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EVENTS CALENDAR JENNY IS WRIGHT SIGHTINGS
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WHINE LINE
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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 CUISINE SCENE PET PAGE
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Smith Takes the Call: Candidate answers the phone and walks into complications
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WHINELINE Only a fool criticizes a Southerner’s wife in a public forum. I thought we rid ourselves of AnDUI Cheeks Brad “David Dukes� Owens years ago. Lance Armstrong you are still my hero.
Spinners on the new patrol cars,cant hear calls on the radios for the thumping coming from the trunk and the new uniforms with there boxer shorts showing.Lol.Oh yeah the new badges will be BMW hood ornamates. REPUBLICAN Newt Gingrich said women get diseases. REPUBLICAN Rush Limbaugh called women sluts. Now we have REPUBLICAN Todd Akin saying in the case of “legitimate
rape� a woman’s body has the power to “shut that down� to keep from getting pregnant. These men need to case a basic course in health, biology and good manners. It makes me sad that these Republican men believe these statements and uttered them publicly. What really anger me is the fact that these REPUBLICAN men are in position to make laws and sway the public. I AM A WOMEN and
I have the GOD given right to make my own decisions about my own body. The Pivotrim’s only $19.95 and it’s one hundred percent guaranteed! Not even sheet metal will sever the lines Free line whenever you need it! Nothing can stop the Pivotrim only $19.95!! Austin don’t stop trying, the good Dr. “A� is going to China. Maybe they’ ll keep him. Your
Call Me: Augusta prepares to handle inquiries through new 311 system, abandoning popular Augusta Cares
efforts are helping us to stay informed and motivated. Augusta should be represented in the name of our college.
Chasing Success: Girls on the Run gives girls a chance to succeed just the way they are
I still dont understand why some cars come with turn signals standard, and some do not.
Standing Guard: Ironman success relies on planned military presence
Thank God for the Metro Spirit. How the worm has turned that you are considered the lone sane voice in town.
Swept Away: Arts in the Heart crafters make surprisingly beautiful brooms
(continued on page 54)
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Opening Up: Canal Authority looks to bring more to towpath
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Independence
Recovery
IN
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INSIDER@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM Insider is an anonymous, opinion-based examination of the hidden details of Augusta politics and personalities.
THUMBS
SIDER up
It’s zombie time… at the Republic and Democratic National Conventions. Oh yeah, and season 3 of “The Walking Dead” starts soon, too.
down
The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am premiered his new song, “Reach for the Stars,” live from Mars via the Curiosity rover on Tuesday. And the universe now knows what terrible taste in music we have. Thanks a lot.
Who You Gonna Call? The Metro Spirit was privy to one of those late night bar situations that can happen anywhere. Only this one was different. In this one, a Richmond County Commission candidate got involved. Multiple sources shared the scene. A group of men had been playing golf most of the day at West Lake Country Club before heading to a local restaurant/bar. One of the group, who has been thrown out of the place a few times for being drunk and disorderly, gets upset that the fries he ordered arrived with bleu cheese instead of ranch and ultimately throws the plate at the bartender. At this point, the bouncer begins to escort the drunk out. That’s when Jay Blackburn intervenes for his friend, and one thing is made clear by nearly a dozen witnesses: the guy is a large man. He gets into it with the bouncer, then with a Richmond County Sheriff’s deputy who has intervened. A second Richmond County deputy is alerted and joins the fray. Blackburn now is fighting, thoroughly resisting arrest. Ultimately, he is taken to the ground and handcuffed. Once on his feet, he continues to fight on his way to the patrol car. On the way out, he yells to his buddies repeatedly to “call Donnie Smith!” This is where it gets troubling. Smith arrives a few minutes later in an “Elect Donnie Smith” T-shirt and begins cajoling one of the officers to let Blackburn go. But this officer is new to town and doesn’t know who Smith is. The officer explains that not only is he going to jail, he could have been charged with felony obstruction, adding “you can’t un-arrest someone.” He is astonished to find out later Smith is a Georgia State Patrol officer. Smith begins working on the other officer to let Blackburn go. He does not. He then turns his attention to the employee of the restaurant/bar who he thinks is responsible for the arrest. Smith states he knows who owns the business and informs him he won’t have a job once he gets in touch with them. The employee is the owner’s son. It seems clear that once word got out that this was not an unobserved event, talking points were drawn up and stories were gotten in line. Smith, not surprisingly, denies all. But many of those close to the event question the judgment that would lead a Georgia State Patrol officer, not to mention a commission candidate with such backing and so much promise, to be defending the conduct of a drunk and disorderly 47-year-old man who was just arrested for fighting fellow officers. As one witness stated at the scene, is this a man we want to add to the commission?
Where’s the Power? Rick or Wright? One of you is running, but not both. Silas, we’ll give you captain, but you aren’t running either. And if you do — Peebles, you’re running as a Republican. Back in January the powers that be — the moneymen and power brokers — should have sat down and ironed this stuff out. You don’t believe this happens, then you don’t know local politics. As it was they didn’t, and the results were ugly, not necessarily because of the final outcome — you can make a case that there are more people in Augusta that
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think Richard Roundtree will make an awesome sheriff than won’t — but because of the way they happened. The golden candidates or the moneyed candidates (sometimes they’re the same, sometimes not quite) didn’t have that invisible momentum that is supposed to propel them to victory, which made the finishes painful to watch. Many feel the best candidate for the job (Peebles), the one most qualified with youth on his side, lost. He was let down by the power structure that is still
very much in place, yet disengaged. But there’s nothing to do now but figure out what’s next. Word is he met with Roundtree on Saturday. Does he come back to work through the end of the year? Or what’s more, does Roundtree offer him a legitimate position in his administration? It’s happened before (Obama-Hillary) and we can see it working to everyone’s advantage if it happens here. If it happens here.
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Singletracks.com
Good Luck, Lady A So Travis Tritt wouldn’t conduct a meet and greet and stayed on the bus a little too long before performing at the Lady A a couple of months ago? Well, here comes Eddie! Eddie Money is coming to Columbia County, and let’s all hope he’s not driving. Did you hear about Eddie Money? Two years ago during Masters Week, Money performed at a local nightclub. Afterwards, there was a lot of “did you hear about Eddie Moneyâ€? going around. Not because of his performance, unfortunately, but because of his drunken stage presence, slurred lyrics and joining the crowd after he cut his painful performance short. Someone without a Google machine has booked him at the Lady A. If they had, they might have seen some of the same terrible reviews that riddle the Ticketmaster site. Here are the first 15 headlines that appear: Eddie Money was a waste of $ 2/18/12 Worst Eddie Money Show ever 2/12/12 Put your Money where your mouth is‌. 2/2/12 Extremely disappointed 2/2/12 Drunk 10/8/11 Show Me Less Money! 6/29/11 Stay Home Eddie 6/28/11 Eddie Money is way past his prime 2/26/11 Drunk performs worst show ever-Embarrasment! 12/31/10 Sucked big time 12/8/10 Not Too Happy 11/19/10 Eddie Money: A Big Disappointment! 3/6/10 Eddie Money. Worst show ever. 2/20/10 Worst concert ever attended!!! 10/22/09 Eddie Money was forgettable 9/20/09 And a few savory quotes: “You could not understand one word he sang.
Simply download the iPhone or Droid app and you have a database of all the trails in our area at your fingertips! From Lick Fork in North Augusta to the Tower Loop at Clark’s Hill, there are over 15 bike trails to choose from. Find directions, miles to the trail, details about the trail itself, photos and more. Oh. And it’s free! One piece of advice if you are going to ride the canal trails: Don’t park at Eisenhower Park. The seven or eight piles of glass should be warning enough. Cars are getting broken into in broad daylight while people are out enjoying the canal and trails. We suggest parking on the Columbia County side at Savannah Rapids Pavilion or the KROC Center parking lot.
WERECOMMEND “On his ass at Biltmore House in early October.� “When he did do one of his hits, he butchered it.� “..he was embarrassing himself and I felt bad for him.�
“The Seneca Niagara Casino should be embarrassed for letting him perform and ruining our night - New Years Eve - 11 p.m. show - Worst show I have ever witnessed anywhere, anyplace.� “I was very disappointed with the show, I felt as though the man had been drinking lots.�
“NOT A VERY GOOD SHOW. EDDIE APPEARED TO BE INTOXICATED. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND.� “Bless his heart, it is time to call it a day.� “The show was tragic to watch and I didn’t feel the need to exacerbate my rage by dealing with the traffic exodus.�
“WE STAYED FOR FOUR (4) SONGS NON OF WHICH WERE SUNG BY EDDIE.� “I am concerned about Eddie’s health.� “Eddie’s daughter was the lead singer for the show with Eddie occasionally slurring a ‘How’s it going, St Pete!�
EDDIE MONEY
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AUGUSTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT
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Reviewing TNR
Exploded Fish Guts and a Guy Named Deroy
Augusta, I don’t mind telling you that I work pretty hard. Between the 45-55 hours per week I bartend here in Wisconsin, planning for a December wedding (do you know how hard it is to get a boxing license in this state?), writing and sending out poems (cue beret and cigarette), and the three minutes to six hours a week I spend on this column, I barely have time to check the website and make sure they’re still running the damn thing. Of course, all these segments of time are just rough estimates. I get so tired that occasionally the only way I can tell day from night is whether they’re building roller coasters out of sugar or sausage on the Food Network. So this week, I’m picking an easy target: The National Review Online. This is a decision borne from two distinct necessities: 1) Hurricane Isaac is about to flood the Republican National Convention into next week. By their own logic, this is the haymaker of an angry God, and there is no article I could write, no simile or metaphor I could concoct — not even with a thesaurus and all the absinthe in France — that could possible do that bare fact justice. 2) These deep-red nimrods have been getting on my nerves, and sometimes that’s all the justification you need. Some of you might say that a left-leaning article about The National Review is little more than shooting fish in a barrel, but you’re way off the mark. Making TNR the subject of a left-leaning column is like stuffing a lemon-pepper mahi-mahi with C4. Their contributors are so entrenched in the anti-progress camp of the Republican Party that they refuse to walk upright. They are Neanderthals who think the moon should “get a job” instead of benefitting from all of the sun’s light. They seek to obliterate anything that makes sense or shows compassion to their fellow human beings, and they all have Kid Rock on speed dial. I am here to destroy them. I made some sacrifices. Namely, actually reading TNR’s website for more than three seconds. You won’t believe the amount of T’ai Chi training I had to undergo before I was able to attempt this — now I speak entirely in bad dubbing and spin kicks. If I had tried to read anything on TNR in the past and make an attempt to not get royally pissed off, there would just be a giant burn mark where my desk used to be. In any case, I went through and pulled a couple of choice nuggets from the site. As you might expect, I’m going to make fun of them. What you may not expect is that these were written by actual human persons, and not the result of a crazed GOP senator shoving think-tank data and cocaine into an Atari 2600. 1. “The Democrats and the press travel in packs, but never more so than when a cultural issue is involved.” — Rich Lowry When I meet someone who says this, I always make sure my phone is turned off; they’re mesmerized by anything that rings. What Lowry — who, for the record, looks like two weasels accidentally mated during a lotion fight — and most conservative pundits refuse to acknowledge is that there are three different presses: liberal, conservative and one that doesn’t exist. Fox News and MSNBC are little more than PR firms for their respective candidates during election season. And don’t feed me this “liberals love to harp on cultural issues” nonsense. Barack and Michelle’s “terrorist fist-jab” dominated Fox’s news cycle for half a day. If there were a magic grizzly bear that crapped gold and AIDS vaccines, Fox News would defend Ted Nugent’s constitutional right to shoot it.
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2. “Biden’s comments were just a bizarre and crude effort to scare black people into voting Democrat, again.” — Deroy Murdock I’m not sure how Deroy got his name, but I’d think that letting Larry the Cable Guy name a black child somehow constitutes high treason. Anyway, Deroy’s asinine article is a sloppy mess of fear-baiting, misplaced sanctimoniousness and logicmurdering. I mentioned last week (I think?) that Biden’s comments, semantically misguided though they may have been, were simply the latest example of the great political tradition of hyperbole, and I stand by that here. There are two things wrong with Murdock’s position: 1) He assumes that black people need to be convinced to vote for Obama. The reasons why are both obvious and multi-layered, but recent polls have revealed that about 97 percent of black Americans support Obama. And if Republicans weren’t so doggedly working to disenfranchise minority voters, the race would be a lot more lopsided than it’s already going to be. 2) He tries to justify his assertion with some context. If Deroy had read my article last week, he’d have known better. Specifically, he explains that Biden’s comments referenced Romney’s plans to loosen restrictions on banks, and how Biden linked that to disadvantaging black folks. Murdock justifies this by citing the unchecked, freewheeling way in which banks were handing out loans, even to, in Murdock’s own words, “dodgy borrowers with little prospect of repaying their loans.” At this point, I’m too exhausted and flabbergasted at one man’s stupidity to engineer an elaborate metaphor, so I’ll just leave it at this: Deroy proved Biden’s point. Actually, you know what? I’ll give this a shot: to understand the extent to which Deroy utterly boned this situation, you have to imagine that Harry Truman allowed Thomas Dewey to teabag him during his victory speech. It’s like being mauled by a dead dog. 3. “I’m a big fan of the 1 percent... the 1 percent of Congress that take seriously the threat of Islamic-supremacist influence operations against our government.” — Andrew C. McCarthy HAHAHAHAHAHA, what?! Holy s**t, this is like a joint gift from the gods of Humor and Head Injuries. Really, Republicans, could you get any more predictable? A crazy, fear-baiting dipshit named McCarthy? That’s like finding out Todd Akin’s real last name is “Hitlerrape.” If there wasn’t ample evidence that their contributors wholeheartedly believe everything they say, the National Review would be the greatest satirical periodical this side of the The Onion. A finer line between hilarious and depressing, there is not.
