Metro Spirit 10.06.2011 by Metro Spirit

COME TO THE KROC CENTER TO ENJOY THE ARTS!

*Partner Agency providing class instruction

Classes Starting Now: Painting, Dancing, Music, Pottery, Photography & More!

75%

UP TO OFF CLASS FEES FOR MEMBERS!

*certain restrictions apply

1833 Broad Street

706.364.KROC krocaugusta.org

TABLE of CONTENTS

Beautiful Skin Begins Here! whine line - TOM TOMORROW - INSIDER metro are you not entertained - CALENDAR the8 - ART 45 - SIGHTINGS - CUISINE SCENE - JENNY IS WRIGHT - AUGUSTA TEK - NY TIMES CROSSWORD - NEWS OF THE WEIRD - FREE WILL ASTROLOGY slab - EARDRUM - EDGE OF ADVENTURE - THE DOWNLOAD - IN MUSIC - BALL - ADVICE GODDESS - AUSTIN RHODES

04 04 06 08 18 19 27 29 30 32 35 36 37 38 38 39 43 45 46 47 48 49 50

Complimentary Complexion Analysis

LIMITED TIME ONLY

Want to advertise in the Metro Spirit? 706.496.2535 or 706.373.3636 AmyChristian|production director amy@themetrospirit.com

JoeWhite|publisher-sales manager joe@themetrospirit.com

GabrielVega|lead designer gabe@themetrospirit.com

BrendaCarter| account executive brenda@themetrospirit.com

EricJohnson|writer eric@themetrospirit.com

JedCapuy|account executive jed@themetrospirit.com

JenniferPoole|publisher’s assisstant jennifer@themetrospirit.com

LigéHaab|account executive lige@themetrospirit.com MichaelJohnson|sightings

JordanWhite|design intern AmyPerkins|editorial intern

ErinGarrett|photography intern

COVER DESIGN | KRUHU.COM

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

V. 22 | NO. 58

We tailor a combination of medical procedures and medical-grade skin care products to achieve healthy youthful skin!

902 Ponder Place Court | Evans | 706.922.3376 Dr. Florentino is a Board-Certified Dermatologist from Detroit, Michigan. She is fluent in Spanish, has four children and one Labrador Retriever named Leo. METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

WHINELINE Governor Christie decided not to run for president because it would interfere with his snack time. He said the busy presidential duties wouldn’t allow him to finish his daily allotment of Twinkies. Shame on that furniture store guy for the endless and nauseating exploiting he does of his combat tales. What a jerk. The Symphony’s Executive Director does not understand why the Miller Theater closed. During the 70s/80s, all businesses left downtown for the burbs except for Luigi’s. It had nothing to do with business practices of the theater owners. Please, Ms. Self you are not an expert on all topics. The whine about Libertarians was spot on. At one time I thought they were really on to something, but the more I learned about them the more I realized most of them were a bunk of kooks. I mean seriously, listen to Ron Paul in a debate. He’s like one of their heros. The man is a nut job. If he were elected president (God help us), then we would truly be in the end days of this country. I’m sure Matt Monroe will land on his feet; Oftentimes, a calamity results in a better opportunity.I don’t know the circumstances of his firing, but I do know the guy creeped me out. What is it with Evanez and their obsession with Lady Antebellum??? Sure they are local kids who made it big and sure they are popular NOW, but they have been together what maybe 5 years?? That does not seem like long enough to justify naming anything after them let alone the new amphitheater. What happens when say in a few years if Lady Antebellum has a melt down and dissolves or just fades away into obscurity being replaced by the next ‘new’ thing. What will they do then??

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

Keep the name or just whimper and rename it something more appropriate like ‘great multi-use field behind the Kroger that we had to develop into something most people did not want because we cannot seem to build a proper indoor venue’ amphitheater. And besides what kind of amphitheater has a flat field in front of it? Folks need to stop bitching about the new Fox 54 news crew. Judging from the Facebook posts by angry viewers, they obviously didn’t pay much attention to the previous crew anyway. “Where’s the old crew?” “I hate this new crew.” “What happened to my favorite newscast?” Well, if you payed ANY attention they mentioned SEVERAL times they would be moving to the CW. So you can find them there and shut yo mouth. As for me, I like the new full hour newscast and the fact that it’s in HD. Still waiting for someone to either start putting copies of the publication in the Thomson area, or to get off their butt and start making this publication available online so that all of us in the metro area have an opportunity to find out what’s going on in town. Since arriving here Disgusta has been and continues to be such a disappointing example of a wanna-be city. It’s time for this place to grow up leave the 1970’s and enter the 21st century. The fact that there is already a line to get Lady Antebellum tickets is proof of the sheer number of redneck, country bumpkins who populate the Augusta area. Where the hell are these people when a big rock show comes around? Average tax rates paid: Those making $500,000 to $1 million-24%; $1 million and up-23%; The 400 wealthiest-18% (IRS-by AGI, 2008). Class warfare? Ya

think!?! In Eric Johnson’s story re. the incident @ the pizza joint: not one mention of the ***hole who caused the problem. What’s his name, occupation, criminal history? Was he charged with asault and battery or anything at all? Who was this irresponsible judge who issued an arrest warrant without the facts or was the judge given the wrong facts by the sherriff’s dept? For such a long article, you left a lot of questions unanswered. Being a professional journalist, you should know better. Chuck Williams writes an article about David Frost and doesn’t tell us anything about him. Is he goth rock? a rapper?; solo act or a band? You need to step up your game,also. 10th grade english comp. students write better. I was watching an American League playoff game last night and Boston was involved. Wally Bell called a strike to one of the Boston players and it was well off the plate and when the player said

up THUMBS

something the ump took off his mask and bullied him and made the challenge to him to say something. Major league baseball needs to get these umpires to get there act together. The headline plastered across today’s local paper was - and I quote: GHSU to lay off 150 employees. I can’t help but wonder how much GHSU (Georgia Health Sciences University) President Ricardo Azziz thinks that raised his “cool factor” for Augusta? Our first time on the floor by herself server at that new pizza place on Washington Road did nothing wrong and the management belittled her in front of all the customers with raised voices and hand gestures. They had her in tears. We told her it was not her fault and tried to calm her down. If management treats their servers like this maybe the customers are next. Austin Rhodes seems to have been blessed with an amazingly complete disregard for the fact that numerous people who’ve been in prison, on deathrow, have been exonerated and set free. Mr. Rhodes, moral conscience of

Augusta band Jemani, now known as Dredneck, is No. 18 on the Nielson Soundscan charts with their single “Glitterbone.”

down THUMBS

The area around Berckmans Road continues its slide toward and endless sea of parking — for one week a year, no less — as two more properties are sold to the Augusta National. Hard to blame the owners, however, when the club is willing to pay a million for an acre and $600,000 for less than half an acre.

V. 22 | NO. 58

WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM

weeks edition to see my whine with a note from the “Editor” stating that it is people like me that make people hate working in the food industry. Might I point out your spelling Mr/Mrs Editor? Am I understanding of your comment to be that people who work in the food service industry should not be held to high standards of customer service? Maybe it is people like you that have let the food industry slide so far down the service scale by not expecting more. If we dont expect much, we dont get much. Or is it that your paper gets so much free food you dont want to alienate your givers?

the CSRA that you are, you are aware that our Justice system annoys you because it’s ideally based on the premise one innocent person incarcerated or sent to their eternity by the State, is one too many? And that you can’t possibly care about innocent people while so energetically supporting the fast-tracking of the death-penalty. I’m sure you’ve taught in Sunday school that the only infallible entity in the universe is God. Bass guitarists are the most difficult musicians to find in Augusta - which is good for bass guitarists. You can be a mediocre bassist and have gigs out the ying yang. The problem with libertarians is that they don’t believe in anything other than themselves. It’s no surprise that their leader, Ayn Rand, was a proud atheist. Their philosophy is one based on selfishness and a rejection of a higher power. Putting any libertarian into a position of power to make decisions would be a very dangerous thing.

I’m sorry but that ARTie the dragon is the UGLIEST piece of so-called art I have ever seen. And I’m really tired of everyone in Augusta kissing the butts of the so-called art community here and telling them how wonderful they are. Most of them are talentless hacks and that’s why they are still in Augusta. Any real artist would have made out of this miserable town a long time ago.

Im a little confused. I wrote a whine about receiving poor service at local food establishments. I open up this

So, let me get this straight. If we oppose Our Dear Leader we are racists. But if we vote for Herman Cain we’re

Are You Ready?

We’ve always loved how committed the players at Le Chat Noir are to their productions, but you won’t believe how they’ve thrown themselves into “Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp,” their latest that shows October 13-15, 18-22 and 25-29, with the Black Cat Ball immediately following the October 29 show. We know we weren’t prepared for “The Darkest Hour” when we visited lcnaugusta.com. The site now includes videos teases, as well as pages on basic training, Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse (the official CDC guide), spotting the infected, weapons of choice and combat exercises. Enlist to get tickets, although be forewarned: “You may be subjected to simulated violence, nudity, excessive gore, flashing lights, loud sounds, sudden darkness, fog, and other difficult conditions. Enlist at your own risk,” the site says. Current threat level? Yellow.

WERECOMMEND also racists? Do the Janeane Garafalo’s of the world realize just how stupid this makes them sound?

All you guys at the music store? I’m sorry you didn’t get hired for that big Guns N’ Roses reunion tour. That’s the breaks. Don’t take it out on me, and don’t act like you don’t need my money. Fact:Stevie Ray Vaughan bought guitar strings the same way I did. With the seven bucks in his back pocket. I don’t care how many signed Duff McKagan

drum skins you have in the front window. That won’t pay your bills or feed your kids. Thankfully,unlike you,I have a real job and don’t care about presenting a facade to my poser friends; I just needed a pack of strings. Next time, I’ll be glad to take my money somewhere else. 9/11 was an inside job. Meetup 10/9/11 10th and Broad St. outside tables. LETs Educate the Sheeple!

NOW OPEN! Thanks to our loyal customers in North Augusta we are expanding to Evans.

Lunch & Dinner Sun-Thurs 11-9pm Fri-Sat 11-10pm

Please visit us today for a delicious, fresh lunch or dinner.

Seafood, Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

Clip & bring this ad to receive a

Save 30% off the cost of a one year membership. Limited time only.

i Japanes b a

Bring a friend & join for $1 each.

FREE QUANTUM T-SHIRT! Offer expires November 30, 2011

4272 Washington Road. | Next to Publix in Evans (down from regal cinemas)

V. 22 | NO. 58

quantumfitnessaugusta.com 4408 Evans to Locks Rd, Evans, GA (706) 210-1140

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

INSIDER

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

Kent Dogged by Critics but Remains on Board 5,000 sign petition to dump him

As the controversial Georgia Immigration Enforcement Review Board met for the first time last week, the uproar over Gov. Nathan Deal’s appointment of conservative commentator and former <<IT>>Augusta Chronicle<<IT>> editorial page Editor Phil Kent has grown even more deafening. On September 27, Steven Golden, the executive vice president of the Young Democrats of Georgia, hosted a press conference with several opponents of Kent’s appointment, including House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams and state Democratic Party Chairman Mike Berlon, before delivering to the governor’s office a petition against the Kent appointment signed by 5,000 people. For those of you who haven’t heard — and that would probably be most of you, since Augusta seems to have little stomach for reporting on Deal or Kent — Phil Kent is more than just an occasional guest host for Austin Rhodes. He’s national spokesman for Americans for Immigration Control, a staunch antiimmigration organization that espouses the deportation of all illegal immigrants

and says immigration should be limited to numbers that can be assimilated. You don’t have to read very far between the lines to understand what <<IT>>that<<IT>> means. Here’s an excerpt from a column on the Americans for Immigration Control website: “The name of the left’s game is to open the gates to massive Third World immigration and keep the immigrants as ignorant, impoverished and unassimilated as possible. That way they will be a reliable electorate for ‘progressive’ politics, or perhaps reliable canon fodder for armed revolution.” Canon fodder for armed revolution? Are you starting to see why Golden, not to mention the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League, are so incensed about Kent’s appointment to the board that ensures compliance with Georgia immigration laws? And don’t forget the Atlanta Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which a couple of weeks ago sent out a press release calling Kent

a white supremacist before sending out a revised release a little while later omitting the allegation. It’s hard to rank what’s most alarming: the legislature’s creation of the board, which has the power to hold hearings, subpoena documents, adopt regulations

and hand out punishment, including fines of up to $5,000; Deal’s decision to fill the seven-member board solely with white men; or his appointment of Kent, a man who’s making a career out of not just his open opposition to illegal immigration, but to multiculturalism in general. He certainly looks the part of a “nativist” — silver-haired, well-suited and articulate in spite of what he’s saying. When you see him speak, he often resembles Steve Martin deadpanning absurdity except the joke never comes and the absurdity has real consequences. Check out the YouTube video of him lecturing a Latino reporter about immigration options while the crowd behind him chants racist… racist… racist. He’s so unfazed that it goes beyond strident idealism and reaches into a scary realm of total detachment to the world around him. Just the sort of person you want to give subpoena power to.

Crying Shame

Augustans say goodbye to an old friend That funny sound you’re hearing? It’s tears. Tears plopping onto BlackBerry screens. It’s happening all over town as media salespeople contemplate losing their free beer and friend shrimp baskets. You’d cry too if you knew you had to start making lunch plans involving actual legal tender. Word is, Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar is phasing out the Barney Buck. Over the years, these little purple $10 gift certificates have taken on a life of their own, taking the art of bartering to a whole new level. They have been passed around in such enormous volume, folks often wondered how they were able to survive without them. Free shrimp. Free beer. How do you beat that? But you can’t question the success of this homegrown oyster bar and the brains behind it, so we’re just going to have to deal with it. They will continue to honor those already in circulation, but when they’re gone, they’re gone and a really good era will come to an end.

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

INSIDER@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM

Mason Attempts Rally with Redistricting It could get interesting

Insiders are saying District 4 Commissioner Alvin Mason might be looking to the local redistricting committee as a way to get the A-Train back on track after it derailed during August’s battle to overthrow Administrator Fred Russell. Mason reportedly campaigned hard to win the chairmanship of the ad hoc committee in charge of drawing the new lines for Augusta’s commission and school board districts. The committee is made up of four members each from the commission, school board and legislative delegation and is tasked with redistributing the population among the districts to even out the change in the 2010 census numbers. Augusta should have roughly 25,000 people per district, and though the county’s overall growth has been virtually static, the population has shifted dramatically within the county’s borders. Districts 1 and 2 decreased by roughly

17 percent and 10 percent respectively, while Districts 3 and 4 both experienced remarkable growth. The commission side of the threelegged stool is represented by Mason, Bill Lockett, Jerry Brigham and Grady Smith. Brigham has long been at odds with Mason and Lockett, while Smith took issue with Mason’s leadership style last month when several dozen firefighters packed the commission chambers asking to be rid of Chief Howard Willis and his two deputy chiefs. While Mason has never been one to shy away from attention, how he chooses to handle the highly political restructuring process could further alienate those frustrated by his bullying style. In his second unsuccessful attempt to terminate Russell, Mason paraded Augusta’s senior leadership before the Administrative Services Committee and put them in the embarrassing position of having to defend their education and

No, We’re Ready for You to Go ESPN shows its balls

ESPN said it would not run the Hank Williams Jr. opening of Monday Night Football this week because of comments Williams made Monday on the Fox News Channel that compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler. Good for them. It’s a little late, though — they should

have taken him off many years ago, since it has been absolutely, utterly awful every week since his first one appeared. Hopefully he’ll compare Pelosi with Stalin and we can be done with his hackneyed, one eyeballed self for good. At least on Monday nights.

their qualifications, a stunt that some commissioners are now saying may have stalled their momentum to overturn Russell, who had fallen considerably out of favor with a majority of the commission by okaying 44 pay increases. After that contentious meeting, which lasted nearly five hours and saw most commissioners either storm away or simply wander off, Russell was eventually able to turn back the tide against him. Many anticipate Mason will use his chairmanship of the redistricting committee to strong arm a rebalancing of the racial makeup of the commission, though given all the change on the horizon for the commission, its not clear how effective playing the numbers game could end up being. Joe Bowles, Jerry Brigham and J.R. Hatney will be term limited off the commission in 2012, while Mason, Corey Johnson and Joe Jackson face similar

fates in 2014. That’s a lot of incumbents not running and a lot of existing power neutralized. But many feel Mason’s recent grandstanding has had more to do with his own political future than the issues at hand, in which case his work on the redistricting committee could impact more than the surface would indicate.

PLANNING A SPECIAL EVENT...

WE HAVE AN APP FOR THAT!

