent crime victims. Can you tell us about the decision to tie in with these organizations?

“I’m proof that

all it takes is heart. Heart and,

BURNS: As a survivor of violent crime, I know firsthand what it’s like to need help and not have anywhere to go to get that help. In 1982, there were no support organizations for violent crime victims. My family and I didn’t know how to deal with the tragedy of losing a brother, a son, a father. I’ve always wanted to help others. I dreamed of creating a nonprofit organization — VICKY BURNS to assist families of homicide victims. But why reinvent the wheel? Nowadays, there are organizations that help crime victims. I’ve partnered with a local nonprofit organization called Crime Victim Advocacy Council.

In addition to monetary donations from When Never Comes Again book sales, I contribute my time by attending the homicide victim support group, whenever possible, to share my experience and to provide encouragement.

of course, a lot of hard work.”

Verge: This is your first book. How long was it in development? When did the idea first occur and who are these characters?

BURNS: Forever. Really, it took a couple of decades. I was working full-time as a flight attendant and then later at a Fortune 500 technology company as an I.T. project manager, all while raising my kids and finishing my degree. I would write wherever and whenever I could — on overnights, while commuting to work, but mostly in the wee hours of the night when the house was quiet. My fellow flight attendants first planted the idea to write a book. I would share the unbelievable story of Michael’s death, as well as other incredulous events, while sitting on the jump seat of an airplane, bawling my eyes out. The characters in the story are truly an amalgamation of personalities of various people in my life. It’s true that God works in mysterious ways.

Basically, because it took me so many years to finish the book, something happened that I could have never imagined would happen. That unlikely event became the finale in When Never Comes Again and prompted the book’s title. I won’t say more because I don’t want to give away the ending.

Verge: How did you connect with DND Publishing? Did you consider self-publishing or was a publishing company always your goal?

BURNS: Actually, When Never Comes Again was self-published. DND Publishing is my company. I never set out to be in the publishing business. In fact, I was working with a publisher in Atlanta when the CEO of that company breached our contract. I was left high and dry with no publisher, no book, nothing. I was crushed.

The way I saw it, I had two choices. I could allow a crook to steal my dream or I could take control and make it happen. I chose the latter. I picked myself up, brushed myself off and learned everything that I needed to know about publishing — soup to nuts. The output was When Never Comes Again and DND Publishing.

DND is an acronym for Dreams Never Die. DND’s logo is a red heart, which symbolizes the heart that it takes to move forward when everything appears to be going against you and the easiest thing to do is give up. I’m proof that all it takes is heart. Heart and — of course — a lot of hard work.

Verge: As an honors student at Westside, you discovered a talent and passion for writing. Your bio credits one of your teachers with nurturing that talent. Before this, were you an avid reader? Had you already explored writing outside of mandatory school projects?

BURNS: Ms. Naomi Williams was my English teacher at Westside. She was pretty tough on me, but that was a good thing because she lit a fire in me. I had always loved reading. She gave me the confidence to write.

Verge: When did your love for written words begin?

BURNS: My love for written words began at an early age. My mother loved to read. She’d read the paper every day from cover to cover. My mom didn’t drive and my dad worked all the time. Even though I had six siblings, we were pretty spread out in age. So, as a child, I had to find ways to entertain myself. Reading took me away.

I didn’t care what I was reading — a book, a comic book or a magazine.

Verge: Although you were in the English honors program, you pursued a degree in business management. What were your career plans at that point and what finally led you back to your true calling: words?

BURNS: I was working at the technology company when I got my B.S. in business management. At that time, I needed to secure my position in the I.T. world. Although I’ve had many things going on at any given time, my writing has always been a part of my life.

My degree has served me well with managing my writing career and DND Publishing.

Verge: On that note, you’re working on your second book. Is there anything you can tell us as a preview?

BURNS: I’m working on two projects concurrently. I’m finishing an electronic book entitled 10 Reasons NOT To Kill Your Teenage Daughter. It’s a fun little novelette for anyone raising a teenage girl and trying to maintain their sanity. The antics of my very own darling daughter were my inspiration. The second piece that I’m working on is a murder mystery entitled The Gray Shoe Killer. The story takes place in today’s time and introduces protagonist Janie Quarrels, a beautiful, sexy and financially well-off Atlanta Fulton County detective. Janie’s an intense character with several secrets of her own, including a forbidden love interest and utilizing some very unconventional tactics to catch the serial killer. Eventually, I’ll write the sequel to When Never Comes Again. There’s just so much more to tell about Pamela.

by ALISON RICHTER

MEET THE AUTHOR

WHAT VIP Book Signing Party with Victoria Miguel-Joseph (a.k.a. Vicky Bennett Burns) WHERE Blue Horse Bistro and Jazz Club | 302 Sixth St. WHEN Thursday, Sept. 8 | 7 to 11 p.m. TICKETS Free RSVP | vipbookparty.eventbrite.com MORE | victoriamigueljoseph.com

vergelive.com | community driven news | August 18, 2011 17

18 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

bridging the gap of

the great arts divide the newly formed african american arts alliance strives to find solutions

“What would it look like if, as we were raising the roof with our music, we were also raising consciousness?”

— Lillie Robinson the african american arts alliance board of directors (above); Anthony page (below)

Many members express frustration over what they call “a tale of two cities,” lamenting the racial divide they feel has come to define Augusta.

The African American Arts Alliance hopes to re-energize the arts in Augusta, according to President and board chairman Anthony Page and the growing coalition of artists and performers making up the organization.

“There is very clearly a white art community and a black art community in Augusta,” said Nancy Wellington Bookhart, chairwoman of Paine College’s Art Department. “I don’t know why that should be, but hopefully this meeting is one of the first steps toward creating a broader artistic community that will serve the needs of all Augustans.”

“There can be no black-white unity until there is black-black unity,” said Page, paraphrasing Malcolm X in a statement about his hopes for the AAAA. “It was controversial when he said it, but we can’t now expect others to support us when we don’t support each other. We want to keep a good, continuous dialog with all people, so that people continue to see Augusta as an arts and entertainment city.”

“If we create holistic, affirming, love-based art and culture it will bring people out of their box, but we artists have to be responsible,” said musician Lillie Robinson. “What would it look like if, as we were raising the roof with our music, we were also raising consciousness?”

“Race is a big factor in this city and we’re not going to walk away from it,” he continued, citing that not many white people attend performances of the Augusta Mini-Theatre, while not many black people attend the symphony. “By making information available to the public we hope to make the arts more accessible to all people, and hopefully that will inspire others to help move Augusta forward.”

First and foremost, the AAAA is about developing relationships between people, which is why Page finishes every meeting by encouraging the participants to spend time “meeting someone you haven’t met before” in hopes that it will become an outpouring of support for one another.

The AAAA meets every First Friday at 601 Broad Street and is open to artists and art enthusiasts of all races with the goal of promotion, patronage and investment in the artists of the CSRA. The Aug. 5 meeting came after two town hall meetings at the Headquarters Library wherein panelists met to discuss issues related to their art.

“There’s a disconnect between the reality and the perception when you hear people saying that there’s nothing to do downtown, but you can pick up any publication and see that there’s really a lot to do,” said Black Kard Media Group founder Dorian Harris. “Augusta is rich in arts but we lack the business aspect of it and that’s the biggest reason for the disconnect. We need to connect people to what we’re doing by saturating the market and getting our information out there, but I don’t see that too often.”

One of the major advances achieved after the first town hall meeting was the development of an organizational framework, including goals and leadership positions. Along with Page, these include Vice President Michael Hicks, Executive Secretary Kia Faulk, Business Liaison Cynthia Rhodes and many others.

“Right now in Augusta we have different factions in different areas that don’t necessarily talk to each other, but this will help us build our 360 communications with each other, which will help all the artists in Augusta, which will be good for the city as a whole,” said Joey Traina, the community outreach coordinator.

For more information about the African American Arts Alliance, call 404-786-3277. article and photos by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

“Race is a big factor in this city and we’re not going to walk away from it.”

— anthony page

The AAAA is in the process of launching a website, csraafricanamericanartsalliance.org, and a quarterly magazine, preparing an artists’ homecoming event at the Kroc Center on Oct. 22 and is looking for more opportunities to advance the Arts in Augusta.

“We see a lot of people involved in the economic development of the downtown area, and we honestly felt that the African American community wasn’t doing enough to help,” said Page.

“If we want to be serious about getting involved with this community, we need to make it a priority to get involved with arts and entertainment, as well as setting policy as we move forward.”

BE PART OF THE DIALOG

WHAT First Fridays with the CSRA African American Arts Alliance WHERE Encore 601 | 601 Broad St. WHEN Friday, Sept. 2 | 6 to 9 p.m.

TICKETS Free

MORE csraafricanamericanartsalliance.org

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20 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

lisa marks is passionate about

tracing her roots moving to georgia brought her closer to home

Lisa Marks’s move in 2009 to Augusta became a defining moment in discovering her family history. She came from a family line that passed down, from generation to generation, the family lore and records. Little did she know, though, that coming to Augusta would be a form of coming home.

“The story I heard when I was young was that my ancestors moved from Virginia to Georgia, then to Arkansas. That’s all I knew,” she said.

Marks noticed that there were a number of people in the Augusta area with her surname and, when her husband, Ramon Parrish, talked about his family in the state, she became curious about her own family’s Georgia history and decided to investigate.. “[Ramon’s] a Georgian and he started talking about his family in Georgia. I thought, ‘I have this little memory about my family moving to Georgia. I’ve got to look that up,’” said Marks.

Her search led her to the Goose Pond settlement in what was Wilkes County, an area that was settled after the Revolutionary War. Her sixth great-grandparents James Marks and Elizabeth Harvie Marks, who married in 1771, came with their five children in 1784 from Virginia. James’s brother John Marks came with his wife and her son, Meriwether Lewis, the future explorer. Lewis developed much of his love for the outdoors as an adolescent at Goose Pond, said Marks. The settlers primarily grew tobacco and cotton, which was shipped down the Broad River to the Savannah River.

“They formed a cohesive community based upon Virginia cultural practices as well as marital, kinship and business ties that extended to Petersburg, Ga., and the Edgefield District of South Carolina,” said Marks.

Using historical maps, Marks explored the Goose Pond area. Driving on an old dirt road, she came upon a historical marker, which stated that the first Methodist Society was held in the home of James Marks. Wandering around some more, she found a community member who knew of her ancestor’s house when it was still standing and who told her even more stories.

“What is really interesting is that a farmer was digging, and he hit something. He dug it up, and it was a glass casket buried vertically,” she said.

The casket bore the name of James Marks.

Marks wondered why a casket might have been placed vertically, so she began researching. She found several possible answers that did not seem to fit her family’s history. Finally, she found old newspaper stories in Virginia about people being buried vertically to watch their slaves.

“It is one of the sad parts of my history,” said Marks. “Talk about an image of power: ‘I’m going to be watching you even in death.’ It’s really troubling actually; but it is what it is, and you can’t change history.”

The Marks family left Georgia for Alabama in the mid-1820s and then for Arkansas in 1834. Marks is continuing a family trend of recording history as she pursues her family story.

“The Markses have been excellent about keeping information alive,” she said. “I am really lucky to have people who have done a lot of work.”

The family has their genealogy traced back to England in the mid-1600s, and they know that John Marks and Elizabeth Hastings moved to America from Suffolk, England in the 1680s. They also have the longest continuously running family reunion west of the Mississippi, held in Marks Mill, Ark. Marks sees her role as one of teasing out further missing pieces of her family’s story and collecting the information onto ancestry.com. She said she finds a lot of excitement in playing this detective role.

