Metro Spirit 08.23.2012

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Contributors Jamess Allen|Greg Baker|Rob Baker| Brezsny|Sam Eifling |Matt Matt Lane|Austin Rhodes|Josh Ruffin|Andy Ruffin Andy Stokes|Matt Stone|Jenny W Ruff Wright

o r t e m IR P S

INSIDER RUFFIN’ IT AUSTIN RHODES

SLAB ANDY’S MUSIC MATT’S MUSIC SIGHTINGS CUISINE SCENE ART 45 PET PAGE

Metro Spirit is a freee newspaper published publis weekly on Thursday, 52 weeks eks a year. Editorial orial coverage includes local ocal issues ues and news, arts, arts entertainment, entert people, places and pectrum. The viewss do not necessarily represent present the views of the th publisher. publish Visit us at metrospirit.com. m.Š events. In our paperr appear views from across the political and social spectrum. ner/Publisher: Joe White. Legal: Phillip Scott Hibbard. Reproduction or use without permissio p person, pers please.

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CONTENTS

COVER DESIGN: KRUHU

14 o r t e m IRIT 8 SP 10 11 13

SAME SPORT, DIFFERENT WAY: Local group gives those with physical disabilities a chance to shine on their own terms

EricJohnson|news editor eric@themetrospirit.com

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Michael-RKQVRQ_VLJKWLQJV ‡ Valerie(PHULFN_ZULWHU ‡ Amy3HUNLQV_HGLWRULDO LQWHUQ ‡ LauraPerry|volunteer

WHINELINE I guess some feathers will be ruffled now that they allow women members in the Augusta National. But let’s remember, golf was originally invented as a game for women.

Good story by Eric Johnson on Wright McLeod last week. When McLeod mused back on the $20,000 he had to pay in legal

fees because he had not sent in the required information on his contribution disclosure forms, McLeod said, “Twenty grand.

That stings.� I’ll bet that most of McLeod’s clients have thought the same thing.

RE: WHITE COVER/ GETTING MUGGED - I quit the daily because of their race filled whines...c’mon metro spirit, isn’t Augusta more than race...

winning all the gold medals b/c the majority of us white men eating chicken sandwiches are doing so on our lunch breaks at WORK!!!

The effort to erase the name GRU is no longer enough. azziz must GO! NO GRU and DUMP azziz!!! i feel sorry for those who write into the whineline with

Lesbians and black men are

diatribes against people who actually have moral and spiritual compasses. their bitterness and hatred against anyone who believes in something other than mankind (and look where that miserable, floundering species has led us) for guidance in this insane world is not only puzzling but also pathetic, sad, and alarming as well. these are the same bunch, though, who will proclaim they love everyone and want everything to be ‘fair’ and ‘equal’, for all, but only fair and

equal on their terms, and no religion allowed, folks, don’t even go there! hypocrisy abounds, and it can be read every week in the metro spirit. i’m now using the paper for the kitty litter box. very appropriate.

Augusta National to Admit Female Members! Okay Folks!

Clean Up Those 1950’s-1960’s Bomb Shelters! The End is NEAR!

(continued on page 54)

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PRIMARILY OVER: The 2012 primary stayed interesting until the end TEXTGIVING: Golden Harvest campaign uses texting to reach new donors MAKING CHANGE: Atlanta-based event is a catalyst for change THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Arts in the Heart of Augusta is three weeks away

Want to advertise in the Metro Spirit?

706.496.2535 or 706.373.3636

Independence

Recovery

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INSIDER@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM Insider is an anonymous, opinion-based examination of the hidden details of Augusta politics and personalities.

up

THUMBS

SIDER

Prince Harry and Ryan Lochte have a fully clothed race in a Vegas pool at 3 a.m.

down

We weren’t there to see it.

One Stood Tall Long criticized for making Mayor Deke Copenhaver look like a firebrand, District 1 Commissioner Matt Aitken surprised many at Tuesday’s commission meeting by taking the bold and politically risky step of publically criticizing the naming of the consolidated university formed by the merger of Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University.

Choosing his words carefully, Aitken stepped nimbly through the political minefield as he brought Commissioner Jerry Brigham’s old resolution that requested Augusta be included in the name back in front of the commission.

“I thought long and hard about how to bring this back up to this community, because I think, as I look at the outpouring that we’ve had across this city about the naming, I felt like there was no leadership on behalf of the citizens, the alumni and the students to stand up with them and go through this process,” he said. “We need to send a message that we care about our city.”

Obviously upset by the timidity displayed by the stakeholders, Aitken seemed to feed off of all the repressed resentment. Given the fact that this is an election year and four other candidates are opposing him, such a potentially reckless move took many commissioner watchers by surprise. With so much to lose, the theory seemed to go, why take such a singularly radical stance?

Aitken, however, seemed more concerned with giving voice to the voiceless than he did his own political future.

“I want to stand on behalf of those that felt like they don’t have anyone there for them,” he said. “And I’m willing to take the fallout, whatever comes. But as a leader in this city, we’ve got to have it within our being to be able to do that.”

At the End of the Day (From the forum held at ASU’s Maxwell Theatre on August 16 to discuss the choice of Georgia Regents University as the name for the new consolidated university.)

Duration of the forum: 1:06.

Number of Public Speakers: 16.

Number of times Dr. Azziz said “I understand your feelings:” 6.

Number of times Dr. Azziz said “Let me be clear:” 7.

Number of times Dr. Azziz said “I respect your question/I appreciate the opportunity to respond:” 8.

Number of times Dr. Azziz said “At the end of the day:” 13.

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A New Day

Once the knee-jerk racism that flared up after Richard Roundtree defeated Scott Peebles for sheriff dies down, there’s going to be a run — a crazymad scramble, in fact — to Republican sheriff candidate Freddie Sanders, but it won’t matter. Insiders confirm that no matter how motivated the voters, there is no path for a Republican to win the sheriff’s office of Richmond County.

If Strength’s golden boy couldn’t get enough voters to beat Roundtree as a Democrat with a strong Republican crossover, there’s no way a true Republican like Sanders is going to get enough votes to beat Roundtree.

Though it’s too soon to accurately understand the numbers behind what happened, it’s clear that Robbie Silas not only pulled votes away from Peebles in the primary, his supporters either stayed away from the polls on Tuesday or voted for Roundtree, in large part because of the firestorm created by local radio personality and Metro Spirit columnist Austin Rhodes. His constant support of Peebles, hammering of Strength and ridicule of Silas created a host of ill feelings that linger today.

While the media, both traditional and social, were swept up in the Silas/Peebles/Strength/Patty saga, Roundtree was quietly going door-todoor, working back channels and motivating his base. Insiders within the Peebles camp recognized what was happening and begged for those in the chattering class to shut up, but they were too late.

With everyone wondering about how a Roundtree election would affect Augusta, few are contemplating what’s going to happen to the sheriff’s office itself.

For one thing, Silas has some work to do. Many feel he stabbed

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his brother-in-law in the back when he announced his run, then twisted the blade when he refused to get out in spite of the obvious damage he was causing. That kind of thing isn’t easily forgotten, which is a problem for him because all those folks in the office who said they’d move away if Roundtree was elected sheriff — they won’t. They never do. Like all those celebrities who said they’d leave the country if Bush won the White House, they have families and mortgages and real life responsibilities.

The top brass, on the other hand — you could hardly expect Roundtree to keep them. Roundtree knows this inner circle will remain loyal to Strength and, to a lesser degree, Peebles. That’s just a fact. And it’s also a fact that a leader has to have people around him he feels comfortable with, so a bit of early housecleaning shouldn’t be viewed as the end of the world.

And here’s the thing — what if all of this isn’t the end of the world? What if Roundtree comes in on a conciliatory note and calms everyone’s fears? Because one thing is for sure — he’ll be under a microscope, and how he uses the media will be a key component to the success of his time in office.

If you paid close attention to Strength’s retirement announcement, he spoke at length about his relationship with the media. Will Roundtree treat the people who cover him with the same fairness? No one knows for sure, but he is now the big man in town.

It’s a new day for the city of Augusta. Our biggest reformation project is now underway.

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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Say What You Mean

It would be nice if a politician spoke in plain English, for once Last year, former Ruffin’ It punchline Ricky Gervais made a pretty god-awful movie called “The Invention of Lying.” The film posits a world in which the very concept of lying has not yet been discovered. Essentially, it was a setup for maybe a three-minute long standup bit, flayed, stretched and tanned over the yawing skeleton of a situational comedy for 94 freaking minutes.

In it, a waiter tells Gervais’ character that he has no chance of getting laid with his date, played by Jennifer Garner. I can’t tell whether this is devastating or relieving to Gervais because, though he reminds me of what a hyena would look like as a playdough mold, Jennifer Garner sort of looks like an old man’s throat. Also, his character, in what will go down as one of the great inverse meta-jokes, refers to something as “The greatest film ever made.” Somewhere, Gervais’ elderly nursemaid is completing her 95th bicep curl, so that when time machines are invented, she can go back and shake him harder.

Positing the transposition of almost any film to real life is something any sane person would advise against, and though I’m not quite sane, I’d follow suit. The reason is obvious: movies themselves are too simple, and in two different ways: 1) We generally know who the good guys are, who the bad guys are and what motivates each side. We are flies on the wall during group strategy meetings, situation rooms and even internal monologues, thusly made to understand these individuals so that we can root for or against them. Of course it’s cool if Batman turns Gotham City into one giant Patriot Act money shot; he’s trying to stop the Joker, who’s trying to explode innocent people.

You can’t be against that. 2) It’s a movie. Invested as we are in the outcome of the film and the fate of its characters, there is a failsafe murmur that continues to remind (most of) us that this is not real. And that’s fine. Even with social commentary accounted for, this is still pretend.

Even so, as the presidential race slogs along, I find myself wishing more and more that politicians would just say what they mean. It’s one of the reasons I like Joe Biden so much. I know, I know — his “Romney’s going to put y’all back in chains” line to black voters was, let’s say, a little much, but everyone — writers and politicians especially — know how to wield hyperbole, and I believe in this case that Biden’s so-called “gaffe” was merely hyperbolic of a truth: that the Romney/Ryan plan would sacrifice the well-being of poorer Americans to prop up the continued prosperity of the super-rich.

Also, when you get down to it, Biden is the main reason that President Obama has publicly come out in support of gay marriage: he ran his mouth in an interview, plainly spoke his mind and a great positive was realized. Shortly afterward, the Democratic Party made same-sex rights a key plank of their platform.

Which brings me to Todd Akin, a cross-pollinated hybrid of Kelsey Grammar and Ross Perot genetically engineered to be a spokesman for tanning bed corporations. A few days ago, when asked about his stance on abortion in cases of rape, Akin opened his mouth and this impossible statement dribbled out (if you’re hearing about this for the first time, I swear I didn’t edit this): “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways of shutting that whole thing down.”

I’m not going to bury you under the literal tons of research that disprove that statement. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, you can’t address something that ridiculously ignorant or horrendous directly. Your brain will revolt against you for forcing it to bother, and the most you’ll be physically able to say is “Hwaaah?” Sane people — and those of you who didn’t share a crib with demons — are, in this case, out

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of luck.

Ironically, Akin didn’t have to say this, and it’s his pussyfooting around that got him into trouble — for f***’s sake, Karl Rove pulled his financial support, and Karl Rove would buy a deluxe birdhouse for a pigeon if it took a shit on Madonna’s limo. No, if Akin had just said “I am against abortion in all cases, bar none,” then few of us outside his home state of Missouri would be talking about it, because a good many Republicans hold that same viewpoint. His mistake came when he tried to legitimize an unquantifiable statement.

It works the other way around, too: people will throw their weight behind a public figure who consistently, staunchly supports some gratuitously horrible things. Rewind a few months: Rick Santorum reiterated the assertion he made a couple of years ago that same-sex relationships were equal to bestiality and pedophilia. Didn’t try to hide it, just up and said, “Yep, all gays are animals and pederasts.” And a good percentage of social conservatives were okay with that, because he almost beat Mitt Romney, despite being outspent nearly Fort Knox-to-one.

And speaking of Romney: he and bro-dude VP Paul Ryan’s team released a couple of separate statements after Akin’s comment went viral. The first was in a similar vein as Romney’s “not the language I would have used” response to Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke a whore: “Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin’s statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape” (campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg).

Then later: “[Akin’s comments were] insulting, inexcusable, and, frankly, wrong.”...“Like millions of other Americans, we found them to be offensive.”

And you can bet that Romney/Ryan is pissed as all hell at Akin for forcing this complication on them, as both candidates have in the past expressed full support for a bill banning abortions, in all cases, nationwide. It’s not a policy that’s cost them much credibility with conservative voters, but when someone just comes right out and says the kind of outlandish things Akin said, a savvy politician — or at least a savvy campaign manager — knows you have to release a statement refuting them. See that first one up there? That’s indicative of a major policy change within the Romney-Ryan camp. Will they follow through on it? I hope we never have to find out.

When I was in graduate school for poetry, the best advice I ever got from my advisor was to “write what you see, and say what you mean.” Since then, I’ve written better poems. The problem is that a poem’s strength is predicated on its ability to present a truth. In new, exciting and possibly ciphered ways, but a truth nonetheless. In politics, absolute truth is obscured by fervent partisan sentiment, and manipulation of certain demographics’ fears for little more than the self-perpetuation of power and authority.

The final sad thing is this: skirting the truth is easy. It’s skirting your own skewed perception of truth that gets you into trouble.

JOSHRUFFIN, a Metro Spirit alum, is a published journalist and poet who just

received his MFA from Georgia College & State University. He was once the most un-intimidating bouncer at Soul Bar.

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AUSTIN RHODES

This Is Why Strength’s Involvement Mattered There has not been a political bait and switch this bad since the Bay of Pigs.

Sheriff Ronnie Strength actively backed, guided, pushed and poked Captain Scott Peebles to be his successor since the day after he won his final election almost four years ago. It was a job that the captain aspired to, it was the job he had trained to do and it was the job he had put in the hours and dedication to justifiably earn for the last 20 years.

