Metro Spirit 11.21.2002

THE METROPOLITAN

ARTS, ISSUES & ENTERTAINMENT N o v. 2 1 - 2 7

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Vo l . 1 4 / N o . 1 6

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w w w. m e t s p i r i t . c o m

Morris Moves in on Athens

By Stacey Eidson

Clyde Wells

on the Mayor’s Race

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Contents The Metropolitan Spirit

NOVEMBER 21-27

❘

F R E E W E E K LY

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Modern, Contemporary, New

M E T S P I R I T. C O M

THIS

ON THE COVER

should be how you describe your love this holiday season.

Morris Moves in on Athens By Stacey Eidson....................................................14

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FEATURE

The Class of ‘72 By Stacey Eidson ................................................................18

]]] Pull the Trigger

Opinion Whine Line ......................................................................4 Words ..............................................................................4 This Modern World ........................................................4 Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down ..........................................5 Suburban Torture ...........................................................6 Guest Column: Clyde Wells ...........................................8 Austin Rhodes ..............................................................10

on a new Honda today for the year’s best deals

Metro Beat

Commission Picks Budget Over Grand Jury ..............12

Events

8 Days a Week .............................................................28

SPECIALS

Arts

The Imperial Theatre: Forgotten Stairwells and Other Treasures ............................................................26 “A Christmas Carol” and Other Adventures of Ballas and Justice ...................................................................33 Over 100 Works From Paris’ Musée d’Orsay on Exhibit at High Museum ..............................................34 Soldiers Entertain Soldiers in Theatre BRAVO! .........35

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Latest Bond Girl Halle Berry Makes Her Own Rules...................................39

Cinema

Movie Listings .............................................................36 Review: “The Emperor's Club” ..................................38 Close-Up: Halle Berry ..................................................39 Movie Clock ..................................................................40

Music

Roots Rockers Stewart & Winfield Back in Augusta .........................................................................41 Atlanta Plays Host to The Boss and Buffett ...............42 Music by Turner ............................................................43 Nightlife ........................................................................ 44

Stuff Food: Sheraton .............................................................22 Food: TGI Friday’s ........................................................24 News of the Weird .......................................................46 Brezsny's Free Will Astrology .....................................47 New York Times Crossword Puzzle ............................47 Amy Alkon: The Advice Goddess ................................48 Classifieds ....................................................................49 Date Maker ...................................................................50 Automotive Classifieds ................................................52

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EDITOR & PUBLISHER David Vantrease ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Rhonda Jones STAFF WRITERS Stacey Eidson, Brian Neill ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Joe White ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Kriste Lindler, Jennifer H. Mar tin PRODUCTION MANAGER Joe Smith GR APHIC ARTISTS Stephanie Carroll, Natalie Holle ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Meli Gurley RECEPTIONIST/CLASSIFIED COORDINATOR Sharon King ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ASSISTANT Lisa Jordan CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Meli Gurley SENIOR MUSIC CONTRIBUTOR Ed Turner CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chuck Shepherd, Rob Brezsny, Austin Rhodes, Amy Alkon, Rachel Deahl CARTOONISTS Tom Tomorrow, Julie Larson

THE METROPOLITAN SPIRIT is a free newspaper published weekly on Thursday, 52 weeks of the year. Editorial coverage includes ar ts, local issues, news, enter tainment, 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 publishers. Visit us at www.metspirit.com. Copyright © The Metropolitan Spirit Inc. Reproduction or use without permission is prohibited.

Phone: (706) 738-1142 Fax: (706) 733-6663 E-mail: spirit@metspirit.com Letters to the Editor: P.O. Box 3809, Augusta, Ga. 30914-3809

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Whine Line A

ll some of us want to know is what and how much did that politician pay or promise those ministers to sell out the black community?

There is no doubt that they were given or promised something. These ministers are very influential in this community with fairly large congregations and in debt. So the question should not be what, but how much.

Charles Sr. lost by 266 votes and I have no doubt that those points were because of those ministers and their congregations. The real truth will eventually come out.

As for Austin Rhodes, leave him alone and let him continue to talk and talk and talk because the Lord will someday close his mouth as he has others who only go around spreading hate and division and racism among the people.

His day is coming too and it won’t be from man, but rather from the almighty.

I think it is high time self-appointed golf god Hootie realized that the coveted green jacket would look fabulous on a well-deserving woman! This coming-up Masters will have fewer viewers in this household. The comparisons to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in his interview with ESPN is ridiculous... and golf is a sport that requires no bodily contact, so you can’t even say that it would be unfair to

pit a woman against a male (such as in football). I am wondering if the good ol’ boys are just afraid that they may be upstaged by a female golf pro.

Well I’m just fed up. I’m an upscale type of lady and I only frequent the finer restaurants in Augusta. As most women who want to look really classy, I dress in black and deep navy colors. My gripe is, every time I place the napkin on my skirt I wind up with it covered in lint. My only option is to place my oversized purse in front so that the lint doesn’t show. The problem is that they must wash their dinner napkins with their dishrags, which deposits an unusually large amount of lint on my skirt.

Do not speak the seven-word activation code unless you mean it.

I am sick and tired of going into a store or restaurant and being treated like the sales associate or waitress is doing me a favor by waiting on me when it should be the other way around. Many times I have been in a store and I practically have to beg someone to ring me up, and when they finally do ring me up they are not friendly and they don’t even tell me “thank you” for my purchase. I am usually friendlier to the sales associates than

Words “I was digging through the family archives the other day and found a 1933 list of the auxiliary police department in Augusta, Georgia ... In the ‘30s, when the city couldn’t afford it (staffing), they took people who had prior military or police training and people who had retired and allowed them to serve as licensed police officers when the need arose. We can do that. The fire department can do that.

The sheriff’s department can do that.

We need to think outside of the box.”

— Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek’s recent proposal for helping the city cut the 2003 budget.

they are to me. There is definitely something wrong with that type of treatment. Now, I have worked in retail as a sales associate for many years, and I still do. I know that many times you have to put up with a lot for very little pay. However, I also know that it is my job to be courteous to the customers no matter what. If some people do not like working with customers, then don’t take a job where you have to do that!

Here in Georgia, they killed a killer last night. Finally, 22 years after the guy killed three people sleeping in their cars at two I75 rest stops way back in July of 1980. So, what took so long? Due process is one thing, but 22 years? I read somewhere it costs taxpayers $40,000 a year to incarcerate a single criminal.

I was appalled but not surprised that the mindless ditto heads would flood this week’s Whine Line. Comments like, “It’s lights out in Georgia for the Democrats and that is just great.” Yup, we have the likes of Sonny Perdue mocking African Americans by using a line in Martin Luther King’s speech: “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we’re free at last.” Thank God he’ll be a one-term governor.

The Republicans won the seats that they won because of the tons of money that they poured into the races. The Democrats who lost tried to run like Republicans and the Republicans did not win by a landslide; most races were close and the Republicans won 19 races and the Democrats won 18. Doesn’t sound like a landslide to me. Good to be a Republican.

Gee, and I thought we were Americans.

Bouquets to Gunnar Berge, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, for his criticism of Bush’s warmongering policies. Hats off to Georgia’s own Jimmy Carter for winning the prize for peace.

You know if people would just quit being Democrats and Republicans or whatever, and just be the human beings we were meant to be, with caring and compassion, the conflicts we have would be easier to handle. I get so tired of reading the Democrats slam the Republicans and vice-versa. Nobody seems to realize that all parties have done good and bad. But nooooo, people have to play the “blame” game. Well I say grow up. Stop blaming everybody and see what you can do to help make a difference.

Most of these whiners and complainers don’t do a single thing to try and make things better.

They sit at home drinking their coffee while reading the paper, get outraged over a statement that someone made, then they jump on the computer to whine about it and do nothing else to make a difference. If you don’t like the way things are, get off your duff and do something about it. Get involved with local politics or better yet, run for office, but writing to the Whine Line or complaining to a friend doesn’t change a thing, except show people you’re a coward, because you hide behind anonymity.

I would like to know why I have to pay $190 for garbage service, when they sometimes only show up once a week. They are supposed to come by twice a week. Then when they dump the garbage, they leave half of it on the ground or in the street. It looks so bad when the garbage sits out there for days and days.

I finally agree with Austin Rhodes. If Martha Burk comes to town to protest The Augusta National, issue her a protest permit, but put her all the way over at East Boundary or maybe Mike Padgett Highway.

Why is it that women will go out and marry a low-life, and you know they always get divorced in the end? But a decent guy, they aren’t interested in?

Why is it you never hear about the deadbeat moms?

Why is it Public Works can’t give its employees a decent raise, but can throw away $450,000 of taxpayers’ money for 30 acres of swamp land, when you have a lot more than

30 acres right there on Tobacco Road, that is wide open? You could put all the buildings you want on it, but I guess you didn’t know about that. Too bad the person in charge was not elected to the job, because we would vote them out.

5

Thumbs Up Despite the odds being against them, some residents of the historic Sandfly community in the Savannah area have not given up their fight to block a Wal-Mart Super Center from locating in their neighborhood. The Wal-Mart was approved by the Chatham County Commission, but according to an article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a longtime resident and several churches have filed suit to stop the

Why is Bob Young sending out absentee ballots with his picture on it to the taxpayers of Richmond County? Is he encouraging people not to go to the polls, so they can vote for him by mail? I think this is wrong and we don’t need him in office if he’s going to do this kind of thing.

To the person who referred to the art galleries downtown as “boring” and “lame,” saying that restaurants will go out of business because First Friday is back to its old self: I’m sooo sorry you feel this way. The fact is, First Friday was intended to be boring for uneducated, culture-lacking rednecks like yourself, but it is an art fair! Why do all the crazies, who don’t appreciate the art on the street, insist on coming out on the first Friday of the month? I know every other weekend of the month downtown is dead, but First Friday is the one chance for local artists to collaborate with each other on their work and meet new artists in the area, and people like you have taken that away from them. As for the restaurants going out of business, if the loss of revenue for one night closes their doors permanently, then they were close to going out anyway.

I am so sick of hearing, “Well, now the artists have their way,” with some negative remark

retailer, claiming that county officials sidestepped proper procedures in granting the store’s permit. Wal-Mart has a history of plunking its monstrous stores down in communities in which a majority of residents don’t necessarily want them. The chain also has a habit of abandoning its big-box stores in favor of better locations. Hopefully the residents of Sandfly, settled in the 1700s by slaves, will win out.

Thumbs Down Isn’t it sad that one of the first things Georgia’s new governor, Sonny Perdue, is confronted with is the issue of changing back the state flag? Of all the things this state needs to face — from its lagging educational status to the imminent threat of a water crisis — Perdue must take some type of stance on a piece of

following about First Friday being boring.

Get over it! First Friday was intended to be a craft fair for local artists, not a street party for everyone else in Augusta.

You know, if I hear one more thing about J. Lo and Ben Affleck getting engaged, I’m going to barf. They aren’t royalty. I swear you can’t turn on the TV or radio without it

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cloth, lest he face a backlash from backward simpletons who want to re-erect a flag that was invoked as a last-ditch effort to keep blacks in their place.

If revisiting the flag rigmarole is the main issue of the day, then suffice it to say our future seems doomed.

being mentioned. Give it a break already.

She’s not even divorced from her latest husband, and moving on to the next mark. What gives? Are our own lives so boring we try to live through entertainers?

To the next beggar or panhandler that comes up to my car and bangs on my hood wanting continued on page 6

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money: I carry protection and I don’t mean Trojans. So leave people alone. If you need money, sit down, put a cup in front of you and let people come to you. Better yet, try and find a job, but quit trying to scare people into giving you money.

Former Representative Williams, in your opinion, which quality would you say is most detrimental to a successful political career: arrogance, stupidity, or lack of integrity?

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Robin, Robin. I won the quiz! I won the quiz! I get to go to Dufuskie Island with the naked women of the Cheetah Club. But two things are certain: First, I’ll not run for political office; second, I’ll not take Phil Kent.

How interesting that Columbia County’s senator with the permanent smile, Joey Brush, says he will represent those of us that own Cadillacs and live in gated communities. He didn’t get my vote; never will. He doesn’t have the sense to come in out of a heavy rain.

With his qualifications and values, I would rather be represented by Woody Woodpecker as senator!

Not only is Sonny Pardue not going to let you vote on deregulation of natural gas, he’s not going to let you vote on the flag. That was just a vote-getter. Next he will be pushing to deregulate electricity. When your power bill goes up like your phone and gas bill did, remember just whom you voted for.

To the whiner wondering about Charles Walker’s income now that he is no longer a senator: Don’t worry, you haven’t seen the last of him yet.

Chuck and Chump Walker, standing in the unemployment line. Mighty fine, mighty fine!

We are coming up on the season of peace, good will toward others. No matter what your faith/beliefs are, think about those who will do without. I don’t mean those that will do without gifts under the tree but do without clothing, food, a home, etc. Remember, charity begins with you!

What’s wrong, Jesse? Have you run out of causes and now have to stick your nose into the golfing world by supporting Ms. Burk in her bid for membership at Augusta National?

I doubt you even know how to play golf.

After reading the three tirades against the Democratic Party in this week’s Spirit, I have come to these conclusions: (1) Hatred is alive and well among the fascist Republicans in the CSRA! Rush Limbaugh and hate-radio are doing a very effective job! WGAC, shame on you! (2) Those three Democrat bashers obviously are unable to think for themselves — someone else has to tell them. (3) These three writers are so stupid as to believe the George Bush oil family/right-wing elements are on their side! The right-wing is the same it has always been — a tool of the rich, and everyone else be damned. (4) Those three writers haven’t figured out that the Iraqi

“war” Mr. Bush is waging, is being waged for one reason — the oil interests.

Since the major sponsors of the Master’s Tournament have been excused, it appears that CBS and the National will be losing a huge chunk of income in 2003.

Congratulations Ms. Burk, for you have already won your battle. Decent companies can no longer associate with this club, and perhaps they will soon refuse to cover membership fees for their CEOs. If you want my vote in the next election, then you can clean up all your publicity posters and signs you left all over town.

I see in the Nov. 14 edition of The Spirit, the headline in the Arts and Entertainment section “Tickets on Sale Nov. 18 for Augusta Premier of ‘Les Miserables.’” This is not the Augusta premier; Augusta Prep drama department did it the first weekend of November, which was the premier in Augusta. It was a great production. I saw it on Broadway and this performance at Augusta Prep was just as engaging as the performance on Broadway. The Spirit falsely advertised the premier and the Augusta Prep deserves some credit.

— Call our Whine Line at 510-2051 and leave your comments. We won’t use your name. Fax your whines by dialing (706) 733-6663 or e-mail your whines to whine@metspirit.com

Exciting New Shipments

HEALTH PAGE Take care of yourself. Let University help.

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Everyone is invited!

Friday, Nov. 22 6 p.m.

Front lawn, University Hospital

Presented by Charles F. Shaefer, M.D. TODAY, Nov. 21 Registration and buffet dinner: 5:30 p.m.; program: 6-7 p.m.

University Hospital dining rooms 1-3 Do you have an appleshaped body, high cholesterol and hypertension? If so, you may have metabolic syndrome, which could complicate diabetes and heart disease.

The syndrome affects as many as 47 million Americans.

Seniors Club members: $8; advance registration: $9; at the door: $10.

For reservations, call 706/736-0847.

Join University for a holiday season celebration complete with carolers, candy canes, a grand Christmas tree and other surprises. Local choirs and musicians will perform holiday favorites, and Santa Claus will light the Christmas tree.

Refreshments will be served.

FREE and open to the public.

For more information, call 706/828-2460.

Give the Gift of Life Did you know that a single donation of blood can save as many as four lives? Blood levels are critically low in this area. For information on donating blood, call the Shepeard Community Blood Center at 706/737-4551.

HealthMail, a new feature of University’s Web site, gives you the opportunity to receive e-mails about upcoming events, offerings, news and updates of interest. Visit www.universityhealth.org and click “HealthMail” under “Site Highlights” in the left margin. Choose which health topics interest you.