Her face lights up as she clicks between photos, historical documents and a multitude of ancestry.com links on her computer.

“What’s driving me now is the fact that, after being in Michigan and having family in Arkansas, I married my husband and ended up a stone’s throw from my family in Georgia. When I showed my family the pictures from Goose Pond, they were shocked,” she said.

In an age where careers, relationships and quests for adventure often pull families out of the same community, exploring genealogy allows people to retain a stronger sense of family and rootedness. It gives people a sense of belonging, and it is a mark of place in an age of transience.

“I think that in our country families are so dispersed, we’ve become less connected to our histories,” said Marks. “Our history doesn’t define us, but I think it’s important to know our stories. I would hate it if my grandkids wanted to know about their family, and no one had written it down.”

“I love the stories,” said Marks. “More than anything, I love the stories.”

trace your family history

Interested in researching your family history? “Just start!” advises Lisa Marks.

Here are her tips for beginners: 1. TALK to family members to obtain stories. Focus particularly on obtaining names and dates. “Don’t expect to find the Revolutionary War connection.

Find out where you are right now.”

2. LOOK in old family Bibles or religious texts, where families historically kept records.

3. GO ONLINE: Use websites such as ancestry.com to find leads. Use discretion, though. Other users put up helpful information, but some of it might be based on their family stories. Make sure that data is verifiable in historical records.

4. VISIT: If your research leads to a particular place, go there. Inquire at the local genealogical societies and courthouses.

5. CONNECT: Join a genealogical society.

by LEAH SANDERS photo of Lisa GABI HUTCHISON

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22 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

the quiet voice of

cedric johnson leading the augusta

colesium authority to unity and action

Two years ago, Cedric Johnson was appointed chairman of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority, which oversees management of Augusta’s premier entertainment venues, the James Brown Arena and Bell Auditorium. Since that time, both venues have had $5 million renovation projects, the first major renovations since the establishment of the Coliseum Authority.

Part of the reason for the Coliseum’s increased presence in Augusta’s entertainment industry might be a result of the 2008 hiring of arena management company Global Spectrum. It was only after this decision that the Augusta-Richmond County Commission reduced the Coliseum Authority to seven seats and filled them all with newcomers. The effect of this change has been a dramatically improved image of the facility and quality of the performances it attracts.

Johnson accepts little of the credit for this job well done, saying only that he has “been blessed and fortunate to work with some good people.”

However, when The Augusta Chronicle named him one of Augusta’s top citizens of the decade, the newspaper described him as “a calm, quiet voice of reason whose leadership helped turn around a fractious group whose actions stifled operations of James Brown Arena and Bell Auditorium.”

“Communication is the key,” said Johnson, who claims the secret to his leadership success is simply to listen attentively and then do what is best for all concerned. “The one thing I’ve found is that the majority of the people want the same thing, but don’t hear or communicate in the same way. I’ve been blessed to be able to hear when other people really want the same thing and then bring them together.”

The Augusta native says he was raised to believe he should give back to the community, given he has the talent and ability to do so. Johnson first entered the banking business in 1981, the same year he first made an effort to support his community with a fund raiser for the Immaculate Conception School.

Now the Senior Vice-President of First Bank of Georgia, Johnson is pleased to serve on several committees working for the good of Augusta. He served as chairman of the Augusta Aviation Commission for several years during the construction of the new $30 million terminal. According the Johnson, the experience he gained on the Aviation Commission proved invaluable, particularly in uniting the various members of the committee and seeking approval from the Augusta Richmond County Commission.

“There were some hard times out there, but we were able to bring that group together to build the new airport under me,” he said. “I had some excellent commissioners there who were eager to help and wanted to see Augusta grow.”

“The one thing I’ve found is that the majority of the people want the same thing, but don’t hear or communicate in the same way. I’ve been blessed to be able to hear when other people really want the same thing and then bring them together.”

— cedric johnson

“You want to be able to say, when your time is done, that you’ve made the world a better place because of your efforts.”

— cedric johnson

“We want to make the Coliseum a better place for everybody,” he said. “You want to be able to say, when your time is done, that you’ve made the world a better place because of your efforts.”

Johnson also uses his spare time to give back. He dedicates Saturdays to spending time with his father, who has lived alone after Johnson’s mother died in January. On Sundays, he serves as treasurer of the West Augusta church he has attended since he was 7 years old, but says his weekends are not totally for free time because “banking is one industry that never stops.”

This year, the Coliseum has already hosted concerts by Keith Urban, Sugarland and R. Kelly, and similar big-name musical acts that might have overlooked Augusta had it not been for the revitalized Coliseum Authority’s success drawing crowds.

Johnson has several more ideas for the future of the Coliseum, including a potential VIP section to generate more revenue and show customer appreciation. That and other ongoing construction projects have no set ending at this time because the work is scheduled to be done around touring acts and shows, but Johnson hopes he will be here to see their completion.

“The chairman is appointed to a term of two years, but because we were all newcomers when we started I think all of us will probably stay on for another term,” he said. “I think we’re all enjoying the success we’ve had, and I’m very pleased to be doing these things to keep the community moving in a positive direction.” article and photo by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

When the chairman position came open for the Coliseum Authority, several individuals were considered but Johnson’s name was near the top of the list.

“When we started on this committee we were all newcomers, so there was a learning curve before we knew what we were required to do and how to do it,” he said. “Now we have people in place that we know how to work with and have learned a lot about our positions, but even though we’ve achieved a lot, we’re always still learning.”

coming up at the bell

Friday, Sept. 2 BONEY JAMES AT THE SMOOTH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Two individuals Johnson wants to thank most are Monty Jones Jr. and Linda Roberts, the general manager and assistant general manager of Global Spectrum locally. As a subsidiary of Comcast, Global Spectrum manages more than 70 arenas and venues throughout the U.S. and overseas, hires employees and runs day to day operations at the venues. According to Johnson, it is only because of their diligence that his committee is able to meet monthly to oversee their efforts, coordinate the budget and ensure their operations are meeting the needs of the community.

Sunday, Oct. 4 SWANNEE QUINTET 72ND ANNIVERSARY Thursday, Oct. 6 DISNEY LIVE! CLASSIC FAIRY TALES Tuesday, Nov. 1 MAMMA MIA!

The fact that things have been running so smoothly allows Johnson to spend more time with his wife, Vicki, his four grown children and his four grandchildren.

BONEY JAMES

MORE AUGUSTAENTERTAINMENTCOMPLEX.COM

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24 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

a photo shouts

a thousand words

eVERYDAY LIVING CAUGHT ON FILM

five minutes of community Katy Perry’s “Firework” began playing loud enough to be heard on all four corners of the intersection of Broad and 10th streets at exactly 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, when four dancers stepped into the square to kick off Niki Haris’s Block Party. The event, which lasted only five minutes but featured more than 200 dancers, musicians, performers and just as many spectators, kicked off the opening of ticket sales for the Westobou Festival, Sept. 29 to Oct. 8. Only 20 out of 50 cultural events scheduled for this year’s festival require tickets ranging in price from $15 to $75, and can be purchased at the Westobou Ticket Office at 965 Broad St. WESTOBOUFESTIVAL.COM article and photos CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

vergelive.com | community driven news | August 18, 2011 25

a story of art, friendship and sheer determination

the creative genius of paul pearman and the team who believed in him Paul Pearman takes another piece of mirror and presses it into the glue on the surface of his sculpture, the chandelier centerpiece for the atrium of the new College of Dental Medicine at Georgia Health Sciences University.

“A good piece of art,” he said, lying in the bowl of this sculpture, a giant melting Venus flytraplike shape that he is inlaying with mirror shards, “should totally and completely take on a life of its own. In some towns, people come to visit just for the art.”

It is a dramatic statement and those are high hopes for a sculpture. But this entire project has been dramatic from the beginning. From the contrast between the sleek style of the building and the “Barcelona Gaudi, Dali-esque” references in Pearman’s piece, to the construction process that required Pearman to erect a new building in his back yard and rent a crane, to the industrial fire that nearly destroyed the whole thing, to Pearman’s bout of sciatica that threatened to waylay the project were it not for friends who stepped in to help – it has been what one construction worker called a “circus ride.”

Pearman’s high hopes are warranted. The piece commanded attention merely when lying on the floor of the halffinished atrium, inverted and in chunks. Construction workers stopped to stare.

“When I drove this thing through Harrisburg,” chuckled Pearman. “Just the look on people’s faces was worth the whole thing.”

Pearman turned to mosaic art after covering one of his paintings with glass more than a decade ago. He is best known for his mosaic belt buckles, which have been purchased by celebrity patrons including Axl Rose, Steven Tyler, Cameron Diaz and Kid Rock. He has also created home decor items such as backsplashes and fireplace surrounds, and commercial work such as the Blue Horse on the D. Timm’s balcony in downtown Augusta.

The unveiling of the chandelier on Wednesday, Aug. 17 was the culmination of a nine-month project involving stainless steel, carved foam, fiberglass and cement inlaid with mosaic glass. The chandelier consists of three hanging tiers that look similar to layers of a melting flower dripping

down into a fourth tier, a working clock. The top tier is 12 feet across, the next is 6 feet, and they get progressively smaller. Each tier is level with one balcony of the threefloor atrium, the clock hangs nine feet and four inches above the ground.

The new 266,000-square-foot building brings most of the dental college’s classes and services under one roof. Dental services are offered at a reduced fee through the student teaching program. As patients flow in and out of the building, the dean of the school, Dr. Connie Drisko, wants them to experience dentistry in a different way.

“These walls are blank canvases, begging to be filled,” she said. “A lot of dentists are very artistic. It’s one of the reasons they chose this field of medicine. I have a vision that when our patients walk in the door, they will see something beautiful to distract them from tooth drilling.”

Drisko approached Pearman to ask his opinion about the type of art that should grace the atrium. He looked at the architectural drawings of the space, met with Drisko at the building site to share his ideas and spent the next several months creating a proposal, prototype and story boards for the project. Pearman suggested a Salvador Dali look, and said Dali was one of the last “Superstar Artists” and has influenced his own art.

He made a prototype of his design as a desk lamp, which was shown to the primary donor with two sketches and a proposal written by Pearman’s wife, Michele. The donor, whose identity and contribution amount have been kept quiet, said that he would contribute under one condition – that Pearman’s sculpture be in the atrium.

So, Pearman set to work. He assembled a primary team, but he says he had no idea what he was getting himself, his wife and his friends into.

“A job of this scale has many players over many, many, months and it’s tedious, some get burned out, some come and go – it’s all just part of the process,” said Pearman as he ticked off the names of friends who volunteered to help: “Tommy Greer, Chuck Kneibler, Lani Weatherbee, Hanna and Leesa Lyles, Mary Ann Aranda, Joe, Tim and Daniel Felz, Anna and Donnie Stamper, Stimey and Katie McFarland, Krista Hospodarsky, Phillip Thompson, Jeff Hall, Paul Dorr … if this seems like a lot of people, it was.”

“You’re only as strong as your Rolodex,” he quipped.

Pearman’s Rolodex came in handy when it came time to grout the project. He contacted the CEO of Laticrete, Henry B. Rothberg, who was so impressed by the project proposal that Laticrete became an official sponsor and donated the grout for this and several future projects.