Much like Major Ronnie Strength many years earlier, there was a sensible symmetry to the notion that Peebles would take over the office, and just like Strength’s guiding political mentor Sheriff Charlie Webster promised him, there were guarantees that Sheriff Strength would be there, in Scott’s corner for the duration, 110 percent.

He was there all right, but he showed up too damn late. Peebles lost the runoff for the Democratic sheriff’s slot on the ballot, and he lost because of two men that never should have even been on the ballot.

The sheriff said he had to keep the family peace and keep his mouth shut when his kind-hearted but woefully unqualified brother-in-law decided to throw his hat in the ring when the field already was set to include Peebles and disgraced and demoted former investigator (and this week’s runoff winner) Richard Roundtree.

I have heard many things about Robbie Silas, but the one thing I have not heard about him is that he is disloyal. If Strength had looked him in the eye and told him to stay out of the race, I bet you dollars to doughnuts he would have done it. He did not take a hard line with him, but by god he should have.

What was on the line is the future of law enforcement in Richmond County, and the quality of life for every high-ranking officer in the department, who almost to a man and woman want no part of working under Roundtree. The stakes were too high for Strength not to have done everything in his power and then some to make sure that Peebles got the same paved road to run down as he was given years ago by Sheriff Webster.

When it boils down to it, that is the big question for Sheriff Strength: Why would you not do for Scott Peebles what was done so generously for you? Everyone knows he earned it, and everyone knows you promised it. But just like JFK did to the brave Cuban revolutionaries set to depose a communist dictatorship, he pulled full support just as there was no turning back and, viola, you have the Augusta version of the Bay of Pigs.

There are many no doubt shouting as they read this “But this is a political race, there are no guarantees!” Or perhaps, “No one should expect to inherit an elected position!”

I would agree that applies in virtually any other political category, but when it comes to running the day to day operations of the Sheriff’s Department of Richmond County, Georgia, electing the chief lawman by pure popular vote is akin to electing an Army field general in the same fashion.

The job is too detailed, and depends on too much loyalty and dedication from the men in the ranks to be taken as lightly as the election process obviously takes it.

This area has screwed up mightily in the past electing sheriffs. I can name three off the top of my head who went to jail, and at least three more that deserved to go. It is understandable and completely sensible to expect to have a training program in place for future departmental leaders, especially when a smart guy like Strength happens to be in charge. Peebles did everything he was supposed to do, and when the time came for his sheriff to stand up for him, Strength left him hanging out to dry.

I made a few very poor jokes about the sheriff’s wife’s involvement in all this a few weeks ago, and for that I apologized to him and accepted his decision to never speak to me again.

Now it is your turn to apologize, Sheriff Strength. You let Scott Peebles down, you let the department down and you let your community down.

If, and I mean if, your good friend Freddie Sanders is able to pull the fat out of the fire in November and somehow beat Roundtree, he can certainly repair the damage done to the department, and perhaps keep damage from being done to the community. But he can never fix what you broke, and that was your word to support Peebles the same way Webster supported you.

Scott deserved it, you promised it and, because you failed to deliver, the county now faces the possibility of a law enforcement agency led by a man you should have fired a few years ago. But that is a column for another day.

AUSTINRHODES

The views expressed are the opinions of Austin Rhodes and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

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ERICJOHNSON

Primarily Over

The 2012 primary stayed interesting until the end

Richard Roundtree

Well, it’s over. The primary, at least, is finally over.

But what a ride, huh? After a hardnosed, hard-fought general primary in which both races seemed at times to be ready to spin off into the absurd, the news cycle changed, people blinked and, all of a sudden, the runoff was here.

And that’s when the real sweating began.

Thanks to the colossal distraction surrounding the naming of the university made from the merger of ASU and GHSU, the Augusta area got a breather from the nonstop election coverage that had seen them through the general election.

And look what happened.

After earning the most votes in the general primary — adding even a portion of Robbie Silas’ votes should have put him comfortably over the top — Scott Peebles ended the night of the runoff 447 votes behind Richard Roundtree, stunning a city that seemed to be treating a Peebles victory as an inevitability.

The sense of urgency — some would say fear — that existed in a large part of the white community during the general primary all but disappeared once the runoff began, replaced instead by a general feeling of confidence.

And that confidence was not entirely unfounded. The drama of the primary was never Peebles versus Rroundtree, it was Peebles versus Silas versus Roundtree. With Silas in the race, getting to the runoff was supposed to be the hard part. The runoff itself, while no walk in the park, was supposed to be manageable.

So where did it go wrong for Peebles?

“Lazy white voters” is how one political operative described it, and while that isn’t entirely accurate, considering the diverse group of supporters claimed by the Peebles camp, it is nevertheless true that the motivation to make sure Roundtree would not be the next elected sheriff seemed to wane over time.

After all the anguish involving Robbie Silas, Sheriff Strength’s brother-in-law, when the prized Strength endorsement finally came, it was so perfunctory that it seemed to mean nothing.

Not to be outdone, the Republican congressional runoff remained excruciatingly tight throughout the evening, but by the end of the night, Lee Anderson edged out Rick Allen by an even smaller margin, surprising many who felt the wealthy businessman would prevail against the politically connected farmer.

Observations from the 2012 Primary While it’s no secret that money talks, it doesn’t always say the right thing.

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Though Evans real estate attorney Wright McLeod was a veritable no name at the beginning of the congressional primary, he vaulted to the front of the pack of Republican congressional candidates when he raised more money in the first quarter of 2012 than anyone else.

Unfortunately for McLeod, that money seemed to speak directly to Rick Allen, and what it said was, “Be Afraid.” Allen was, and turned the guns on him. And with all the candidates more or less politically interchangeable, it made sense. McLeod was encroaching on Allen’s donors, and he was the biggest threat to get between him and Anderson in the runoff.

From the Inside Though no one around Augusta seemed too concerned that former Mayor Bob Young endorsed Rick Allen, plenty from outside Augusta were.

Though it’s perfectly routine for a former mayor to endorse a congressional candidate, many think the fact that Young moderated the final candidate roundtable the Friday night before the general primary should have prevented such an endorsement.

WJBF, that station that hosted the debate, refused to comment, but University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock told the Metro Spirit that such actions were “certainly out of the ordinary” and something the “basic training of a journalist wouldn’t allow.”

Brent Cunningham, the managing editor of the Columbia Journalism Review was even more frank.

“It’s pretty cut and dry,” he said. “It’s not something you would do, especially Lee Anderson days before a runoff.”

Rick Allen

Scott Peebles

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More Mud Allen’s campaign wasn’t the only one playing fast and loose with the campaign rules. In a mailer and television ads, Anderson accused Rick Allen of donating money to John Barrow, a charge the Allen campaign was able to turn to its advantage, thanks Missouri Republican Todd Akin’s weekend implosion, in which he told a reporter that the female body had ways of shutting down the reproductive process in cases of “legitimate rape,” a comment that drew criticism from both sides of the aisle.

Allen sent out a press release condemning Anderson’s ad and tying it to Akin.

“After the advertisement was proven to a flat-out lie, career politician Lee Anderson’s campaign has pulled the advertisement, which was produced by disgraced Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin’s media firm, off the air,” Allen’s press release reported.

Awkward Meeting The CSRA Republican Women’s Club sent out a press release the morning of the runoff promoting a United We Stand celebration scheduled for Thursday, August 23.

The most surprising thing is that all four of the 12th District Republican candidates confirmed their attendance, which, though it’s pretty much the definition of awkward, could also be downright uncomfortable, given the margin of victory between Anderson and Allen and the allegations that there was a financial motivation for fourth place finisher Maria Sheffield’s endorsement of Anderson. Many have wondered why Sheffield, an attorney, hasn’t refuted the accusation, so someone is bound to ask her if she’s there.

The Silas Connection Given the closeness of Roundtree’s victory, it seems likely that many will be turning a critical eye one again to Robbie Silas’ candidacy. Even though he wasn’t in the runoff, his presence was a large one. The friction between his supporters and Peebles’ supporters at the end of the general primary fostered plenty of bad blood, and it seems almost certain that Peebles got little help from that voter base in the runoff.

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ERICJOHNSON

Textgiving

Golden Harvest campaign uses texting to reach new donors Thanks to Golden Harvest’s coaster campaign, donating money to help the hungry is as easy as texting. “All you have to do is text the word COASTER to 52000 and that’s a $5 donation to Golden Harvest,� says Chris Turner, chief development officer for Golden Harvest Food Bank, the area’s largest food distributor serving those in need. “You don’t need to pull out a wallet or even look at your credit card. You just text and they confirm.�

Turner, who came up with the idea after a meeting meant to encourage innovative ideas, says the idea is simple and direct. “I think what people have really been responding to is just the fact that it’s so easy to get involved with this,� he says.

The campaign, which doesn’t require any financial donation from participating restaurants, simply puts specially designed Golden Harvest coasters on restaurant tables for a three-month period. The coasters feature the Golden Harvest logo, instructions for how to make the donation and Kate, the food bank’s new mascot.

That’s the basic level of involvement. Restaurants can also come up with their own ideas. Applebee’s, for example, tracks donations by using coloring sheets. “Now, every waiter or waitress at Applebee’s is going to ask if each table has made a donation, and if they have, that’s great — they get a coloring sheet to color there at the table or they can just write their name on it,� Turner says. y “If not, they can ask if they’d like to. That’s just ust a way to engage every single person who comes to Applebee’s.�

Participating restaurants include Boll Weevil, vil, The Chop House, DiChickO’s Peri-Peri CafÊ, Roly Poly, Hooters, Fatz, Somewhere in Augusta, Buffalo Wild Wings, Carolina Ale House, Yosko, Vineyard Wine Market, French Market Grille, T-Bonz, Fat Man’s Mill Cafe, Cheddar’s, the Garlic Clove and Wild Wing Cafe.

The money from the donation is added to the customer’s cell phone bill at the end of the billing cycle.

Turner admits setting up such a system wass complicated. A third party, called the Mobilee Giving Foundation, had to approve their application, and then there is also a providerr for d the text service, in this case a company called Connect to Give.

How much are they expecting to make? er “This is such an exciting new thing,� Turner says. “To our knowledge, this is the first text to give campaign in the CSRA, so we’re really kind of open aise minded. It’s one of those things that could raise pends on $5,000 or it could raise $100,000 — it just depends how people receive it.�

Given the community’s track record of support, Turner and Golden Harvest expect people to receive it very well. “I think Augusta is really open to new ideas and new ways of doing things,� he says. “Especially in the nonprofit world.�

And new ways of doing things often bring attention from different parts of the community. “What I think makes this campaign so special is that the technology is making it possible to reach a brand new generation of donors who are excited about feeding the hungry,� he says. “We have a lot of donors that give through our traditional mail campaigns, and all of that is great, but this campaign is going to allow us to reach what I believe is an all new type of donor.�

Turner says the coaster campaign is expected to make the circuit around the rest of the 30 counties that make up the Golden Harvest service area. “After we do this for the three months in Augusta, we’re hoping to push it into North Augusta and Aiken,� he says. “We’re hoping to rotate it though in threemonth segments and take it back to Augusta next year at this time.�

Though Turner says that the summer lull that often affects donations hasn’t been as severe here as it has been in other locations across the nation, he maintains that the need continues to remain strong.

Last year, y , Golden H Harvest distributed a total of 14.2 million pounds of food, including 136, 136,244 pounds of food to an average of 1,419 students every week during the school year.

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AMYCHRISTIAN

The Final Countdown

Arts in the Heart of Augusta is three weeks away

In less than a month, when tens of thousands gather downtown for Arts in the Heart of Augusta, what they’ll see are a hundred tents in the fine arts and crafts area along Broad Street and the dozens of countries, along with their delicious food, represented in the Global Village. They make take their kids to create crafts in the children’s area, see and hear some great entertainment on one of the many stages or even relax with a beer.

And while they may notice a golf cart zooming around from time to time or a harried looking person speed walking with muttering into a walkie talkie, most likely these visitors won’t truly grasp what goes on behind the scenes to bring this yearly festival to fruition.

“I know that it used to be a small festival with a few food booths and a street dance on Friday night and a few artists,” said Greater Augusta Arts Council Executive Director Brenda Durant on the festival’s origins 32 years ago, when it was held at the municipal building. “It was just kind of a small community festival and not many artists came from outside the community.”

Durant, who has been with the arts council since 1997, said that small community festival atmosphere changed drastically when Arts in the Heart moved to the river.

Local artists gave way to artists and artisans who travel the region, and sometimes the country, going from craft show to craft show.

“My biggest push in the late ‘90s was to get local artists to participate because it is a different lifestyle,” she said of the difference between showing work in a gallery and participating in festivals. “When we’d do the surveys of people who came to the festival we’d always hear that we didn’t have enough local artists. One year we set up two tents for local artists to exhibit their work in and we gave a tent to Artists Row. Now we have about 20 local artists who participate happily each year.”

And considering this year’s fine arts and crafts area contains approximately a hundred tents, that’s not bad.

The numbers of artists aren’t the only ones that are rising. Arts in the Heart may have started as a small community festival, but last year the Greater Augusta Arts Council estimates the number of those who visited the event at between 50,000 and 70,000. For a festival with that kind of attendance, not to mention as many components to the festival as Arts in the Heart has, planning never really stops, Durant says.

“Internally, we work on it almost all year round,” she said. “We do a wrap up meeting with the committee and I take notes on things we need to do differently the next year. So we meet in October, take November and December off and the committee starts meeting again in January.”

During those two off months for the committee, Durant and council employees work with the city on maintaining permission to close streets, develop a marketing 23AUGUST2012

strategy for the next year and she and Global Village Committee Chair Gary Tom decide on the next year’s featured country (this year it’s Germany) and sometimes meet with those interested in joining the village.

This year, for instance, attendees with have more difficult choices when it comes to food, since Turkey, Spain and Laos have all joined.