Evenings October 9th Thru October 13th LIVE ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL FEST MENU CHICKEN DANCE SHOTS OF SCHNAPPS BOOTS OF BEER DANCING IN THE AISLES JAEGERETTES

ASK ABOUT MONDAY FEST SPECIAL 706.798.6211 JAEGERETTES w w w. v i l l a e u r o p a . c o m RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED DEPOSIT REQUIRED

V. 22 | NO. 58

Nominated Metro’s Best caterers! Proudly serving Augusta for over 15 years

ROUXSCATERING.COM

706.724.2218 - ON PREMISE CATERING AT THE MARBURY CENTER METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

METRONEWS Dekeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Done

Copenhaver considers the end

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

ERICJOHNSON

Not that he’s counting the days or anything, but Deke Copenhaver has roughly three years and three more months left as mayor of Augusta, and he’s determined to put that time to good use by stubbornly holding onto his positive, pro-business outlook. “I’ve got a shelf life because I’m term limited, and my focus is going to be growing the local economy and bringing in jobs, and you can’t do that underscoring the negative all the time,” he says. Given just that, most Augustans would have a hard time distinguishing between the term-limited Deke and the regular Deke, and with good cause. Talking with Copenhaver is like trying to engage a Weeble — no matter how hard you push, he bounces back up with that same positive message. But when you look at it, he does have a lot to be positive about. His city has so-far weathered the economic challenges better than most, the “big picture” projects he’s championed have either opened or are well on their way toward completion and a couple of weekends ago he shaved 37 minutes off his time at the Ironman competition that brought so many people to Augusta. “That’s one reason why I do the Ironman,” he says. “It puts $4 million a year into the local economy and it provides a unique aspect, me being the only mayor in the United States that’s done one. It goes a long way.” He mentions the Ironman quite a bit when he talks about Augusta. It’s the kind of thing he goes for anyway — lots of shiny, happy people enjoying the finer points of the city while dumping buckets of money into the economy — but you get the feeling it goes beyond that, that it’s the buoyancy that equalizes the ballast. In this case, however, he’s talking about his relationship with a reporter

from Bloomberg News who did a story on the Ironman event because of him. “That’s free press like you just can’t buy,” he says. “It’s something they wouldn’t be doing potentially if I wasn’t doing the race.” The ribbon-cutting mayor. The Ironman Mayor. You can bet he’s heard them all. But in spite of the implied criticism — you can’t really be doing your job if you aren’t going toe to toe with somebody — Copenhaver says most people generally understand what he’s doing. “In the three elections I’ve won, I’ve won with an average of 64 percent of the vote,” he says. “So I would say people support positive, forwardthinking leadership.” That leadership, he says, has helped the community develop a can-do attitude. A civic mindedness that has outpaced the politicians. One that can withstand just about anything, including, sooner or later, the return of Charles Walker. “He’s coming back to a different city,” Copenhaver says. “It really has changed in so many ways, particularly at the grassroots level.” Change is good, but Walker was a dynamic, connected power of an entirely different kind. “I don’t know what the impact will be, but Augusta historically — the walls of mistrust have been held in place by people who benefit on those being there, playing one side against the other. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no ‘us’ or ‘they,’ it’s all us, and I think more and more people are looking at it that way. They don’t want the same old kind of leadership where they’re focused on fear mongering and making one neighborhood afraid of the other.” Just because he bounces back to the positive doesn’t mean he’s not aware

THE WEATHER GUY STEVE SMITH STAFF METEROLOGIST

that he’s often portrayed as a hands-off leader unwilling to sully himself with political heavy lifting. “I know there are those who want me to grandstand, but to put us in a position of legal liability is not leadership,” he says, pointing out that often personnel issues brought out in public have lead to lawsuits against the city. “To stick my face in the camera and spout off rhetoric doesn’t get us anywhere. It might please a few people, but that’s not doing what’s right for a majority of the people.” Take the issue of Administrator Fred Russell and those 44 pay increases. Copenhaver found out about them along with the rest of the commission, but while most commissioners were quite vocal in their displeasure, he says he chose not to speak out in haste. “I think all too often in government, people make knee-jerk reactions without really analyzing the situation, and I always think it’s a good thing before making a decision or taking a position to analyze the entire situation before playing all those things out in the press,” he says. “To do it in the press makes for good media, but it doesn’t make for good governance.” Of course, when it comes to those couple of weeks in August when motions to terminate Russell were common and its likelihood seemed more a question of when rather than if, the commission wasn’t exactly following Copenhaver’s advice. While he falls short of calling anyone out, there is no mistaking his displeasure. “I don’t believe in playing personnel issues out in the press,” he says. “When that’s done, it puts us in a position where it’s difficult to recruit good people to work for this government because we don’t work in a vacuum. Anybody looking to come work here is going to do their research. You don’t judge employees or anybody

on one action that you might deem questionable, you look at their overall body of work.” In Russell’s case, he says, the good outweighs the bad — four straight budgets without a tax increase, bringing in SPLOST projects under budget. Alvin Mason’s tangential interrogation of the department heads, however, was pretty much the definition of playing personnel issues out in public. “My guiding principal is that how can we ask our city employees to treat citizens with dignity and respect when we have elected officials who are not doing the same things to the employees,” he says. “I believe in treating everybody with dignity and respect and, here again, it doesn’t make for good political theater, but it does make for good governance. As for what comes next, Copenhaver says he’d like to try his hand at writing about his years in office as well as continuing along the development route. “I’ve thought it would be cool to start a real estate and design company and try to develop cutting-edge projects that could be replicated in other cities,” he says. His legacy? “People have said that I’m a healing agent, and if that’s my legacy at the end of the day, that’s good enough for me.”

Now Open

Great selection of your premium cigars

341 Fury’s Ferry Road | 706.863.0610 | Across from French Market Grille West

V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

10 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

Lady A Sells Out in Waves

Lucky few able to scramble for remaining tickets as county learns on the fly Of all the problems Columbia County Community Events Manager Stacie Adkins worried about concerning selling tickets for the October 28 Lady Antebellum dedication concert at the new amphitheater named in the band’s honor, running out of customers wasn’t very high on the list. Especially when the line for the 8 a.m. Saturday ticket sale started forming Wednesday afternoon. “By 8:30, the line was gone,” Adkins said. “We had that line moving.” Twelve cashiers and a portable ATM helped keep that first wave moving through, but then… that was it. “I think people just felt like they were not going to get a ticket,” she said. “They knew people were camping out and they thought, ‘I’m not going to do that.’” Thanks to all the media coverage of the campers, people just assumed all the tickets would be sold from the line, and Adkins said it took her about 20 minutes to make some phone calls and get word posted on Facebook. Then the

V. 22 | NO. 58

second wave came to gratefully gobble up the remaining six or seven hundred tickets. “I was out of there by 10:30,” she said. “We got them in and out in a hurry and got the money over to University Hospital without a hitch,”

said Community and Leisure Services Director Barry Smith. The concert is a fundraiser for the John W. Kelley Cardiovascular Endowment and University Health Care Foundation. John W. Kelley is the father of Josh and Charles Kelley. Overall, Adkins said the ticket sale

was successful and fairly problem-free, though if the county chose to continue to handle concerts of this magnitude on their own, she suggested they would likely add credit card machines to the mix. “There wasn’t really a problem,” she said. “It’s just people don’t really deal in cash that much anymore.” In the end, the county sold 3,100 tickets to the concert, and now Adkins is turning her attention to the free grand opening concert on October 22. “It’s a test run for us to make sure the sound’s good and to make sure whatever kinks we need to work out logistically will be done so that we’re ready by October 28,” she said. The October 22 concert, “Get UR Country on Tour,” features Rick Monroe, Swampdawamp, Gary Ray and Kara Clark. The concert will last begin at 2 p.m. and go until 10 p.m. Though the concert is free, the $5 parking fee goes to Shepeard Blood Center.

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 11

Hallowed Field

Concertgoers kick back at Augusta landmark

It seems almost fitting that Rosanne Cash, daughter of one of our most authentic voices, country music legend Johnny Cash, was the Westobou Festival performer to inaugurate the parade grounds of the old Richmond Academy. A modern singer interpreting the past, she put a contemporary twist on traditional music similar to the way the Westobou Festival is bringing new life to one of Augusta’s most storied landmarks. Making the property, which is owned by the trustees of Richmond Academy, the festival’s “home base” and outdoor concert venue has brought new attention to the old school, which moved to its current location off Walton Way in 1926 after 124 years in the building on Telfair. Today, the trustees of Richmond Academy administer the old academy building, the old Medical College of Georgia building and the Porter Fleming Foundation that funds the Westobou Festival. Now caretakers, in the early days of Augusta, the trustees played a key

12 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

role in Augusta’s growth, having been granted several different powers that allowed them to create enough funding for the establishment and maintenance of an academy. One of these powers allowed the trustees to sell new lots in the fast-growing town center. The trustees were particularly central to the creation of Telfair Street and were also able to control the confiscated property of those loyal to England during the Revolutionary War as well as the land owned by the British Crown. The original academy, built along the river, opened in 1785 but existed only for five years before the trustees decided to create the building on Telfair, which is directly behind the current Municipal Building. Construction began in 1800 and the school was opened in 1802. It was built to handle 150 students. After nearly a quarter of a century, the trustees redesigned the building as the Tudor Gothic building we know today. And because Richmond Academy was a military preparatory

school, the students, all white males, were trained as cadets, parading up and down the area that hosted Rosanne Cash and will host Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings on Friday, October 7. When the Richmond Academy moved to the Hill, the first floor of the building housed the Young Men’s Library Association until it moved into the old Augusta Library building on Greene Street in 1960.

The Augusta Museum occupied the second floor until the library moved out, at which time it took over the entire building until moving to its present location in 1994. In keeping with the requirements established by the trustees back in 1783, the building cannot be used for commercial purposes and any use must somehow be connected to an educational aspect. V. 22 | NO. 58

V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 13

Instant Classic

STEVELaBATE

As Sharon Jones returns to Augusta for Westobou, we take a look at her last new release, 2010’s “I Learned the Hard Way”

Sharon Jones

Talk about a late bloomer. Sharon Jones was brimming with promise as a kid in church choirs in the 1960s, as she bounced back and forth between her birth city of Augusta, Ga., and her mother in Brooklyn. She also had a foot firmly planted in the world of secular music, spending countless hours imitating the songs and dances of fellow Augusta native James Brown. As a teen in 1970s New York, Jones flirted with fame, making many uncredited appearances as a backup singer on gospel, soul, blues and disco

14 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

recordings. But when the neon-flash ’80s hit, her style was suddenly considered outdated. To support herself, she worked as a prison guard at Rikers Island (which surely came in handy later while shaking down sketchy promoters who dared hold out on her at the end of the night). In the late ’90s, then-fortysomething Jones made another go at a music career, releasing her first solo work, a series of 45-rpm vinyl singles for the retro-minded Desco label. But it wasn’t until 2002 that she dropped her first solo LP, “Dap-Dippin’,” or until 2007 that she released her first standardworthy song, “100 Days, 100 Nights”; now, at age 53, she has released her first truly great album, “I Learned the Hard Way.” I’ve often heard the argument made — especially by wizened rock critics and

music-industry vets — that all the young ’uns mesmerized by Jones and the DapKings have been duped into believing that what would’ve been a dime-a-dozen soul revue back in the day is in the league of the all-time greats, thanks to the near-complete absence of authentic soul music in our digital age. I can see the merits of this idea: Jones’ first three records were solid, chronicling a measured shift from aggressive ’70s funk to melodic ’60s soul — but while the musicianship was strong, Jones’ vocals incinerating and bandleader Bosco Mann’s throwback production impressively authentic, the songs were mostly nondescript. They lacked hooks and choruses strong enough to put the leading lady into the company of the legends she and the Dap-Kings imitated. With Hard Way, though, this is no longer the case. The album’s majestic Philly-soul/Thom-Bell-indebted opener “The Game Gets Old” plays like a reality-check epilogue to The Delfonics’

1970 I’m-really-leaving-you breakup anthem “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time).” It’s an instant classic, and Jones’ finest moment yet — an unusually successful attempt at capturing the perennially bruised heart of a struggling single. “So many times I’ve played the game of love but it always ends in vain,” Jones belts with the aching sincerity of someone who’s had her heart broken time and time again. “I’m back in the ring with my boxing gloves so I’m gonna feel some pain.” When it seems she’s about to break down, the shuffling hi-hat and funky guitar riffs spur her on; she draws strength from the swelling strings, and clings to the tiniest glimmer of hope as it chimes elusively off the bells. From there, I Learned the Hard Way doesn’t let up. There are half a dozen potential soul standards — “The Game Gets Old,” the title track, “Better Things to Do,” “Money,” “Window Shopping,” “Mama Don’t Like My Man” — and V. 22 | NO. 58

not a single weak link connecting them. The songs are both timeless and timely, as Jones tackles the recession (“Banks foldin’, President scratchin’ his head / … Got to pay my bills, got to pay my rent / I’m hungry and tired but my money’s all spent”), domestic abuse (“Came home drunk in the middle of the night / Screaming and swingin’ with all of your might / But a child couldn’t put up a fight”) and independence (“I got better

V. 22 | NO. 58

things to do than remember you”). Musically, it’s her most allencompassing record, a synthesis of all the regional soul styles of the ’60 and ’70s: the sweltering rawness of Muscle Shoals, the canyon-deep grooves and melodic horn stacking of Memphis, the gorgeous slowcooked string arrangements and high drama of Philadelphia, the irresistibly confectioned shoop-ee-doop backup

vocals and candy-hook pop sensibilities of Chicago and Detroit. This time around, Jones and the Dap-Kings convincingly channel their many musical ancestors — Tina Turner, Otis Redding, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Charles Wright, James Brown, The Temptations, The Delfonics, Marvin Gaye — like no one has in decades. Part of what makes this funky coup possible is the period-specific recording approach of producer/engineer Mann (aka Daptone Records co-founder Gabriel Roth), who has become a master of facilitating the suspension of disbelief necessary for listeners to embrace this antiquated sound. Mann recorded “I Learned the Hard Way” straight to a vintage Ampex eight-track, and the band almost exclusively uses instruments and gear made during the era they’re trying to emulate. This is the truly groundbreaking aspect of their music — their commitment to recreating a classic genre. Jones and the Dap-Kings make the kind of music that moves them, and their feverish passion is contagious. I caught one of their performances at Atlanta rock club The Earl a few years ago, and it was one of the wildest, sweatiest dance parties I’ve experienced. Everyone was packed in,

grooving hard as they could in what little space they could find, grinning and letting loose. The Dap-Kings unleashed confetti explosions of funk and soul and Jones prowled the stage, ranting and raving like a possessed preacher. But instead of hellfire and brimstone, she was calling down pure, unfettered joy and throwing it into the crowd like bolts of lighting — ready to burn everyone’s souls clean down to ash, so they could start anew. And now, with Hard Way, she’s got more songs to match that level of performance. This is Jones and the Dap-Kings’ moment. The waters of the mainstream have already been tested with the backing band’s 2006 Amy Winehouse collaboration, and considering the tangible creative strides they’ve made with Jones on this new album, together they seem poised to finally burst through the dam that’s kept them secret from the masses these last eight years. Originally published in Paste Magazine, covering Signs of Life in Music, Film & Culture. To subscribe to Paste’s new digital magazine, visit mplayer. pastemagazine.com.

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 15

Across the Table

Mediation program gains credibility in spite of a lack of funding

In 1993, the Supreme Court created the Commission of Dispute Resolution in order to oversee the state’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system. According to Shinji Morokuma, director of the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, the idea was to make the legal system more efficient and affordable. “One of the primary reasons at the time was that they thought that the courts were becoming overcrowded and calendars were overflowing with cases and they wanted to find some way to see if alternative dispute resolution might be a way to help relieve some of the pressure on those court calendars,” he says. “The ADR system was designed to funnel those cases and help resolve those cases that didn’t truly require a judge or a jury to intervene.” The process is commonly called mediation, and the Office of Dispute Resolution serves as the staff of the commission, acting as both the credentialing agency and the regulatory agency. Judge Sheryl Jolly says mediation is quickly becoming an accepted and even

16 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

favored form of resolving civil disputes. “It’s a huge trend nationwide,” she says. “Particularly in domestic cases. People have to move on with their lives. They’ve got to get over the bitterness.” Jolly says mediation offers a quicker resolution for most disputes and is often more successful because it’s not litigation-motivated, but compromisemotivated. Court-run mediation has a success rate of 80 percent. “In most litigation cases, no one is a complete winner and no one is a complete loser,” she says. “There’s got to be a division and there’s got to be a compromise, and people tend to be more satisfied with a decision that they made themselves versus a decision a judge made.” While many mediators are attorneys who simply offer mediation along with their other services, others, like Renee Williams, have successfully passed the 40-hour course overseen by the Office of Dispute Resolution. According to Morokuma, the office used to do the testing, but because of financial constraints, they now have no choice

but to farm it out to private trainers they ensure are properly credentialed. Williams is also a paralegal who has worked with several area attorneys. For her, the idea of helping people settle disputes this way appealed to her because of its built in compassion. “When you come to the table with all that hurt, frustration and anger, it’s hard,” she says. “Basically, the mediation separates the people from the problem by giving each party the opportunity to be heard. They’re not given that opportunity when they’re thrown into a public courtroom for everybody to hear their dirty laundry.” According to Morokuma, about half of the state’s roughly 2,000 registered neutrals are lawyers, though he’s quick to point out that having a legal background is not necessarily indicative of someone’s skill as a mediator. Oddly enough for a program run by a state-level office, each jurisdiction operates by a different set of rules. While the state establishes and enforces a minimum standard, individual jurisdictions can choose to be stricter with their requirements.

“They have the right to go above and beyond the state’s qualifications,” Morokuma says. “At the state level, we don’t necessarily agree that this is necessary, but if they decide that at the local level, then they have the right to do that.” Jolly says that the Augusta circuit doesn’t require mediators to have a law degree, but Williams feels something is preventing her from receiving the caseload she used to receive. “I did mediate a few cases through the court, but then everything came to a halt,” she says. “I no longer got any V. 22 | NO. 58

calls.” Morokuma, however, says that like anything else, experience, skill, circumstances and perseverance all have a bearing on a mediator’s ability to find work. “It’s like anything else — you have to put in your time. You have to make your contacts. You have to sell yourself, and that takes a lot of time.”

According to Jolly, approved mediators are added to a list, though the list is not necessarily revolving. “Parties can always opt out of the mediation program and go out and get their own independent mediator,” she says. “And a highly specialized case could cause a particular mediator to rise to the top of the list.” While the system seems in needed of

some additional structure, that seems unlikely to happen, given the fact that the Office of Dispute Resolution in some ways doesn’t even exist. “The legislature has cut us off, so we don’t receive any state money,” Morokuma says. In 2007, the office received $365,000 a year in state funds. “Last fiscal year we got $67,000 in

state money and this year we’re down to zero,” he says. “It’s been quite a transition for us budget-wise and a big preoccupation over the last few years.” In short, the legislature looked at the office like it looked at several offices across the state and decided that since it collected fees, it needed to be self supporting, so now the Office of Dispute Resolution has a staff of two.

Cremation is not as expensive as you think.