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
Will Roundtree Melt in the Spotlight? There have been two distinctly different schools of thought emerge in the last week with the somewhat surprising victory of Richard Roundtree over Scott Peebles in the Richmond County Democrat primary for Sheriff: 1. That it was time for a black guy to be sheriff in this majority black county, so the naysayers need to get used to it, sit down, and shut up. And contrasting that... The power structure underestimated the popular appeal and voter support for a man they believe is ill suited to lead such a large department, and they will soon pull out all the stops to see that Roundtree never becomes sheriff. In the last few days we have seen evidence of both philosophies at work. Roundtree has been meeting with a number of people who were associated with the Peebles campaign, and may be about to reach out to Scott himself to ask him to continue his work leading CID. Peebles has so far been silent on a possible endorsement of Roundtree, because he knows in his heart that his major supporters would much rather see Republican Freddie Sanders become the next sheriff. Of course, that is going to be a tall order in Richmond County where, in 2004, Dems voted for John Kerry over George W. Bush by a 56-43 percent advantage, only to see Barack Obama come back four years later and beat John McCain in a 66-33 percent landslide. The only way a Republican could beat a Dem in such a race in Augusta this year would be if the Republican’s name was Condoleeza Rice and the Democrat’s name was Ricardo Azziz. Motivated voters in the consolidated city of Augusta-Richmond County are not likely to skip another chance to vote again for our first black president, especially when they can also vote for the community’s first black sheriff a few slots down the same ballot. The Obama Factor was likely the issue that sealed it for Peebles as he was preparing several years ago to run to replace his mentor Sheriff Ronnie Strength. He believed there was no way to win as a Republican, particularly if there were any credible opposition on the Dem ticket. I have been asked repeatedly in the last few days how the well prepared, well financed and hard working Peebles lost in the Dem primary when no one ever came close to beating (or even seriously challenging) Strength, and the answer is simple: It is a bogus comparison because Strength never had any real competition. Strength’s strength was that he commanded respect and inspired fear among his political enemies. That is about the only way a conservative white guy was going to dominate the local Democratic Party the way he did, so successfully and for so long. As I wrote in this space last week, his predecessor Charlie Webster paved the way by ordering all credible competition to stay out of the way while setting the standard that the most successful warrior is the one who never goes to war. Strength was unable to return the favor because of the silly presence in the race of his wife’s brother, Robbie Silas. To Peebles credit, he was damn near able to pull off a victory anyway without Strength’s involvement in the original July 31 general primary. But when the runoff occurred, the young conservative white guy who was clearly the establishment’s choice was too easy to pick off in a rabidly left wing, anti-local establishment, Democrat primary. Roundtree shocked the world. But Tree still has to get past his general election opponent, and there are those in our midst who believe he may never make it to the main event. Sylvia Cooper was not exaggerating when she reported in her City Ink column that many of the department’s top people have begun to inquire about employment elsewhere because they do not want to work in a Roundtree administration. It appears Strength has had a (way overdue) wake up call, and is now neck deep in the “coulda-shoulda-wouldas.” What does this mean? It means that every story, rumor, report and allegation concerning Roundtree’s history as a cop is going to be scrutinized. His associations, supporters and prospective appointees all are going to get the white glove treatment. If serious problems are discovered, it entirely possible that his Georgia Peace Officer’s Certification could be challenged. And yes, a definitive answer is forthcoming in the controversy involving the legality of his qualifying paperwork a few months back. While Board of Elections/city attorney Andrew MacKenzie advised that Roundtree was in compliance with state laws concerning qualification questions, there are those who doubt MacKenzie’s judgment in the case. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office should have issued the definitive answer in that matter; watch for that request to be made soon. It still amazes me that the decision was not appealed in the first place. Given the demographics involved, It is almost impossible to believe Richard Roundtree can not win over Freddie Sanders in November. But will it be an election or a legal battle that proves his greatest challenge?
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
Opening Up
Canal Authority looks to bring more to towpath
Augusta Canal Authority Executive Director Dayton Sherrouse wants to make it easier for people to get to the canal towpath, but to do it, he has to change history. “About 20 years or so ago, the former Augusta City Council closed access from Riverlook Drive to the towpath near the raw water pumping station,” he told commissioners at Monday’s committee meetings, where he was seeking approval to add a new parking area and entrance. “The City Council closed it off and a chain link fence was put up.” The fence is still there, but thanks to the Utilities Department purchasing a vacant lot, Sherrouse thinks the fence can be removed and 43 new parking spaces can be created. The City Council closed off entry because visitors were blocking driveways and littering in the neighborhood. Since then, visitors have had to access the canal’s towpath through Eisenhower Park, and to get to the towpath, you had to walk along the railroad right of way, cross under Riverwatch and then cross between two of the pipes that go across the canal, which is a trip Sherrouse says is very substandard. Sherrouse and the Utilities Department are now working to expand the parking into part of their property adjacent to Riverwatch Parkway, take down the chain link fence and put up a brick column, wrought iron fence as well as some landscaping. “We are very optimistic that not only will this improve the neighborhood because of the landscaping and because of the improvements to the fencing, but it will become an asset to the residents of the neighborhood to have direct access to the towpath of the canal,” Sherrouse says. 30AUGUST2012
According to Sherrouse, the plan was well received during a June neighborhood meeting. “We’ve assured them that whatever the issues, we’ll be responsible for the maintenance, keeping up the parking lot, picking up the trash and all of that,” he says. For years, the Canal Authority has hired off-duty deputies on weekends, so the deputies would simply have to move through those areas as well. The same holds true for maintenance and groundskeeping. Since the Canal Authority is responsible for maintaining and cleaning the towpath and canal areas, they already have the people in place. Though the canal, which was designated a National Heritage Area in 1996, does not keep track of how many people use the towpath in a given year, Sherrouse says the last few weeks have seen an exceptional number of users. The towpath from the Headgates at Savannah Rapids to the Raw Water Pumping Station is 3.5 miles and is one of the area’s more popular walking and biking destinations. The canal is the only industrial canal in the south still in continuous use. The mills along with the canal were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978. Though the Canal Authority does not receive operating funds from property taxes, it does receive SPLOST money for special projects. Most of its revenue, however, comes from hydropower generation and a federal appropriation from the National Park Service. While Sherrouse doesn’t have a cost estimate yet for the project — once the full commission gives the final okay, expected to be at Tuesday’s meeting, he can start a detailed drawing and work on an estimate — he expects it to be done by the end of the year. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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ERICJOHNSON
Call Me
Augusta prepares to handle inquiries through new 311 system, abandoning popular Augusta Cares
Taking a page from Columbia County and other local communities, Richmond County is looking to establish 311 service to replace its successful, though somewhat limited, Augusta Cares program. Augusta recently obtained permission from the Public Safety Commission to use 311 as the officially recognized phone number citizens can use for to make nonemergency contact with local government. “A number of agencies have already implemented 311 and they’ve shown great success,” says Deputy Administrator Tamika Allen, who also heads up Augusta’s Information Technology Department. “Having a one stop shop for our citizenry as well as for any visitors is very valuable to have.” The 311 system will allow citizens and visitors to communicate with the city regarding county services and other local topics. In Columbia County, which has had 311 since 2005, the 311 Center has four full-time staff members who initially were either transferred from other departments or hired through attrition. According to Emergency and Operations Director Pam Tucker, one of the main benefits is the fact that the number relieves the Emergency 911 Center of non-emergency calls, though most users are just happy to have a place to call to get answers “The one stop shopping — and the follow through on requests — makes the citizens very happy,” Tucker says. “Our citizens love it.” Currently, Augusta Cares handles its own calls and each department also fields some calls. When things switch over, Augusta 311 will incorporate staff from Augusta Cares, the Utilities Department, the Environmental Services Department and Engineering. “It’s going to take some rigorous training,” Allen says. “We have those various staff
members coming from different departments, so we’re actually consolidating.” Because of that rigorous training, Allen says she doesn’t expect the 311 system to be up and running before March of next year, though the software and necessary hardware has already made it through the bidding process, with Motorola coming out on top in both categories. The estimated technology cost of the project, which Allen expects will respond to approximately 250,000 public inquiries a year, will not exceed $477,000, while personnel costs are not expected to be a factor. “We’re not actually looking at any major personnel costs,” Allen says, “because we will be taking the personnel that are actually in those departments and combining them in one centralized call center.” According to Tucker, Columbia County’s 311 system received inquiries from 37,769 citizens last year. The program cost $196,000 and was funded by the user’s department, based on percentage of calls for those departments, which means it was not an additional general fund expense. In February, Columbia County signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Augusta regarding the crossover of the 30907 zip code, promising to make every effort to assist callers without transferring calls and at no additional expense. Though the committee, including Commissioner Bill Lockett, voted to approve the establishment of Augusta 311 and the acquisition of the supporting technology, the commissioner said he hated to see Augusta Cares go. “As a new commissioner, whenever I was confronted with something I didn’t know the answer for, I called Augusta Cares,” he said. “I understand the rationale for 311, I just want to say that if 311 is three fourths as good as Augusta Cares has been over the years, it will be an outstanding investment in this community.”
ERICJOHNSON
Chasing Success
Girls on the Run gives girls a chance to succeed just the way they are When Stephany White was ready to help her daughter prepare for those difficult middle school years, she realized the area lacked a girls’ club that emphasized healthy living the way she felt it should be emphasized. “I was thinking about starting an all girls’ weight loss camp here in the Southeast,” says White, who has a background in health science education. “Then a friend of mine in Atlanta asked me if I’d ever heard of Girls on the Run. When I googled it, the first thing I saw about it was, ‘teaching girls to accept who they are exactly how they are’ and I thought — that’s what I’m doing at home… I could do that on a much larger scale.” So in 2010 White started a chapter in Aiken with two host sites and 19 girls. A year later, she had expanded into Richmond and Columbia counties and was serving 256 girls. “This year, we just expanded into Burke County with a grant from the Healthy 10 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Start Initiative and a collaboration with the UGA Extension Service in Burke County,” she says. “We hope to be in McDuffie County this spring.” Though Girls on the Run is the overall name of the Charlotte-based organization, the program is broken down into two different curriculums — Girls on the Run, which is for third through fifth graders, and Girls on Track, which is designed for sixth through eighth grade girls. “We meet twice a week for 10 weeks, and over the course of those 10 weeks there are three levels of lessons,” White says. “The first grouping of lessons is getting the girls to accept who they are exactly how they are. We talk about self esteem, we talk about what their core values are and we teach them to appreciate their differences.” The second group of lessons focuses on team building and the third focuses on community, incorporating a community service project to emphasize the value of volunteerism. “All the lessons are done interactively, and they all take place the same way,” White says. 30AUGUST2012
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Each day includes a warmup activity to get their cardiovascular system pumping — usually a relay game or a version of tag based on whatever they happen to be studying. Then comes the workout session, where the girls run laps around the track or the field or
have thought they’d be able to do, they just beam with pride,” White says. Girls can stay in the program from year to year, and parents and teachers notice a big difference in the girls who participate.
White says parents recognize the value of the program and will sacrifice to make sure the girls get the opportunity to participate. “I can’t tell you the number of Ziploc bags I get with crumpled up dollar bills and five dollars worth of
whatever the host site has available. “Each lap they do, there’s an activity that they’re doing along with it that reinforces whatever the lesson is that day,” White says. “That workout helps them achieve their ultimate goal, which is a 5K celebration run at the end of the season.” The 5K, which the girls run with a parent or another running buddy, gives the girls an important sense of achievement. “When you see the girls’ hot, sweaty, red faces come across the finish line of something they never would
“They have more self confidence,” White says. “They are able to speak their mind and they tend to stand up for other classmates who might be in a bullying situation.” In some locations, the group has contributed to the school’s vocabulary, as in “what would a Girl on the Run do?” Though the minimum cost the national organization allows White to charge is $150, which she says barely covers the costs the group incurs, she works hard to provide as many scholarships as she can.
change,” she says. The curriculum, which teaches the fundamental aspects of wellbeing, also meshes with the health and guidance standards taught in school, so the things the girls learn work to supplement what they are learning in school. The next session starts the second week in September. Anyone interested can contact White through the website, girlsontherunofthecsra.org.
