June Issue A 2011

CREATING A COMMUNITY GARDEN PAGE 15

verge AUGUSTA & THE CSRA

FREE | JUNE 1 2011 | VOL 4 ISSUE 7 | YOUR SOURCE FOR COMMUNIT Y DRIVEN NEWS

ISSUE COMMISIONER AITKEN’S DRIVE FOR COMMUNITY UNITY + ART SARA MAYS+ MUSIC SLEEPY EYEZ + FOOD THE COMMUNITY GARDEN + DISCOVER OLDE TOWN

vergelive.com | community driven news | June 1, 2011 3

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1102 Bar & Grill 8th Street AB Beverage Andy Jordan Augusta Market Bar on Broad Bella Bronzage Book Tavern Brigans Buzz on Biz Casa Blance Casella Eye Center Copy Center Plus CSRA AD Specialties Dominos edge salon Elduets Family Y First Round Garlic Clove halo I-HOP Import Auto Exchange International Uniform LOYO Music Festival Manuel’s Bread Café Metro Coffeehouse Mi Rancho MITS Monk Solutions Modish Moon Beans/New Moon Nacho Mamas New Life DiChickos Packway Handle Palmetto Curbing Peach Mac Power Serve re-fresh Rock Bottom Music Sanford Bruker Banks Soy Noodle House Sundrees the Loft The Well Wild Wings Windsor Jewelers Zimmerman

WHAT’S INSIDE

SMATTERINGS

yeah, we made this

“big fish, big fish”

Ohe joys of being a 6 year old learning how to fish.

On Memorial Day, my wife, kids and I snuck out of town for a day to visit with family in Lexington, S.C. I dub this trip as the 4F Club: family, food, fun and fishing. We make this trek a few times a year and kick ourselves for not visiting more often. The family property is in a quiet, heavily wooded part of town and offers a variety of “escape mechanisms” for us to enjoy.

My personal favorites are the two ponds. With each trip, I always find time to sneak out and “wet a line” and escape the worries of the day-to-day grind.

This trip up was particularly special because my son, who recently turned 6, has developed a burning desire to go fishing with me. “In the pond and in the boat, right Dad?” he asked each day for the week leading up to the outing. He has heard the stories of those ponds since he can remember and has caught a few fish himself – with the aid of a qualified fisherman.

This trip was going to be different. This time he wanted to “do it himself ” (which meant do everything except bait the hook and take the fish off the line). The adventure begins.

We head down through the woods, to the ponds, gear in tow. After a few futile attempts to cast his line, he looks over to Dad for some advice. As I patiently explain how his rod and reel work, demonstrate a few casts and pass the rod back into his eager hands, I can see the concentration and determination in his eyes. Bright-eyed and baited with anticipation of catching the big one, he follows through. Perfect cast, perfect spot.

“So, now what, Dad, where are the fish?” he immediately asks.

“Be patient, Son” I say as I prepare for my own personal assault on the pond just a few steps away, giving him plenty of elbow room to “do it himself. No sooner than I blink an eye, he calls me back – he thinks he has a fish on. I look at his line. It is taut. Oh boy, I think I forgot to show him how to set a hook and start reeling in his catch.

“Lift up you rod tip and start cranking the reel,” I recommend, as I fumble for my camera to catch the moment. No sooner had I spoken the words the action was already in play. The motion he demonstrates from there is fluid, captured in slow motion in my mind and on video. It came naturally.

Cranking his reel, he begins to struggle to maintain perfect rhythm and line play – without Dad’s arms around him, keeping it steady. He finds his groove, it works.

A few moments later with a big smile on his face and a bream fish in hand (mine), he exclaims “let’s catch some more!” He is hooked – and hooks another three fish in the span of 20 minutes. But, he wants to catch a bass.

Down to the lower pond and into the paddle boat we go.

As we make our way across the pond, I begin to switch out the tackle for a little more serious action – bass are trickier to catch then bream. I explain all the types of lures, worms and gadgets to him. Looking down at the selection of colored rubber worms, he chooses one. It is blue. Of course, bass fish like blue worms. I explain that bass fishing is a bit different from the “upper pond” style of fishing. It takes a bit more patience, skill and a watchful eye.

“How will I know I have a bass fish, Dad?” he asks, hands reaching for the rod.

“The bass will let you know. Remember to set your hook and start reeling in your line when it does,” I answer.

We pick a spot to cast (anywhere in the pond outside of the boat preferably) and he casts his line. I follow suit.

“Remember, be patient, this is bass fishing,” I remind him.

He smiles a turns toward his line. The next thing I heard was a quiet chant: “Big fish, big fish, come on, bass fish, be a big fish.”

A few minutes later, his line goes taut. I think you know how it ends. Yep, he’s hooked.

See you out and about getting hooked on your community.

Matt

ON THE COVER COMMISSIONER ONE by ELIZABETH BENSON

Commissioner Matt Aitken puts action to his dream of uniting his district. See the article about his vision for District One and Augusta on page 22.

4 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

you won’t want to miss a page

the main feature Author Turns to Y.A. Fiction 13 Local Launches new book at The Book Tavern on June 18 to Build Neighborhoods 15 Gardening Augusta’s community gardens share their bounty 17 A Revolution of Words Sleepy Eyez Carter battles ignorance with spoken word

21 The Hidden Gifts of Olde Town 22 Uniting a District on Bicycle

Finding the things that make a neighborhood home

Commissioner Matt Aitken rides his way to understanding

27 The Issues Set Their Sights on Augusta Patrick Turner brings his band home to rock amphitheater

heard around town 5 5 7 11

Delightful Bites at Sundrees Ninth Street Streetscape Funded GHSU Inaugurates New President Business Profile: Singing Hills Antiques

music | theatre | art | film 19 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41

Art: Sara Mays Music: Loretta Lynn Film: The Film Reel Art: Jeffrey Callaham Festival: Under the Crown Book and Film: True Grit Theatre: Amadeus The Profiler: Madigan Parting Shot: Shine for Scott Benefit

regular stuff 05 07 09 09 25 25 29 31 35 39 40 41

Heard Around Town Get This: The Wedding Party Buzz on Biz Living Green Good Chow Beers Locals Like Between the Covers The Daily Planner The Ink Well: NYT Crossword Puzzle Nightlife In Good Health Sound Bites

vergequotes

here’s what inspires us

“Sprinkle joy.”

— RALPH WALDO EMERSON

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

— ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

heard

around town

what’s happening in augusta and aiken

[cupcakes fly off the shelves of local grocery store] Delightful Bites, the cupcake treats baked by Sharon Hutko, have been flying off the shelf at Sundrees Urban Market since their first appearance at the local grocery store May 16.

“Customers cannot seem to get enough of them,” said Sundrees manager Claire Riche.

“The first week we had them we sold out by the end of every day, which amounts to about 100 a day. I tasted one the first day, I have to say, they are really tempting.”

“This is sinfully delicious!” said Ferlice Bussey, a student at Mellowmont Technical Institute and Sundrees customer. “I am buying another one today and I know I will be back for more.”

Riche’s favorite flavor is chocolate with peanut butter cream cheese frosting, drizzled with peanut butter and chocolate. Other flavors include Red Velvet, strawberry, chocolate, margarita cake and the “I Do,” which has the distinct taste of wedding cake. Hutko also introduces new flavors on a regular basis.

“The new flavors always sell out first,” said Riche. “From customer reactions, every flavor is fantastic.”

Discovering a Delightful Bite at Sundrees Urban Market: Syd Padgett, the owner of Oddfellows Gallery, has a hard time hiding his true feelings for red velvet with cream cheese icing.

[ninth street receives a facelift] The Georgia Department of Transportation issued an $850,000 grant to fund the Ninth Street Streetscape project in downtown Augusta, which will enhance beautification and walkability of the newest gateway to the city, James Brown Boulevard.

by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK photo LISA MARKS

[60 years of theatre]

According to Mary Beth Robinson, a landscape architect for the Cranston Engineering Group, the new construction should begin early next year and extend from Jones Street to where the federal courthouse is on Walker Street.

Plans for the streetscape have already been finalized and submitted to the Department of Transportation for review.

Most of the grant money will go toward sidewalk construction, with additional money going toward design and permits as needed. Robinson also anticipates adding decorative brickwork around the light posts and replacing the gingko trees which have become dilapidated with age.

“It will clean up the whole area, particularly in the downtown where some of the concrete has cracked just from age, which looks bad as well as being a tripping hazard, particularly for handicapped people,” said Robinson. “There is going to be a nice continuity all the way down the street, which will connect the new infrastructure that is going up around there.”

Construction on the new Trade, Exhibition and Entertainment Center parking deck is underway now on the corner of Ninth and Reynolds streets and should achieve substantial completion by early September according to the project manager. When finished, the parking deck will contain 600 spaces on six levels, which will be open for use by anyone visiting the downtown area.

“Ninth Street is going to be the next gateway into the city,” said Margaret Woodard, the executive director of the Downtown Development Association.

“The Judicial Center and Public Library are already there, with the TEE Center going up now and soon there will be a parking deck. The area has shown a lot of growth,” she said | by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

Delightful Bites are available individually for $2 or by the dozen for $20. To balance out the potential side-effects of eating too many cupcakes, Sundrees also offers locally produced vegetables, dairy, eggs, meat, bread and coffee. For more information, email sundreesurbanmarket@gmail.com.

CHRIS LYDLE, the OWNER OF CHRIS’ CAMERA SHOP

[shooting for economic development] Chris Lydle, the owner of Chris’ Camera Shop on Laurens Street in Aiken and a member of the Photo Marketing Association International for 37 years and past president of its Dixie Division, is bringing his ‘peeps’ to town.

Fifty photography professionals from around country will gather at The Willcox hotel on Friday, June 10 for a three-day convention.

A session titled “Got Photos? Get Organized” led by national authority Cathi Nelson, is open to the public at The Aiken Center for the Arts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 11 for a $5 registration fee.

Nelson says the presentation is for those who are “snowed in under digital images that maybe you cannot even find on your computer, or have a shoe box full of great family photos, slides or videos. This workshop will teach you how to find them, organize them, display them and even get the courage to throw some of them out.” article and photo by STEPHEN DELANEY HALE

Planning the celebration of the Aiken Community Playhouse’s 60th season is underway.

Who better to throw a party than a troupe of actors, singers and musicians – a gathering of natural-born celebrators?

The group does not have a firm decision on a 60th birthday party – a new board is elected in June and will make that decision – but there will certainly be a gala reception for the beginning of the 2011–2012 Season with the premier of Chicago on September 9. Six more feature presentations, a three-play summer season and a Youth Wing production will round out the new season.

The playhouse found great respect from its peers in November. At the state convention of the South Carolina Theatre Association, the ACP presentation of Frankenstein: A New Musical, was awarded Best Special Effects, Sound and Visual, Best Male Vocal Performance to Brad King, Outstanding Vocal Performance to Adam Shults and Best Female Actress and Vocal Performance to Lisa Tharp-Bernard.

The Aiken Community Playhouse came to life in October 1952 with the production of George Washington Slept Here, directed by Aiken leading man Will Cole and performed in the Aiken Municipal Auditorium. ACP has moved several times, finding a permanent home five years ago at the URS Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Aiken.

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heard

around town

what’s happening in augusta and aiken

[GHSU makes new president official] Georgia Health Sciences University President Dr. Ricardo Azziz was formally inaugurated in an investiture ceremony at Paine College’s Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel on May 20.

Azziz is the eighth president of GHSU and CEO of the Medical College of Georgia Health System and began his term of office last July.

Over the past year, Azziz has heightened the university’s commitment to civic and university engagement, embraced sustainability and demonstrated a strong commitment to partnership within and beyond the university’s walls.

“With a broader view of our mission and our marketplace, we are synergizing the whole,” said Azziz. “What is happening at GHSU is nothing less than a transformation. The university of the future must be populated by people who are committed to building bridges.

Partnership and collaboration… these are the keys to our success.”

Dr. RICARDO AZZIZ

Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver agreed, “I believe that Augusta is now undergoing a great awakening and entering a new era of enlightenment as we are now seeing concrete evidence of what can be accomplished when we rise above past differences and come together

gifts for the wedding party for her FLOWER VASE for him JULEP CUP

as one community united in the pursuit of excellence.”

Azziz was presented with the presidential medallion, chain of office and the GHSU mace during the ceremony.

“While it is certainly an honor to this president, my inauguration is really an honor to this institution,” Azziz said. “We want to develop an understanding of how broad and how deep our community outreach is, so we should use this opportunity to show how great our organization really is.”

Azziz stated in his inaugural address he hopes that by building bridges the community will become greater than the sum of its people, the state will become more than the sum of its budgets and there will be hope for a greater tomorrow.

“Finally let us remember, while I and my family are deeply appreciative of your support today, today is not my day,” Azizz concluded. “Today is our day… our day to celebrate the past, the present and the very bright future of the Georgia Health Sciences University.” article and photo by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

get this

your guide to local shopping

for her TINY bag for him WOOD BOWL

This pewter beaded vase can hold the bridesmaids’ bouquets during the reception ($29). For the guys, tuck a traditional mint julep recipe in this pewter julep cup ($68).

Both can be monogrammed.

This bag is the perfect size to stash a cell phone and other essentials by Jazzd ($20).

The carved wood bowl is perfect for keys or loose change by Richard Preston ($50).

White Crane 1407 Monte Sano Ave., Summerville 706.738.6359

RE-Fresh 137 Laurens St. SW, Aiken 803.649.9663

for her MYRTLE EARRINGS for him MONEY CLIP

Delight your bridesmaids’ fancies with these flowering myrtle earrings with freshwater pearls by Michael Michaud ($82).The leaf print leather money clip is a style way to stash cash ($22).

Zimmerman Gallery 1006 Broad St., Augusta | 706.774.1006

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LOCAL BUSINESS

Openings, Closings, Expansions and Good News

STONE COLD MOVEMENT AT 601 NORTH BELAIR SQUARE The price tag on the vacant Stonecrest Steakhouse and office building at 601 North Belair Square in Evans is $1.2 million. When leads were few and far between, owner Mark Herbert contracted with an auction company with the caveat that he could refuse any offer.

The buzz is a local entrepreneur offered several hundred thousand dollars with the idea of “flipping” the property to a Mexican restaurant group or a chain restaurant. Herbert refused that offer – and all of the other offers placed on the 21 vacant office buildings he also had on the auction block. The restaurant closed a year ago.

The restaurant space and the office park are in excellent shape and, while this concept has worked in other markets, it might have been ahead of its time because of the slowing economy during the past few years.

LIVING GREEN

Determine Your Water Footprint You might recall from my last column that, on average, American households use about 100 gallons of water per person per day. But the water we use in our homes is a small portion of our overall water footprint. According to the nonprofit Water Footprint Network, the water footprint of the average American is more than 750,000 gallons per year – twice the global average.