University Health Care System has been named the National Research Corporation’s Consumer Choice Award winner in the Augusta area for the fourth consecutive year.

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Healthy Adults

Healthy Women Registration is required. Call 706/774-4141 for information on the following classes or offers:

Thursdays 5-6 p.m.

University Hospital Nutrition Center Registration is requested.

FREE Mammograms Available

Call 706/774-8917.

Healthy Older Adults The following programs are held in the University Seniors Club, Daniel Village Shopping Center, unless otherwise stated.

Reservations are required.

For more information, call 706/738-2580.

Annual Holiday Brunch

Dec. 6 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Warren Baptist Church, 3203 Washington Road Buffet, door prizes, a holiday concert by the Augusta Symphony’s String Quartet and special holiday guest Mary Morrison, WJBF NewsCHANNEL 6 anchor $5

“Staying Safe during the Holidays”

Lt. Leon Garvin Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Dec. 13 11:30 a.m.

Augustino’s: An Italian Eatery, 2 10th St.

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Optifast® Weight Management Information Session

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Through a grant from the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, University Breast Health Center offers a free mammogram, individual screening and education for any woman 40 or older who qualifies.

Lymphedema Education for Breast Cancer Surgery Patients

Presented by Nicole Spiro, OTR/certified lymphedema therapist First Tuesday of each month 5 p.m.

University Breast Health Center No charge

Introduction to Infant CPR

Nov. 25 6:30-8:30 p.m. $5 Baby School

Nov. 26 7-9 p.m. $50 Childbirth Preparation Class

Six-week series Dec. 3, 10, 17, Jan. 7, 14, 21, 2003; Dec. 5, 12, 19, Jan. 9, 16, 23, 2003 7-9:30 p.m. $75

Women’s Center Tour

Dec. 12 7-9:30 p.m.

No charge

Healthy Parents All classes are held in the Women’s Center classroom on the third floor unless otherwise stated.

Registration is required. Call 706/774-2825 for information or to register for the following classes:

Healthy Children FREE Speech and Hearing Screenings

University Hospital Speech and Hearing Center Appointments are required.

Call 706/774-5777.

Sibling Birthday Party

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8 M E T R O S P I R I T

Opinion: Guest Column

Young-McIntyre Runoff: Time for Change

By Clyde Wells

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ll the precincts are in. The media has ably reported. The pundits and prognosticators have weighed in.

Democrats/liberals are pouting, sensing doom for all south of the polar ice cap. Republicans/conservatives are jubilant: gonna be bright, bright sunshiny days. The election of Nov. 5 is history, certainly a sea change for Georgia, and two local races could make it a sea change for Augusta. One race is over and the other is yet to be decided.

The race that is over, is, of course, the shocking defeat of state Senator and Senate Majority Leader Charles Walker. Walker’s years of arrogant disregard of ethics and blatant pursuit of power and wealth through public office finally caught up with him, delivering defeat in a majority black district.

Other than shoddy sidewalks and overpriced manhole covers those sins never revealed Walker’s real damage to the Augusta community: the divisiveness he caused between the whites and blacks of Augusta, leading to a stagnated and ineffective Augusta commission split along racial lines.

Among his ravings, his constant charges of racism toward whites who disagreed with or opposed him found an open ear with many blacks. He had an able, if not unwitting, accomplice over the years in this misguided self-aggrandizing crusade – Augusta Chronicle editorial page writer/editor/senior writer Phil Kent. For years Kent’s vitriolic and divisive diatribes fueled Walker’s tirades. Two years ago, Chronicle owner Billy Morris helped secure a cushy job with the Southeastern Legal Foundation in Atlanta for Kent. Exit Kent. Exit Walker. Let the healing begin!

Mayor Bob Young This leaves the mayoral race runoff between incumbent Bob Young and former mayor Ed McIntyre. Young and his supporters have spent the past four years explaining away his ineptitude and ineffectiveness by whining about his lack of power as mayor. Yet, four years ago, Young viciously castigated thenMayor Larry Sconyers for the same thing, saying a competent mayor could effectively lead Augusta even without a vote or veto

Former Mayor Ed McIntyre power over an often-gridlocked commission.

Even under the presently flawed city charter, an Augusta mayor could function effectively as a go-between or mediator for a divided commission, convincing differing factions or individuals to support the other’s bill to ensure passage. (Willie Mays, if you want this bill passed, you need Bill Kuhlke.

Bill, if you want this bill passed, you need Willie.) This is the essence of politics. But it takes leadership and trust. Bob Young has generated neither under his tenure and, indeed, has shown little or no inclination to even attempt the process. Where was he during the leadership crisis on the Aviation Commission? During the abysmal conditions surrounding the civic center and its governing authority? Who worked out the solution for saving the lock and dam? Not Mayor Bob! Augusta’s governance remains stagnated, ineffectual and, all too often, acrimonious. And it will certainly remain so for the next four years if he is returned to office.

Ed McIntyre could fill this void. He has had many years of practical political experience working within the machinations of local government. Remember, it was his initiative as mayor 20 years ago that conceived and put in motion the Riverwalk project. But for one bad mistake, his years of competent public service can stand up under close scrutiny.

And no one scrutinized him closer than I did during those years at my post as editorial cartoonist for The Augusta Chronicle. Bob Young has demonstrated for four years that he is totally incapable of leadership and the restoration of harmony to the Augusta political scene! There is a good chance Ed McIntyre could provide leadership, restore harmony and return some semblance of responsible government to Augusta.

McIntyre’s critics say he will be an embarrassment as mayor of Augusta because of the baggage he carries. Many believe Bob Young has been an equal if not bigger embarrassment to Augusta and will continue to be if he is mayor for the next four years. His litany of gaffes are the stuff of local legend.

He has offended businesses, organizations, religious affiliations and individuals with his penchant for smart-aleck and insensitive remarks. He used his office in a silly attempt

to have an unflattering newspaper columnist fired from his day job with an airline, complaining that their employee referred to him as “Mayor Boob.” His actions were a huge embarrassment for a city desperately trying to shore up its ailing air service. He applied for and received a “city of ethics” certificate from the Georgia Municipal Association shortly after stating that Augusta was a “cesspool of corruption.” Other incidents include a snafued sign ordinance, the river drawdown imbroglio, his ringing endorsement of the disgraced former fire chief Ronnie Few, and the mismanagement of the (Boshears) Fly-ins. The embarrassing list rolls on and this, too, will almost surely continue if Young is returned to office.

Young’s tepid endorsement by The Augusta Chronicle was, to say the least, amusing. One was reminded of the recent congressional investigation of Wall Street brokerage houses that quoted a manager endorsing a nearworthless stock: “Let’s put some lipstick on this hog!” The Chronicle’s “lipstick” for the mayor was “... confident, upbeat, focused, works a room well, articulate, can-doer, a welcomer, an ambassador, strong, go-getter, not a quitter, a leader.” In other words, a show horse, complete with makeup. But nowhere was he described as competent and intelligent and with the political savvy to bring the city’s fractious factions together. The only accomplishment listed for four years as mayor was his being responsible for the seed money for the Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corp. In other words, as mayor, he signed off on what others had conceived and implemented. Some legacy for four years! But he works a room well!

The endorsement goes to great lengths to stress the importance of how Augusta’s image will be helped and expanded by Young while not so subtly reminding the reader of the contrary image Ed McIntyre would project. Instead, could a visitor to our town, seeing a competent black mayor who had stumbled and paid for it, think of Augusta as a compassionate and forgiving place? Colorblind? Good people? A nice place to live? A nice place to build a business? I think so!

Augusta owes a deep debt of gratitude to the black ministers and their followers who stood up to and voted against Charles and Champ Walker. Rest assured that “Sidewalk Charlie” will be mending fences over the next two years, preparatory to attempting a comeback. I can think of no other single act that could better thwart Walker’s return to local power than a majority white electorate returning Ed McIntyre to the mayor’s office!

Tom Murphy. Some months back, Jack perused the handwriting on the wall and it read, “Sue Burmeister will clean your clock,” whereupon Jack announced his retirement so as to spend more time with family and business. Murphy disregarded the handwriting and got his Timex tuned up.

Cheeks Sure enough, The Atlanta Constitution has weighed in on Sen. Don Cheeks for switching parties. Columnist Martha Ezzard brands him an “opportunist” for naming the cancer center commitment as a factor in his switch.

Some opportunist! He loses years of seniority, starting at the bottom of the pile as a Republican, but in so doing, hopefully secures a major plum for Augusta that should have been a no-brainer for MCG before Roy Barnes and Charles Walker turned it into a political football. Ezzard forgot to mention that.

Cheeks would probably have switched years ago but for Walker. Walker would have had total veto power over all local legislation if a Republican had filled Augusta’s other Senate seat. (He tried to do that to Columbia County by drawing a tiny portion of his district into the county for this year’s election, but ... well, you know.) This goes back to 1985 and SB 1 (Senate Bill 1). ThenDemocrat and Majority Leader Tom Allgood welcomed his new fellow senator, Republican Frank Albert, with the bill which in effect sent any disagreement over local bills between the two senators back to committee for resolution. Guess who controlled the committee? Democrats. Guess who always won the argument? Well, you know.

(In an amazing portent for the future control of the senate by the GOP, Frank Albert actually voted for the bill!) By staying Democrat, Cheeks has exercised a degree of local control on Charles Walker’s dictatorial machinations over the years.

Incidentally, there is a long list of folks who have switched parties for various reasons over the years. Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Strom Thurmond and, of course, Governorelect Sonny Perdue to name a few.

Constitution editorial page editor Cynthia Tucker also took her obligatory shot at the GOP. A Walker-hater from way back, she shed no tears over the Walker duo’s defeat, but lamented that, with his over-reaching power grab leading to young Champ’s defeat, Charles Walker had installed a “right-wing” Republican into a district drawn for a “moderate” Democrat. It’s such an imperfect world, isn’t it?

Election notes Connell Turns out Rep. Jack Connell was more politically astute than his mentor, Speaker

—The views expressed in this column are the views of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

9

Committed to Exceptional Care

M E T R O

MCG Health System Welcomes…

S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

Cesar V. Borlongan, PhD, Associate Professor and Physiologist, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics

Norman B. Chutkan, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Dr. Borlongan heads the Neural Transplantation Unit. He researches brain cell replacement and neurotrophic factor therapies in experimental models of Parkinson’s disease, stroke and other neurological disorders.

Dr. Chutkan is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in disorders of the spine including degenerative conditions, trauma, tumors and deformities.

Kristen M. Harris, PhD, Chief of Synapses and Cell Signaling Program; Professor of Neurology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics

C. Alvin Head, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

Dr. Harris analyzes synapses (the structures that form connections between neurons) in the developing and mature brain to understand how changes in structure alter function, especially during learning and memory.

Dr. Head leads the department of anesthesia and perioperative medicine; providing comprehensive anesthesia services including chronic and acute pain and obstetric services, the department focuses on excellence in patient care.

Roy A. Rockman, DDS, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Dentistry

David J. Terris, MD, FACS, Professor and Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery)

Dr. Rockman is a pediatric dentist who teaches classroom and clinical pediatric dentistry to dental students and pediatric dental residents.

Dr. Terris is a fellowship-trained head and neck surgeon with expertise in thyroid – parathyroid surgery, minimally invasive removal of neck masses and salivary gland surgery.

Walton Curl, MD, Chairman, Department of Orthopedic Surgery Dr. Curl specializes in orthopedic sports medicine with a special interest in knee and shoulder injuries in youth sports and the older athlete.

Stephen C. Peiper, MD, Chairman, Department of Pathology Dr. Peiper oversees the specialists establishing diagnoses and investigating diseases through analysis of tissues, blood and body fluids.

His expertise is in diagnosis of blood related cancers using contemporary technologies.

Martha K. Terris, MD, FACS, Professor, Department of Surgery, Section of Urology Dr. Terris specializes in urologic oncology, performing all aspects of genitourinary cancer surgery and conducting research in prostate and bladder cancer risk factors, diagnostic techniques and treatment.

MCG is committed to being on the forefront of medical research and treatment. As the region’s only academic medical center, we attract top physicians and medical professionals from across the country and around the world. We are proud to introduce these newest additions to our team.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 721-CARE (2273) or visit our website at MCGHealth.org.

Julie L. Dahl-Smith, DO, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine Dr. Dahl-Smith is a family physician providing primary care to all ages as well as prenatal care for women; she also delivers babies.

Jeffrey M. Politsky, MD, FRCP(C), Assistant Professor , Department of Neurology, Section of Epilepsy (Adult and Pediatric) Dr. Politsky is a board-certified neurologist with sub-specialty training in adult and pediatric epilepsy. One of his interests is the relationship between brain tumors and epilepsy.

Thad Wilkins, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine Dr. Wilkins is a family physician who specializes in providing primary care to patients of all ages. He has special interests in gastrointestinal endoscopy, treadmill evaluation, vasectomy and minor surgery.

10 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

Opinion: Austin Rhodes at the Historic Imperial Theatre

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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC CITY OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA YEAR 2003 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN 2003 Community Development Block Grant Program 2003 Emergency Shelter Grant Program 2003 Home Investment Partnerships Program On November 13, 2002, the City submitted it's Year 2003 Annual Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for 2003 Community Development Block Grant funds in the amount of $2,859,000, Emergency Shelter Grant Funds for $99,000 and HOME Investment Partnerships funds for $1,449,000.

The Action Plan describes the projects and activities to be undertaken in Year 2003 to achieve the objectives and community development strategies outlined in the City's Year 2000-2004 Consolidated Plan.

The Year 2003 Action Plan is available for public inspection at the Housing and Neighborhood Development Department, One Tenth Street, Suite 430, Augusta, Georgia 30901, during the normal office hours of 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Augusta-Richmond County Commission By: Bob Young, Mayor & Augusta-Richmond County Commissioners

Cheeks Left Dems With Knives in His Back

T

here are two kinds of people criticizing state Senator Don Cheeks over his exit from the Democratic Party — liars and fools.

If you don’t know the rather substantial back story to Cheeks’ migration to the GOP, then you have absolutely no business expressing an opinion about it. What I find interesting is the rather large group of state Dem leaders who know the truth and continue to blast him anyway.

Soon-to-be former state Senator Charles Walker thought he was going to pull an interesting coup last year when he redrew his district.

He purposely carved up the local landscape putting more blacks in Cheeks’ district, for the sole purpose of running someone against him in the party primary. It was Walker’s belief that he could knock Cheeks out at that level, accepting the fact that if the veteran lawmaker made it to the general election, he would win no matter what. It is common knowledge that the black vote (which he thought he controlled) is decisive in the Democratic primary.

There were two known attempts to do this.

Walker approached businessman Joe Rogers first, then when rebuffed, goaded Monique Cheeks, wife of one of Augusta’s prominent black physicians, to file to run minutes before the deadline. What Walker thought he was doing was catching Don off-guard, and with the last-minute move, killing his chance to qualify to run as a Republican. Walker’s plan backfired when Monique was exposed as a likely district jumper, and she withdrew sheepishly when called on it. In what was supposed to be the year that Don had the political fight of his life, he ends up unopposed. Oh, the irony.

More irony? Walker’s grand scheme blew up in his egotistical face. The district slicing and dicing he did to leave Don in no man’s land, left him with enough white voters in his own district to spell his defeat. Walker’s political death is officially suicide by misadventure.

The bottom line is that Walker was gunning for Don Cheeks, and he had been doing it for years. Cheeks tells friends that he had so many conversations with Lt. Governor Mark Taylor about Walker’s shenanigans that he can’t remember them all. Cheeks was so angry about the redistricting plan last session that he told Taylor and other Dem senate leaders that if they wanted him gone they should be man enough to tell him so. He threatened to leave the party last year. In hindsight, he should have.

For a man running unopposed, Cheeks had one of the busiest campaign seasons of anyone.