$995 Pre-pay for a complete Direct Cremation

V. 22 | NO. 58

706.798.8886 for details

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 17

R.U.N.E ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED

Arrested Development Atlanta artist Sarah Hobbs doesn’t usually show the rooms she creates for her photographs. Visitors to her exhibits, called things like “Emotional Management,” “Does This Sound Like You” and, most disturbingly familiar, “Small Problems in Living” can usually distance themselves from the phobias and neuroses contained within since standing between them and the work is a frame. Not so for Westobou, for which Hobbs has constructed one of her empty rooms. Will it be one like “Insomnia” (shown here), in which the resident has obviously just left to take an Ambien because her brain can’t stop making lists of things she needs to do the next day? (And let’s face it… we all know that bed’s resident is a woman.) Or will it be a room filled with paint swatches from the local home improvement store, lined up on the walls of an impossibly tiny room? The indecisive person there obviously fled in fear of making the wrong choice… and claustrophobia. Who knows what Hobbs has come up with, but we’re intrigued… and more than a little disturbed. Hits a little too close to home, you know. Sarah Hobbs: Installation and Photographs Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art Friday, October 7 | 5-6:30 p.m. | Free

WESTOBOUFESTIVAL.COM

SARAHHOBBS 18 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

ENTERTAINMENT Kings will perform on Friday, October 7, at 8 p.m. at the Old Parade Grounds of Richmond Academy. $15. Visit westoboufestival.com. Comforts and Joy: Masterpieces of Early Music will be performed by the Cecilia Ensemble on Saturday, October 8, at 4 p.m. at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Free. Visit westoboufestival.com. The Second Saturday Music Series presents The Swingin’ Medallions on Saturday, October 8, at 7 p.m. at the Columbia County Amphitheater. $5. No coolers or pets. Call 706-312-7192 or visit columbiacountyga.gov. John Williams Spectacular by the Augusta Symphony Orchestra will be held on Saturday, October 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bell Auditorium. $10-$40. Visit westoboufestival.com.

She’s the daughter of a Georgia minister, so it’s not surprising that Lizz Wright, who visits the Imperial Theatre on Saturday, October 8, at 8 p.m. as part of the Westobou Festival, mixes a healthy dollop of gospel in with the jazz, rock and even indie music she’s known for. Tickets for Lizz Wright: The Gospel of Jazz are $20-$35 and, if you’re lucky enough to catch Wright away from the stage, she may just whip you up a gourmet meal. She is, after all, a culinary school graduate as well. Visit westoboufestival.com.

Arts

Art Bar featuring Artist’s Row Sculpture Viewing and Auction will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 5 p.m. at the Old Richmond Academy. A work inspired by ARTie-The Garden City’s Green Dragon is being auctioned off with all proceeds going to Artist’s Row Student Scholarship and Community Outreach Fund. Free. Visit westoboufestival.com. Sarah Hobbs’ work will be showcased at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art on Friday, October 7, from 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Visit westoboufestival.com. Arts Classes offered at the Kroc Center include Intro to Drumming (ages 16 and up) on Mondays at 6:30 p.m.; Pottery and Ceramics (ages 16 and up) on Mondays at 6:45 p.m.; West African Dance (ages 14 and up) on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.; Acting for Adults (ages 16 and up) on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.; and Intro to Drawing and Painting (ages 16 and up) on Thursdays at 6 p.m. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Exhibitions

Sara Hobbs’ Flight in Place Exhibit will stay open every day V. 22 | NO. 58

through October 8 at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. Call 706-7225495 or visit ghia.org. Between: In the Time, Space or Interval That Separates, a photography exhibition by Abigail Wood Zwanziger, shows through October 31 at Sky City. The opening reception is Friday, October 7, from 8-10 p.m., followed by ’80s Night. Visit skycityaugusta.com. The Ebony Legacy Exhibition will remain open until October 31 at the Lucy C. Laney Museum of Black History. $2-$5. Call 706-651-8712 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com. Down South: Paintings by Art Rosenbaum, Photographs by Margo Newmark Rosenbaum shows at the Morris Museum of Art. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org. Barbara Yon Art Exhibit will stay open everyday through the end of the month at the Hitchcock Heath Center in Aiken. Call 803-648-8344 or visit hitchcockhealthcare.org. Judy Gillespie and Ginny Griffin Art Exhibition shows at Sacred Heart Cultural Center through October 28. Call 706-826-4700 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org.

Expect the Unexpected, an exhibit of ceramic art by members of the Clay Artists of the Southeast (CASE), including Pricilla Hollingsworth and Ann Baker, shows through October 29 at the Arts and Heritage Center in North Augusta. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com. The Art of Millinery will be showcased through the month of October at the Center for Arts and Heritage in North Augusta. Millinery is the art of making hats and fascinators, and this exhibit showcases the works of local milliner Elizabeth Tudor. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com. Aiken Artist Guild Gallery Series: Leslie Hutto. Throughout the month of September, Leslie Hutto’s work will be displayed on the first floor of the center. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.

Music

The Moonlight Music Cruise presents Jeff Liberty on Friday, October 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center at Enterprise Mill. $25. Pre-registration required. Call 706823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com. Sharon Jones and the Dap-

Lizz Wright: The Gospel of Jazz will be held on Saturday, October 8, at 8 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre. $20-$35. Visit westoboufestival.com. Tuesday’s Music Live presents Duo Lana on Tuesday, October 11, at noon at St. Paul’s Church. Concert is free. Lunch, $10 with pre-registration, provided by Crum’s on Central. Visit tuesdaysmusiclive.com. The Salvation Army School of the Performing Arts holds classes each Tuesday. Included is instruction in piano, drums, guitar, voice and brass. Call 706364-4069 or visit krocaugusta.org. Westobou presents a Chamber and Organ Series throughout the week in various locations with different performers. This year’s organ and chamber series offers a variety of small ensembles and solo artists. Free. For dates, locations and times, visit westoboufestival.com.

Literary

Poetry Matters is accepting entries through March 23 for their annual poetry contest. Cash prizes will be given out. Categories are middle and high school, adults, and seniors. Visit poetrymatterscelebration.com.

Theater

“Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp,” a production of Le Chat Noir, shows Thursday, October 13, through Saturday, October 15. Bar opens at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. $8 in advance; METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 19

$10 at the door. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com. Purlie Victorious will be performed on Thursday, October 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Etherredge Center at USC-Aiken. Call 803-641-3305 or visit usca.edu.

Dance

Friday Dance is every Friday night from 8:30-11 p.m. at The Ballroom Dance Center in Evans. $10. Call 706854-8888 or visit thebdc.us. Christian Singles Dance, for ages 18 and over, is every Saturday night at The Ballroom Dance Center in Evans from 7-11 p.m. $8-$10. Call 706854-8888 or visit thebdc.us.

Flix

The Morris Museum of Art presents “Christmas in July” on Friday, October 7, at noon. After the movie, a question and answer seminar will be held. Free. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org. ASU Fall Film Series presents “I Am Love” on Monday, October 10, at 7 p.m. in Room 170 of University Hall. Free for ASU students, faculty and staff; $2 for others. Visit aug.edu. The Morris Museum of Art presents “Wise Kids” on Wednesday, October 12, at 6 p.m. This independent movie will be shown and afterwards and question and answer seminar will be held. Free for members; $3 for general public. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

Special Events

Disney Live! Presents Three Classic Fairytales on Thursday, October 6, at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Bell Auditorium. $16-$41. Visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com. Breast Cancer Survivor Dinner will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 6 p.m. at Savannah Rapids Pavilion. This event will feature dinner, a fashion show and the annual Portraits of Life. Free. Open to breast cancer survivors only. Pre-registration required. Call 706-7744141 or visit universityhealth.org. Momix: Botanica will be presented on Thursday, October 6, and Friday, October 7, at 7 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre. MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton. $10-$75. Call 706722-8341 or visit westoboufestival.com. Michael Londra’s Celtic Fire

20 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 8 p.m. at the Aiken URS Center for the Performing Arts. This will be highenergy performance anchored in the traditional customs and ancient musical history of Ireland. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikenperformingartsgroup.org. The Augusta Council of Garden Clubs’ Peek-a-Boo Fall Tour of Gardens will be held Friday, October 7, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Featuring five private gardens and the gardens of Brandon Wilde. Email jukirkland@ cobridge.tv. The 22nd Greek Festival will be held Friday, October 7, through Sunday, October 9, at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Telfair St. Gates open at 11 a.m. each day. Enjoy Greek food and live music. Free. Call 706724-1087 or visit holytrinityaugusta.org. The Blessing of the Animals by St Augustine’s Episcopal Church will be held Friday, October 7, in front of Sho Ane’s Bridal Shop on Broad Street. Service times are 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. All animals must be on leashes or in carriers. Call 706-738-6676. The 34th Annual Summerville Tour of Homes will be held Friday, October 7, through Sunday, October 9. Friday tour will be a special candlelight tour at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday tours start at noon. $35 per person. Visit summervilleaugusta.org. The Blessing of the Animals will be held on Saturday, October 8, at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Good Shepherd. Animals must be on leashes or in carriers. Call 706-738-3386 or visit goodshepherd-augusta.org. Prepare and Aware Day will be held on Saturday, October 8, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Evans Government Center. The event is to prepare families for emergencies with numerous displays and demos. Free. Call 706-868-3303 or visit columbiacountyga.gov. Columbus Day Festival will be held on Saturday, October 8, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Columbia County Amphitheater. Live entertainment, games, food and arts and crafts. Free. Call 706-312-7192 or visit columbiacountyga.gov. The 19th Hispanic Festival of Augusta will be held on Saturday, October 8, from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and on Sunday, October 9, from noon-6 p.m. in the Augusta Common. $3. Visit elcervantino.org.

Walk with the Spirits 2011 will be held on Saturday, October 8, and Sunday, October 9, from 3-6 p.m. at the Summerville Cemetery. During a 45-minute tour led by a spirit in period costume, participants will hear about the history of the cemetery and iconography of the headstones. Along the route participants will be introduced to additional Augusta residents buried in the cemetery, also in period costume, who will enlighten the group with details of their lives and accomplishments. $10$15. Visit historicaugusta.org. 10th Annual Alumni and Friends Chefs Showcase will be held on Sunday, October 9, from 2-4 p.m. at Augusta Marriott. The event will feature the Augusta area’s finest chefs, caterers and restaurants. $16-$36. Visit augustaminitheatre.com. Goodwill’s Hispanic Diversity Career Expo will be held on Thursday, October 13, from 1-4 p.m. at the Goodwill Job Connection on Peach Orchard Road. Call 706-447-5195 or visit goodwillworks.org. 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.

Health

The Heart-to-Heart Series presents Dr. Jan Mitchell DDS on Thursday, October 6, at 5 p.m. in the Georgia Health Sciences Cardiovascular Center. The lecture will be on dental disease and cardiac risk. Refreshments and door prizes provided. Preregistration required. Call 706-721-9055 or visit georgiahealth.edu. Cribs for Kids will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 5:45 p.m. in the MCGHealth Building. For attendees showing financial need, a portable crib, fitted sheet, sleep sac and pacifier will be provided for a $10 fee. Free, but preregistration required. Call 706-721-7606 or visit mcghealth.org. Childbirth 101 will be held on Thursday, October 6 at 6 p.m. at Trinity Hospital of Augusta. Childbirth Unit Tour included. Pre-registration required. Call 706-481-7727 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Center for Women Tour will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at Doctor’s Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Women’s Center Tour will be

held on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at University Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org. Thyroid Disease: From the Routine to the Cutting Edge will be presented on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at the Augusta Marriott downtown. Refreshments will be provided. Free. Call 706-721-6100. Breast Cancer Prevention Coalition Luncheon Meeting will meet on Saturday, October 8, at 11 a.m. at the River Club. Lunch provided. $12.95 per person. Reservations required. Call 803-279-6019. AngioScreen will be given on Monday, October 10, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Mobile Coach at 635 Ronald Reagan Drive. $75. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-4343. HUG your Baby Class will be held on Monday, October 10, at 7 p.m. at Trinity Hospital. This class provides Help, Understanding and Guidance for young families as they prepare for the birth of their infant. Pre-registration required. Call 706-481-7727 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Full Support: Dealing with Breast Cancer will be held on Tuesday, October 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the University Hospital Dining Rooms 1-3. Free. Dinner will be served and reservations are required. Call 706-7744141 or visit universityhealth.org. Pickles and Ice Cream will meet on Tuesday, October 11, at 7 p.m. Nutrition, exercise, fetal development and body changes are discussed. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-6512229 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Learn Car Seat Safety Class is on Thursday, October 13, at 5:45 p.m. at the MCGHealth Building. Free. Preregistration recommended. $10 booster and car seats available to those who meet financial need. Call 706-721-7606 or visit mcghealth.org. Surgical Weight Loss Information Seminar will be held on Thursday, October 13, at 6 p.m. on the sixth floor in Classrooms A and B of the Aiken Regional Medical Center. A light dinner will be provided. Pre-registration required. Call 803-641-5751 or visit aikenregional.com. The Weight is Over: Weight Loss Surgery Seminar will be held on Thursday, October 13, at 6 p.m. in Classroom 1 of the South Tower of V. 22 | NO. 58

Augusta Public Library Headquarters 823 Telfair Street | 706.821.2600

6-22 . 1 r e b o t s | Oscter all week long t n e v E ad Woereitke TEEN READ po e R n e e T fav or your Vote f

Design a Poster

Design a self-styled poster to be displayed at your library.

Poster workshops sat. oct 8th: 9-12noon mon. oct 17th: 3-5pm tues. oct 18th: 3-5pm wed. oct 19th: 3-5pm

Picture It Scavenger Hunt

Posters receiving the most votes will win a prize! Call 706.821.2615 for more details!

5:30-7:30pm Friday, October 21st Identify different locations in the library for a chance to win prizes! Team Welcome!

MANGA

P! O H S K R O MANIA W Learn basic Manga Drawing skills! Saturday October 22 from 2:00-4:00 with Xavier Jones Registration Required!

$20 off your first massage in our new location! 7013 Evans Town Center Blvd | Suite 201, Evans

706.364.7347

706.651.0202

georgia therapeutic massage

Offer expires 10/6/2011

W O M E NSMASSAG ECE NT E R.COM V. 22 | NO. 58

All Georgia Licensed Massage Therapists

GA T HE RA PEUTICM ASSAGE.COM METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 21

Doctor’s Hospital. Call 706-651-4343 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Babies, Bumps and Bruises Class will be held on Thursday, October 13, at 7 p.m. Pre-registration recommended. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net. MCGHealth will host a Weight Loss Seminar on Thursday, October 13, at 7 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-721-2609 or visit georgiahealth.edu. Free HIV/AIDS Testing will be given all month long in various locations in the CSRA. Contact 706-7214463 or visit csrasafetynet.org for a list of locations and dates. Infant CPR Anytime Learning Program will be held Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the first floor information desk (west entrance) of MCGHealth. Visit georgiahealth.edu.

Support

The A-Team will meet on Thursday, October 6, at 6 p.m. in the MCGHealth’s Children’s Medical Center Family Resource Library. Education and support for families and friends of children with autism spectrum disorders, including Autism, Asperger’s and PDD NOS. Call 706-721-5160 or visit mcghealth.org. The Huntington Disease Support Group will meet on Thursday, October 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Marks Building in Room 1122 at Georgia Health Sciences University. Call 706-7214895 or visit mcghealth.org. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Augusta will hold an informational meeting on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church. Free. Open to the public. Call namiaugusta@gmail.com.

Weight Loss Support Group will meet on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. in the Sister Mary Louise Conference Room of Trinity Hospital. Visit trinitybariatrics.com. Mended Hearts will meet on Friday, October 7, at 10:30 a.m. in the USC-Aiken Conference Center. For people with heart disease, spouses and family members of people with heart disease, medical professionals and other interested individuals. Call 803-642-6897 or visit usca.edu. Look Good, Feel Better will meet on Monday, October 10, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Conference Room of the MCGHealth Cancer Center. A free workshop dedicated to helping female cancer patients cope with and combat the appearance-related side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-0466 or visit mcghealth.org. Men’s Breast Cancer Support Group will meet on Monday, October 10, at 7 p.m. in University Hospital’s Breast Health Center. Open to husbands and significant others of breast cancer patients. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org.

The Pink Magnolias will meet on Monday, October 10, at 7 p.m. in University Hospital’s Breast Health Center. Light refreshments served. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org. Aiken Care’s Alzheimer’s Support Group will meet on Tuesday, October 11, at 11 a.m. in the Aurora Pavilion. Visit aikenregional.com. Diabetes Support Group will meet on Tuesday, October 11, at 3 p.m. at the O’Dell Weeks Center in Aiken. Preregistration required. Call 803-293-0023. Let’s Talk (Cancer Support Group) will meet on Tuesday, October

WAKE UP CALL HARLEY & MARY LIZ 6AM - 9AM

22 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

11, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Conference Room of the MCGHealth Cancer Center. Call 706-721-0550 or visit mcghealth.org. Infertility Support Group will meet Tuesday, October 11, at 6:30 p.m. at MCG Medical Associates on Ponder Place in Evans. Call 706-210-0642 or visit mcghealth.org. Alzheimer’s Support GroupAugusta will meet on Tuesday, October 11, at 7 p.m. at the Alzheimer Association Chapter Building. Call 706731-9060. OB-GYN Cancer Support Group will meet on Tuesday, October 11, at 7 p.m. Call 706-821-2944 for location and more information.

Cancer Survivor Support Group will meet on Thursday, October 13, at 6 p.m. on the second Floor of Augusta Oncology Associates. Call 706651-2283.

Education

Business by the Book Class meets Thursday, October 6, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. Shine for Scott Educational Workshop on detecting, treating and preventing colorectal cancer will be held on Saturday, October 8, from 10 a.m.2:30 p.m. at the Friedman Library. Free, but pre-registration is suggested. Call 706-364-4670 or visit shineforscott.org.

Bariatric Support Group will meet on Wednesday, October 12, at 6 p.m. in Room 209 in Aiken Regional Bariatric Services. Pre-registration required. Call 803-641-5751 or visit aikenregional.com.