Once the committee begins meeting each year, representatives of each of the 33 subcommittees come together once a month to keep the ball rolling. Some committees don’t have much to do before the actual festival, Durant says. Others, like the logistics committee, don’t ever seem to stop working.

It sounds overwhelming, but Durant credits the arts council’s staff, as well as volunteers like Tom, festival Chair Saundra Plunkett and logistics chairs John Lovin, Mike Sleeper and Trey Enfinger, for keeping the festival on track.

“We do have a strong volunteer team, but we’re all list makers,” she said. “I have a pad on my desk of things that need to be done and I love crossing things out.”

Then there are the volunteers who work the weekend of the festival.

“We think we’re over 800 volunteers now, and that doesn’t count the children’s area, where each organization brings their own volunteers, or the global village, who have people from each organization cooking,” she said. “But it’s large.”

In the end, however, it all comes together sort of like that old adage about the duck: he looks perfectly calm gliding across the water, but you should see how hard his feet are working underneath.

“It’s major, but we always get it done,” Durant said. “Somehow that festival always looks great that third weekend in September.”

Arts in the Heart of Augusta Broad Street, the Augusta Common and surrounding areas Friday, September 14, 5-9 p.m.

Saturday, September 15, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sunday, September 16, noon-7 p.m.

Weekend badges: $5, advance; $7, gate artsintheheart.com

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ERICJOHNSON

Same Sport, Different Way

Local group gives those with physical disabilities a chance to shine on their own terms

While few of us will be able to forget the sight of double amputee Oscar Pistorius competing against able-bodied runners in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, for Grovetown’s Scott Winkler and Evans resident Jeff Snover, overcoming physical limitations is nothing unusual.

Nearly five years ago the two founded Champions Made From Adversity (CMFA), a nonprofit organization geared toward assisting the physically disabled through sport and leisure activities, and now Winkler is representing the U.S. in his second Paralympic Games.

For Snover, who serves as CMFA chairman, competitive sports have given him both an outlet and a purpose. Injured in a stateside accident while taking use-orlose leave time, Snover, a logistics warrant officer with the Army, suddenly found himself without the use of his legs.

“Personally, I never really dealt with anything from Iraq between that time and the accident, so all of a sudden, my life was turned completely upside down,” he says. “So, I dealt with being in the chair pretty easily — it was the Iraq stuff that I was stumbling over, and I could blame it on my chair. My anger, my outbursts — even though it wasn’t related to my chair, I could use that as my excuse for being a jackass.”

This was in September 2003, three months before Winkler, an Army service technician, was paralyzed when he fell off an ammunition truck in Tikrit, Iraq.

The two men would rehab together at the VA here in Augusta.

“I had a little bit more of the rehab under my belt,” Snover says. “He was angry when he first came to rehab and the therapist encouraged me to talk with him and see if we could connect.”

They did, and soon they were discussing the frustrations of adapted sports.

“The first adapted sports thing I did was golf because I was a golfer before, and it sucked,” Snover says. “It was a totally different game.”

Then, after a clinic in Atlanta, he started playing tennis once a week at Rae’s Creek.

“I got involved with folks with disabilities, and that’s when I found out about the military sport camps out in Colorado Springs,” he says.

Eventually, both he and Winkler would attend the military sport camps, and 14 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

for Winkler it was the beginning of a Paralympic career.

“He was identified as having potential in the seated field events,” Snover says. “They had him pegged, and he’s the kind of person who’s driven and did what he needed to do.”

Winkler started setting records at his first real competition and was soon representing the U.S. at the Paralympics in Beijing. Now, he’s in London as part of the 227-member Paralympic Team.

While the U.S. Paralympic movement is under the U.S. Olympic Committee and has the same objective — winning medals — not all places valued adapted sports in the same way.

Snover, who had become interested in handcycling, wanted to hold a clinic to introduce more people to the sport, but he was met with resistance.

23AUGUST2012

“It was perceived that there wouldn’t be a great number of people who would be interested in handcycling,” he says.

And that’s when Snover and Winkler realized that there was a need for an organization like CMFA. “We didn’t care if it was 10 people or a 100 people — we felt everybody should at least be offered the opportunity to be introduced to it,” he says.

“So that’s when we sat at my kitchen table on Sundays and talked about what our mission would look like, who would we serve and what would it take.”

By January 2008 they were an approved nonprofit able to seek funding, which brought them to their first crossroads.

“Some folks were kind of trying to push us into finding that million dollar check to build that dream facility, but we didn’t feel confident that that’s what we could do,” he says. “It was our mindset that we’ll prove it and once we prove

it, we’ll be recognized for it and once we’re recognized for it we’ll be able to grow at a measured pace.”

And so they started small, but not too small. When they were finally able to hold the cycling clinic — the one they received resistance over — 27 people attended.

Soon, they started working with the VA doing more one-time introductory events, and they now have regular participants in several adapted sports.

Throughout the growth, Snover has continued his handcycling training. He recently hit the talent pool standard in handcycling.

He still pays for his coach, but once an athlete hits the National Team standard, coaching, camps and clinics are paid for, as are trips overseas.

And while CMFA certainly helps athletes with such lofty ambitions, it’s mainly for those in the community looking for a way to participate with a physical disability.

“Basically, if somebody wants to see something,

we’re more than happy to try to do it,” says Program and Services Manager Krista Geden. “We’ll get the time and the space and the people.”

Continuing with a program requires a certain level of attendance, but Geden says providing that initial opportunity is important, especially since people are still learning who they are and what they do.

“I went to a VA amputee support meeting yesterday,” Geden says. “A couple of older guys who have been there for a while didn’t know one thing that we had going on. That’s a real eye opener, because we’re everywhere — in different programs, at different hospitals — and people still don’t have a clue.”

Some of the sports can get rough, however. Particularly wheelchair rugby.

“It’s my favorite sport,” Geden says. “It used to be called Murder Ball.”

Snover agrees. “The chairs are heavy and they look like something out of Mad Max.”

Geden says that after three years of practicing and scrimmaging, the six-person rugby team has become a formal team and is currently planning out its season.

Snover estimates they probably have 75 participants enrolled in ongoing programs, and probably 150 that they see individually, either at clinics, the Paralympic Experience, which they will hold next month at the Kroc Center, or for their popular waterskiing event, which is a partnership with the Children’s Medical Center at Georgia Health Sciences University.

Offering tubing, kayaking and adapted waterskiing, the yearly event draws over 150 volunteers and up to 50 participants.

“Some of them — this is the only time we see them,” Snover says. “Parents and kids, as they grow up, say this is the most special day of the year.”

For Snover, the smiles make all the effort worthwhile.

“Every once in a while

SIDE NOTE

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On the Air Given the increasing interest surrounding the Paralympic movement, viewers will have several opportunities to check in on the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, which run from August 29-September 9. While not exactly the 5,535 hours the NBC networks devoted to the recent Olympic Games, it nevertheless represents an improvement over past years.

Beginning August 29, the U.S. Paralympics YouTube channel will provide 10 daily highlight packages, while usparalympics.org will also be covering the games.

The NBC Sports Network will air several one-hour highlight shows, and on September 16, NBC will broadcast a 90-minute special from 2-3:30 p.m.

In addition to the U.S. coverage, the IPC, which is the international governing body of the Paralympic movement, will air 580 hours of live sports on paralympics.org, including 1,000 hours of video on demand.

Jeff Snover 23AUGUST2012

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Scott Winkler

I feel that all we’re doing is writing grants,” he says. “But when we have the events, it’s like this is what it’s all about. I get goosebumps just talking about it.”

And Snover knows what an impact adapted sports can have on someone dealing with a disability.

“It’s easy to give up hope,” he says.

“It really is. We’re not looking to make athletes, though. We’re looking to advance people’s lives.”

And those lives can advance in unexpected ways.

“We’ve had guys join the basketball team and when we tell them we’re going on a trip and they’ve got to get themselves there, they seek employment just to support their 16 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

wheelchair basketball habit,” he says.

Some colleges are even giving out scholarships for adapted sports.

Ultimately, Snover would like to transition out of his leadership role and see the organization get its own facility. While the current relationship with the Kroc Center is rewarding and beneficial, he says the inevitable scheduling issues make him wish for a space of their own.

“If we had offices at our facility, Krista wouldn’t have to go take chairs to events or practices like she does now,” he says.

As for that million-dollar grant.

“We could now manage a million dollars,” he says confidently. “We’re at that level.”

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THE MEANING OF IT

By Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz

95 Old school 96 Mechanical engineer Howe 97 Grotesque giant 98 Practices wearing gloves 103 Underside of a ship 104 “How dare you climb a barbedwire fence wearing my sweater!”

106 “I’m in a hurry to see that bug squashed!”

110 “Yeah, I’m asking for people’s impression of this inkblot -- so?!”

111 Annual Academy list 112 “Catch!”

113 U-Haul driver’s place 114 Abbr. for an unlimited number?

115 They take stock during an emergency 116 Senatorial agreements 117 Rooting area 118 [How shameful!]

Down 1 Gelatin made from consommé 2 Conversation opener?

3 Rwandan people 4 Truffle coating 5 Boat tip 6 Pilot who makes vertical takeoffs 7 Most snarky 8 In good shape 9 Kuwaiti ruler 10 Ready to go through the wringer 11 Slatted windows 12 Kicks in one’s share 13 Barometer reading 14 1951 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee 15 Kia subcompact 16 Bearded beast 17 Partake of 21 “Great” guy 23 “Maisie” star Sothern 24 Honored a king, perhaps 27 Peace disrupter 30 It means “farmer” in Afrikaans 31 Binary star in Cetus 32 Bullet points 33 First circle of hell in Dante’s “Inferno” 34 Work in a bakery 35 Castaway’s message 36 Hip-hop’s Run-___ 37 Shirley who sang “Goldfinger” 38 Eisner’s successor as Disney chief 39 Marisa of “The Wrestler”

40 Really economize 41 Claim 42 Approximately one out of every two deliveries 43 Sea gull nesting site, maybe 47 Gave out 48 Fighting spirit 51 Handles badly?

52 Besieged city during the Spanish Civil War 54 Pinkish red 55 Single-sex house, usually 58 Symbol on California’s flag 59 Spot 60 55-Down letter 62 Like Tarzan’s mannerisms 64 Whitebeards 65 D-Day code name 66 Incessantly 67 The Teflon Don 71 Opposite of “da” 72 Employment 73 “Speed-the-Plow” playwright 74 Demotion victim of 2006 77 Palmtop, e.g., in brief 79 North Carolina college town 81 Muckraker Jacob 82 Vegas attraction 83 Hedonists’ opposites 84 ___ degree 86 Kid aged 10-12 87 Goofballs 89 Renders invalid 90 Dainty desserts 92 Inclines 93 Stable supply 97 John who wrote “Appointment in Samarra” 98 Didn’t get involved 99 Skilled hand 100 Until now 101 Joins the mob 102 Unable to leave 103 Paleontological find 104 Quaker pronoun 105 Coup d’___ 106 NBC offering, briefly 107 Besides 108 Alt-rock genre 109 Animal trap 110 It’s asked for a reason

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C O A T D O D O S H O W E S P I L P A D R U E D A P A S Y E L L S R S W M O D I S P E D N H L E B I L L C R A Y R A C Y

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106

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PREVIOUSPUZZLEANSWERS

Across 1 Tsp. or tbsp.

4 Tax expert, briefly 7 Slow-cooked dish 11 “Star Trek: T.N.G.” character Geordi ___ 18 Coin of little value 19 Mine layer 20 Iditarod endpoint 21 Short, light musical piece 22 “Talking isn’t going to reseal that wine bottle!”

25 “Quit trying to make a paper doll by ripping the paper!”

26 “I can see why shoppers avoid this off-brand white bread!”

27 One of England’s Cinque Ports 28 Dinette set 29 Cry for 30 Zookeeper’s injuries, maybe 31 Beverage that’s graded 35 “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria 36 “I already know my homemade cold cream is useless!”

38 “So you finally got the gist of that Stephen Hawking book!”

44 Response to feeble excuses 45 Scrammed 46 Semitransparent curtain 49 Carnival dance 50 Faulkner’s “A Rose for ___” 51 Seat seeker 53 Hard workers 56 Lawn starter 57 Actress Russo 58 Furry feller?

61 Spree stops 63 “Of course this car isn’t voicecontrolled!”

68 Go by 69 IHOP order 70 Hold up one’s end?

72 Field authority 75 Wood nymph 76 Drink name suffix 77 Saintly quality 78 Peabody Essex Museum city 80 Old Testament section 83 Slow and steady 85 Lucky charms 88 “This tippy Christmas tree is driving me crazy!”

91 “Stop dillydallying and use your boarding pass!”

94 Apiece

O G O D

S O N E

O L L A S O R E S R O O T S F O R

L A F I T T E W E T H E F L A T T

A T T E C R E D H A N D C L I H E B E E X G I O N C P A G E U P C B E H I A L S T D C R A S R I G H A O E P S B I E S R I C K O K I E N O S Y

P A L M E A N D S T R U M

U T A H S O S O H I T T L O C N R O O A F A N O F M O R E I D E A N D T H E A A N G O L D E S T U S E R T T E R O H R S O W O C R I B A N N I

R A B I

A R O O

I N O N

T S K S

S T U A P R H O E A R T S E N Y T A D K E V F I N E S A N E S S A E L

I T C A N

D E A N E

E R T E S

B E N I N G

I A G R E E

B R O K E R

H A L A L

T E E T E R E D

O A T R N O E A P

EVERY TRIP DESERVES A NICE Elliott Sons Funeral Homes ENDING. ELLIOTTFUNERALHOME.COM

23AUGUST2012

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Participants are invited to bring drinks and dinner. $25, with preregistration required. Call 803-730-9739 or visit patriottourboat.com.

Music at the Morris: Music of the Baroque Period, featuring members of ASU’s faculty, is Sunday, August 26, at 2 and 3:15 p.m. at the Morris Museum of Art. Free. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org. quietSTORM performs as part of Garden City Jazz’s Candlelight Jazz Series on Sunday, August 26, at the 8th Street River Stage downtown at 8 p.m. $6; free, those 12 and under. Visit gardencityjazz.com.