After Walker’s “political assassination” attempt failed, Cheeks worked tirelessly behind the scenes for both Walker challenger Randy Hall and gubernatorial hopeful Sonny Perdue.

Cheeks personally begged state GOP leaders to consider the demographics of Walker’s new district and appreciate the fact that he was vulnerable to Hall’s challenge. The state party did not consider that race winnable until close to the end, and you can look at their almost nonexistent support of Hall early on to prove it.

But Cheeks knew what was going to happen, and he was one of the few that pre-

dicted it early.

The big question now: Can Don Cheeks fill the big shoes left behind by the departing Charles Walker? The answer is not only yes, but hell yes.

Here is how: 1. Walker was lying through his teeth when he claimed he had the Cancer Research Center for Augusta in the bag, contingent on his victory.

Cheeks personally went to every player in a position to know and he was told that no such guarantee had ever been made. Before announcing his party switch, Cheeks was told

by Perdue that in his mind, it was ludicrous to consider going anywhere with such a facility besides the state’s premier medical institution, Augusta’s Medical College of Georgia. It was easy for Perdue to announce his intentions for the facility. Cake, in fact. While the Dems are notorious for awarding such facilities as “prizes,” Perdue wants the thing to go where it makes sense.

2. Walker’s position as Senate Majority Leader was toast. Walker is such a pariah in Atlanta these days, there is no way the party could return him to the position. He is privately despised by many of his colleagues, and with Perdue as Governor, Walker, who he has always loathed, would have been DOA as a leader if he had managed to return.

3. Walker’s position on the Budget Conference Committee was also toast. See above reference. The “conferees” as they are called, are the architects of the state budget, and represent the most powerful decisionmakers in state government. While Don Cheeks has never made the six-person team, it would be the ironic twist of all time if he somehow did. Stay tuned.

Cheeks’ philosophical departure from the Dems took place years ago; his actual departure came at a time when his back was full of Democratic knives. Good thing for his constituents. He is now part of the winning team.

The victory of Randy Hall combined with Sue Burmeister’s return, Cheeks’ defection, and the victory of conservative Democrat Pete Warren make for an interesting Augusta delegation.

The four conservatives have three unabashed liberals — Quincy Murphy, Alberta Anderson, and Henry Howard — to deal with on local issues, not the least of which will be the restructuring of Augusta’s city government.

Look for Hall and Warren to be the first to invite input from minority professionals, not just political leaders, on any new plan. There are plenty of black folks who are tired of “business as usual” and the political leadership foisted on them by legions of uneducated and ill-equipped voters.

Also, watch for much more intelligent choices when it comes to legislative appointments for local boards and commissions. I heartily welcome my old nemesis Joe Scott to the ranks of Coliseum Authority retirees, and that should happen soon.

— The views expressed in this column are the views of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. The archived Austin Rhodes columns can now be seen at www.wgac.com.

11

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12 M E T R O S P I R I T

MetroBeat

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Commission Picks Budget Over Grand Jury

T

he Richmond County Special Grand Jury has incredible timing.

On probably what was the most important day of the entire year for the Augusta Commission — the day that commissioners were scheduled to approve a balanced 2003 budget — the special grand jury released its most recent presentment to the public.

Describing several commissioners as being “unwilling or unable to lead,” the Nov. 19 grand jury report accused these public officials of refusing to set aside their personal agendas for the betterment of the community.

The grand jury report also addressed the recent public criticism it has received from both commissioners and community leaders claiming that the grand jury is racist.

The report states that governmental and public leaders attempted to manipulate citizens and civic organizations concerning the grand jury’s findings in areas such as the city’s fire department.

“For example, the fire presentment addressed the culture of corruption and decline in the fire department,” the report states. “Yet some suggested the motive of the presentment was racial.”

However, the report stated that when former Fire Chief Ronnie Few and a black commissioner allegedly verbally attacked the former director of the Equal Employment Opportunity office, Brenda Byrd-Pelaez — who also happens to be

black — they were not called racists.

“When the Interim (Fire) Chief (Carl Scott) demeaned his training chief, he attacked an African-American,” the report states. “When Few lied under oath to the personnel board, half were African-Americans.”

Two of the former personnel board members – Augusta Commissioner Bobby Hankerson and Charles Walker Jr. – are even black political figures in the community, the presentment pointed out.

“Meanwhile, the SGJ (special grand jury) recommended that the fire marshal, who is white, be removed, and replaced by an African-American,” the grand jury report states. "Many of the firefighters affected by shady promotions and skewed raises are African-Americans.

“The union and political leadership in Washington, D.C., who had the same issues with Few, are overwhelmingly African-American. ... Those (black employees and politicians) cited in the presentment understood what they were doing and were never victims.”

The report strongly urged city leaders to get beyond the petty accusations that the grand jury is racist and realize that these presentments are trying to help point out areas in the government that are sorely in need of remodeling.

“The current form of government is easily manipulated by politicians and is often used to promote personal agendas,” the grand jury report stated. “It must be

BY STACEY EIDSON

reformed to prevent such abuses.”

The grand jury is scheduled to conclude its investigation into the city’s operations within the next 60 days. However, the grand jury suggested that, in order to help ensure that improvements are made within the government in the future, the city should impanel a special grand jury every five to seven years.

“Until a charter with adequate checks and balances is created, a future SGJ would look into and expose gridlock, cronyism, fraud, abuse and waste that will likely continue to occur,” the grand jury report states.

Harsh words coming from the grand jury, but on Nov. 19, few commissioners had time to dwell on them.

It was budget time.

Last year, the commission approved an ordinance that stated the 2003 budget would be adopted by the last commission meeting in November.

Therefore, Nov. 19 was deadline for the commission.

And, unless the commission was willing to increase property taxes approximately 0.242 mills as proposed by City Administrator George Kolb for the second year in a row, the commission needed to find some cuts.

As was the case last budget season, the man who came to the rescue was Commissioner Steve Shepard.

As finance committee chairman, Shepard said he had discussed the 2003 budget

with several commissioners and he believes basically everyone agrees on one thing: There should not be another property tax increase to balance the budget.

“I think the consensus of the commission has been that it was not appropriate to bring to the taxpayers of AugustaRichmond County a property tax increase this year,” Shepard said. “So, my first assumption on the budget proposal that I’ve put out in front of you today is that there will be no property tax increase in this budget.”

However, that meant that, in order to balance his version of the 2003 budget, several of the city’s proposed new programs, such as hiring additional employees to run recreational centers and purchasing new books and equipment for the library, must be eliminated.

Shepard also recommended that the city implement only a third of the planned salary reclassifications for its employees in 2003 and provide pay-for-performance rewards during only the last six months of the year.

The commissioners all commended Shepard on his recommendations for the 2003 budget, but asked if they could recess the Nov. 19 meeting until Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Commissioners agreed that they should be given the extra week to review Shepard’s proposed cuts and understand how the budget changes will alter service and programs within each city department.

“I think the consensus of the commission has been that it was not appropriate to bring to the taxpayers of Augusta-Richmond County a property tax increase this year.”

- Augusta Commissioner Steve Shepard

13 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

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14 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

MORRIS MOVES IN ON ATHENS

By Stacey Eidson

“I think the No. 1 concern is, we don’t want the government to be in the hotel business and undermine the private sector.”

– Earl Moore, president of the Athens Hotel Association

It’s impossible to stroll through downtown Augusta without seeing the enormous impact of William S. Morris III. Whether it’s enjoying the view of the Savannah River from either his seven-story Riverfront office building or one of his two first-class hotels along Augusta’s Riverwalk, there’s clearly a reason why the city has jokingly been nicknamed, “Billy World.”

At virtually every turn, Augustans are stepping on Morris land.

Doing business in the First Union building on Broad Street? Morris owns it.

Going to see an art exhibit downtown?

You’ll probably end up at the Morris Museum of Art. Want to take the kids out for a day of fun?

Head on over to the National Science Center’s Fort Discovery, a project that was financially supported by, you guessed it, Morris himself.

Visitors can’t even fly into Augusta Regional Airport without being met by a Morris-owned, private hangar located on city property.

And, of course, located smack-dab in the middle of downtown along Broad Street is The News Building, home of The Augusta Chronicle.

The financial contributions that Morris, CEO of Morris Communication Corp., has made to the Augusta area have been consid-

erable and he has played a major role in revitalizing the downtown area.

But some Augustans believe the contributions have come at a high price to the city.

In 1989, the Augusta Riverfront Limited Partnership was formed to develop, own and operate the Radisson Hotel and the Riverfront office building on 10th Street. At the time, the partnership was made up of several private organizations with the main investor being the Azalea Development Corp. – a Morris-owned entity.

In conjunction with the construction of the Radisson in 1992, a public conference center (attached to the hotel) and a parking garage was built on nearby land owned by the partnership.

Financing for the project included a loan from First Union Bank for $17 million, a $7.56 million Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) from the federal government, and another $13 million from the city to construct the conference center, parking garage and Riverwalk expansion.

The result of this deal was Augusta’s stunning Riverwalk, with brick-lined walkways, elegant hotel accommodations, prestigious office space and a glorious view of the river.

It wasn’t until several years later that the arrangement began to sour.

In 1998, Paul Simon, representing the

Augusta Riverfront Limited Partnership – which, by then, was fully controlled by Morris Communications – offered the city a new deal.

Instead of paying the city back for the $7.56 million federal UDAG loan the partnership used to help build the Riverfront expansion, Simon had a different idea.

He asked the Augusta Commission to forgive the partnership the $7.56 million loan in exchange for Morris constructing another upscale, 140-room hotel adjacent to the Radisson and expanding the city’s existing conference center approximately 30,000 square feet. Simon said the value of the conference center’s expansion to the city would be approximately $3.25 million.

The city didn’t have much choice.

The project’s original agreement in 1989 gave the partnership 30 years to pay back the UDAG loan. And, as Simon pointed out in 1998, the partnership had the option of refinancing the original UDAG loan in the future if the Radisson and Riverfront office buildings needed refurbishment.

The Augusta commissioners feared many of them might not see a dime of the UDAG money returned to the city in their lifetime.

So, the commission struck a deal with Morris and forgave the partnership the $7.5 million UDAG loan. The convention center was expanded and now Augusta enjoys the

newly constructed Country Suites on Ninth Street.

Was the deal worth it?

Many say, without a doubt. Others are a little more skeptical.

Some Augustans question whether millions of dollars in public funds, used to helped finance a private development, should have been so easily forgiven by the city.

It was a difficult lesson learned by the city of Augusta.

A lesson that now several hotel owners in Athens, Ga., say they want their city to learn from.

15 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1

Getting Comfy Next to the Classic Center In April, the Classic Center Authority, the governing body of the Athens’ downtown convention and performing arts center, was reportedly given the power by the Georgia General Assembly to borrow money.

This was an important change in the state legislation because it gave the public entity the authority to fund projects for the future development of the Classic Center, a state-of-the-art auditorium which seats 2,100 people.

Just this fall, the city completed a local sales tax-funded parking deck, which includes more than 640 parking spaces for the Classic Center at an estimated cost of more than $7 million.

With the newly adopted state legislation, the authority was given the ability to go beyond the basic $7 million design of the parking deck and add some more perks to the garage.

In the future, the authority could even borrow funds for major projects like expanding the Classic Center itself.

Ironically, less than 10 days after Athens residents learned that state legislators were moving toward giving the Classic Center Authority the power to borrow money, the Athens Banner-Herald ran an article on April 18 entitled, “Classic Center board ponders building on-site hotel.”

The article stated the authority was considering leasing a portion of the Classic Center’s property to a developer, who would construct and independently manage a private hotel.

The proposed site for the new hotel was located between the Classic Center and its neighbor, The News Building, headquarters for the Athens Banner-Herald.

A paper owned by, none other than, Billy Morris.

And who was the one developer mentioned in the article as potentially being interested in building a future hotel on the site?

Billy Morris.

The Banner-Herald stated Morris Communications “has expressed interest in the project.”

No one was more surprised by the announcement than Lewis Shropshire.

Shropshire is president of Motel Enterprises, Inc., a division of Benson’s Inc., which owns Athens’ Holiday Inns.

His company has reportedly spent approximately $3.5 million over the past several years purchasing property near the Classic Center in hopes of building a first-class hotel continued on page 16

Celebrate the Season!

Holiday Celebration and Tree of Love Kickoff Friday, Nov. 22, 2002 6-8 p.m.

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2 0 0 2

16 continued from page 15 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

on the land when the economy stabilizes.

“Our company has spent the last seven or eight years acquiring property right across from the Classic Center,” said Shropshire, sitting in a conference room in his Athens Holiday Inn located on East Broad Street.

“We announced five years ago that we would build an upscale hotel on that property to compliment the civic center as well as the other businesses downtown and the University of Georgia. But we said we’d do it when the market was right.”

Then the recession hit and the tragedies of Sept. 11 struck the nation and absolutely crippled the hotel industry, Shropshire said.

In 2001, Shropshire said Athens’ hotels had a rate of occupancy of only 61 percent.

“In 2002, we’ll see that dropping to be about 58 percent,” Shropshire said. “So, we are looking at 40 percent of the available rooms in Athens sitting empty every night.”

Therefore, Shropshire informed the Classic Center board earlier this year that his company was still interested in building a hotel next to the Classic Center, but it would be at least 18 to 24 months before his company would even consider breaking ground.

“Apparently, they did not like that timetable and were oblivious to the recession because the very next thing we knew was, they were making plans to recruit a hotel to build on their property,” Shropshire said. “We were floored by the announcement.”

Shropshire was further shocked to learn that the authority had already spent $239,000 of what he believed to be public funds to

strengthen the columns in the Classic Center’s parking deck in order to support a future hotel on the site.

“Athens has now created an unlevel playing field,” Shropshire said. “This is supposed to be a private industry, but my concern is, the Classic Center Authority is using public money to provide incentives in order to attract a private developer to build on that property.”

For those living in Augusta, a city using $239,000 to reinforce a parking garage’s foundation for the possibility of a future hotel may sound like pocket change, but Shropshire is concerned that’s just the beginning.

“There is no way that a hotel will come onto that site without certain incentives, whether it’s no land costs or low lease costs or free parking spaces,” Shropshire said.

“And that’s where I get concerned that it’s an unbalanced situation for those of us in the industry that already pay those expenses.

“There’s no need for those types of incentives. After all, we are talking about Athens, Ga. We have great sports, a great business community, a great university and a great performing arts community. People are willing to come in and build in this community.”

Classic Center Says Planning for Future Earl Moore, president of the Athens Hotel Association and manager of the city’s Best Western, supports Shropshire’s objection to the Classic Center’s recruitment of a new hotel.

“I think the No. 1 concern is, we don’t

want the government to be in the hotel business and undermine the private sector,” Moore said. “The government does not need to get into business that the private sector already handles and does a good job at.”

Moore said he’s particularly troubled by the fact that he believes the $239,000 that was used to pay for strengthening the parking deck’s columns will ultimately be funded by the city’s hotel-motel tax.

“We are also concerned about the ethical and legal side of the board using our hotelmotel tax receipts that we pay into the Classic Center Authority to, in effect, try to promote and drum up the interest for a hotel to compete against us,” Moore said. “It’s sort of like we are paying for our own demise.”

But according to Paul Cramer, executive director of the Classic Center, the $239,000 that was used to pay for the improvements to the parking deck is not going to come out of the city’s hotel-motel tax or the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) as suggested by the local hotel association.

Cramer said the $239,000 was part of a $2.3 million loan that the Classic Center Authority borrowed from a local bank, a move which Cramer said was voted on and approved by the Athens-Clarke County Commission.

The loan was taken from the bank to cover any additional expenditures to the parking garage that were not included in the $7 million of SPLOST money previously approved by the voters for the project, Cramer said.

“We have a parking deck, and that was built with SPLOST funding,” Cramer said.