Canal Discovery Walks: Unlocking the Waters will be held on Saturday, October 8, at 10 a.m. and Sunday, October 9, at 3 p.m. at the Lockkeepers Cottage at Headsgate Park. Learn how the headgates and locks work on the upper gate. $1-$2. Visit augustacanal.org.

The ALS Support Group will meet on Thursday, October 13, at 11 a.m. in Room BP4306 on the fourth floor of MCGHealth Medical Office Building. Lunch provided. Free. Call 706-721-2681 or visit mcghealth.org.

Voices of the Past: The Other Tubmans will be held on Saturday, October 8, at the AMH History Theater. Showtimes are noon, 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Free with museum admission. Visit augustamuseum.org.

Look Good, Feel Better will meet on Thursday, October 13, at 5 p.m. at the American Cancer Society on Commons Blvd. A free workshop dedicated to helping female cancer patients cope with and combat the appearancerelated side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Pre-registration required. Call 706-731-9900.

GHSU will host a Mini Medical School on Tuesday, October 11, from 7-9 p.m. at the old School of Dentistry building. Lectures on medical concerns of interest to the general public with a chance to ask questions and talk to medical experts in a relaxed environment. Call 706-721-3967 or visit mcghealth.org.

Breast Cancer Support Group will meet on Thursday, October 13, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room on the First floor of MCGHealth Cancer Center. Call 706-721-4109 or visit mcghealth.org.

South Carolina Bar Legal Program: Family Law Issues will be held on Thursday, October 13, at 7 p.m. at the Aiken Library. This program will focus on divorce, separation, custody and visitation. Visit abbe-lib.org.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

(THEY PAY OUR BILLS!) V. 22 | NO. 58

The Aiken Historic Tour will take place every Saturday at 10 a.m. and will begin at the Aiken Visitors Center. This two-hour guided tour will take participants through Aiken’s history on a climate-controlled trolley. Reservations recommended. Call 803-642-7631 or visit downtownaiken.com. Work Networking Group meets each Monday morning from 8:30-10 a.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta. Facilitated by career and business professionals, those interested in attended need not make advanced reservations. Call Beverly at 803-279-7525 or email one of the facilitators: doctor@pritchardgroup.com (Dr. Constance Pritchard) or maxcom01@ comcast.net (Andy Maxwell). GED Classes are held every Monday and Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. No preregistration is required, but participants must have a valid PINES library card. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. ESL Classes are held every Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Preregistration required. Call 803-279-3363 or visit ecgrl.org. Saturday Historic Trolley Tour, every Saturday, begins at the Museum of History and tours historic downtown Augusta from 1-3:15 p.m. Reservations required. All seats are $12. 706-724-4067.

Benefits

Breast Cancer Support Group Fundraiser Silent Auction will be held on Thursday, October 6, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the GHS Cancer Center Community Conference Room on the first floor. Call 706-721-4109 or visit mcghealth.org. The Art of Chocolate Fundraiser to benefit Child Enrichment will be held on Friday, October 7, at 7 p.m. at Savannah Rapids Pavilion. Black tie optional. Live entertainment, food and chocolate, and a silent auction. $75 per person. Call 706-737-4631 or visit childenrichment.org. An Un-fur-gettable Night! at Stable View Farm in Aiken will be held on Friday, October 7, at 7 p.m. Dinner by Chef Brandon Velie and full open bar all night. Silent and live auctions will take place. Benefits the Aiken SPCA. $80-$150. Special tables are available for $750 for eight seats. Call 803-648-6863 or visit aikenspca.org. V. 22 | NO. 58

Treasures and Trash Yard Sale to benefit the Alleluia Community School will be held on Saturday, October 8, from 7:30 a.m.-noon at the school. Call 706-796-1882. Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Ride will be held by the Ruff Ryders of Augusta on Saturday, October 8, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Starbucks on Robert C. Daniel Pkwy. $10 registration fee. Ride will end at Julian Smith Casino Gazebo where an afterride cookout will be held. All proceeds go to University Hospital’s Breast Cancer Center. Call 706-637-3201. Aiken Horsepower will hold a monthly cruise-in on the first Saturday of every month at the Home Depot in Aiken from 5-7 p.m. Open to all makes and models. Free admission but donations are encouraged. Sponsor of the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons. Call 803-270-3305 or visit aikenhorsepower. com. Karma Yoga is offered at Just Breathe Studio, downtown Aiken, each Friday at 10 a.m. and is free if participants bring a donation of a personal item which will be given to the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons. Call 803-648-8048 or visit justbreathestudio.com.

Sports-Outdoors

First Providence Foundation Third Annual Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, October 8, at Goshen Plantation Golf Club. Checkin at 8 a.m.; Shotgun start at 9 a.m. Entry fee is $60. Call 803-641-1980. Run Through Fall 5K Series at Aiken State Natural Area will be held on Saturday, October 8, beginning at 8 a.m. Visit aikencountyprt.com. The Georgia Orienteering Club will hold a meet on Sunday, October 9, at 10 a.m. at Mistletoe State Park. Call 803-646-9395 or visit gaorienteering.org. Sunday Polo by the Aiken Polo Club will be held every Sunday through November 13 at 3 p.m. at the Whitney Polo Field. $5 per person; $20 to access the Social Tent. Call 803-643-3611. The Augusta Diving Club is currently training any high school students who want to dive for their high school’s swimming and diving team. No experience is necessary. The season starts in mid-October and runs through mid-February for those qualifying for State. All practices are METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 23

THANKS FOR PICKING UP

E H T O R T E M IT R I SP

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS (THEY PAY OUR BILLS!)

at the Augusta Aquatics Center. Call Coach Jim Tingen 706-726-6805 or email jtingen@knology.net. 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 two, is a twohour guided ride to Wilkerson Lake. $45-$50. Call 706-791-4864 or visit fortgordon.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 trail ride starting for sign in procedures. $23-$30. Call 706-7914864 or visit fortgordon.com. Augusta Rugby Football Club meets every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Larry Bray Memorial Pitch, 100 Wood Street. New players are welcome. Email arj6402@yahoo.com. Group Run begins each Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Nacho Mama’s. Three- and four-mile routes are available for all ages and abilities of runners. Call 706-414-4059 or email jim@ enduranceconcepts.com. Hockey Skills & Drills is every Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Augusta Ice Sports Center. $10-$15. Call 706-863-0061 or visit augustaicesports.com. 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 803-2158181 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 706-7246777 or visit andyjordans.com. Wheelchair Tennis Clinic, presented by the Walton Foundation

24 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

for Independence, meets 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 email alsalley@wrh.org. Registration for Couch to 5K continues throughout the month of September at the Wilson Family Y. This program is designed for beginner and intermediate runners and walkers to prepare for the Y’s Gasping Gobbler 5K on November 19. A six-week session is offered October 11-November 17 at 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. Participants will be guided through a workout twice a week and one on their own. Cost is $15 per session for Family Y members and $25 per session for non-members. Register at any Family Y location or online at thefamilyy.org. Augusta Canal Boat Tours lasting one hour are offered daily at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday Sunset Cruises, lasting three hours, are at 5 p.m. All tours include admission to the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center. Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com.

Kids

Toddler Time: Building Buildings will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 10 a.m. and at 11:15 a.m. at the Morris Museum of Art. Learn about different paintings and the stories they tell and make a painting using different textures. $4, nonmembers; Free for members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org. Kids Night Out at the Kroc Center is Friday, October 7, from 6-10 p.m. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. Kackleberry Farm presents Scout Day on Saturday, October 8, from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Scout demonstrations will happen throughout the day. Visit kackleberryfarm.com. J.A.M.P. Auditions will be held on Saturday, October 8, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the C.H. Terrell Academy. Open to ages 9-11. Auditions are by appointment only. Bring own instrument (drums and keyboard provided). Call 706-736-6216 or visit jamesbrownfamilyfdn.org. Westminster Schools of Augusta Fall Fest will be held on Saturday, October 8, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. There will be interactive and fun inflatables for all ages, face painting, games, contests, pumpkin patch, and food vendors. $15 advance; $20 at the V. 22 | NO. 58

Full Day Camp, for Columbia County students who have no school that day, is from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. Pirate and Princess Tea Party and Story Hour will be held on Thursday, October 13, at 3:30 p.m. at the Woodworth Library on Fort Gordon. Listen to a story and then dress up for a tea party. Open to children all ages; preregistration required. Call 706-791-2449 or visit fortgordon.com. The Corner Pumpkin Patch at Marvin UMC will be open through Halloween. Visit marvinchurch.com. Craft Corner for Kids is every Wednesday from 9-10 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. Children’s Story Hours is every Friday from 9-10 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. Junior Fitness is every Saturday from 9-10 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. Mother’s Afternoon Out is every Thursday from 1-3 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. Arts Classes are offered weekly at the Kroc Center and include pottery (6-8 years) on Mondays at 5:15 p.m.; Kindermusik (2-4 years) on Tuesdays at 11 a.m.; Intro to Ballroom (6-8 years) on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m.; Kindermusik (5-8 years) on Saturdays at 11 a.m.; Intro to Drawing and Painting (9-12 years) on Saturdays at 11 a.m.; Hip Hop (9-13 years) on Saturdays at noon; V. 22 | NO. 58

Wacky Wednesday Story Time is each Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the children’s department of Barnes and Noble in the Augusta Mall. Call 706-7370012 or visit bn.com. Homeschool Playgroup meets each Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at Creighton Park in North Augusta. Call

Kackleberry Farms is open Saturdays 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays 1-5 p.m. Visit kackleberryfarm.com. Blown Away: The Wild World of Weather will be presented Saturdays in October at 7 and 8 p.m. at the DuPont Planetarium. $1-$4.50. Reservations recommended. Call 803-641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu/ planetarium. Toddler Story Time and Preschool Story Time take place every Thursday in September at 10:30 a.m. and at 11:15 a.m. at the North Augusta Library. Toddler story time is for children under 3. Pre-school story time for children 3 to 6 years old. Free. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org. Story Time in Hopelands will take place every Tuesday through the end of October at 4 p.m. at Hopelands Gardens in Aiken. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Adapted Wii Special Populations, throughout the month of September, is at the Wilson Family Y. Individual ½-hour classes (oneto-one ratio) for all physically and developmentally challenged individuals of all ages. $10 for members; $20 for non-members. Financial assistance is available for all Family Y programs. By appointment only. Call Claudia Collins at 706-922-9662 or visit thefamilyy.org. The Augusta Arsenal Soccer Club Junior Academy, for boys and girls ages 5-8, meets each Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Augusta Soccer Park. Call 706-854-0149 or visit augustasoccer.com. Toddler Time, free play for children ages 5 and under, is each Monday and Wednesday from 9:3011:30 a.m. at the H.O. Weeks Center in Aiken. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.

H O LY TTRINITY R I N I T YAUGREEK G U S TA ORTHODOX .ORG HOLY

The Fifth Annual Columbia County Junior Golf Championships will take place on Sunday, October 9, and Monday, October 10, at Bartram Trail Golf Club. This event is free for all children in Columbia County. Open to ages 6-18 will all ability levels. Call 706210-4681 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.

Steed’s Dairy in Grovetown, a working dairy farm that includes a corn maze, petting zoo, jumping pillow, tube slide, rubber duckie races, preschool pay area, hayrides, a pumpkin patch and more, is open through November 13. Hours are Friday, 5-10 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays, 1-6 p.m. Admission is $12 for those three and older, free for children 2 and under, and $9 for seniors and military, law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs. Call 706-855-2948 or visit steedsdairy.com.

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 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS

Family Fall Fest at Mistletoe State Park will be held on Saturday, October 8, from 4-9:30 p.m. Activities include a pumpkin scavenger hunt, night hike, apple bobbing, marshmallow roasting, old-fashioned games, making corn husk dolls, music, face painting and storytelling. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org.

and West African Music and Dance (612 years) on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox

gate. Visit wsa.net.

803-613-0484.

Seniors

Classes for seniors at the Kroc Center include Golden Agers on Mondays at 9 a.m., Community Resource Time on Mondays at 1 p.m., Computers for Seniors on Monday at 3 p.m., Living Well on Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m., Seated Chair Exercise on Tuesdays at 11 a.m., Social Hour on Tuesdays at 1 p.m., Powerful Tools for Caregivers on Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Alzheimer’s Support Group on Tuesdays at 6 p.m., A Bite of Health on Wednesdays at 9

22nd Annual Greek Festival 2011

Greek Music

Food DANCING &

Corner of 10th & Greene Street • Downtown Augusta

OCTOBER 7-9 FREE Admission & Kids Rides Live Music • Hellenic Dance Greek Cuisine & Pastries • Greek Market Children’s Play Area • Church Tours And Much More!

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 25

a.m., Community Resource Time on Wednesdays at 1 p.m., Medicare Q&A on Thursdays at 9 a.m., Social Hours on Thursdays at 1 p.m., Computers for Seniors on Thursdays at 2 p.m., Bingo on Friday at 9 a.m., Wii Time on Fridays at 10:30 a.m., Bunco and Card Games on Fridays at 12:30 p.m., Social Hour on Fridays at 2 p.m., and Bridge and Board Games on Fridays at 2:30 p.m. Call 706364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.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.

DECLASSIFIED

Some of the most interesting homes on the Hill will open their doors to the public this weekend at the Summerville Neighborhood celebrates its Sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary during the Summerville Tour of Homes. Beginning Friday, October 7, the tour will start with a ribbon cutting and wine reception at Appleby Library, followed by the Candlelight Tour from 7-9 p.m. A Tour Parade kicks things off on Saturday at 11 a.m., with the tour beginning at noon. After Sunday’s tour from 1-5 p.m., Evensong at Church of the Good Shepherd on Walton Way will be held at 7 p.m. Homes featured this year include Ann Boardman’s SchoolHOUSE condominium on William Street and Twin Gables, where Georgia Health Sciences University President Dr. Ricardo Azziz and his family live. Tickets are $35 a person and are available at several Hill area retailers, or online. For more information, visit summervilleaugusta.org.

Yoga I and II is 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

Crafters Night is each Monday from 6-8 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. The Garden City Chorus, the area’s leading men’s singing group and a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, is seeking new members. Those interested are welcome to attend Tuesday night rehearsals, held at 7 p.m. at North Augusta Church of Christ on W. Martintown Road. Visit gardencitychorus.org. Augusta Genealogical Society meets every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sundays from 2-5 p.m. at the society’s Adamson Library, 1109 Broad St. Free. Call 706-722-4073. Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters Meeting, for those who want to brush up on their public speaking skills, is every Wednesday at noon at the Cotton Patch downtown. Free. Call 803-593-6605.

Volunteer

Afterschool Mentors and Tutors are needed Mondays-Fridays from 4-6 p.m. at MACH Academy, where they will provide help to students both one-on-one and in small group settings. Call 706-796-5046 or visit machacademy.com. Volunteers needed at Georgia Health Sciences University and Health System in both the adult program, open to those 18 and older, and the afterschool program, open to high school juniors and seniors at least 17 years of age. To request a volunteer application, call 706-721-3596 or visit georgiahealth.org/volunteer. 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.

Simple Cooking Class meets each Monday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the

Host a Bridal Shower Wine Party! For the bride who doesn't need a toaster.

Call for details:706.829.7505 AUGUSTAWINETASTINGS.COM

(actual size) 1.5” x 1.9” Tall $40 per week 26 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

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. V. 22 | NO. 58

THEEIGHT BOX TOPS

Contrary to what would happen in the wild (come on, Syfy channel... make it happen!) a dolphin’s tale kicks “The Lion King”’s ass at the box office. RANK

TITLE

WEEKEND GROSS

TOTAL GROSS

WEEK #

LAST WEEK

DOLPHIN TALE

$14,245,000

$37,516,000

MONEYBALL

$12,500,000

$38,469,000

THE LION KING

$11,057,000

$79,652,000

50/50

$8,858,000

COURAGEOUS

$8,800,000

MOVIEREVIEW

“50/50”

Sam Eifling No idea what to say to someone who has cancer? Join the club of co-stars in this dramedy. In “50/50,” the mildly comedic cancer drama starring Joseph GordonLevitt as the stricken Adam, the only thing people do worse than break the news of his diagnosis is receive it. When Adam learns that the source of his persistent back pain is a malignant tumor on his spine, so exotically named that an entire Scrabble game couldn’t spell it, he’s mostly deciphering his doctor’s jargon-laden spoken notes. He swoons; the doctor goes all hazy; and he wanders over to the window as Radiohead’s “High & Dry” begins playing. When he breaks the news to his mother (Anjelica Huston) over dinner two days later, she bursts into tears and rushes to make him green tea, because she heard it reduces the chance of cancer. His flaky strugglingartist girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) lamely promises she’ll stick through it, then as a show of support adopts a greyhound named Skeletor. When his co-workers at the Seattle public radio station where he works throw him a party, he’s beset by a line of well-meaning folks who have no idea

V. 22 | NO. 58

what to say, amplifying awkwardness to the point of a near-assault. The only person who seems to jump with both feet is Adam’s best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogen. Rogen’s friend Will Reiser wrote the screenplay after going through just this scenario — dude in his 20s diagnosed with the emperor of maladies; Rogen is in essence playing a younger, coarser version of himself. When Kyle hears the news, he gamely babbles about how likely Adam is to survive, how he’s young and strong, how the 50/50 odds that Adam has gleaned from some website dedicated to his cancer actually sound like a winning hand. In the moment the chipper front feels right, but Kyle’s attempted nonchalance, and Adam’s, and that of most young men, probably, who would find themselves staring down death just as adulthood is really beginning, wears out when chemo drains the life out of the patient, when it becomes clear that no one but the dying can really relate, and when the prospect of something worse than a painful survival looms. The risk of

talking about death by not talking about death is that, in the end, you may really not be talking about death. Director Jonathan Levine, in just his third feature film, holds the story firmly on Adam, who appears in nearly every scene. We feel the weight of his descent. Other than the pot-laced macaroons and the possibility of sympathy sex, cancer co-stars as an irredeemable bummer. Almost painfully mild-mannered at the time of his diagnosis, Adam becomes grouchier and more irascible as his life frays and mortality looms. His therapist, the too-young-forthere-not-to-be-sparks Katherine (Anna Kendrick, of “Up in the Air” fame), can’t break the fall of his ever-darker moods; even she doesn’t want to, or really know how to, change the conversation from a clinical handling of how people feel with the big C to

how this individual, this young man, should face the big D. And as Adam begins to admit to himself, finally, that he’s not just dealing with a hard snag but possibly, very possibly, an early death, he snaps to. “50/50” is a very good movie, if shy of great, and in it there is a moment late, at a tense moment in a hospital, in which the empathy the film has built for an hour and a half all clamors to the fore in a sudden emotional rush. And, for a second, your heart will break into pieces. Surrounded by technology and doctors and family, all there to see him through, Adam is the loneliest person in the world. There’s a hard conversation to undertake before that moment arrives, and “50/50” ably shows how not to have it.