30AUGUST2012
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METROSPIRIT 11
V23|NO35
ERICJOHNSON
Standing Guard
Ironman success relies on planned military presence
As the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta triathlon draws closer, the various preparedness meetings are growing more urgent. Last week, Randy DuTeau, events manager for the Augusta Sports Council, had a meeting with officials at Fort Gordon to coordinate their involvement in the race. Fort Gordon will provide course marshals for the race. Hundreds of course marshals. “We met with Major George Bratcher and took him along with the public affairs officer out on the course and went through the details of pick up and where we’re going to stage and how we’re going to provide food,” DuTeau said. “This meeting was the first step in the process.” Even though they are consummate professionals, DuTeau said, there is still always the fear of the unknown. “They kind of approach it the same way that I try to approach it, in that we overplan it,” he said. “It’s better to overplan and try to account for things than to try to say we’ve done this before, which means they don’t have the peace of mind because they’ve not done it before.” The course marshals work in support of law enforcement, mostly at intersections and along the open stretches of road. “We’re really fortunate with that arrangement because we’ve got 56 miles of open road,” DuTeau said. “It’s not as easy to manage as a six and a half mile circuit in downtown Augusta.” DuTeau requests 250 service members, and that’s usually what he gets. “Being able to get them as one big group has given the race peace of mind and is also one of the things we continually hear about year after year from the athletes,” he said. “They just think it’s impressive. It gives them peace of mind and I think it gives the race a much better look.” The marshals also serve as the eyes and ears of the race. “We’ve got a crack medical team, but with 56 miles of road, there’s no way you can have eyes everywhere, especially when you have long spans of road with no intersections,” he said. “If somebody had a crash, you’d have somebody there to call 12 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
the medical coordinator. Or if somebody has a mechanical problem, then you can get in touch with support.” Not that their traditional volunteers aren’t a crack bunch, but the military brings a sense of mission. “Everyone that we have comes in with a lot of enthusiasm and everyone wants to do their job to the best of their ability,” he said. “The thing that’s just really amazing about the military is that, even though they’re wearing their volunteer shirts, they’re usually wearing their fatigue pants or their hats, so you can tell it’s a military presence. It automatically commands respect.” That, he said, and they’re unfailingly polite, which makes a difference when you have anxious drivers or drivers who are maybe lost or late for church because of all the activity. “Also, they have a sense of urgency, so if it starts to rain, providing it’s not hazardous outside, they’re not going to leave,” he said. The two-hour drive of the course following the 45-minute meeting was meant to give the leadership a general idea of the area so that, by the next meeting, they’ll be able to visualize what they’re talking about. “The next meeting, we’ll have a bigger group,” he said. “And it will take several hours because it will involve sitting down and looking at the map and explaining, because now you’re getting into the fine details with the individuals who are actually going to be managing the specific sections of the road.” That will be followed by more driving around the course. “When you’re looking at the map, you’re looking at an 8.5 by 11 piece of paper, but when you actually start driving the course, you’re like — wow, look at that.” And when it comes to preparation, DuTeau returned to the sense of responsibility they all feel having 3,200 athletes competing. “It’s one thing if you don’t get the field chalked in time for a Little League ball game, but in this case, you’re talking people’s lives,” he said. “And if that doesn’t keep you on your toes, I’m not sure anything will.” 30AUGUST2012
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ERICJOHNSON
Smith Takes the Call
Candidate answers the phone and walks into complications
DONNIE SMITH
Drinking and bad behavior go together like Augusta and golf, which, if you think about it, go together like drinking and bad behavior. So really, what happened last Friday night at Wild Wing really isn’t all that unusual, except for the fact that a commission candidate showed up. That sort of changes things. As far as the actions that instigated the situation, the story is pretty straightforward. There was this golf tournament at West Lake and, afterwards, some of the guys took the fun over to the bar at Wild Wing. “I’d already heard it from the bartenders that they’d been giving them a hard time,” said Will Scholer. “Nothing was coming out right. They weren’t happy.” Scholer is the manager at Wild Wing, so he got up to speed on the situation pretty quick. “One of them had ordered some food,” he said. “The buffalo chips we do — it’s like homemade potato chips — they come out with bleu cheese and he wanted ranch and he was upset about it. He argued with the bartender and ended up throwing the plate at the bartender.” This is when barback Jordan Thurmond came out from the kitchen. “He threw a plate at one of my coworkers and the coworker nudged the plate back, so it knocked down a couple of beer bottles,” he said. “It just escalated from there.” Escalated far enough that the band even quit playing to pay more attention to the commotion. At this point, bouncer Rodney Jeter became involved. “We were alerted that there was an altercation at the bar with the bartender and one of the customers,” Jeter said. “We were trying to get him to calm down, but he got real hostile and we had to escort him out of the building.” At that point, the altercation grew larger. “Rodney was coming over to grab him and his buddy jumped on him and started trying to wrestle him away,” Scholer said. The buddy would be Jay Blackburn. “We had two cops at the door and all three of them had to wrestle the guy out 14 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
of there,” Scholer said. “He’s a big dude.” Jeter and the two cops who were there working specials, Matt Orr and Adeschele Tokunboh, had quite a time with Blackburn. According to Scholer, the big man continued to resist even after they took him to the ground and cuffed him. At this point, barback Thurmond started cleaning up the mess and apologizing to the customers. That kind of altercation tends to have an inhibiting effect on those around it, and everyone was keen to keep things going. It was only around 11 p.m., and up until then it had been a really good night at the bar. “The big guy was doing most of the talking,” Thurmond noticed. “It looked like he was pretty drunk when they were taking him out.” According to Scholer, as soon as Blackburn hit the ground he looked at his buddy and said, “Call Donnie.” Donnie would be District 7 commission candidate Donnie Smith, a 19-year veteran of the Georgia State Patrol who literally lives just down the road. He arrived about 10 minutes later. Smith, a lieutenant with the State Patrol, started his law enforcement career with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Department. “Public safety is all I’ve ever known,” he said announcing his commission campaign last February. “I’m just a country kid who came to town 25 years ago looking for a job.” Smith came from Burke County and went to Georgia Military College here in Augusta “As our economy downturned in Augusta, I didn’t leave,” he said. “I chose to stay here and fight for my community and make things better for the people who live here and my family. When I’m elected from District 7, I’m here for all the people of Richmond County.” Six months later, he was standing around the Wild Wing parking lot with a couple of cops and a couple of drunks, advocating on behalf of the drunks. “They had Blackburn in the back of the car and Donnie got there and he started talking with the cops,” Scholer said. “Pretty much he was just trying to act like a big shot.” Tokunboh said Smith approached him first, asking if he couldn’t just let Blackburn go. Tokunboh pointed out that you can’t just un-arrest someone and 30AUGUST2012
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that, when it came down to it, Blackburn was fighting with police officers and had to be taken down. After a little bit, Tokunboh said, Smith went back to talk with Orr, the arresting officer. Orr did not respond to several phone calls, and after an initial interview, Tokunboh told the Metro Spirit that he’d been told to respond to all inquiries with a ‘No comment,’ even though Sheriff Ronnie Strength, who has always stressed his department’s openness to the press, disputed the fact that he or Orr had been told to be quiet. “Absolutely not,” Strength said. “When I was talking to Orr, he said somebody from the Metro Spirit had called him three times and he said, ‘I’m not going to return the call.’ And that’s his call.” For such a typical story — bars have bouncers and cops working specials because stuff like this happens all the time — it certainly had people jumping. An unannounced call to Strength found him fully briefed, having spoken with Orr to get the information firsthand. Smith’s response to questions was pretty much check with the Sheriff. Smith’s campaign staff was reaching out before ever being contacted. Smith, who was in Tampa as part of the State Patrol detail traveling with the Georgia delegation to the Republican National Convention, denied that anything out of the ordinary happened Friday night. “I went to pick up someone and give him a ride home,” he said. “That’s all I can tell you.” So he didn’t try to negotiate Blackburn’s release? “No, sir,” he said. “And I think the sheriff would be more than happy to clear any of that up.” The sheriff. He reiterated the part about picking up someone to give him a ride home. That guy, of course, was the guy who started it all by throwing the plate at the bartender, the guy who, according to Scholer, had been thrown out of the bar on three separate occasions, once for throwing a beer at the bartender. “I went there to pick up someone and give him a ride JAY BLACKBURN home.” “He seemed upset,” Scholer said of Smith. “He didn’t ever actually raise his voice or yell at me, but he was just trying to intimidate me, acting like he was a powerful guy and that I shouldn’t be messing with his buddies.” For his part, Smith denied speaking to Scholer at all, who in turn claims Smith threatened to get him fired. “He was telling people, ‘Don’t worry about this, I know the owners — we’re going to get this taken care of and this guy isn’t even going to be working here,’” Scholer said. “He said he knew who owned the Wild Wing up in Macon and here and he said he was going to get me in trouble with them, which — okay. Go ahead and call Mom and Dad. Scholer’s parents own the place. The way Smith tells it, however, he never said anything of the sort. “I don’t know who the manager was,” Smith said. “I was never introduced to the manager. I simply went and picked somebody up that needed a ride to go home.” What impact any of this will have on Smith’s campaign is unclear, though one thing seems to be for certain — the campaign sign Smith had requested to put in front of Wild Wing earlier that day won’t be getting the green light.
30AUGUST2012
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METROSPIRIT 15
V23|NO35
AMYCHRISTIAN
Swept Away
Arts in the Heart crafters make surprisingly beautiful brooms
DAN DONALDSON
RALPH DONALDSON
As part of our ongoing series about the upcoming Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival, which will take place September 14-16 downtown, we are profiling exhibitors who’ve had tents at the festival in past years, including Dan and Ralph Donaldson, the Broom Brothers. If you happen to be strolling around the fine arts and crafts area of Arts in the Heart and come across the Broom Brothers, there’s one joke you probably should not let slip from your mouth. “Here’s the thing we hear most commonly. It happens every 10 minutes; you can set your clock by it,” says Dan Donaldson, one half of the Broom Brothers team. “Invariably a couple will walk by and the man will look over and say, ‘Look honey. Here’s a new car for you.’ And they all think they’re the first one to say it.” Harry Potter wand jokes? Yep. They’ve heard those too. It comes with the territory for those who make brooms, which the Donaldsons have been doing since 2008. It all started when Ralph Donaldson saw a television show about a broom maker in Kentucky and realized it was a way for him to stay involved in growing crops without actually becoming a commodity farmer. “He grew up on a farm and this [him becoming interested in broom making] was during the time when small family farms were beginning to fail,” Dan said. “He’s a nonprofit administrator but has always been a frustrated farmer at heart.” Ralph, who is Dan’s father (the business name is a play on the Blues Brothers), realized that growing broomcorn and making brooms would allow him to farm, so he decided to go to North Carolina and study the skill at the John C. Campbell Folk School. “And about the time he decided to go I was freed up by the loss of a job, so I went with him,” Dan said. “Neither one of us had a background in arts or crafts except that I was a musician a long time ago. We just happened to find a craft that we had an aptitude for and liked.” Both men certainly do have an aptitude for their craft. The variety of brooms they offer — round and flat sweepers, cobweb brooms, hearth brooms, whisk brooms and even cake testers — are beautifully made and range in price from $12 to north of $50. “The most expensive one we have is $250,” Dan said. “But that’s not so much a broom. It’s what you might call a broomcorn sculpture.” The process is time-consuming to say the least. Dan said he and Ralph just harvested this year’s crop of broomcorn, which is not really corn at all. Rather, it is from the sorghum family and produces long fibers that grow out of the top of the stalk. These fibers, or panicles, are perfect broom material but must be harvested before they begin to bend. The harvesting process took the two 9-10 12-hour days. “It’s an odd crop in that it has to be harvested by hand,” he explained. “We have four or five acres so we just walked up and down the rows and just picked the ones that were perfectly ready for that day. So we walked that four to five acres every day.” 16 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Once harvested, the broomcorn has to dry for two to three weeks and because Georgia is so humid, Dan says it dries in an air-conditioned building equipped with a dehumidifier. “The ironic thing is that when we make a broom out of it, we have to wet it,” Dan laughed. “We spend all this time and energy to dry it and the first thing we do when we start making a broom is wet it.” Then they have to find the handles, and each man has different ideas of what makes the perfect broom handle. “The handles are as much fun as the broom,” Dan said. “We go out into the woods on our property — and our neighbors’ and friends’ properties if they’ll allow us to — and we cut sticks that look like they might be pretty, whether because of the shape, the color, the texture, whatever. The holy grail are the ones that have been twisted.” Dan says one of his favorites is the wood from Bradford pears. Ralph, he says, often prefers found materials like tobacco sticks and sometimes imports diamond willow from Canada. Materials at hand, the Donaldsons then use a foot-controlled reel to connect broomcorn to handle. “It’s a technique that dates back at least to the 18th century,” Dan said. While the Donaldsons have a website and can sell some of their more standard products there, Dan says they rely on arts and craft shows to sell their brooms. And they’re looking forward to their upcoming visit to Augusta. “It’s going to sound like I’m saying this just because you’re from Augusta but Arts in the Heart is hands down our favorite show, bar none,” he said. “We love it more than any other and we do a lot of good shows. In terms of sales, we do better at Arts in the Heart than anywhere else, and we just like the people we get to talk to.” And don’t worry if your first reaction is that the Donaldsons’ brooms are too pretty to use. They’ve heard that one as well. “Probably the majority of the people who buy these brooms do not sweep with them, but they are definitely usable and durable,” Dan said. “We put a lot of effort into making them pretty but, at the same time, we put a lot of effort into making them durable too.” To see more of Dan and Ralph Donaldson’s work before they arrive at Arts in the 30AUGUST2012
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GREGORY A. BAKER, PH.D
Tech Change
Augusta learns to maintain the change in technology In recent months, Augusta has started to fancy itself as a member of the high-tech community. Mayor Deke continues to promote the idea of a technology incubator. The Technology Association of Georgia’s Augusta chapter brings new and exciting opportunities to the area such as the CapVenture class for aspiring entrepreneurs. Augusta State University’s Tony Robinson will talk to anyone and everyone that will listen about the benefits of joining the 21st century. Heck, even the Metro Spirit has a technology column. (Who’da thought?) While the change in mindset is refreshing, one vital ingredient is needed before our city becomes a player into the technology economy. Augusta is not creating and retaining enough developer talent to establish critical mass. As a matter of fact, a list of the top-tier developers in the Augusta area may not extend beyond a dozen individuals. While this is an obstacle to our technology sector growth, our lack of homegrown talent provides an enormous opportunity to high school and college age individuals (hint, hint). Fortunately, the greatest resource for how to become a developer is readily available. A quick Google will reveal a multitude of resources to help an aspiring developer get started. Everything from introductory “How To’s” to full language references to downloadable development environments. In addition, programmers love to brag about their work and show off their code. Many websites are devoted to posting code fragments for modification and reuse. If you are a true newbie, try w3schools.com, and go through the tutorials on HTML, JavaScript and PHP. If you already know what side of the keyboard to use, start getting connected with like-minded folk. You can catch up with the Hack Augusta crowd at meetup.com/HackAugusta. They meet every couple of weeks at different places around town to share ideas and build up our local talent. Next meeting should be on September 11. Check their calendar to see where. Unfortunately, developing HTML and PHP skills are no longer sufficient to get our town where it needs to be. During the internet boom of last decade, developers only needed to contend with the differences between three operating systems and a handful of browsers. Today, the growth in mobile requires programming teams to become proficient in developing for multiple operating systems and the variation of each optimized for hardware. The real players in technology must be masters of mobile. Fortunately for us, innovation and the free market still prevail in the technology sector. Innovators recognize the need to help manage the mobile development complexity, and solutions are beginning to pop up. Once such example is Appcelerator’s Titanium Studio. Titanium Studio is a cross-platform development environment that hides the differences between mobile platforms. Programmers focus on developing mobile applications, and Titanium Studio translates those applications to the specific native implementation for each device. The environment supports all the major languages, so there is no need to learn a new language. This is just the kind of tool an aspiring entrepreneur could use to start a business building mobile applications. But, hey, what do I know? My claim to fame is writing the technology column for the Metro Spirit. :-) Until next time, I’m off the grid @gregory_a_baker. GREGORY A. BAKER, PH.D, is vice president and chief rocket scientist for CMA, which provides information technology services to CSRA businesses and nonprofits.