What is a water footprint? It is the total amount of freshwater used to support your lifestyle. It includes the water you use directly for drinking, bathing, washing and watering your lawn, in addition to the water you use indirectly in the production and distribution of the goods and services you consume. For example, it takes 37 gallons of water to grow, produce, package and ship the beans in that morning cup of coffee. That is enough water to fill a fairly large aquarium.

Here are some other examples of how much water is used to make some of the things you use every day: Producing a pound of beef typically requires 2,100 gallons of water and manufacturing a personal computer requires nearly 1,100 gallons of water. It takes 780 gallons of water to make a cotton T-shirt and 13 gallons of water are needed to produce and distribute a gallon of gasoline.

WHEN IN DOUBT OPEN A CHINESE RESTAURANT Mexican restaurants work well in the CSRA as do Chinese restaurants. The new owners of Bayou Grill are hoping their Asian concept will work in a building that has seen a few others fail.

The North Augusta restaurant – located at 301 Georgia Ave. – was formerly the River House, an American-Thai fusion concept that lasted less than two years. Prior to that, the building housed B.C Davenport’s, a down-home Southern-style restaurant operated by Ms. Brenda. She sold the business that she began in the 1980s when sales slowed and repairs were needed.

Pending health department inspections, the Bayou Grill should open in mid to late June.

FROSTED FLAKES ARE GRRRREAT… (AND SO IS KELLOGG ACCORDING TO THE EPA) What a great job the 700 or so workers

have on Marvin Griffin Road in South Augusta. They get to make cereals, cookies and healthy foods for about 70 Kellogg’s products. It is also nice when they get honored for a job well done.

Seven of Kellogg Company’s U.S. cookie and cracker bakeries – including the bakery in Augusta – have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first Energy Star certification for bakeries that demonstrate best-in-class energy performance.

The seven Kellogg facilities represent more than half of the 13 EPA-recognized U.S. cookie and cracker bakeries from multiple companies. Collectively, these facilities prevent more than 85,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually compared with average performing bakeries. According to the EPA, these bakeries use one-quarter less energy than similar plants across the country.

THE WATER FOOTPRINT OF VARIOUS FOODS FROM THE water footprint network. nOTE: oNE U.S. gALLON = 3.79 lITERS

The amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant throughout history, but the Earth’s population has increased substantially and it continues to grow. Consequently, the competition for a clean supply of water increases every day. In some parts of the world (including parts of the U.S.) the water footprint has exceeded sustainable levels. Because we have a global economy, the products we buy can have an impact on the availability of freshwater in another part of the country or on the other side of the planet.

“Kellogg is honored to receive this recognition from the EPA, demonstrating our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our business,” said Celeste Clark, Kellogg Company’s chief sustainability officer. “We have committed to reducing our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 15 to 20 percent by 2015 and already, we have made steady gains toward these goals in the last several years.”

What can you do? First, find out how your water footprint compares with that of the average American. You can calculate your own water footprint at H2Oconserve.org. The results might surprise you. I thought I would have a fairly small footprint, but the calculator showed me that I have a lot of room for improvement.

EcoPrime of Augusta Preps Lumber for Haiti EcoBlu Products says that the company has secured an 18 truckload order for Red Shield coated lumber. The nontreated lumber was purchased from a local market in southern Georgia. Then, the lumber was successfully coated by EcoPrime LLC, located in Augusta, providing a short trip to the Savannah sea port for shipment to Haiti, providing cost effective supply chain management.

Then learn more about how much water is used to produce the goods and services you use. Some manufacturers have added the water footprint to their product labels. A new international standard is being developed which will require manufacturers to disclose the water footprint of their products. In the meantime, you can learn more on National Geographic’s water footprint website at environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater.

EcoBlu is also working with a local family who has been in the textile business in Haiti for more tham 40 years. Together, they have completed the renovation of a strategically located wholesale lumber distribution yard. Eco No-Bois is the Creole interpretation for “Eco Wood” and the name of the distribution company set up in Haiti to distribute the protected lumber.

“Our company embraced Red Shield lumber products with the expectation of future supply and growth. We never expected the volumes to ramp as fast as they have. My team has done a fantastic job of migrating our factory process to the Wood Surface Film application,” said Bear Shelton, the CEO of EcoPrime LLC. “I set out to prove that our protected lumber is the right building material of choice for rebuilding Haiti. Having spent the last year shipping our protected lumber shelters and medical buildings into Haiti to support those in need, we also demonstrated the potential for our lumber in the region,” said Steve Conboy, the president and CEO of EcoBlu Products.

Neil Gordon owns Buzz on Biz,LLC, a company dedicated to highlighting business growth through newspaper, television, radio, and web content. Story idea? Email neil.gordon@buzzon.biz

Finally, consider ways to reduce your water footprint when making choices about the products you use. For instance, agriculture accounts for about 70 percent of all your freshwater use. You could try reducing the amount of meat you eat by having a vegetarian meal once or twice a week. Instead of chips, you might want try having an apple with your lunch. In general, the amount of water used to produce animal products and processed foods such as soda and chips is 5 to 10 times larger than the amount used for growing vegetables, grains, beans and nuts.

You can also patronize businesses that implement water conservation practices. For example, car wash establishments around the country have started collecting their wash water and storing in a holding tank where special bacteria digest the soap. The treated water is almost as clean as tap water; and definitely clean enough to reuse in the car wash. Find out if any of your local car washes reuse their water and give your business to the ones that do.

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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singing hills

antiques

NoRTH AUGUSTA COUPLE EMBRACES THE CONCEPT OF REUSE

GARY AND JENNIE WHYNAUCHT , the OWNERS OF SINGING HILLS ANTIQUES

Singing Hills Antiques is located in the building that was the first schoolhouse in North Augusta, built in 1808. About 100 years later, in 1905, the building was renovated into a duplex, now used

by Gary and Jennie Whynaucht as both a store and a home.

“Our residence is in the back and our shop is in the front, which is a really popular model for business owners especially in Augusta,” said Jennie. “We have been in this building about 13 years now and it is nice to know we are preserving history. That is what our business is all about and, as far as we know, we are the first ones to have a business here.”

The shop carries a wide variety of antiques including furniture, vintage quilts and linens, lampshades, collectables and contemporary accessories. Gary also restores long-handled garden tools, sporting goods and vintage sprinklers. The total collection occupies three rooms of the duplex and an additional carriage house the couple built behind the store in 1998.

“We were running out of room to keep anything, so we thought we would build a carriage house in back, with a guest quarters above the antique storage room, to preserve the authenticity of the land we were operating out of,” said Gary.

found they enjoyed the process of searching for items together.

“We take pleasure in the hunt, searching for and discovering things for our customers.

Then, we bring them here and display them in a nice way,” said Jennie. “We try to make coming to Singing Hills a pleasant experience.”

They have attracted a loyal following of returning customers, but other customers just happen to be driving by and are curious about the shop or might be looking for something specific for their home.

“A lot of people tell us they think our prices are good,” said Jennie. “We price things by what we pay for them and do not always go by book value. You have to be aware of who your customers are and what their needs are, and we are happy to provide everything to them in good condition.”

Singing Hill Antiques is located at 417 West Ave. in North Augusta and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except when the owners must travel to buy merchandise or present shows away from home. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 803.441.8805. article and photo by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

Gary and Jennie originally started collecting antiques to furnish their own home with and

TRY THIS: DINNER AT CASA BLANCA Casa Blanca Café recently added a full dinner menu for patrons to enjoy the internationally inspired cuisine after 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.

“So many people wanted us to start doing more entree dishes at night,” said owner Jai West.

“We tried a tapas menu for a while, and then we tried using the lunch menu for dinner, but people seem to like these options much better.”

West’s favorite, a standard she often prepares, is the Jambalaya with chicken, sausage and shrimp. Patrons looking for something new might try the grilled salmon burger with wasabi mayo or vegetarian lasagna with tomato-pesto sauce. Another new addition, Argentine beef with chimichurri and rice, was such a hit at the Augusta Tango Club’s dinner in March that West decided to make it a permanent part of the menu.

The new menu includes starters, soups, salads and entrees. Casa Blanca Café is located at 936 Broad St. in the White’s Building and is open Tuesday through Saturday and every second Sunday of the month for brunch. For more information, call 706.504.3431 or visit CASABLANCATIME.COM. | by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

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author delves into family

secrets and first love christine hurley deriso launches new young adult novel

In her new book, Then I Met My Sister, award-winning author Christine Hurley Deriso explores a young woman’s journey into her family’s past as she learns about the sister she never knew. Although described as a “young adult” novel, the book speaks to readers of all ages, with its poignant story and true-to-life drama.

Deriso graduated from the University of Georgia School of Journalism in 1983. She began her career as a reporter for The Augusta Chronicle and has published a body of work ranging from books to magazine articles for renowned publications such as Ladies’ Home Journal, Parents, Family Circle and Child. Since 1988, she has worked in public relations and marketing at Georgia Health Sciences University and recently co-wrote a self-help book, Green Tea and Beyond, with cell biologist Stephen Hsu. Deriso spoke to verge about Then I Met My Sister and offered some insight about the publishing world and her predictions for its future.

VERGE: Then I Met My Sister is your first “young adult” novel. What made you want to explore this market and how does it differ from the so-called “tween” demographic for whom three of your previous novels were written?

DERISO: I love writing tween books, but was interested in exploring slightly more mature subject matter. I enjoyed helping Summer, the protagonist in Then I Met My Sister, navigate her way to adulthood as she deals with stressors such as an uber-controlling mom, a slew of unsettling family secrets and the unresolved tension of living in her dead sister’s shadow. Throw first love into the mix and you have the potential for extensive growth and insight, which I think is one of the noblest roles of literature. Though the book is marketed as young-adult, I have had as many adult readers as teens and they all say the story really resonates with them. Reading the reviews and hearing readers’ feedback has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.

VERGE: What was the inspiration for Summer’s story? Is there fact behind the fiction?

DERISO: There is always fact behind the fiction. Ninety percent of fiction-writing is observation. A story will not ring true unless it is rooted in fact and it cannot be rooted in fact unless the writer spends a lot of time noticing what is going on around him and trying to scratch beneath the surface. For instance, we all know control freaks like Susanne, the mother in Then I Met My Sister. The observation comes in trying to understand the fears, vulnerabilities and insecurities that motivate her.

“Creating a compelling story and telling it in an authentic voice is where the magic lies.”

– CHRISTINE HURLEY DERISO

VERGE: You have opted to continue working with a publisher rather than do it yourself.

What are the advantages to this?

DERISO: The success of the average book is highly dependent on the editing, marketing, publicity and distribution machine of a good publisher. I would not have it any other way, particularly if I were just starting out in the business, which has gotten more competitive than ever. Writers need every conceivable edge in getting their books in readers’ hands. So a

good publisher is vital on many pragmatic levels, but it is even more important creatively.

VERGE: Flux Books, your publishing company, describe themselves as “where young adult is a point of view, not a reading level.” How does your book fit that description?

DERISO: The same way a middle-aged moviegoer can enjoy and identify with a movie about teenagers, a reader of any age can identify with Then I Met My Sister, as well as other Flux books.

Age is not the defining characteristic of Flux protagonists, and none of the stories are trite, contrived, superficial or simplistic. Summer is

“It’s not exactly easy living in a shrine to your dead sister.

Since birth, I’ve known that everyone loved Shannon.

She was perfect— beautiful, smart, talented.

And me? Not so much.”

– SUMMER from THEN I MET MY SISTER

stressing about grades and boyfriends, but her real journey in the book is trying to connect and communicate with her troubled family. I think it is telling that two of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye, probably would have been marketed as tween and young adult, respectively, if they had been published today. What a loss if older adults had passed them over!

VERGE: When did you realize that you wanted to pursue writing? Was it difficult to launch your career from a small town?

DERISO: I have wanted to be a writer all my life. I was pragmatic enough early on to know that fiction-writing, my true passion, was a long shot, so I got a journalism degree and concentrated on writing in fields where I knew I could make a living. But I was always writing fiction in my spare time. The great thing about writing is that you are judged solely on your work, so I figured I had as good a chance as anyone else of getting published. By “good,” of course, I mean “practically impossible,” but those odds were good enough for me. I have been incredibly lucky, but also extremely persistent, thick-skinned and resilient.

Rejection letters are part of the business. I would shake them off and keep trying. I am so glad I did and so fortunate that I found success.

Meet the Author WHAT Then I Met My Sister Launch Party and Book Signing With Christine Hurley Deriso WHERE The Book Tavern, 1026 Broad St. WHEN Saturday, June 18 | 1 to 3 p.m.

MORE CHRISTINEHURLEYDERISO.COM A QUICK LOOK Summer is a snarky and rebellious teen who has lived in the shadow of her “perfect” but dead sister, Shannon, her entire life. On Summer’s 17th birthday, her aunt gives her the secret diary Shannon kept the summer before her deadly car accident. As she engrosses herself in Shannon’s last months of life, Summer unearths painful secrets about her family and the sister she never knew. With each revelation, Summer comes closer to the mysterious and liberating truth about her sister, her family and herself. | Young Adult, 264 pages, $9.95, published by Flux

VERGE: What is your overview of the future of print? Are you optimistic, or do you think that technology and electronic communication will continue its decline?

DERISO: Electronic communication is definitely the wave of the future. But the essence of the business — storytelling — is no different than it was for Shakespeare. Creating a compelling story and telling it in an authentic

voice is where the magic lies. The medium is just kind of the wallpaper. But if the electronic age makes the written word more accessible and affordable, all the better. Books have the potential to transform lives, to transform whole societies and cultures. The more people who read them, the better.

by ALISON RICHTER

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14 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

communities come together to

dig in the dirt augusta’s community gardens progressive dinner

“Gardening is a healthy lifestyle, tilling the ground is definitely hard work, and then you eat what you produce.”

— DAVID HARTMAN

The second Community Garden Tour will commence June 4 as volunteers and members of the public join in a progressive dinner linking the three community gardens of the Augusta area.

This joint venture, organized primarily to unite the volunteer gardeners of Harrisburg, New Bethlehem and Central Park community Gardens, will begin at the Harrisburg Community garden, on the corner of Bohler Avenue and Fenwick Street, at 5 p.m., where guests will park and then carpool to the next garden on the list.

“This is a chance for the community gardens to get together, but we wanted it to be open to the public too to show off what we have done,” said David Hartman, the director of Central Park Community Garden. “This is a potluck-style banquet, so we want everyone who participates to bring a food dish to share, while they enjoy meeting with people who share the same hobbies and learning about our gardens.”