2012 Hopelands Summer Concert Series, featuring the Aiken Concert Band, is Monday, August 27, at 7 p.m. at Hopelands Gardens in Aiken.

Participants should bring lawn chairs and blankets. Free. Call 803-6427631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.

Recital, with the music of Paul Bonneau, Gregory Wanamaker and Glenn Gould performed by Chris Condon on saxophone, Alexi Agosto on clarinet, and Rafael Velez on string bass, will be held Thursday, August 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta. Free and open to the public. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

The Salvation Army School of the Performing Arts holds classes each Tuesday. Included is instruction in piano, drums, guitar, voice and brass.

Call 706-364-4069 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Literary Talk the Talk Ladies Book Club will discuss “Black Berry Days of Summer” by Ruth P. Watson on Tuesday, August 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

The Thursday Morning Book Club will discuss “My Stroke of Insight” by Jill Bolte Taylor on Thursday, August 30, at 10 a.m. at the Maxwell Branch Library. Call 706-793-2020 or visit ecgrl.org.

Nook tutorials at Barnes and Noble in the Augusta Mall are each Saturday beginning at noon, followed by a Nookcolor tutorial at 12:30 p.m. Free. Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

Dance Tango Night is every Thursday, 7-9:30 p.m., at Casa Blanca Cafe, 936 Broad Street. Call 706-504-3431 or visit casablancatime.com.

Belly Dance Class is every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Euchee Creek Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org.

Augusta International Folk Dance Club meets Tuesday nights from 7:309:30 p.m. at the Augusta Ballet Studio on 2941 Walton Way. No partners needed. First visit free. Call 706-399-2477.

Theater “Annie,” a production of the Young Artists Repertory Theatre Company to celebrate its 10th anniversary, shows Friday-Saturday, August 24-25, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 26, at 3 p.m. in the Hull Auditorium of Augusta Prep. $15, adults; $12, seniors, students and children. Visit tix.com.

“Rooster,” a production of the Paine College Department of Media Studies and the Five Scholars Press Players, shows Friday-Saturday, August 24-25, at 8 p.m. at the Odeum music room in the Gilbert-Lambuth Chapel. $20; $15 for students and seniors. Call 866-647-3451 or visit paine.edu.

“The Prince Is Giving a Ball,” a production of the Enopion Theatre Company, shows Saturday, August 25, at 3 p.m. at the Kroc Center. $15, adults; $10, seniors, children 12 and under and groups of 10 or more.

Call 706-771-7777 or visit enopion.com.

20 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

“Uncle Fang-En-Stein’s Last Show,” a production of Aiken Community Playhouse’s Black Box Theatre, shows August 24-25 at 8 p.m. at the URS Center for the Performing Arts. $20, adults; $17, seniors; $12, students; $7, children under 12. Call 803-648-1438 or visit acp1101.com.

Flix “The Traveling Executioner” shows Tuesday, August 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Free. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Special Events Fall Children’s Consignment Sale is Friday, August 24, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, August 25, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at North Augusta’s Fairview Presbyterian Early Childhood Center. Call 803-613-9401 or visit fairviewchurch.com.

Beer Tasting, featuring 10 different brews, is Friday, August 24, from 5-8 p.m. at Wine World in North Augusta. $5, with $2 rebate upon six bottles of featured beer. Call 803-279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com.

Weekly Wine Tastings at Vineyard Wine Market in Evans are each Friday from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and each Saturday from 1-6 p.m. Call 706-922-9463 or visit vine11.com.

Apres Market walking tour of downtown art galleries meets Saturdays at 2 p.m. at the Augusta Market at the River. The tour, which lasts until 5 p.m., includes live painting, children’s reading hours, demonstrations and discounts. Visit artistsrowaugusta.com.

The Augusta Market at the River is every Saturday through October 27 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the 8th Street Bulkhead and features produce, arts and crafts and more for sale, as well as live music and entertainment. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.

Health Mobile Mammography Screenings, offered by appointment, are available August 23 at Bi-Lo on Fury’s Ferry Road, August 27 at Belle Terrace Health and Wellness Center, August 28 at Wills Memorial Hospital, August 29 at Edgefield Medical Center and August 30 at the August Chronicle and University Hospital. Appointments can be made from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. each day. Call 706-774-4145 or visit universityhealth.org.

Bariatric Seminar is Thursday, August 23, from 6-7 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-4343 or visit doctorshospital.net.

Total Joint Replacement Education Talk is Tuesday, August 28, from 1:303:30 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-6514343 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Ready and Able, a three-session class for those in their third trimesters of pregnancy, begins Tuesday, August 28, from 7-9:30 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctorhospital.net.

Men’s Health and Hunting Event, featuring Jase Robertson of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty,” is Thursday, August 30, from 5-7 p.m. at Town Creek Baptist Church in Aiken. Call 800-322-8322 or visit aikenregional.com.

Baby 101, an infant care class, is Thursday, August 30, from 7-9:30 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Child Safety Seat Inspections and Car Seat Classes, sponsored by Safe Kids East Central, are offered by appointment at either the Safe Kids Office or Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue. Call 706-721-7606 or visit georgiahealth. org/safekids.

Joint Efforts, presented by Trinity Hospital of Augusta, meets every Thursday from 11-11:45 a.m. at Augusta Bone and Joint, and features a free seminar about knee and hip pain, treatments, medication, food and exercise. Call 706-481-7604 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Infant CPR Anytime Learning Program will be held Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the first floor information desk (west entrance) of Georgia Health Sciences University. Visit georgiahealth.edu.

Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson Disease Aquatics Class meets every Monday and Friday at noon at the Wilson Family Y. Free for members; $3 for non-members. Pre-registration required. Call Claudia Collins at 706922-9664 or visit thefamilyy.org.

Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention Orientation is every Monday at 6 p.m. and Tuesday at 2 p.m. at University Hospital’s Heart & Vascular Institute (Classroom 3). Call 706-774-5548 or visit universityhealth.org.

Adapted Wii Special Populations available by appointment at the Wilson Family Y, and feature individual ½-hour classes for physically and developmentally challenged individuals of all ages. $10, members; $20, non-members. Call Claudia Collins at 706-922-9662 or visit thefamilyy.org.

Infant CPR Class is Thursday, August 23, from 7-8:30 p.m. at University Hospital. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

Support

Weight Loss Surgery Seminar is Thursday, August 23, at 7 p.m. at GHSU’s Cancer Center. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-721-2609 or visit georgiahealth.org/weightloss.

Cancer Share Support Group meets Monday, August 27, at 6 p.m. at University’s Breast Health Center. Call 706-774-8308 or visit universityhealth.org.

Weekend Childbirth Education Class is Friday, August 24, from 6:309:30 p.m. and Saturday, August 25, from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at University Hospital. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

CSRA Parkinson Support Group meets Tuesday, August 28, at 6 p.m. at St. John Towers’ dining room and features Patrick C. Smith Jr., who will speak on elder law issues and Medicaid. Call 706-364-1662 or visit universityhealth.org.

Childbirth Preparation Class is Saturday-Sunday, August 25-26, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. Pre-registration required.

Call 800-322-8322 or visit aikenregional.com.

Diabetes Youth Support Group meets quarterly. For more information, call 706-868-3241 or visit universityhealth.org.

Childbirth Education Class meets Mondays, August 27-September 24, from 7-9:30 p.m. at University Hospital. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

Multiple Sclerosis Support Group meets Monday, August 27, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Augusta MS Center. Call 706-721-8664 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Cardiac Support Group meets three times a year. For more information on meetings, as well as for pre-registration, call 706-774-5864 or visit universityhealth.org.

Adult Sexual Assault and Rape Support meets for group counseling. For 23AUGUST2012

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more information, call 706-724-5200 or visit universityhealth.org.

Narcotics Anonymous, sponsored by Trinity Hospital of Augusta, meets Fridays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Call 706-855-2419 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

AA meets every Sunday and Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. at Aiken Regional Medical Center (Aurora Pavilion), and features an open discussion. Call 800-322-8322 or visit aikenregional.com.

Burn Support Group meets every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at Doctors Hospital (Lori Rogers Nursing Library, JMS Building). All burn survivors, and their families and friends are welcome. Call Tim Dorn at 706-6516660 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Moms Connection, a free support group for new mothers and their babies, meets Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. at Georgia Health Sciences Building 1010C. Call 706-721-9351 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Appleby Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org.

entertainment. This year’s theme is Ignite Your Mind. Call 803-641-3474 or visit http://rpsec.usca.edu/SEED/.

Excel I Class is Wednesday, August 29, from 10 a.m.-noon at the Headquarters Branch Library. Valid PINES card and pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2604 or visit ecgrl.org.

Free Tutoring for all ages, offered by ASU’s Literacy Center, is available by appointment Mondays-Thursday, from 4-8 p.m., at the center at 1401 Magnolia Drive. Appointments required. Call 706-737-1625 or visit aug. edu.

Excel II Class is Wednesday, August 29, from 2-4 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Valid PINES card and pre-registration required. Call 706821-2604 or visit ecgrl.org.

Internet Security and Personal Privacy, a class for adults, is Wednesday, August 29, at 6 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-8212600 or visit ecgrl.org.

SRS Public Tours, including an overview presentation, safety briefing, Savannah River Ecology Lab tour and general driving tour, are Thursday, August 30, from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call 803-9528994 or email laurie.posey@srs.gov.

GED classes meet weekly at the Kroc Center. Pre-registration required. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Work Networking Group is held each Monday from 8:30-10 a.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta. A networking and informational meeting for anyone looking for a job, the group meets in room 206 of the Asbury Building and is facilitated by career and business professionals. Call 803-279-7525 or email doctor@pritchardgroup.com.

Computer classes are offered every Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Wallace Branch Library. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org.

Education Beginners E-Mail Class is Thursday, August 23, from 10 a.m.-noon at the Headquarters Branch Library. Valid PINES card and pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2604 or visit ecgrl.org.

SC Digital Newspaper Archive: A User’s Guide Program is Thursday, August 30, at 7 p.m. at the Aiken Public Library. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbelib.org.

ESL classes are offered every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Headquarters Branch Library (Third Floor Writing Lab). Pre-registration required. Call Charles Garrick at 803-279-3363 or visit ecgrl.org.

Beginners Internet Class is Friday, August 24, from 10 a.m.-noon at the Headquarters Branch Library. Valid PINES card and pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2604 or visit ecgrl.org.

The Dollar Dog Days of Summer goes on throughout the month of August at the Augusta Museum of History. During the month, admission is $1. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

Intermediate Spanish Language Class is each Monday from 2:30-4 p.m. at Friedman Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

The Digital Library: A Basic Introduction is Saturday, August 25, at 3 p.m. at the Aiken Public Library. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

27th Annual SEED, The Ruth Patrick Science Education Center’s Science Education Enrichment Day, is now accepting exhibit proposals from CSRA organizations who want to present the fun and excitement of science through hands-on, interactive exhibits, performances, demonstrations and

Beginner’s Spanish Language Class is each Monday from 4-5 p.m. at Friedman Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

Setting Up an Email Account Class is Tuesday, August 28, at 11 a.m. at the

23AUGUST2012

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 21

o r t me RIT

Want to ad advertise ise in th the Metro Spirit? 706.496.2535 or 706.373.3636

Do You Remember Your Nursery Rhymes?

While historians aren’t in agreement over who exactly was the original Mother Goose, the first literary reference to her and her children’s rhymes dates back to 1650. How well do you remember the nursery rhymes of your childhood?

What response did the other children have to Mary bringing her lamb to school?

A) they laughed and played B) they screamed and hid C) they pulled out a cookbook In “Sing a Song of Sixpence,” what was the Queen doing in the parlor?

A) entertaining guests B) singing to the prince C) eating bread and honey What were Jack Sprat and his wife’s dietary restrictions?

A) he no plums, she no Christmas pie B) he no fat, she no lean C) he no silver bells, she no cockle shells

EricJohnson|news editor eric@themetrospirit.com JoeWhite|publisher joe@themetrospirit.com AmberKuhn|sales manager amber@themetrospirit.com BrendaCarter|account executive brenda@themetrospirit.com JohnnyBeckworth|circulation manager johnny@themetrospirit.com ValerieErmerick|writer

AUGUST 2012 | METRO AUGUSTA PARENT

Who is not a character in “Hey Diddle Diddle?”

A) the owl B) the cat C) the spoon How many bags of wool does the Black Sheep have?

A) four and twenty B) seven C) three At what time did the mouse run out of the clock in “Hickory Dickory Dock?”

A) twelve B) one C) three What is Higgeldy Piggeldy?

A) a baby pig B) a black hen C) a poor dog 8-10 Correct: You know your nursery rhymes 5-7 Correct: A little fuzzy, but it’s been awhile Less than 5 Correct: You were a kid once, right?

GabrielVega|lead designer gabe@themetrospirit.com

Why did the neighbors call the authorities on “Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater?”

A) he had so many children, he didn’t know what to do B) he put his wife in a pumpkin shell C) he kissed the girls and made them cry

How did you do?

Answers: 1) A; 2) C; 3) B; 4) B; 5) A; 6) C; 7) B; 8) B; 9) A; 10) C

AmyChristian|production directorarts editor amy@themetrospirit.com

COVER DESIGN | GABRIEL VEGA

Metro Spirit is a free newspaper published weekly on Thursday, 52 weeks a year. Editorial coverage includes local issues and news, arts, entertainment, people, places and events. In our paper appear views from across the political and social spectrum. The views do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Visit us at metrospirit.com.© 15 House, LLC. Owner/Publisher: Joe White. Legal: Phillip Scott Hibbard. Reproduction or use without permission is prohibited. One copy per person, please.

CONTENTS

short stuff 04 - TIPS ON HAIR CUTS, FLU SHOTS AND MORE helping hand 06 - HOW MUCH HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE IS TOO MUCH? picking a pediatrician 08 - CHOOSING YOUR CHILD’S DOCTOR maternity leave 09 - PREPARING THE WORKPLACE FOR YOUR TIME AWAY latchkey kid 10 - HARMONY OUTSIDE OF ORGANIZATION

What two animals is Little Boy Blue supposed to rouse with his horn?