It was nine months of nonstop problem solving because the 10-plus-step project had no precedent.

THE CREW FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: joel lambert, DR. CONNIE DRISKO, PAUL PEARMAN, KENNY GRAHAM, JARED BELL, CHRIS fox, tommy lyles, jack evans, eDWARD DORR, ryan overdyke, MICHELE PEARMAN, ROGER FINCH

26 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

“This was an absolute grueling disciplined finish because

of all the differ inlay, and the of intricate car one at a time,”

To start, Ken design, engine cylinders that m Lyles, a metal at Augusta Te sculpture base

Next, Pearma welder, ran 70 icicle on each t whole thing re out, and the tea the dripping fl his wife – with Brandon Russe the sculpture.

Then came th project. Pearm Ryan Overdyk the first tier. A the flame hit th by plastic tarp the tarp and P the opening.

Pearman said, the 1960 fire ex a joke sputtere fence for the w with all the sm

Apparently, th apologized, sa type used at D

rent steps, and that doesn’t even include the inlay took forever with over 450 square-feet rving to cover with half inch or smaller tiles, he said.

nny Graham, a master fabricator, helped eer and create the original stainless steel make up the underlying shape. Then Tommy sculptor and the welding department head ech, helped engineer and shape the metal e for Pearman’s vision.

an’s long-time collaborator Joel Lambert, a 00-plus feet of border around each elongated tier over the course of two long weekends. The eceived a layer of high-tech foam inside and am set to work on the long process of carving flower shapes out of the foam. Pearman and h the help of friend and television personality ell (previously of Trading Spaces) – carved on

he industrial fire that almost destroyed the man was in the studio with Edward Dorr and ke, cutting a pipe embedded in the foam on A small 2-inch flame appeared. In seconds, he studio ceiling – the room was sectioned off ps to keep the heat inside. Overdyke opened Pearman back-kicked the sculpture through

, “Melted plastic was dripping everywhere, xtinguisher that my wife had brought out as ed, then started to spray. Edward jumped the water hose and began dousing the flames … moke, it looked like a nuclear bomb went off.”

he foam company sent the wrong foam. They aying they should have provided the same Disney World.

THE INSTALLATION

“Either people love me or hate my guts,” Paul Pearman said. “There is no in-between.”

The people who gathered in the atrium of the Georgia Health Sciences University College of Dental Medicine on June 28 were in the first category: the crew that has labored beside Pearman as he created a creature of incredible proportions. It was to be the pinnacle of the process, the hanging of the art. There was his wife, Michele, the organizational backbone of the production; Jared Bell, a cinema student from Augusta State University who documented every step; Roger Finch, who created the lighting; Joel Lambert, who hammered the steel border around each piece of the sculpture; Tommy Lyles, artist teammate and problem solver on the sculpture; Sally Kolar, the photographer; Kenny Graham, who engineered the infrastructure; and Edward Dorr who helped labor for months on the project.

The team Pearman assembled displays a down-to-earth, level-headed calmness – a direct juxtaposition to his hyper-kinetic energy. The camaraderie of the team was evident, swapping jokes and stories. A palpable excitement filled the air. This was Pearman’s moment – the culmination of nine months of work – yet, it was the sculpture that was the true attraction.

The team got back on track. Pearman began the long process of inlaying the hand-nipped glass pieces. His distinctive mosaic technique is to use a wax-ended stick as his paintbrush to pick up the glass and lay it down, mimicking an impressionistic painting style. After glassing, he grouted approximately 550 square-feet of curving glass which took many weeks.

On the ground, Pearman’s creation resembled an ethereal jelly-fish, belly-up with tentacles stretching skyward.

Finally, Roger Finch, an artist, engineer and metal sculptor, wired all three tiers with hidden LED lights that reflect into the mirrored bowls, shining blue and mirrored images below the sculpture.

Pearman crouched within the tentacles of his creation, polishing each sliver of glass.

Partway through the project, Pearman developed sciatica.

He was unable to stand for long periods, nipping glass with his leg elevated, but working all the time. Two of his friends came to the rescue doing most of the heavy lifting and standing work: Dorr took over construction and Overdyke, a jewelry artist from Florida, came up to work for nine weeks straight. Finally, it was time to hang the sculpture.

“Here is the only woman brave enough to hire me,” he called out as the dean of the dental school, Dr. Connie Drisko walked in.

“This is an engineering feat,” said Drisko of the hanging process. “This really is a blend of art and science. Paul had to work with a team of engineers – including ours – from the beginning to construct the frame, figure out the weight limits and determine exactly how to hang it.”

Pearman is quick to agree. Shane Wilson of KBR was instrumental on determining the best method and was on hand to problem-solve all along the way.

“It is amazing, to watch it go through all of the changes, transforming from what looked like a construction project into a delicate piece of art,” Bell said.

Even amid what was has become the apex of his career Pearman is realistic about his success as an artist: “I’m just the guy who worked harder than the other guy.”

by CHARLOTTE OKIE photos SALLY KOLAR photo (upper left) GABI HUTCHISON

“People feel like they have to name it,” Pearman said. “They are compelled to figure out what it is.”

As people passed by and peered through the sculpture’s icicles, they did indeed attempt to guess: a cavity, a giant tooth, a circus ride, an octopus on steroids, a Venus fly-trap, King Kong’s bathtub, a mushroom cloud.

“It’s just weird how people see an abstract, they cannot simply say ‘it’s an abstract sculpture with beautiful lines and motion.’ They have to label it,” Pearman said.

Drisko shot right back: “I’m a gambler at heart.”

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Pearman told her. “I would fade to sleep and jolt awake, seeing a giant chandelier crashing on my head.”

A glance up to the ceiling – 40 feet above the ground – showed four slender poles to hold the 1,200-pound sculpture in place. The base spans approximately 12 feet. There are four tiers, three of the jelly-fish and, at its nadir, hangs a Dali-esque teardrop clock.

It was a day of hurry-up-and-wait. Each step of the process had its own trials – a missing winch, jury-rigged equipment, crashing chains, last-minute height negotiations with the city’s inspectors.

Then there were the moments of heart-stopping tension, such as when a winch chain slipped and crashed on the top of one of the pieces.

After one such moment, Kolar said, “It’s like the birth of something. Each step of the installation is painful, yet more beautiful than it was a moment before.”

“This thing has fought me to the very ends,” said Pearman. “There was only one person on this planet that could hang it, without Kenny Graham it would be just a beautiful sculpture laying on the ground.”

During the final moments – 11 hours later – Pearman slumped behind the frosted glass rail of the third floor balcony, watching Graham’s attempts to thread the rods together. The piece was entirely out of his hands and the moment of truth was about to reveal itself.

The ceiling held. Suspended, the sculpture was transformed into an ephemeral galaxy, shimmering with thousands of stars and metallic globes – an other-worldly time-keeper. by wylie graves

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28 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

fresh food bites an average joe’s guide to eating healthier

Playing Chicken in the Fast Lane

Summertime in the South can be debilitating. The heat can make it hard to get motivated to even eat and, for some, the thought of getting out of a nice air-conditioned car simply to walk across the parking lot to sit and grab a bite can be just as unappealing.

But, in today’s “go-go-go” society many people suffer from the catch-22 of needing the nutrition to get through daily tasks and trying to find the time to get that nutrition. If you are trying to eat at least somewhat healthy that task gets even harder. Luckily these days even fast-food restaurants are being pressured to add healthier options to their menus, making it possible to stay in your air-conditioned car while hitting the drive-thru. Some places, such as Wendy’s, even offer the option to choose a side item other than French fries making your quick “grab and go” even healthier.

Below is a comparison of basic grilled chicken sandwiches offered by several area fast-food chain restaurants. Some offer other variations such as club versions, wraps and, of course, Subway has a bunch of great grilled chicken sandwiches.

Not all of the sandwiches listed include mayo.

Restaurant

Cal.

Fat

Carbs Prot.

Sodium

Bojangles Grilled Filet Sandwich

335 16g 25g

23g

645mg

Checkers Grilled Chicken Sandwich

370 9g 40g

31g

1110mg

Hardees Grilled Chicken Sandwich

350 16g 28g

23g

860mg

McDonald’s Premium Grilled Chicken Sandwich

350 9g 42g 28g 820mg Sonic Grilled Chicken Sandwich

330 11g 32g

26g

Wendy’s Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich

360 7g 44g 31g

a summery soup from

chow bella

CHILLED RED TOMATO Velouté

I tend to talk about the weather a lot because, in reference to food, you cannot ignore the changing of the seasons for the bounty each one brings. If you want to eat healthy and naturally, it is best to stick to the foods that are in season. When you choose foods that are not in season, you run into a bit of trouble and your grocery bill most likely rises.

Since, in Augusta, summer seems to be hanging on, I thought a cold summery soup would be appropriate. Honestly, a summer soup is probably appropriate nine months out of the year.

Because of our perpetual sun in the South, we never seem to lack for tomatoes and these beauties are almost always in season.

At the same time, I have been reading various cookbooks and books about food that focus eating more vegetables. Now, because of my upbringing, it really is counter intuitive for me to participate in random acts of vegetarianism. But, I have begun to long for the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of meatless meals. I checked out a book from the library called Salad as a Meal by Patricia Wells and I am enamored with the ideas it contains. The title says it all and is perfect for me because I usually struggle with making vegetable dishes that appear appetizing and are more than a side salad or veggie tray.

940mg

So, when you are on-the-go and need a bite, pull over and play chicken!

I hope you enjoy this velouté and perhaps get an hour of relaxation in the air-conditioning as the kids go back to school. article and photos by ELIZABETH BENSON

from chow bella’s kitchen: Chilled Ripe Tomato Velouté

INGREDIENTS: 1 vanilla bean or 1½ tsp. of pure vanilla extract 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. fine sea salt

by JOHN “STONEY” CANNON John believes that anyone can learn to eat healthier - in small steps - taking one bite at a time.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER CUISINE

Send via email (editor@vergelive.com) or snail mail (P.O. Box 38, Augusta, GA 30901). Be sure to include your name, address and telephone number.

One of the recipes I tried actually makes vegetarianism appealing from an omnivore’s viewpoint and uses a generous amount of our tomato bounty. It took about five minutes from slice to finish and is a precious little summer treat – Chilled Ripe Tomato Velouté. My version varies a bit as the original recipe calls for Evergreen or Green Zebra tomatoes and I had Red Heatwave tomatoes. Also, if you have actual vanilla bean, I highly recommend using it, but you can substitute pure vanilla extract. The difference is minimally noticeable.

Bursting with natural goodness, this tomato soup offers a lovely respite from hot summer days.

1100mg

Write to us and tell us what dishes you prefer in the summer — whether from your kitchen or an area restaurant and — why it’s so good on a hot summer day. Your ideas might get published and win you a gift certificate to one of our local dining favorites.

simple tips and recipes on cooking with natural goodness

WHAT IS A Velouté A velouté is the French

term for a soup traditionally thickened with egg yolks, butter and cream. The term is now also used loosely to refer to soups that are thickened exclusively with butter, cream or, as in this case, olive oil.

DIRECTIONS: 1. Flatten vanilla bean and cut it in lengthwise.

Scrape out the seeds with a small spoon.

2. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

3. Add ⅓ cup of water and blend for 3 minutes or until the mixture is semi-thick.

4. Serve immediately cold in glasses. Soup will last up to three days in an airtight container, but reblend it at time of serving).