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 27

Movie times are subject to change. Main Field: Real Steel (PG-13) and The Help (PG-13) Screen 2: Dolphin Tale (PG) and The Smurfs (PG) Screen 3: Moneyball (PG-13) and Contagion (PG-13) Gates open at 7 p.m.; Movies start at 8:15 p.m. (approximately)

Masters 7 Cinemas

October 7 Final Destination 5 (R) 5:30, 10:10; The Smurfs (PG) 5:10, 7:30, 10; Captain America: The First Avenger (PG-13) 4:15, 7, 9:45; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (PG-13) 3:45, 5, 6:45, 8, 9:35; Horrible Bosses (R) 7:45; Bad Teacher (R) 7:45, 10:10; Zookeeper (PG) 5:20; Cars 2 (G) 4, 7, 9:45 October 8 Final Destination 5 (R) 12:45, 5:30, 10:10; The Smurfs (PG) 12:20, 2:45, 5:10, 7:30, 10; Captain America: The First Avenger (PG-13) 1:15, 4:15, 7, 9:45; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (PG-13) 12:45, 2, 3:45, 5, 6:45, 8, 9:35; Horrible Bosses (R) 3:15, 7:45; Bad Teacher (R) 7:45, 10:10; Zookeeper (PG) 12:30, 3, 5:20; Cars 2 (G) 1, 4, 7, 9:45

Evans Cinemas

October 7 The Ides of March (R) 2:40, 5:05, 7:30, 10; Real Steel (PG-13) 2:30, 4:10, 5:30, 7:10, 8:30, 10; 50/50 (R) 2:50, 5:10, 7:35, 10:10; Courageous (PG-13) 4, 7, 9:55; Dream House (PG-13) 3, 5:20, 7:40, 10:05; What’s Your Number? (R) 4:20, 6:55, 9:45; Abduction (PG-13) 3:50, 6:50, 9:30; Dolphin Tale (PG) 4:30, 7:20, 10; Killer Elite (R) 7:40, 10:10; Moneyball (PG-13) 3:40, 6:40, 9:40; The Lion King (G) 2:30, 3:15, 4:50,

5:30, 7:15, 9:35; Contagion (PG-13) 3:45, 6:45, 9:25; The Help (PG-13) 4:40, 8 October 8 The Ides of March (R) 12:15, 2:40, 5:05, 7:30, 10; Real Steel (PG13) 1:10, 2:30, 4:10, 5:30, 7:10, 8:30, 10; 50/50 (R) 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:35, 10:10; Courageous (PG-13) 1, 4, 7, 9:55; Dream House (PG-13) 12:35, 3, 5:20, 7:40, 10:05; What’s Your Number? (R) 1:30, 4:20, 6:55, 9:45; Abduction (PG-13) 12:50, 3:50, 6:50, 9:30; Dolphin Tale (PG) 1:40, 4:30, 7:20, 10; Killer Elite (R) 7:40, 10:10; Moneyball (PG-13) 12:40, 3:40, 6:40, 9:40; The Lion King (G) 12:15, 1, 2:30, 3:15, 4:50, 5:30, 7:15, 9:35; Contagion (PG-13) 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:25; The Help (PG-13) 1:20, 4:40, 8

October 7-8 Real Steel (PG-13) 12, 12:30, 4, 4:30, 7, 7:30, 10, 10:30; The Ides of March (R) 12:15, 2:40, 5:05, 7:40, 10:05, 12:30; 50/50 (R) 12:10 (CC), 4:10, 7:10, 9:35, 12; Courageous (PG-13) 12, 12:30, 4, 4:30, 7, 7:30, 9:55, 10:35; Dream House (PG-13) 12:40, 4:45, 7:35, 10:10, 12:30; What’s Your Number? (R) 12:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:05; Abduction (PG-13) 12:05, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:25; Dolphin Tale (PG) 12:15, 12:45, 2:55, 4:25, 7:15, 7:45, 9:55, 10:25; Killer Elite (R) 1:10, 3:50, 7:20, 10:15; Moneyball (PG-13) 12:25, 1:05, 4:05, 5:05, 7:05, 8:10, 10:10, 11:30; Drive (R) 1:10, 7:15, 12:15; The Lion King (G) 12:05, 2:20, 4:40, 7:10, 9:25, 11:40; Straw Dogs (R) 4:50, 7:50, 10:30; Contagion (PG-13) 12:35, 4:35, 7:25, 10; Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain (R) 12:55, 4:20, 7:25, 9:40, 12:05; Colombiana (PG-13) 3:45, 9:45; Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (PG) 12:20, 2:35; The Help (PG-13) 12:25, 3:50, 7:05, 10:20

• Firearm Law • Criminal Defense • Administrative Law • Regulatory Compliance & Litigation

B .

28 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

L o v e t t ,

“Real Steel,” rated PG-13, starring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly. No, this isn’t the fourth Transformers movie, thank god. Why Huge Assman decided to star in Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots: The Movie is beyond comprehension, however.

DRAMA

“The Ides of March,” rated R, starring George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei. Intern George directs and stars in what is sure to be an Oscar Best Picture nominee about dirty politics. Too bad it’s not true: Plenty of people would probably vote for Clooney as president.

Regal Exchange 20

LOVETT LAW FIRM

P e r r i n

ACTION

706.922.0630

A t t o r n e y

A t

L a w

“The Silence of the Lambs”

WERECOMMEND

The Big Mo

OPENING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7

THE8ERS

With George Clooney’s “Ides of March” beginning the movie industry’s official march toward Oscar season, it’s a great time to revisit one of the greatest Oscar winners of modern times. It’s amazing that this freakfest — which includes cannibalism, beheadings and a killer who does unspeakable things with his female victims — got the greenlight in Hollywood, much less won four Oscars. It definitely deserved the five it won, however, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor, and Hannibal Lecter is possibly the finest role of Anthony Hopkins’ career. And that’s saying something. Jodie Foster is no slouch as FBI agent in training Clarice Starling, and Ted Levine’s creepy voice will haunt your dreams for weeks after the movie is over. The fantastic cast, along with the whacked-out (in a good way) story, combine to create one of the greatest horror-thrillers ever made. No matter how many times you see it, the climax will get you every time and the unnerving denouement that follows will, unbelievably, make you smile. “The Silence of the Lambs” is, quite possibly, the perfect film and you’d be crazier than all the characters in the movie (combined) to skip it. — MS

V. 22 | NO. 58

ART45

Happy Birthday!

Holy Trinity celebrates fall and its centennial anniversary with annual Greek Festival The annual rite of fall in Augusta that is the Greek Festival will have an especially celebratory atmosphere this year. That’s because Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, which hosts the popular yearly gathering, is celebrating its 100th birthday. That milestone was a hard-fought one, as Holy Trinity’s Rev. Father Vasile Bitere told the Metro Spirit last spring. “The structure is itself original,” he said of the church. “Remember that this building itself suffered three different fires and the last one was in 2003.” Now good as new, Holy Trinity prepares this week to open its doors to the Augusta area for three days of eating, drinking, music, dancing and more. But mostly eating. Festival-goers will again this year have choices when it comes to dining: plated dinners, including roasted lamb, Greek chicken, souvlaki, pastitsio and vegetarian moussaka, will be served inside the church and come with Greek potatoes or orzo, green beans, salad, bread and tea. Outside under the tents, visitors can purchase sandwiches like gyros and the ever-popular feta fries, as well as sweet and savory pastries. The Kafenion will serve both American and Greek coffees and pastries, and the Taverna will serve fried calamari, Greek chicken wings, beer, wine and, new this year, Ouzo. While taking a break from the food and drinks, guests can browse the Agora

Greek store and take a church tour. Or they can just sit and watch the musicians and dancers. Different groups will begin entertaining crowds Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. and then all day on Saturday and Sunday. A complete schedule of entertainment and menus are available on the church’s website. A special feature of this year’s festival is a Byzantine Iconography lecture, led by Fr. Anthony Salzman, that will take place Saturday from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The slide lecture on the theology, history and technique of icon painting is free.

Iconography, images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and saints, appear throughout most Greek Orthodox churches, including Holy Trinity. They appear, Bitere explained last spring, to help remind church members of attributes they should emulate rather than as replacements for God. “We do not worship the icons,” he explains. “We venerate icons as we venerate the saints.” While there is much to do at the Greek Festival, many in the area come specifically for the food. That is no surprise to Bitere, who said that Greek culture puts great emphasis on preparing

and serving food. “There is nothing that is Greek does not include food,” he said. “It is a big part of all we do. It’s not just the routine or the practice, it’s the way that our people are putting their hearts into what they do and I think that makes a difference.” 2011 Greek Festival Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Friday, October 7, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, October 8, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, October 9, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 706-724-1087 holytrinityaugusta.org

DON’T FORGET THE HISPANIC FESTIVAL Estrella Febus, president of the Acociation Cultural Hispanoamericana (ACHA), says the 19th Annual Hispanic Festival is a perfect way for Augusta’s Hispanic community to explore its diverse heritage and for those outside the community to immerse themselves in all things Hispanic — music, food, dance and crafts. “It’s a little bit of everything,” she says. “We’d love to see everybody lift something from our culture. We’re just looking to embrace the cultures and let people know that we’re here and that we’re family.” Created in 1986, the ACHA is a nonprofit association for anyone interested in the Hispanic language, culture or traditions. For the last 19 years, the association has put on a fall festival showcasing the unique aspects of the culture. V. 22 | NO. 58

Along with Latin bands, folkloric groups and arts and crafts, Febus promises food. Lots and lots of food. “We have plenty of food vendors from different parts of the Hispanic world,” she says. “Puerto Rico, Panama, Venezuela, Santa Domingo, Columbia, Mexico… 10 or 12 food vendors.” ACHA volunteers start planning for the festival in January, but Febus says this year they’ve already spent a good amount of time planning ways to make next year’s 20th anniversary particularly special. That’s not to say they’re looking beyond this year’s festival, however. In fact, they want to make sure they continue the trend and give it a great lead in. “Every year there’s more people,” she says. “It’s constantly growing. Last year, we had close to 8,000 people, and we didn’t even count the military IDs. This

is something I like to do even though nobody pays me. I do it from my heart because I like to embrace the culture.” 19th Annual Hispanic Festival Augusta Common

Saturday, October 8, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday, October 9, noon-11 p.m. $3 for adults; free, children under 10 and active duty military elcervantino.org METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 29

SIGHTINGS

Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Rebecca Folger, vocalist, songwriter and former Davidson student Julia Easterlin and Marlow Craig at Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center during An Evening with Livingston Taylor.

Sandi and Frank Johnson with Livingston Taylor and Al Sullivan at Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center during An Evening with Livingston Taylor.

Allison Bridges, Jason Aldean drummer Rich Redmond, Sandee Bridges and Jessica Bridges at a drum seminar at Portman’s Music Superstore.

SIGHTINGS

Lillian Magruder, Blue Rodeo’s Jim Gruddy and Diane Leibach at the Rosanne Cash concert at the parade grounds at Old Richmond Academy.

John Leventhal, Pam Doumar, Rosanne Cash and Ray Doumar at her concert at the parade grounds at Old Richmond Academy.

Kimberly Knox, Kelly Hitchcock, Renee Campbell and JJ Purvis at the Rosanne Cash concert at the parade grounds at Old Richmond Academy.

SIGHTINGS

Missy Newman, Brooke Gentry and Candice Tharpe at Somewhere in Augusta.

Katerina Richardson, hypnotist Rich Guzzi and Rob Lascola at Somewhere in Augusta.

Charles Trotter Jr., Latonda Rowson, Lizzie Tinker and Tony Hunt at Somewhere in Augusta.

$9.99 one pound of Happy Hour MON-FRI peel and eat shrimp 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Monday Crab Legs $9.99 per lb

Drink Specials

SURRY CENTER ON HIGHLAND AVE. - THE FRENCHMARKETGRILLE.COM - 707.737.4865

30 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

SIGHTINGS

Dale Walter Sr., Ana Miller, Dennis Moriarty and Aaron Rachels at the Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem.

Katherine Corey, Brittany North and Jessica Blair at the Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem.

Dale Walter Sr., Chris Elliott, Allie Wilmoth and Dennis Moriarty at the Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem.

SIGHTINGS

Dan Lawson, Laura Russ, Beth Richardson and Grant Danham at the Seventh Annual Junior League of Augusta Golf Tournament at Jones Creek.

Brandie Salmon, MMA fighter Eric Parker, Amika Olchovik and Devin Walker at the Wintensity Conference at the Ramada Inn.

SIGHTINGS

David Underwood, Stephanie Dillard, Andrew Tarr and Vanessa Kemp at Helgaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pub & Grille.

V. 22 | NO. 58

Tremaine Skeem, Leon Redbone and Yuliya Skeem at Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center during An Evening with Leon Redbome.

Rebecca Tankersley, Rachel Pittman and Lyndsey Alverson at the Blackberry Smoke concert at Coyoteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Megan Bryant, Tori Conner, Courtney Herron and Brandon Snellings at The Country Club.

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 31

CUISCENEINE Self-Taught Chef

French Market West owner Jim Beck worked his way to the top, and created one of the most popular restaurants in the area in the process Twenty years ago, Jim Beck was working construction at the Savannah River Site until he joined his brother John and his father in Atlanta to work at a restaurant they owned called A Taste of New Orleans. He started at the bottom, washing dishes and bussing tables but, at night, he would learn as much as he could about cooking. “Dad and I lived in a tiny apartment behind a house near Emory [University in Atlanta]. It was a little place. I literally slept on an Army cot for three years,” he said. “I’d get home and my dad would be asleep, so I’d turn on the oven light and look at ‘Gastro Monique,’ a culinary encyclopedia. I still have it here in the office. I go back and look at it ever now and then.” Beck’s office is now in the kitchen at French Market Grille West, the popular Columbia County Cajun and Creole restaurant. It opened nearly 15 years ago and Beck ran the kitchen from the day it opened. “There were three guys who opened it — Chuck Baldwin, Carl Swanson and Frank Chirkinian,” he explained. Baldwin, who owns French Market Grille in Surrey Center, had owned American Diner, the restaurant that formerly occupied French Market Grille West’s space. American Diner, which Beck said was a good but ahead of its time restaurant, closed in July of 1996. French Market Grille West opened in January of 1997. The restaurant was an immediate hit, despite a Fury’s Ferry Road widening project that initially kept people away and some staff changes that forced Beck out of the kitchen. “I told Chuck, ‘I’ll run the restaurant,’” Beck remembered. “‘Don’t give me any more money until we get this worked out.’ And I did. I worked all day every day. Then I bought Frank out in ’04 and I bought Chuck out in ’06.” That makes Beck co-owner of French Market West with Carl Swanson, who he calls his mentor and biggest advocate, but he says that is a fact many people, no matter how long they’ve lived in the area, might not realize. It’s certainly difficult to tell from the menu, which contains most of the items so popular at the Surrey location, that French Market Grill West is markedly unique. Guests at French Market West will notice some different touches to Beck’s menu. The Crab Chop is there, along with the fiery Barbequed Shrimp (and that’s New Orleans barbecue

32 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

Morgan Dunn and Jim Beck

sauce, rather than the version usually served over pulled pork). The po’ boy sandwiches are present, however, the gumbo is different from the version at Surrey Center. On the menu is also a po’ boy that former co-owner Chirkinian specifically asked for: the F.C. Philly Cheese Steak has roast beef, grilled onions and green peppers, provolone cheese and jalapenos. Beck said that another section of the menu is also popular… with those who know it’s there. “One thing a lot of people don’t realize is that we have a smart choice portion of the menu that has nutritional values on it,” he said. “We sell a good many of them.” It’s in the specials that most of the differences can be found. Tuesday night, for instance, is crab leg night. Patrons can get a pound of crab legs, a salad and red potatoes for $7.99. Mondays through Thursdays, the restaurant offers shrimp, boiled, grilled or fried, for $9.99, while, on Wednesday, catfish and grits with a salad is $6.99. And then there are sushi nights, Thursdays through Saturdays, in which Beck and his crew put their unique spin

Adam and turnips V. 22 | NO. 58

THE DAWGS

– c a r e e r

Wayne Capps

e d u c a t i o n –

MILLER-MOTTE

changes lives!

Change your future and your life with a rewarding career. Miller-Motte offers career training programs in: Wendy Walton & Laura Hall

Medical Assisting, Medical Laboratory Technician, Health Information Technology, Many More! CAREER TRAINING PROGRAMS MAY VARY BY CAMPUS. VA BENEFITS AND FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO QUALIFY. AUTHORIZED BY THE NONPUBLIC POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL ACT OF 1990.

Eddie Kale with Keith and Tom Remkus

V. 22 | NO. 58

“I was taught that you treat people like you would want to be treated. I wouldn’t ask someone to do something that I wouldn’t do myself,” he said. “And, you know, the longer I stay in the business, the older I get, there are going to be some things I can’t do. But thank God it ain’t today.” French Market Grille West 360 Fury’s Ferry Road, Martinez Lunch: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner: Monday-Thursday, 3-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 3-11 p.m. 706-855-5111 frenchmarketwest.com

Classes are forming. Call toll-free today!