A) cow and sheep B) horse and cow C) sheep and dog What did the Three Little Kittens’ mother say when they confessed to losing their mittens?

A) Leave them alone and they’ll come home B) Oh, what a good boy am I C) Then you shall have no pie

METRO SPIRIT 08.23.12

3

shortSTUFF MAKING KIDS’ HAIRCUTS LESS HAIRY

To a small child, a haircut can be pretty stressful; after all, she’s being commanded to sit perfectly still while a stranger wields sharp objects in her face. Even if the hair cutter is a familiar face, many little ones associate cuts with boo-boos, blood and pain. They aren’t convinced that the hair removal won’t hurt. Others are afraid it will never grow back. Here are some tips for making your child’s next haircut experience a little less hairy for everyone: Take your child along for your next haircut so she can see that it’s not only not frightening, it can even be relaxing.

If this is a first haircut, explain that it won’t hurt. If necessary, snip off a small piece of your own hair to prove it.

Wash your child’s hair at home first. Convincing a

frightened toddler to lean back over a hair-washing sink will be nearly impossible. The hairdresser can rewet the child’s hair with a spray bottle—something many kids find funny.

Give your child advance warning. Describe what she should expect (scissors, a spray bottle to wet the hair, the cape to protect clothing, hair falling down as its cut), and what you expect from her (sit very still, follow the hairdresser’s commands to look up or down).

Don’t schedule a hair appointment when the child will be tired, hungry or cranky. A stressed-out child will not be cooperative.

When you call to make an appointment, ask the receptionist who is particularly good with children.

If you’re talking directly with the stylist, watch her reactions. If she seems in the least impatient or uncomfortable working with a child, ask for another

stylist.

Praise your child for his cooperation throughout the haircut.

If you think your child will be particularly difficult, ask the stylist to start with the bangs. That way, if you have to quit midway, at least her hair will be out of her eyes until you’re ready to try again.

After a successful haircut, continue to talk about the experience for a few days afterward, praising your child’s good behavior.

THE DIRT ON ADOLESCENT ACNE There are many things about growing up that are great. Acne is not one of them. For many kids, the onset of puberty brings with it the embarrassment of acne. To help your adolescents combat the problem, it’s important to separate the facts about acne from the myths.

their skin dry afterward. Using abrasive soaps or washcloths can irritate the skin and actually cause more blemishes. Applying over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide medications and limiting creams, lotions and makeup to only non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic products can also go a long way toward improving and preventing breakouts.

Acne occurs because kids aren’t washing their faces.

Myth While it may appear logical that instructing your kids to wash their faces more often will help clear up blemishes, it can actually be part of the problem.

Washing the face too often, with harsh cleansers, can actually make symptoms worse.

Your kids should wash their faces twice a day with a mild soap or cleanser and water, and gently pat

One sure way to clear up acne is if kids cut out the greasy foods, sodas and chocolate.

Myth Your grandmother may never believe this, but there has not been any proof that a poor diet increases acne.

In fact, the majority of breakouts in adolescents are caused by the fluctuating hormones of puberty. While there are many reasons to eat healthy foods, clear skin is not one of them.

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METRO SPIRIT 08.23.12

Popping or squeezing pimples makes them go away faster.

Myth Squeezing pimples may make them temporarily less noticeable, but the fact is, your kids are actually making the blemishes stick around longer. The pressure pushes bacteria and oil further into the skin, causing more redness and swelling. So the best advice is hands off.

While most adolescents will develop acne at some point, in the majority of cases, normal skin care and over-the-counter medications should minimize breakouts. If these treatments don’t seem to get the acne under control, a trip to the dermatologist might be in order. There are a number of good treatment options available.

METRO AUGUSTA PARENT | AUGUST 2012

IF THE SHOE FITS If you’ve ever tried to shove little baby feet into little shoes, you know how difficult it is be certain you have a good fit. That’s partially because children’s feet are so flexible; they will easily fit into smaller shoes without discomfort. Because kids’ bones and muscle structures develop until they’re about 20 years old, it’s crucial that they wear correct-fitting shoes to avoid bunions, corns or even permanent damage as adults. Also, children’s feet grow inconsistently. While it may take months to grow a half size, suddenly they may hit a growth spurt and change sizes within a few weeks. That makes it doubly important to regularly check your child’s shoes for proper fit and comfort.

Some universal tips for buying and correctly sizing children’s shoes include measuring both feet every time you shop for shoes, and buying the shoe to fit the largest foot. Always fit the shoe to the heel as well as the toes.

Don’t buy tight shoes — they won’t “break in” and can damage the foot as well. For smaller children, resist the urge to size them in shoes while they’re seated in a stroller or being carried. The child should stand and walk around in shoes to ensure a good fit.

Baby Shoes It is recommended that a baby not wear his first shoes until he is walking. Until that point, non-skid socks or booties will suffice for keeping his feet warm.

Otherwise, barefoot is best. Once your baby is walking, a trip to a children’s shoe store or department store is your best bet for an accurate first fitting. Avoid the stiff, high-topped leather shoes our mothers put us in (and bronzed for the fireplace mantle). There is no evidence that they help babies walk. Soft and flexible is best, so look for shoes made of canvas or other soft, breathable materials. Baby should be able to wiggle his toes easily, and there should be 1/2 inch of clearance between the toes and the end of the shoe.

Toddler Shoes Once your baby has his sea legs and is doing some serious cruising, there are a few more things to keep in mind. There is nothing wrong with buying inexpensive shoes — just make sure they have flexible soles, synthetic bottoms that offer traction, and plenty of room to grow. Velcro fasteners are much easier to get on and off than laces or buckles, and allow your toddler to assert his growing independence.

Kid Shoes As kids get older, their specific interests tend to dictate their shoe decisions.

Remember, it’s better to buy two pair of $50 tennis shoes than one $100 pair.

Having two pair of shoes to rotate between means that shoes will last longer, wear more evenly, and will be less likely to cause foot injury. It can also be important that a child wear athletic shoes appropriate to her sport.

A sports shoe store or your child’s coach is a good source for guidance. For girls determined to wear the latest fashion in platform or high-heeled shoes, a one to two-inch chunky heel with padded insoles and plenty of toe room is the best choice. And ultimately, limit the amount of time spent in the highheeled shoe.

Little feet were made for walking, and they have quite a few miles to cover. Teach your children to be good to their feet now and they’ll avoid trouble down the road.

metr o SPIRI T

FLU SHOTS — WHO NEEDS THEM? Believe it or not, the cold and flu season isn’t too far away. Now is time to start thinking about getting a flu vaccine for yourself and your family. Here are some tips in separating fact from fiction.

Who should get a flu shot?

Adults over 50, residents of nursing homes and longterm care facilities, and adults and children over six months of age with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma, or those who need regular medical care for conditions such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease or a weakened immune system, should get a flu shot. In addition, children and teens on long-term aspirin therapy, women who will be more than three

AUGUST 2012 | METRO AUGUSTA PARENT

months pregnant during flu season, those who work in can even prove fatal, especially to the elderly and those the healthcare field and anyone who shares a household with medical conditions. with someone who has a chronic health condition should receive a flu shot.

Will it give me the flu?

The shot kills the virus, so there is absolutely no way When should you get your flu shot? those who receive it will get the flu. The confusion, October and November are the optimal months. most doctors think, is because most patients get the flu It’s early enough for the vaccine to kick in before flu shot at the beginning of cold season. That’s most likely season, but late enough so that the immunity doesn’t the cause of the side effects most people experience start to wane, in case of a late flu season. afterwards.

Why not just risk getting the flu?

Flu shots will become available soon in most doctor’s Doctors say we use the term flu loosely, but true offices, many pharmacies and at the health department. influenza can make even the healthiest people very ill. It

METRO SPIRIT 08.23.12

5

HELPINGhand How much homework assistance is too much… and when should parents call in the experts?

After the new school year started recently, the collective whine of thousands of area children, offering excuses to avoid their homework, filled the night air. For many parents, their frustration at becoming jail warden to nightly homework avoiders, or worse yet, being forced to spend their evening downtime reciting the multiplication tables, leaves them looking for answers.

As parents, we’re constantly reminded that children who receive parents’ help with homework are more successful in school. But does that mean we’re forced to relive the third grade along with them?

According to experts, it’s not necessary that parents become students again in order for children to get homework completed. It’s their homework, after all, not yours.

Thankfully, there are other, more constructive ways to help a child with homework than spoon-feeding an English essay or reliving the Spanish Civil War. Set the Example As their parent and role model, your children will learn from your example how important schoolwork and academic success are. If you never inquire about your child’s homework and don’t establish any rules or expectations for its completion, your actions speak louder than any lecture on good grades. By the same token, if a child’s every moment from the time she steps off the school bus until she collapses in bed is filled with activities, lessons and commitments, that demonstrates that schoolwork isn’t a necessary priority. Establishing good study habits early and ingraining the importance of completing assignments in younger children makes your job easier down the road when they turn into resistant teenagers.

Establish Appropriate Structure One of the best ways parents can offer homework help is by providing the appropriate structure for getting the work completed. This includes establishing a routine for completing homework that fits your child’s individual learning style and temperament. This routine should include the time, location and environment in which she is expected to work.

Children who need time to play and wind down after school before hitting the books again should schedule homework time later in the afternoon or early evening, whereas those who have trouble refocusing on academics after play should probably plan to get homework out of the way early.

There should also be a designated place for homework completion. Whether this is a desk in her room or the kitchen table while you’re preparing dinner, having one place that is stocked with any necessary supplies and is well-suited for study eliminates wasted time (and excuses or stalling techniques) wandering before settling down to work.

Encourage Independence and Self-Sufficiency Many parents feel the need to sit next to their children and supervise homework completion, which leads to what many experts call learned helplessness.

Why do the work themselves, when children can ask the person sitting next to them for help?

Instead, parents should ask their kids for quick review of what they’re doing to make sure they understand

6

METRO SPIRIT 08.23.12

their tasks. As the child learns, with your guidance, to solve her own problems and to effectively complete homework, your intervention will become less and less necessary.

Offer Help, Not the Correct Answer When your child does ask for help, the most learning will occur when you offer assistance, not the correct answer. Ask questions to find out what she needs. Is it help understanding a confusing question? Are you needed merely to help the child brainstorm where she can find the answer for herself? If it is a basic concept the child doesn’t grasp, it may be necessary to reteach the skill, although parents shouldn’t teach it in a different way or criticize the teacher’s initial methods.

When checking completed assignments, it isn’t necessary to go problem by problem. If you notice a mistake, ask the child to explain how she arrived at her answer, and hope she catches the mistake. If she doesn’t, let it go and let her learn from her mistake.

When to call for Reinforcements Homework shouldn’t be a stressful issue, but if it is, and if the stress is coming from the fact that despite the school’s and your efforts the child is continuing to fall behind in school, it may be time to consider outside intervention. But the first stop is talking with your child’s teacher.

An indicator of whether outside help may be needed is how long the work is taking. If what should take 30 minutes is taking a couple of hours of frustrated work, evaluations and screenings may be the next step to see if there are underlying problems that need to be addressed.

So whether you consider yourself supervisor, cheerleader, teacher or mentor, the best help you can give your child is to help him establish good homework habits early. The best news — sit back and relax.

You’re not the one with a 500-word essay on Alexander Graham Bell due in the morning!

METRO AUGUSTA PARENT | AUGUST 2012

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METRO SPIRIT 08.23.12

7

PICKING A PEDIATRICIAN Choosing Your Child’s Doctor

Whether you’re parents-to-be navigating the world of pediatricians for the first time or seasoned parents finding yourself in need of a new physician for your kids, there are many things to keep in mind when choosing your child’s doctor. This person will be your child’s first exposure to doctors and medical care, and will be your guide and support through the many illnesses and accidents of childhood, so it’s important to put careful thought into your choice. Navigating through the maze of insurance companies, approved providers and PPOs will shape your decision somewhat, as will proximity to your home, child’s school and/or office. But once you’ve narrowed down the most general categories, how do you make a decision that will please both you and your little ones?

GP vs. Pediatrician One of the first decisions to be made is whether you want a pediatrician or a general practice physician. While both are trained and qualified to provide baby and infant preventative care and medical treatment, there are differences between the two. A general practice physician can treat the entire family.

This can be an added convenience for busy moms, as well as have its advantages when the whole household comes down with the same bug. Plus, a general practice physician will be up to date with the entire family’s changing medical history. A pediatrician, on the other hand, just specializes in kids. While both general practice physicians and pediatricians attended four years of medical school, pediatricians have three additional years of residency solely in pediatric medicine. The decision is yours to make for which specialist works best for your family.

Word of Mouth Ask everyone — coworkers, your child’s classmates’ parents, neighbors, the other couples in your childbirth class — whom they have chosen and why. Word of mouth is a fantastic way to further reduce your list of possibilities. Keep in mind, however, that parenting styles and philosophies differ, as do compatible personalities. Ask people why they chose their current doctor, and why they keep going back.

Once you’ve narrowed the list to a few potential doctors, call and schedule an appointment to meet with them in their offices. If you are parents-to-be, a good time to do this is in your seventh or eighth month of pregnancy. Prepare a list of questions in advance, keeping in mind any health concerns, family history or specific needs or requests you might have.

Schedule a Visit, and Look Around Does the office staff seem friendly? Pay attention to how they answer the telephone and the way they address the parents and children. Do the parents seem exasperated by excessive waiting times, or is the lobby filled to bursting with sick children waiting to be treated? Does the office seem clean? Check to see that basic child safety provisions, such as outlet covers, are being used. Is there a separate waiting area for sick and well children? If not, there is the possibility that a well child visit for an immunization may end up exposing your baby to the latest virus. Are there toys and books to keep children occupied in the waiting room? Ask how often they are cleaned.

child appointments? How far in advance must check-ups be scheduled? If the doctor you choose is part of a larger practice, will you see this doctor when you come for appointments, or any available doctor in the practice? While this doesn’t bother some parents or children, others want the continuity of care that comes from seeing the same doctor every time.