The next stop, New Bethlehem Community Garden, on the corner of Conklin Avenue and Clay Street, utilizes a vacant lot owned by Habitat For Humanity. There, guests may enjoy appetizers and a demonstration, before proceeding to the final garden.

Central Park Community Garden, at 1180 Merry St., is Augusta’s only community garden located in a city park. Participants will dish up the main course at this stop and enjoy conversation, poetry reading and music.

Hartman said another goal of the dinner was to introduce people to the gardens and teach them about the value of gardening.

“Part of our goal is to educate the community about the art of gardening,” he said. “It is a very eco-friendly thing to do, since it is sustainable, local, and has less of an impact on the environment. Gardening itself is a healthy lifestyle, tilling the ground is definitely hard work, and then you eat what you produce and that is healthy too.”

Many of the volunteers who have plots in any of the three gardens have already reaped the benefits of this healthier lifestyle, particularly when it comes to community building.

“We do not have a requirement that people volunteer so many hours, so we are relying on everyone’s good will,” said Hartman.

“At least a dozen people have put a lot of work into our garden on each of four workdays, when we expanded the garden by building more frames and working together to amend the soil.”

“Our goal here is to garden together as a community,” said

Christine O’Meara, Central Park Community Garden’s assistant director. “The garden is really an opportunity to engage the community and build the park. We have passed out fliers to ask people what they would like to see happening in the park. There is enormous potential here. It is being underutilized, but the garden is already started beginning growth.”

Some ways that the Central Park garden has already begun to grow include the disc golf baskets donated by the Professional Disc Golf Association, and the underground sprinkler system donated by Davis Design Group. However, Davis is only donating the parts. The hours of labor required to install the sprinkler system need to be donated by the community.

“Having small sprinklers for each plant is nearly the perfect irrigation system because it gets the water right to the plant, and is less wasteful in the long run than other methods of watering,” said Hartman.

All three gardens have been improving their communities for about two years. Denise Traina was the first to speak with the Harrisburg Neighborhood Association in 2008 and start Augusta’s first community garden, using a vacant lot owned by the First Assembly of God church and organizing members of the community to come out and build the garden.

“I drive past this property every day on my way home, and I saw the potential for something a lot prettier,” said Traina. “I think the neighborhood seems much friendlier now that we have opened the garden and we invite people to come and grow food.

We want to meet everybody’s needs.”

Hartman approached Traina for ideas in starting a community garden elsewhere in the city, but the basic idea is the same even if there are certain technical differences. According to Hartman, the Central Park Community Garden has a mixture of community beds and private beds, which individuals pay $20 to own.

Whatever structure the gardens adhere to, both directors describe their gardens as magnets for local children, who flock to the gardens any time they see workers there. The experience of learning how to be a good steward of the garden, as Traina puts it, provides valuable lessons for later in life, and could reflect favorably on the future of the entire neighborhood.

“People need an excuse to get out of their house and get their minds off financial troubles and meet people,” said Traina.

“When I drive by and see people sitting at this table I just think it was all worth it.” article and photos by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK top photo A VOLUNTEER WATERS BEDS right photo DENISE TRAINA TACKLES THE WEEDING

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16 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

the means to an end

a revolution of words

the evolution of sleepy eyez, a spoken word artist

The name of rapper and spoken word artist Sleepy Eyez Carter likely refers to his dark, unassuming eyes, mostly covered by heavy lids; these are accompanied by a humble demeanor, complete with a quiet, youthful face and a slender physique, all which belie a fervent treasure trove of creative force that with every word and every movement is seeking an opportunity to be released into the world.

The lanky lyricist cannot seem to stand still as we converse near the side door to the Metro Coffeehouse and Pub. The sheer charged passion of Sleepy Eyez is as palpable as it is rapid, but focused: His words flow quickly, as if his hasty speech were a cleverly feverish maneuver to get a listener to pay attention to the substance of what he speaks.

This flow of words is indeed a “flow” in the classic hip-hop sense, in which the speedy surge of words is steered along a careful cadence, a rhythm that leads the listener in following along. His body language is conjoined to this rhythm, as if his long arms and legs were tied to his words by marionette strings, causing a circular and ostensibly whimsical pantomime of sorts that is as expressive and articulate as anything he says.

“The inspiration (for my music) comes from hip-hop: We are talking about Rakim, Queen Latifah, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde. Now, I was not always a ‘good kid,’ so we are also talking about Lil’ Jon and the East Side Boyz, Too $hort, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Daz Dillinger … I am a gumbo of different stuff. When I was out in the street, I wrote all the hard stuff, the cuss you out stuff, the ‘kill-kill, murder-murder’ type stuff, because those were the elements that I was living in. So what you are living in, it can dictate what you put to pad, The conscious part kicked in when I obeyed the gospel and became a member of the Church of Christ,” he says.

Indeed, Sleepy Eyez’s ends actually concern keeping people awake, that is, conscious. His art is substantive with what he calls “that think element,” which makes spoken word, poetry and rap conscious, specifically calibrated toward educating and rousing reflection.

what I was thinking, what I was feeling, my pain, my journey, into my music. That is conscious rap, that is conscious spoken word, that is conscious art,” he said.

Sleepy Eyez’s means, while rooted in hip-hop, transcend the genre and the linguistic art forms associated with rap.

“If you look at rap,” he says, “you are looking at artists such as a Wiz Khalifa. You look at hip-hop, you are looking more in the sense of Jay Electronica. When you listen to spoken word, it has more of that old school hip-hop kind of feel to it; whereas rap (is) strictly to that tempo — boom, clack, boom, clack. But when it comes to spoken word, it is more about your delivery, the way you say your words, the way you pronounce them, the way you put your syllables together. Rap is poetry, but when you start presenting it in the spoken word style,” — he offers a demonstration, “Excuse my intrusion, Mr. Government, but your conclusion is obviously mind-boggling and confusing” — and returns to his elucidation: “it is the breakdown of how you want to say it, how you want to deliver.”

Born a military brat in Germany, Sleepy Eyez was raised in Augusta and considers himself a native. He proudly represents the city as his home and says his experiences as an Augustan are a source of inspiration.

“Augusta made me who I am, Augusta molded me into who I am. People need to respect where they were raised,” he says.

He has been involved in music since elementary school, singing in church choirs and started his foray into hip-hop in the 6th grade. But, his passion for music and hip-hop came alongside all manner of hardships and troubles.

“In anything I do,” Sleepy Eyez explains, “one of the main themes, especially would be education, in the sense of Black history … understanding Malcolm X, understanding who Marcus Garvey is, understanding Huey P. Newton, understanding the slave trade, understanding how we came out of the slave trade, understanding the things that go on even in society today that still have a bind on African-Americans. The theme is straight history and how we can enhance our situation today in this arena that we live in called ‘America.’ ”

“Dad left when I was about 15 or 16, but the home was in shambles way before then. During my high school years I was into the streets and got involved in the little gang culture that was starting to arise,” he says.

His pieces are saturated with sociopolitical themes, often interspersed with biblical references, reflecting his concerns.

“I’ve slept on the streets, I’ve stolen, looked down the barrel of a gun, been drunk to where I was laying out on the curb. I’ve been through hell and back, so why not pick that style? To me it would be disrespect to El Shaddai if I did not pick it up,” he says.

“I wanted to put out what I was studying, what I was reading,

The course was dark and difficult, and often despairing, but that has served as an inspiration toward how Sleepy Eyez approaches his intense style, ultimately working together for good, helping him focus his passion and deepen his faith.

“I wanted to put out what I was studying, what I was reading, what I was thinking, what I was feeling, my pain, my journey, into my music.

That is conscious rap, that is conscious spoken word, that is conscious art. ” Aside from a conscious artist, Sleepy Eyez is also, perhaps primarily, a revolutionary artist. Revolution is at the heart of many of his pieces and even the overarching theme behind why he seeks to educate.

“Revolution is the uprising of a group of people who see a system that is not working, to override it and replace that system. Revolution can also be in the sense of when you see a person’s thinking and mindset, where they are going: it is to rise up, revolt and take over that mindset.”

Sleepy Eyez’s is one whose purpose is saturated in his actions, as demonstrated not only in the connection between his speech and body language, but also between his art and his action.

“The message is in the words,” he says.

When one considers the form, focus and substance of his words, his distinctive stream of speech and movement is less a wild dance than an intricate kind of genuflection, as it all stems from reverence, respect and love: for hip-hop and its related crafts, for spiritual wellsprings of wisdom and knowledge, for profound strengths forged in painful history, for the community, for fellow artists, fellow human beings and for God. “Even though I speak revolution, if you look closely, love is spelled backwards. In order to be a revolutionary, you have to have love for whatever you have revolution for. If I did not have love for blacks [and] whites, I would not be doing this,” he concludes.

Sleepy Eyez Carter’s recordings are available through his page at ReverbNation. He can often be seen on Thursday nights at Alter Egoz, 1721 Gordon Highway, or any and everywhere there is an open microphone, ignorance to be deflected or a community waiting to be revolutionized.

by SKYLER ANDREWS photos HOLLY BIRDSONG

vergelive.com | community driven news | June 1, 2011 17

18 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

the art of

sara mays The 2011 artists’ row scholarship winner

SARA MAYS HOLDS UP HER PROPOSED PUBLIC ART SCULPTURE

Each year, the Artist’s Row Scholarship is awarded to one graduating high school senior in the CSRA who plans to pursue a career in the Arts. This year, Lakeside High School graduate Sara Mays will receive a $1000 check at the opening of her exhibit at Gallery on the Row during First Friday, June 3 at 6 p.m.

Mays, who will to attend Augusta State University this fall, also received the Mary S. Byrd Fine Arts Scholarship. She says that she plans to major in art, but is keeping her options open for her first few years of college.

“I am still sort of surprised that people are making such a big deal about me,” said Mays. “I want to knock myself in the head; I mean I knew I was talented, but not enough to win two separate art scholarships.”

SARA MAYS, CRUCIFIXION on BLADES

In order to be considered for the Artist’s Row Scholarship, Mays submitted an essay, letter of recommendation, two pieces of original art and a design for an interactive public exhibition, to be considered for Artists’ Row Westobou public sculpture initiative.

“This year we are trying something different by incorporating the scholarship with a program to create an interactive public sculpture for the Westobou Festival that can be built by the community and made of recycled materials,” said Artists’ Row chairwoman Lisa Marks. “Sara is an outstanding artist who came very highly recommended, but what stood out to me most of all was her creative design for this sculpture.”

Following her exhibition, which will run through June at Gallery on the Row, Mays will work with a group of local artists including Marks, Kathleen Engler, Brian Rust and Alan Venable to make her sculpture a reality.

As an added bonus, when the community comes together to build this massive sculpture, a miniature version will be created by those children too young to help with the full-sized project, and then auctioned off to provide money for next year’s scholarship. Maria Mays, Sara’s mother, said she hopes one of those children will one day grow up to earn the scholarship for themselves.

“Sara has always been an artist, ever since she was three or four and we had to stop her from drawing on the walls and the car’s paint job,” she said. “When children are that young you have to restrain them, but I hope I did not damage her creativity in any way. Judging by the talented artist she has become, I do not think I did too much damage.” article and photo by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

vergelive.com | community driven news | June 1, 2011 19

20 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

a photo shouts

a thousand words

eVERYDAY LIVING CAUGHT ON FILM

hidden olde town Neighborhoods add up to more than the sum of the buildings that line the streets and the people who inhabit them. They are full of secret gifts – simple things we pass by each day. It may be a rooftop chair for reading or a park bench for swapping tall tales. A popsicle from the ice cream truck or an artful dog pawprint embedded in the sidewalk. An outdoor table at the Fox’s Lair or a glimpse into the future.

These simple things make our neighborhood home. photos GABI HUTCHISON

vergelive.com | community driven news | June 1, 2011 21

ISSUE: UNITING A COM

Commisioner Matt Aitke District One through Rela

District One Commissioner Matt Aitken lives in a large, g building – a house which won an Augusta historic prese doing badly for an ex-convict who used to sell dope.

“The zip code 30901 is one of the top prison producing resonates with a lot of people, as well as the fact that I c Aitken. “I think a lot of people appreciate the message I Helping people is all I have done since I became a Chris Within months of being released from prison in 1990, Aitken returned to Augusta’s jails – but this time, he was on the other side of the bars. By throwing himself into prison and urban ministries, Aitken set himself on a path toward public service that culminated when he was pardoned by the state in 1997.

That pardon ultimately allowed him to run for public office.

“Really it was the Lord who pardoned me when I gave myself to God, and He can take all the credit for guiding me to where I am now,” he said. “I think I came to the end of my rope when I landed in prison. Whenever you come to a place like that, it helps to clarify your thoughts and make you wish you could live for something better.”

Now, Aitken is living for something better by giving back to the community.

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Aitken, in concert with other community leaders such as the Rev. Larry Cone of St. Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church and Sean Thomas, the owner of Old Town Sandwich Shop, will host A Day in the Community on June 4 at the corner of East Boundary and Telfair streets.

The event will focus on the hundreds of children in that area to whom Aitken hopes to reach out and will include jumping forts, demonstrations from local fire and police departments, informational booths and an opportunity for people to meet and interact with their commissioner.

“My primary goal is to let them know that the leader of this district cares and is seen in the community.”

“I think we tend to lose sight of all that we have to give,” said Aitken. “Giving brings fulfillment in life, and every impact I have continues to grow because it encourages others to give of themselves as well. In that way, I think we may see a much brighter community in the future.”

Several of Aitken’s fellow commissioners will be grilling hamburgers and hotdogs for the enjoyment of anyone who wishes to stop by. Aitken hopes to use this opportunity to draw attention to a part of Augusta he believes many have forgotten about.

“This district is pretty huge, demographically,” he said. “Here we have to represent no less than seven key groups: rich, poor, black, white, industry, business and the medical community.

It is quite an impressive make up for such a small area.”

“There is so much opportunity in this district,” he continued.

“The potential for economic development alone is impressive, as well as the potential for working with young people in an urban setting and trying to break some of the cycles that bring people down like drug culture and poverty.”

Aitken was elected last January and is currently halfway through a three-year term. In that time, he has earned the

22 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

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fact, Aitken admits his job is changing hands around the me time Mayor Deke Copenhaver’s final term in office pires. Does that mean he may interview for this new ening in city politics? Aitken just smiles and says people ve been asking him about it.

ight now, I am having fun working with the youth ministry d growing stronger partnerships with our community ders,” he said. “My primary goal right now is to let them ow that the leader of this district cares and is seen in the mmunity.”

by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK photos ALISON RYAN

“There is a spiritual battle going on here, and in order to win it we are going to have to have boots on the ground,” he said. “We are the ones that inner-city people are going to see when they are going about their business, just trying to get their checks, but by creating a relationship with them we might just be able to lead them to fellowship and show them a better way. It starts with understanding, and that needs to be both ways for us to have an impact.”