Adapted from Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main Dishes For Every Season by Patricia Wells

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the new

nappy roots IN THE PURSUIT OF “NAPPYNESS”

Hip-hop group Nappy Roots came together in 1996 in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Now based in Atlanta, the band consists of Skinny Deville, Fishscales, Big V, B. Stille and Ron. Describing themselves as Southern rap and dirty South, they’ve enjoyed a number of hits, including “Awnaw,” “Po’ Folks,” “Roun’ The Globe,” “Headz Up” and “Good Day.”

“The Nappy Roots seem to have deepened their connection to hip-hop, making their return sweeter than jelly jar iced tea.”

— JAKE PAINE

The “roots” of Nappy Roots date back to Western Kentucky University in 1995. While carving out their own unique niche, the group parlayed their hustling instincts into a number of early entrepreneurial ventures, including the Nappy Roots T-shirts that quickly became the hottest-selling item on the WKU campus.

However, their biggest venture came via the local ET’s Music record shop, which also doubled as a production studio. This is where the musicians got together to create Nappy Roots, with each member bringing his own distinct flavor to the mix.

The group soon developed an underground following. Their 1998 indie album, Country Fried Cess, which was created and sold at ET’s, flew off the retail shelves upon release. Atlantic Records took notice and signed the band — a relationship that experienced the international success of their label debut, Watermelon, Chicken, & Grits, which sold more than 3 million albums.

Eventually, Atlantic parted ways with the group. The separation wasn’t easy: The label

remanded recoupable expenses, leaving the band to literally do nothing for two years in order to get out of their contract. The result was a five-year gap between albums, with the band — now a five-piece after the departure of original member R. Prophet for a solo career — resuming a grueling touring schedule in order to hold on to their fan base and promote their 2010 release, Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Nappyness.

Coming up in September: a new CD, Nappy.

Org, produced by Southern hip-hop team Organized Noize, who have worked with top groups including Goodie Mob and OutKast.

“It’s a real mature project,” Nappy Roots member Clutch told The Daily Times of Blount County, Tenn. “It’s so fitting for Nappy Roots at this stage in our career, and it’s so needed in hip-hop, period. It’s a mature sound for those who don’t want to go to the club, or if they got kids. It still hits hard, but we wanted something they can relate to.”

by ALISON RICHTER

See the Show

WHO Nappy Roots WHERE The Etherredge Center at University of South Carolina Aiken 471 University Parkway, Aiken WHEN Tuesday, Aug. 30 | 8 p.m.

TICKETS $10, at door only BUY 803.641.3305 | USCA.EDU MORE | NAPPYROOTS.COM

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the

film reel

Unrequited love, soul mates, “the one that got away” – with the barrage of societal pressure on romantic relationships, it is no wonder so many films explore the ups and downs of romance. In the spirit of challenging love stories such as Brokeback Mountain, When Harry Met Sally and Same Time, Next Year, one Aug. 19 opener allows its audience to witness a couple’s missed opportunities over the course of two decades, beginning at the time of their college graduation in 1988.

NOW PLAYING ON THE BIG SCREEN

ONE DAY

Condensing 20 years of two characters’ personal relationships into a book was a lofty goal for British novelist David Nicholls (Starter for Ten). Even more impressive was the author’s willingness to adapt his bestseller, ONE DAY, for the big-screen with a storytelling window shy of two hours.

Zeroing in on one calendar day per year – July 15 – to peek into the lives of his characters highlights both happily nostalgic moments and also those filled with regret for Nicholls’ protagonists. The key for Nicholls and director Lone Scherfig (An Education) was to acknowledge the impossibility of recounting each of the characters’ defining life events on July 15, and to give viewers cues that would help them fill in the story’s gaps.

Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) plays Emma, an idealistic waitress and aspiring writer whose largest character flaw is her remarkable lack of self confidence. Her romantic counterpart is Dexter, played by British actor Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe), an arrogant yuppie-type who eventually falls on hard times. The film’s time-skipping premise gives viewers a big picture look at Emma and Dexter’s separate romantic entanglements, life challenges and successes while their ability to cross each other’s paths remained consistent. Audiences will see how the friends and sometimes lovers are meant for each other, even as the characters themselves resist. The story’s passage of time is reinforced through numerous haircuts and decade-appropriate wardrobe changes for Emma and Dexter.

Producer Nina Jacobson (upcoming work includes the adaptation of The Hunger Games) made a conscious decision not to Americanize Nicholls’ story. Thus, viewers will endure Hathaway’s attempt at a Northern British accent. Patricia Clarkson also stars.

The week’s other offerings include a sequel and two remakes. First up is a 3D reboot of 1982’s CONAN THE BARBARIAN. Jason Momoa (TV’s Game of Thrones) steps into the role made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ron Perlman and Rose McGowan co-star in the hero fantasy. FRIGHT NIGHT is another remake from the ‘80s and it perpetuates Hollywood’s irksome fixation with vampires. Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett) plays Charley, a teenager who discovers his neighbor (Colin Farrell) is a murderous vampire. Charley makes it his mission to kill the vampire while protecting his girlfriend and his mom (Toni Collette).

Director Robert Rodriguez has a tough guy reputation for his work on films such as Machete and Sin City, but he shows his softer side with the Spy Kids franchise. Jessica Alba, Joel McHale and a bunch of kids share the CONAN THE BARBARIAN screen in Rodriguez’s SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D. The PG adventure utilizes a fourth dimension – called “AromaScope” – using numbered areas on scented cards to add to the sensory experience.

Aug. 26 openers include a Paul Rudd comedy, OUR IDIOT BROTHER and COLUMBIANA, a vengeance-fueled action flick featuring Avatar’s Zoe Saldana. Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) wrote and produced an update of the 1973 TV movie DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce as a couple living in a Gothic mansion with the man’s daughter. The lonely young girl discovers terrifying monsters living beneath the house in del Toro’s thriller.

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

by MARIAH GARDNER, MOVIE GURU

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stoney’s

sound bites

the guy who put the k in lokal gets vocal about augusta’s music scene

I used to think that people who drive around with their stereo cranked to the point where the music is barely recognizable were simply annoying, insecure meatheads seeking approval or attention. But, I find as I get older, my own car stereo has gotten louder. Okay, so I have always loved my music loud (that might explain why I often say “HUH?!?!”). But, when you are willing to brave the heat in a non-air-conditioned soccer mom van just to hear that one CD cranked up while cruising down Riverwatch Parkway … yeah, I hear that the first step is admitting you have a problem ... I am deaf and need to turn my rock ‘n’ roll up really freakin’ LOUD! There, I admitted it. I have even been asked to turn down my laptop while working in my personal booth at Metro Pub & Coffeehouse. Crazy!

proven so. Anyway … it is that time again. Yep, this year’s show will feature – as always – some incredible acts such as Jamaican recording artist EVER-G, world-class roots reggae band CRUCIAL FIYA, Augusta’s own “Queen of Reggae” LADY D and hosted by Kiss 96.3’s Cher Best. Check it out on Sept. 3 at Sky City. AUGUSTAREGGAE.COM

LADY ANTEBELLUM You almost have to steer clear of Evans entirely to miss out on the new entertainment area – Evans Town Center Park – being built behind the Kroger on Washington Road. Not only does it look like there will be plenty of places to spread the blankets and chill, but also what I believe to be the amphitheater which will be christened after country trio Lady Antebellum. I must admit, from what they have built so far, it appears it will be a great place for shows. But, my curious side has me wondering – why build another amphitheater so close to the Columbia County Amphitheater? It is all in the numbers. The current amphitheater (which, by the way, is hosting some great outdoor events all summer) seats approximately 1,000. The Lady Antebellum one will seat 8,000. Looks like Columbia County is working hard to make their mark.

What started off as a night of rock ‘n’ roll a few weeks ago could have turned into a rock ‘n’ roll tragedy when Augusta trio M-TANK flipped their van while returning from a gig in Columbia.

Though left with some serious medical issues, the guys are recovering and, from all reports, appear to be in pretty good spirits. In an effort to lend a hand with the healing process (and pay the mounting medical bills), friends will take the stage at SKY CITY ON AUGUST 18 for a benefit show.

Donations will be accepted and a raffle is also planned. Acts scheduled to appear include MANN RAY, ROMANCE LANGUAGES, MATTHEW BUZZELL and KOKO BEWARE. For all the details, check out CoCo Rubio’s blog at SKYCITYAUGUSTA.COM. If fresh, new and possibly undiscovered music is what you are “jonesing” for, then get your tush out to Metro Pub and Coffeehouse on Wednesday nights for the LOYO MUSIC FEST OPEN MIC. Conceived and hosted by the guys in the Augusta band The Mason Jars, this Wednesday night joint has been going on for several weeks and concludes with the finals on Sept. 10. If you are more a player than a listener, show up early and toss ‘em $5 for a chance to play three tunes and try for a slot in the finals. You never know, you could find yourself with some extra dough and a slot at the Loyo Music Fest later this fall.

Speaking of singer-songwriter contests, only one more day remains to cast your vote in this year’s THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE SINGER-SONGWRITER CONTEST – Aug. 19 is the voting deadline.

Voting is easy – go to CHRONICLE.AUGUSTA.COM/SINGER-SONGWRITER and listen to all the great tracks, pick your favorite and select the circle next to it. The website indicates that you can vote daily – one vote per day per computer. But I have heard through the grapevine that it’s actually more like a vote every 24 to 48 hours. So, get out and vote! The winners will be announced during September’s Arts in the Heart of Augusta.

EVER-G

Every year, when the weather gets like this, my thoughts wander and all I can think about is sitting by the pool on a cruise ship sipping on some kind of loaded frozen drink grooving to some great ondeck reggae band. I do this every year, and each time I get bummed about it. But, then the weather starts to mellow just a bit and, lo and behold, the ANNUAL BOB MARLEY TRIBUTE show rolls around. Now, who’s with me on the fact that listening to some Marley can mellow just about the most tense of situations? It’s true.

I am sure studies somewhere have

THE RADAR CINEMA I want to give a shout-out to MORGAN PARHAM for the great work he has done recording area artists and for putting together this year’s A VERY LEXIE CD!!!! Imagine coming out Aug. 19 to Sky City, paying a measly five bucks, catching five great area acts while supporting a great scholarship charity and THEN getting a CD of tracks by Stillview, Sibling String, Woody Wood, The Issues, Granny’s Gin, She N She, Jim Perkins, Alison Foster, The Radar Cinema, Artemia, Mike Frost Jazz, Panic Manor and more. Stop imagining – it CAN be reality. Yeah, to say I am excited about this year’s CD would be an understatement. There is tons of exclusive stuff on this one. So yeah … thanks again, Mr. Parham!

Speaking of cool annual compilations, I just received (YES…THIS SECOND!) the lineup for this year’s 12 BANDS OF CHRISTMAS CD and concert. The 2011 lineup is (drum roll, please): Five’s A Crowd, 3rd Shift, Joy Krueger, The Vellotones, Jaycie Ward, Livingroom Legends, Wombats, Jim Perkins, Fried Goat, The Unmentionables, The Radar Cinema and Sibling String. The CD is scheduled to be released on Nov. 8 and the Imperial Theatre concert on Dec. 18. 12BANDS.ORG. Looks like it might be time to clock out for lunch (and I might be playing the laptop a bit loud – I keep getting the ol’ stinkeye). Until next time, make sure you check out the Daily Planner in print and online at VERGELIVE.COM for great live shows.