30AUGUST2012
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METROSPIRIT 17
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‘Oh, really?’
By Freddie Cheng / Edited by Will Shortz 116 Wrong 120 What a chair may hold 121 TV detective with his unbalanced suspect? 125 Solemn pieces 126 Like the Boston Tea Partiers 127 Whence the phrase “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts” 128 Opposite of dethrone 129 Big name in pasta 130 Curses out? Down 1 Some mil. brass 2 Settled down 3 Lead-in to type 4 Bikers’ woes 5 Japanese mushroom 6 J.F.K. search party? 7 Clandestine group 8 Link letters 9 Joint concern 10 Opposite of flat 11 Part of a bray 12 Santa ___ 13 Dump 14 Dump 15 Red-letter word 16 Article of apparel that’s not made where you might think 17 Like CH3CO2H 18 Run 19 Asserts something 24 Plaster support 28 1980s New York Philharmonic maestro 30 Peter of “The Last Emperor” 32 Part of some e-mail addresses 33 Radar anomaly 34 Class action grp.? 36 Spanish 101 word 37 Many-layered 38 “Little” comics boy 40 Rear 41 J’adore perfumer 42 Perennial succulent 43 Religious figure 45 Sandbox frequenters 49 Manhattan Project physicist 50 Jazz vocalist Shaw 52 Antelope related to the gemsbok 53 Cram
54 55 58 59
“Am ___ only one?” Mitt Romney and others, once Pizzeria order “The Lord of the Rings” tree creature 60 U.K. mil. decorations 63 Con 65 China’s Zhou ___ 66 With the bow, in music 67 Really bright 68 Memo intro 69 Blonde Anderson 71 Appropriate 72 Death Row Records co-founder, familiarly 75 Chap 76 “Finally!” 78 Like election laws, typically 79 Ugly one 82 Watson of the Harry Potter films 83 Musical with the song “Seasons of Love” 85 Sabotage 86 Dump, say 87 A long time 88 Big vein 90 Some Blu-ray players 92 Louis XIV, for one 94 Wreath source 95 Solution reaction 96 Miss’s partner 99 It might result in a meltdown 100 Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene ___” 101 Bag handlers 102 House of ___ 103 Broadway smash starting in ’87 104 Pizzeria need 109 Chart holder 111 Spark, so to speak 113 Consort of Zeus 114 Big oil exporter 115 Mini’s counterpart 117 Summer cooler 118 Record problem 119 Lays the groundwork for? 121 Half a laugh 122 New element in each of this puzzle’s theme answers 123 Geog. abbreviation 124 Tiny application
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
20 23
24
26
27 29
36
37
38
10
11
12
13
14
39
41
58
71
60
82
95
96
78
83
85
112
104
114
115
116
121 126
127
128
129
130
T O M E I
S T I N T
U S A G E
M A M E T
P L U T O
S T E N O M L O O
A E R O N S A A B O U L O S T L Y E B E G O E S E L A P D R Y E M L E T S O N W I N E L B E L P O N I I N E E T E R S
122
113
120
I G E R
118
119
105 109
125
P R O W
117
98
108
111
T C U O T A C S N O I N A
88
92
103
M O U T H
87
K N E L T
123
S N I D E S T
79
84
107
A S P I C
86
61
97
102
110
55
73
91 94
106
54
65
72
90
101
59
52
77
93
53
35
64
81
89
34
51
76
80
100
33
50
70 75
19
43
63
69
18
47
57
68
32
42
46
56
67
17
25
49
74
16
28
40
62
15
22
31
45
48
99
9
30
44
66
8
21
PREVIOUSPUZZLEANSWERS
Across 1 Polo need 7 Some ballroom dances 14 Go by again 20 Figures in TV’s “V” 21 Acid, e.g. 22 One-two wager 23 Ultranationalism? 25 Sunday best 26 Keep on hand 27 View from une chalet, maybe 28 Reforms? 29 Scream, so to speak 31 Gray shades 35 Mil. stat 36 Dame ___ Everage 39 “Thriller” Grammy sweep? 44 Appear that way 46 Zero 47 More than dislike 48 Speed at which the apocalypse is coming? 51 Having allegorical meanings 56 43-Down follower 57 Brought in 61 Gold-compound salt 62 Balkan native 64 Obsessive-compulsive soap purger? 66 Source of indigo 70 Kate who married a prince 73 Classic Jags 74 Big gambling loss in the Biggest Little City in the World? 77 Venetian strip 80 Louis Armstrong played one 81 More gung-ho 84 Excitement 89 Former Treasury secretary Paul and former Yankee Paul 91 Bad precept for U.S. foreign policy? 93 Spa item 97 L-P center 98 Non compos mentis 99 Not a happy ending on the yellow brick road? 105 Choice word 106 “Are you ___ out?” 107 Do a hula, e.g. 108 Swerve 110 Goes (for) 112 Nastily slander
124
T O N E D
I S P O L A V E W I T S E A D T O R I T H I I A S L Y T W S H Y
E W M E I T R D B I D O N M E C R I S R S H O U O M E A D A H C A N T E O G T H A H A T E R E E A S
S C O T T
L O U V E R S
A N T E S U P
M E T T L E
R O S E
F R A T
A S C E T I C S
N T H
T A R T S
E T A T
F O R G A T I N I T O U R M I L B I T I A R E M S A M B S S O E S Y I N G M O O P I E T D A N T A N D I
E A T K N E A D
N Y E T
S P A R S A R S I T T O Y O U B E T C Y T S K
YES, IT'S THAT SIMPLE. Elliott Sons Funeral Homes ELLIOTTFUNERALHOME.COM
18 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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We can’t guarantee that the pig feet bobbing will be one of the games in this weekend’s Redneck Olympics, held Saturday, September 1, from 10 a.m.10 p.m. at the Lock & Dam Park behind Augusta Regional Airport, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. We do know that the event will feature games and contests for adults and kids, a street dance, live music, fair rides, a petting zoo and more. Participants can bring their own coolers with beer and vendors will be available. Chairs, tents, blankets and fishing poles are welcome. $10 at the gate, $8 with two cans of food that will be donated to Golden Harvest Food Bank. Kids 3 and under get in free. Visit facebook.com/ events/408180049227962/.
ENTERTAIN
Arts
ME
Social ARTifacts: A World Vision Through Art, shows through September 29 at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. Call 706-724-3576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.
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 Art of Alfred Hutty: Woodstock to Charleston, including 60 oil and watercolor paintings, pastel drawings, etchings, drypoints and lithographs, shows through October 28 at the Morris Museum of Art. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org.
Karaoke Contest is Friday, August 31, at 8 p.m. at the Columbia County Amphitheater behind the library. The free event features food, beer, wine and prizes for the winners. Call 706-312-7192 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.
Strange Fruit: Lithographs by Joseph Norman is on display at the Morris Museum of Art through September 16. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
Roy Zimmerman: Satirical Songs of Hope, Struggle and Change is Sunday, September 2, at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church. $15, advance; $20, at the door. Call 706-513-1527 or visit royzimmerman.com.
Elizabeth Moretz-Britt and Beth H. Jones Exhibit is on display through October 26 at Sacred Heart Cultural Center. An opening reception is Thursday, September 6, from 5-7 p.m. Call 706-826-4701 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org.
Painters Freddie Flynt and Tricia Mayers exhibit their work at Sacred Heart Cultural Center through August 31. Call 706-826-4700 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org.
Literary
Number 2 and Number 3, an exhibition by Philip Morsberger and Tom Nakashima, shows through September 13 in the Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art at ASU. Call 706-667-4888 or visit aug.edu.
Tying the Knot, a display of wedding dresses and accessories from the late 1800s to the 1960s, now shows at the Augusta Museum of History. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
Double Take, a Clay Artists of the Southeast exhibition, shows at Gallery on the Row throughout the month of August. Call 706-724-4989 or visit galleryontherow.com.
ACA Summer Camp Exhibition, featuring the works of participants in the center’s summer art camps, shows through August at the Aiken Center for the Arts. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
Surrealism at Gaartdensity: Works by Brian Stewart and Blaine Prescott shows in August at Gaartdensity Gallery downtown. Call 706-466-5166 or email gaartdensitygallery@rocketmail.com.
Music
Active-duty military personnel and their families will receive free admission to the Morris Museum of Art through Sunday, September 2, as part of the museum’s participation in the Blue Star Museum program. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org. Day of Art, hosted by the North Augusta Artists Guild, is each Tuesday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Arts and Heritage Center and includes a group of artists painting in the center who will answer questions or allow visitors to join in. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.
Exhibitions
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Recital, with the music of Paul Bonneau, Gregory Wanamaker and Glenn Gould performed by Chris Condon on saxophone, Alexi Agosto on clarinet,
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. 30AUGUST2012
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Augusta International Folk Dance Club meets Tuesday nights from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Augusta Ballet Studio on 2941 Walton Way. No partners needed. First visit free. Call 706-399-2477.
Baby 101, an infant care class, is Thursday, August 30, from 7-9:30 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Preregistration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
Flix
Lamaze Childbirth Education Class is Saturday, September 1, from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Trinity Hospital of Augusta. Free, but preregistration required. Call 706-481-7727 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.
“Basquiat” shows Tuesday, September 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Free. Call 706821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.
Special Events
Redneck Olympics is Saturday, September 1, from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. at the Lock & Dam Park behind Augusta Regional Airport. It features redneck games and contests for adults and kids, a street dance, live music, fair rides, a petting zoo and more. Participants can bring their own coolers with beer and vendors will be available. chairs, tents, blankets and fishing poles are welcome. $10 at the gate, $8 with two cans of food that will be donated to Golden Harvest Food Bank. Kids 3 and under get in free. Visit facebook.com/ events/408180049227962/. The Commons Jazz Festival and ArtWalk 2012 is Sunday, September 2, at the Augusta Common. ArtWalk, a one-day fine arts and crafts show featuring painting, jewelry, fiber, photography, ceramics and more, is from 2-5 p.m. Free. The festival, featuring a variety of jazz styles from mainstream and traditional to fusion, funk and contemporary, begins at 5 p.m. Attendees should bring their own seating. $20, adults; $15, military, seniors and students; free, kids under 12. Visit gardencityjazz.com.
Lymphedema Education Class is Tuesday, September 4, at noon at University Hospital’s Breast Health Center. Visit universityhealth.org. Total Joint Replacement Class is Tuesday, September 4, at 1 p.m. at University Hospital. Call 706-774-2760 or visit universityhealth.org. Weight Loss Surgery and You is Tuesday, September 4, from 6-7 p.m. at University Heart & Vascular Institute. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-7748931 or visit universityhealth.org. Breastfeeding Class is Tuesday, September 4, from 6-8 p.m. at Aiken Regional Medical Center. $5. Preregistration required. Call 800-322-8322 or visit aikenregional.com. Fresh Start Smoking Cessation meets Tuesdays, September 4-25, from 6-7 p.m. at University Hospital’s cafeteria. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-8094 or visit universityhealth.org.
Day of Hard Labor BBQ Cook-Off is Monday, September 3, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Newberry Festival Site in downtown Aiken. $8, adults; $4, children 6-13; children under 5, free. Call 803-6427654 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
Childbirth Education Classes meet Tuesdays, September 4-25, and Wednesdays, September 5-26, from 7-9:30 p.m. at University Hospital. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Let’s Talk: Self Esteem, a free seminar for women, is Wednesday, September 5, at 6 p.m. at the Diamond Lakes Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.
Your Amazing Baby, a newborn care class for both parents, is Wednesday, September 5, from 6:30-9 p.m. at GHSU’s Medical Center. Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-9351 or visit georgiahealth.org.
First Thursday at Midtown Market is Thursday, September 6, from 5-8 p.m. at the shops at Kings Way. Donna Whaley will be the featured artist, the Greater Augusta Arts Council’s Arts in the Heart will be the featured cup charity and the event will feature food, drink, entertainment and more. Call 706-364-8479.
You Can Climb Mountains with Joint Replacement, a special free event that will include gifts, refreshments, tours, giveaways, a Q&A session and more, is Thursday, September 6, from 5-7 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-4343 or visit doctors-hospital.net/HMI.
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.