“Matt and I began brainstorming over eight months ago because we both wanted to do something for this area,” said Cone. “Ever since this group started meeting about two months ago we have been very focused and on track to make this a great event for the community.”

people really want to see the city move in the direction m leading it in, then I need to hear more comments from e people I represent before I decide whether or not to n for re-election,” he said. “Right now, our top priority is organizing the city government to be more efficient, and ere are different philosophies on how to do that. The more rk we do in restructuring and making our government onger and better able to serve the needs of the community es a better quality of life to our citizens, and makes wntown more attractive to businesses.”

My company is going through some changes, and I might looking for another line of work in another year or two,” said.

The Rev. Larry Cone has served the city of Augusta all his life, first as a 30-year employee of Georgia Power and, now that he is retired, as the face of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church at 11 Telfair St. He describes himself as “a country preacher trying to reach the inner city.”

That impact is already being felt by the small group that is planning A Day in the Community on June 4 to be held on the street corner opposite the church. The group includes Old Towne Neighborhood Association President Rick Keuroglian, Christ Community Health Services Director Ron Skenes and Minister Gerald Williams, but it really began with Cone and District 1 Commissioner Matt Aitken.

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ride everywhere if I can,” he said. “I would ride to my eetings if it did not mess up my clothes so bad. It gives me opportunity to talk to people when they recognize me, aybe about jobs, maybe about neighborhood issues, crime, B just to have a conversation. I was that way beforeANSI came DE office and I just carried it with me because I love people.”

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This event is designed to bring attention to and hope for a community some believe has been neglected over the past several years. To do that, Cone has coordinated with Golden Harvest Food Bank, the Boys Club and Girls Club of Augusta, the Fatherhood Task Force and other civic groups he hopes will hand out information.

“Our main goal is to bring people together and focus on some of the needs of the community,” he said. “We hope to generate an improvement in family life. We want to look at improving the overall health of the community, rather than just throwing money at them.”

Cone hopes his 50 or so regular parishioners will become some of the event’s biggest volunteers, providing food, drinks and entertainment for the good of the community.

Commissioner in Training? four-year-old Cecilia often accompanies her father on his neighborhood treks.

“We want to bring the communities of Old Towne and East Augusta together and get them to fellowship together and really focus in on some of the needs of this community,” he said. “We want to re-energize this community to be self-sufficient, and one way you do that is by providing education, job skills training and a place of belonging.”

Cone is no stranger to these things. In the four years he has been serving the church he has been instrumental in the development of a GED training program every Monday, a Wednesday night Bible study, and a women’s Christian group. In this way, even though Cone holds Sunday services only twice per month, he says with confidence that the doors of the church are never closed.

“It has made a tremendous difference, just in the short time I have been here, and there is going to be even more of an impact after this event,” he said. “People around these parts already talk about me. I am proud to be known by them as Rev. Cone – the smiling preacher.”

For more information about any of the programs at St. Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church, contact the Rev. Cone at 706.399.9185.

by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

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24 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

GOOD CHOW: The Bean baskette

Evans Shop Offers Coffee, Tea ... and Bourbon Weathering the storms of recession is something owneroperator David Baskette is getting good at doing. His cozy little coffee shop does not just have another cutesy name: The Bean Baskette takes its moniker from the captain of this flagship shop tucked away in the Evans Village shopping center in Evans.

beers locals like

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery May 21 came and went and, to the best of my knowledge, the world did not end. So, for the sake of those who cashed in their 401(k)s and partied like it was 2011 only to wake up on the still-functioning planet Earth on May 22, I will get fundamental for a moment. I love craft beer and I think its production, when done correctly, is truly a labor of love. I am apocalyptically aware that there are people out there who would hit me in the head with a Bible for mentioning alcohol and religion in the same article (marriage feast at Cana aside). However, those Trappist monks of northern Europe hold sacred reverence for their brews and any American brewery that comes close to their mastery deserves special attention. That is why I am again dedicating an entire column to the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery of Milton, Delaware.

Sah’tea | It is ninth century

Europe meets Asia in this period piece, as rye and traditional spices team up with black tea for a fullbodied concoction. The pour is an opaque gold and the nose hints at cloves and spice. The taste has a nice little spicy bite to it and the malts calm it down just enough to give you something to think about. The coolest thing about this beer, however, is what happens in the midst of swallowing a sip. Just before you are done swallowing and engulfed with Weizen yeasts, there exists a nanosecond of chai tea.

It slips away as quickly as it comes into your head, but it is there long enough for you to remember – a superb quality in a carefully crafted ale.

Squall IPA | This uber-hoppy pale ale pours a cloudy orange that smells both citrusy and a bit sweet The first tone of taste is a bit of sugar and alcohol, but the hops bite it right off your tongue after a second or two, leaving behind a fresh and subtle malt that is quite refined for an unfiltered ale. Now, I mean it when I say it is hoppy, but the hops do not overwhelm the majority of the taste (as does happen with some). There is plenty of flavor diversification to go around, and you will likely find more than one aspect of this ale appealing. Try it with crab or fish in the early evening.

Bean Baskette is the only independently owned and operated gourmet coffee shop and full-service cafe still sailing the choppy waters of down-turned economies and Starbucks-crazed consumers in Evans. Baskette says the secret to survival has been “keeping things fresh and giving customers what they want.”

Offering a laid-back and casual atmosphere where “we get to know our customers” is how he finds out what the customer wants. Baskette and his crew recently threw a little-kid-type birthday party for one of their customers who was turning 35.

“That is not something Starbucks can do,” he says.

“In my opinion, we offer the best coffee in town. Everything is made to order and freshly made,” says Baskette.

Flavors of coffee are rotated weekly, sometimes daily. Bean Baskette also boasts a large selection of loose-leaf teas, with 26 varieties.

If that were not enough, there is a full-service bar with a wide selection of bourbon, scotch and whiskey that is hard to find elsewhere in the CSRA. Bean Baskette also offers sandwiches, wraps, salads and a customer-driven breakfast menu which is offered all day. He and his team think outside of the box – they plan special menus for events such as Bikini Boot Camp or try new combinations when they get bored, which end up on the menu.

“We are still working on a pub-style menu for dinner time,” adds Baskette.

Baskette has managed to keep his prices under what competitors charge with only the occasional change because of increased shipping costs.

“Our goal is for anybody to walk in and get an excellent breakfast or lunch and a great coffee drink for under $10,” he says.

As a big coffee drinker and developing connoisseur, Baskette

5

says he wants his coffee to taste like coffee. His espresso drinks start off with six ounces of espresso, instead of the industry standard of three.

“Triple is our standard. You do not have to pay extra for it. We try to give a proper proportion of espresso to milk, so that it tastes like coffee and the customer is not just paying for milk.

Occasionally, people think it is too strong, but we can always add milk to balance that out,” he says.

The Bean Baskette is locateed at 4414 Evans to Locks Road, just around the corner from Omni Health and Fitness and the Evans Driver’s License Department. Bean Baskette is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Follow their daily coffee flavors and food specials on Facebook and Twitter.

706.447.2006 | BEANBASKETTECOFFEE.COM article and photos by JENN MASLYN

BOURBONS AT THE BASKETTE — WE LIKE OURS NEAT BLANTON’S possibly the perfect bourbon – from the kick to the bite to the hint of vanilla at the finish | BASIL HAYDEN slides down like velvet with a smooth aftertaste | 1792 RIdgewood reserve expect an explosion of flavor with every sip | BOOKERS bold and pure uncut bourbon, at 120 proof, the burn liquefies the limbs | WOODFORD RESERVE the solid standard that’s also perfect for mint juleps

My Antonia | Lager actually means “storage” in its

most literal translation. A descriptive term, the word implies that these beers are slowly fermented at low temperatures. In this world of instant rice and precooked bratwurst, it is nice to taste a beer that actually took time to be created. Although My Antonia is a pilsner by definition, it is definitely hoppier than most, but low-key enough to be quite user friendly. A light amber pour with the head of a velvet hammer gives a hint that you are about to enjoy a maltier-than-most pilsner, but it is the hops that win out in the end, even helping the sugar and alcohol flavor decay into a nice crispy dry finish.

These quality brews can be found at 8th Street Tobacco and soon at Aficionado’s (across the street).

by BEN CASELLA Ben Casella began using the prefix ‘uber’ in early 2008.

He is now working on trying to use the word ‘zeitgeist’ correctly in a sentence at least once a week, as bringing back the phrase ‘Psych!’ was essentially unsuccessful.

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26 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

the legend of

loretta lynn BELL AUDITORIUM | June 18

For more than 50 years, country legend Loretta Lynn has been recording and performing for her loyal fans. Never afraid to confront social issues, she built her career on hard work and a repertoire of groundbreaking songs. Her life story told in the song “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” became a hit single, album, best-selling autobiography and Oscarwinning film.

She was born in Butcher Holler, Kentucky, the second of eight children, and married Oliver Lynn when she was 14 and he was 21. They raised a family, and during that time she began playing guitar and writing songs.

Her first single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl,” was released by Zero Records in 1960, with the Lynns traveling across the country in their car, stopping at radio stations as they made their way to Nashville. Shortly thereafter, she began recording with legendary producer Owen Bradley. She was signed to Decca Records in 1961, and her chart debut came with 1962’s “Success.” It became the first of her many Top 10 hits and led to an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry later that year. In 1966 she reached the Top 10 with “Dear Uncle Sam,” a statement about the Vietnam War. From there, she wrote and recorded a string of hit singles that became anthems for outspoken women; among them were “You Ain’t Woman Enough (to Take My Man),” “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (with Lovin’ on Your Mind)” and “Fist City.” Fearless about tackling then-controversial topics, she followed with “Rated X,” “I Know How,” and “The Pill,” a song about birth control that was banned by many radio stations upon release.

Loretta Lynn became a superstar, winning Country Music Association awards and teaming with her dear friend Conway Twitty for many chart-topping duets. In 1967 she won Female Vocalist of the Year, and with Twitty she won several Duet of the Year awards. By the mid-1970s she was an American icon. She won a number of Broadcast Music, Inc. songwriting honors and in 1972 became the first woman in history to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award. The following year, she appeared on the cover of Newsweek.

In 1976 her autobiography, written with journalist George Vescey, became a New York Times bestseller. In 1980 the book was made into a hit film starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. By the time of her last major hit, “I Lie,” in 1982, Lynn had recorded 52 Top 10 hits and 16 No. 1’s. In 1988 she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

During the 1990s she remained out of the spotlight, caring for her ailing husband who passed away in 1996. She grieved the loss for a long time, remaining out of the spotlight until the 2000 release of Still Country, which marked her return to touring. In 2004, Jack White produced her Van Lear Rose album, which introduced her to new audiences. The Recording Academy gave her its Lifetime Achievement award in 2010, the same year as the release of multi-artist album Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a re-release of her autobiography.

discussing

the issues JESSYE NORMAN AMPHITHEATRE | JUNE 18

Years ago, I spent time rocking the small all-ages Augusta scene with a skinny, young, long-haired Tommy Lee-obsessed drummer named Patrick Turner in the band Family Jewels. Pat was made to drum in a Motley Crüe tribute band. Instead, he joined the Atlanta migration about 15 years ago – which took most of the members of Family Jewels … except me.

In Atlanta, Turner rocked several bands, before joining The Hot Rods and The Issues.

These days, Turner lends his full attention to The Issues, which has a new release It Goes to 11. I had a chance to hit Pat up with some questions in anticipation of The Issues’ next Augusta gig – opening for Adler’s Appetite on June 17.

VERGE: The last time I saw you perform in Augusta you played drums for the Hot Rods at Sky City

and The Issues were also on the bill. Now you are returning as the drummer for The Issues. How did that change come about?

TURNER: I could write an entire chapter on that one. There has always been a partnership and sharing of band members between those two bands, even before I came along. I had a lot of respect for The Issues through the years, so when Wayne called me because he was in a drummer pinch (story of my life) I could not say no. Plus, I loved the band since the first time I saw them play and I knew all of their songs. Even though I played in both bands for almost a year, I knew from that first rehearsal with The Issues that they were the band for me – as if someone designed them just for me.

That transition was quite an emotional roller coaster ride though.

VERGE: Opinions have changed over the years about the state of music in Augusta. What do you think about how much things have changed since you left for Atlanta 15 plus years ago?

TURNER: When I left for Atlanta, there was no downtown scene, not even The Soul Bar. I mean, that is why I left. The music scene at that point was totally dominated by cover bands, with two venues in town to play or hang out at. National bands were unheard of, even though Augusta makes a great routing stop for people touring in the Southeast. And I literally knew every single musician in town.

Given those facts ... things have changed drastically, for the better.

VERGE: Tell me about the new CD It Goes to 11.

TURNER: We think it is a strong release and we are very proud of it. It is a rock ‘n’ roll to the bone!

The energy is the key. We were able capture great energetic performances. When you combine that energy with excellent song-writing, you have something special and very rock ‘n’ roll. Plus, it is just fun and that is what rock ‘n’ roll is all about anyway!

VERGE: The Issues are about to play a second Augusta gig in as many months in Augusta on June 17. Does this reflect an effort on the band’s part to build a relationship with music fans in Augusta?

Loretta Lynn performs at Bell Auditorium on June 18.

TURNER: Absolutely. The Issues want to make Augusta shows a priority for this summer. We have a solid campaign laid out to maximize exposure in this area. We believe Augusta is a great place to play music, with fans that can appreciate who we are. Plus, doing a show with Steven (Adler) is really great because he was such a major influence on my playing. I promise you this, Augusta, Georgia, I am bringing an ‘A’ band on their ‘A’ game and you will not be disappointed!

by ALISON RICHTER

by JOHN “STONEY” CANNON

See the Show WHO Loretta Lynn WHERE Bell Auditorium WHEN Saturday, June 18 | 7 p.m.

TICKETS $10 to $15| 877.4AUGTIX MORE georgialinatix.com

See the Show WHO Adlers Appetite + The Issues + Willie Basse Rockets to Ruin + Mad Margritt + Science Friction

WHERE Jessye Norman Amphitheatre WHEN Friday, June 17 | 5 p.m.

TICKETS $15 | 706.724.1172 MORE theissuesrock.com

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THE FILM REEL

X-Men and Judy Moody

between the

covers ARE YOU WHAT YOU READ?