To get an earful of what is happening in Augusta music, listen CONfederation of LOUDness which can be found, ironically enough, at CONFEDERATIONOFLOUDNESS.COM and, of course, as always … Make it LOKAL, Keep it Loud.

John “Stoney” Cannon is considered the guru of “lokal” music.

Check out his long-running Augusta music website: lokalloudness.com.

Send any music news to lokalloudness@yahoo.com.

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the

daily planner

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

aug. 18 to sept. 3

[ NO Name, no art ] “There is a dialogue which takes place between an artist and a painting in process. The maker must be mindful of what the painting itself wants to become. When the conversation ends, the painting is completed.”

– William Willis No Art, No Nature is a selection of mid-size works by Morris Eminent Scholar and Augusta State University professor William Willis. His paintings evoke a sense of Zen Buddhism and early Modernism, with elemental strokes creating sparse landscapes on paper. The exhibit at the Morris Museum of Art runs through August 21.

WHAT No Name, No Art WHERE Morris Museum of Art | 1 10th St. WHEN through August 21 MORE 706.724.7501 or THEMORRIS.ORG The Daily Planner is our selective guide to what is going on in the city during the next two weeks. IF YOU WANT TO BE LISTED: Submit information by email (events@vergelive.com) or by mail (verge, P.O. Box 38, Augusta, GA 30903). Details of the event - date, time, venue address, telephone number and admission price - should be included. Listings included are accurate at press time, check with specific venues for further details.

THURSDAY

8.18 literary BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB Discussion of

Roanoke by Lee Miller. Columbia County Library; 11:30 a.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.863.1946

BUSINESS YPA LUNCH AND LEARN Panel of officials from all three area Chambers of Commerce discuss building better business relationships.

Café 209; 11:45 a.m.; $10; Seventh and Eighth streets

literary HARLEM LIBRARY BOOK CLUB

Discussion of Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson. Harlem Library; 4 p.m.; free; 375 N. Louisville St., Harlem; 706.556.9795

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs.

Charleston RiverDogs.

Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889 GREENJACKETS.NET

CONTEST I HEART RADIO CONCERT GIVEAWAY Win

two tickets to the I Heart Radio Music Festival in Las Vegas.

Wild Wing Café; free; 3035 Washington Road; 706.364.9453 WILDWINGCAFE.COM

FRIDAY

8.19

art ART AT LUNCH: CONFEDERATE FACES IN COLOR David Wynn Vaughan

provides a detailed look at 50 hand-tinted photographs of Confederate soldiers drawn from his enormous private collection. Lunch will be catered

by Moe’s Southwest Grill. The Morris Museum of Art; noon; $10 members, $14 nonmembers; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

William Willis, Rio Abajo, Rio M. Courtesy of the artist.

outdoors POLLUTION SOLUTION Includes hands-

on activities demonstrating types of pollution, their causes and effects. Discuss possible solutions and recognize ways to recycle. Ages 5 and up. Preregistration required.

Reed Creek Nature Park; 4:30 p.m.; members free, $2 nonmembers; 3820 Park Lane, Martinez; 706.210.4027 REEDCREEKPARK.COM

concert THE PACKWAY HANDLE BAND Presented

by the McDuffie Arts Council.

The Railroad Depot; 7 p.m.; $8 in advance, $10 at door; Railroad Street, Thomson; 706.699.1804

sports AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs.

Charleston RiverDogs. Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889

theatre RUTHLESS!

Eight-year-old Tina Denmark knows she was born to play Pippi Longstocking and will do anything to win the part in her school musical. Anything includes murdering the leading lady! This aggressively outrageous musical hit garnered rave reviews which opened with Brittany Spears in the title role.

Read more on page 39.

Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $25; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 LCNAUGUSTA.COM

theatre TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE Mitch Albom is

reunited with Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor.

Morrie is battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease and what starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class on the meaning of life. Aiken Community Playhouse; 8 p.m.; $12; 126 Newberry St., Aiken; 803.648.1438 ACP1011.COM

[ PEACE CORPS GLOBETALK ] comedy SOFA KING FUNNY FEST PRELIM

The first installment of the annual Sofa King Funny Fest.

Throughout the six-week festival, 24 comedians and 12 improv teams will compete to be crowned the Sofa King.

Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $8 in advance, $10 at the door; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 LCNAUGUSTA.COM

Do you long for adventure and travel? Perhaps you want to gain some outside perspective on American culture. The Peace Corps – which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year – might be for you. Discover more about the opportunities that exist during the Peace Corps’ GlobeTalk information session on Aug. 31.

Join Corps recruiter Emily Webster, who served in Costa Rica and Ecuador as a business volunteer, and hear stories from Corps staff about their experiences overseas, find out what the Peace Corps is currently doing and learn about the application process, benefits packages and graduate school fellowships.

WHERE Friedman Branch Library | 1447 Jackson Road WHEN Wednesday, August 31 | 6:30 p.m.

TICKETS free MORE 706.736.6758 | PEACECORPS.GOV

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SATURDAY

8.20

sports AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs.

Charleston RiverDogs. Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889 GREENJACKETS.NET

TUESDAY

8.23

the

daily planner

theatre TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE See listing on Aug.

19. Aiken Community Playhouse; 8 p.m.; $12; 126 Newberry St., Aiken; 803.648.1438 ACP1011.COM

outdoors PADDLEFEST

Augusta’s only canoe, kayak, stand-up paddle board and homemade raft race. The canoe/ kayak race will begin at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion, while the homemade raft race will start from the North Augusta Boat Landing. Both races will end downtown at the Boathouse - which will be followed by lunch and an awards ceremony.

Savannah Rapids Pavilion for kayaks and North Augusta Boat Landing for rafts; 7 a.m.; $35 per person in advance, $45 per person on day of race; 3300 Evans To Locks Road, Martinez, for kayaks and Hammonds Ferry Road, North Augusta, for rafts; 706.826.8991

CONCERT SATURDAY AM SWING Jazz music at the Augusta Market. Eighth Street Bulkhead; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; free; 2 Eighth St.; 706.722.6638 THEAUGUSTAMARKET.COM

theatre RUTHLESS!

See listing on Aug. 19.

Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $25; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 LCNAUGUSTA.COM

SUNDAY

8.21 SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs.

Charleston RiverDogs.

Lake Olmstead Stadium; 5:35 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889 GREENJACKETS.NET

CHURCH END OF THE BEGINNING Celebration

concert featuring choir, orchestra and band. Curtis Worship Center Auditorium; 6 p.m.; free; 1326 Broad St.; 706.855.7056 CURTISBAPTIST.ORG

FOR KIDS TUESDAY SPECIAL STORIES What

zoo animal are you? Listen to stories about the zoo and make a zoo animal mask. Headquarters Library; 10 a.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

FILM HORSE FEATHERS

Headquarters Library; 6:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.722.1639 ECGRL.ORG

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs.

Kannapolis Intimidators.

Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889 GREENJACKETS.NET

WEDNESDAY

8.24

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs.

Kannapolis Intimidators.

Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889 GREENJACKETS.NET

THURSDAY CONCERT ABATSU AFRICAN DRUMMERS and dancers perform at

Aiken Arts Alive. Daylong event features entertainment, artist demonstrations and activities.

Aiken Center for the Arts; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; free; 122 Laurens St. SW; Aiken; 706.210.8033 AJADACO.COM

EXPO CSRA WEDDING EXTRAVAGANZA See a

wedding fashion show and peruse aisles of exhibits by the area’s leading wedding professionals. Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center; 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.; $5; 2 10th St.; 706.722.8900 WEDDINGSOFGEORGIA.COM

literary BOOK SIGNING Saffron Kelley, the author of Kindly. Headquarters Library; 1:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.722.1639 ECGRL.ORG

SPORTS SOUL CITY SIRENS vs. Classic City Roller

Girls (from Athens). Read the full article on page 13. Red Wing Rollerway; 6 p.m.; $10 in advance, $15 at the door, children under 12 free; 3065 Washington Road SOULCITYSIRENS.COM

theatre TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE See listing on Aug.

19. Aiken Community Playhouse; 3 p.m.; $12; 126 Newberry St., Aiken; 803.648.1438 ACP1011.COM

the stars, bring your own seating and picnic. The River Stage at the Eighth Street Bulkhead, Riverwalk; 8 p.m.; $6; 2 Eighth St.; 706.495.6238 GARDENCITYJAZZ.COM

MONDAY

8.22

concert PICKIN’ AND PRAISIN’ CONCERT SERIES A meal, desserts

Church; 6 p.m.; free; 3500 Walton Way Extension YPAAUGUSTA.COM

FESTIVAL BACK TO SCHOOL BLOCK PARTY

The Alley will be blocked off for corn hole, ladder golf and other games, all restaurants will feature specials and Rian Adkinson and his band will perform. The Alley; 7 to 11 p.m.; free; downtown Aiken; 803.226.0097

EDUCATION RESUME WRITING WORKSHOP

A trained instructor from the U.S. Department of Labor will help attendees tweak their resumes. Headquarters Library; 10 a.m.; free, valid library card required; 823 Telfair St.; 706.722.1639 ECGRL.ORG

BUSINESS YPA SAND VOLLEYBALL First Baptist

CONCERT SAVANNAH RIVER STRING BAND Bring

a picnic, blanket and lawn chairs for an evening of music outdoors. Hopelands Gardens; 7 p.m.; free; 135 Dupree Place, Aiken; 803.642.7631 AIKEN.NET

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs.

Kannapolis Intimidators. Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889

[ A COMIC ROMP OF RUTHLESSNESS ] “A spoof that has enough absurd plot twists and multiple identities to fill several old movies.... The fun comes from the sheer brazenness!” — N.Y. Times.

Should you avoid shows with an exclamation point in the title – certainly not in this case. Ruthless!

The Musical is reminiscent of a riotous confabulation of a young John Waters on hashish. This is a satirical production which spoofs Broadway musicals such as Mame and Gypsy and movies such as All about Eve and The Bad Seed.

Le Chat Noir scores a coup for this attraction by bringing in renowned director J. Roy Lewis from Harlem High School for his Le Chat directorial debut.

CONCERT Doc Easton Smooth Jazz. Jazz under

FOR KIDS Rio Rated G. Headquarters Library; 2 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600

and beverages are available for donations that will go toward use of the facility. Glenn Hills Baptist Church; 6 p.m.; free; 2877 Lumpkin Road; 706.373.7855

8.25

ART SARAH HOBBS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

Hobb’s carefully staged photographs explore phobias and obsessive compulsive behaviors. Her Westobou Festival contributions will include photography exhibitions, lectures and the construction of an installation. Exhibit runs through Oct. 8.

Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art; 10 a.m.; free; 2500 Walton Way WESTOBOUFESTIVAL.COM

FOR KIDS CRAFT WORKSHOP Ages 3 to 5,

registration required. Appleby Branch Library; 11 a.m.; free; 2260 Walton Way; 706.736.6244 ECGRL.ORG

FOR KIDS HOW IT’S MADE, HOMEMADE Ages 6 to 11.

Columbia County Library; 4 p.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.863.1946 ECGRL.ORG

Ruthless! sports an all-female (in character, at least) cast, music by Marvin Laird and lyrics by Joel Paley. The plot is a reflection of America’s modern character – the stage-mom ethic, the succeed-atall-costs mentality of American Idol and its wannabes and the aesthetics of Edward Gorey and John Waters – and it is all set to music.