Cribs for Kids, an infant safe sleeping class, is Thursday, September 6, from 5:45-8 p.m. at Safe Kids East Central’s office on Walton Way. Families who can demonstrate a financial need will receive a portable crib, fitted sheet, sleep sac and pacifier for $10. Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-76060 or visit georgiahealth.org/safekids.
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 30 at the August Chronicle and University Hospital, August 31 at Internal Medicine Partner, September 4 at Belk in North Augusta, September 5 at SRS Area A and September 6 at Dillard’s in Aiken. Appointments can be made from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. each day. Call 706-774-4145 or visit universityhealth.org. 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. 30AUGUST2012
Center for Women Tour is Thursday, September 6, from 7-8 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctorshospital.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 MartinezColumbia 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 AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Wilson Family Y. Free for members; $3 for non-members. Pre-registration required. Call Claudia Collins at 706-922-9664 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.
Support
A-Team Autism Spectrum Disorders Support Group meets Tuesday, September 4, from 6-7 p.m. at GHSU’s Children’s Medical Center. Visit georgiahealth.edu. CSRA Huntington Disease Support Group meets Tuesday, September 4, from 6:30-8 p.m. at MCG Movement Disorders Clinic. Call 706-721-2798, 706-231-2775 or visit universityhealth.org. Spine Education and Support Group meets Wednesday, September 5, from 1-2:30 p.m. at University Hospital. Visit universityhealth.org. Amputee Support Group meets Thursday, September 6, from noon-1 p.m. at Walton Rehabilitation Hospital. A clinic will be help from 1-2 p.m. Call 706-823-8504 or visit wrh.org. Diabetes Youth Support Group meets quarterly. For more information, call 706-868-3241 or visit universityhealth.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 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.
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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.
Education
Defense Technology and Intelligence Career Fair is Thursday, August 30, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Gordon Conference and Catering Center at Fort Gordon. Visit transitioncareers.com. 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.
706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.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 entertainment. This year’s theme is Ignite Your Mind. Call 803-641-3474 or visit http://rpsec.usca.edu/SEED/. 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 706737-1625 or visit aug.edu. 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.
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.
Behind the Scenes at the Augusta Museum of History with Registrar Amanda Klaus is Saturday, September 1, at 1 and 3 p.m. Call 706-7228454 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.
Brown Bag History Talk, featuring Where People Work with Sue Parr, president and CEO of Metro Chamber of Commerce, is Wednesday, September 5, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the Augusta Museum of History. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
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.
GED Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-8212600 or visit ecgrl.org.
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.
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
Benefits
Sports-Outdoors
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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.
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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.
Girls on the Run, a 10-week running and healthy lifestyle program for girls in third-eighth grades, in which participants will race a 5K at the end, is now registering for the fall season, which begins the first week of September. $150, with financial assistance available. Visit girlsontherunofthecsra.org. The Augusta GreenJackets play the Charleston RiverDogs Friday-Saturday, August 31-September, at 7:05 p.m.; Sunday, September 2, at 5:35 p.m.; and Monday, September 3, at 2:05 p.m. at Lake Olmstead Stadium. $7$11. Call 706-736-7889 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com. Blue Moon Hike is Friday, August 31, from 9-11 p.m. at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park to celebrate the second full moon of the month. $6, members; $10, non-members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-2109 or visit naturalsciencesacademy.org. 11th Annual Walkathon for the Paul F. Milner Sickle Cell Support and Advocacy Group is Saturday, September 1, at 7:30 a.m. at the Augusta Riverwalk. $10. Call 706-798-2526. Kick Cancer 4 Kids 5K Run/Walk is Saturday, September 1, at 8 a.m. at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion. $15, advance; $20, at the event. Call 706-836-9028.
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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 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.
2012 Run Through the Fall 5K is Saturday, September 1, at 8 a.m. at Aiken’s Boyd Pond Park and features a primarily off-road course. Call 803642-7559 or visit aikencountysc.gov. Swamp Saturday at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, a 2.5 mile, 1.5 hour hike, is Saturday, September 1, at 9:30 a.m. Free. Call 706-828-2109 or visit naturalsciencesacademy.org. Flatline Pro Wrestling is Saturday, September 1, at 8 p.m. at Patriots Park gymnasium. A family-friendly event, it is $7. Visit facebook.com/ flatlineprowrestling. Action Dash Race to Beat the Cycle of Poverty, sponsored by Action Ministries Augusta, is Monday, September 3, at Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church. The 5K run-walk begins at 8 a.m. and the one-mile fun run begins at 8:45 a.m. Packet pick-up begins at 6:30 a.m. on race day. 5K pre-registration, $25; race-day, $30; fun run pre-registration, $15; race-day, $20. Visit actiondash.org. The Augusta Rugby Club holds weekly practice sessions at 6:30 p.m. on
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. 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, first-served basis, and participants should arrive 30 minutes prior to the
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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 706-4216168 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. 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
Full Moon Meander, a walk through the wetlands for those ages 5 and up, is Friday, August, 31, from 8-9 p.m. at Reed Creek Park. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free, member; $2 per child, non-members. Pre-registration required. Call 706210-4027 or visit reedcreekpark.com. Kindergarten Ice Cream Social is Tuesday, September 4, at 10 a.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. Young Adult Manga and Anime Club meets Tuesday, September 4, from 4-5 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org. Young Adult Digital Photography Club meets Tuesday, September 4, from 5-6 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org. Honey Bees program, a celebration of National Honey Month for those ages 6-11, is Wednesday, September 5, at 1 p.m. at the Columbia County Library and features local beekeeping experts and trivia. Call 706863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org. Study Hall for those ages 11-17 is Wednesdays, September 5, 12 and 26, from 3-5 p.m. in the YA room of the Headquarters Branch Library. Library staff will assist with papers and projects. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. What’s in the Box: 20 Birds Party, a kids program in which participants examine the exhibit The Morris at 20 and create bird paintings, is Thursday, September 6, from 10-11 a.m. at the Morris Museum of Art. Members, free; non-members, $4 per participants. Pre-registration required. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org. Honey Bees program, a celebration of National Honey Month for those ages 6-11, is Thursday, September 6, at 5 p.m. and features honey tasting. Call 706-8631946 or visit ecgrl.org. Kids Saturdays, featuring local celebrity readers, is each Saturday in September at 10:30 a.m. at the Columbia County Library. Call 706-863-1946 24 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
or visit ecgrl.org. Girls on the Run, a 10-week running and healthy lifestyle program for girls in third-eighth grades, is now registering for the fall season, which begins the first week of September. $150, with financial assistance available. Visit girlsontherunofthecsra.org. YA@AL, a new young adult group at the library, is accepted slogans and logos for the new group during the month of September. Entry forms are available online and in libraries and the deadline for entry is September 30. Winners will be announced October 14. Visit ecgrl.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/juniorboard/about-hh-junior-board.html. Mission to Mars shows Saturdays in September at 7 and 8 p.m. at the DuPont Planetarium in Aiken. $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. Preschool Story Time (ages 2 and under) is every Wednesday at Headquarters Branch Library at 10 a.m. KinderCare Story Time (ages 3-6) is every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Group registration required. Call 706-8212600 or visit ecgrl.org. Story Time is every Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Diamond Lakes Branch Library. Groups of six or more must preregister. 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 preregister. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org. Story Time is every Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Wallace Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org. Story Time is each Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Maxwell Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-793-2020 or visit ecgrl.org. Story Time at the Columbia County Library is each Tuesday at 10:15 and 11 a.m. for those under 2; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10:15 a.m. for 2-year-olds; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. for preschoolers; and Wednesdays for families with kids of all ages. 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 Tuesday at 4:30 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. Ceramics Class, for ages 14 and up, meets Mondays at 9 a.m. or 6 p.m., Tuesdays at 6 p.m., and Wednesdays at 9 a.m. in the Weeks Ceramics Center. Call 803-6427631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Toddler Time, free play for children ages 5 and under, is each Monday and Wednesday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the H.O. Weeks Center in Aiken. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Wacky Wednesday Story Time is each Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the children’s department of Barnes and Noble 30AUGUST2012
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in the Augusta Mall. Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com. Story Time is every Wednesday at Appleby Branch Library from 10:05-10:20 a.m. for toddlers 18 months-35 months, and from 10:30-11:15 a.m. for preschoolers ages 3 and up. Parent must stay with child. Call 706-7366244 or visit ecgrl.org. Story Time is every Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. for Pre-K, and either 11 or 11:30 a.m. for preschoolers at Aiken County Public Library. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org. Story Time is every Wednesday from 10:30-11 a.m. for toddlers and 11:15-11:45 a.m. for preschoolers at North Augusta Branch Library. Call 803-279-5767 or abbe-lib.org.
Seniors
Savvy Caregiver Class meets Tuesdays, September 4-October 9, from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706364-5763 or visit krocaugusta.org. Academy for Lifelong Learning at USC-Aiken is now accepting registration for fall classes, which begin on September 6. Participants may attend as many classes as they like for $70 per semester or $140 a year. Call 803-641-3563 or visit aikenlearning.org. Games for Seniors at the Weeks Center in Aiken include Rummikub each Thursday from 9 a.m.-noon, Mahjong each Thursday from 1-4 p.m., Bridge each Friday from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Bingo each Tuesday at 9 a.m., Pinochle each Tuesday from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and Canasta on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Silversneakers I is offered Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 a.m. and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 11:15 a.m., while Silversneakers Yogastretch is offered Mondays and Wednesdays at 11:15 a.m. at the Weeks Center in Aiken. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Ceramics Class is offered at 9 a.m. on Mondays or Wednesdays and 6 p.m. on Mondays or Tuesdays at the Weeks Center. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Fit 4 Ever is offered at the Weeks Center in Aiken on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10-11 a.m. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Line Dancing is each Tuesday at the Weeks Center in Aiken at 10 a.m. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Yoga I and II are offered at the Weeks Center in Aiken on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8:45-9:45 a.m. and on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
Hobbies
Reconstruction’s Daughter: Lily Gooding Wilson of Hampton and Augusta is the theme of the Augusta Genealogical Society meeting on Thursday, September 6, at 3 p.m. at the Augusta Museum of History. Free and open to the public. Call 706-854-8685. Belly Dancing Classes are held Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at the Wallace Branch Library. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org. Genealogy Class meets every Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Euchee Creek Branch Library. Limited to the first 15 students. Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org.
Spiritual
Sunday activities at the Kroc Center include an adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m., youth Sunday school at 9:45 a.m., and a worship service at 11 a.m. Free. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.
Volunteers
Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services is seeking volunteer advocates for Richmond, Burke, Jefferson and McDuffie counties. Advocates answer crisis calls and respond to hospitals in their area within 30 minutes. Call 706-774-2746 or email volunteerrcsas@uh.org. MACH Academy is looking for volunteers to provide tutoring, academic support and mentoring services during fall after-school sessions held Monday-Thursday from 3:30-6 p.m. Call 706-796-5046, email mparks37@comcast.net or visit machacademy.com. The Morris Museum of Art is currently accepting applications for the 2012 new docent class for the 12-session training program that begins in September. Candidates must commit to one year of service following the training and no prior experience is required. Call 706-828-3865 for more information and an application. Visit themorris.org.
If you would like to see your organization’s events listed in our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@ themetrospirit.com. The deadline for each Thursday’s issue is the previous Friday at noon.
DECLASSIFIED ALL DECLASSIFIED ADS ARE CASH IN ADVANCE (CREDIT CARD PAYMENT REQUIRED) AND ARE $40 PER WEEK. VISIT METROSPIRIT.COM TO PLACE YOUR AD IN MINUTES.
1.5” X 1.9” (ACTUAL SIZE) $40 PER WEEK
Rape Crisis & Sexual Assault Services
Seeking Volunteer Advocates Seeking volunteers for Richmond, Burke, Jefferson, and McDuffie counties. Advocates answer crisis calls and respond to hospitals in their area within 30 minutes. Please contact 706.774.2746 or email volunteerrcsas@uh.org for more information.
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706.294.2776 AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 25
V23|NO35
It Isn’t Always So Pink and Blue Not sure if a woman is pregnant? Then don’t say anything!
The Man and I took The Kids to a GreenJackets game the other night. Whenever we go, we go up to the announcer’s booth and see my friend Scott (who said I could write about him). He and I worked together at my first job out of college, and we still keep in touch via Facebook and whenever we go to games. He lets me bring the kids up to see him, and The Boy gets to say “Now batting, for Augusta, number suchandsuch, player whoever!” Pretty exciting for a kid. This past Saturday, Scott actually spotted me first. I was down on the field, photographing a friend’s daughter who was singing the national anthem, when an employee came up and asked, “Are you Jenny?” It turns out Scott had seen me from his booth above. I promised that The Kids and I would visit him in a bit. In the middle of the sixth inning, I grabbed them and followed them up there. As soon as we arrived, Scott high-fived each kid, and said how glad he was to see them. He also said, “Getting ready for a new little brother or sister, right?” Huh? I hope I didn’t seem like a jerk. “Me? Not me? Do you mean me?” He looked confused, and started stumbling and mumbling, “um… err… yeah… didn’t I read that? Did I hear that somewhere?” Poor guy. I think he really remembered seeing it on Facebook or something. I laughed, and said “Do you know something I don’t?” I know he felt terrible about it. There’s a part of me that secretly hoped that I didn’t look like I was with child. I was wearing jeans and a flowy shirt, so I guess one’s imagination could pretend there was a belly under there. I realize that flowy shirts might be part of the problem. So many women’s shirts can be worn well into a pregnancy. My friend Liz (who doesn’t at all look pregnant) was in the lunch line of her work cafeteria once, when the cashier said something about a “baby in there,” and made a motion towards Liz’s mid region. You can understand why she only ate half of her salad. I forgive my friend Scott. It was an honest mistake. I think it’s a good time to remind
everyone of the standard rule for determining whether a woman is pregnant or not. The only time you can be sure is if you actually see the baby coming out of her. Seriously. It doesn’t matter if you’d like to imagine that to mean C-section style or the other way. I don’t care how big her belly seems. Even if she is wearing a shirt with an arrow pointing downward with the letters B-A-B-Y on it, you just never know. We had a teacher in high school whose anatomy was such that her stomach was the only place she gained weight. Bless her heart. That woman was asked about her due date dozens of time each year. I’ve had countless friends who will be carrying the immediate post-baby weight around their middle AND a baby, and people will ask when the baby’s due. One was even told, “Gosh, you’ll have your hands full with that newborn and the one in your tummy!” Now that’s just stupid. Once, when The Girl was about 18 months old, I was in the best shape of my life. I’d just started playing tennis again and I felt great. Children had changed my body, but I’d bounced back pretty well. I was wearing a tennis skirt, which isn’t very forgiving, and a fitted long sleeved athletic shirt. As I walked up to the window, the receptionist, May (name changed to protect the outspoken), said “I didn’t know you was expectin’!” My response? “Well, May, I didn’t either!” Of course she was mortified, but I didn’t have any bodily clues that would lead her to that conclusion. Again, I laughed, but it wasn’t really funny. I went to tennis practice and told the story, mostly so my teammates could reassure me that she was completely off base. No one’s perfect. Everyone speaks out of turn or says the wrong thing. I’ve eaten more than my fair share of feet. This can be avoided, though. If you don’t see that head comin’ out, she’s not pregnant. It’s that simple.