THE MASTERS FOR KIDS Writing has always been a part of Kip Walden Carr’s life. She became an avid reader as a child and remains one to this day. What she never expected was to become an author and certainly not the author of a series of children’s books. However, last year she self-published The Adventures of Grady-Bear: Grady-Bear and His Flying Chair, the first in a series of 10 Grady-Bear books. In April, Carr published The Adventures of Grady-Bear: Masters, a continuation of the adorable bear’s story, set on location at Augusta National Golf Club.

X-Men fans, the June 3 box office is Hollywood’s gift to you and you alone. Another installment of Marvel Comics’ saga about a legion of mutant superheroes goes back in time to reveal its complex beginnings. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is set in the 1960’s Cold War Era and finds the aging rivals from the past decade’s X-Men trilogy (we will overlook the ugly Wolverine spin-off) in younger times as friends, working to defeat a malevolent mutant dead-set on wiping out the human race.

Professor X and Magneto (played in past films by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, respectively) started out as simply Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. This prequel takes viewers back to the time before they were archenemies and sees Xavier (James McAvoy - Atonement, The Last King of Scotland) and Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender - Jane Eyre, Inglourious Basterds) grooming young mutants to become crime-fighting superheroes in the wake of a nuclear attack.

1960s nostalgia cannot be denied as President Kennedy addresses a nation weary about the Cuban missile crisis and Stan Lee’s comic creations struggle with humans’ prejudices against them. Some of the young mutants are characters fans will recognize from past films while others are featured in Marvel’s comics, but are just now making their big-screen debut. Jennifer Lawrence, who earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in Winter’s Bone¸ plays Mystique, a popular X-Men character previously played by Rebecca Romijin. The character-driven adventure gives plenty of attention to the young mutants and their struggle to fit in with humans.

Kevin Bacon plays Sebastian Shaw, one of the film’s main villains and the evil force behind the intense nuclear unrest. January Jones (Mad Men) plays his sexy sidekick, Emma Frost. Xavier, Erik and their developing class of superhero mutants must defeat Shaw, but it is a struggle that reveals fundamental disagreements in principle between the two men and hints at factors that put the mutants on the opposing sides that would eventually be known as Xavier’s X-Men and Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants.

The story comes from screenwriters Sheldon Turner (Up In the Air) and Bryan Singer, who directed 2000’s X-Men and 2003’s follow-up X2: X-Men United. Die-hard fans will notice Turner and Singer’s version of Professor X and Magneto’s early days is a departure from Marvel’s take on their story. Matthew Vaughn, the director of last year’s tween superhero adventure Kick-Ass, takes the directorial reins for this chapter of the comic adaptation. A sequel is likely should the film perform as well as its franchise predecessors at the box office.

June 10 brings a thriller from writer-director-producer extraordinaire J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Lost) and co-producer Steven Spielberg. SUPER 8 focuses on a group of pre-teen filmmakers in 1979 Ohio who witness a freakish train derailment. The military gets involved, people go missing and weird things happen in the quiet town as a result. Elle Fanning (Somewhere) and Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) star.

Remember last summer’s attempt to take youngster fiction to the big screen with Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Beezus? This year’s stab at the genre is JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT BUMMER SUMMER, based on the bestselling book series by Megan McDonald. Like Ramona, Judy Moody is an adventure-seeker. Her PG-rated drama involves having fun by getting more “thrill points” than her friends for daring summer escapades. Heather Graham (Boogie Nights, The Hangover) co-stars as Judy’s quirky space cadet Aunt Opal. If Judy Moody’s teacher looks familiar, that is because he is Jaleel White – the actor most famous for his role as nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel from the ‘90s sitcom Family Matters.

by MARIAH GARDNER MOVIE GURU

Carr was raised in North Augusta and lived in Aiken before moving to Augusta. She graduated as high school valedictorian when she was 15 and, she says, “I went straight to Augusta College with no direction or idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up.”

She majored in business administration, but writing was her passion. She won the Editor’s Choice award from the National Library of Poetry and had 11 poems published.

The Adventures of Grady-Bear: Masters is the first children’s book about Augusta National. It takes readers through the 18 holes in 18 pages and contains facts that Carr obtained from the organization’s website, family friends and Masters authority Frank Christian. The story is told through the eyes of the young bear and, while Flying Chair was written in rhymes, this one is in prose for both youngsters and adults to enjoy.

The Adventures of Grady-Bear series will carry over for several years. Meanwhile, Carr is already planning her next series, The New Adventures of Grady-Bear. Flying Chair is available in hardback, paperback and for electronic reader, but the Masters book is in hardback only. The entire Adventures series is brightly illustrated, and Carr says she will continue self-publishing.

be tied to a publisher who tells them what they can or cannot write,” she says. “I went with self-publishing because I am not easy to deal with and neither are they. They want to postpone deadlines and make things take longer, so I found a printer in Canada. It is a grueling process of due diligence and finding the right people. The key is knowing how much time to take between books. You do not want to release another book too soon.

My next book will publish around the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012.”

Grady-Bear was named after Carr’s son, who is now 3 years old. When he goes to sleep, she concentrates on writing, and she hopes to instill her love for reading in him.

“I was very much a reader as a child,” she says, “and Grady and I read together every morning. I believe that reading is the important foundation for education, and it is important to me that children’s books be both educational and motivational. Each book in the series has a different inspirational message to help children believe in themselves.

Children should have dreams and goals that they can achieve in life. I want my books to inspire them and teach them that anything is possible and dreams do come true.”

by ALISON RICHTER

“Many authors say that they do not want to

READ THIS: FACTORY GIRLS THE BOOK Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China THE AUTHOR Leslie Chang “China is in the midst of history’s largest human migration, 130 million of its citizens having left their home villages in search of urban employment. Chang, an American of Chinese descent, explores the migrant experience and ‘the burden of being Chinese’ through the lives of several young women in the industrial city of Dongguan.

Their Sisyphean attempts at self-reinvention are both entertaining and poignant; the most ambitious of them achieves modest success selling dubious health products, before falling under the spell of an American raw-food guru. In her diary, she reminds herself, ‘We can be ordinary but we must not be vulgar.’ Chang’s fine prose and her keen sense of detail more than compensate for the occasional digression, and her book is an intimate portrait of a strange and hidden landscape, ‘a universe of relentless motion.’ ” — THE NEW YORKER

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the

daily planner

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

JUN 1 to JUN 18

[ ART: JEFFREY CALLAHAM ] Known as the storyteller artist, Jeffrey Callaham intertwines memories of his South Carolina childhood in his brightly colored canvases.

Callaham’s muse is his family – his art is filled with the daily rituals of rural life in the Deep South – and his inspiration is capturing those stories on canvas.

“My grandfather is one of the few left who plants, harvests and mills his own molasses, The event is time-consuming, but it is a lot of fun to have the family, neighbors and friends gather together for a tradition that is slowly dying. I cannot even describe it.

It is totally spiritual. I never thought as a kid that these things mattered.

But it is almost like I am doing documentation for something that is about to totally disappear,” Callaham said in a recent interview with Sandlapper magazine.

WHAT Opening reception for Jeffrey Callaham exhibit WHERE Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, 506 Telfair St. WHEN Friday, June 10 at 6 p.m. TICKETS $5 for non-members MORE 706.722.5495 | GHIA.ORG Jeffrey Callaham, Gift of the Gods, caulking

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 (info@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.

WEDNESDAY

6.1

FOR KIDS AUGUSTA STATE UNIVERSITY FAMILY FUN FAIR ASU and the Patchwork

Players presents Aesop’s Fables.

The play will include: The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Ant and the Grasshopper and The Dog and the Bone. Plus arts and craft activities. ASU Literacy Center, Augusta State University; 9 a.m.; $3; 2500 Walton Way; 706.737.1625 AUG.EDU

HISTORY BROWN BAG: CARING FOR THE CSRA CULTURAL HERITAGE

Amanda Klaus, the registrar for the Augusta Museum of History, presents the best methods for preserving and caring for the Museum’s collections. Augusta Museum of History; 12:30 p.m.; $3; 560 Reynolds St.; 706.722.8454 AUGUSTAMUSEUM.ORG

THURSDAY

6.2

EDUCATION MINORITY/ WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS FORUM If you are

a minority or a woman, join the Richmond County school system for this informative session.

Richmond County School Board of Education; 10 a.m.; free; 864 Broad St.; 706.826.1298

FOR KIDS AROUND THE WORLD BOOKMARKS

Design your own 3D bookmark to use during summer reading.

Best for ages 6 to 12. Limited to 20 participants. Individual registration required. Diamond Lakes Library; 10 a.m.; free; 101 Diamond Lakes Way, Hephzibah; 706.772.2432 ECGRL.ORG

FOR KIDS STORY TIME AT PENDLETON KING PARK Stories read by Senator Hardy Davis Jr. Pendleton King Park; 10 a.m.; free; 1600 Troupe St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

FOR KIDS TODDLER TIME: MADE WITH SHAPES!

Learn how artists design pictures using positive and negative shapes while viewing the exhibition Will Barnet: Works on Paper. Create your own cutpaper shape-collage. The Morris Museum of Art; 10 a.m.; $4; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501

FESTIVAL FIRST THURSDAY Enjoy an evening

out in Summerville as stores stay open, refreshments are served and friendships are made. Monte Sano Avenue in Summerville; 5 to 8 p.m.; free; Monte Sano Avenue; 706.755.2665 SUMMERVILLEAUGUSTA.COM

ART OPENING RECEPTION: PHILIP JURAS The artist discusses his current exhibition, The Southern Frontier, Landscapes Inspired by Bartram’s Travels. Reception follows.

The Morris Museum of Art; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; free; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

FRIDAY

6.3

FILM FILMS ON FRIDAY: THE FOXES OF HARROW (1947) After viewing the film,

museum director Kevin Grogan leads a discussion. Participants are invited to bring a lunch. The Morris Museum of Art; noon; free; 10th St.; 706.724.7501

CONCERT UKULELE CAMP PREVIEW CONCERT Tara Scheyer demonstrates the beauty and fun of the ukulele.

Rock Bottom Music; 4 p.m.; free; 758 Broad St.; 706.724.1172 ROCKBOTTOMMUSIC.COM

OUTDOORS CRITTERS UNDERGROUND Find the

creepy crawlies that like to live in the dark, in holes, under logs and dead leaves. For ages 5 and up, registration required.

Reed Creek Park and Wetlands Interpretive Center; 4:30 p.m.; $2; 3820 Park Lane, Martinez; 706.210.4027

ART OPENING RECEPTION: SARA MAYS The winner of the

2011 Artists’ Row Scholarship opens a month-long exhibit.

Read more on page 19. Gallery on the Row; 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; free; 1016 Broad St.; 706.724.4989 GALLERYONTHEROW.COM

FESTIVAL FIRST FRIDAY

Arts galleries display new

works, performers take to the sidewalks and streets, arts and craft vendors sell hand-made goods along Broad Street. Family friendly. Downtown Augusta; 5 p.m.; free; Broad Street; 706.826.4702

RODEO OLD FRONTIER PROFESSIONAL RODEO

Bring the entire family out to witness the thrills and spills of professional rodeo contestants, as they compete against the clock and rank bucking stock of the Cross Creek Rodeo Company.

Old Frontier Campground, Thompson; 5:30 p.m.; $10 advance, $14 gate, ages 10 and under free; 1965 Old Milledgeville Road, Thomson; 706.533.2544 THEOLDFRONTIER.COM

OUTDOORS MOONLIGHT MUSIC CRUISE: J.C. WARD Enjoy live music while trolling the scenic Augusta Canal. Bring your own snacks and beverages.

Augusta Canal; 7 p.m.; $25;

1450 Greene St.; 706.823.0440 AUGUSTACANAL.COM

CHORAL INCARNATIO MYSTERIA Columbia

County Choral Society presents a preview concert of Incarnatio Mysteria, an original composition by artistic director Dr. Timothy M. Powell, in anticipation of the June 19 world premiere at Lincoln Center in New York City. The concert features the combined choirs of Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School and singers from around the CSRA. Wesley United Methodist Church; 7:30 p.m.; $10 to $15; 825 North Belair Road, Evans; 762.233.7793 CCCHORALSOCIETY.ORG

COMEDY SCHRODINGER’S CAT: EXTREME THEATRE GAMES For mature audiences.

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

FILM MOVIES UNDER THE STARS: MEGAMIND

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Columbia County Amphitheatre; 8 p.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.721.5736 MCGHEALTH.ORG

THEATRE RENT Based loosely

on Puccini’s La Boheme, Rent follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York’s East Village. This performance interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing. Aiken Community Playhouse; 8 p.m.; $20; 126 Newberry St. SW, Aiken; 803.648.1438

OUTDOORS NIGHT HIKE

Use your senses of touch, hearing, and smell to explore the woods by night. Bring a flashlight and wear good walking shoes. Mistletoe State Park; 8:30 p.m.; $5 parking fee; 3725 Mistletoe Road, Appling; 706.541.0321

[ UKULELE CONCERT] Tara Scheyer will demonstratesthe beauty and fun of the ukulele (a Hawaiian word that means “jumping flea”), an instrument often overlooked in modern music.

The ukulele became a standard in vaudeville shows and later during the Jazz Age. The uke is most well-known as Tiny Tim’s sidekick on the 1968 hit “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” Rediscover the ukulele’s versatility in this free at Rock Bottom Music.

WHERE Rock Bottom Music, 758 Broad St. WHEN Friday, June 3 at 4 p.m. | free MORE 706.724.1172 | ROCKBOTTOMMUSIC.COM

find the full daily planner @ vergelive.com

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SATURDAY

6.4

MARKET AUGUSTA MARKET AT THE RIVER

Augusta’s outdoor market with 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

FESTIVAL DAY IN THE COMMUNITY: OLDE TOWN & EAST BOUNDARY Read the full story on page 22.

The 100 block of Telfair Street; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; free; 11 Telfair St. AUGUSTAGA.GOV

OUTDOORS NATIONAL LEARN TO ROW DAY

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of National Learn to Row Day with tours of the facility, ergometer (rowing machine) demonstrations, hands-on lessons on the dock and onthe-water instructions. Lunch will be provided. The Boat House, Riverfront Marina; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; free with donation of a non-perishable food item; 101 Riverfront Drive AUGUSTAROWINGCLUB.ORG

OUTDOORS SWAMP SATURDAY The Academy’s

trained volunteers lead a free 2.5 mile, 1.5 hour hike through the Nature Park. Phinizy Swamp; 9:30 a.m.; free; 1858 Lock & Dam Road; 706.828.2109

FESTIVAL UNDER THE CROWN Read the full story to

the right. Living History Park; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; free

OUTDOORS CREEK WALK

Wear comfortable shoes, preferably ones that can get wet to take a short hike to Cliatt Creek, net some creek critters and learn about those who call the creek home. Mistletoe State Park; 10 a.m.; $5 parking fee (per vehicle); 3725 Mistletoe Road, Appling; 706.541.0321 GASTATEPARKS.ORG

OUTDOORS FLY, BUTTERFLY! Capture the

magic of the winged beauties, learn about the amazing life cycle of the butterfly and discover many different butterflies of Georgia. For ages 5 and up; registration required. Reed Creek Park and Wetlands Interpretive Center; 10 a.m.; $2; 3820 Park Lane, Martinez; 706.210.4027

GRAND OPENING LOOKAWAY HALL Meet

the new management of Lookaway Hall and celebrate their grand opening with food, fun for the children and tours of the property. Live music

by Savannah River Bluegrass and others on the front lawn.