Office Hours and Availability New moms are filled with questions and worries. Is there someone available during the day, such as a nurse, who can address your concerns? Does the office accept drop-ins? Do they offer evening or early morning appointments, which can be a dealmaker for working parents? What provisions are made for after-hours needs? Some physicians are affiliated with after-hours clinics, which offer weekend and eveninghour drop-in appointments for sick children. This can be a lifesaver for working parents, new parents, and even kids, who never manage to get sick during doctors’ regularly scheduled business hours. Is there an after-hours telephone number for middle-of-the-night emergencies? Who answers the line? If it is an answering service, who will respond to the call — your physician, or a member of the same practice?

Are Your Parenting Philosophies Similar?

All parents have issues they are sensitive about, from the safety of childhood vaccines to whether or not to circumcise their son. Talk to any potential doctor about your particular needs, hot buttons and concerns in advance, to ensure you are in agreement on issues of importance to you. If you are a mother working outside the home, you will probably not get much support from a doctor who is completely antidaycare. If you plan to nurse, it is vitally important that you find a pediatrician who is supportive of your decision. Will the doctor still bombard you with formula samples at every visit, or suggest that you wean at the slightest problem? Do you advocate attachment parenting, or will you allow your child to cry himself to sleep? Choosing your child’s doctor is essentially choosing a member of the team who will help you get your child from infancy to adulthood. All the members of the team need to be in agreement, ready to work together to achieve that goal.

childhood. If the only hospital a potential doctor practices at is an hour from your house, while two other medical facilities are right down the street, your child may not be able to get continuity of care or quick treatment in a medical emergency.

Likewise, if you have strong feelings about the hospital you would want your child treated at, work backwards to make sure you are only considering physicians with privileges to practice at that facility.

Gut Reaction Don’t discount an immediate reaction to someone. People bring their own personal histories to the table when choosing a doctor, just like in most aspects of life. If your idea of a “perfect” pediatrician includes a seasoned, grandfatherly type with peppermints in his pockets, a fresh-out-of-school doc is probably not going to be the best fit for your family.

Alternately, if you are someone who sees value in alternative medicines or want someone up-to-date on the most recent developments in child health, a doctor with interests in homeopathic medicine might be a better match. Ask yourself if you will feel comfortable talking with and confiding your concerns to this person. If you have older children, allow them to meet the doctor as well, and watch how they react to each other. Does the doctor talk to the child or at him? Do you think this person’s personality and methods of interaction will calm your child or terrify him? Trust yourself. And remember it’s perfectly okay if you aren’t enamored with the pediatrician that everyone in your child’s carpool swears by.

From checking out the doctor’s office to discussing parenting philosophies, there are many ways to make an accurate, confident decision when choosing your child’s doctor. Put some thought into what you’re looking for, ask for recommendations, and meet a few doctors face-to-face. That way, when you do decide, you can be confident that you’ve found an ally to support you and your child through the growing years.

At Which Local Hospitals Does the Physician Have Privileges?

If you are expecting your first child, make sure that any physician you are considering to care for the baby has privileges at the hospital where you will deliver. Will this physician visit your child in the hospital after birth? Perform the circumcision (if necessary)? With older children, though we don’t like to imagine it, illnesses and accidents are a natural consequence of

How Accessible Is Treatment?

Does the office set aside a certain number of daily sick

8

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METRO AUGUSTA PARENT | AUGUST 2012

MATERNITY LEAVE

How to prepare the workplace for your time away So it’s official — you’re having a baby. While your mother may cry and your friends may jump up and down with excitement, your boss is less likely to be as caught up in all the revelry. After all, a cuddly bundle of joy to you means loss of work time and productivity to your company. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re preparing for maternity leave.

When do you spill the beans?

Even though you’re dying to tell your office mates, resist the temptation to spread the word to your friends and coworkers until you’ve spoken to your supervisor.

Having your boss find out about your pregnancy through grapevine is about the worst thing that can happen, professionally.

Once you’ve told her, discuss how the news will be broken to your coworkers with your boss.

Plan a meeting, not a gush-fest.

When you do sit down with your supervisor to discuss your pregnancy, this is a time to reassure him or her that you are still committed to your work and the company.

This meeting is also an opportunity to demonstrate that you will maintain the same professionalism on the job and dedication to your work as you have in the past.

Employers know that there will be many doctors appointments for you in the coming months, but be

AUGUST 2012 | METRO AUGUSTA PARENT

prepared to discuss with your boss the best time to schedule those appointments. Aim for appointment during the first hour of the day on your least busy work day.

Successfully negotiating a maternity leave agreement Often, it’s only the largest companies who have a written maternity leave package. Though the federal Family Medical Leave Act requires employers with more than 25 workers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave after a baby is born, very few of us can financially afford to have that much time without a paycheck coming in.

Before you go in to talk to your supervisor about what you can expect from your own maternity leave, take some time to reflect on your own work history and the value you have to your company. You should also come up with a plan for covering your job responsibilities while you are out.

From creating an operating manual that outlines your basic job functions to cross training someone to handle your clients while you are out, planning to have your responsibilities handled shows that you are as committed to your work as you are your new role as a mother.

What if you’re not planning to return?

“If you know up front that your intention is to stay home after the baby is born, do the right thing,” says Woodruff-

Swarts. “I would be honest about that up front.”

There is no greater fear for an employer than worrying whether an employee will return from maternity leave, especially a first-time mother, who just can’t prepare herself for the enormity of the emotions she feels when she imagines leaving her child to return to work. So if you know your intention is to be a stay-at-home mom, be upfront about it. Waiting until the week, or even day, before you are due to return from maternity leave to inform your supervisor that you won’t be returning is not very professional.

But if you do know you’re leaving your position, ask your supervisor what you can do to ensure a smooth transition.

Business As Usual Once your big news is shared, congratulations are offered and your maternity leave is established, it’s time to get back to work. While you may experience excessive tiredness, months of nausea or other discomforts, readjust your work schedule as you may need to maintain your level of productivity. And while you are certainly excited about the impending baby, it’s not an excuse to spend the next nine months planning nursery colors and discussing baby names with coworkers around the clock.

METRO SPIRIT 08.23.12

9

LATCHKEY KID

Harmony Outside of Organization…

We don’t do “organized,” the Boy and I. While a quick pass of our home would confirm this, I’m speaking more in terms of not actively participating in organized religion or sports. I don’t know what this random tidbit says about us. I suspect it says not much of import. At least not to us. To others it may speak volumes.

When I say organized, I mean as it applies in the truest form of the word — formally structured. For me, the formalizing of a thing often strips it of its character and goodness. Removal of the casual frequently adds layers of bureaucracy and either muddies or obliterates the original intent (i.e., the thing the thing was supposed to be or do). It can be heartbreaking, really, and has lent itself to easy avoidance.

Fearing no cliché, I believe my Boy and I to be fairly spiritual. Our belief systems are solid and bring us great comfort.

The matter is deeply personal to me and is a thing of which I rarely speak.

There seems no need. Especially if challenged to justify it.

Suffice it to say the decision to believe and worship in private was given much consideration and reached as a result of decades of experience in the sanctuaries of several denominations.

We are simple people, to be sure. But if we are expected to meet your standards, you, in turn, are expected to meet ours. I’ve never considered that to be asking too much. Hypocrisy, unfair judgment and close-mindedness topped off with a cover charge do not meet our standards. This is no blanket damnation of organized religion but only a synopsis of my personal experience. Being told by the neighborhood kids that you are going to hell because your family does not attend church makes quite an impression. Having that message confirmed by a fourth grade teacher does as well. A subsequent lifetime of similar enlightenment cements it. I have my family to thank for not being driven from religion entirely. Even when stung, we mostly do not care what the other guy thinks of us. We turn the other cheek as it were. We employ a successful variation of the same Golden Rule claimed by many others. (For the record, many of those folks seem not to practice what they preach).

It’s a tougher state of affairs than simply limping toward a soapbox and denouncing organized religion.

I would do no such thing. In fact, I have tremendous respect for those who have found solace and refuge

10 METRO SPIRIT 08.23.12

in the Church. I would ask only the same courtesy for having found solace and refuge outside of the Church.

Often, that proves an unreasonable request.

I occasionally doubt myself and consider the possible folly of not raising my Boy closer to the Church. Doubt can be a good and reassuring thing for a parent. It forces him to reevaluate decisions and stances and to revisit the things that have made him who he is.

Without fail, I overcome this doubt. Usually as a result of my spirituality and belief system.

Perhaps even more difficult than sidestepping organized religion has been the eschewing of the seasonal gathering of “young people acting poorly” and their overzealous parents — or as you may know it, organized youth sports.

As a kid, playing a few years of baseball for the Augusta-Richmond County Recreation Department was

of soccer. Four of baseball. The experience was quite like our previous organized experiences. We tried to play nice with others only to learn we were missing the mechanism that prevented us from demonstrating sportsmanship, self-discipline, manners and common decency. Today’s organized youth sports are pure business. An uncomfortable mixture of egotism and aloofness.

Our early days of soccer catered to many parents who considered practices and games as pure social events — their undisciplined children doing everything except what was expected of them. Baseball catered to emerging serious athletes already vying for spots on travel teams and the attention of scouts. Many of the parents and coaches were disgraceful enough that the ones who were not simply faded into the spring backdrop. No bonds were formed nor camaraderie

instrumental in teaching me respect, discipline and a further love of the game. During practice, if I misplayed a ground ball, I knew to drop my glove and run a lap.

My teammates did not laugh for fear of running beside me. And there were no ever-present and misguided parents around intent on stealing from us the joy of the game.

So sure was I of my Boy becoming a left-handed pitching phenom, I placed an official National League baseball in his crib the day he came home. I couldn’t wait for him to get involved in sports and to experience the implicit camaraderie.

We started him in soccer at three years old. Baseball followed. We tried, by God. We tried. Three seasons

experienced.

After four seasons, it became clear the Boy would continue playing primarily as an effort to please me.

I hope to never be so selfish as to allow that. So we departed the world of local organized youth sports and find that we don’t miss it. But we sure enjoy sports from the comfort of our home. It works better for us.

I don’t think we are complex enough to appreciate participating in organized religion or sports. We like our heady pursuits to be satisfying, fulfilling. Drama free.

We’re a simple family. Always open to possibility, but mostly content with the choices we’ve made. Mostly content with the choices others have made.

As a result, we don’t do “organized,” the Boy and I.

RYANBURKHOLDER, a 40-something former latchkey kid who lived in Augusta for 30 years, now calls Nashville, Tennessee, home, where he lives with his 10-year-old son Emerson and their 18-year-old cat Potter. Happily divorced, he works in the communications department for a large healthcare company and describes himself as apolitical, an “unfortunate packrat who despises clutter” and a First Amendment purist. He loves small-batch bourbons, good cigars and exotic food (including Waffle House), but dislikes warm beer and most people in grocery stores. “I’ve also sat proudly atop the aged Army tank at Pendleton King Park at least 100 times,” he says.

METRO AUGUSTA PARENT | AUGUST 2012

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Gone Postal XX

We’re having a problem with our mailman. For the sake of political correctness, I’m sure that’s not what they’re called anymore, but he’s a man and he delivers my mail. Well, he’s supposed to deliver my mail.

For a couple of years, we’ve gotten pieces of mail that belong to our neighbors or people with the same house number but on a different street. It’s been annoying, but I just put it on top of my mailbox and assume that our mailman will deliver it to the proper home. I might or might not thumb through the People magazines first.

Before I completely blame the mailman, I have to wonder if this is a sorting problem or a mailman problem. I’m unaware of the inner postal workings, and wonder who is in charge of sorting the mail. Maybe it’s already sorted for the mailman, and he just picks up some boxes and puts them in the truck. I’d think at some point, though, he’d notice that the address on the stack of mail doesn’t match the one on the mailbox. Maybe not.

The truth is that this is a first world problem. There are much bigger issues that need attention. It could be worse, too. I have a friend who complained to the postal manager and her mailman left a box of tissues on her mailbox. He’s hostile. Ours is actually a really nice guy. Even nice people can suck at their jobs.

When we went to Ireland this summer, we asked, via the website, for our mail to be held for the week. We’ve done this numerous times before. I requested that it all be delivered on the Monday following our return. One would think that two adults would get quite a bit of mail in one week, right? Five pieces. We got a total of two envelopes and three political post cards. It struck me as odd, but I thought maybe the big box of mail would come the next day. Nope. I thought it was strange, but we take care of bills and things online, so I just hoped we weren’t missing anything. Last

23AUGUST2012

week, there were three days in a row where we didn’t get any mail.

It wouldn’t have been all that strange if there weren’t days when we only got someone else’s mail. Today, we got three pieces that belonged to our neighbor and none of ours. There wasn’t even anything good in there. So where’s our mail?

I would’ve just delivered it all to its rightful owner, but I wanted to leave a note for the mailman. It was a simple note, on a hot pink Post It. It said “WRONG MAIL AGAIN.” And yes, I underlined it. I also called and filed a complaint with the USPS. The girl was really nice and apologetic. I don’t have high expectations for change, though. I’m supposed to get a call from them tomorrow, which will let me know where the investigation stands. I have a case number, and they’ve made a notation on the carrier’s route (so that’s what they’re called). That makes it sound so official and serious.

The mail has to be somewhere, though. How do I know what we’ve even missed?

The fact is, we don’t. We may never know. I also wonder if they’ll tell the guy who complained. Have others complained? I certainly don’t want to make him mad; he does know where I live.

If we’ve missed your party or wedding, please know it wasn’t intentional. We might not have even known about it. I’m gonna have to come up with a new excuse once this is resolved, aren’t I?

JENNYWRIGHT lives in Summerville with her husband, who she calls The Man, and two kids, who she affectionately calls The Boy and The Girl. She enjoys taking photos, cooking and playing tennis.