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“As we were building the parking deck, we developed this concept of creating an auto bridge that would take people over Foundry Street from the fifth level of the deck and bring them right to the Classic Center’s front door.

“Well, as we were developing that concept, someone came up with the idea and said, ‘If you built the auto bridge just a little bit wider, and supported it, you could actually build a future building over the top of it.”

The authority then began considering that option as a way it could help ensure the future success of the Classic Center, Cramer said.

“Well, obviously when conferences and convention centers are built, one of things that often comes is a connecting hotel,” Cramer said. “So, we thought it was a good investment and the funds that were used to strengthen the columns were not SPLOST dollars, but rather dollars that our authority borrowed from a bank.”

Cramer said the authority plans to charge any future hotel locating on the site the $239,000 the authority has already spent strengthening the parking deck, and not turn to the hotel-motel tax to repay the loan, as suggested by Moore.

“What Mr. Shropshire and the hotel association fail to acknowledge, and we’ve repeatedly told them, is that we are not ever interested in being in the hotel business,” Cramer said. “All we are going to do is say, ‘Here is a great spot.

Is there someone from the private sector, a hotel company, that is interested in building on this site?’ If Mr. Shropshire would like to build on that site, he’s certainly welcome to do so.”

Cramer said the Classic Center Authority is

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planning to put out a formal request for proposal (RFP) for the construction of a new hotel on the site. While he acknowledged that Morris Communications has expressed interest, Cramer said that’s all that has been stated.

“We don’t have any prearranged idea of who is going to build that hotel,” Cramer said. “We have contracted with PricewaterhouseCoopers, who is a recognized professional consultant, to help us develop the RFP that we will then send out to all the developers that are already in Athens-Clarke County, of which Lewis Shropshire will be one, as well as others that are qualified, good hotel developers.”

There are absolutely no hidden agendas or conspiracies involved in this deal, Cramer said.

“Nobody is doing anything wrong,” Cramer said. “We’ve done everything under full disclosure. Everything we’ve done has been approved by the commission. We knew that Morris apparently had built a hotel in Augusta and so, we probably will send them an RFP as well.

But there is no prearranged agreement.

There are no preconceived ideas about who might build that hotel.

“When we send it out, maybe nobody’s interested. If the market isn’t right, the market isn’t right. But we know that we have 38 conventions on record that have turned us down because we do not have the connecting hotel. So I think it’s time that we start looking.”

No Room in Athens for This Inn Members of the Athens Hotel Association wish they could believe that nothing has been prearranged by the Classic Center with Morris Communications, but many aren’t buying it.

“The Classic Center management is saying that this is a level playing field and anybody can bid on the new hotel.

They are also saying the new hotel will pay for the improvements already made to the parking deck, but who knows what will happen in the future,” Shropshire said. “We already feel that a lot of the planning for this new hotel has been done in the dark, without the

public’s knowledge.”

Shropshire said his suspicion of the future hotel deal began when he learned that, in December 2001, the Classic Center management got permission from the county commission to look into recruiting a hotel on the county-owned property.

“Now, that ought to be a pretty big newsworthy deal for the Athens area,” Shropshire said. “There wasn’t one word about it in the newspaper.”

When the Classic Center borrowed up to $2.3 million for additional costs on the parking deck beyond the SPLOST funding, Shropshire again said there was nothing in the newspaper about the arrangement.

“I defy anybody to show me where the city advertised in advance that these

approximately 50 rent-free parking spaces in the Classic Center garage for Banner-Herald employees for the next six years.

“This agreement was reached with Morris Communications before the land was even deeded to the city,” Shropshire said. “The Classic Center needed that little bit of land that Morris Communications had to put one of the major pylons down to support the parking deck’s infrastructure. And now, it appears that, that sliver of land was exchanged for about 50 parking spaces over six years with an option to renew that deal at a reduced rate for up to 24 more years.

“And again, no one knew about this arrangement until after the parking deck was totally completed.”

“Every other civic center in the state of Georgia and the Southeast works cooperatively with their local hotel community and here we are, put into a competitive situation with ours.”

That’s not proper behavior for a public body who claims they are working under full disclosure, Shropshire said.

The Athens Hotel Association has resorted to filing an open records request under Georgia’s Sunshine Law to assess the details of the Classic Center’s plans to recruit a new hotel.

That’s something that longtime businessmen in Athens’ downtown community should not have to do, Shropshire said.

“Every other civic center in the state of Georgia and the Southeast works cooperatively with their local hotel community and here we are, put into a competitive situation with ours,” Shropshire said.

“It’s very disturbing and we intend to oppose it any way we can.

“But the worst part about the deal is, the public has no idea of what’s going on over there. If our citizens want to vote to have a hotel on public property and they are willing to fund it in the event of a default, and they are willing to realize that it may negatively impact the other hotels in town, so be it. But the problem is, there’s been no public discussion up to this point. And there desperately needs to be.”

– Lewis Shropshire, president of Motel Enterprises, Inc., and owner of Athens’ Holiday Inns. items were going to be on the county commission’s agenda or whether there was any reporting immediately following that meeting that says what the commission did,” Shropshire said.

Shropshire said he can’t help but believe that Morris Communications’ interest in constructing the new hotel may have resulted in the newspaper’s silence on the matter.

It was only in the last few months that Shropshire said the local hotel association learned that Morris Communications has already been involved in a land swap with the Classic Center.

According to published reports, the Classic Center was required to purchase approximately 1,600 square feet of property located between The News Building and the Classic Center in order to construct the parking garage.

The land was reportedly traded for Athens Banner-Herald News Building

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The Class of

18

‘72

THEN NOW

THEN

M ICHELLE R EESE

NOW

C LAUDIA S NYDER

R

oberta Flack was on the radio. Richard Nixon was still in the White House.

There was no such thing as Watergate yet, but the draft for the Vietnam War was very real for many graduating seniors.

It was a time when Dairy Queen on Central Avenue was the place to be seen after class and the seasonal dances sponsored by high school fraternities and sororities at the Julian Smith Casino were the highlights of the year.

There were still popular clubs called “The Future Homemakers of America,” and freshman boys at the historic Richmond Academy were still forced to join ROTC. Long, straight hair was in, for both girls and boys, and the fashions of the day were mini-skirts, hip-huggers, hot pants and bell-bottomed jeans.

The ladies still wore white gloves to formal dances and most of the high school yearbooks still had a section entitled, “The Beauties and Handsome.”

Richmond Academy was the school with a rich past. Aquinas High School had faith and devotion.

Augusta Prep was the small, private school with a focus on the future.

And Westside High School was the new kid on the block.

The year was 1972, and next weekend, four area high schools will come together to relive the past.

“I don’t know, there’s just something about high school that people can

B Y

never forget,” said Andy Pye, a 1972 graduate of Richmond Academy. “I honestly think high school days are some of the best days of your life. You don’t realize that at the time, but it’s very important for your future mental well-being. It’s the time when you really start becoming a person.”

It’s been 30 years since graduates of Richmond Academy, Aquinas High School, Westside High School and Augusta Prep walked the halls of their respective high schools. But starting on Nov. 29 more than 200 former students — with maybe a little less hair or a few gray ones — are going to walk together down memory lane.

The four 1972 classes are scheduled to meet at the Partridge Inn at 8 p.m. on Nov. 29 for an informal gathering, which is going to be followed up by a huge joint high school reunion at Julian Smith Casino the following night.

Andy Pye and his wife, Kathy, said they couldn’t think of a better place to hold the joint reunion than the Julian Smith Casino.

“In those days, at Richmond and Westside, we had high school fraternities,” Andy Pye said. “And our fraternities and sororities would have these dances at the Julian Smith Casino. And that place, I swear, would be packed with people. You couldn’t move in there because there were so many people.”

Back then, Andy Pye said, the

S TA C E Y

E I D S O N

19

TED

M E T R O

“Everybody was worried about the draft, I can tell you that, or at least the O’CONNOR males were. One of the biggest things in my life was waiting for the draft numbers to come up.”

S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

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school to be at. It was just ‘purple and gold’ all the way.

“There was even a small group of us that tried to give fake addresses or old addresses to stay at Richmond, but I remember the administration called us all into the library and let us know that we had to go to Westside.”

Kathy Pye said she was heartbroken.

“But when I got to Westside, I realized it was a brand-new school,” Kathy Pye said. “It had air conditioning and it was clean. It was a really nice school and I ended up being very happy there.”

Just a year after graduating, the couple got married, and Andy Pye remembers that he just barely missed the draft.

“When the draft actually did come up in 1972, my number was 180, and they drafted through 152 that year,” Andy Pye said. “So, I missed it by 30, thank the Lord. I still have my draft card.”

Ted O’Connor, a 1972 graduate of Augusta Prep, remembers having similar anxieties registering for the draft.

“Everybody was worried about the draft, I can tell you that, or at least the males were,” O’Connor said. “One of the biggest things in my life was waiting for the draft numbers to come up. It was the biggest thing in just about every male’s life when you hit 18 years old.”

O’Connor’s number wasn’t chosen either and he couldn’t describe the relief he felt at the time.

“Thankfully, the war was winding down, but still, when you are growing up and you’re 13 or 14 and you’re seeing all the bad stuff that happened in Vietnam in the late ‘60s on television, I mean, it was terrible stuff,” O’Connor said. “And you would see it on TV all the time. So, we knew what that draft card meant.”

Attending Augusta Prep was a different experience than at other

j

popular bands of the day were willing to play smaller venues and events, like dances at the Julian Smith Casino.

“It wasn’t a fortune to get a large group to come to town,” Andy Pye said. “Like one year we had Archie Bell and the Drells, who were big at the time.”

Andy Pye remembers each sorority or fraternity member was given so many dance tickets that he or she had to sell.

“And you had to buy them if you didn’t sell them,” he said. “So, of course, we would always procrastinate.

And then on the night of the dance, there would be six or seven of us out on the road desperately trying to get in front of the others to sell the tickets that we had left over.”

The sororities and fraternities would sponsor several dances a year, many of which had themes like “The Turkey Trot,” held the weekend before Thanksgiving. There was also a Valentine’s Day dance called “Cupid’s Catch.”

Kathy (Presley) Pye, who’s a 1972 graduate of Westside High School, said she remembers the huge line dances they would have at the functions.

“Boys would be on one side of the room and the girls would be lined up on the other side and we would dance in a line all the way across the room to one another,” Kathy Pye said laughing.

“I remember that was so much fun.”

It was also a great year to be in love.

Andy and Kathy Pye dated practically all through high school, ever since she was 15 and he was 16.

But in 1970, it was a difficult year for Kathy Pye because she was one of the many students at Richmond Academy that found out after two years of high school that they were going to be transferred to the newly formed Westside High School.

“At first I really didn’t want to go because Westside had no history at the time. And Richmond, I just loved it,” Kathy Pye said. “I mean, it was the

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“We played Richmond … well, I continued from page 19 guess if you could call it that,” Darby schools, particularly Richmond said, chuckling.

“And Richmond would Academy, O’Connor said. just beat us awful.

But you have to “We had a graduating class of, I understand that we were just getting believe, 27 people,” O’Connor said. started.

The Class of ‘72 was only the “So, it was pretty close-knit, as you second class to graduate from can imagine.”

Westside.”

Augusta Prep And honestly, didn’t have a Darby said, he football team, but was actually it was the only relieved to be school in the area exiting that had a soccer Richmond team. So, Academy in O’Connor said, 1970 to attend those games gave Westside. the students a “When I was chance to come at Richmond, I out and show was getting into their school spirit. too much “We would trouble with travel to play ROTC,” Darby soccer games to said. “I would schools like get in trouble Aiken Prep, and for everything. we would even My shoes were go on overnight always scuffed trips to and my buttons Jacksonville, were never Charleston or shiny because I Asheville to play would always games,” loan my stuff O’Connor said.

- Michelle (May) Reese, a 1972 out to other “But we had people playing a graduate of Richmond Academy. people. So, I wasn’t very lot of other good at sports. And ROTC.” almost everyone played something By the time Darby was at Westside, because with 27 people in the senior he said he had grown his hair out, class a lot of warm bodies were which would have never worked at needed to participate in everything.”

Richmond Academy.

As for the sports that Augusta Prep “But my hair was always poofy,” said did play against schools like Westside Darby, who was actually chosen as one and Richmond, such as baseball and of Westside’s “Beauties and Handsome” basketball, O’Connor said it was brutal. for the yearbook.

“I was always trying “They would wear us out,” he to brush my hair down flat.” laughed. “That’s what I really That was one problem that remember. We were just so small, and Michelle (May) Reese, a 1972 they would even play their B-teams graduate of Richmond Academy, and still kill us.” never experienced.

Carl Darby, a 1972 graduate of “My hair is as straight as a board,” Westside, said he could sympathize Reese said. “And back then, my with Augusta Prep’s athletic challenge hair was parted right down the against Richmond Academy. middle, which we called the ‘butt For example, on Sept. 17, 1971, cut’ at the time.”

Richmond Academy stomped Westside “We all thought we were hippies, and in a football game with a score of 28-0.

“We all thought we were hippies, and of course we weren’t even close. I mean, we were just stupid kids that had scraggly hair.

Nothing like the real hippies, but we tried.”

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of course we weren’t even close,” Reese added, laughing. “I mean, we were just stupid kids that had scraggly hair. Nothing like the real hippies, but we tried.”

Reese said she can remember a lot of the guys at Richmond wanting to dress sloppy, but so many were involved in ROTC, they couldn’t.

“You’d see these guys who really wanted to be bad and then, the next day, you’d see them with their ROTC uniforms on,” Reese said. “But we were all like that. I mean, I had an old VW bus and we would go to baseball games and sit up on the roof. We all thought we were so cool and we weren’t even close. But it was fun.”

And if you were a student at Richmond Academy, Reese said, you thought you owned the town.

“You were hot. I don’t care what anybody said, if you went to ARC you were it,” Reese said. “Because ARC was the school that everybody knew. It had tradition. I mean, my dad went there when it was an all-boys’ military school.”

Reese can even remember attending Richmond Academy’s Military Ball in 1972 at the Bell Auditorium. It wasn’t but a few years ago that she threw out her formal dress from the dance.

“You know how you cram stuff in the closet? Well, I just threw my dress away a couple of years ago,” said Reese, describing it as rose-colored, with an empire waist and puffy sleeves.

“My teenage daughter saw it and said, ‘Oh mother, that’s so gross.’”

Traylor Johnson, a 1972 graduate of Richmond Academy, also remembers the Military Ball as being a big event in the year. His wife, who was also his girlfriend at the time, was actually in the running for the position of Honorary Cadet Colonel of the ball. One young lady a year would be given this honor by the gentlemen in the ROTC classes.

The practice of crowning an Honorary Cadet Colonel no longer exists at the school.

“Richmond Academy was absolutely full of history and tradition and each

K ATHY P YE class tried to keep a lot of that tradition and history rather than change it,” Johnson said. “And, at that time, there were a lot of teachers that were institutions at Richmond Academy.”

Johnson said there was a lot to be proud of at the school. In fact, he still wears his father’s Class of 1946 Richmond Academy ring.

“I still wear it because many of us had three or four generations or more go to Richmond Academy,” Johnson said. “And it’s true, once a Musketeer, always a Musketeer.”

Claudia (Quillian) Snyder also remembers the fanfare surrounding school dances and events at Richmond Academy.

She, too, was nominated for Honorary Cadet Colonel, although she hesitates to say she was part of the popular group.

“I was not in a particular group,” Snyder, who now teaches fifth grade at Glenn Hills Elementary and a basic English class at Augusta State University, recalled. “I was one of those who hung out with all the groups.”

Although Snyder said she looks forward to the upcoming reunion, she often experiences mini-reunions, owing to the fact that, like many of her former classmates, she decided to call Augusta home.

“I’m really amazed at how many have stayed here,” Snyder said. “To me, there’s a lot who have stayed here, but that’s because Augusta is a unique city, I think. It’s got a lot to offer.”