(866) 425-0032 www.Miller-Motte.edu

Changing Futures. Changing Lives.® For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the programs, and other important information, please visit our website at: disclosure.miller-motte.edu

on this Japanese favorite. The basics like California Rolls are covered, but the menu also includes items like a Cajun Popcorn Roll with fried crawfish and asparagus, a Voodoo Roll with blackened shrimp and crawfish and a Filet Roll with teriyaki grilled filet. The combination of the traditional menu and Beck’s inventive specials — he’s currently developing some new tastes for fall — have garnered the restaurant a loyal following. And that doesn’t just go for the customers; Beck said he has five employees who have been with the French Market West since it opened, something he attributes to the fact that he doesn’t hold himself above anybody else.

621 nw frontage road, augusta, ga 30907 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 33

34 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

JENNYISWRIGHT

Jenny Wright 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.

Better Late Than Never… Or Not

Centre at Evans

Mullins Crossing

Augusta Exchange

Fury's Ferry

4445 Washington Road (In the WalMart Center) Evans, GA 30809

4217 Washington Road (In the Target/Ross Center) Evans, GA 30809

403 Fury's Ferry Road (Publix Center) Martinez, GA 30907

1143 Agerton Lane (Across from Regal Cinemas) Augusta, GA 30909

706-860-0501

706-863-0677

706-651-8900

706-737-9358

Centre @ Evans

Mullins Crossing Target

Great Clips

Washington Rd

Augusta Exchange

Fury’s Ferry

Ross

Great Clips

Washington Rd

Great Clips

Agerton Lane

Publix

Regal Cinemas

Baston Rd

Crossroads Market

Aiken Eastgate

404 E. Martintown Road (in the new Big Lots Center) North Augusta, 29841

803-641-6600

Crossroads Market

Shoppes at Richland 3601 W Richland Ave (next to Walmart)

803-641-2899

248 Eastgate Dr (next to Publix)

803-613-0030

Hours: M-F 9-9 Sat 9-7 Sun 10-6

Publix

Big Lots

$ Aiken, SC 126 Laurens Street NW 803.514.4240

Augusta, GA 106 Pleasant Home Road 706.814.8959

.99 haircut

Offer Expires: 11/11/2011

Not valid with any other offers. Limit one coupon per customer. At salons listed.

Robert C Daniel Jr

Walmart

Cupcakes • Confections • Weddings • Birthday Parties

Cutting back without cutting corners

Great Clips

Just Treats!

line of cars, instructed to stop and go at certain marked places. I apologize and repent for the thoughts I had about the person who held up traffic in line, even though every single person was waving them through. GO. We had a pep talk about getting out of bed a little earlier, not taking so much time to eat breakfast and knowing where our belongings are each morning. We simply don’t have time to look for book bags and folders each day. We agreed that this was just a bad start to the day, but it could only get better. I told The Kids I loved them, patting them on the back as they got out. They loved me back. Just before closing the door, The Boy said, “Mama, it might help if we didn’t have to wait while you look for your keys.” Touché.

.99

K Martintown Rd

No Tricks,

for the Metro Spirit), try to arrive when expected, so as to not upset anyone or throw off a schedule. So, back to that ride to school this morning. The kids barely had their doors closed when I started down the driveway. I wasn’t really speeding, but we weren’t crawling, either. At this point, I was just certain we were going to miss the 8:25 bell. Is passing someone on a residential street with a double yellow line illegal? What if I was only going about 20 when I seemingly whipped past them? I mean, they were stopping at every bump and crack in the road. I guess they were trying to protect those shiny rims. I’m no mechanic, but things might be a little easier if your car wasn’t so low to the ground. We got every green light, and the traffic even seemed lighter than usual. Somehow, we pulled into the carpool line right as the 8:25 bell was ringing. The only thing in our way now was a

Wheeler Rd

A friend’s mother is law is late to everything. Everything. Even if it’s just five minutes, you can guarantee that she will not be there on time. We were at a restaurant once and couldn’t be seated until the entire party arrived. She was 45 minutes late. I can’t understand why everyone continues to put up with her tardiness. It’s a selfishness to which I can’t relate. Although I’m pretty sure that selfish people live much happier lives, because they’re not concerned with everyone else, I’d rather be considerate. They just sail through life, getting what they want, obliviously leaving a Pigpen-like cloud of disappointed people in their wake. You know the type. They never have to wait in line, they are the last to arrive and will wait to confirm plans, just in case they get a better offer. The rest of us, while certainly running late from time to time (or every week when you’re supposed to be writing

Fury’s Ferry Rd

This morning, The Kids and I had one of those mornings. It took a little longer to get out of bed, we ate breakfast a little late, and we left the house really late. I can get The Kids to school in six minutes, as long as we hit every green light on Walton Way. That means that we must be backing out of the driveway no later than 8:19 each morning. Today, we got in the car at 8:21. Four minutes. Not. Gonna. Happen. Meanwhile, I start to sweat. I hate being late. Now, before you ridicule, let me clarify. I didn’t say it never happens. Life gets in the way and delays everyone from time to time. However, more often than not, I’m the person who gets there too early and circles the block a few times for fear of being the first one to arrive. While being early can just be a little awkward, it’s never disrespectful. If someone is habitually late, that tells me that their time is more valuable than mine.

haircut

Offer Expires: 11/11/2011

Not valid with any other offers. Limit one coupon per customer. At salons listed.

Visit us: Neapolitangifts.com • Like us: Facebook V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 35

AUGUSTATEK

Most Interesting Person in Technology

Every once in a while I get a question about computer support. That’s a good thing, really. It’s always nice for someone to be interested in what you do for a living. It gives you something to talk about at chamber events, nonprofit receptions, etc. Most anyone who’s suffered through small talk with me will probably attest that, in topics other than technology, I’m mildly amusing at best. But when computer topics come up, I have heard some refer to me as the most interesting person in Augusta technology. (I don’t always write technology columns, but when I do, I prefer the Metro Spirit.) Anyway, back to computer support. This past week, one of our fellow Tek-heads described an incident that illustrates how tech support really works. His Blackberry was experiencing sluggish performance and the camera app wouldn’t open. After hours on the phone with tech support and reviewing the manual, nothing he tried resolved the issue. So he took the Blackberry back to the store ready to exchange it for an iPhone or Droid. However, after explaining the situation to a teenage-looking service rep, the service rep simply asked, “Have you cleared the event log yet?” The log? What log? There’s a log? The service rep calmly took the phone, pressed a magical series of buttons (Alt-LGLG for those keeping score), and, voila, there’s a log. After selecting “Delete Log” from the menu, our Tekhead now has a fully functional and responsive Blackberry. After listening to this story, I thought to myself: This is a perfect example of the Third Rule of Tech Support: Everything is easy if you know which box to check. In case you are wondering, the First Rule of Tech Support: Reboot. Need I say more? Going back to making small talk, everybody this week seems to be discussing the new Amazon Kindle Fire. (Well... at least with me.) Here’s my take on the Fire. First of all, it has about half the functionality of the iPad. No camera. Front or back. Half the memory. No 3G. No GPS. No Bluetooth. The screen is smaller. And while it’s Android-based, it won’t have access to the full library of Android apps. Even so, the Fire represents the single largest threat to iPad marketshare, and I expect it to sell like hotcakes. The Kindle Fire creates a direct portal into the Amazon media distribution pipeline. With the original Kindle, Amazon’s dominance over the e-book market is comparable to the position Apple and iTunes has over the e-music market. With Netflix going through a transition, the timing of the Kindle Fire release could not be better. Amazon now has all the tools to become the dominant player in the TV and movie subscription market. That’s not the reason the Kindle Fire will sell big. It’s about the consumer, and the average consumer will use a tablet to check email, surf the web, play the occasional game of Angry Birds, read a book or watch a movie. Given the choice, why pay $500 for an iPad when you can pay $200 for the Kindle Fire and still do all the things you want to do? Not into tablets? Next week is the iPhone 5 announcement! I can’t wait! Until next time, I’ll see you on the internet. Tweet me @ gregory_a_baker. L8R. Gregory A. Baker, Ph.D., is vice president and chief rocket scientist for CMA, which provides information technology services to CSRA businesses and nonprofits.

36 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

ENTWISTED

ACROSS 1 Bryn ___ College 5 Often-parched gully 9 Goal of phishing 13 Where the Baha’i faith originated 17 It entered circulation in 2002 18 “My heavens!” 19 1997 best seller subtitled “Her True Story” 20 Lifted 21 Result of being badly beaned? 23 Scraping kitchen gadget with nothing in it? 25 Big name in root beer 26 Drill attachment with teeth 28 Offered a shoulder to cry on, say 29 Cry after a series of numbers 32 ___ Meir Tower, Israel’s first skyscraper 34 CBS’s “The ___ Today” 35 “Author! Author!” star, 1982 39 Broadly speaking 41 Leonine movie star of old 45 Pale yellow-shelled sea creature? 47 Differ 49 Contraction before boy or girl 50 October haul 51 Year the Paris Métro opened 52 Front-wheel alignment 53 Vlasic pickles mascot 55 That babies come from a 53-Across, e.g. 56 Gather 57 English weight 58 Return address info 60 View the effects of a big lunch in court? 63 Promise of a sort 65 Person with a headset, maybe 66 A bit slow 67 Fluorescent candy? 75 Materialize 80 Register, to a Brit 81 It’s an imposition 82 Show shock, in a way 84 Land of King George Tupou V 85 Memorable mission 86 ___ in ink 87 Jewelry setting 89 Alternative to Ole or Edvard 90 “R” card in Uno, in effect 92 “Cheers” spinoff mania? 94 Stanch 95 Eases the misgivings of 97 Star-struck entourage

98 Funny Poehler 100 Allies have one 102 Post-solstice celebration 103 Kind of tape 107 Arrives 109 Crew 113 Hapless Roman ruler? 115 Taser for children? 118 Campfire treat 119 Hit ___ note 120 Tiny-scissors holder 121 Cone former 122 Desire, with “the” 123 “Buddenbrooks” novelist 124 Trickle 125 They can be prying or crying DOWN 1 Very, informally 2 Charismatic effect 3 St. Paul’s architect 4 Downed power lines, e.g. 5 Bonded 6 Turkish V.I.P. 7Häagen-___ 8Things to think about 9Almost matching 10Polyphemus, to Odysseus 11Kind of colony 12Giant who made “The Catch,” 1954 13“No worries” 14Mil. educators 15Sheltered 16Quiz bowl lover, say 19Corrupts 20Mirror image 22Over again 24Daydreams, with “out” 27“Why not!” 30Black Watch soldier’s garb 31Vast, old-style 33Scavenging Southern food fish 35Stockpile 36Foamy mugful 37Climbing aid 38Falls into line 40Clear 42“The only rule is that there ___ rules” 43Pittsburgh-based food giant 44Soprano Fleming 46Glut 48Take a whack at 51My, in Bretagne

54Garrulous Garrison 56Entrees sometimes prepared in crockpots 59Charles, e.g. 61Tipping point? 62Subj. of the 2005 Pulitzerwinning book “Ghost Wars” 64Hags, e.g. 67Picks up 68Possible lagoon entrance 69Serious 70Unemployed persons with fulltime jobs 71California’s ___ Castle 72O.T.B. conveniences 73Slender fish 741983 Woody Allen film 76Less fortunate 77China’s Zhou ___ 78Visually transfixed 79Reviewers’ comments on book jackets, typically 83Distrustful 87God, with “the” 88Cut-off pants? 91Not consent 92Like some chickens 93Mea ___ 96Cheer for 99Swamp 101“My heavens!” 103Mosquito protection 104Cartridge filler 105“Great” red feature of Jupiter 106Fat unit 108The ___ Owl, “L.A. Confidential” coffee shop 110Fix 111Golf great Ballesteros 112Timeline segments 114When repeated, name in old Hollywood 116Outstanding 117Goose egg

PREVIOUSPUZZLEANSWERS

By Paul Hunsberger / Edited by Will Shortz

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

L O W I S S L M E A T D E V A I D R E U N S T S Q U W I E T R T Y

P A T I O S

A B H O R S

C E S A R

I T E M

D O O R S T E P

Q U I T E A S I

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

I N C A S H S Y R U P Y B O N M O T S

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

C E D A R S

O L I V E

S P A O M R E T R T A Y I R T A S A E R N G D U S E

M O V E A M U S C L E J E L L Y B E A N

E T P E A N L A C T A I D

G H E T T O

O N I C E

B E N D S

R S N E A T

WE’RE EASIER THAN THIS PUZZLE. Elliott Sons Funeral Home

2524 LUMPKIN ROAD | 706.793.0123 | ELLIOTTSONSGEORGIA.COM V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 37

The Continuing Crisis

Motorist Clyde White of Corbin, Ky., was charged with attempted murder in August after police finally collared him following a road-rage chase that reached speeds of over 100 mph. White, who had repeatedly rammed his two siblings in their vehicle, is 78 years old, and in that other vehicle were his brother, 82, and his sister, 83. Chicago massage therapist Liudmyla Ksenych, testifying for the prosecution in August in a sex-trafficking trial, happened to notice from the witness stand that the defense lawyer, Douglas Rathe, was formerly a client of hers. The judge immediately declared a mistrial. Rathe later said he visited Ksenych four times in 2009 but that “nothing inappropriate” happened.

Oops!

Larry Stone, jailed on property crimes in Tavares, Fla., because he could not make the $1,250 bail, posted the bond in July by earning $1,300 in telephone-company money after discovering a management error that credited his jail account $46 for every international call he pretended to make. (The company figured out the problem a day later and recovered all the payouts from the accounts of Stone and 250 other prisoners who had learned of the glitch. Stone’s bond was revoked, of course, and he was returned to lockup.)

News of the Self-Indulgent

While too many children in Third World countries die from starvation or lack of basic medicines, the preschoolers of the TLC TV channel’s “Outrageous Kid Parties” reality show celebrate birthdays and “graduation” (from or to kindergarten) with spectacular events that may cost their parents $30,000 or more. Typical features, according to an August ABC News report, included a ferris wheel, a roller coaster, a dunking booth, animal rides and a cotton candy machine, as well as the obligatory live music and limo or horseback (for grand entrances).

Bright Ideas

In August, the Japanese construction firm Maeda Corp. ordered its 2,700 employees to adopt standard, short hairstyles (a bob for women with a longer fringe that could be swept to the side, and a routine short-back-and-sides cut for men with a slightly longer cut on top). Maeda said it was responding to the government’s plea to reduce energy usage (less water, less hair dryer time).

People Different From Us

William Falkingham, 34, was warned by police in Idaho Falls, Idaho, in August that he’d better stop wearing his large, black bunnyrabbit suit in public. One resident complained that his son had been frightened and that others were “greatly disturbed,” and besides, Falkingham sometimes wore a tutu with the bunny outfit.

Redneck Chronicles

Lon Groves, 40, was arrested in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., after a brief standoff with police in July following an incident in which he allegedly held a handgun to the head of his wife in an argument over which of their granddaughters was the wife’s favorite. Pastor Daryl Riley of the New Welcome Baptist Church in St. Elmo, Ala., was tased, allegedly by the church’s music minister, whom Riley had just fired in August (which led another parishioner to pull a knife and begin stabbing wildly in a melee). Said the music minister’s mother, “He done cut (me) before anything started.”

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

German biochemist Peer Bork told the journal Nature in September that he and his partners built the not-for-profit mymicrobes.com social network so that people with similar stomach bacteria can commiserate over diet and gastrointestinal woes. The $2,100 signup fee includes a full gut-bacteria sequencing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

unfold without these events.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory landed two robotic vehicles on Mars in 2004. The rover Spirit kept working for over six years, and its companion, Opportunity, is still operational. Any carefully prepared project you launch could achieve that kind of staying power.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) “I don’t want to play the part of the mythical phoenix again,” my Scorpio friend moaned. “I’ve burned myself to the ground and risen reborn out of the ashes two times this year already.” More than any other sign, Scorpios have skills in the art of selfimmolation and regeneration. Part of you enjoys the drama and feelings that come as you reanimate yourself from the soot and cinders.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

ARIES (March 21-April 19) “Do unto others as they wish,” advised French artist Marcel Duchamp, “but with imagination.” You’re in a phase when you can create good fortune for yourself by tuning into the needs and cravings of others, and then satisfying those needs and cravings in your own inimitable and unpredictable ways.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Winner of the American Book Award in 1963, William Stafford wrote thousands of poems. “I have woven a parachute out of everything broken,” he said in describing his life’s work. You could achieve a comparable feat, turning refuse into treasure, loss into gain.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

When she was seven years old, my daughter Zoe created a cartoon that showed an orange-haired girl. Overhead was an orange star. The girl was saying, “I think it would be fun being a star,” while the star mused, “I think it would be great to be a girl.” Get in the right frame of mind to notice and take advantage of the opportunities that life will bring you.

Is there something you’ve always wanted to create but have not gotten around to? Is there any role you have fantasized about taking on but have never actually sought out? Any question you’ve longed to pose but didn’t? Any message you’ve wanted to deliver but couldn’t bring yourself to? You know what to do.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You’re trying to recover and reinvigorate stuff that was abandoned way back when. Try sprinkling these words into your conversations. “Euneirophrenia” means “peace of mind after a sweet dream.” “Gloze” is when you speak soothing or flattering words in order to persuade. “Illapse” means the gradual or gentle entrance of one thing into another.