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.
26 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Michael Johnson
mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Joe Ham, Brooke Stagich, Lindsey Garic and Alyssa Veale at the GRU protest at the D. Douglas Barnard Jr. Amphitheatre at ASU.
SIGHTINGS
Alizia Crocker, Nancy Powell and Francisco Viquez at the GRU protest at the D. Douglas Barnard Jr. Amphitheatre at ASU.
Chrissy Cunningham, Franklin and Jessica Futrelle and Peter Mink at the Indian Queen.
SIGHTINGS
Holly Vaughn, Ashley Heath and Stacy Hopson at the Country Club.
Mary Hart, Taylor Bentler, bass player Andrew Talbot and Michelle Caruthers at the Gary Ray concert.
SIGHTINGS
Caitlyn Dial, Alaina Kemp and Venessa Kemp at Stillwater Tap Room.
30AUGUST2012
Rhea Obermeyer, Charles Howard, Sydney Ewerth and Justin Chastagner at Helga’s Pub and Grille.
Elizabeth Abell, Dale McBride and Melonie Taylor at the Indian Queen.
Michael Johnson
mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Zach Bloomer, Erika DeLacruz and Matt Coleman at Helga’s Pub and Grille.
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 27
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THE
BOX TOPS
The old dudes win again! Give them a hand, everyone. No really; they need help up the stairs.
EIGHT
RANK
TITLE
WEEKEND GROSS
TOTAL GROSS
WEEK #
LAST WEEK
1
THE EXPENDABLES 2
$13,423,579
$52,237,523
2
1
2
THE BOURNE LEGACY
$9,336,005
$85,522,220
3
2
3
PARANORMAN
$8,639,288
$28,261,577
2
3
4
THE CAMPAIGN
$7,472,397
$64,575,569
3
4
5
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
$7,222,317
$422,255,218
6
6
“Premium Rush”
SAMEIFLING
The title is at least half right in this sanitized action movie The title of “Premium Rush” is only half-right: The rush is here, but the premium part, not so much. This bikecourier chase flick suffers from leaden acting, a too-chipper soundtrack, a too-pat plot and a script without much at all interesting to say. At least it’s quick (though even at 91 minutes it feels overlong) and doesn’t skimp on the bikecrash stunts. Watching this many people get almost killed in New York traffic will tire you out, but it’s at least a respite from the other alleged stuff that transpires. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a Columbia Law grad who couldn’t stomach the life of a suit, and fell back on his daredevil bike-trick past to make $80 on a good day zipping around Manhattan. He goes by Wilee — yes, pronounced like the coyote. Why not? “Premium Rush” sends him zig-zagging through busy intersections, leaping on two wheels over fences, clinging to buses, careening down stairs, salmoning his way against oncoming traffic and generally human-cannonballing his way through Midtown on his fixie — no gears, no brakes, steel frame, borderline death wish. This is a Looney Tune stocked with cyclists. It also swings at and just nicks the urban cyclist subculture at its heart. Wilee’s colleagues are semi-plausible as a United Colors of Benetton ad-in-waiting: a spunky Latina ladyfriend (Dania Ramirez), a dashing African-American rival who crows about his own swiftness and ample thighs (Wolé Parks), a crude-tempered dispatcher played by Bombay-born Aasif Mandvi. Together they combine to pick up and then botch a crucial delivery from “Real World” alumna Jamie Chung, who’s of Korean descent but playing a Chinese immigrant because after all this is America and here anyone can grow up to be anything. The stick in their spokes is a ruthless cop named Monday (Michael Shannon) who owes some money around town and bad wants to head off this particular delivery in order to save his own hide. Aside from Gordon-Levitt’s credible turn as a cyclist, the only performance here worth remembering is Shannon’s. The veteran of Jeff Nichols’ “Shotgun Stories” and “Take Shelter” brings his milk-crate jaw and water-colored blue eyes to the dark detective — he’s both the hunter and the hunted. While few others among the cast have real chops, Shannon gives the air of a wounded, starving animal
that wandered in and started baring its teeth. Aside from the occasional bad word and the ubiquitous lawbreaking, “Premium Rush” gives off the sanitized vibe of a teenage heist movie, the sort in which some misfits sneak into trouble and save the day right before the adults realize they were even gone. It’s a bit darker than that, perhaps, but not much. Writer David Koepp (“Spider-Man,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”) also directs, articulately enough. His sense of set-up and climax are better than his grasp of connective tissue; the entire middle of the movie depends on Wilee pushing the plotreset button and returning the package (which gets enough of an explanation, at least, to barely avoid MacGuffin status). Then: More biking! Could it all be smarter? Certainly. Will you get see more cyclists crash into cars, garbage cans, pedestrians, or other dangerous objects this year? Not without actually visiting New York.
THE8ERS Movie times are subject to change.
The Big Mo
Gates open at 7 p.m.; shows begin at 8:30 p.m. August 31-September 1 Field 1: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG), Brave (PG) and The Avengers (PG-13); Field 2: The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13), Ted (R) and The Amazing Spider-Man (PG13); Field 3: ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (PG), Grease (PG-13) and Jurassic Park (PG-13).
Masters 7 Cinemas
August 31 The Amazing Spider-Man (PG-13) 4, 7, 9:50; Magic Mike (R) 4:15, 9:40; Ted (R) 5, 7:30, 10:10; Madea’s Witness Protection (PG-13) 4:30, 7:15, 10; Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (R) 7; Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG) 5:30, 7:45, 10; Snow White and the Huntsman (PG-13) 4, 9:40; Men in Black III (PG-13) 4:45, 7:30,
28 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
9:50; The Hunger Games (PG-13) 6:45 September 1 The Amazing Spider-Man (PG-13) 12:45, 4, 7, 9:50; Magic Mike (R) 4:15, 9:40; Ted (R) 1:45, 5, 7:30, 10:10; Madea’s Witness Protection (PG-13) 1:15, 4:30, 7:15, 10; Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (R) 1:45, 7; Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG) 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10; Snow White and the Huntsman (PG-13) 4, 9:40; Men in Black III (PG-13) 1:30, 4:45, 7:30, 9:50; The Hunger Games (PG-13) 12:45, 6:45
Evans Cinemas
August 31-September 1 Lawless (R) 1:25, 4:10, 7:05, 9:55; The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure (G) 12:30, 2:45, 5, 7:15; Premium Rush (PG-13) 12:40, 2:55, 5:10, 7:25, 9:40; Hit and Run (R) 7:45, 10:05; The Expendables 2 (R) 1:35, 4:40, 7:10, 10;
ParaNorman (PG) 12:50, 3:05, 5:20, 7:35, 9:50; Sparkle (PG-13) 3:50, 9:55; The Odd Life of Timothy Green (PG) 1:45, 4:20, 7, 9:35; The Bourne Legacy (PG-13) 1:05, 4, 6:50, 9:40; The Campaign (R) 12:50, 3:05, 5:20, 7:35, 9:50; Hope Springs (PG-13) 2, 4:50, 7:20, 9:45; Total Recall (PG-13) 9:30; The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13) 1:15, 4:30, 8; 2016 Obama’s America (PG) 12:30, 2:45, 5, 7:15, 9:30; Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG) 1, 3:15, 5:30; The Avengers (PG-13) 12:30, 6:40; The Possession (PG-13) 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10
Regal Exchange 20
August 31-September 1 Lawless (R) 1:35, 4:25, 7:25, 10:15, 11:55; The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure (G) 12:10, 2:15, 4:20, 7:15; The Apparition (PG-13) 1:15, 3:20, 5:30, 7:55, 10:10, 12:15 Premium Rush (PG-13) 12:15, 2:35, 5:10, 7:30, 9:50, 12:10; Hit and Run
(R) noon, 2:25, 4:50, 7:40, 10:05, 12:30; The Expendables 2 (R) 1:30, 4:05, 7:15, 9:40, 12:05; ParaNorman (PG) 12:10, 2:30, 4:50, 7:05, 9:30; Sparkle (PG-13) 1:35, 4:25, 7:05, 9:45, 12:25; The Odd Life of Timothy Green (PG) 12:35, 2:55, 5:20, 7:50, 10:25; The Bourne Legacy (PG-13) 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:20; The Campaign (R) 2:40, 5, 7:20, 9:25, midnight; Hope Springs (PG-13) 12:20, 2:50, 5:20, 7:45, 10:15; Celeste and Jesse Forever (R) 12:15, 2:30, 4:40, 7:05, 9:25, 11:45; Total Recall (PG-13) 10:30; The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13) noon, 12:25, 3:30, 3:50, 7, 7:20, 10:25, 10:45, 11:45; 2016 Obama’s America (PG) 12:40, 2:50, 5:15, 7:45, 9:55, 12:05; Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG) 12:05, 2:20, 4:40, 7:15, 9:30; The Avengers (PG-13) 7, 10:10; The Possession (PG-13) 12:35, 2:55, 5:15, 7:35, 10, 12:25; Brave (PG) 1:40, 4:30; Beasts of the Southern Wild (PG-13) 12:25, 2:45, 5:05, 7:20, 9:40 30AUGUST2012
OPENING FRIDAY, AUGUST 31
V23|NO35
WESTERN
“Lawless,” rated R, starring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain. It may be set in Virginia during the Depression, but this movie has all the makings of a classic western: outlaw brothers (bootleggers in this case), crooked deputies who want a cut of the profits, and a gang headed by, of course, Gary Oldman. Just try and keep up with him, Shia LaBeouf. Yeah, didn’t think so.
HORROR
“The Possession,” rated PG-13, starring Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick. A child is possessed by an evil spirit let loose after she buys an old box at a garage sale. We’d repeat our misgivings about PG-13 rated horror movies, but the commercial for this one freaks us out just a little bit. The fingers coming up from the back of the kid’s throat? Creepy.
COMEDY
“For a Good Time, Call…,” rated R, starring Ari Graynor, Lauren Miller, Justin Long, Seth Rogan. In order to afford a great apartment, two friends start a phone sex line. Hilarity and life lessons ensue.
WERECOMMEND
“Miss Congeniality”
Yes, this movie is about as mainstream as you can get: It’s a comedy about an FBI agent who goes undercover at a beauty pageant to stop a terrorist. It’s got Sandra Bullock in it, for crying out loud, who goes from Gracie Hart, who can’t be bothered with a brush or deodorant and thinks pageants (and pageant contestants) are stupid, to Gracie Lou Freebush, Miss New Jersey. She learns lessons in the end, about herself and about others. But it’s also freakin hilarious, and not just because Bullock can turn the simple act of taking a tumble into comedy gold. Everyone in this 2000 hit is perfectly cast, from Gracie’s would-be suitor and fellow fed Benjamin Bratt and pageant coach Michael Caine to pageant director Candice Bergen. And then there’s Miss Rhode Island Cheryl Frasier (actress Heather Burns), who has the thankless job of being exactly the kind of pageant girl Gracie hates… and eventually learns to love. She is the real heart of the movie… unless you count William Shatner, who owns every scene he’s in (of course). The story and mystery may be slight, but there’s a lot to love about “Miss Congeniality,” especially Gracie’s final “talent” (poor Benjamin Bratt) and the scene at the end when Cheryl cries on stage as Gracie “steals” the crown. Hilarious. 30AUGUST2012
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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VALERIEEMERICK
TONS OF NEW
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Garden City Jazz will once again present the annual Labor Day weekend jazz festival this Sunday, September 2, but this year theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made some enhancements to the event. Formerly known as the Uncommon Jazz Festival, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event has taken on a new name: The Commons Jazz Festival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While planning for the inaugural event, we always referred to it as the Labor Day Jazz Festival. Pretty simple, right? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always know when it takes place,â&#x20AC;? explains Karen Gordon, founder and event organizer for Garden City Jazz. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Then] we called it Uncommon Jazz because we felt it represented the music we were presenting â&#x20AC;&#x201D; classic jazz. Many jazz festivals these days are loaded with pop artists, whose music bears no resemblance to jazz, not even contemporary jazz. We were very deliberate in avoiding pop music, and this is what made the festival different from most.â&#x20AC;? The festival may be different, but Gordon says the name change signifies a focus on commonality. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new name, The Commons Jazz Festival, came about as we began to think about our audience, our community at large, and further refine and define our goals. The music is important, but the people who make up this community are most important â&#x20AC;&#x201D; young, young at heart, military, locals, transplants, musicians, students, teachers, rich, poor, etc. The music is what brings people together, forging connections between regular, everyday folks. And weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re celebrating all that we have in common. In our cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s center, downtown. At the Augusta Commonâ&#x20AC;Ś I knew that I wanted to call this a jazz festival from the startâ&#x20AC;Ś jazz is everymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music. Music of, by and for the people. â&#x20AC;? In addition to the name change, they have added new daytime events, including a free ArtWalk from 2-5 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve added a late afternoon art walk and street fair, which is free to attend between 2-5 p.m.,â&#x20AC;? says Gordon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve worked with Tyler Ashlin (Butterfly Photography Company) on a couple of Candlelight Jazz events this year, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been discussing a Sunday afternoon art walk. This festival seemed like the perfect opportunity to get it started, and Brooke Buxton from The Augusta Market has come aboard to help us manage it. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to make the Sunday ArtWalk a quarterly event and possibly partner with Artists Row.â&#x20AC;? Aside from the name change and the added free events, patrons can expect the same quality jazz event that Garden City Jazz is known for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The music hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed much â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still amazing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still jazz,â&#x20AC;? says Gordon, and then adds about this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music lineup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The performers come from all walks of life, all ages and levels of experience. All are either local or have a strong connection to the Augusta area. Festival headliner London Arrington is no stranger to Augusta, having performed here with his own band or sat in with numerous others or recorded with Wycliffe Gordon at the old Studio South... Kickinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Brass is a New Orleans-style brass band comprised of active duty soldiers from Fort Gordonâ&#x20AC;Ś Elliot Holden isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t from Augusta, but lives in Atlanta now. His set will consist of mixed multi-media, jazz-inspired rock and acoustic guitar. Buzz Clifford is 69 years old and has recently returned home to Aiken. He is a hit with young and old, and has been since the days of Le CafĂŠ Du Teau and Word of Mouth CafĂŠ. Augustaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Young Lions with Joel Cruz represent our young people and the future of jazz.â&#x20AC;?