Lookaway Hall, North Augusta; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; free; 104 Forest Ave., North Augusta; 803.426.1546 or 803.426.1030

FESTIVAL MUDBUGABEAUX -NBREW FESTIVAL A crawfish

boil and craft beer festival including a crawfish eating contest, commemorative t-shirts and an ugly dog contest (so bring your mutt). The Augusta Common; noon to 8 p.m.; TBA; 936 Reynolds St.; 706.855.5511 FRENCHMARKETWEST.COM

SPORTS OLD FRONTIER RODEO See 6/3 for details.

Old Frontier Campground, Thompson; 4:30 p.m.

GOOD CAUSE THE SECOND ANNUAL AUGUSTA SHINE FOR SCOTT BENEFIT Live Music by Wesley Cook + The Vellotones with George Croft + Publik Fax with Richard Smith + Grady Nickel. Read more on page xx. Sky City; 7 p.m.; TBA; 1157 Broad St. SKYCITYAUGUSTA.COM

THEATRE RENT See 6/3

for details. Aiken Community Playhouse; 8 p.m.

SUNDAY

6.5

FESTIVAL UNDER THE CROWN Read the full story to

the right. Living History Park; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; free

FOR KIDS Artrageous!

Family Sunday: Swamp Tales Join singer, storyteller,

and environmentalist Okefenokee Joe for an afternoon of songs, stories, and reptiles on the Riverwalk. Afterward, make an environmentally friendly sculpture. The Morris Museum of Art; 2 p.m.; free; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs. the

Charleston RiverDogs. Lake Olmstead Stadium; 5:35 p.m.; $6 to $8; kids 3 and under are $1; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889 GREENJACKETS.NET

JAZZ CANDLELIGHT JAZZ: REGGIE SULLIVAN TRIO Bring your own seating. The River Stage at the Eighth St. Bulkhead, Riverwalk; 8 p.m.; $6; 2 Eighth St.; 706.495.6238

MONDAY

6.6

FOR TEENS OUT OF THIS WORLD Watch The Fifth

Element starring Bruce Willis, then create a space craft.

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

FOR KIDS AFRICAN SAFARI Make your own

African animal and place it in the Maxwell safari. Maxwell Library; 3 p.m.; free; 1927 Lumpkin Road; 706.793.2020

CONCERT MAUREEN SIMPSON WITH AIKEN CHORAL SOCIETY Bring

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

SPORTS AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS vs. the

Charleston RiverDogs Lake Olmstead Stadium; 7:05 p.m.; $6 to $8; kids 3 and under are $1; 78 Milledge Road; 706.736.7889

TUESDAY

6.7

EDUCATION SALSA DANCING FOR BEGINNERS Learn beginning techniques of salsa dancing. Headquarters Library; 10:30 a.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600

FOR KIDS CHAD CREWS, MAGICIAN Magic and reading combine in Chad’s Around the World with a Book program.

Appleby Library; 2 p.m.; free; 2260 Walton Way; 706.736.6244 ECGRL.ORG

the

daily planner

[ LIVING HISTORY: UNDER THE CROWN ] Living History Park of North Augusta will present Colonial Times “Under the Crown” June 3 through 5, featuring special guests His Majesty King George III and His Queen Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

This free, family oriented event, on eight acres of land kept historically accurate by the Old Town Preservation Association, will provide opportunities to learn about life in prerevolutionary America and attend a special audience with the King and Queen.

“King George will be available for audiences, but he can be quite arrogant as is only befitting a man who had 14 children and met his wife on his wedding day,” said historian Brenda Newman Bancroft. “But in 1770, the citizens of these colonies had already started going around in the back country, and people were drawing a line about whether to be Tories or Whigs. Families split apart over this issue and it was a bloody civil war right here in South Carolina.”

JAZZ HOTLANTA DIXIELAND JAZZ A night of

Tim and Kathleen Nealeigh, who will portray the king and queen, are professional artists from Greenville, Ohio who created Arrogant Frenchman Productions to bring historical characters to life through dress, mannerisms, speech and accessories. They will be joined at the festival by Charles Hudson, portraying Lt. Col. Thomas Brown, Kitty Wilson-Evans portraying the slave Kessie and Bruce Allen-Ingram portraying Kessie’s son Luke.

WEDNESDAY

“We usually do a court scene where people are arrested, and sometimes parents arrange to have their children put in the stocks for failing to clean their room,” said Lynn Thompson, the president of the Old Town Preservation Association. “This year we are doing gambling in the tavern and we are hoping there will be a conflict between the king and someone in the audience who is very patriotic; we do not arrange those conflicts but they usually happen. It just lets people know that there were real people who were passionate about these issues back when they happened.”

jazz and a little bit of blues under the stars on the Appleby lawn.

Bring your own blanket, chairs and picnic. Appleby Library; 8 p.m.; free; 2260 Walton Way; 706.736.6244 ECGRL.ORG

6.8

FOR kIDS SING-A-LONG WITH DR. KARP Join Dr.

Bill Karp for songs and stories.

Appleby Library; 10:30 a.m.; free; 2260 Walton Way; 706.736.6244

FOR kIDS PIRATE DENNY

Pirates of the Carolinas come alive in the person of Dennis Adams. Join us for pirate stories and lore of long ago.

Aiken Library; 2 p.m.; free; 314 Chesterfield St. SW, Aiken; 803.642.7586 ABBE-LIB.ORG

THURSDAY

6.9

FOR kIDS STORY TIME AT PENDLETON KING PARK Stories read by Helen BlockerAdams. Pendleton King Park; 10 a.m.; free; 1600 Troupe St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

OPEN HOUSE THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE An

initiative of the Aiken Housing Authority opens its doors.

Aiken Housing Authority; 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.; free; 100 Rogers Terrace NW, Aiken; 803.649.6673 AIKENHOUSING.ORG

Additional performers will be playing musical instruments and leading demonstrations on the tools of daily life in a colonial village. At 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Father Dan Brown will lead a traditional Anglican Church Service.

Festival organizers are hoping 3,500 people attend over the course of the weekend, and that many arrive in colonial dress.

“If we did not remember these times, there would be a king and queen instead of a president,” Thompson said. “It was the battle for our country’s freedom and it was fought by men and women and children right here in North Augusta. If we can educate the public or one child and get them to have an interest in what we do, then all the work we do to host this event was worth it.”

Living History Park is funded entirely by donation, though no money is required for admission to this event. | by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

WHERE The Living History Park, 299 West Spring Grove, North Augusta WHEN Saturday, June 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

TICKETS free INFO 803.279.7560 or COLONIALTIMES.US FILM LESS THAN 2 MINUTES FILM CONTEST

Learn the basics of scripting and filming (or digitally creating) a less-than-two-minute film and view a sample film created by free digital animation software.

Registration requested. Each one-hour workshop is limited to 10 participants. Additional workshops on June 20 and July 6. Enter your final film in the Diamond Lakes’ “Less Than 2 Minutes Film Festival” by Monday, July 18. Prizes will be awarded for best of show, most innovative and fan favorite. For a complete list of contest rules,

contact the library. Diamond Lakes Library; 4 p.m.; free; 101 Diamond Lakes Way, Hephzibah; 706.772.2432 ECGRL.ORG

GOOD CAUSE SWAMP SOIREE 2011 During

this annual benefit for the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, enjoy fly-fishing instruction, a Carolina dog demonstration, music by The Carl Purdy Bluegrass Band, raffles, open bar and dinner.

Casual dress, reservations required by Friday, June 3. The home of Lelia and Hale Barrett; 6 p.m.; $75; 494B Stevens Creek Road; 706.828.2109

ART THE 2011 ANNUAL ARTS RECOGNITION AWARDS Applaud the winners of this year’s Arts Awards: Saundra Plunkett (President’s Award), Shizuo Kuwahara (Arts Professional), Malaika Favorite (Individual Artist), Brad Means (Media) The WatsonBrown Foundation Junior Board (Sponsor) and Levi Hill (Volunteer). Party includes a light Southern supper and music

by Davis Wilson Hill. Purchase tickets by June 6. Sacred Heart Cultural Center; 6:30 p.m.; $20; 1301 Greene St.; 706.826.4702 AUGUSTAARTS.COM

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34 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

[ TRUE GRIT ]

the

“True Grit is when you are a 14-year-old girl from Yell County, Arkansas, and you’ve just shot a dangerous outlaw and the gun’s recoil has sent you backward into a pit, and you are wedged in the pit and sinking fast into the cave below where bats are brushing against your legs, and you reach out for something to hold on to and find a rotting corpse beside you and it’s full of angry rattlers, and then it turns out you didn’t kill the outlaw, he’s up at the rim of the pit laughing at you, about to shoot you — and you don’t lose your nerve. That’s True Grit.”

— Eliot Fremont-Smith of The New York Times

daily planner

In a three-part series, Aiken Library juxtaposes the novel True Grit, written in 1968 by Charles Portis, and the two film adaptations inspired by the story, the first in 1969 starring John Wayne and the second in 2010 starring Jeff Bridges. The novel is considered a stellar example of American contemporary literature. Come to Aiken Library to watch the two films, pick up the book (and read it); then join the discussion with USC Aiken history instructor Alexia Helsley.

WATCH (1969 version) Thursday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m.

WATCH (2010 version) Saturday, June 11 at 1:30 p.m.

DISCUSS THE BOOK AND FILMS Saturday, June 30 at 2 p.m.

WHERE Aiken Library, 314 Chesterfield St. SW, Aiken TICKETS free MORE 803.642.7586 | ABBE-LIB.ORG

THURSDAY

6.9

FILM Book to Movie: True Grit (1969) See above

for full description.

FRIDAY

6.10

FOR KIDS SHAWN POPPY: REPTILE SHOW Story time at

the library. Headquarters Library; 9:30 a.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

GOOD CAUSE DANCING STARS OF AUGUSTA

FILM LA REINE MARGOT

Young Queen Margot finds herself trapped in an arranged marriage amidst a religious war between Catholics and Protestants. She hopes to escape with a new lover, but finds herself imprisoned by her powerful and ruthless family.

Directed by Patrice Chéreau.

(French) Headquarters Library; 6:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2604 ECGRL.ORG

CONCERT MUSIC IN THE PARK: NORTH AUGUSTA IDOL SPOTLIGHT Enjoy

live music in this beautiful park setting, perfect for a date night or family outing.

Maude Edenfield Park; 7 p.m.; free; 400 Buena Vista Ave., North Augusta; 803.442.7588 NAARTSCOUNCIL.ORG

FILM HORSE CREEK: A TALE WORTH THE TELLING GALA PREMIER Horse Creek Valley marks the boundary between Aiken and Edgefield and played a powerful role in the development of both counties. The film time travels through the incredible and rich history of this 24-mile area. Aiken County Historical Museum; 7 p.m.; $40 per person or $55 per couple (includes a copy of the film); 433 Newberry St. SW, Aiken; 803.642.2015 HORSECREEKMOVIE.COM

This benefit features dinner and a dance performance by local celebrities matched with professional ballroom dancers to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. Celebrity dancers include: Don Bailey, Deanna Brown-Thomas, Terra Carroll, Sean Frantom, Angela Hillesland, Abu Khan, Julian Osbon, Austin Rhodes and Amy Winn. Bell Auditorium; 7 p.m.; $50; 712 Telfair St.; 706.731.9060

LITERARY BOOK SIGNING: SAFFRON KELLEY Augusta’s

Saffron Kelley will discuss and sign copies of her new novella, Kindly. The Book Tavern; 7 p.m.; free; 1026 Broad St.; 706.826.1940 BOOKTAVERN.COM

OUTDOORS MOONLIGHT MUSIC CRUISE: CROSSTIE WALKERS Enjoy live music on the Augusta Canal. Bring your own snacks and beverages.

Reservations are required.

Augusta Canal; 7 p.m.; $25; 1450 Greene St.; 706.823.0440 AUGUSTACANAL.COM

FILM MOVIES UNDER THE STARS: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Bring

your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the fresh air while watching your favorite family films on a giant 30-foot screen.

Gates open at 7 p.m., and movies start at dusk. Columbia County Amphitheater; 8 p.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.721.5736 MCGHEALTH.ORG

THEATRE AMADEUS See article on page 37. Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $25; 304 8th St.; 706.722.3322

find the full daily planner @ vergelive.com

THE INK WELL

SATURDAY

6.11

Puzzle

MARKET AUGUSTA MARKET AT THE RIVER

Augusta’s outdoor market with 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

FOR KIDS LUCY CRAFT LANEY CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL Celebrate the Lucy

Craft Laney Museum of Black History’s 20th anniversary with a children’s festival. Includes singing and dance performances, arts and crafts. The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; free; 1116 Phillips St.; 706.724.3576

HISTORY THE AFRICANAMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Explore the skilled trades of enslaved laborers. Redcliffe Plantation; 10 a.m. to noon; $5 to $8; 181 Redcliffe Road, Beech Island; 803.827.1473 SOUTHCAROLINAPARKS.COM

FILM BOOK TO MOVIE: TRUE GRIT (2010) See above for full description.

FILM FAMILY MOVIE: AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Headquarters Library; 2 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

LITERARY BOOK SIGNING: VICTORIA MIGUEL-JOSEPH

Meet the author of When Never Comes Again, which Harlem Book Fair calls “gritty and harrowing.” Headquarters Library; 2 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

GALA LUCY CRAFT LANEY 20TH ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION Honor the

legacy of Lucy Craft Laney with this upscale evening reception featuring live music, wine and heavy hors d’œuvre. The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History; 6 to 10 p.m.; $25; 1116 Phillips St.; 706.724.3576

Edited by Will Shortz | No. 0423 Across 1 “Not down there!”

7 Dry cleaner 14 Second-closest star to Earth 17 “Freeze!”

18 Off-the-scale?

19 ___ English 20 2011 title role for Chris Hemsworth 21 Song in “Mamma Mia!” 22 Difficulty increaser in diving 23 Time immemorial 24 Regards 27 Way overcharges for 28 Peon 30 Relative of a cherry plum 34 Meddle, in a way: Var. 36 Things with rings 38 In a shell, maybe 39 Calls between friends 41 Team that has won the World Series three times while based in three different cities 42 Temporary storage for completed work 44 Turns brown, maybe 48 Cultural org. with its HQ in Beverly Hills 49 A shark may carry one 51 Start of a children’s rhyme 52 Cubbie, e.g.