The plot has enough twists and turns to ensnare a ravening mongoose. It is hard to describe it without putting out a spoiler alert. Without directly limning the plot, let’s just say that it involves many devious and deviant elements – self-absorbed child stars, sleazy talent agents, singing, twisted directors, psychopathic murders, more singing, “adoptive” parents, a twist of “Where Are They Now” from the tabloid TV shows, still more singing, mistaken identities and acerbic but oracular critics, among other things.

If you need more, here are a few plot keywords to peak your interest: The Daisy Clover School for Psychopathic Ingénues, housewives of mysterious origin who suddenly make it big as Broadway divas, prying paparazzi, child stars gone bad, self-loathing, mother-daughter rivalry at its best (or worst), astounding revelations of kinship, the reappearance of those supposedly dead, TV shows and suicide. This production seems to need a blood gutter down the side of the stage.

Applause is one thing guaranteed at this show. It perfectly captures the spirit of our popular culture and sends it right back into our faces. Ruthless! at Le Chat Noir opens on Aug. 19 and all shows start at 8 p.m. (the cozy bar opens at 7 p.m.). | by JOSEF PATCHEN

WHERE Le Chat Noir | 304 Eighth St. WHEN 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 | all shows at 8 p.m. TICKETS $25 MORE The Terrell Academy 706.722.3322 | Lcnaugusta.com

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THURSDAY

8.25

the

daily planner

LITERARY BOOK SIGNING

Cameron McWhirther will read an excerpt from and sign copies of his book Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America.

Read the article on page 43.

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church; 7 p.m.; free; 2321 Lumpkin Road; 706.798.1482

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS

vs. Kannapolis Intimidators.

Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889

theatre RUTHLESS!

FESTIVAL GA REPUBLICAN PARTY ANNUAL FISH FRY

Admission includes catfish catered by Jack’s Place, music

by The Mathis Brothers, fresh watermelon, sno-cones and t-shirts. Items for veterans will be collected, go online for a complete list. Georgia National Fairgrounds; 12 p.m.; $15, free children 6 and under; 401 Larry Walker ParkWay; Perry, Ga. GAGOP.ORG

FOR KIDS SPECIAL CRAFT WORKSHOP

See listing on Aug. 19.

Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $25; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 LCNAUGUSTA.COM

Hosted on by Lowe’s of North Augusta. Registration required.

Headquarters Library; 2 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

FRIDAY

HOBBIES CRUISE IN Check

8.26

out some of Aiken’s finest oldtime cars. Sno-Cap Drive-In; 6 p.m.; free; 618 West Ave., North Augusta; 803.279.4004

CONCERT ABATSU DRUMMERS AND DANCERS perform during

Family Day picnic. First Providence Baptist Church; 11 a.m.; free; 315 Barton Road, 1North Augusta; 706.210.8033 AJADACO.COM

RODEO PROFESSIONAL RODEO AT THE OLD FRONTIER Featuring specialty

acts, cowboys and cowgirls competing in eight events. The Old Frontier; 6 p.m.; 1965 Old Milledgeville Road, Thomson; 706.597.1000

theatre TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE See listing on Aug.

19. Aiken Community Playhouse; 8 p.m.; $12; 126 Newberry St., Aiken; 803.648.1438 ACP1011.COM

theatre RUTHLESS!

See listing on Aug. 19.

Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $25; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 LCNAUGUSTA.COM

SATURDAY

8.27 LITERARY USED BOOK SALE Buy gently read books

from every number in the Dewey decimal system. Headquarters Library; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.737.4416

“If Sly & the Family Stone had taken a wrong turn on the way to San Francisco and found themselves immersed in Athens’ indie-rock scene, they would probably come out sounding a lot like the Classic City’s The Heap.”

— Red & Black

The nine-piece band hits the Sky City stage on Aug. 20 with its funk explosion of jam, blues, big band, soul and some straight-up rock ‘n’ roll. The band is fronted by Bryan Howard and backed by a four-piece horn section, two bassists, a drummer, a percussionist and a keyboard player. Check out their signature sound at REVERBNATION.COM/ THEHEAP.

ART PRESERVATION OF PLACE: The Art of Edward Rice Rice will

be on hand to sign exhibition catalogs and posters. Cost includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, two drink tickets and a performance by Blue Studio.

The Morris Museum of Art; 6 p.m.; $10 members, $15 nonmembers; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.COM

[ THE HEAP COMES TO SKY CITY ]

RODEO PROFESSIONAL RODEO AT THE OLD FRONTIER See listing on Aug.

26. The Old Frontier; 6 p.m.; 1965 Old Milledgeville Road, Thomson; 706.597.1000

CONCERT HEPHZIBAH OPRY Last Saturday Concert Series. Hephzibah Opry; 6:30 p.m.; free; 4406 Brothersville Road; 706.306.7537

theatre TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE See listing on Aug.

19. Aiken Community Playhouse; 8 p.m.; $12; 126 Newberry St., Aiken; 803.648.1438 ACP1011.COM

theatre RUTHLESS!

See listing on Aug. 19.

Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $25; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 LCNAUGUSTA.COM

CONCERT MUSIC FROM

SUNDAY

8.28

THE BAROQUE PERIOD

Members of the Augusta State University faculty will perform music of the 17th and 18th centuries. The concerts are open to the public and aligned with curriculum requirements of the university’s humanities courses.

The Morris Museum of Art; 2 and 3:15 p.m.; free; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

WHERE Sky City | 1057 Broad St. WHEN Saturday August 20 | 10 p.m.

TICKETS $5 MORE SKYCITYAUGUSTA.COM CONCERT CANDLELIGHT JAZZ: quietSTORM The

FILM MOVIES AT THE LIBRARY Annie Hall.

MONDAY

EDUCATION BRING YOUR OWN TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP Bring your

River Stage at the Eighth Street Bulkhead, Riverwalk; 8 p.m.; $6; 2 Eighth St.; 706.495.6238 GARDENCITYJAZZ.COM

8.29

LITERARY NONFICTION BOOK CLUB Discussion

of Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman. Columbia County Library; 6:30 p.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.863.1946

CONCERT AIKEN CONCERT BAND Hopelands Gardens;

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; free; 135 Dupree Place, Aiken; 803.642.7631 AIKEN.NET

TUESDAY

8.30

FOR KIDS TUESDAY SPECIAL STORIES Creeping

caterpillar story time. Listen to The Very Hungry Caterpillar and make caterpillars. Headquarters Library; 10 a.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

HOBBIES BIKE NITE

Check out some of Aiken’s finest motorcycles. Sno-Cap Drive-In; 6 p.m.; free; 618 West Ave., North Augusta; 803.279.4004

FESTIVAL FIRST FRIDAY

Headquarters Library; 6:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.722.1639 ECGRL.ORG

different technological devices and join in a lively roundtable discussion and hands-on demonstration of the uses and function of these various items.

Maxwell Branch Library; 6:30 p.m.; free; 1927 Lumpkin Road; 706.793.2020 ECGRL.ORG

CONCERT NAPPY ROOTS

See full article on page 31.

USC Aiken Convocation Center; 8 p.m.; $10, at door only; 471 University Parkway, Aiken; 803.641.3305 USCATIX.COM

THURSDAY

9.1

CONCERT COREY SMITH

Country singer and Georgia native returns to Augusta.

Jessye Norman Amphitheater; 6:30 p.m.; 15 presale, $22.50 advance, $27.50 day of; Riverwalk and Ninth Street; 706.495.6885 COREYSMITH.COM

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs. Rome

Braves. Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889

CONCERT MUSIC IN BOECKH PARK Henry

Wynn sings bluegrass music.

Hammonds Ferry; 7 p.m.; free; 506 Front St., North Augusta

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs.

Rome Braves. Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $7 to $11; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889 GREENJACKETS.NET

FRIDAY

9.2

FESTIVAL FIRST THURSDAY ON MONTE SANO Enjoy an evening out

in Summerville as stores stay open, refreshments are served and friendships are made.

Summerville; 5 p.m.; free; Monte Sano Avenue; 706.755.2665 SUMMERVILLEAUGUSTA.COM

Art galleries display new works, performers take to the sidewalks and streets, arts and craft vendors sell their handmade goods. Family friendly.

Downtown Augusta; 5 p.m.; free; Broad Street; 706.826.4702 AUGUSTAARTS.COM

CONCERT SMOOTH MUSIC FESTIVAL Boney

OPEN HOUSE BIG DAY CAKES Bakery celebrates

grand opening and has a free treat for all its Facebook fans.

Big Day Cakes; 4 p.m.; free; 120 Ninth St.; 706.255.7316 BIGDAYCAKESBAKERY.COM

James, considered one of the most influential jazz artists of his generation, headlines the fourth-annual event with special guest Rachelle Ferrell. Bell Auditorium; 7:30 p.m.; $40, $50, $60; 712 Telfair St.; 706.724.2400 georgialinatix.com

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42 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

the

[ RED SUMMER ]

saturdays AUGUSTA MARKET AT THE RIVER

“If you didn’t have 1919 and the political reaction to it, you wouldn’t have had the civil rights movement.”

Augusta’s outdoor market with fresh locally grown produce, bread, food and other products. Eighth Street Bulkhead; 8 a.m.; to 2 p.m.; free; 2 Eighth St.; 706.627.0128 THEAUGUSTAMARKET.COM

– CAMERON MCWHIRTER

In the summer of 1919, tempers ran as high as the temperatures and national events ignited a firestorm of race riots and lynchings across America. It is a period of U.S. history that is often ignored.

In his new book Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America, Decatur resident and Wall Street Journal reporter Cameron McWhirter skillfully weaves the story and recounts this often ignored period of our country’s history that truly transformed race relations in America.

WHAT Reading and Book Signing: Red Summer WHERE St. Alban’s Episcopal Church | 2321 Lumpkin Road WHEN Thursday, August 25 | 7 p.m.

MORE CAMERONMCWHIRTER.COM FRIDAY

9.2

GOOD CAUSE CAROLINE BRUKER A graduate of

Furman University, Bruker spent the last three years in Italy and Holland advancing her knowledge of voice performance. Bruker and her accompanist, David Greco, perform a classical show in honor of her late sister, in memory of whom a scholarship is awarded each year. Le Chat Noir; 6 p.m.; free, donations accepted and will go toward scholarship; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 LCNAUGUSTA.COM

COMEDY SCHRODINGER’S CAT plays eXtreme Theatre

Games. Sure to delight any mature audience member.

Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $8 advance, $10 door; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 SCHRODINGERSCATAUG.COM

SATURDAY

9.3

OUTDOORS Swamp Saturday Trained volunteers

lead 2.5 mile, 1.5 hour hikes through the Nature Park through wetlands and over picturesque trails. Phinizy Swamp; 9:30 a.m.; free; 1858 Lock & Dam Road; 706.828.2109

OUTDOORS ATTACK OF

THE ALIEN PLANTS Learn about plants that are invaders and those that are native to the area. For ages 5 and up, children must be accompanied by an adult. Reed Creek Nature Park; 10 a.m.; members free, $2 nonmembers; 3820 Park Lane, Martinez; 706.210.4027 REEDCREEKPARK.COM

CONCERT UNCOMMON JAZZ FESTIVAL Garden

City Jazz presents its annual celebration of classic jazz music and art inspired by it. Augusta Common; 3 p.m.; $10, free children 13 and under; Broad Street; 706.495.6238

daily planner ONGOING

ART

saturdays HISTORIC TROLLEY TOUR Includes

a tour through the Augusta Museum of History and a driving tour through historic downtown Augusta.