Sometimes, Snyder said, it’s hard for her to believe three decades have gone by since she and her classmates danced at “The Turkey Trot.”

“You know, I mean it’s been 30 years since I graduated from high school.

Sometimes it feels like it’s been five years and sometimes it feels like 30 years,” Snyder said. “But when you run into people and you see them, they look the same, act the same, they are the same.

“So it’s kind of neat to have stuck around as long as I have.”

For more informatin on the reunion, check out www.72class.com.

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Dining Out

Let Andrew’s at the Sheraton Craft Your Thanksgiving Dinner

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lthough they’ve always been a sight to behold, and a delight to the taste buds, the buffets at Andrew’s in the Sheraton are getting better and better, and the jewel in the crown is the new Sunday brunch.

At one station, you can find your favorite Asian delicacies like Thai dishes and sushi. Then there are the Southern favorites, and a full breakfast buffet with omelettes and eggs to order; bananas foster and ice cream. Even complimentary champagne after 12:30.

The Friday night seafood buffet offers items like all the crab legs you can eat, oysters on the half-shell, fresh mussels and shrimp. For an additional $4, you can get a live Maine lobster.

“Then obviously, we’ve got the dessert bars, a salad bar and many other wonderful things,” said David Kay, food and beverage director of Andrew’s.

One thing he’s really excited about is the new buffet programs coming. “We have a new barbecue buffet starting on Saturday nights, for $9.95. We’ve made some wonderful changes. The food is certainly bountiful and tasty. The buffets are being upgraded with more selections, more variety.” In addition to all that great food, a three-piece jazz band will play for your listening pleasure. And soon there’s going to be a new menu in place.

But the menu and buffet aren’t the only things expanding at Andrew’s. The bar area is a nice, elegant place to unwind after a tough day, or to just enjoy some of the finer pleasures.

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“We’ve made some changes at the Atrium bar,” Kay said.

“We’ve certainly added a great number of international beers; fine, single-malt scotches; single-barrel bourbons and fine cigars.”

And then there are the holidays. Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. If slaving over a hot stove is not your idea of holiday fun, Andrew’s will do it for you. They’re pulling out all the stops: Turkey Day is no time for self-restraint!

“We’ve got so much food, it’s going to be interesting to see where we put it all,” Kay said with a laugh.

In addition to all the traditional items such as turkey, and macaroni and cheese and such, Andrew’s will offer a smorgasbord of tasty Thanksgiving treats: buttered mashed potatoes, oldfashioned cinnamon buttered sweet yams, broccoli-and-cheese casserole, smoked salmon, a sushi selection, crab salad, fruit salad, tossed greens, fresh cranberries, cream of potato soup, cherries jubilee, vanilla ice cream.

For your more exotic tastes, you will find dishes like curried chicken and fried rice. And of course you can’t forget dessert, not on Thanksgiving!

You will find many delicious cakes, pies and parfaits – pumpkin pie, pumpkin flan, fresh sweet bread. You won’t be able to eat it all, so don’t even try.

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30% at participating merchants!

Don’t forget to join participating merchants for Third Thursday each month from 6-9 pm!

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Classes available, sterling silver, hand blown glass beads and much more!

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE!

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delights as hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, and grits with bacon and cheese.

Don’t forget about Andrew’s after the holidays, though. Keep your eye on them. They have all kinds of plans for the near future.

Andrew’s is located at 2651 Perimeter Parkway, and may be reached by calling 855-8100.

CORNER OF HIGHLAND AVE. & BERCKMAN’S RD. AT WHEELER ROAD

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Alltogether American General Bistro 491 Calvert's Restaurant Charleston Street Gardens Chico’s Ciao Bella Italian Eatery Coconuts Nightlife Curves for Women Design Images & Gifts Dot Holland's Elements Fashion Plate French Market Grille Fresh Thyme Cafe Gentry Men's Shop Jancys Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Main & Taylor Shoe Salon Merry Times

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Paine Webber Periwinkle Cottage Pickles & Ice Cream PJ's Coffee & Tea Cafe Rivers & Glen Trading Company Soho Surrey Center Pharmacy Surrey Tavern Susan's Sweetbrier Fair Talbots The Toy Box TravelMasters Sports & Entertainment Villa Village Vogue Cleaners White Horse Package Store Wife Saver

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24 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V

The little shop where customers say WOW! Have you heard?

Have you been in?

Dining Out

It's Friday Every Day at T.G.I. Friday's

Natural skin care products are being made in downtown Augusta!

SOAPS - LOTIONS BODY BUTTER BODY YOGURT SALT GLOW NATURAL RADIANCE LIP BALMS TOOTH POWDERS ALL NATURAL CANDLES ACCESSORIES

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Cloud Nine owner Carless Gay carefully measures oils for new skin care formulation in lab area overlooking shop.

1036 Broad St. (706) 724-6423

Treat yourself to a visit. We'll treat you to the “Cloud Nine Experience.” We want you to try our products and see for yourself how wonderful they are before you choose the ones that best suit your skin type.

11:00-6:00 Mon-Wed 11:00-10:00 Thurs-Sat

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“Christmas Wonderland”

• • • • •

Augusta’s Christmas Superstore

Holiday Hours Starting Nov. 29th Monday-Saturday • 10-9 Sunday • 12:30-8

O PEN THANKSGIVING DAY 12:30 - 5PM Augusta • 1545 Laney-Walker Blvd. • 722-0796 Evans • 4301 Washington Rd. • 855-0796 www.fatmans.com

W

ith a T.G.I. Friday’s in town, you don’t have to wait till the weekend to enjoy that weekend vibe. With great entertainment, food and drinks, Friday’s can be your funtime destination any day, or night, of the week.

Let’s start with the foundation of any spectacular restaurant – great food.

Friday’s has a huge menu, and they’re always adding new items. But don’t worry about your Friday’s favorites.

These are staying on the menu too.

The things you should rush right over for this very minute, though, are the double-glazed ribs, which are, of course, the best in town. T.G.I. Friday’s is also the home of everyone’s favorite, the Jack Daniels Grill!

And of course when you’re eating and in that weekend frame of mind, you want a good beverage to go with your scrumptious meal. Friday’s has one of the largest drink menus in town. They have every kind of frozen drink you can imagine and a large selection of bottled domestic and import beers. Your taste buds will not be bored, we guarantee you. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday, with $1 off all appetizers and drinks. If you want to stop and have a drink on your way home from the office, T.G.I. Friday’s is the place for you, and it is always a great place to begin your evening out.

T.G.I. Friday’s features loads of entertainment as well. With 11 televisions in the establishment, you will be sure to find a spot to settle in with your favorite sporting event. Not to mention a fun crowd to watch it with.

Let’s not forget the music. It’s live every Sunday night from 10 p.m. until

the place closes. Featured performers include John and Andy, JAR, Keith Gregory, Joe Stevenson, and many other fine musical acts.

Which brings us to Sunday nights in general. Sunday night is Food and Beverage Night at T.G.I. Friday’s. That’s when they open their doors from 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. for anyone in the restaurant business. All you have to do is bring in a pay stub and a driver’s license and T.G.I. Friday’s will give you a “brew crew” key chain that allows you access inside the restaurant. T.G.I. Friday’s is the hot spot on Sunday nights for those of you who serve the hungry and thirsty people of the world. There will be a $1.50 Bud Light special and $1 off all drinks.

T.G.I. Friday’s is completely kid friendly. First off, they have an award-winning children’s menu. They’ll have so much fun, they’ll forget that mealtime is good for them. There are also kid specialty drinks and things to play with, like balloons, coloring books and crayons. They even have diaper-changing stations.

Large parties are welcome, too. T.G.I. Friday’s offers special seating and the staff is more than happy to accommodate large groups celebrating with holiday parties and conducting office meetings, among other things.

“We strive to give Augusta something that they can’t get at every other restaurant,” said Dave Whidden, front operations manager. “Our goal is to provide great food and the best service in a relaxed, fun atmosphere. That’s what makes Friday’s such a good place.”

Don’t take his word for it, though: Come see for yourself. T.G.I. Friday’s is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

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25 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V

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My Point My point is simply this. I believe your furnace is using twice as much gas as it needs to heat your home. I also believe it will break down more often and wear out sooner than it should.

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Even though most of my customers come from enthusiastic referrals by my 3,500 current clients, I've decided to

give away my $189 service for only $79 to a few home owners who might not be familiar with my company.

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26

Arts

M E T R O S P I R I T

& Entertainment

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The Imperial Theatre: Forgotten Stairwells and Other Treasures

BY RHONDA JONES

I

f there isn’t a ghost roaming the Imperial Theatre, Executive Director Greg Goodwin ought to seriously consider getting one. The place is perfect for haunting. And it all starts with the faces on the front of the building.

There are faces inside the building too, some with horns. Goodwin speculates that they may be a representation of Pan, the Greek god of good times. In the arches above the backstage doors, are reliefs of five women, two with musical instruments. Goodwin isn’t sure who they are. “I’ve heard Fates and Muses,” he said. Whomever they are, they and the disembodied faces lend an otherworldly presence to the old theatre.

So do the endless corridors and crannies. If you climb to the balcony (I suggest doing so on the back of a mountain goat), you can get to the segregated stairwell, a lightless place of chipping electric-blue paint. Goodwin calls the balcony “the galley.” Goodwin and I braved the abyss with flashlights one afternoon as he talked excitedly about something he’d found on the landing – lost in the rubble of the old ticket booth were a pile of discarded, rotting ticket stubs marked .10¢ and .25¢. He keeps them in a film case.

In another electric blue room at the top of a foyer staircase that is still in use, is another treasure: the terrazzo floor. And in the projection room are some ancient projectors that will one day be put on display. And when the light and frame of mind are right, and one approaches the back door from the dressing rooms, one can be deliciously creeped out by the back door – red, and lighted with the bare bulb that ...

Well, you know the one.

There are a million forgotten stairwells in the naked city, however, and many probably sporting paint that they haven’t made since the 1960s. But what makes these so neat is that they are in a living, breathing building. A building coming back to life.

One step into the refurbished auditorium will tell you that. Gone are the faded old chairs. Gone the careworn carpet. In their place, brilliant red seats with wrought iron side panels, and carpeting that writhes with color – red, to match the curtain. Even the stage has been replaced in the last few years – 1998, Goodwin said.

A Glorious Past In a way, the Imperial Theatre – known as The Wells when it was built in 1917 – was a product of the 1916 fire which ate its way through downtown Augusta.

“The fire started on this corner here where Suntrust is and gutted the building that was here,” Goodwin said. A year later, a theatre was born. Its namesake, Jake Wells, was a vaudeville promoter, and so that’s what the theatre was, an outlet for vaudeville. In February 1918,

Theatre sought sponsors of the actual seats in the building, accepting donations of from $300 to $1,500 each for single seats, and rows and boxes at $10,000 each.

In September, the orchestra seats were revealed – vermilion chairs with antique-style wrought iron side panels had replaced the infestation of dun-colored easy chairs that populated the place.

But not all the chairs were replaced. The spots in the mezzanine where the last rows had sat were left as an area for those in wheelchairs.

“Finally my dream is realized,” Goodwin said. But for every Imperial dream that comes true, a thousand more crop up in its place.

“My goal is to see it restored back to its former glory. We’re working with architects to develop a master plan for total renovation. It’ll be a state-of-the-art historical theatre when it’s finished, but it’s going to be a long process.”

Goodwin and others have approached the theatre’s revitalization as one would hopefully approach the eating of an elephant: one bite at a time. And they’ve taken several chomps at it by now, between the seats and carpet, interior paint job, new stage (done with the help of a $300,000 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), new lighting and sound systems, new intercom system so that the stage can communicate with the dressing rooms, and new exterior doors.

Goodwin said, it opened.

Over the years it played host to entertainers like Milton Burle, John Philip Souza, and Anna Pavlova. Even Charlie Chaplin bobbled across the stage of the Imperial, as the theatre was to be renamed shortly following its opening – and subsequent closing – due to the epidemic of Spanish flu. And, yes there are rumors that Harry Houdini himself played the Imperial, and even cut a trap door into the stage, which is, also, rumored to be lodged in a house somewhere nearby.

Goodwin is skeptical.

“Everybody says Houdini played at their theatre.”

The theatre has been a silent movie house, complete with an organ which Goodwin says now lives in a house in Marietta, Ga. After the flu closing, which lasted only a few months early in The Wells’ life, the theatre was reopened under the name The Imperial Theatre,

and remained open until Oct. 1981. At that point, Goodwin said, the malls were flourishing and downtown was dying. But, as we all know, it didn’t stay dead. The first stirrings of rebirth happened just a handful of years later.

“My history with the building goes back to 1985,” Goodwin said, after the very first, superficial, renovation was done. He was singing with Augusta Opera then. The Imperial had just reopened. “I performed on this stage for 10 years.”

In addition to the Opera, Augusta Jazz Project, Augusta Ballet and The Augusta Players have made the Imperial their home.

In August 1999, Goodwin became the theatre’s executive director. The seating campaign was already underway.

One Improvement at a Time The Take a Seat campaign was a program whereby the administration at the Imperial

A Promising Future Of course, he said, plenty more needs to be done, and a lot of it has to do with comfort – for the patrons and the performers. The restrooms could stand expanding, he said, as could the dressing room area, and the concession stands. The plasterwork needs to be painted near the ceiling and the proscenium arch needs refurbishing. Goodwin suspects there may be a mural beneath the latest paint job, which is busily flaking away and turning to dust.

And he dreams of the day when the marquee out front is up and running.

In fact, he is bursting with dreams about the old place, and he says that response to the current improvements has been inspiring. “I can’t tell you how many people are saying, ‘My first date was in the Imperial Theatre and we kissed right here and we’ve been together 50 years.’ I love hearing stories like that.”

So if you have stories like that, or any memories at all about the Imperial Theatre, Goodwin wants them. He’s also interested in any memorabilia – programs, photographs ... the original chandeliers – that you may want to share with the community. He may be reached by mail at The Imperial Community Theatre, Inc., 745 Broad Street, Augusta, Ga., 30904; by phone at (706) 722-8293; or by e-mail at greg@imperialtheatre.com.

by Bonnie Daniels Presented by the

Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre and BRA VO! Army Theatre Touring Company BRAVO!

December 6 & 7

(Dinner, 7 p.m. / Show 8 p.m.) Limited Seating $30-general public $28-seniors 65+ and Fort Gordon personnel $25-active duty military E4 & below

For tickets, call 793-8552 or order on-line at www.fortgordon.com

Forest Hills GRILLE

L FT UP YYOUR OUR HEAR TS AMERICA HEARTS A Musical Theatre Celebration of Americana

catering for any occasion

Weddings Rehearsal Dinners Office Parties

extensive catering menu

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTIES EARLY PRIVATE AND CORPORATE DATES AVAILABLE

Just off Wrightsboro Road located in the Clubhouse at Forest Hills Golf Course

Sacred Heart Cultural Center presents

738-5072

Fine English & French Antiques

A FESTIVAL OF

Gifts and Collectibles

Based on the traditional service at King's College Chapel, Cambridge University, England featuring The Augusta Collegium Musicum - William E. Toole, Director Augusta Choral Society - Porter Stokes, Director

Tuesday, December 3, 2002 - 7:30 p.m.

Sacred Heart Cultural Center

Mon-Thurs 9:30-5:30 | Fri & Sat 9:30-6:00

Admission: $10 in advance, $12 at the door

Between Furyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ferry & Pleasant Home Rd

For ticket information call (706) 826-4700

860-3434

i } { } <} { } < UP TO

1/ OFF 3

3309 Washington Rd, Augusta

A Traditional Sheraton

THANKSGIVING DAY BRUNCH November 28, 2002

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11 am - 3 pm

706.736.7793

$22.95 per person for adults $8.95 per child under 12 years of age

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Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy Roast Pork Loin with Port Demi Glace Buttered Mashed Potatoes Cinnamon Pecan Sweet Yams Traditional Macaroni & Cheese Southern Cornbread Dressing Sweet White and Yellow Corn Southern Style Green Beans Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

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28 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

8

Days A Week

Arts

Auditions

AT THE MORRIS MUSEUM OF ART: “Charleston in my Time: The Paintings of West Fraser” are on display through Jan. 5; “Rituals: Works on Paper by Romare Bearden” will be on display through Jan. 5 in the museum’s Coggins Gallery. For information, call 724-7501.

“CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN” AUDITIONS for the Young Ar tists Reper tory Theatre Company’s upcoming production.

Par ts available for nine males and seven females ages 8 through college. Held Dec. 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. in the Lower School Cafetorium of Augusta Preparatory Day School.

Please bring a bio and your measurements to audtions. Call 210-8915 for information.

THE WORK OF HEATHER CRIST will be on display at Cloud Nine Gallery, 1036 Broad Street, through December’s First Friday. For more information, call Heather Crist Designs at 951-1661.

“THE LARAMIE PROJECT” OPEN AUDITIONS Dec. 4-5, 5 p.m. in the O’Connell Theatre at USC-Aiken’s Etherredge Center. Roles available for four men and four women ages 18 and up. Performance dates are Feb. 12-16. Please have a 1-2 minute monologue prepared. Call (803) 641-3305.

JOHN BRECHT displays works at the Etherredge Center Lower Gallery through Dec. 20. (803) 641-3305.

AUGUSTA CONCERT BAND rehearses Monday evenings and is looking to fill vacancies on most band instruments.

Interested par ties should contact Ben Easter, (803) 202-0091 or e-mail bandforaugusta@aol.com.

SWEET ADELINES PEACH STATE CHORUS OPEN REHEARSAL for singers each Thursday at 7 p.m. Held at 600 Mar tintown Road in Nor th Augusta. Contact Mildred Blain at 736-7740 or Mary Norman at (803) 279-6499.

Education GERTRUDE HERBERT INSTITUTE OF ART APPLICATIONS FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE are being accepted now through Dec. 20. Scholarships are available for the Winter Quar ter, Jan. 7-March 6. To request an application form, call 722-5495 or e-mail ghia@ghia.org.

CERAMICS CLASSES at the Weeks Center Ceramics House in Aiken. Fees include one class per week and students can choose any class time: Mondays, 9 a.m. to noon or 6-9 p.m.; Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m.; or Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. $30 per month. Call (803) 642-7631 for info.

USC-AIKEN MUSIC CONSERVATORY PROGRAM now open.

Students of all ages and experience levels welcome. Private lessons available for musical instruments and voice; instructors are USC-Aiken faculty and have at least a master’s degree in their per formance area. (803) 641-3288.

Exhibitions DAVIDSON FINE ARTS EXHIBITION Dec. 3-30 at the Lucy Craf t Laney Museum of Black History. Opening reception Dec. 4, 4:30 p.m. Call 724-3576.

RECENT LANDSCAPES BY DICK DUNLAP will be on display at The Dunlap Studio and Gallery throughout the month of November. Call 722-7333 for information.

JEFF THOMAS exhibits at the Bee’s Knees during the month of November. Call 828-3600.

AUGUSTA STATE UNVERSITY FACULTY SHOW through Nov. 30 in the ASU Fine Ar ts Gallery. Call the ASU Fine Ar ts Depar tment at 737-1453.

QUILT SHOW through Dec. 1 at the Aiken County Historical Museum in Aiken. Call (803) 642-2010.

CHICAGO ARTIST RICHARD HUNT exhibits at the Mary Pauline Gallery through Nov. 23. For more information, call the Mary Pauline Gallery at 724-9542.

WORKS FROM THE NEW HORIZONS ART FESTIVAL will be on display through Nov. 30 at the Euchee Creek Branch Library. Call 556-0594.

AT THE GERTRUDE HERBERT INSTITUTE OF ART: “WalkerMackenzie Studio First Anniversary Exhibit: Student Accomplishments Throughout the Year” is in the First-Floor Gallery at Ware’s Folly through Dec. 19; “If Walls Could Talk” is in the Third-Floor Gallery at Ware’s Folly through Dec. 19. “Ger trude Herber t Youth and Adult Student Exhibit” runs through Dec. 19. Call 722-5495 for more information.

DANIEL HAYES exhibits at Barnes & Noble Booksellers throughout November. For a preview of Hayes works, visit www.hayesar t.com. For more info, call Barnes & Noble, 860-2310.

“PAINTINGS AND PRINTS: THE WORKS OF TOM CROWTHER” will be on display at the Ar t Factory Gallery, 416 Crawford Ave., through Nov. 29. The Ar t Factory Gallery is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Call 737-0008.

ROBERT LEE exhibits his work at Borders Books and Music through the end of November. Call Borders at 737-6962.

Dance SINGLES DANCE each Saturday night from 8-11 p.m. sponsored by the Christian Social Organization for Single Adults.

Held at Westside High School. Tickets $5 for members, $7 for non-members, and are available at the door; free dance lessons at 7 p.m. For more information, call 736-8004.

Music RICHMOND COUNTY ORCHESTRA per forms Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m., at Augusta Mall and Dec. 10-11, 7:30 p.m., at the ASU Per forming Ar ts Theatre. Free. For more information, call 651-3529 (daytime) and 738-4681 (evening).

THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA per forms Nov. 23, 7 p.m., at the Bell Auditorium. Tickets are $50 per person for an individual table seat, $400 per table for a corporate table of eight or $15 per person for balcony seating. To purchase tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 828-7700.

The annual quilt show at the Aiken County Historical Museum ends Dec. 1. (803) 642-2010.

BLAYNE BELL gives a free concer t Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. at The Metropolitan Community Church of Our Redeemer. For information, call 722-6454.

TUESDAY’S MUSIC LIVE CONCERT SERIES: All performances in the concer t series held at noon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Concer ts are free; optional catered lunch is $7 per person. 2002-2003 season schedule is as follows: Dec. 3, The Accidentals; Jan. 7, Jazzamatazz; Jan. 21, Joseph Gramley; Feb. 4, Lindsey McKee and Keith Shafer; Feb. 18, Cowboy Envy; March 4, The Augusta Children’s Chorale; March 18, Kari Gaffney and Jeff Williams. 722-3463.

COMMUNITY HEALING MEDITATION DRUMMING CIRCLE hosted every third Monday of the month by IDRUM2U, the Not Gaddy Drumming Studio. Held 7-9 p.m. at the G.L. Jackson Conference Center, 1714 North Leg Court. Fee is $5 or a donation of canned goods for the Golden Harvest Food Bank. All are welcome and drums will be available to rent. For info, phone the Not Gaddy Drumming Studio, 228-3200.

Theater “LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS, AMERICA” patriotic musical and spoken word show Dec. 6-7 at For t Gordon Dinner Theatre.

Open to the public. Tickets are $30 general public, $28 senior citizens (65 and over), $25 enlisted (grades E4 and under). Call 793-8552 for reservations.

LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL TALENT SHOW AND SILENT AUCTION Nov. 22, 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.

Tickets are $5 and may be purchased in advance or at the door. For information, call 863-0027, ex t. 224.

“FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS” Dec. 6-8 and 13-15. Tickets are $15 adult, $10 seniors, students and matinee shows, $35 for grand dinner buffet shows and $25 for matinee with English high tea. Presented by the Augusta Theatre Company and held at the Bon Air Ballroom. Call 481-9040 or visit www.augustatheatre.com for tickets.

NOW ON SALE: Tickets for “Les Miserables” Feb. 11-16 at the Bell Auditorium; tickets for “South Pacific,” Jan. 2 at the Bell Auditorium. Call TicketMaster at 828-7700 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

COMEDIAN/ACTOR DON “DC” CURRY comes to the Bell Auditorium Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $28.50 for the floor and $26.50 for the balcony in advance and $30.50 for the floor and $28.50 for the balcony the day of the show.

Purchase tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 828-7700.

“YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU” comes to For t Gordon Dinner Theatre Nov. 21-23. For more info and reservations, contact Lee at the box office, 793-8552, or visit www.for tgordon.com/theatre.htm#youcant.

Attractions THE BOYHOOD HOME OF WOODROW WILSON: Circa 1859 Presbyterian manse occupied by the family of President Woodrow Wilson as a child during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Original and period antiques, restored house, kitchen and carriage house. 419 Seventh Street. Open 10 a.m.5 p.m., Tues.-Sat. Tours available; groups of 10 or more by appointment only. Admission is $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 stu-

AUGUSTA GOLF & GARDENS OF THE GEORGIA GOLF HALL OF FAME features beautiful display gardens, as well as bronze sculptures of some of golf’s greatest masters. Available for rent for a variety of functions. Group discount rates available. Closed Mondays; open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5.50 for adults; $4.50 for students, seniors and military; $3.50 for children (4 to 12); free for children 3 and under. Sundays are two for one with a Super Sunday coupon. Annual garden memberships are available. Call 724-4443 or 1-888-874-4443. Also, visit their Web site at www.gghf.org.

FORT DISCOVERY/NATIONAL SCIENCE CENTER: Children and adults alike can immerse themselves in the wonders of science through live demonstrations, virtual realities, Starlab, KidScape and more than 270 hands-on exhibits. General Admission: $8 for adults; $6 for children, seniors and active military. Group rates available. Half-price admission daily after 3 p.m. Operating hours: Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Call 821-0200, 1-800-325-5445 or visit their Web site at www.NationalScienceCenter.org.

REDCLIFFE STATE HISTORIC SITE: 1859 mansion of S.C. Governor James Henry Hammond, held by the family for three generations until 1975. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m., ThursdayMonday on the grounds. House tours are noon-3 p.m. by appointment. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission to the grounds is free. Fee for house tours is $3 for adults and children ages 6 to 17. For more information, call (803) 827-1473.

181 Redcliffe Road, Beech Island.

SACRED HEART CULTURAL CENTER is offering tours of its 100-year-old building. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $1 per person, children free. 826-4700.

HISTORIC COTTON EXCHANGE WELCOME CENTER: Open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m. Riverwalk. Free.

724-4067.

(6-18 years of age) and free for children under 6. Free admission on Sundays. Call 722-8454 or visit www.augustamuseum.org for more information.

THE GERTRUDE HERBERT INSTITUTE OF ART in Ware’s Folly exhibits works by local and regional artists. Art classes, workshops and other educational programming for children, youth and adults are held in the Walker-Mackenzie Studio. Ware’s Folly galleries open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Saturday by appointment only. The Walker-Mackenzie Studio gallery is open TuesdayFriday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free, but a donation of $2 for adults and $1 for children and seniors is encouraged. Call 722-5495 for more info.

THE MORRIS MUSEUM OF ART hosts exhibitions and special events year-round. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, noon-5 p.m. Closed on Mondays and major holidays.

1 Tenth Street, Augusta. Call 724-7501 or visit www.themorris.org for details.

THE MUSEUM OF LAUREL AND HARDY OF HARLEM, GEORGIA features displays of various Laurel and Hardy memorabilia; films also shown. Located at 250 N. Louisville Street in downtown Harlem. Open 1-4 p.m. Thursday-Monday. For more information, call 556-3448.

Museums

“TELLABRATION 2002: AN EVENING OF STORYTELLING FOR ADULTS” Nov. 23, 7:19 p.m., at New Ellenton City Hall. CSRA troupe Tellers of Two Cities will perform. Admission is free. For information, call (803) 649-2770.

“CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ARTISTS: A LOOK AT THE WORK OF WEST FRASER” with Augusta artists Edward Rice and Shishir Chokshi Nov. 21 at the Morris Museum of Art. Held 7-9 p.m. Free for members, $3 adults, $2 seniors/students/military. Reservations are required; call 724-7501.

THE AUGUSTA MUSEUM OF HISTORY hosts permanent exhibition “Augusta’s Story,” an award-winning exhibit encompassing 12,000 years of local history. For the younger crowd, there’s the Susan L. Still Children’s Discovery Gallery, where kids can learn about history in a hands-on environment. The museum also shows films in the History Theatre and hosts a variety of programs. Located at 560 Reynolds Street. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Admission is $4 adult, $3 seniors, $2 kids

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SALLEY CHITLIN’ STRUT Nov. 30 in Salley, S.C. Crafts, carnival rides and chitterlings will be available. For information, call Salley Town Hall at (803) 258-3485.

NOVEMBER RETIREMENT CEREMONY AT FORT GORDON Nov. 21, 9:30 a.m. in Alexander Hall. Free and open to the public. Call 791-6001 for details.

FAMILY DINNER AT PHINIZY SWAMP NATURE PARK Nov. 21, 5:30-7 p.m. Bring a picnic dinner to the Pharmacia Pavilion and enjoy a presentation. Free; reservations are not necessary. For info, call 828-2109.

NOVEMBER FILM FESTIVAL at the Augusta Public Library Auditorium Tuesdays at 6:30. Nov. 26 movie is “Monsters, Inc.” Free. Call 821-2604 for information.

COLUMBIA COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY holds pet adoptions every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at PetsMart. For more info, call 860-5020.

RICHMOND COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL AND AUGUSTA ANIMAL RESCUE FRIENDS holds pet adoptions at Superpetz

Fabulous Sandwiches, Wraps, Pasta, Salads ... & Hot Dogs, too!

Outdoor Dining Available

S P I R I T N O V

AT PHINIZY SWAMP NATURE PARK: Swamp Saturday Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m.; Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Clean-Up Day, Dec. 1, 9 a.m.-noon. For information, call 828-2109.

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M E T R O

Special Events DRUNK AND DRUGGED DRIVING PREVENTION DAY WORKSHOP 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 5 at Paine College’s Peters Campus Center. Hosted by the Paine College Georgia Institute of Highway Safety’s P.E.A.C.E. program. For more information, call NeCole Roberson, 432-0947.

AT THE AUGUSTA MUSEUM OF HISTORY: “Mill Times” will be playing continuously in the History Theatre throughout the month of November. “Augusta, Ga.: Surviving Disaster” special exhibit on display Nov. 23-30; local author Misty A. Tilson will sign her book on Augusta’s natural disasters Nov. 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. “A Holiday at the Museum” will be held Nov. 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and features live enteratinment, arts and crafts, book signings and raffle. Admission for “A Holiday at the Museum” is $3 adult, $1 children ages 6-18. Children under 5 and museum members get in free. For more information, call 722-8454.

Voted Best Steak In Augusta For 15 Years

LUNCH AT NOON LECTURE SERIES held the second Wednesday of every month at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call the museum at 7243576 for more information.

THE EZEKIEL HARRIS HOUSE: Deemed “the finest 18th century house surviving in Georgia” by the “Smithsonian Guide to Historic America.” Open Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. General admission is $2; senior admission is $1 and children get in for 50 cents. For more information, call 724-0436.

“TELLABRATION!” Nov. 24, 2 p.m., at the Morris Museum of Art. The CSRA storytellers’ association, Tellers of Two Cities, will perform. Free. 724-7501.

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dents under 18 and free for ages five and under. 722-9828.

1450 Greene Street, Downtown • 706-262-4003 Mon-Fri 7:30am-3:30pm www.enterprisemill.com From Greene Street, Take West Entrance, Second Door • Plenty of Parking

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Bobby Jones Expressway every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

30 off Call AARF at 364-4747 or visit www.aar f.net. Adoptions also held at the Richmond County Animal Control Shelter,

M E Tues. through Sun., 1-5 p.m. Call the shelter at 790-6836.

T R LOW-COST RABIES VACCINATIONS: Augusta-Richmond O County Animal Control holds low-cost rabies vaccination S P I R I T

clinics the four th Sunday of every month for privately owned pets. $8 per animal. 1 p.m. at Superpetz. Dogs must be on a leash and cats in a carrier. Puppies and kit tens must be three months old and current for all vaccinations. Schedule subject to change, so please call 790-6836 to verify dates and times.