Years ago, I was eligible to join MENSA, an organization for people with high IQs. After I signed up, however, I felt like an idiot. Eventually I resigned, but then I started bragging about how I had quit MENSA because I didn’t want to come off like an egotist. Avoid this type of unseemly behavior. Be authentically humble, not fake.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Good fortune is likely to flow your way as you seek out experiences that are extra interesting, colorful and thought-provoking. Be bolder and brighter, nosier and cozier, weirder and more whimsical. The world needs your very best idiosyncrasies and eccentricities!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) There is a slight chance a psychic will reveal you have a liver that can thrive on alcohol. You will then get drunk every day for two weeks, and by the end of this period, you will have been freed of 55 percent of the guilt you’ve carried around and care 40 percent less about what people think. There’s an even greater chance that these same developments will

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) An old Egyptian saying declares that “the difference between a truth and a lie weighs no more than a feather.” There will be a very fine line between delusional nonsense and helpful wisdom. To increase your chances of getting it right, be a stickler for telling yourself the heart-strong truth.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) What’s the most practical method of acquiring wealth? One out of every five Americans believes that it’s by playing the lottery. You now have a slightly elevated chance of guessing the winning numbers, but don’t spend any time seeking greater financial security in this particular way. Revitalize and reorganize your approach to making, spending, saving and investing. Rob Brezsny

FREEWILLASTROLOGY@FREEWILLASTROLOGY.COM 38 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 39

40 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 41

42 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

Thursday, October 6 Live Music

Country Club Uncle Kracker French Market Grille West Doc Easton Malibu Jack’s Mike Swift One Hundred Laurens Kenny George Rose Hill Stables Preston, Weston, Sandra Somewhere In Augusta Ruskin Yeargain Surrey Tavern Tim Reynolds and TR3 Wild Wing MaMa Says The Willcox Four Cats in the Doghouse

What’s Tonight?

Cadillac’s Karaoke Casa Blanca Thursday Tango Club Argos Karaoke Club Rehab Candy Stripers Cabaret Cocktails Lounge Karaoke Coyote’s Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge Karaoke

Friday, October 7 Live Music

Augusta Canal Moonlight Music Cruise Jeff Liberty Carolina Ale House Perkins and Prouty Cotton Patch Old Man Crazy Country Club Gwen Sebastian Coyote’s Piedmont Boys Doubletree Hotel A Step Up French Market Grille West Doc Easton Malibu Jack’s Tony Williams Express Old Richmond County Parade Grounds Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Polo Tavern Low Down Brown Somewhere In Augusta Brandon Reeves Wild Wing Mike Veal Band The Willcox Kenny George

What’s Tonight?

Cadillac’s DJ Tim

Soul Bar First Friday DJ Mix Tropicabana Latin Friday Wheels Live DJ Wooden Barrel Karaoke Contest

Saturday , October 8 Live Music

The Acoustic Coffeehouse Open Acoustic Jam Session with Eryn Eubanks and the Family Fold Bell Auditorium Music of John Williams Cotton Patch Ray Piazola Country Club Ross Coppley Band Coyote’s Deepstep Imperial Theatre Lizz Wright Malibu Jack’s Tony Williams Express P.I. Bar and Grill Not Gaddy Polo Tavern Jim Fisher Band Shannon’s Perfect Picture Sky City The Felice Brothers Wild Wing Cover Story

What’s Tonight?

Cadillac’s DJ Rana Club Argos Variety Show Club Rehab DJ C4 Cocktails Lounge Latin Night Fishbowl Lounge Karaoke Fox’s Lair Karaoke Helga’s Pub & Grille Trivia Islands Bar & Lounge Reggae Night The Loft Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Clearwater) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s Karaoke One Hundred Laurens DJ Kenny Ray Tropicabana Salsa Saturday Wheels Live DJ Wooden Barrel Kamikaze Karaoke

Sunday, October 9 Live Music

5 O’Clock Bistro Buzz and Candice P.I. Bar and Grill Live Music Wild Wing Sabo & Mike Villa Europa Terry Cavanagh and the Alpine Express

What’s Tonight? Fox’s Lair Soup, Suds & Conversations Helga’s Pub & Grille Trivia The Highlander Butt Naked Trivia Islands Bar & Lounge DJ Fred Nice The Loft Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Evans) Karaoke Pizza Joint, Evans DJ Kris Fisher The Playground Open Mic with Brandy Polo Tavern DJ Nirvana Shannon’s Karaoke Somewhere in Augusta Karaoke with Charles Villa Europa Karaoke with Just Ben Wooden Barrel ‘80s Night Karaoke

V. 22 | NO. 58

Club Argos Variety Show Club Rehab DJ C4 Cocktails Lounge Grown-Up Fridays Cork and Bull Pub Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge Karaoke Iron Horse Bar & Grill Karaoke Islands Bar & Lounge Caribbean Night Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Clearwater) Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s Karaoke Palmetto Tavern DJ Tim Rebeck’s Hideaway Open Mic Roadrunner Cafe Karaoke Sky City ’80s Night Somewhere in Augusta Dance Party

Caribbean Soul Love Jones Sundays Malibu Jack’s Karaoke with Denny Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) Karaoke, Salsa Dancing Polo Tavern Island Grooves

Monday, October 10 What’s Tonight?

Applebee’s (Evans) Trivia Club Argos Karaoke Club Rehab Jenn’s Crazy Karaoke Malibu Jack’s Trivia with Mike Thomas Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke with Danny Haywood

Somewhere In Augusta Poker Tourney Villa Europa Terry Cavanagh and the Alpine Express Wild Wing Bingo with Kevin

Tuesday, October 11 Live Music

Cocktails Lounge Live Music The Highlander Open Mic Night Villa Europa Terry Cavanagh and the Alpine Express Wild Wing Cody Webb The Willcox Hal Shreck

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos Karaoke Club Rehab Jenn’s Crazy Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge Dart League The Highlander Open Mic Night Islands Bar & Lounge DJ Fred Nice Malibu Jack’s Karaoke with Denny Somewhere in Augusta Trivia with Charles

Wednesday, October 12 Live Music

209 on the River Smooth Grooves Joe’s Underground Sibling String Malibu Jack’s Marilyn Adcock Villa Europa Terry Cavanagh and the Alpine Express Wild Wing Old Man Crazy The Willcox Hal Shreck

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos Santoni’s Satin Dolls Club Rehab Jenn’s Crazy Karaoke Cocktails Lounge Augusta’s Got Talent The Cotton Patch Trivia and Tunes with Cliff Bennett Laura’s Backyard Tavern Karaoke The Loft Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) Karaoke with Rockin’ Rob The Place on Broad Jazz DJ The Playground Krazy Karaoke with Big Troy Polo Tavern Karaoke with Tom Mitchell

Upcoming

Brian Robinson Mellow Mushroom October 13 Powerkompany Sky City October 13 John Kolbeck Somewhere In Augusta October 13 Gary Trumet and the Sauerkrauts Villa Europa October 13 Rob Foster Augusta Canal Moonlight Music Cruise October 14 Kings of New York Hip Hop Tour Bell Auditorium October 14 Jared Ashley Band Country Club October 14 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 43

EARDRUM

Chuck and his wife run Downstairs Live, a private concert series streamed live from their home. He also dabbles in photography and videography. For more info, go to crwconcepts.com or downstairslive.com.

The Best Music You’ve Never Heard: Angel Taylor Chuck Williams

Most Saturday mornings in our home are met with one theme: sleep late! I’m talking 10:30 a.m. The long days of trying to inspire students wears us out, and rest is the only cure. But for a few months in 2010, things were different. I was up early every Saturday morning rushing to the TV. No, not because of cartoons, but for something much more embarrassing: VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown. Please don’t judge me. My brief VH1 Countdown addiction started in December of 2008. I was surfing the internet for new music and came across a young girl named Angel Taylor. The moment I heard her voice, I knew I had to have her on our stage. I did a little research and discovered she was based in L.A. and was very new to the music world. She was so new that YouTube had not one live video of her performing. I made contact with her agent and was able to book her for a January show. The night of her show I was a little worried because I had never seen her perform live. The only thing I had to go on was her music on iTunes, and the fact that Columbia Records believed in her. Even though she was signed by this major label, some artists get nervous (especially inexperienced ones) and they just can’t transfer their music in a live setting. So I was sweating. I made my pre-show announcements and introduced Angel to the sold-out Downstairs Live crowd. I took my seat, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. As she began her first song, “Chai Tea Latte,” the stress left my body like a demon on “Supernatural.” Her voice

Angel Taylor was incredible, just like her recordings. As usual, I worried for nothing. The rest of her show was amazing, because not only can Angel sing, but she is also one of the most engaging artists we have had on our stage. To see some footage from that show, go to YouTube and type in Angel Taylor… Downstairs Live. We were extremely grateful that she was able to play our room, especially knowing she spent the weeks prior to our show opening for Grammy winner Adele. Over the next year she toured with many top artists, made an appearance on “Ellen” and, in January of 2010, her video “Like You Do” was featured on VH1’s “You Oughta Know.” For the next seven months,

that video made its home on VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown, peaking at No. 8 and starting my addiction. Like a teenage girl, I would get up early on Saturdays to watch the countdown in hopes that Angel’s video would rise a few spots. I was even going onto the VH1 site and giving my… well, I was actually suggesting… really, I was kind of… okay, I admit it… I was voting! There, I said it! I was voting for Angel’s video on VH1. I couldn’t help it! I was just so excited for Angel and what she and her production team had created. This video was cool because it was so “Angel.” She has always loved coffee shops, and her first gigs were in coffee shops, so they stayed organic

and created a very entertaining product that represented Angel perfectly. So for the first half of 2010, Angel was a hot topic and her video was being seen around the world. It was probably a bad time, but I was thinking about trying to get her back in our room. I knew from our conversations that she really liked her experience at Downstairs Live and wanted to come back, so I made contact with her agent. Angel was starting a tour with The Barenaked Ladies and was kind enough to take a day off from that tour to come play Downstairs Live. We were honored. Do yourself a favor and check out her incredible CD “Love Travels” on iTunes.

Brian Allen is a local music fan whose weekly podcast, confederationofloudness.com, has over 10,000 subscribers and about that many folks streaming it each week.

The End of One Thing Just Means the Beginning of Others Stak

It was recently announced by means of various social media that long-running Augusta band L.i.E. is calling it quits after a period of relative inactivity which has seen its various members get their fingers into the pies of other musical projects all over town including False Flag, Artemia and Shotgun Opera. L.i.E. has been fun to watch over the course of the last several years. They

44 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

cycled through numerous lineup changes along the way to finding their voice. But boy when they got “there” they made some serious noise. The whole thing culminated with an ambitious full-length release called “Eviction” that was rangy and ambitious and creepy and downright freakin’ weird. Really and truly, by the end there were so many deranged musical

scientists at work in the band that it was impossible for the band be boring or pedestrian in any way, shape or form. To my way of thinking, before this recent period of time that saw the band getting lost in the doldrums, they were about as popular and powerful as any unsigned local DIY project can get. Year before last at the Lokal Loudness Choice Awards, they almost swept the whole

damned thing in every category for which they were nominated. At the time, frontman Tony Miaco was completely within his element. Growls and keening screams balanced perfectly with fine traditional singing and you could tell he was comfortable using every pitch he had in the arsenal in quick succession... it was gonna be a strike. The guy was in complete V. 22 | NO. 58

L.i.E.

V. 22 | NO. 58

October 3- 31, 2011

a photography exhibition by

Abigail Wood Zwanziger

BETWEEN: IN THE TIME, SPACE, OR INTERVAL THAT SEPARATES

command of his stuff. Back that with the impeccable bass work of Jo Bone, the shredding guitars of Brint Loller and the boy genius drum patterns of Dr. Michael “Dork” Dinkens, and the message was delivered with authority. This is not to mention that the

band was forward thinking enough and had the good sense to bring Miaco’s wife Charity aboard on violin. Couple that with a heavy dose of keyboard by Dale Lowe (ex of Jemani) and you had a fearless metal band. Fearless. They were something to see live. I’m

tipping my 40 to my homies in L.i.E. That’s all over now... almost. L.i.E. will play a farewell show on 11/11/11 at Sky City. Support acts include Artemia and newer Augusta band Rooftop Harbor. The band has decided to make their music available for free download at

their bandcamp site. Go to liemusic. bandcamp.com to scoop up that goodness. To the members past and present of L.i.E. I say salud! and best of luck with your future musical endeavors. On a side note, I’d like to point out that the talent pool in Augusta is as deep as it has ever been. Back in the early days of original music here, we saw the same 20 or so players recycle between projects. If you were going out on a Friday night, you were gonna see five of those same 20 musicians performing in some configuration. The cast of characters has expanded and we now have parity. And most everyone has something to say that is worth you hearing. I am excited about the emergence of bands like Panic Manor, Mazes and Monsters, She and She and Nine Day Descent. You can also look for some exciting, nostalgiaevoking reunions by some of the best bands to play a note in this town soon (a little birdie told me). Because the old guys haven’t really gone anywhere. We exist in a very lucky time for music in Augusta. To keep up with what’s the haps on local and regional music, be sure and tune into the podcast I co-host near weekly with my co-host John “Stoney” Cannon at confederationofloudness.com. We usually have the straight dope.

706.724.4511 Late Night 9-11 pm ($1.50 wells, $1.50 drafts-any flavor) Happy Hour daily 4-7 pm ($2 wells, $5 wings)

Monday - Friday Miss D's Country Lunch Specials $6.99 Wednesday Cliff Bennett packs the patio for trivia 7-9 pm Thursday Alaskan Snow Crab Legs $8 per pound served with homemade succotash and garden salad 6 pm till we run out!

Opening Friday, October 7, 2011 8:00P - 10:00P

Eat, Drink, Be Happy!

E A T D R I N K B E H A P P Y. C O M

Friday Bo Handy's Prime Rib, hand rubbed, slow roasted, cut to order w/ au jus, steamed veggies, and garden salad 10oz cut - $15.95 Saturday Tenderloin Time! 6oz filet with 1/2 dozen flash fried shrimp, choice of side, garden salad $16.95 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 45

INMUSIC

Hank Gets the Boot; Gene Simmons Gets Hitched

EXTREME NEW 1/2LB. ANGUS STEAKHOUSE BURGERS

THURS & SATURDAYS — COLLEGE FOOTBALL

$3.25 22oz Stadium Cups & $13 Buckets of Miller Lite & Coors Light

SUN & mondays — NFL FOOTBALL

$3.25 22oz Bud Light Drafts $13 Bud & Bud Light Buckets Weekly Pick’em Trivia

Washington Road just past I-20 • 706-364-WILD (9453) w w w. w i l d w i n g c a f e . c o m 46 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

Are you ready for some unemployment? I hope Hank Williams Jr. is. The old timer was featured on the non-biased (sarcasm) Fox News morning show, Fox and Friends, where he compared President Obama to Hitler. ESPN released a statement saying that they were “extremely disappointed” with Williams’ statements, and did not run his opening theme this past Monday for Monday Night Football. I was actually glad; the intro is the most annoying part about Monday Night Football besides the excessive Shannon Tweed celebrations. In related football news, rumors are swirling that Madonna will be the featured performer for this year’s Super Bowl. Wow, he’s looking rough lately. Put this in the category of “more bright decisions on behalf of the NFL.” KISS frontman and long-time bachelor Gene Simmons married Shannon Tweed this past weekend. For years, Simmons has preached about how marriage is pointless and is not in his future. I guess that argument was getting a little old, or he just realized how old he is. Maybe he remembered that Shannon Tweed is hot. Hey, remember back in the ’90s, when it was late at night, you would turn on “Skinamax” and try to look through the fuzz to get a glimpse of Tweed? Ahhh, memories. Steven Tyler revealed this past weekend that Aerosmith would be releasing a new album in March. I don’t have a good feeling about this. Tyler hasn’t been making the best career decisions lately. I mean, he’s a judge on “American Idol.” There are some bands that you wish would go back on drugs and play good music. Bands aren’t good when they become sober — look at Metallica. There’s a reason musicians coined the phrase “Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll.” I like to check out Billboard each week and see what people are spending their hard-earned money on. This week, Tony Bennett wins with “Duet II.” Other bands resting in the top 10 this week are Lady Antebellum, Demi Lovato, Lil Wayne, Gavin Degraw and, coming in at number 10, Pearl Jam. Wow. I would complain more about this, but I get all my music for free, so I’m not helping. New releases this week can be titled “bands you don’t know but should be checking out.” Mute Math released the album “Odd Soul,” Jack’s Mannequin released “People & Things,” and Feist released “Metals.” But get excited for next week — new Evanescence!!! (More sarcasm.) There’s not many people that I wish would get hit by a car, but Amy Lee is on that short list. Too much? New local music is always a good thing. Check out the False Flag CD release featuring Super Bob this Friday, October 7, at the Playground. And mark your calendars for Bloodfest 17, Friday, October 21, featuring Blurring the Line, Chairleg, Carolina Chupacabra, James Gate, Rebel Lion and Soul Crime. It’ll be $7 at the door and proceeds benefit Lexi’s Legacy & Team Greubel. What music am I missing? What venues should I hit? What local bands are making the biggest impact in the CSRA? Email matt@themetrospirit.com. Matt Stone — can be heard weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 95 Rock. V. 22 | NO. 58

THEDOWNLOAD

How Has This Been on for Eight Seasons?