Reservations required at least 24 hours in advance. Augusta Visitor Center; 1 p.m.; $12; 560 Reynolds St.; 706.724.4067

AUTHOR CAMERON MCWHIRTER

ONGOING

WEEK

THURSDAYS TANGO LESSONS Learn to tango.

Casa Blanca Café; 6 to 9 p.m.; free; 936 Broad St.; 706.504.3431 CASABLANCATIME.COM

THURSDAYS BACHATA LESSONS Bachata is a genre

of music that originated in the rural neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic. A&E Dance Studio; 7 p.m.; $5; 1253 Broad St.; 706.828.8500

saturdays FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD Learn

how slaves used astronomy and song to escape. DuPont Planetarium, Ruth Patrick Science Education Center; 8 p.m.; $1 to $4.50; 471 University Parkway, Aiken USCA.EDU

saturdays DIGISTAR LASER FANTASY Enjoy the

soothing music and parade of shapes. Dupont Planetarium; 9 p.m.; $1 to $4.50; 471 University Parkway, Aiken; 803.641.3769

sUNdays SUNDAY SKETCH Sketch in the galleries,

with materials supplied by the museum. The Morris Museum of Art; 2 p.m.; free; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

FRIDAYS SALSA LESSONS A&E Dance Studio; 9 p.m.; free; 1253 Broad St.; 706.828.8500

see the full daily

Civil War Redux: Pinhole Photographs

by Willie Anne Wright

An extraordinary exhibition of sepia-toned gelatin silver print photographs, all shot with a pinhole (lensless) camera. Ends Sept. 4. The Morris Museum of Art; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501

THE EBONY LEGACY EXHIBITION Highlights the

contributions and achievements of African-Americans who have lived and worked diligently to help make Augusta what it is today. Ends Oct. 31. Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History; 1116 Phillips St.; 706.724.3576

EXHIBIT, JANE POPIEL

Ends Aug. 31. Sacred Heart Cultural Center; free; 1301 Greene St.; 706.826.4700

IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT Ends Aug.27. Gallery

on the Row; 6 p.m.; free; 1016 Broad St.; 706.863.7929

planner @ vergelive.com

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between the

covers ARE YOU WHAT YOU READ?

Memory, Renaissance and RAM Human memory is imperfect. Even if we think that we remember something, our memory might not be accurate, and we might not be able to recall the memory at the time we need it.

Both of the following books describe personal experiences of improving memory, in radically different ways. In the 21st century, if someone says that they have increased their memory, they almost certainly mean their computer’s memory, but it is possible to improve your own brain’s memory. Looking to the past, the book Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer explores the use of ancient Greek techniques to memorize entire books. Looking to the future, the book Total Recall: How the E-Memory Revolution Will Change Everything by Gordon Bell explores the use of computer technology to create a complete digital diary.

Total Recall: How the E-Memory Revolution Will Change Everything by Gordon Bell Reissued in 2010 as the paperback Your Life, Uploaded: The Digital Way to Better Memory, Health, and Productivity, the 2009 hardback Total Recall describes the Microsoft research project MyLifeBits, which promises to realize Vannevar Bush’s 1945 vision of a “memex machine.” A computer industry pioneer since 1960, the 77-year-old author Bell describes this “lifelogging” process of electronically recording everything he has seen, heard or spoken, since 1998, and also to digitally scan all his past records, from photos to bills. Bell relates how the MyLifeBits project has expanded his personal memory and convincingly explains how better memory has improved his work and life in interesting ways. He predicts that by 2020, three streams of rapidly advancing technology, in recording devices, memory storage and electronic searching, will flow together to enable anyone to have the MyLifeBits experience: “You become the librarian, archivist and curator of your own life.”

Bell gives an interesting survey of technologies currently available to expand electronic personal records, such as a pen that simultaneously records a lecture while a student is taking notes, a camera that includes GPS coordinates for the locations of photographs and a pedometer that automatically emails the number of steps you take each day to your computer. TOTALRECALLBOOK.COM

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

by Joshua Foer

In Moonwalking with Einstein, author Joshua Foer explores whether it is possible to improve the “internal memory” of our brains, rather than the “external memory” of books, photographs and computers. The younger brother of novelist Jonathan Foer, Joshua was researching a magazine article at the U.S. National Memory Championship in 2005 when he asked British memory champion Ed Cooke about being a savant. Cooke replied that he is not a savant, only average, but that “even average memories are remarkably powerful if used properly.”

Through the unorthodox, but disciplined, memory coaching of Cooke, Foer returned to the U.S. Memory Championship in 2006, at age 24, to enter and win the competition himself. Though not a detailed “how to” book on improving your memory, Foer’s fascinating account of this year of his life does include understandable descriptions of some of the memory techniques, interspersed with his research into the nature of human memory.

Foer investigates the memories of people with outstanding acquired expertise. Two of the most interesting chapters, in which Foer’s journalistic skills lead to surprising revelations, are about Kim Peeke, the real life basis for the savant character in the movie Rain Man, and Daniel Tammett, the most famous contemporary savant and author of Born on a Blue Day. In the cases of some savants, damage to the normally dominant, verbal, left hemisphere of their brains has caused amazing memory boosts, apparently the result of the visual, right hemisphere of the brain taking over more memory to compensate: a “photographic” memory.

The Renaissance “memory cathedral” technique described by Foer seems to be an attempt to activate this visual memory system. Whatever you want to memorize is combined with a bizarre, memorable image such as Einstein moonwalking (referred to in the title) inside of a cathedral or other familiar place from your past, for which you already have a vivid memory. This technique enabled Foer to memorize and repeat the order of an entire deck of cards in a few minutes during the U.S. National Memory Competition.

Foer admits that he is still very forgetful and has not used Renaissance memory techniques much since his victory. It is simply easier to write or record common everyday things such as “to do” lists. Still, Foer is convinced that better memory can make life more meaningful. Both books give unusual perspectives on the nature of memory and glimpses of how improving memory can increase knowledge, understanding and quality of life.

by MICHAEL SWAN, DIRECTOR OF THE AIKEN LIBRARY

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night

A SELECTIVE GUIDE TO NIGHTLIFE IN THE CSRA

THURSDAY, JULY 18

M TANK BENEFIT

M-Tank Benefit Concert featuring Romance Languages + Mann Ray + Matthew Buzzell + Koko Beware @ Sky City | 8 p.m.; donations accepted and raffles held throughout night Josh Pierce @ Metro Pub & Coffeehouse| 9 p.m.

Sibling String @ Surrey Tavern | 9 p.m.

Roshambeux @ Wild Wing Café | 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19

2011 Lexie’s Legacy Memorial Concert and CD Release featuring G-City Rockers + Panic Manor + Josh Pierce + The Radar Cinema + She ‘N She @ Sky City | 8 p.m.

Jared Ashley Band @ The Country Club | 8 p.m.

DJ Spindrum @ 1102 Bar & Grill | 9 p.m.

Sibling String @ Metro Pub & Coffeehouse | 9 p.m.

The Unmentionables @ Surrey Tavern | 9 p.m.

Daniel Johnson Band @ Somewhere in Augusta 9:30 p.m.

Playback the Band featuring Tutu Dyvine @ Surrey Tavern | 9 p.m.

Radio Cult @ Wild Wing Café 10 p.m.

Vox Inertia + Granny’s Gin @ The Playground Bar | 9 p.m.

The Heap @ Sky City | 10 p.m.; $5

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21 Seraphim + Khann + Fingers Crossed + Depths @ Sector 7G | 6 p.m.; $8 The Premiere Poetry Experience @ Alter Egoz Sports Bar & Grill | 8 p.m.; $10 Jason Marcum @ Wild Wing Café | 10 p.m.

TJ Mimbs @ Wild Wing Café 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

Diezel @ Malibu Jack’s | 8 p.m.

ARTEMIA

GRANDMA LEE

THURSDAY, SEPT. 1

FRONTIER RUCKUS Frontier Ruckus @ Sky City 10:30 p.m.; $5 Bob Marley Tribute featuring Ever-G + Crucial Fiya + Lady D @ Sky City | 8 p.m.; $10 advance, $15 day of show

Granny’S Gin @ Wild Wing Café | 10 p.m.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

VIFOLLY ViFolly + Hawthorne Heights @ Sector 7G | 8 p.m.

WEEKLY

Ten Toes Up @ Surrey Tavern 9 p.m.

THE RADAR CINEMA MEMBERS Eric Parton, percussion; Nick Laws, bass; Will Duckworth, guitar; Jordan Sudak, vocals/AC guitar; J.P. Hare, synth

RECORDINGS Bird Meets Worm will be released soon digitally and/or with a CD release party

TUESDAYS TRIVIA WITH CHARLES @ Somewhere in Augusta | 8 p.m.

TEN TOES UP

THE PROFILER: GENRE Space-Rock/Metal

The Laroxes @ The Playground Bar | 9 p.m.

TWISTED TRIVIA @ The Playground Bar | 8 p.m.

TRIVIA @ Soirre | 9 p.m.

HISTORY The Radar Cinema formed in 2008, but only two original members remain. When Hare came to Fort Gordon two years ago, he realized that “if you don’t get in a band, you will go crazy.”

At the time, the band was looking for a singer. Hare and Sudak applied, and the band liked them so much that they decided to keep them both. According to Laws, that was the moment when The Radar Cinema began “morphing into what it is today.”

AUDIENCE “We were appreciated by musicians,” Hare joked about the early days of the band.

“We have received a lot of positive feedback,” he explained, in earnest this time, and “we’ve noticed a change in demographic with the last four or five shows.”

The band has expanded to different venues, including a first recent show in Columbia, S.C. “It’s gratifying for us to finally have music people like,” Laws said.

Pretty Petty @ Wild Wing Café | 10 p.m.

wEDNESDAYS KRAZY KARAOKE @ The Playground Bar | 8 p.m.

QUIRKS The members have also been in an ‘80s cover band.

Turf War @ Sky City 10 p.m.; $5

LOYO OPEN MIC @ Metro Coffeehouse & Pub | 9 p.m.

HORIZON “We met Morgan Parham at a show and he offered us a free recording in the studio.

We went in for one,” said Hare.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26

THURSDAYS OPEN MIC @ The Playground Bar | 8 p.m.

The free recording turned into a full album’s worth of material, including transitional tracks that comprise the upcoming Bird Meets Worm. The Radar Cinema also recently finished recording their track for the upcoming 12 Bands of Christmas CD.

Brandon Pruitt @ Coyote’s 8 p.m.

John Karl @ The Country Club | 8 p.m.

Thomas Tillman @ The Country Club | 8 p.m.

The Suex Effect @ 1102 Bar & Grill | 9 p.m.

Sibling String Band @ 1102 Bar & Grill | 9 p.m.

Dave Matthews Tribute Band @ Surrey Tavern | 9 p.m.

Jim Perkins @ Metro Pub & Coffeehouse | 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

Remembering Shawn featuring members of 420 Outback @ The Playground Bar 9 p.m.

Lo Fidelity @ Wild Wing Café 10 p.m.

COMEDY ZONE: Grandma Lee @ Somewhere in Augusta 8 p.m.; $8

Artemia + Ganja + Rooftop Harbor + My Brother’s Keeper + Born + Moses Canova @ Sector 7G | 8 p.m.

Funk You @ Surrey Tavern 9 p.m.

Jim Perkins @ Carolina Ale House | 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 3

LIE + Stillview + Madigan @ The Playground Bar | 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31

COMEDY ZONE: Shawn Jones + Jamie Morgan @ Somewhere in Augusta | 8 p.m.; $8

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23

Grahm’s @ The Loft | 9 p.m.