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 35

Come in for a tour TODAY!

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Benefits Fish Fry Fundraiser for The Augusta Mini Theatre is Friday, August 24, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the theater’s location at 2548 Dean’s Bridge Road. $10.

Call 706-294-2520 for tickets.

Community Yoga Class to benefit the Burke County Public Schools Early Head Start program is Saturday, August 25, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Oxygen Fitness Studio. $15. Call 706-364-7746 or visit oxygenfitstudio. com.

Karma Yoga is offered at Just Breathe Studio, downtown Aiken, each Friday at 10 a.m. and is free if participants bring a donation of a personal item, which will be given to the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons. Call 803-648-8048 or visit justbreathestudio.com.

visit alsalley@wrh.org.

Augusta Canal Boat Tours lasting one hour are offered Monday-Saturday at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30, 3 and 4:30 p.m. All tours include admission to the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center. Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com.

The Augusta Fencers Club is open five nights a week from 5:30-9 p.m. and most Saturday mornings from 10 a.m.-noon. Visitors always welcome. Call 706-722-8878.

Thursday Night Chain Reaction Ride begins at 6 p.m. each Thursday at Patriots Park in Grovetown. For intermediate to fast-paced cyclists, who average 25-32 miles. Participants should bring their own water and helmet. Call 706-855-2024 or visit chainreactionbicycles.net.

Sports-Outdoors The Augusta GreenJackets play the Greensboro Grasshoppers ThursdaySaturday, August 23-25, at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday, August 26, at 5:35 p.m. at Lake Olmstead Stadium. $7-$11. Call 706-736-7889 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.

ASU BSN Nightingale 5K Run is Saturday, August 25, at 8:30 a.m. at Blanchard Woods Park. Pre-registration by August 23 is $25. Visit active. com.

Last Saturday in the Park is Saturday, August 25, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at North Augusta’s Living History Park and is an interactive glimpse of life during the colonial period. Call 803-279-7560 or visit colonialtimes.us.

Bike for the Ballet, hosted by the Augusta Ballet, is Sunday, August 26, at Enterprise Mill with the ride beginning at 8 a.m. and a celebration at noon.

Ride registration is $35; celebration tickets for non-registrants are $20.

Call 706-261-0555 or visit augustaballet.org.

Fourth Annual Paine College Golf Tournament, to benefit the college’s men’s golf team, is Monday, August 27, at Gordon Lakes Golf Club, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 11 a.m.

Registration, $125 per person or $375 per team, includes 18 holes of golf, green fees, golf car, brunch, beverages and awards reception. Visit paineathletics.com/GOLF. Fall Softball for girls 18 and under, offered by Belvedere Girls Fast Ptich Softball League, is now registering players at the Belvedere Field Concession Stand on Saturday, August 25, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Tuesday, August 28, from 6-8 p.m. Registration fees, $60 for one child and $40 for each additional child from the same family, includes team shirt, socks, picture, insurance, a trophy at the end of the season and more. The league also needs volunteers, who can also sign up during registration.

Call 803-341-4598.

The Augusta Rugby Club holds weekly practice sessions at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Larry Bray Memorial Pitch, 100 Wood Street in Augusta, adjacent to the Augusta GreenJackets’ stadium at Lake Olmstead. Experienced rugby players and newbies ages 18 and up alike are welcome, and those interested should bring a pair of cleats (cross trainers will work) a mouthguard, gym shorts and a T-shirt. Visit augustarugby.org or Facebook under the Augusta Rugby Club heading.

BlazeSports Swim Team, for all ages of physically challenged swimmers who want to train for competition, meets at the Wilson Family Y. $35 a month, members; $50 a month, non-members. Pre-registration required.

Visit thefamilyy.org.

Wheelchair Tennis is each Monday at 6 p.m., weather permitting, at the Club at Rae’s Creek. Free and open to the public. Call 706-826-5809 or 23AUGUST2012

Riverview Disc Golf League meets each Thursday at 6 p.m. at Riverview Park in North Augusta. $5 entry fee and $1 ace pool. Call 803-215-8181 or visit augustadiscgolf.com.

Road Bike Ride meets each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse downtown for an approximately 25-mile ride at a moderate to fast pace. Front and rear lights, as well as a helmet, are required. Call 706-724-6777 or visit andyjordans.com.

Guided Trail Rides at Hilltop Riding Stables at Fort Gordon are available Saturdays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Sundays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon; and Wednesday-Friday at 11 a.m. with reservations 24 hours in advance. All trail rides are on a first-come, firstserved basis, and participants should arrive 30 minutes prior to the trail ride starting for sign in procedures. $23-$30. Call 706-791-4864 or visit fortgordon.com.

Zumba with Sohailla is every Saturday from 10-11 a.m. at the Ballroom Dance Center in Evans. Call 706-421-6168 or visit zumbawithsohailla. blogspot.com.

Saturday Historic Trolley Tours are Saturdays from 1:30-3:15 p.m. at the Augusta Museum of History. Reservations required 24 hours in advance. $12. Call 706-724-4067 or visit augustamuseum.org.

Lakeside Rideouts at Hilltop Riding Stables at Fort Gordon are each Sunday beginning at 1:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. The ride, which begins at 2 p.m., is a two-hour guided ride to Wilkerson Lake. $45-$50.

Call 706-791-4864 or visit fortgordon.com.

Weekly Group Runs include the Monday Metro Run meeting at Metro Coffeehouse at 6 p.m.; Monday Intervals meeting at the Family Y track on Wheeler Road at 7 p.m.; the Tuesday Nacho Mama’s Group Run at 6 p.m.; Wednesday’s Blanchard Woods Group Run at 6 p.m.; Wednesday Stay in Shape Group Run at 6 p.m.; Wednesday’s Post Office Hill Training Run at 7 p.m.; Thursday’s Homer Hustle at 6 p.m.; and Saturday’s Stay in Shape Run at 8 a.m. For more information, visit augustastriders.com.

Kroc Trotters Running Group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Free for members. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Hott Shott Disc Golf is each Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Killer B Disc Golf, 863 Broad Street, and features games and prizes for all ages and skill levels. $2. Call 706-814-7514 or visit killerbdiscgolf.blogspot.com/p/hott-shott.

Kids Back to School, a special program presented by Cutno Dance Studio, is Saturday, August 25, at 2 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Parents Night Out at the Wilson Family Y and the Family Y of Augusta South is Saturday, August 25, from 6-9:30 p.m. $12, members; $20, nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Visit thefamilyy.org.

Parents Night Out at the Marshall Family Y is Saturday, August 25, from 6-9:30 p.m. For those ages 2-12, cost is $12 for members and $20 for non-members. Pre-registration required. Visit thefamilyy.org.

Parents Night Out for Children of Deployed Soldiers at the Marshall Family Y is Saturday, August 25, from 6-9:30 p.m. For those ages 2-12. Free.

Pre-registration required. Visit thefamilyy.org.

Hickory Hill at the Watson-Brown Foundation are looking for high schoolers to server on its Junior Board, which makes grants to assist with historic preservation projects in the CSRA. Applicants must be in high school in Columbia, Richmond, Lincoln, Elbert, Wilkes, Warren, McDuffie, Jefferson, Taliaferro, Glascock, Burk, Aiken or McCormick counties and must be able to attend board meetings once or twice a month on weekdays evenings throughout the school year. Applications, available online, are due September 14. Call 706-595-7777 or visit hickory-hill.org/junior-board/ about-hh-junior-board.html.

Kroc Tots Activity Hour, featuring story time, crafts and more, is every Friday at 9 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Free, members; $1, non-members. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Free Junior Fitness Class, for those ages 7-12, meets Sundays at 3 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Follow the Drinking Gourd shows Saturdays in August at 8 p.m. and Digistar Virtual Journey shows Saturdays in August at 9 p.m. at the DuPont Planetarium in Aiken. Digistar shows are $5.50, adults; $4.50, seniors; $3.50, 4K-12th grade students; $1, USC-A students, faculty and staff.

General shows are $4.50, adults; $3.50, seniors; $2.50, 4K-12th grade students; and $1, USC-A students, faculty and staff. Call 803-641-3654 or visit http://rpsec.usca.edu/planetarium.

Zumbatonic, a Zumba class for kids, meets Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Preschool Story Time is every Tuesday at Headquarters Branch Library at 10 a.m. Toddler Story Time is every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Group registration required. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Story Time is every Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Diamond Lakes Branch Library.

Groups of six or more must pre-register. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl. org.

Story Time is every Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Friedman Branch Library. Groups of six or more must pre-register. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

Story Time is every Wednesday from 10-11:15 a.m. at Wallace Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org.

Story Time at the Columbia County Library is each Tuesday at 11 a.m. for those under 2; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10:15 a.m. for 2-year-olds; and Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. for preschoolers. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org.

Story Time at the Euchee Creek Branch Library, for all ages, is each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and each Thursday at 4 p.m. Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org.

Story Time is every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at Harlem Branch Library. Call 706-556-9795 or visit ecgrl.org.

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 37

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42 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 43

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How Has Dubstep Ruined Your Life?

Because it sure did screw up at least part of Museâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new album

There are a couple bands out today, only a couple, that I think are setting the stage for alternative musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. One of those bands is Muse. Their albums â&#x20AC;&#x153;Absolution,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Holes and Revelationsâ&#x20AC;? and 2009â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Resistanceâ&#x20AC;? have been three of the best albums from the past decade.

So when Muse announced the release of their new album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 2nd Law,â&#x20AC;? I was pumped. That, of course, was before I saw the teaser video on YouTube. It seems that Muse has been molested by the sounds of a nerd circus that goes by the name of Skrillex. Along with introducing the worst haircut trend since Jennifer Anistonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Rachael,â&#x20AC;? Skrillex is perfecting and spreading the disease known as dubstep.

If you are unfamiliar with dubstep, Wikipedia describes it as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a genre of electronic dance music. Its overall sound is tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples and occasional vocals.â&#x20AC;?

I describe it as musical diarrhea. Instead of using Skrillex himself, bands are now doing their own versions of dubstep. Even the new song from Three Days Grace has a mix of dubstep. Of course, Three Days Grace isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t one of the bands that are helping alternative music in the first place.

I still have hope for the new Muse disc. The band has always been about experimenting with sound; letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just hope the entire album doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sound like the teaser. Luckily, the first single doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Check out â&#x20AC;&#x153;Madness,â&#x20AC;? which hit the web this week. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poppy, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 2nd Lawâ&#x20AC;? will be on store shelves on October 2.

If you needed another reason to not watch â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Idol,â&#x20AC;? Nicki Minaj is set to join the show next season as one of the new judges for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hitâ&#x20AC;? reality show.

These reports are coming from Us Weekly; they seem really credible. Nicki will join Mariah Carey as two of the confirmed judges for next season. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been talk about Randy Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exitâ&#x20AC;Ś ahhh dog. New judges up for consideration: Pharrell Williams, Nick Jonas and Charlie Sheen. If there is a god, Charlie Sheen will get this job.

There are two new names to add to the Ted Nugent Psychopath List: Megadeth lead singer Dave Mustaine and former football fan Hank Williams Jr. The musicians proved their ignorance this week while performing. First off, Dave Mustaine: Mustaine was performing in Singapore when he went on a tirade saying that President Obama â&#x20AC;&#x153;is trying to pass a gun ban, so heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staging all of these murders, like the Fast and Furious thing down at the border, you know, Aurora, Colorado, all the people that were killed there. And now the beautiful people at the Sikh temple.â&#x20AC;?

Next up, Hank Jr.: Jr. was at the Iowa State Fair and said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the U.S. and we hate him!â&#x20AC;?

Congrats guys, you both win straitjackets.

This show was kind of flying under the radar, but coming up on Friday, August 31, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the return of Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Drivinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; N Cryinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to Sky City. This will be a great chance for you to check out brand new music from the band. They have a new album coming out on September 18, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Songs About Cars, Space and The Ramones.â&#x20AC;?

This is the second of four EPs set to be released over 12 months. More details about the show at skycityaugusta.com.

Pretty cool show this Friday night at Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Underground. Cameras, Guns, & Radios will be performing along with special guests Banned in Two States and Scott Edwards. There was a full house there last time and this show promises to be even better.

What bands are coming to Augusta? What venue is awesome? How has dubstep ruined your life? Email me at matt@themetrospirit.com.

MATTSTONE can be heard weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 95 Rock.

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Book your fantasy football party at the Wing today.

THE ULTIMATE DRAFT DAY PACKAGE s Draft Party Starter: 50 Free Wings, 2 Dips & 1 Free Domestic Draft per person s Draft Cards for everyone in your league = season long savings! s Free Draft Kit includes: Draft Board, Set of Player Stickers & Free Wi-Fi (Minimum 10 people. Free Wi-Fi in most locations. Please check with manager when booking party.)

19K@AF?LGF ,G9< c 1#& c w i l d w i n g c a f e . c o m AUGUSTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Jarrett Ellington, Cortnie Forbes and They Thorne at Metro Coffeehouse & Pub.

SIGHTINGS

Leah Bell, Aimee Johnson, Leslie Bell and Laura Mankin at Stillwater Tap Room.

Lauren Martin, Natasha Jacobs and Erin Morris at the Indian Queen.

SIGHTINGS

Travis Nash, Karissa Vann and Dustin Elliott at the Country Club.

Tom Crowther, artist Philip Morsberger and Nancy Southerland at the opening of the Selected Works exhibit at ASU’s Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art.

SIGHTINGS

Tricia Smith, Cassy Thompson and Callie Jowers at the Soul Bar.

48 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Ronnie Stroud, Austin Melancon, Bailey Meyer and Mark Mangus at the Bee’s Knees.

Dr Lee Ann Caldwell, artist Tom Nakashima and Tom McGarrett at the opening of the Selected Works exhibit at ASU’s Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art.

Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Lewonda Daniels, Teresa Daniels and John Gray at the Bee’s Knees.