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&DOO .HOOLH 3XJK DW WR VFKHGXOH \RXU SHUVRQDO WRXU WRGD\ 353 N. Belair Rd | Evans M O R N I N G S I D E O F E V A N S . C O M 30 METROSPIRITAUGUSTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
ArtWalk 2012 | Augusta Common Sunday, September 2 | 2-5 p.m. | Free The Commons Jazz Festival 2012 | Augusta Common | Sunday, September 2 | 5 p.m. $20, adults; $15, military, seniors and students; free, kids under 12 | gardencityjazz.com 30AUGUST2012
V23|NO35
ANDYSTOKES
Infernal Racket
In the absence of a record store in Augusta, let’s just pretend In a desperate and totally unfeasible reimagining of the city we call home, I often envision that our fair hamlet is the kind of medium-sized city that could sustain at least one independent record store for an indefinite amount of time. Granted, it has been years since the last thing that could pass for one of those in this area has closed its doors for good, and, if we’re being literal, Augusta’s last real indie music shop was Infernal Racket, and it’s been even longer since it shut down. If you’re the kind of person who can spend afternoons at a time in these places without regard to spending $10 or $300, you probably agree that it’s pretty bleak here. And no, Best Buy doesn’t count. Put the paper down and walk away right now if you were wondering. Now, I could sit here and postulate why the CSRA is without such a life-giving and life-affirming hub of culture, theorize as to what it says about this city that we aren’t able to sustain one, or simply wonder how long it will be — if ever — before another adventurous entrepreneur takes the huge gamble on opening another similar venture here, but instead I’ll pretend we have one now. It’s new release Tuesday as I write this, and there has been a pretty good bumper crop of new music lately, but I can’t cover it all in this space. Instead, here’s August’s harvest, and I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes version: exactly the kind of split-second rationale I make when perusing the aisles of the aforementioned record stores, weighing $15 or $20 against factors like redeeming album tracks when the singles have lost their sheen and replay value. The Darkness, “Hot Cakes” — Remember these guys? Yeah, I almost don’t either. They must’ve known they were walking the plank to obscurity. Hope there’s something marketable on here, like a single, for the sake of them putting out any more albums not produced in the lead singer’s bedroom. Bloc Party, “Four” — What happened to Three and Two? I’m asking rhetorically, of course. I remember the buzz behind this British group’s first album to seem just strong enough to get them over the pond but not strong enough to make anyone pick up subsequent releases on name recognition only. The Arctic Monkeys sell a ton of records because they make great, short rock songs, not because of the thick Cockney accent that pervades them. Take a hint, guys. Art Garfunkel, “The Singer” — Ah, the classic “other guy” of musical history. I’ll pick this one up along with new releases by Ringo Starr and John Oates. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Last of a Dyin’ Breed” — Yeah, like I don’t know what this one is going to sound like. Actually, come to think of it, I really don’t. Here’s to preserving that ignorance. Incubus, “HQ Live” — I’ve seen Incubus live once, and it was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. Next time you see me, buy me a beer and I’ll tell you about it. But suffice it to say that, save for some intermittent crowd noise, there’ll be no way to even tell this is a live recording. Bands, take note — release live albums only when you are known as an exceptional live band. Easy Star All Stars, “Easy Star’s Thrillah” — Ever wanted to hear Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” only slower and performed by less-talented musicians? Then here you go. Flobots, “Circle in the Square” — Rage Against the Machine + two DJs political cause. Antony and the Johnsons, “Cut the World” — I still can’t do it. I’ve heard the music, I’ve read the glowing reviews and end-of-year best of lists. I’ve heard first hand from people who love this guy’s voice. But hearing a guy sing like he’s swaying between a nervous breakdown and the moment right before his voice cracks on every song isn’t fun to me. No thanks. Ry Cooder, “Election Special” — From the man who, in part, brought us Buena Vista Social Club comes a release clearly meant to coincide with something we’re all already beyond tired of hearing and reading about. So let’s listen to music that has a political agenda too! 30AUGUST2012
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FEATURED
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August 30 30Thursday, Live Music
Coyote’s - Inside Out Band French Market Grille West - Doc Easton Smooth Jazz Joe’s Underground - Chris Hardy Mellow Mushroom (Downtown and Evans) - Live and Local Sky City - Open Mic Night Somewhere in Augusta - County Line Surrey Tavern - Rock Out Karaoke with Tony Williams and David Heath The Willcox - Classic Jazz Wild Wing - She N She
Kevn Kinney brings Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ back to Augusta on Friday, August 31. Opening for them at the Sky City show will be local favorites Jesup Dolly and Shaun Piazza. Doors open at 8 p.m. and music starts at 10 p.m. $10. Visit skycityaugusta.com.
What’s Tonight?
Casa Blanca - Thursday Tango Club Argos - Karaoke Cocktails Lounge - Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke Fox’s Lair - Soup, Suds & the Simpletons Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia The Loft - Karaoke The Playground - Open Mic Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Evans) - Karaoke The Playground - Open Mic with Brandy Shannon’s - Karaoke Soul Bar - Boom Box Dance Party Villa Europa - Karaoke Wooden Barrel - ’80s Night Karaoke
August 31 31Friday, Live Music
100 Laurens - Brend Lundy 1102 - Granny’s Gin Carolina Ale House - Jim Perkins Cotton Patch - Borderline Country Club - Michael Stacey Coyote’s - Joe Olds and the Smokin’ Joe Band Doubletree - Classic Jazz Fox’s Lair - Roger Enevoldsen French Market Grille West - Doc Easton Joe’s Underground - TX Clergy PI Bar & Grill - Jazz Duo Shannon’s - Perfect Picture Band Sky City - Drivin’ N Cryin’, Jesup Dolly, Shaun Piazza Somewhere in Augusta - Ruskin Yeargain Surrey Tavern - Funk You
What’s Tonight?
Cocktails Lounge - Grown-Up Fridays with DJ Columbia County Amphitheater - Karaoke Contest Cork and Bull Pub - Karaoke Eagle’s Nest - Free Salsa Lessons; Latin Dance Party Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke Iron Horse Bar & Grill - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke with Ryan Moseley Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke with Jeff Barnes Mi Rancho (Clearwater) - Three J’s Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s - Karaoke Palmetto Tavern - DJ Tim The Playground - Heartless DJs Rebeck’s Hideaway - Open Mic Roadrunner Cafe - Karaoke with Steve Chappel Soul Bar - Disco Hell Wooden Barrel - Karaoke Contest 34 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
01
Saturday, September 1 Live Music
100 Laurens - Eli Montgomery The Acoustic Coffeehouse - Open Acoustic Jam Session with Eryn Eubanks and the Family Fold Cotton Patch - Jerrod Gay Country Club - The John King Band Coyote’s - Joe Olds and the Smokin’ Joe Band Joe’s Underground - Ruskin Yeargain P.I. Bar and Grill - Not Gaddy Jazz with Pam Bowman Polo Tavern - Mama Says
What’s Tonight?
Club Argos - Variety Show Cocktails Lounge - Latin Night Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke Fox’s Lair - Karaoke with Beth Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Loft - DJ Richie Rich Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke with Rockin Rob Mi Rancho (Clearwater) - Karaoke with Danny Haywood Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s - Karaoke Robbie’s - Saturday Night Dance Party Wheels - Live DJ Wooden Barrel - Kamikaze Karaoke
September 2 02Sunday, Live Music
5 O’Clock Bistro - Buzz and Candice (brunch) Augusta Common - ArtWalk and Commons Jazz Festival Cotton Patch - Keith Gregory (brunch) Eagle’s Nest - Queen Sheba, Mahogony Lounge Patridge Inn - Sunday Evening Jazz w/ the Not Gaddy Jazz Trio The Willcox - Jazz Jam Session
What’s Tonight?
Caribbean Soul - Love Jones Sundays Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke, Salsa Dancing Shannon’s - Karaoke with Peggy Gardner
03
Monday, September 3 Live Music
Shannon’s - Open Mic Night
What’s Tonight?
Applebee’s (Evans) - Trivia Club Argos - Karaoke Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Trivia with Mike Thomas Somewhere In Augusta - Poker Tournaments Wild Wing - Trivia
September 4 04Tuesday, Live Music The Highlander - Open Mic Night Joe’s Underground - Happy Bones The Willcox - Piano Jazz
What’s Tonight?
Club Argos - Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge - Dart League Laura’s Backyard Tavern - Karaoke w/ David Doane Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke Mellow Mushroom (Downtown and Evans) - Trivia The Playground - Truly Twisted Trivia with Big Troy Polo Tavern - Karaoke Shannon’s - Karaoke with Mike Johnson Somewhere In Augusta - Big Prize Trivia
September 5 05Wednesday, Live Music Club 706 - Angel Brown, ATL DreamVision Joe’s Underground - Sibling String Manuel’s - Rene Russell Trio
What’s Tonight?
Club Argos - Santoni’s Satin Dolls Cocktails Lounge - Augusta’s Got Talent Cotton Patch - Trivia and Tunes Hotel Aiken - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Laura’s Backyard Tavern - Karaoke w/ David Doane The Loft - Karaoke Malibu Jack’s - DJ Mike Swift Midtown Lounge - Karaoke w/ Charles O’Byrne
Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke with Rockin’ Rob The Playground - Krazy Karaoke with Big Troy Polo Tavern - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Somewhere in Augusta - Comedy Zone w/ Dave Landau and Mikey Mason Surrey Tavern - Trivia with Christian and Mickey
Upcoming
Rachel Goodrich, Modern Man, Mechanical River, Eat Lightning - Sky City September 6 Wayne Capps - Augusta Moonlight Music Cruise September 7 Pujol, Turf War, the Henry Clay People - Sky City September 19 Brian Regan - Bell Auditorium September 20 Moon Taxi - Sky City September 20 Shameless Dave & The Miracle Whips - Laura’s Backyard Tavern September 21 The Packway Handle Band - Stillwater Tap Room September 21 Blair Crimmins and the Hookers - Stillwater Tap Room September 22 North Mississippi Allstars, Mssing Cats Featuring John JoJo Hermann and Sherman Ewing - Sky City September 25 The Fresh Beat Band - Bell Auditorium October 4 Langhorne Slim & The Law, the Last Bison - Sky City October 12 Mike Epps - Bell Auditorium October 12 Devils in Disguise - Stillwater Tap Room October 19 The Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Sky City October 23 Big Daddy Love - Stillwater Tap Room October 26 Grass Giraffes, Brothers, White Violet - Sky City October 27 The Burning Angels - Stillwater Tap Room November 2 Smokey’s Farmland Band - Stillwater Tap Room November 16 Vagabond Swing - Stillwater Tap Room November 30 The Welfare Liners - Stillwater Tap Room December 14
30AUGUST2012
V23|NO35
Music and Politics Don’t Mix
Should you really care who your favorite musician is voting for? No. What used to be sex, drugs and rock and roll is now sober, politics and some music. With the presidential campaign in full force, and the Republican National Convention scheduled for Tuesday night, musicians are leaving their mansions in support of their favorite candidates. This does bring up a great question: Do bands have to pick political parties? No one cares if Ted Nugent thinks Obama is the anti-Christ, because if you are taking your political advice from Ted Nugent you honestly shouldn’t be allowed to vote. Whether you are Tom Morello or Eddie Vedder, I could care less about your political beliefs. I do have to say that if the lineup for this year’s GOP event represents the Republican Party as a whole, I’m definitely voting Democrat again. The lineup this year will feature Kid Rock, Journey, 3 Doors Down and American Idol great Taylor Hicks. Let’s go, Soul Patrol! Unfortunately, Lynyrd Skynyrd had to cancel thanks to Hurricane Isaac. Shouldn’t we take note that even God doesn’t want these bands to perform? My guess is that God could care less about the debates between Republicans and Democrats, but he does care about the eardrums of Republicans. God knows that the only positive outcome that can happen is that all the bands are on the same plane when it goes down. Side note: Lynyrd Skynyrd is immune to this. In defense of 3 Doors Down, they couldn’t let their Nascar fans down, and the appearance of Journey doesn’t bother me; Steve Perry’s not in the band anymore, so it’s like they don’t exist already. Sssstttteeeevvvveeee Perry! Rolling Stone magazine asked a Romney spokesperson if Romney was aware of Kid Rock lyrics, like, “Been fuelin’ up on cocaine and whiskey,” and “I don’t want to be your friend/ I want to f*** you like I’m never gonna see you again.” Or how about the song, “Early Mornin’ Stoned Pimp”? The spokes person responded: “Umm, hmmm… right, okay, let me check on this stuff and I’ll get back to you.” I think music should take advice from most bars: there’s no talking about politics or religion. Some people are outraged by the leaders and current state of our country. Some are even saying, “If America keeps this up, I’m moving to Canada.” You might want to rethink that decision. The bomb was dropped this week that Avril Lavigne is engaged to Nickelback “rocker” Chad Kroeger. It only took six months for these two to realize they should spend the rest of their lives (two years max) together. There’s only a 10-year age difference, so by the picture, Kroeger is not ageing well. Not only are these two set to get married, Kroeger has been working with Avril on her new album. So just when you think Avril Lavigne’s music is bad, well let’s add a touch of Nickelback to it and see what you think. I wonder how she likes singing about strippers and Jack Daniels? No date is set for these two to get hitched, and no date is set for the new album. My buddy Sanj did bring up a good point: why get mad about these two coming together? We can only hope that Avril Lavigne will be the Yoko Ono of Nickelback; for that, we should thank her. If you’re looking for a band that continues to entertain, don’t miss Funk You at Surrey Tavern this Friday night. They’re good; scout’s honor. What shows are coming to Augusta? What venues are handing out the best drink specials? What will Canada’s next move be? Email me at matt@themetrospirit.com.