Tokyo Joe @ Wild Wing Café 10 p.m.

life

THRU sept. 3

Josh London @ Wild Wing Café | 8 p.m.

Tyler Hammond Band @ The Country Club | 8 p.m.

The Fritz @ 1102 Bar & Grill 9 p.m.

Jim Perkins @ Carolina Ale House | 9 p.m.

FRIDAYS 3 Sides of Jazz @ Doubletree Hotel | 6 p.m.

FIND THE VENUE

“We want to try and play out a lot more,” Laws said, “but the future remains a mystery.”

D.I.Y. reverbnation.com/theradarcinema or theradarcinema.com

1102 Downtown bar @ 1102 Broad St.; 706.364.4075 ALTER EGOZ @ 1721 Gordon Highway; 404.423.4742 CAROLINA ALE HOUsE @ 203 Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway; 762.333.0019 the country club @ 2834 Washington Road; 706.364.1862 DOUBLETREE HOTEL @ 2651 Perimeter Parkway; 706.855.8100

the profiler is DINO LULL Coyote’s @ 2512 Peach Orchard Road; 706.560.9245

THE PLAYGROUND BAR @ 978 Broad St.; 706.724.2232

FRENCH MARKET GRILLE WEST @ 368 Furys Ferry Road; 706.855.5111

SECTOR 7G @ 631 Ellis St.; 706.496.5900

THE LOFT @ 917 Broad St.; 706.955.7954 Metro Pub & CoffeeHouse @ 1054 Broad St.; 706.722.6468

SKY CITY @ 1157 Broad St.; 706.945.1270 Soirée @ 231 The Alley, Aiken; 803.226.0097 SOUL BAR @ 984 Broad St.; 706.724.8880

Somewhere in augusta @ 2820 Washington Road; 706.739.0002 STILLWATER TAP ROOM @ 974 Broad St.; 706.826.9857 SURREY TAVERN @ 471 Highland Ave.; 706.736.1221 WILD WING CAFE @ 3035 Washington Road.; 706.364.9453

vergelive.com | community driven news | August 18, 2011 47

ask

dr. karp NO-NONSENSE NUTRITION ADVICE

SUSAN, a first-year nursing student at Georgia Health Sciences University, asks…

Can you slow down aging by what you eat?

Great question, Susan. The answer is a simple “no” and “yes.” See how simple it is? If you think that you can eat certain “superfoods,” “anti-aging foods,” free radical scavengers, supplements and vitamins to prevent, slow down or reverse aging, then the answer is a big “NO.” If, however, you understand that what you eat throughout your entire life (yes, even beginning in childhood), how active you are and what your weight is (and has been during most of your life) will affect how you age, then the answer is a big, “YES.” If someone were to ask me what the most important nutritional factor related to aging is, I would have no hesitation to say “weight.”

Being overweight, fat or obese and being inactive ages your body.

So, that cartoon you see of a plump grandma or grandpa retiring to a rocking chair on the porch to “take it easy” as she or he gets older, that is backwards-thinking. Hey, grandma and grandpa, lose weight and get off that rocking chair if you want to live longer, age better and feel better. There is a lot of scientific data supporting the idea that being on the low-end of your reasonable body weight (being skinnier) is associated with being much healthier and living much longer and better.

In contemporary America, where people are either on the high-end of their reasonable weight range or overweight or obese, it means that, in the coming years, we will be around a lot of people who are aging very badly.

Being overweight is also a sure recipe for joint problems as you get older, whether it is an ankle, a knee or a hip. Did you know that the BEST thing you can do for your joints is not to be overweight? Joint health has nothing to do with taking those popular glucosamine supplements.

In fact, the scientific evidence shows that taking glucosamine supplements has no effect on joint health, either preventing joint problems or helping to repair joints, once they are damaged.

If Alzheimer’s disease runs in your family, the most important thing you can do to decrease YOUR risk of this disease as you age, is to live a healthy life. All the factors related to heart disease, stroke and diabetes are also related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, factors such as being overweight, having high blood cholesterols and being inactive. So, have you been sitting in a chair doing crossword puzzles or reading like crazy, thinking that doing mental exercises is the way to prevent Alzheimer ’s disease? Well, I say, “put the book and potato chips down, get up out of the chair, be active and get your cholesterol under control.”

Guys, if you want to continue having a great love life as you get older, then stop eating all those hamburgers and fries, lose weight and start running, walking, jogging, cycling or swimming.

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of erectile dysfunction as we age. So, to keep on getting high love scores from your significant other, be healthy. Don’t damage your blood flow by clogging those arteries with fat, having diabetes or uncontrolled high blood pressure or smoking.

These are guaranteed ways of making you feel “real old, real fast,” especially in the love-making department.

One of the biggest areas of quackery when it comes to nutrition and aging is thinking that you can take certain supplements and antioxidants to “retard aging.”

It just ain’t so.

It is how you have been living your life for the 70 years BEFORE you are 70 that most determines how you have aged and the quality of your life for the rest of your life. The idea of “anti-aging” supplements and/or foods is just wishful thinking, sorry to say. Also, if you think you can smear vitamin and mineral-enriched ointments and creams onto your skin and retard skin aging, think again! Instead, “schmear” on sunscreen.

So, I hope I have helped you get this aging and nutrition idea into perspective. The bottom-line, no-nonsense nutrition advice when it comes to aging? Your weight, your activity level and how you have lived your life – these influence how you age, not some silly supplements or superfoods. Age well, my friends. I want to have you around reading my column for a long time.

Ask Dr. Karp focuses on food, diet and nutrition. Dr. Warren Karp is a professor emeritus at Georgia Health Sciences University. If you have a question you would like answered in this column, email him at DrKarp@ vergelive.com, or visit his Facebook page, facebook.com/AskDrKarp or website at sites.google.com/site/drkarpverge.

48 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

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Edited by Will Shortz | by Caleb Madison | No. 0709 Across 1 Pick for a pendant 5 In reserve 9 Jets used to make touchdowns there 13 Stinky 14 Group with a 1977 hit banned by the BBC, with “the” 16 Polo alternative 17 The basics 18 Narc’s measures: Abbr.

19 Perniciousness 20 1982 A.L. Rookie of the Year 21 Go on and on 23 Sucker 24 “Wait for it …”

30 Windfall 31 Deadening agent 32 Media inits. since 1970 33 Coin with two stalks of wheat on its reverse 35 Mouse handler’s aid 36 Row 38 “I hated it” 39 Is significant enough 42 Titanic-taloned terrorizers 43 Film starring Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe 46 U.N.C. Charlotte’s athletic conf.

47 “We’re

on!”

49 Writer and director of “Julie & Julia,” 2009 52 Take advantage of a broken line 54 “Forget it!”

55 Radially symmetric creature 57 Plot element?

58 It may be combed for hairs 59 Lean 60 Beat reporters?: Abbr.

61 640 57-Acrosses: Abbr.

62 Catonian infinitive

last word RUMINATING ON LIFE IN THE SOUTH

I am a very lucky person; God has blessed me in many ways. I always say this when writing about my adventures in racing. But this time, luck and faith played an upfront and personal role.

The 26th annual Southern Nationals came to Augusta a few weeks ago. It is a great event: the boats are fast and furious, the fans have a wonderful experience and a good portion of the proceeds goes to the Georgia branch of the Special Olympics.

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25 Question the truth of 26 Sixth-century Chinese dynasty 27 Soreness causes 28 Sporty ensemble?

29 Kite kin 30 Polo alternative 34 Environmental transition area 37 Downtowns, e.g.

40 Knot-tying result Down 41 “Obviously” 1 Bellatrix’s 44 They used to play constellation at the Big A 2 It may spin 45 Tippler’s trouble overhead 48 Aster relative 3 Qur’an part 4 Set the bar 49 Suffix with 1-Across 5 Mann’s title 50

Private jet, e.g.

6 It has its problems 7 Breakable records 51 “Caveat: Realism, Reagan and 8 Upset Foreign Policy” writer 9 Corner item 52 Scanning work, 10 Ham option often 11 Actress Sommer 53 10 in un decennio 12 N.E.A. member?: 56 John Wayne cop Abbr. film 14 Chain using lots of 57 Were present?

2-Down

Now, Scott Lumbert is the pilot of the Rock Star Makita Tools Spirit of Racing Top Fuel Hydro in the Lucas Oil IHBA Drag Racing Series. He is the current champion and my friend.

The race itself was one for the books. It had the good, the bad and the ugly. The competition was great, the racers put on great show, laying down screaming passes on the Savannah River that were spectacular to watch.

I didn’t get to the race on Saturday because I had to do a radio show, however Lumbert had agreed to come on and give a live race report – very cool!

The time for his call came and went. I tried to get him on his cell phone – no answer. I started to worry. Lumbert has always been a Johnny-on-the-spot kind of guy.

Apparently, the race was under a wind delay. What? Wind!

There were actually white caps on the river. I have seen a lot of delays at the Nationals, but this was a new one. Lumbert was floating on the river, unable to race and unable to call. And then there were the alligators – yes, that’s right, alligators, one about six-feet long and the other one almost 10-feet. Some of the racers refused to get in the water. They were afraid if they wrecked they might get eaten by a Georgia gator.

I don’t blame them.

This is where the story heads south in a hurry. The Top Fuel boats are the first ones to run in the opening round of Sunday’s competition. I ran to the boat house to get the best angle for pictures of the run.

SCOTTY LUMBERT As the national anthem ended, the boats took off the line for their runs. As I tried to focus my camera on the Spirit of Texas, it suddenly shot straight up into the air and came down with such force that the capsule was ejected and the boat was destroyed. My legs were shaking as I took off running to check on my friend. I saw what was left of the boat being hauled to the surface and got word that the capsule had saved his life.

The good Lord above was watching out for my friend.

I finally caught up to Scott in the medical tent. He saw me and started laughing: “Did you get the picture, Doug?”

“No, Scott it happened so fast I couldn’t get the camera up in time,” I replied, “what a great photographer I am.”

Lumbert went back to the pits and the boat was hauled back.

As the fans gathered around their pits to see the destruction of the boat, there was Lumbert, signing autographs and shaking hands like nothing had happened.

Now that’s a racer.

The race went on, without the Spirit of Texas. The Problem Child won the race and the fans were treated to a great show.

Overall, this edition of The Southern Nationals was one for the books. As a reporter, I got an incredible story. As a person, I learned a life lesson. Good friends are hard to come by and the Lord works in strange and wonderful ways. article and photo by doug allen | spirit of racing

a parting shot

Team government knowS how to dodge the ball

Find the solution to this puzzle at VERGELIVE.BLOGSPOT.COM

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay.

The next issue of VERGE hits the newstands on

AUGUST 31 Look for our outdoor racks or find your copy at Publix | EarthFare | Kroger Bi-Lo | New Moon Cafe and more than 150 locations

Augusta’s Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center held its official grand opening Aug. 6 with a days worth of events promoting the multi-purpose facility. The event kicked off at 10 a.m with the Salvation Army band, but perhaps the best attended event was the celebrity dodgeball tournament between teams made up of representatives from the city government and representatives of local media organizations. After Team Government’s double-win, they were allowed to be among the first to slide down the Aquatic Center’s 28-foot high, 190-foot long water slide. | by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

vergelive.com | community driven news | August 18, 2011 49

50 August 18, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

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