53 It’s south of Sonoma 55 Comment to a procrastinator 58 Little something in Santa’s bag 59 Bites 60 Place to see “Il Trovatore,” e.g.

Down Beehives, e.g.

2 Insect feeder

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

14

7 15

8

9

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12

13

31

32

33

16

17 18

19

21

22 24

25

23

26

27

28

34

35

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30 37

41 43

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51 55

29

40 42

44

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52 56

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58 59

60 puzzle by mike nothnagel

3 President after Ten-Cent Jimmy 4 Company lines?: Abbr.

5 Extra layer in winter?

6 Modern music genre 7 Abrupt ending 8 Not satisfied 9 Afro-sporting character on “The Simpsons” 10 Try 11 Lotsa 12 1950s sweater material 13 Sides of slips 15 Says with a hand in the air, perhaps 16 Relating to the abdominal cavity 22 Inclined to strike out

25 Terra

___ (pulverized gypsum) 26 Sch. that awarded the first civil engineering degree in the U.S. 27 Modern music genre 29 Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe 30 Record label for Booker T. & the MG’s 31 “The Call of Cthulhu” writer 32 Small piece of luggage 33 What may come after an heir?

35 Detail provider 37 Sign that might mean “Good play!”

40 Olympic

event since ’88 43 Some shells and their contents 44 View espoused in Thomas Paine’s “The Age of Reason” 45 ___ come 46 Expressionist James 47 Matches 48 Rural block 50 What “1” may mean, in México 53 Sulker’s expression 54 First in a series of 26 56 ___ out a win 57 N.H.L. Senators, on scoreboards

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.

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36 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

SATURDAY

6.11

CONCERT SECOND SATURDAY: SASSY BRASS

Columbia County Amphitheater; 7 p.m.; $5; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.312.7192 COLUMBIACOUNTYGA.GOV

THEATRE AMADEUS See article on right for details..

Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m

SUNDAY

6.12

CUISINE WINE PAIRING DINNER A Spanish wine and food experience with Chef Heinz. La Maison on Telfair; 5:30 p.m.; $80; 404 Telfair St.; 706.722.4805 LAMAISONTELFAIR.COM

SPORTS SOUL CITY SIRENS Augusta’s flat-track

roller derby team, the Soul City Sirens, takes on the Columbia Quad Squad at home. Red Wing Rollerway; 6 p.m.; TBA; 3065 Washington Road; 706.860.1548 SOULCITYSIRENS.COM

energy musical will transport audiences to far-away places as Ernie captains the high seas, Elmo dances to the rhythm of the African rainforest and Bert meets an octopus who has the blues. It is a story of adventure and fun that teaches children they can be anyone, do anything and go anywhere with the power of imagination. Bell Auditorium; 7 p.m.; $16 to $56; 712 Telfair St.; 877.4AUGTIX GEORGIALINATIX.COM

LITERARY BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB Discuss The

FILM HORSE CREEK: A TALE WORTH THE TELLING PREMIER See 6/9 listing for

ART THE HEART GALLERY EXHIBIT OPENING The South

details. LBC Middle School; 7 p.m.; free; 29 Lions Trail, Warrenville, S.C.; 803.642.2015

FILM MELANIE LARSEN & FRIENDS A night of operatic

wonder under the stars on the Appleby lawn. Bring your own blanket, chairs and picnic.

Appleby Library; 8 p.m.; free; 2260 Walton Way; 706.736.6244

WEDNESDAY

6.15

FOR KIDS JUNIOR RANGERS Children will

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

discover the outdoor world through a diversity of adventures such as canoeing, learning about Georgia wildlife, hiking, lake ecology and building a wooden planter. Register by June 10.

Mistletoe State Park; 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; $25; 3725 Mistletoe Road, Appling; 706.541.0321 GASTATEPARKS.ORG

MONDAY

FOR KIDS SESAME STREET LIVE! 1-2-3 See

JAZZ CANDLELIGHT JAZZ: WILL GOBLE TRIO (Atlanta)

6.13

JAZZ 4 CATS IN THE DOGHOUSE Bring a picnic,

blanket and lawn chairs for an evening of music outdoors.

Hopelands Gardens; 7 p.m.; free; 135 Dupree Place SW, Aiken; 803.642.7631 AIKEN.NET

TUESDAY

6.14

GOOD CAUSE CHOCTAIL PARTY An evening of

chocolate to benefit the Family Counseling Center. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, drinks and music.

Crums on Central; 6:30 p.m.; $50 for one or $90 for couples; 1855 Central Ave.; 706.868.5011 FCCCSRA.ORG

FOR KIDS SESAME STREET LIVE! 1-2-3 IMAGINE WITH ELMO AND FRIENDS Imagine

singing and dancing with Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Big Bird. It is as easy as counting “1-2-3, Imagine!” This high-

6/14 for details. Bell Auditorium; 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

FOR KIDS PATTI CAKE: “OH THE TALES WE’LL TELL” Entertaining stories from

around the world told with the help of puppets, costumes and music. Aiken Library; 2 p.m.; free; 314 Chesterfield St. SW, Aiken; 803.642.7586 ABBE-LIB.ORG

FESTIVAL DOWNTOWN AFTER 6 BEACH BLAST

Downtown Aiken stays open late for evening shopping, door prizes and fun. Join the fun as Newberry Street Festival Center is turned into Newberry Beach, complete with sand, shagging and beach music.

Newberry Street Festival Center; 6 p.m.; free; 126 Newberry St. NW, Aiken; 803.649.2221 DOWNTOWNAIKEN.COM

THURSDAY

6.16

FOR KIDS STORY TIME AT PENDLETON KING PARK Stories read by K-9 Officer Gary. Pendleton King Park; 10 a.m.; free; 1600 Troupe St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

the

Road by Cormac MacCarthy.

Bring your own lunch. Columbia County Library; 11:30 a.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.863.1946

daily planner

EDUCATION TAI CHI FOR BEGINNERS Learn the basics

of this ancient Chinese art with an experienced instructor.

Headquarters Library; 4 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600

Carolina Heart Gallery is a program that enhances adoption recruitment opportunities for waiting children. Local photographers, including Julie Rowe, Hansje Gold-Krueck, Amy Hardee, Kim Gibson and Jason Tench, donate their services to provide portraits of the children. Aiken Center for the Arts; 6 to 9 p.m.; free; 122 Laurens St. SW, Aiken; 803.641.9094

FILM DAS BOOT

The claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth and sheer terror.

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen.

(German) Headquarters Library; 6:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2604 ECGRL.ORG

CONCERT MUSIC IN THE PARK: CAREY MURDOCK AND NOSTAR Maude

Edenfield Park; 7 p.m.; free; 400 Buena Vista Ave., North Augusta; 803.442.7588

FRIDAY

6.17

ART ART AT LUNCH AND JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW

Artist Gogo Ferguson, who designed the wedding bands for the late John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, discusses her unique jewelry and home accessory creations.

After the program, join Gogo in the museum store for a special trunk show and sale. The Morris Museum of Art; noon; $10 to $14, paid reservations due June 15; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501

CONCERT GOOD TO BE ALIVE TOUR Adler’s Appetite

[ THEATRE: AMADEUS ] Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart remains one of the most significant and influential composers of classical music. Le Chat Noir tackles the popular stage play, Amadeus, which opens June 10. The plot revolves around the complex rivalry of composer Mozart and Antonio Salieri, the court composer to the Hapsburg Emperor of Austria, Joseph II. Playwright Peter Shaffer posits that a jealous Salieri plotted and caused Mozart’s downfall and death. The characters develop in increasing opposition to one another: Salieri is sophisticated, organized and gentlemanly, while Mozart is slovenly, crude and offensive with a predilection for scatological references.

Transforming the traditionally lavish Amadeus set to a black-box theatre may stretch Le Chat Noir’s bounds, but based on what the theatre has produced in the past, the challenge will be well met under the direction of Douglas Joiner.

WHERE Le Chat Noir, 304 Eighth St. WHEN June 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 | All shows begin at 8 p.m.

TICKETS |706.722.3322 or LCNAUGUSTA.COM “The Jailman” Leary Education Scholarship Fund. USCA Convocation Center; 6:30 p.m.; $17 to $27; 375 Robert Bell Parkway, Aiken; 866.722.8877 GEORGIALINATIX.COM

OUTDOORS MOONLIGHT MUSIC CRUISE: FRED WILLIAMS Enjoy live music

while trolling the scenic Augusta Canal. Bring your own snacks and beverages. Reservations are required. Augusta Canal; 7 p.m.; $25; 1450 Greene St.; 706.823.0440

with special guests The Issues, Willie Basse, Rockets to Ruin, Mad Margritt and Science Friction. Steve Adler of Guns ‘n’ Roses performs with his all-star band, promoting his tell-all biography, My Appetite for Destruction: Sex & Drugs & Guns ‘n’ Roses. Jessye Norman Amphitheatre; 5 p.m.; $15; Riverwalk and Ninth Street; 706.724.1172 ETIX.COM

open at 7 p.m. and movies start at dusk. Columbia County Amphitheater; 8 p.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.721.5736

CONCERT THE TEMPTATIONS REVUE A

Ph.D., a renowned professor of English who has spent

tribute to The Temptations featuring Nate Evans with opening act Palmetto Groove in a concert to benefit the H.T.

FILM MOVIES UNDER THE STARS: SHREK FOREVER AFTER Gates

THEATRE AMADEUS See above. Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.

THEATRE WIT Vivian Bearing,

years studying and teaching the brilliant and difficult metaphysical sonnets of John Donne, has been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Vivian comes to reassess her life and her work with a profundity and humor that are transformative.

Aiken Community Playhouse; 8 p.m.; $12; 126 Newberry St. SW, Aiken; 803.648.1438

SATURDAY

6.18

FESTIVAL RIDGE PEACH FESTIVAL Featuring unique

arts and crafts, antiques, hands-on demonstrations, fresh peaches, homemade peach desserts, preserves and ice cream, live entertainment and carnival rides. The parade begins at 10:30am and features the Fort Gordon Signal Corp Band. Trenton Town Park; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; free; 106 Church St., Trenton; 803.275.5303 RIDGEPEACHFESTIVAL.COM

FILM OLD SCHOOL MOVIE MARATHON A trio of old

school movies: Cooley High (1975), Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). Headquarters Library; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600

LITERARY BOOK SIGNING: CHRISTINE HURLEY DERISO Read the full article on

page 13. The Book Tavern; 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; free; 1026 Broad St.; 706.826.1940

COUNTRY LORETTA LYNN

With the 2010 release of Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, it is the perfect time for Loretta Lynn to head back onto the road.

She still, however, continues to remain humble. ‘I ain’t a star – a star is something up in the night sky,” says Lynn. “People say to me, ‘You’re a legend.’ I’m not a legend. I’m just a woman.”

Bell Auditorium; 7:30 p.m.; $35.50 to $55.50; 712 Telfair St.; 877.4AUGTIX

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38 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

night

A SELECTIVE GUIDE TO NIGHTLIFE IN THE CSRA

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

NORMA JEAN

NORMA JEAN + FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS + AFTER THE BURIAL + STRAY FROM THE PATH + MOTIONLESS IN WHITE @ Sector 7G | 5 p.m.; $15 THE COMEDY ZONE: D.S. + GILL @ Somewhere in Augusta 8 p.m.; $8 EGYPT CENTRAL + ABUSED ROMANCE @ Sky City | 9 p.m.; $8 advance, $10 day of show JON BERET & THE LA ROXES @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

LOYO MUSIC FEST OPEN MIC @ Metro Coffee House & Pub

THURSDAY, JUNE 2 Greg Knight & the Long Road Home @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

JOSH PIERCE @ Metro Coffee House & Pub | 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 3

YO MAMA’S BIG FAT BOOTY BAND @ Surrey Tavern | 8 p.m ALAN THOMPSON @ The Cotton Patch | 8 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 5

TUESDAY, JUNE 14

BRENT LUNDY @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

MATT ACOSTA @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 7

ACOUSTIC DRAUGHT with Josh Pierce @ Metro Coffee House & Pub | 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15

JACOB & THE GOOD PEOPLE @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

THE COMEDY ZONE: MACK + WASHINGTON @ Somewhere in Augusta | 8 p.m.; $8 THE STONE FOXES + LERA LYNN @ Sky City | 8 p.m.; $5

THE COMEDY ZONE: GARRITY + KEISS @ Somewhere in Augusta | 8 p.m.; $8

LOYO MUSIC FEST OPEN MIC @ Metro Coffee House & Pub

ELDORADO DELUXE @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 9

LOYO MUSIC FEST OPEN MIC @ Metro Coffee House & Pub

MAMA SAYS @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

CHRIS NDETI @ Metro Coffee House & Pub | 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 10

JAM SANDWICH @ The Cotton Patch | 8 p.m.

SPIRITUAL REZ @ Surrey Tavern | 9 p.m.

BRANDON PRUITT @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

THE NEXT RAVE: THE FENCE SITTERS @ Sector 7G 8 p.m.; $5 FIRST FRIDAY 80’S NIGHT + art by Marianna Harkleroad @ Sky City | 8 p.m.; $5 EMMA KING AND THE HEARTSETS @ The Country Club | 8 p.m.; $5 to $7

HEYWIRE HEYWIRE from Charlotte, NC @ 1102 Downtown Bar | 10 p.m.

THE UNMENTIONABLES @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

THE WELFARE LINERS @ Stillwater Tap Room 10 p.m.; $4

THE MASON JARS @ 1102 Downtown Bar | 10 p.m.

JARED ASHLEY @ The Country Club | 10 p.m.; $5 to $7

SATURDAY, JUNE 4

THE SECOND ANNUAL AUGUSTA SHINE FOR SCOTT BENEFIT Live Music by Wesley Cook + The Vellotones with George Croft + Publik Fax with Richard Smith + Grady Nickel @ Sky City | 7 p.m.; $10 DOVE @ Coyotes | 8 p.m.

BRANDON REEVES @ The Cotton Patch | 8 p.m.

BILL GENTRY @ The Country Club | 8 p.m.; $5 to $7 MATT MACKELCAN BAND @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

FUNK YOU @ 1102 Downtown Bar & Grill | 10 p.m.

MIKE FROST JAZZ @ Metro Coffee House & Pub | 10 p.m.

DOC CROSSHAIR + DAMIEN NORWOOD @ The Playground Bar | 10 p.m.