MATTSTONE can be heard weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 95 Rock. 30AUGUST2012
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 35
V23|NO34
AMYCHRISTIAN
A World of Difference Frog Hollow’s owner focuses on local quality
Organic, sustainable, local — these farm-to-table terms have been buzzwords in the restaurant industry for the past few years as chefs do their best to give diners food that is better tasting and better for them as well. For Chef Sean Wight, however, it’s been a way of life for more than a decade. He lives on a farm in Edgefield where, until a few years ago, he was owner and chef at the Old Edgefield Grill. “I was using local products back when I opened the grill in 1999, but I didn’t do it because it was a trendy thing,” Wight explained. “I did it because people brought me stuff from their farms and it was free. I continued it here and it’s worked out really well.” “Here” is Broad Street’s Frog Hollow Tavern, which Wight and his wife Krista opened two years ago. He had taken a hiatus from the restaurant kitchen to focus on catering, which he still does a lot of especially during Masters Week, but was anxious to get back in the game. “I really got bored because you’re doing what everyone else wants to do instead of what you want to do,” he said. “So I heard through the grapevine that this place was coming available and just sort of jumped on it.” At Frog Hollow, Wight does exactly what he wants to do: offer locally sourced, quality products in upscale and unusual presentations. A quick visit to the restaurant’s website reveals that Wight gets most everything, from cheese and produce to pork and poultry, from the southeast, if not Georgia. And the menu on the website is representative of what Frog Hollow serves, but diners should plan on seeing differences almost daily. Wight can count on one hand the number of dishes that stay on the menu for any length of time. “The shrimp and grits with our homemade bacon and sausage stays on the menu. I’ve take in off a couple of times when I can’t find wild shrimp,” he said of one of his most enduring dishes. “And the roast pork with 36 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
mac and cheese and collards. Those are about the only two we keep on there all the time. And the wedge salad because it showcases our homemade bacon.” Change is constant but will be even more pronounced in the next couple of months as the seasons change, he said. “In the summer we do a lot of lighter dishes with an emphasis on seafood,” he explained. “In the winter, we will do heartier dishes like Brunswick stews, Frogmore stews. Slowly by slowly, you’ll see two items here and there transition into others. You may see one center of the plate thing one week and we’ll present it totally differently the next.” Seasonal changes and creative presentations aren’t limited to Frog Hollow Tavern’s kitchen, however. In the bar, patrons will not only see more than 100 bottles of wine, but cocktails they won’t find anywhere else. “We barrel age a lot of our cocktails,” Wight said. “We premix a Manhattan and barrel age it, which gives it a totally different flavor.” Three to four drinks at a time are barrel aged, and others are infused with different flavors. Frog Hollow, for instance, infuses bourbon with their homemade bacon. And since expanding into the space formerly occupied by a gym, the restaurant has even installed a smaller test kitchen where they can pickle vegetables and fruits to use in cocktails. Whether in the bar or restaurant, customers can expect expert service from the wait staff, something Wight felt was so important that he brought in outside help from Atlanta before the restaurant opened. “I wanted the service to be first rate,” he said. “I just wanted to do it right.” Doing it right, he added, means ensuring that customers not have to ask their servers for anything. But if they do ask a question, Wight said they can expect the right answer. “We have daily meetings before service,” he said. “Our menu changes every day, every week, so we have
to educate our servers. And we have ongoing education classes, we take them out to the farms. We try to educate them as much as possible so they can educate our guests as to what we serve.” What Wight serves will expand in the next year. He and his wife just bought the building at the corner of 12th and Broad, where the lucky few who will live in the apartments above will have not one, but two restaurants to choose from on the ground floor. Farmhaus, the Wights’ local burger joint that will also serve craft beers, milkshakes made with local milk and where everything will be made from scratch, is set to open in the winter. A yet-to-be-named wine bar that serves wood-fired pizzas will open sometime in the spring or summer of 2013. And though Wight still spend a good bit of time in Frog Hollow’s kitchen, these new projects means he’s had to rely more on his staff, especially Sous Chef Adrian Baer. Fortunately, he said, the two have begun to think alike. “When you’re getting ready to open multiple places, you have to put your trust in somebody and I trust Adrian,” Wight said. “He’s been working with me for a couple of years now and we kind of do things the same way. We both think it’s important not to cut corners. Because it doesn’t take a whole lot more time and effort to do things the right way as it does to cut corners.” Frog Hollow Tavern 1282 Broad Street, Augusta Wednesday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5-10:30 p.m. | 706-364-6906 froghollowtavern.com 23AUGUST2012
S P O N S O R
T H E
METRO SPIRITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S amber@themetrospirit.com PET PAGE! Girard Lifesavers By Aimee Murphy
The call came inâ&#x20AC;Ś dog rescuer in distress. Well, we were on it. After all, â&#x20AC;&#x153;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what friends are for!â&#x20AC;? We all contacted our friends and collected dog food, dog carriers and treats and were off to Girard. We had no idea what to expect when we got there; after all, we had heard that this was one lady with a rescue who was at her limit with dogs. She couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take in any more and there were dogs being dumped all around her that she was trying to help. I am not sure if the picture is clear, but when you are stretched to the point of having a full rescue (the limit on dogs in a licensed rescue is 80) and you have dogs outside the rescue you are trying to make sure have some food, well you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time for much else, to say the least. It is no wonder that we drove right past this place. This pretty little old white house, with a wraparound porch and a fence around it, is right on the main drag in Girard. We pulled up, and of course were greeted by lots of dogs, big and small, all letting their caregiver know that we had arrived. Big question: Do we want to enter the fence? Aw heck, why not, right? So in the fence we went. Here is what we saw: Clean water flowing freely, dogs cooling off in a puppy pool, green grass in a beautiful yard, happy dogs everywhere. Now I know I am not canine, but wow, does this lady have room for me? Well, we met all the dogs outside, and as any good host would do, she invited us in. Okay, I am thinking, do we really want to do this? The inside must be a mess, right? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thinking, who could have this many dogs and have a clean house? Well let me tell you, this lady can and does! We walked in and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe it. The place was clean and even smelled good! How in the world does she do it? I think I am going to consider getting rid of my teenagers and getting 80 dogs. We visited for quite a while, with her and all the dogs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the three cats in the house â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and offered our services in case she needed anything else. We unloaded the dog food and other goodies and were on our way back home. I think everyone, in all three vehicles in our convoy, felt even better on the way home after seeing such a wonderful, beautiful, happy place! If you want to help a great cause, Girard Lifesavers needs volunteers. If you are interested in adopting a dog, this lady has big and small and every size in between. She has lots of â&#x20AC;&#x153;designerâ&#x20AC;? dogs (known to most people as mix breeds). She has lab mixes, bulldog mixes, beagle mixes, terrier mixes and much more! She has lots of great dogs with great temperaments. You can contact us at Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s What Friends Are For or you can contact Girard Lifesavers if you want to give Special Events one of her fantastic dogs a Pawprints Event | Taylor BMW forever home.
Saturday, October 20 | 7-10 p.m. For more information, visit pawprintsfoundation.org
Augusta Humane Society offers obedience classes twice HDFK \HDU ÂŹ)RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ FDOO
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.
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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 What’s the story behind the Scottish group pulling out of the patch? Were they promised the Sales Tax funds and the commission backed out.
“Boss Hogg” is Alive & Well in Columbia County! Yes Folks! Those “Monopoly Board’ Style Subdivisions that have Sprung Up Throughout Columbia County, “Boss Hogg had them built! While they Do have “City Water”, there are No Sewer Lines! There is, However, a Huge Septic Tank sitting beneath each Subdivision! When That Septic Tank Reaches Capacity, Don’t Worry! For just “A Little Bitty Fee”, one of Boss’ Corporations will Empty That Tank! And, I Thought Jersey City Was Corrupt!
the front page picture of mayor dick oops i mean deke and the grinning azziz looks like they are holding hands or worse under the table and the hook up has been settled! Mayor deke would have gotten along great with Hitler especially since Hitler didn’t send rich people to the camps.Its all good... Funny how when someone’s on their death bed all the church people flock by to do their little social obligation for a gold star, but in the year prior, when this person needed help with chores and transportation or just needed someone to talk to, most of these same people were no where to be found. Don’t blame the Metro Spirit for it’s occasional racial whines. Blame the whiners. Blame the few that aren’t afraid to point out a social problem that may exist because of a particular race. Blame those who express their
opinion on what they see and live in their everyday lives. Blame the people that state facts that you don’t like. But don’t blame the Spirit. In fact, commend them for giving people a voice. Why dont the events coordinators downtown learn to play a musical instrument so they can see how easy it is to book first friday,augusta common,downtown market,etc. Also who are the people/events organizers that are making these mountains of money off of first friday,arts in the heart,westabou,and these nonprofits(give me a break). The bands used to get paid $100 ea. Where is all that money from vendor fees,sales,etc going?We are talkin 6 figures people. Matt and Sanj, please don’t play Creed all day next Thursday!! I am 95 Rock!!! When azziz goes away (and he will go away) Chip Lowe and any other GRU collaborators need to be right behind him. NO GRU! DUMP azziz!! Re: 95 Rock’s Happy Hour with MattStone & Sanj: PLEASE for the love of GOD, do not play Creed or Nickelback on your show. It’s bad enough that those of us with fully formed ears have to suffer through that s****y excuse for music--don’t make the 7-month old fetus in my womb suffer too. Thanks...
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706-724-2445 38 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
V23|NO34
I travel out to Fort Gordon occasionally and I wonder - does ANYBODY obey the speed limit?? (I try to, but am tailgated every time!) Why not do away with the speed limit signs since nobody seems to pay any attention to them and no one is held accountable! Austin, you arrogant egomaniac. You cost Scott Peebles the election. And then you just move on to the next thing like a shark. Why Would someone explain why county employees can use county cars and county gas (probably on county time) to work the polls holding signs for any candidate? Marshall Steve Smith along with others were doing this during the runoff this past Tuesday.
Josh Ruffin needs to stick to what he does best….cutting lime wedges at the bar. So Condi Rice is now a member at Augusta National. I wonder if her friend George Bush will now expect to visit town to golf here? OK to Condi but not to Bush! He ran our country downward with his cowboy tactics of running with weapons into fights he did not prepare for. Not only do we have the expenses of warfare, but also we are saddled with trillions of dollars his rich cronies could not account for using because there was not set up to oversee the usage of monies for the wars. If a vacant property poses a threat, such as the structure on it is unstable or dangerous, who is responsible to tear it down? All these burned out vacant houses are horrible. Maybe we need to move the Masters downtown so the city will clean up down there. Billy’s resignation from the MCG board of visitors and subsequent frontpage railings was the height of hypocrisy. He is the reason there is no representation for Augusta on the Board of Regents. In 2002 he endorsed democrat and political hack Roy Barnes for governor over unknown republican Sonny Perdue. He endorsed Barnes so Barnes would continue through pal Charles Walker’s ANIC ripoff program would funnel tax money to his (Billy’s) pet golf hall and gardens project so his hotel guests would have a better view. This amounted to millions of dollars. When it came time to appoint to the Board of Regents Purdue privately said no one from Augusta would be considered. This is the reason Purdue would not help when the golf gardens was wilting from lack of water. Neither did Billy. He disavowed all connection to the golf hall by preventing his newspaper from printing the fact during its dying days. During the recent university naming imbroglio Augusta desperately needed an advocate on the board to speak up for Augusta’s wishes. Oh, wait. We had Azizz!!!
23AUGUST2012
MARKETING & DESIGN