Editor’s Note: In lieu of podcast reviews, this week the Metro Spirit forced — er, asked — writer Josh Ruffin to tune into “Two and a Half Men” and give us his thoughts. He reluctantly agreed and, armed with a full bottle of whiskey, he subjected himself to a few episodes of the series and wrote (again, reluctantly) this. Enjoy. Confession: Until recently, I never actually watched “Two and a Half Men.” In the interest of full disclosure, I only even became aware of the show once Charlie Sheen started being Charlie Sheen even harder, raving about tiger’s blood and ejaculating lava monsters on “The Today Show” instead of to the dwarf hamster he thinks is a MacBook microphone. After I heard they were firing the man, I caught an episode on FX, and for the life of me cannot understand why (I’m referring to both clauses). The show pretty much revolves around Sheen Sheening anyway, so if he just starts being Sheenier, that’s basically a solution to a problem that doesn’t even exist. He’s psychologically unstable? Fine, then just give him his marks on the set and let him roll with it. And if he needs incentive to move from point A to point B, the network could establish an entire new workforce of unpaid interns whose sole responsibility is to collect hooker scent (by any means necessary) and sprinkle it on various points around the set. If you’ve ever watched the show, you know it sucks so hard that every black hole joke I was about to make instantly negated itself, and now our doppelgangers are going to kill us with space karate. The only thing it had going for it was the publicity that Sheen’s real-world insanity conjured, and ABC canned him in favor of Ashton “How Has Bruce Willis Not Awesomely Murdered Me Yet” Kutcher, who’s only famous for playing an idiot in the fake ’70s and almost getting his ass kicked by the Undertaker. Which reminds me… network executives, do you have to tunnel out of the cocaine mines after you make a decision, or do California zoning ordinances cover explosives? So, rundown: the show is still nigh unwatchable. Its laugh-track budget is currently the fifth-largest economy in the world. If you set lovable ol’ Dick Van Dyke in front of the television while this show was on, the rest of your life would only be as long as it takes him to say “I am become the Minotaur, now is the blood harvest.” Poor Jon Cryer has to keep playing the same whiny, mom jeanswearing eunuch he’s been portraying for eight seasons now, while his son attains Kristen Stewart levels of vapidity and wanders in and out of rooms doing little more than wearing Target-brand TapOut T-shirts and drooling. Meanwhile, a beardy, unwashed vegan version of Kutcher walks around in a towel and is promptly eye-groped by an Asian bikini model within seconds. That said, here are my “Two and a Half Men” Emmy predictions for 2012: Best Recycled Herpes Jokes Best Footstool (Jon Cryer) Outstanding Performance by an Ashton Kutcher in an Ashton Kutcher (Ashton Kutcher) Most Tenuous Thread of Dignity (Jon Cryer) Best Sluts (every non-Judy Greer female) Best Ever (Charlie Sheen — f***ing always Charlie Sheen) Josh Ruffin is a published journalist and poet, who just received his MFA from Georgia College & State University. He was once the most unintimidating bouncer at Soul Bar.

V. 22 | NO. 58

HOT POT. Monday -Thursday nights One pound of shrimp (fried, grilled or boiled) $9.99

Tuesday night

Crab Legs served with redskin potatoes and mixed green salad $7.99 a pound

Wednesday night

Bone in fried catfish over blue cheese grits and salad $6.99 *dine in only

LUNCH - DINNER

6 DAYS

French Market Grille West

375 Fury’s Ferry Rd. next to Earth Fare · 706.855.5111 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 47

ONTHEBALL

Matt Lane is host of The Weekend Rundown which airs from 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays on News-Talk-Sports 1630 AM. He can be reached at mattlane28@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at Mattlane_wrdw.

Thomson Slaughters ARC

In a home game honoring Luther Welsh, the Bulldogs had no problem against the Muskateers’ mostly green team Laurie Morrison

Last Thursday’s matchup between ARC and Thomson pitted two programs that are in completely different galaxies against each other. But I guess you could have read the box score and drawn that conclusion yourself. The final score from William Bussey (32) and Kentrell Reynolds (25) the legendary Brickyard in Thomson was 61-7, with the hometown Bulldogs overwhelming the Musketeers in a lopsided game that could have been much worse. I don’t say that to beat up on ARC; they finally reached a year where they are in a complete overhaul of their program. They’ve had a nice run the past few years with stellar play coming from each year’s upperclassmen. But In returning only seven total players with varsity experience, ARC Coach Chris Hughes knew it would be a constant uphill climb all year. The question was just how steep. It was weird to watch as ARC dominated the time of possession for the game — usually a decent indicator of the winning team — and the game could have not been more out of reach. Special teams miscues ran amok the entire evening and contributed heavily to the cause while Thomson’s intensity and effort never waned. The defense also looked confused more often than not — which is what happens when only two of those returning players with varsity experience are on the defense, and you’re playing the Georgia’s No. 1 ranked scoring team at 53 points a game — and fell victim to Thomson’s expansive network of running backs. Head Coach Milan Turner scheduled a pregame ceremony to honor former head coach, the late Luther Welsh, so the Bulldogs had no shortage of inspiration performing in tribute to their fallen former leader. Lakeside traveled over to Greenbrier in search of a win to snap the four-game losing streak they brought into the game, and also to extend their winning streak over one of their fiercest rivals to four in a row. Lakeside completed both tasks as they beat the Wolfpack 34-17 to put them at 2-4 on the season, and 1-1 in region play. Remember that score; we’ll address some concerns to it in a bit. Greenbrier did a good job of staying in the game before halftime, with Jahvon Hardrick logging an impressive 65-yard touchdown run that closed out the scoring for the first half and left the fans with an exciting 20-17 halftime score. The Wolfpack should have glanced outside the locker room during halftime for a preview of what was to come for them in the second half. The lights went out. No, like they literally went out during the halftime performance of Greenbrier’s band. And as funny as it would have been if some ninth grader acting on the dare of a

WEEKDAY SPECIAL

+TAX

includes range balls and cart

MONDAY - THURSDAY expires 10.30.11 48 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

senior had cut the power, sadly, a transformer just blew. Nothing to see here. Literally. Lakeside’s defense continued the lights out trend in the second half, only relinquishing 18 yards of total offense and one first down to Greenbrier. The Wolfpack struggled to get the ball into their other playmakers’ hands. With Hardrick being the main target, Lakeside Coach Jarrett Troxler sought to shut the talented running back down. Outside of this looking like just another Lakeside win over Greenbrier in a string of them, something bizarre occurred. Down 17 points with a little under seven minutes to go, ball on Lakeside’s side of the field, and all of their timeouts still in hand, Greenbrier punted it to the Panthers, who had been running the ball well on them all night long. It already raised concerns when they ran the ball on third down and didn’t hustle back to the line to get the next play off, but punt it? I’m not the only one asking what happened that night — I was stopped by numerous “casual” fans who also noted the blunder. Lakeside ran the ball with ease, marched down the field and ran the clock out. I’m no game management expert, but isn’t the point to try and win? With the boys playing their hearts out against their rivals — Thomas Brown looked so gassed he could hardly muster the strength to get off the line of scrimmage near the end while handling wide receiver and safety duties all night. I know the kids left it all out on the field, living and dying with each play. They looked desperate for this win. Too bad we can’t say the same for the folks in the collared shirts.

Games to Watch

Lexington @ North Augusta: Friday, October 7, 7:30 p.m. Last week’s win over Northwestern was crucial for the Jackets. Can they have a repeat performance? Greenbrier @ Evans: Thursday, October 6, 7 p.m. TV: Digital-6.2, Comcast-380, Atlantic Broadband/Knology 246 Both teams need this game to stay competitive in the Region 2B-AAAA race. Butler @ Washington County: Friday, October 7, 7:30 p.m. Winner of this one sets up big matchup against Burke County in a few weeks.

College/NFL Games to Watch

No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 11 Texas: Saturday, October 8, noon, ABC Texas has been surging since replacing struggling QB Gilbert and going with the Case McCoy and David Ash rotation. No. 17 Florida @ No. 1 LSU: Saturday, October 8, 3:30 p.m., CBS Even if Florida had QB John Brantley, do you really give them a chance anyway? Georgia @ Tennessee: Saturday, October 8, 7 p.m., ESPN2 Last four years the home team has handled business in this series.

WEEKEND SPECIAL

+TAX

includes range balls and cart

FRIDAY - SUNDAY expires 10.30.11

706.733.0001 | 1500 Comfort Road

THEFORESTHILLGOLFCOURSE.COM V. 22 | NO. 58

ADVICEGODDESS

HOT AIR

Helen of Toy

My wife of three years complains that I’m not romantic anymore. In the beginning, I did romantic stuff all the time. I still love her very much, but I guess I’m subconsciously reacting to the fact that I’ve nabbed her forever. How can I let her know I still care? — Comfortably Wed Your wife could be a mix of Angelina Jolie, Madame Curie and Sue Johanson (the cute little old lady sexpert from TV), and the thrill of the chase would probably still give way to the thrill of pretending to listen to what she’s saying while you’re watching the game. You can try to keep the romance alive with some therapist looking disapprovingly down her bifocals at the two of you — or with the gift of a 50cent purple plastic chimp. The chimp, happily, will not ask you to “own your feelings” or repeat awkward “I” statements. Of course, the chimp could also be a toy pig, a chocolate dog or some celebrity’s toenail clippings. I happen to have a thing for chimps, so my boyfriend gives me chimp thingiedoos. The point is to extend yourself in ways that give your partner a little lift even though you no longer need to chase her (you just reach over in bed and give her a gentle shake so she’ll stop snoring like an old wino). Doing nice little things for each other regularly is the romantic version of car maintenance to keep you from ending up broke-down in Scarytown. A 2010 study tracking 65 couples by psych prof Sara B. Algoe found that a partner’s little thoughtful actions led to feelings of gratitude in the recipient partner, which led to both partners feeling more connected and happier with their relationship the following day. Algoe and her colleagues speculated that “moments of gratitude can act like ‘booster shots’ for the ongoing relationship.” Previous research by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky (detailed in “The How of Happiness”) suggests that two of the most effective ways to increase a person’s overall happiness are feeling grateful and doing thoughtful things for others, so yes… the key to both a happier marriage and a happier life could be the occasional checkout line impulse item. The husband you don’t want to be is the neglectful one with the miserable, angry wife he tries to placate with occasional seismic gifting — waiting until their anniversary and going bankrupt buying a diamond tennis bracelet or hiring the Three Wise Men to drop by her office with gifts of frankincense and myrrh. His wife knows very well what his gifts are: remedial romancing — a peace offering instead of a love offering. The wiser approach is replacing the thrill of the chase with the thrill of making your wife happy by being regularly attentive: Hug her and tell her she’s beautiful. Change her windshield wipers without being asked (you care about her safety!). Slip out of work to get her a cupcake (at 3 p.m. on a Thursday, her happiness was important to you). Every now and then, mix the little things up with all that stuff guys do early on — stuff like sending flowers after sex, not sneaking out after your wife falls asleep and then avoiding your favorite bar for two weeks so you won’t run into her.

Mitey Aphrodite

I’ve been dating a really sweet guy for a month and a half. Three weeks in, I knew I had to end it, but he really likes me and somehow talked me into staying. Last night, I realized I absolutely must end it… immediately! How do I do this gently and make it stick? — Dreading the Day “If you love something, set it free” is, I guess, helpful advice for those whose first thought is “If you love something, lure it into your house and lock it in your basement.” But what you and a whole lot of people need to hear is “If you pity something, set it free.” When you aren’t into a guy who’s into you, the kindest thing you can do is snuff out all hope. Be starkly honest that it’s over but vague and maybe even dishonest about why (for example, you just don’t have “chemistry”). Giving specifics is usually mean and gives your dumpee wiggle room: “I’ll take sex lessons! And comedy lessons! I’ll even start reading books.” By letting it get to this point, you’re prone to lash out with a suggestion of exactly the sort of book he needs to read: “How To Get a New Head, Body and Personality, and To Think, Smell and Talk Like a Totally Different Person: A Love Story.” ©2011, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email adviceamy@aol.com. Also visit advicegoddess.com and read Amy Alkon’s book: “I See Rude People: One Woman’s Battle to Beat Some Manners Into Impolite Society” (McGraw-Hill, $16.95).

V. 22 | NO. 58

AUSTIN RHODES 3PM - 6PM

meet real women tonight

most local singles

try for

free

706.434.0108 Local Numbers: 1.800.210.1010 18+

www.livelinks.com

EVANS

Across from Evans Cinema • 706.868.1450

AUGUSTA MALL

Across from the mall • 706.738.1300

MARTINEZ

Across from K-MART • 706.868.1550

Ahora en Español

Full Service Washes (We Vacuum) Express Washes (You Vacuum) Detail Services • Oil Changes Unlimited Wash Plans

SOUTH AUGUSTA

Windsor Spring Rd. • 706.793.3762

WASHINGTON ROAD

Next to Red Lobster • 706.738.0753

5off 5off

ANY Full Service Wash

ANY Full Service Oil Change

Valid at all locations.

Valid at 512 Belair Rd., Evans and 2841 Washington Rd. (next to Red Lobster).

Not Valid with other specials, or coupons. *Give coupon to attendant. Expires 10.30.11

TOPNOTCHEXPRESSCARWASH.COM METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11 49

AUSTINRHODES

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

The Must-See Film of the Year

This past Tuesday night, as part of the ongoing Westobou celebration, the Augusta Library premiered a 20-minute documentary put together by Augusta native Hodges Usry on a little-known group of civil rights protesters hailing from Paine College (circa 1960) called “The Steering Committee.” As someone who prides themselves on being aware of the significant highlights in local history, I was amazed to find out for the very first time about The Steering Committee and its track record in Augusta. Usry’s talent and award-winning resume will very likely make him a superstar appreciated by far more people than currently know him in Augusta, but right this minute, the importance of his work on this one, small documentary stands as testament to his potential, and the hope that his work continues on course. I strongly urge Usry and his primary sponsor (the East Georgia Regional Library) to make his documentary available to every high school in the CSRA, if not the states of Georgia and South Carolina. Of course it was of particular interest

to those of us who have life-long connections to Augusta, but I cannot imagine anyone will find the glimpse into the particular civil-rights struggles discussed in this feature anything less than mesmerizing. There are a number of well-known locals you will see and recognize, but there are a few surprises that will warm your heart, and make you proud that this area has always supported Paine College, even if that support in current time is sometimes buried under complicated headlines and sordid mini-dramas. There are very few times I have ever used this term, but I call this work a must see, and I consider it an honor to pass that recommendation along to you. A few years ago in this space, I mightily praised ESPN for their decision to add Rush Limbaugh to their cast of commentators for their Sunday NFL pre-game show. He was there about a month (and performing well) when he opined that then Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb was being given too much credit and attention for the

success of his team for the mere fact that the majority America’s collective sports media wanted desperately to see a black quarterback succeed as a traditional pocket passer. In other words, they were rooting for him because of his color and his place in history. I agreed with that assessment 110 percent, and so did many, many others who are far more learned football experts than myself. Of course, the validity of the statement made no difference, because the instant America’s No. 1 conservative mouthpiece offered such an opinion, it was labeled as “racist” and the calls for his removal were shouted from every liberal from 49er Land (San Francisco) to Patriotville (Boston). I would have loved for him to stick around and fight it out, but when Limbaugh learned his cohorts (Tom Jackson, Chris Berman, etc.) wanted him gone, he had no desire to stay. Who can blame him? (Postscript — History and many sports editorialists have since verified Limbaugh’s take on the media’s “obsession” with seeing a black QB prosper.)

Given ESPN’s track record, it should come as no surprise that they recently set a record for knee-jerk silliness as they yanked Hank Williams Jr.’s 20-year traditional MNF musical introduction from their broadcast because the entertainer said that he believed President Obama (a liberal Democrat) playing golf with U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (a conservative Republican) was akin to Hitler playing golf with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahou. It is an outrageous analogy from an outrageous star. Whoop-dee frigging doo. There is no suggestion that either current figure is Hitler, or that Hitler is somehow running the country, so who the hell cares? Obviously, the weenies running ESPN. Here’s to hoping the sensitive children running that network can make the right decision for once, admit they acted prematurely and put Hank Jr. back on the broadcast where he belongs. Or you can continue to be heavy handed, oversensitive and paranoid. You know, like Hitler would be.

Air Conditioning & Heating Augusta for over 80 years. Sigcox donates a portion of each sale to breast cancer reseach • Installation • Residential / Commercial • Maintenance • Financing Available

706-722-5304 www.sigcox.com 50 METRO SPIRIT 10.6.11

V. 22 | NO. 58

OKTOBERFEST FORT GORDON’S BARTON FIELD

OCTOBER 13-16 FRIDAY 4:00 P.M. 5:00 P.M. 6:45 P.M. 7:00-11:00 P.M.

CARNIVAL OPENS MUSIC STARTS KEG TAPPING AND VIP WELCOME THE GOOTMAN SAUERKRAUT BAND WITH SPECIAL GUESTS LORELEI AND SCHATZI

SHORT PERFORMANCES WITH FOLK DANCERS • MUSIC FROM DJ DURING BREAKS

SATURDAY 9:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. NOON-4:00 P.M. NOON- 6:00 P.M. NOON-11:00 P.M.

FLEA MARKET BOSS CAR & BIKE SHOW KID’S CORNER LIVE ENTERTAINMENT THE U.S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS BAND MUSIC BY LORELEI AND SCHATZI THE GOOTMAN SAUERKRAUT BAND

SHORT PERFORMANCES WITH FOLK DANCERS • MUSIC FROM DJ DURING BREAKS

SUNDAY NOON 1:00-5:00 P.M.

LIVE DJ THE GOOTMAN SAUERKRAUT BAND

SHORT PERFORMANCES WITH FOLK DANCERS • MUSIC FROM DJ DURING BREAKS

CARNIVAL PRICES THURSDAY – 4:00-10:00 P.M. FRIDAY – 4:00-11:00 P.M. SATURDAY – 10:00 A.M.-MIDNIGHT SUNDAY – NOON-6:00 P.M. INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES

$10 ARMBANDS UNDER 48” – $10 | 48” & OVER – $20 UNDER 48” – $10 | 48” & OVER – $20 $10 ARMBANDS 24 TICKETS FOR $20

706-791-6779 OR WWW.FORTGORDON.COM

CARNIVAL: THURSDAY-SUNDAY

FUN FOR FAMILIES: THURSDAY • 4:00-10:00 P.M.

FLEA MARKET: SATURDAY • 9:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.

SIGNAL CORPS BAND: SATURDAY

THE GOOTMAN SAUERKRAUT BAND: SATURDAY & SUNDAY

LORELEI & SCHATZI: SATURDAY

KID’S CORNER: SATURDAY • NOON-6:00 P.M.

BOSS CAR & BIKE SHOW: SATURDAY • NOON-4:00 P.M.

SALUTE THE TROOPS: SUNDAY • NOON-6:00 P.M.

Gordon Highway