FORTY WINTERS + MAKE IT REIGN + MAYA OVER EYES + HENNESSY WILLIAMS + UP IN ARMS + DECOLLATOR @ Sector 7G | 6 p.m.; $7

TIKI BARFLYS @ Wild Wing Café| 9:30 p.m.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE + SINISTER MUSTACHE + MANRAY @ Sky City | 8 p.m.; $7

SATURDAY, JUNE 11

OLD MAN CRAZY @ The Cotton Patch | 8 p.m.

BACK IN BLACK @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

DJ SPINDRUM @ 1102 Downtown Bar & Grill | 10 p.m.

ESKIMOJITOS @ Metro Coffee House & Pub | 10 p.m.

RAT BABIES + SICK SICK SICK + TATER ZANDRA ZANDRA + CAROLINA CHUPACABRA @ Sky City 10 p.m.; $4

THURSDAY, JUNE 16 CHICKEN WIRE COMEDY The Continuing Adventures of Jet Spyman and Fanboy Skippy with Guest Stand Up Comedians @ Le Chat Noir | 8 p.m.; $5

FRESHMAN 15 + FLORAL TERRACE + FAREWELL FIGHT + FEELS LIKE LOVE @ Sector 7G | 7 p.m.; $5 Jason Marcum @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

THE PROFILER: MADIGAN MEMBERS Chuck, Larry, Robbie, Justin, Ryan

ROLLIN IN THE HAY @ Wild Wing Café | 9:30 p.m.

GENRE Metal

THE MASON JARS @ Metro Coffee House & Pub | 10 p.m.

INFLUENCE “We pre-dated NuMetal,” Chuck says, “we loved Beastie Boys, ‘No Sleep Till

FRIDAY, JUNE 17

GOOD TO BE ALIVE TOUR: ADLER’S APPETITE with The Issues + Willie Basse + Rockets to Ruin + Mad Margritt + Science Friction @ Jessye Norman Amphitheatre 5 p.m.; $15 BRANT QUICK @ The Cotton Patch | 8 p.m.

TOKYO JOE @ Wild Wing Café 9:30 p.m.

Brooklyn.’” He adds, “We are our own worst critics.”

HISTORY “We are not 19 years old anymore,” Larry says, explaining why the band changed its

name from Youth at Risk to Madigan, now that the members are closer to 25 years old. “It was an inevitable change,” Chuck says. “We are a long way away from selling a demo tape in high school.”

AUDIENCE Fans of metal and everything progressive.

QUIRKS Members are also in Allgood Asylum and Chairleg.

HORIZON “We are focusing on the new,” Ryan says of Madigan’s new sound, one that is far more progressive, complex, and grown up. This is not your father’s metal band. “We have two songs almost done,” Larry says, which includes the single “Hurt Like Me.” “If it sounds like it could be valid, it works.”

WHY AUGUSTA “With Chuck’s vocal style and a bass player who can play,” Larry says, Madigan

PACKWAY HANDLE THE PACKWAY HANDLE BAND @ Metro Coffee House & Pub 10 p.m.

THE STAIN REMAINS + FALSE FLAG @ The Playground Bar | 10 p.m.

JOSH ROBERTS and THE HINGES @ Stillwater Tap Room 10 p.m.; $4

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

has come a long way. “We are working on new material and Ryan is business savvy,” Chuck says.

Pulling from a long history in Augusta, including several albums recorded locally, Madigan is Augusta’s old school metal group. “We cannot let it go.”

NEXT SHOW July 9 at Sky City with G-City Rockers D.I.Y. Look for Madigan on Facebook. the profiler is DINO LULL MIKE FROST JAZZ @ Metro Coffee House & Pub | 10 p.m.

JOE’S UNDERGROUND @ 144 Eighth St.; 706.724.9457

SOUL BAR @ 984 Broad St.; 706.724.8880

ROSS COPPLEY BAND @ The Country Club | 10 p.m.; $5 to $7

THE LOFT @ 917 Broad St.; 706.955.7954

STILLWATER TAP ROOM @ 974 Broad St.; 706.826.9857

FIND THE VENUE

Metro Coffee House & Pub @ 1054 Broad St.; 706.722.6468

SURREY TAVERN @ 471 Highland Ave.; 706.736.1221

THE PLAYGROUND BAR @ 978 Broad St.; 706.724.2232

WILD WING CAFE @ 3035 Washington Road.; 706.364.9453

1102 Downtown bar @ 1102 Broad St.; 706. 364.4075

JOHN MARTIN @ The Country Club | 10 p.m.; $5 to $7

SUNDAY, JUNE

life

THRU JUNE 19

MILLIONAIRES MILLIONAIRES + BREATHE ELECTRIC + SET IT OFF + CHRISTIAN TV + HENNESEY WILLIAMS + GIBBY REDBEARD + JAPPA @ Sector 7G | 5 p.m.; $12

The cotton patch @ 816 Cotton Lane; 706. 724.4511 the country club @ 2834 Washington Road; 706.364.1862 Coyote’s @ 2512 Peach Orchard Road; 706.560.9245

SECTOR 7G @ 631 Ellis St.; 706.496.5900 SKY CITY @ 1157 Broad St.; 706.945.1270 Somewhere in augusta @ 2820 Washington Road; 706.739.0002

GET LISTED: Submit information to info@vergelive. com with complete details, including time of event and ticket price or cover charge. To be listed, events must be received one week prior to publication date.

vergelive.com | community driven news | June 1, 2011 39

in good

health

news from the csra medical community to help you

BONE UP FOR BETTER HEALTH STUDY SHOWS THAT DIET IS LINKED TO STRONGER BONES We often hear about the risks for osteoporosis and bone fractures.

These conditions are generally thought of as exclusive to the elderly, post-menopausal women or the extremely thin, but studies indicate that too much weight is as much a cause as too little.

According to Dr. Carlos Isales, of MCG Orthopedic Associates, 30 percent of Georgia’s children over the age of 2 are now overweight or obese, a statistic that has tripled since 1980. Poor nutritional habits and a sedentary lifestyle are the primary culprits. The consequences include bone fractures and higher rates of diabetes.

Isales estimates that by age 18, close to 50 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls experience at least one broken bone. These numbers again indicate significant increases in the percentage of fractures, in tandem with an increase in obesity.

Among adults, his study shows, the numbers are even higher. Between 1993 and 1996, adult obesity rates greater than 60 percent were found in two of Georgia’s 19 health districts. Between 2000 and 2002, that number had increased to 11 districts.

Georgia’s over-50 population is growing at a faster rate than most states. In 2000, 27,000 fractures were associated with osteoporosis. According to Isales, researchers predict that by 2020, more than 1.5 million Georgians will have increased risk for osteoporosis because of low bone mass.

In his recently published editorial, “Bone Up for Better Health,” Dr. Isales recommends the following steps to decrease fracture risk in all age groups: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Make healthy diet choices. If you have children, teach them how to eat wisely. Too many soft drinks can decrease bone mass. Try cutting back by one regular soda per day. You can help your bones and lose up to 11 pounds in one year.

Initiate a program of weight-bearing and resistance exercises: 45 minutes per day at least five times a week.

Increase your calcium intake by consuming calcium-rich products such as skim milk, yogurt, cheese and spinach.

Get screened for osteoporosis. Ask your doctor to order a bone density test to better assess your fracture risk.

Always consult your family physician before beginning any diet or exercise plan.

by ALISON RICHTER photo FILE

DISCOVERIES: VEGANS NEED FAT

People who follow a vegan lifestyle — strict vegetarians who try to eat no meat or animal products of any kind — might increase their risk of developing blood clots and atherosclerosis or “hardening of the arteries,” which are conditions that can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

That is the conclusion of an article that appears in American Chemical Society’s bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Researcher Duo Li notes in the review that meat eaters are known for having a significantly higher combination of cardiovascular risk factors than vegetarians. Lower-risk vegans, however, m not be immune. Their diets tend to be lacking several key nutrients — including iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. While a balanced vegetarian diet can provide enough protein, this is not always the case when it comes to fat and fatty acids. As a result, vegans tend to have elevated blood levels of homocysteine and decreased levels of HDL, the “good” form of cholesterol. Both are risk factors for heart disease.

The study concludes that there is a strong scientific basis for vegetarians and vegans to increase their dietary omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 to help contend with those risks. Good sources of omega-3s include salmon and other oily fish, walnuts and certain other nuts. Good sources of vitamin B12 include seafood, eggs, and fortified milk. Dietary supplements also can supply these nutrients. provided by The American Chemical Society - Savannah River

40 June 1, 2011 | community driven news | vergelive.com

SOUND BITES

 Parting Shot: Shine for Scott

Lokal Music Musings Man, May was a hot month for Augusta music and, if today’s temperature is any forecast of what is sure to be a blistering summer, I can only imagine that June is going be smokin’ hot!

Speaking of smokin’ hot, LADY ANTEBELLUM has racked up some road miles and debuted their new single “Just a Kiss” on American Idol. They appeared on the Billboard awards show where the group picked up the award for top country song “Need You Now,” which also won “Pop Song of the Year” at the Broadcast Music, Inc. Pop Music Awards. If that was not enough, “Just a Kiss” debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, the highest debut for a country act in the chart’s 52-year history. LADYANTEBELLUM.COM. While I am on the topic of hot tracks, I was privileged to hear some of the latest songs being cut by SIBLING STRING with area musician/roadhog/soundguy/studio engineer Keith Ford. I have to say that the results so far are amazing – perhaps the best work Ford has done with an area music act. It also does not hurt that Sibling String is loaded with musical talent.

I also had the pleasure of having singer-songwriter JIM PERKINS on CONfederation of LOUDness recently, heard some tracks off his two recently released discs and saw him perform in-studio. Perkins has become quite the songwriter and it appears that this Augusta gem will soon become Athens’ gain. If you have not picked up either of his discs or seen him perform live, you should. Check him out at JIMPERKINSLIVE.COM. If you are an area singer-songwriter and want to get your music heard, then maybe the LOYO MUSIC FEST OPEN MIC series each Wednesday night during the summer is your chance. All you have to do is show up early, get on the list and pay $5 to play three tunes. Each Wednesday, a winner will be picked to go to the finals in September and take home a cool $25. The overall winner will receive a prime spot at this fall’s LOCAL YOKEL MUSIC FESTIVAL. For more information, email localyokelmusic@gmail.com.

I am bummed to hear that the GEORGIA MUSIC HALL OF FAME in Macon will close its doors on June 12, citing poor attendance and low state support. Proposals for relocation were rejected by the museum’s authority in March. Augusta/CSRA related artists such as Brenda Lee, James Brown, Blind Willie McTell, The Lewis Family, Jessye Norman and Pete Drake represented just a small portion of the museum’s inductees. If you have never visited the museum, do so before they close and, while you are in Macon, take a look around at some of the city’s other cool historical spots.

GEORGIAMUSIC.ORG

It seems once again, my vinyl has melted because of the extreme lokal music heat. 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.

by JOHN “STONEY” CANNON

THE VELLOTONES AT THE 2010 SHINE FOR SCOTT BENEFIT

Scott Walden’s grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer when he was in his 60s, but no one thought to look for a genetic link.

At the age of 38, Scott was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer and told he had two years to live. He endured treatments for another 18 months and died on June 3, 2010. The first benefit honoring Scott’s life and raising money to fight colon cancer was held on three weeks later.

Shine for Scott will host their second annual benefit concert, “Striking A Chord Against Colon Cancer,” at Sky City on June 4, featuring several local and regional musicians playing an eclectic mix of bluegrass, rock ‘n’ roll and country.

Money raised by this event will go toward the testing and treatment of 25 to 50 year old colon cancer patients in the CSRA, Aiken or Chatham County.

“The recommended age to start getting regular screenings is 50, but what is really disturbing is that colon cancer is on the rise in the under 50 group, even though it is in decline overall,” said Maggie Pritchard, the vice president of Shine for Scott.

“We are trying to inform individuals under 50 that this disease does not discriminate, it targets no specific demographic and it is a killer.”

The concert will feature The Vellotones with George Croft, Grady Nickel, Wesley Cook and Publik Fax, with special guest drummer Richard Smith, a testicular cancer survivor from Houston, Texas.

“Last year we sold a total of 300 tickets, so we are hoping to at least match that this year. All money will all go to benefit our organization, which will then implement the programs we have in our mission,” said Pritchard.

The first program Shine for Scott is seeking to fund provides money for people between 25 and 50 to get a colonoscopy or blood test. It would also provide emergency funds for patients already being treated for colon cancer, including medications, travel expenses or payment of miscellaneous bills for those struggling with the financial pressures of treatment.

Two additional programs that are in the mission but, as of yet, have no established criteria include a program in Augusta to educate the public about the benefits of early detection and preventative factors, and a research grant which will go to scientists engineering drugs to fight colon cancer.

“We want to make sure people know that they ought to be living healthy, talking with their doctor and are aware that they are not immune to this disease,” said Pritchard. “People need to be aware of the warning signs so they can get treated early if they have a problem and that there are different types of screenings and tests available.”

According to Pritchard, most people who have precancerous polyps removed from their colon do not go on to develop cancer, while those diagnosed with stage I colon cancer have a 91 percent chance of survival. However, most young people are diagnosed with stage IV cancer, which carries with it only a 6 percent chance of survival.

“We are finding a lot of people report that this type of cancer is very aggressive, but it does not have to be if you live a healthy lifestyle, eat healthy foods and drink moderately,” said Pritchard. “The problem is that we are the fast-food generation and there seems to be a real link between what we put in our bodies, the changes that are happening to our bodies and the things that are attacking us.”

“If you have had someone in your family who has had colon cancer, you need to be talking with your doctor,” she continued.

“A lot of people dismiss small changes in their stool, or in their appetite but, by the time you start to lose weight or feel pain in your abdomen, you need to be getting checked.”

Following Scott’s death, his three younger siblings were tested, two of whom had precancerous polyps. His 42 year old cousin had 15 polyps removed, 2 of which were precancerous.

“Scott probably had polyps growing in him from the age of 28 or so, but if by celebrating his life we can save a few more lives, then anything we can do is a good thing,” said Pritchard.

by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

The next issue of VERGE hits the newstands on

JUNE 15 Look for Our Outdoor Racks or Find Your Copy At Publix | EarthFare | Kroger Bi-Lo | New Moon Cafe and Over 150 Locations Throughout the CSRA

WHAT The Shine for Scott: Striking A Chord Against Colon Cancer FEATURING Live Music by Wesley Cook + The Vellotones with George Croft + Publik Fax with Richard Smith + Grady Nickel WHERE Sky City, 1157 Broad St. WHEN Saturday, June 4 starting at 6 p.m. TICKETS $10 MORE SHINEFORSCOTT.ORG

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