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AMYCHRISTIAN

Change in the Air

Mellow Mushroom gears up for football season

Incredibly, it’s been nearly 10 years since Shawn and Katy Ledford opened Mellow Mushroom on Broad Street. Not so surprising, however, is the fact that much has changed since then.

Known for inventive pizzas, salads and hoagies that please even the pickiest eaters, the Ledfords say that the biggest menu changes have been on the munchies portion of the menu.

“When we started in 2003, we had pretzels and cheese bread on the appetizer menu,” Shawn said.

“Bread and bread,” Katy added with a laugh.

“Now, we have a meatball appetizer, wings, which are great, bruschetta, hummus, spinach-artichoke dip, soups and an olive tapenade, which is fantastic,” Shawn said.

“So we’ve had a lot of additions.”

The menu of this franchise location, which the Ledfords own, changes with the seasons and popular items gain a spot on the regular menu. But it’s not just the food that has evolved. The Ledfords added a second Mellow Mushroom location in Columbia County in 2008 and recently updated the downtown location. The floor is a new color and the countertops have been changed in an effort to freshen things up a bit, but the biggest change is in the bar and patio area.

“We took out the wall leading to the patio and extended the bar,” Shawn explained. “We added three large booths to that area so now we have permanent seating, climate-controlled seating. It’s better for the customer because their wait time has been cut tremendously.”

The restaurant can now accommodate 50 more diners that it could before. And all diners reap the benefit of the additional televisions the Ledfords installed: Eleven of them, to be exact.

“From every seat in the bar area you can see a TV,” Shawn said.

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The expansions, both to the appetizer menu and the seating area at the downtown location, couldn’t have come at a better time. After all, football season is just days away and the Ledfords want fans to know that Mellow Mushroom is a great place to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon watching the game.

“We have NFL Package, which I don’t think anyone else downtown does, so any NFL game can be seen on TVs at both locations,” Shawn explained.

Both restaurants will also offer half-off appetizers and $3 pints all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

“We want people to come in and hang out and make it one of their stops for football viewing,” he said.

And it’s not just the games on TV that make Mellow Mushroom a good choice for sports fans. The restaurant offers a wider variety of food than some might be accustomed to at a sports bar. The Mighty Meaty, a traditional pie with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham and applewood smoked bacon, may be one of their most popular sellers, but Mellow Mushroom prides itself on high quality and unusual ingredients, as well as some for those with dietary restrictions.

“We have quite a number of offerings for vegetarians and vegans, and now we offer a gluten-free pizza crust,”

Shawn explained.

“If you want pizza and you can’t eat bread, then this is a good option,” Katy added. “And people have been very appreciative, especially people with kids.”

The restaurant now has a gluten-free section of the menu that includes salad dressings and even a beer.

Those who want more traditional bar fare while viewing the game, however, aren’t left out. The chicken wings recently added to the menu come in flavors that include hot, mild, jerk, Thai chili and barbecue.

And then there’s the beer. The downtown location offers 15 on tap, while 21 are on tap in Evans. Both offer a variety in bottles as well, variety being the key word. Shawn said that the Mellow Mushroom franchise encourages owners to offer new, different and regional beers, and that they’ve also had a lot of help locally.

“Our general manager, Ryan Kight, he’s been instrumental in our beer selection,” Shawn said. “He’s a University of Georgia grad and has brought some of that Athens experience to our beer selection. And we’re always open to carrying new beers that we hear about from our customers.”

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Both locations have full bars as well.

Those fans actually going to games needn’t count Mellow Mushroom out, however. The Ledfords say they do a lot of catering, which makes them a great option for tailgating.

“We can put party packages together for large groups for tailgating,” Shawn said.

Customers don’t have to wait until the weekends to take advantage of all that Mellow Mushroom has to offer, though.

Tuesdays at both locations have become a popular night for trivia. Thursdays are also busy, with live music and specials like 50-cent wings, $3 pints and slices offered all day instead of just during lunch on weekdays.

And then there are Fridays.

“Fridays seem to be a good pizza night; it seems like a lot of families go out for pizza on Friday night at both stores,” Katy said. “We’d like every night to be like that.”

Mellow Mushroom 1167 Broad Street, Augusta Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.11 p.m.; Sunday, noon-10 p.m.

706-828-5578 mellowmushroom.com/augusta 4348 Washington Road, Evans Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.11 p.m.; Sunday, noon-10 p.m.

706-364-6756 mellowmushroom.com/evans

50 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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VALERIEEMERICK

Cooking Up Lobster

Local playwright’s work selected for New York festival

Local actor and occasional playwright Jonathan Cook is going places — specifically to New York City to show off his original work “Lobster Man,” which made its debut here at La Chat Noir just last year.

The play was one of 40 selected by Samuel French Inc. to be presented at the 37th Annual Samuel French Inc. Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival on October 27 at the Beckett Theatre in New York City. The weeklong festival features a full program of the selected plays performed for a panel of judges comprised of established playwrights, agents and Samuel French editorial staff.

Six finalists are chosen to have their plays licensed and published by Samuel French, Inc. “From what I understand, the festival received over 900 submissions and the Samuel French staff personally reviewed each play,” explains Cook. “From there, I received a congratulations e-mail and the final 40 plays were announced on their website. The fact that this play was chosen by such a notable publishing company as in the top 40 out of over 900 plays submitted from playwrights across the nation is really quite exciting, but I do my best to stay humble.”

Not only will Cook be showcasing “Lobster Man,” but he will be taking a team of local actors with him to perform the work.

“Naturally, when I was informed that ‘Lobster Man’ was chosen as a semi-finalist in the Samuel French Festival and that I’d have to produce it myself, the first thing I did was contact the original cast and see if they would be available to travel to NYC for a couple of days,” says Cook. “Fortunately, they all screamed out ‘Yes!’ except for Carl Elder, who no longer lives in Augusta. In his place, will be Mickey Lay, who is very active in Augusta theater arts as an actor, director and with backstage technical work.”

Julianna Johnston, who plays the role of Christa, is also very excited to be working with Cook and to help present the play in New York.

“Words cannot describe how excited I am for this opportunity,” Johnston gushes.

“When Jonathan contacted me about the ‘Lobster Man’ script getting accepted to the play festival and all of us going up there to perform it, I was speechless. I was simultaneously ecstatic for both his accomplishment with the play and for the opportunity to go perform ‘Lobster Man’ again and in New York of all places!”

“Lobster Man” is a post-apocalyptic tale that has a little something for everyone, according to Johnston. “[It has] comedy, tragedy, drama, romance, suspense and mystery,” he says. “I think it has had so much success because it is impossible to not relate to something in this story. I hope this production of ‘Lobster Man’ elicits the same reaction from audiences that I hoped that first performance would. To cause people to think, talk and wonder about the meaning of the play and the motivation of the characters.

I believe the best kind of stories are the ones that provoke thought, and I believe ‘Lobster Man’ is one of the best examples of a thought-provoking story.”

To find out more about “Lobster Man” and the 37th Annual Samuel French Inc. Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, visit http://oob.samuelfrench.com.

23AUGUST2012

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T H E

METRO SPIRITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S amber@themetrospirit.com PET PAGE! Here's A New Word For You: Catio

By Lorna Barrett

For cats that are allowed to roam outdoors, danger lurks at every corner. Their average life span is only about five years (versus 15 years for indoor cats) due to being hit by cars, injured or killed by dogs or wildlife, ingesting poisons, diseases caught by fighting with other animals, and nameless other threats to their safety and well being. The greatest gift we can give our cats is the promise of a long, healthy and happy life in the security of our homes.

Indoor cats often miss the outdoors though; the fresh air, the scents and sounds of other animals. You see it in their eyes when they are looking out the window. While sitting in front of an open window, they are mesmerized by the goings on outside. Watching birds, butterflies, other cats and dogs is great fun, but ahh, to be out thereâ&#x20AC;Ś One way to enrich the lives of our indoor cats is to offer them safe experiences outside, either by walking them with a specialized harness and leash (it just takes time to get them used to it) or by providing them a secure outdoor enclosure off the house or window ledge within the safety of the confines of your garden.

We all know that fresh air, a bit of sun and increased exercise is healthy for our pets (and us too). Cats can have the best of both worlds in a catio.

Catios are a way to give them some of that outdoor time we all need. A catio, a cat patio or enclosure, can be as simple or as elaborate as your imagination, your DIY skills or your pocket allows.

They can range from the simple to the sublime.

They can be small, unobtrusive and inexpensive or they can be extensive additions to a house.

Anyone from apartment dwellers with a window or balcony to homeowners looking to build a permanent structure can provide their cat(s) with an outdoor adventure. A cat tunnel starting at a door or window can be a fantastic way to lead your cat to an outdoor playground. There are plenty of resources online to help you find the options that work best for you. You will find a large variety of pre-made pens, runs and do it yourself kits available, and there are pictures of catios online to give you ideas for creating something that will fit your specifications. What a great weekend project!

Enclosures can range from a bump out of an existing window, with a screen-enclosed ledge, to a virtual Disneyland with lots of climbing, stretching, sunning and hiding opportunities. They can be furnished with old tree stumps and perches for climbing and scratching; tarps to provide shade and protection from the elements; and even enclosed ladders for safe access to and from the house. Be sure to put a chair or bench in there for you to sit with them; they will love it and so will you. Be sure to give them fresh water and snacks if they are to be out there very long. Perhaps you just want the litter-box area outside. A door to a covered screened in area can be the answer.

If you are looking to give your cats a little more Bake Sale adventure, a catio Saturday, August 25 | 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. can be a Diamonds in the Ruff is raising money for homeless wonderful animals. For more information, email addition. Believe me, some of my diamondsintheruffcsra@gmail.com most peaceful moments are Pawprints Event | Taylor BMW spent in our catio Saturday, October 20 | 7-10 p.m. with our cats. Go For more information, visit pawprintsfoundation.org ahead, call me that crazy cat lady; I take it as a Augusta Humane Society offers obedience classes twice compliment.

Special Events

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Ongoing Adoption Events:

PETCO 4209 Washington Road, Evans Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sundays, 1-4 p.m.

PetSmart 225 Robert C. Daniel Parkway, Augusta Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tractor Supply %REE\ -RQHV ([SUHVVZD\ QH[W WR 6DP¡V &OXE Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 p.m.

Available at Augusta-Richmond County Animal Services 5IKS 4IVM Â&#x152; !

WHINE

WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM

Have something you want to get off your chest? Send your whines to whineline@themetrospirit. com. If you do so by noon on Friday, you might just see it in the next Thursday’s issue. Oh, and whines may be edited for content but will pretty much be printed exactly as you type them.

LINE

that professors have saved to suppor t their labs when their funding is low will be revoked. How should the researchers conduct their research?

When exactly will someone with tenure star t a petition for a Vote of No Confidence in Azziz? It worked at University of Virginia, why not here?

I hear a lot of grumbling about it but someone (who can’t be fired) needs to star t. Forget the name change, how about the fact that budgets weren’t being released in a timely manner (unless you’re in Cancer Research), the withholding of F&A funds from various depar tments, the squeezing or cutting of various institutes or core facilities. Now the latest rumor is that despite contracts stating otherwise, lab star t-up funds

If the NRA is a terrorist organization, then so is the automobile industry.

They kill an average of 40,000 people a year.Also, spoons and forks make people fat. This keyboard is also responsible for sentenSce fragments and grammar errors.

If the Richmond County DOT is claiming that they had no calls complaining about school bus schedules on the first day of school it’s because they NEVER ANSWER THEIR PHONE!

Well what do you know? One week before the big Sheriff race and somebody throws out the race card.

What a surprise.

How is that George W. Bush is not in jail for allowing all those rich companies and friends of his to over sell real estate and cause so many homes to be forclosed. This is something that the justice depar tment should look into.

REPUBLICANS -- ROMEY - RYAN “WE are for the RICH, RICH. Forget about the POOR, POOR !”

Dr. ZZZZZ thinks Augusta is lacking in “coolness”. Here is a good name for his academic kingdom: “ Dr. ZZZZZ’s Mighty Fine University”, which would of course be known as “MFU”. How is that for “cool” ?

Why can’t I walk into a local business without an employee shouting a ‘welcome’ to me before the door closes? Am I the only one that finds this forced, impersonal, rude? Please smile, treat me cour teously, and wait on me at the register in a friendly manner. Make me feel welcome instead of shouting it at me.

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706-724-2445 54 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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Last week Dodge(Chrysler) announced that it was Pulling Out of “NASCAR” Racing! They stated their reasons for “Calling it Quits” was they could not find Capable Teams!

What about Roger Penske? His Teams have been representing Chrysler/ Dodge quite well this Season! I mean Richard Petty represented Chrysler’s Various Nameplates Quite Well...

Since the 1960’s! Due to “Chrysler’s Budget Restraints”, he went to Ford!

I mean: “Call a Spade a Spade!”

Chrysler won’t “Put Up the Bucks” to compete with Toyota! So! Next Season; “America’s Big Three” will be

Ford, Chevy & Toyota! Oh Well! Today. you really have to “Read the Fine Print”, in order to find out where your “American Automobile” was Actually Built!

I have a problem with the greater augusta ar ts council and their new set of rules for first friday. The first friday coordinators want local bands to do the foot work and get permission from downtown business owners to play in front of their businesses with acoustic guitar and menial amplication. The original first friday rules were local electric bands/ar tists would call first friday coordinators and THEY would designate a spot either on 8th,10th,st. w/yellow tape and sawhorses(sidestreets) where bands would play and get a badge.

REINSTATE THE OLD RULES,THE NEW ONES SUCK! Cybersquatting or just undercover with Dr Azziz, the Wierhouse adver tising firm has georgiaregentsuniversity.com and universityofaugusta.com both covered. I guess we know who will be doing the new logo.

There’s been a changing of the guard in rock music venues downtown. Now that The Playground has moved to DJ’s and away from local bands The First Round is becoming the new rock bar! Good stuff happening!

Why did the RCBOE pay Pete Fletcher over three-times as much in legal fees as did the CCBOE in a recent fiscal year($608K v. $201K in FY11)?

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MARKETING & DESIGN