N THE CSRA HUMANE SOCIETY holds pet adoptions every O Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and every Wednesday V

evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Pet Center located

2 behind the GreenJackets Stadium on Milledge Rd. 261-PETS. 1

Out of Town

2 0 “PARIS IN THE AGE OF IMPRESSIONISM: MASTER0 WORKS FROM THE MUSEE D’ORSAY” will be at the High 2

Museum of Ar t in Atlanta Nov. 23-March 16. This exhibition marks the first time since the Orsay opened that pieces in its collection have traveled to the U.S. For more information, visit www.ParisinAtlanta.org, www.high.org, or call (404) 733-HIGH.

“ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL” will be presented at The New American Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta through Dec. 8. $19.50 for Thursday and Sunday shows, $22.50 for Friday shows and $24.50 for Saturday shows. Various discounts available. Optional British pub-style menu available before shows. Call (404) 874-5299 for tickets.

“YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU” through Nov. 24 at the Longstreet Theatre in Columbia, S.C. Tuesday-Saturday per formances at 8 p.m.; Sunday per formances at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $12 adult, $10 USC facult y and staf f, senior citizen and militar y, $9 student. Group tickets for groups of 10 or more available for $7 each. Call (803) 777-2551 for tickets.

AT THE GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIRGROUNDS AND AGRICENTER in Perry, Ga.: Southern Championship Walking Horse Show, Nov. 21-23, (706) 232-3622; POA Horse Show, Nov. 23-24, (478) 962-0695; Lipizzaner Stallions Concer t, Nov. 26-27, (407) 366-0366.

Benefits SHEPEARD COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER BLOOD DRIVES in various locations around the CSRA this month. The blood center is urging people of all blood types to donate in order to combat a blood supply shor tage. For detailed information on locations and times to donate, visit www.shepeardblood.org. You may also call Susan Edwards at (803) 6437996 for information on Aiken locations and Nancy Szocinski at 737-4551 for information on all other locations.

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES at the Aiken Red Cross Blood Center on Millbrook Drive and the Augusta Red Cross Blood Center on Pleasant Home Road. The bloodmobile will also stop at various area locations this week. For a complete list, call the Aiken Blood Center at (803) 642-5180 or the Augusta Blood Center at 868-8800.

Learning LINK DEPOSIT PROGRAM WORKSHOP Nov. 21, 5:30 p.m., for area minority and women small business owners. The program is a new Augusta initiative designed to provide low interest loans to enhance business oppor tunities. Held at the Commission Chamber, 530 Greene St., Room 806. To regis-

ter for the workshop, or for information, contact Brenda Byrd-Pelaez at 821-2303 INTRO TO MICROSOFT POWERPOINT CLASS Nov. 23, 12:30-4:30 p.m. at the Wallace Branch Library. 722-6275.

THE CSRA EDUCATION COOPERATIVE EDUCATION FAIR Nov. 21, 4-7 p.m. at the Augusta State University Spor ts Complex. College representatives will be on hand with information about financial aid, programs of study and schedules.

Open to high school seniors, returning adults and graduate students. Contact Carol, Brenda or Charity at 737-1632 or Missie at (803) 819-1106.

AUGUSTA STATE UNIVERSITY CONTINUING EDUCATION is now offering the following classes: Adobe Illustrator 10, Intermediate Shag II, Intermediate Investing, Digital Photography for Beginners, Adobe Photoshop 7 and more.

Also, ASU offers online courses. For more information, call 737-1636 or visit www.ced.aug.edu.

AIKEN TECH CONTINUING EDUCATION is now offering the following courses: Intro to Computers, Windows 2000, Microsof t Excel, Health Care Career courses, Rape Aggression Defense, A Look at Genealogy, Real Estate, Driver Education, Pilot courses and more. Aiken Tech also offers Education to Go classes online. For more information or to register, call (803) 593-9231, ex t. 1230.

Health GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT EVENTS: Smoke Free, Lunch Free Nov. 21, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Wal Mar t on Bobby Jones Expressway; Medical College of Georgia presentation Nov. 21, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Youth Tobacco Prevention Day Nov. 26, 11 a.m., at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center. Call the American Cancer Society at 731-9900.

WORLD AIDS CAMPAIGN EVENTS: “Fight Fear With Facts” forum Nov. 24, 3 p.m., at Paine College’s Chandler Memorial Library; Time of Remembrance Luminaries and Candlelight Walk Dec. 1, 4 p.m. at Riverwalk. For info, call 667-4342.

DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP meets Dec. 10 at Doctors Hospital Office Building III in Classrooms 4 and 5. Pre-registration is not required. Call 651-2468 or visit www.doctorshospital.net for info.

PEACHCARE FOR KIDS AND RIGHT FROM THE START MEDICADE offers free or low-cost health coverage to qualifying families. Coverage includes prenatal care, hospitalization, vaccines, dental and vision care and is available to pregnant women of all ages and to children through age 19. Contact the RSM Project at 729-2086 or 721-5611 for information.

YOGA CLASSES at Walton Rehabilitation Hospital are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8 a.m. for $45/month or 10:30 a.m. to noon for $55/month. Call 823-6294.

FREE HIV/AIDS TESTING every Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Ministry, 922 Greene Street. Free anonymous testing, pre- and post-test counseling and education.

HATHA YOGA CLASSES at the St. Joseph Home Health Care Center in Daniel Village Plaza. Held 10 a.m. to noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. $10 per class or $60 a month for unlimited classes. Mats are provided, but bring a towel and a water bot tle.

Call Tess at 738-2782 for more information.

A FREE WOMEN’S HEALTH CLINIC is held from 6-8 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month at the Salvation Army and Welfare Center, 1383 Greene St. Services include Pap smear, breast exam and the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmit ted diseases. For more info or an appointment, call the St. Vincent dePaul Health Center at 828-3444.

On Nov. 30, close to 50,000 people will descend on tiny Salley, S.C., to feast on chit terlings and enjoy crafts, carnival rides, a parade and more. For information, call (803) 258-3845.

W.G. WATSON, M.D., WOMEN’S CENTER CONDUCTS EDUCATION CLASSES at University Hospital. Course topics include Lamaze, breast feeding, parenting and grandparenting. Par tners will learn positive suppor t techniques. There are also programs designed to help older siblings adjust to new family members. Some classes are free, while others require a fee. Registration is required by calling 774-2825.

Kids “SLEEPING BEAUTY” will be presented by USC-Aiken and Playground Playhouse Nov. 26, 7 p.m., at the Etherredge Center. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. On Nov. 24, the cast will hold a coloring contest from 12:30-3 p.m. at Godfathers Pizza in Aiken. Open to kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Call (803) 641-3305 for tickets and information.

MARTIAN TOWERS comes to For t Discovery Nov. 26.

Space-themed climbing structure allows kids to explore. Call 821-0200 for more information.

SPECIAL STORY TIME WITH PUPPETS, SONGS, STORIES AND FINGERPLAYS Nov. 27, 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Appleby Branch Library. Call 736-6244.

DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS “3 JUNGLE ADVENTURES” Nov. 22-24 at the Augusta Civic Center. Nov. 22 show at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 23 shows at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday show at 1 p.m. Tickets are $30 VIP, $26 first level, $19 second level and $14 third level. Opening night, all tickets except VIP are $5 off. For tickets, call TicketMaster at 828-7700 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

CHILDREN’S LEARNING CENTER at the Lucy Craf t Laney Museum of Black History open Monday-Friday, 4:30-6:30 p.m., through June. For information, call 724-3576.

ACADEMIC HELP AND TUTORING available Saturdays, 2:304:30 p.m. at the Wallace Branch Library. Call 722-6275 to make arrangements.

GIRLS INCORPORATED AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM runs through the end of the 2002-2003 school year. A variety of programs will be offered. Services include van pick-up at select schools, evening drop-off, homework room and hot evening meal. Open to girls in kindergar ten through high school. Af ter-school program offered 2:30-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. For more information, call 733-2512.

LUNCH it’s true…

YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SKILLS PROGRAM for teens ages 12-19 held the third Saturday of the month at the Lucy Craf t Laney Museum of Black History. Call 7243576.

SIBSHOPS Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the MCG Children’s Medical Center Conference Center. This program is designed for siblings of children with special health and developmental needs. Par ticipants are between the ages of 7 and 15.

Phone 721-6838 for information.

WEEKLY STORY SESSIONS at all branch libraries. Visit www.ecgrl.public.lib.ga.us for more information.

FIRST SATURDAY STORYTELLING at the Lucy Craf t Laney Museum. In addition, there is a tour of the museum. Held 10 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of the month. Call 724-3576.

Seniors PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS CAN EXERCISE (PACE) meets at Walton Rehabilitation Hospital Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-2 p.m. Call 823-5294.

THE SENIOR CITIZENS COUNCIL OF GREATER AUGUSTA AND THE CSRA offers a variety of classes, including aerobics, quilting, tai chi, Spanish, painting, line dancing, bowling, bridge, computers, yoga and pinochle. For dates and times, phone 826-4480.

ARTHRITIS AQUATICS offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Walton Rehabilitation Hospital. Classes meet 99:45 a.m., 10-10:45 a.m. or 12:15-1 p.m. $37.50/month. To register, call 733-5959.

SENIORNET provides adults age 50 and over education for and access to computer technology. Many different courses are offered. Contact the USC-Aiken Continuing Education Office at (803) 641-3563.

Sports UPCOMING AUGUSTA LYNX HOME GAMES: Nov. 26 and 30, Dec. 7-8, 14 and 27. For tickets, call the Lynx ticket office at 724-4423.

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NOW ON SALE for the Augusta 32 TICKETS GreenJackets 2003 season. Home games at Lake

Olmstead Stadium. Tickets available at www.tixon-

M E line.com or by phone at (803) 278-4TIX. There is also T a TIX outlet inside Harmon Optical in Southgate Plaza.

R O YOUTH MONTHLY SPARRING the last Thursday of the

month, 5:30 p.m., at the Augusta Boxing Club. Call

S 733-7533.

P I R I T

Volunteer

N GOLDEN HARVEST FOOD BANK needs volunteers O V during the day, Monday-Friday, to help sor t donated

products and assist in their agency shopping area.

2 Help is needed year-round. If you are able to lif t 25 1 pounds and would like to help fight hunger in the

Augusta area, contact Laurie Roper at 736-1199, ex t.

2 208.

0 0 2 THOROUGHBRED R ACING HALL OF FAME DOCENTS

NEEDED for the upcoming season. Duties include opening and closing the Hall of Fame, greeting visitors and providing information about museum exhibits.

Call Lisa Hall, (803) 642-7650 for information.

OLDER AMERICANS ACT SENIOR NUTRITION PROGR AM is looking for volunteers to serve meals to needy older residents. To volunteer, contact the Senior Citizens Council at 826-4480. For those in need of home-delivered meals, call 210-2018 or toll free at 1888-922-4464.

AUGUSTA-RICHMOND COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL: New volunteer orientation is scheduled the first Monday of November at 7 p.m. at the shelter, 4164 Mack Lane. Schedule subject to change; call 7906836 to verify dates and times.

THE CSR A HUMANE SOCIETY is looking for animal lovers willing to donate a lit tle of their time. Volunteers are needed every Saturday at the Pet Center located behind GreenJackets Stadium on Milledge Road. Call 261-PETS for more info.

SHEPEARD COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER is seeking donors to prevent a blood supply shor tage. To donate call 737-4551, 854-1880 or (803) 643-7996.

Meetings THE AUGUSTA UNIT OF THE GEORGIA CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS meets the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Walton Rehabilitation Hospital Board Room. Call 869-8603.

GEORGIA ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS CSR A CHAPTER meets Nov. 21 at Athens Restaurant, 8:15 a.m. Carl Brown of the Georgia Depar tment of Revenue will speak. For information, contact Jerry Brigham, 650-1700.

Weekly GEORGIA-CAROLINA TOASTMASTERS meets Wednesdays at noon at the Clubhouse, 2567 Washington Rd. $8 for lunch; visitors welcome. 8609854.

SEXAHOLICS ANONYMOUS, a 12-step program of recovery from addiction to obsessive/compulsive sexual thoughts and behaviors, meets Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 7 p.m. at Augusta Counselling Services. Call 723-3688 and leave first name and phone number; a confidential reply is assured.

AUGUSTA TOASTMASTERS CLUB #326 meets Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at Advent Lutheran Church.

Call 868-8431.

BUSINESS NETWORKERS INTERNATIONAL Augusta Chapter meets every Thursday morning from 7 to 8:30 a.m. in the Par tridge Inn main dining room. All professionals welcome; break fast provided for a fee.

Call Stuar t Rayburn, 737-0050.

RIVERWALK TOASTMASTERS meets Mondays, 7 p.m. in Classroom 3 at University Hospital. Call Gale Kan, 855-7071.

GUIDELINES: Public Service announcements are listed in this section without charge at the discretion of the editor. Announcements must be received by Monday at noon and will be included as space permits. Send to Events, The Metropolitan Spirit, P.O. Box 3809, Augusta, GA 30914 or fa x (706) 733-6663.

You may also e-mail listings to rhonda_jones@metspirit.com or lisa_jordan@metspirit.com. Listings cannot be taken over the phone.

Holiday Happenings UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION AND TREE LIGHTING Nov. 22, 6 p.m., on the front lawn of the hospital. Celebrate with carolers, candy canes, a tree and other surprises. Local choirs and musicians per form from 6:30-7:30 p.m.; Santa appears at 7:30 p.m. to light the tree. 828-2460.

“A CHRISTMAS CAROL” will be at the Imperial Theatre Nov. 22-24, presented by the Augusta Players. Nov. 22-23 shows are at 8 p.m.; Nov. 24 show is at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $12-$28. For tickets, call 826-4707.

FANTASY IN LIGHTS HOLIDAY DISPLAY Nov. 22-Dec. 28 at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. Tickets are $12 adult and $6 child ages 6-12 to view from your vehicle, $14 adult and $7 child 6-12 to view from open-air Jolly Trolly, free for children 5 and under. Purchase tickets in advance and select a time slot by calling 1-800-CALLAWAY. GASPING GOBBLER 5K RUN/WALK Nov. 23 at the Wilson Branch of the Family Y. Race begins at 9 a.m. Free quar ter-mile kids’ run for children under 10 begins at 8:30 a.m. Registration fees are $15 per person. Call 733-1030.

CHILDREN’S THANKSGIVING CRAFTS WITH SANDY GREEN at the Ma xwell Branch Library is open to kids ages 5-12. Held Nov. 23 at 11 a.m. Register by calling the library at 793-2020.

“A HOLIDAY AT THE MUSEUM” at the Augusta Museum of History Nov. 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., features live enter tainment, Santa’s Workshop ar ts and craf ts for kids, book signings and raffle. Admission is $3 adult, $1 children ages 6-18.

Children under 5 and museum members get in free. For more information, call 722-8454.

HOLIDAYS IN OLDE LINCOLN TOWNE Nov. 23 in downtown Lincolnton. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. pioneer exhibits at the Historical Park and 4 p.m. parade. For info, call 359-7970.

“THE NEW NUTCRACKER” will be per formed Nov. 23-24 by the Augusta Dance Theatre. Nov. 23 per formance is at 8 p.m. and Nov. 24 per formance is at 3 p.m.; both are held at the ASU Per forming Ar ts Theatre. Tickets are $12 adult, $10 student/senior. Call 860-1852.

“A CHRISTMAS CAROL” Nov. 23-Dec. 29, presented by the Alliance Theatre Company in Atlanta. Tickets are $18-$42. Call (404) 733-4690.

CEDAR CREEK TURKEY TROT ROAD RACE Nov. 24 features four events: a halfmile fun run for kids 9 and under, a one-mile fun run for those 15 and under, a 5K road race and a 5K power walk. Pre-register by Nov. 20 and entry fee is $12 for 5K road race and $10 for other events. Entry fees increase by $2 for those who choose to register af ter Nov. 20. For info, contact Tony Lit tles, (803) 642-7558.

THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION CONCERT Nov. 24, 4 p.m., at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church. Free admission. Call 738-6676 for more information.

BOOK FAIR AND CHANUKAH BAZAAR Nov. 24, 1-4 p.m. Dairy lunch is $3 for children and $5 for adults; menorah craf t project for kids is $5 per menorah. Call the Augusta Jewish Community Center at 228-3636.

FANTASY IN LIGHTS “ARTRAGEOUS SUNDAY! CARDING AROUND” at the Morris Museum of Ar t Dec. 1, 2 p.m. Make holiday cards with local watercolor ar tist Jim Gensheer. Call 7247501 for more information.

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING Dec. 2, 6 p.m., at John C. Calhoun Park in Nor th Augusta. Call (803) 441-4300 for information.

TOYS FOR TOTS AT THE GARDENS: Dec. 2-8, a new, unwrapped toy donation gets you into Augusta Golf and Gardens. Toys valued at $5 or more get one individual admission; toys valued at $10 or more get a family admission. For info, call 724-4443.

THE ACCIDENTALS PERFORM MUSIC FOR THE HOLIDAYS noon Dec. 3 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Concert is free; optional catered lunch is $7 per person. 722-3463.

USC-AIKEN/AIKEN COMMUNITY BAND CHRISTMAS CONCERT Dec. 3, 8 p.m. at USC-Aiken’s Etherredge Center. (803) 641-3305.

A FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS brings together the Augusta Choral Society, the Collegium Musicum and Bill Toole for a holiday per formance Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Hear t Cultural Center. Admission is $10 in advance or $12 at the door. For information and tickets, call Sacred Hear t at 826-4700.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING EXTRAVAGANZA Dec. 5, 5-8 p.m. at Stevens Creek Elementary School. Call 868-3705 (daytime) or 860-2494 (evening) for details.

COMMUNITY TREE DECORATING Dec. 5, 5 p.m., at Smith-Hazel Recreation Center in Aiken. Tree decorating, refreshments, caroling, a visit from Santa and a tree lighting ceremony will be available. (803) 642-7635.

TURKEY WALK for kids 7 and under Nov. 25, 4 p.m. at the Smith-Hazel Recreation Center in Aiken. Cost is $1 per person. Call (803) 642-7635 for information.

HOLIDAY CHORAL CONCERT AND STUDENT DIRECTED ONE ACT PLAYS Dec. 5, 7 p.m., at the Beverly J. Barnhar t Theatre Recital Hall, Rooms 124 and 135 at Davidson Fine Ar ts School. Admission is $5 adult, $4 senior citizens and children under 5, $3 for Davidson students. Call 823-6924, ex t. 107 or ex t. 135 for info.

JAMES BROWN TURKEY GIVEAWAY: on Nov. 27, turkeys will be given to needy families at Dyess Park on James Brown Boulevard star ting at 9 a.m. Contributions may be taken to Dyess Park the day of the event or picked up by James Brown Enterprises. For information, contact Ms. Hogan at 738-1971.

CAROLS IN THE PARK Dec. 5, 6 p.m., at Creighton Living History Park in Nor th Augusta. (803) 441-4300.

HOLIDAY EVENTS IN DOWNTOWN AIKEN: Tree Ceremony Nov. 29 and Holly Days in Aiken Nov. 30. For more information, call the Aiken Downtown Development Association at (803) 649-2221.

“MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET” will be per formed by the Aiken Community Playhouse Nov. 29-30, Dec. 6-8 and 13-14 at the Washington Center for the Per forming Ar ts. Friday and Saturday per formances are at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m. For information and reservations, call (803) 648-1438.

“IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” comes to the Class Act Theatre in Mariet ta, Ga., Nov. 30-Dec. 29. Tickets are $15 adult, $13 seniors and $12 children. (770) 579-3156.

EMPTY STOCKING FUND CHRISTMAS CONCERT by the Augusta Concer t Band.

Held Dec. 1, 3 p.m., at First Baptist Church. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. This concer t marks the last concer t for Dr. Alan Drake, Musical Director. For information, call Ben Easter, (803) 202-0091.

PAINE COLLEGE ANNUAL WINTER CONCERT Dec. 1. At 4 p.m., the Paine College Concer t Choir will per form holiday selections in the Gilber t-Lambuth Memorial Chapel; gala reception and tree lighting ceremony to follow at the Peters Campus Center. 821-8323.

MARTINEZ CHRISTMAS PARADE Dec. 1. Parade begins at Columbia Square. For information, call 863-0785.

“ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS” HOLIDAY TOURS at the Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Dec. 5-6. Costumed candlelight tours will be conducted and tickets are $6 adult, $4 children ages 18 and under. Call 722-9828 for information.

“SCROOGE!” will be performed at Stevens Creek Community Church Dec. 5-8 at 7 p.m., with a Dec. 7 matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 general admission or $10 reserved seating. Purchase tickets online at www.stevenscreek.net or call 863-7002.

HOLIDAY POPS! at the Etherredge and at the Bell presents two per formances by the Chenille Sisters. The Chenille Sisters, along with the Augusta Symphony and the Paine College Choir, per form Dec. 6, 8 p.m., at the Etherredge Center in Aiken.

For tickets, call (803) 641-3305. Dec. 7 per formance is 8 p.m. at Bell Auditorium.

The Chenille Sisters per form as par t of the Publix Family Concer t Series Dec. 8, 3 p.m. at the Ma xwell Per forming Ar ts Theatre. For tickets to Dec. 7 and 8 concer ts, call the Augusta Symphony at 826-4705.

ACTIVITIES FOR HOLIDAY STORIES WORKSHOP Dec. 7, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., at Washington Hall Towers on the Augusta State University Campus is sponsored by the ASU Literacy Center. General admission is $24. Call 733-7043 for reservations.

HOLIDAY LUGGAGE EXCHANGE benefits local domestic violence shelters.

Donations of used luggage will be accepted at the AAA office at 3601 Walton Way Ex t. through Dec. 31. For more information, visit www.aaasouth.com or call the Augusta AAA office at 738-6611.

33

Arts: Theater

M E T R O

“A Christmas Carol” and Other Adventures of Ballas and Justice

E

very now and then, Richard Justice looks at Debi Ballas and says, “You got us into this.”

But it’s the other way around, she insists.

Ballas has been executive director for The Augusta Players five years now, almost to the day. “He talked me into becoming executive director while he was on the board of directors,” she said. After two years at the job, she decided to visit some justice on Justice by convincing him it was a good idea to become artistic director.

Payback is theatre? Perhaps.

“Misery loves company,” they said simultaneously, and laughed, before professing an undying love for their jobs.

A Christmas Carol When Ballas transformed herself into Augusta Players’ executive director, the group was in the midst of preparing for a production of “A Christmas Carol.” Five years later, they’re at it again.

Though The Augusta Players present Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic often, they don’t do it every year. This is the second

year in a row, and only the second time ever with this particular version, which Ballas and Justice consider a superior adaptation of the story. Romulus Linney wrote it.

“There are probably 75 to 100 adaptations easily,” Justice said. The story has leaked from the realm of copyright protection into that of public domain.

Poor Mr. Dickens.

Ballas says there are a few differences this year, as there are bound to be, but only superficial ones. Casting, a little costuming.

This isn’t a difference, but we just have to mention the monolith of a set they’re working with, which they purchased last year from the Lexington Children’s Theatre.

“It is gorgeous,” Justice said. “It’s a total old London ‘scape.”

He compares it to a pop-up storybook.

There are two storefronts which open into the Cratchits’ house and Scrooge’s house, and then the whole thing opens into Scrooge’s bedroom. The details even extend to keyholes and the cracked paint in the Cratchit house.

And of course, Justice is going to be crotchety old Ebenezer Scrooge again. We asked him if he has fun playing the old humbug.

Above: Part of (yes, only part of) the huge set for “ A Christmas Carol.”

Top Right: Richard Justice (Scrooge) prowls the stage.

By Rhonda Jones

S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

“I do,” he said. “It’s an extremely challenging role. There’s really no break for him.

Even though the dialogue is not all him ... don’t get me wrong, he has more dialogue than anyone. But he has to be onstage and reacting to every scene.”

When Ballas Left the Room ...

Justice recounted an adventure they’d had at Le Cafe du Teau, before they were directors.

“Debi has a totally different background than I do,” he said. “She was in 1970s bands.

She’s a lounge singer.” The two of them signed on about six or seven years ago, he said, to entertain at Le Cafe. Their job was to present Broadway musical numbers while patrons enjoyed a multi-course meal.

Justice, a man who had been onstage more times than anyone can count, froze.

“Because I’d never worked in that type of environment. It freaked me out. I’m not used to people talking while I’m performing.”

“I need that fourth wall,” he added. He said that he even tries to position himself onstage where he can look into the lights and make the audience disappear.

Not that he doesn’t want you to be there, but Justice finds that, for concentration’s sake, he has to work from a sort of bubble, insulated from distracting stares.

And there is always the chance, he said, of experiencing that horror of horrors – looking out into the audience and seeing someone he knows. He told a story of working at Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre and being friends with director Steve Walpert’s sister-in-law. For some reason, he said, whenever she came to his shows, his eye would find her. “It would throw me for a loop,” he said, laughing.

But Ballas, he said, is another animal altogether. “She can sing when the whole room’s going crazy.”

When Ballas returned to the interview, Justice told her he’d mentioned the Cafe du Teau story.

“Oh that was hilarious,” she said.

He said he’d needed a drink. She said she’d told him, “Oh, no – that’s bad for your throat.”

“If I don’t, I’ll throw up,” he’d said.

Her response? “Go have a drink.” But, she said, he did what he’d come there to do.

“Not well,” he insisted.

“Yes he did. And we did have fun performing.”

“We did have fun,” he agreed.

Sounds like that could be the ending to many of their stories.

But What About the Beginning?

The two met at Louigi’s, which was owned at the time by her parents-in-law. It was in 1988, and Justice had just returned from a five-year stay in New Orleans. He had tended bar and waited tables in New Orleans and that’s what he wound up doing at Louigi’s. He was their first male waiter. And Ballas tended bar from time to time. The two went from being coworkers to fast friends. And now?

“I’m an honorary Greek,” Justice said.

“Definitely,” Ballas agreed. “Oh, he’s part of my family.”

Blood kin and friends had cautioned the two of them that Ballas’ directing a production in which Justice was working could drive a wedge between them.

“It did not,” Ballas said. “Not a bit.”

“It just enforced our respect for one another,” Justice added.

She insisted, however, that she would not be so “pompous” or “arrogant” to say that she was “directing Richard.” And that’s not what she’s trying to do, she added.

“I want him to be able to focus on his own role and not worry about the production,” she said.

And in that vein, he said, “She yelled at me the other night.”

She said he was too busy worrying about the other actors’ costumes and wasn’t listening to what he needed to hear.

“We look out for each other,” she added. “‘Cause nobody else will,” he said. And laughed.

“A Christmas Carol” will run at the Imperial Theatre, Nov. 22-23 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. For tickets call (706) 826-4707. For info, visit the Players’ Web site at www.augustaplayers.com.

34

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M E T R O

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S P I R I T

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N O V 2 1

Arts: Visual

Over 100 Works From Paris’ Musée d’Orsay on Exhibit at High Museum

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Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) Apples and Oranges, ca. 1895-1900 Oil on canvas, 29-1/8 x 36-5/8 in.

Credit: Musée d’Orsay, Paris © Photo RMN/Hervé Lewandowski

S

tep right up, ladies and gentlemen. For the first time ever in the U.S., the Musée d’Orsay in Paris will loan over 100 of its precious paintings. And these gems are going to reside very nearby – at Atlanta’s High Museum. Just a hop, skip and a joy ride away.

Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet and Edouard Manet are but a few of the artists represented in this famous collection coming to Atlanta under the exhibition title “Paris in the Age of Impressionism: Masterworks from the Musée d’Orsay.”

Linnea Harwell, manager of visitors’ services for the High, spoke with The Spirit about the exhibit. “It is really a cultural coup for Atlanta – not just for the High Museum, but for Atlanta,” she said, adding that it took an incredible number of people, both at the High and at d’Orsay, to arrange such an event.

“It’s really about relationships,” she said.

“We’ve been working on this project for years. Years. Three years. The amount of teamwork, the army of people it takes to coordinate something like this both in Atlanta and Paris – it’s amazing,” she said.

“And it’s really terrific, not only for Atlanta, but for the Southeast as well,” she said. “It’s a lot easier to get to Atlanta than it is to Paris.”

The collection, she said, was born out of the collection at the Louvre, also in Paris. When these 120 paintings were ready to move out into a place of their own, they wound up in a building that was built as a train station and hotel.

Called the Gare d’Orsay, it was erected at the turn of the century. Birthed during the last World’s Fair of the era, it was designed by Victor Laloux and resembled the Palace of Fine Arts, which was the other major building of the Universal

Claude Monet (1840-1926) The Rue Montorgueil in Paris, Festival of June 30, 1878, 1878 Oil on canvas, 31-7/8 x 19-7/8 in.

Credit: Musée d’Orsay, Paris © Photo RMN/Hervé Lewandowski

Exposition of 1900. We know that particular building today as the Grand Palais.

The High sent this whimsical anecdote about the two. “The painter Edouard Detaille presciently commented on the Gare d’Orsay in 1900: ‘The train station is magnificent and looks like a palace of fine arts, and since the Palace of Fine Arts looks like a train station, I suggested to Laloux that he switch them if there was still time.’”

Cheeky devil.

The High Museum went through a lot of trouble to get this collection. For one thing, they have set aside an entire department – the registrar’s department – to care for the artwork. And bringing it over required a lot of care.

“Some of the pieces that came over, they had to hand carry, which means that one individual gets on an airplane carrying that piece of art,” Harwell said.

Wow. “Paris in the Age of Impressionism: Masterworks from the Musée d’Orsay” will run from Nov. 23 through March 16 at the High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, Ga. Admission prices are as follows: Tuesday through Friday $13 general admission; $10 seniors and students; $8 children age 6-17. Saturday and Sunday: $15 general; $12 seniors and students; $8 children 617. Museum members and children under 6 are always admitted free. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. Tickets may be purchased 24 hours a day by visiting www.ParisinAtlanta.org or www.high.org. You may also call the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office at (404) 733-5000. Ask about group discounts and membership informaiton.

35

Arts: Theater

M E T R O

Soldiers Entertain Soldiers in Theatre BRAVO!

S P I R I T

By Rhonda Jones

N O V

S

ergeant Kenneth Carden, stage manager for Theatre BRAVO!, defies anyone to say that a soldier is just a soldier.

“Regardless if we’re in the military or not, everyone has talent,” he said. “‘For the soldier, by the soldier’ is our motto. What better way to be entertained than by someone who has been through everything you’ve gone through or may go through?”

Tim Higdon, producer for Theatre BRAVO!, has this to say about the show: “It’s a show based on American literature and older American tunes that has been put together and designed to remind Americans of what they have.”

Theatre BRAVO! is a performance troup under the auspices of the Army Entertainment program. The performance it is bringing to Augusta is called “Lift Up Your Hearts, America,” and includes songs by performers near and dear to the hearts of many: Billy Joel, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Roger Miller, Woodie Guthrie and George M. Cohan. There will also be some poetry, past and present, by Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, and dramatic word by Sam Sheperd, John Steinbeck and Rita Dove. These spoken-word tidbits are woven into the show, along with some original monologues incorporating the experiences of cast members. There will be humor and tenderness as well.

Speaking of humor, one segment, called “Roadside America,” deals with some of the interesting things you might see traveling the highways and byways of America.

The Spam Museum, for instance.

Carden, a telecommunications specialist born and raised in Augusta, said that soldiers audition and are chosen for sixmonth tours in Theatre BRAVO!, after which they get back to their regular jobs.

And he said that the performing soldier is not a new idea.

“Army Entertainment has a long tradi-

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And, he added, BRAVO! is not alone in the division. There is The Soldier Show, a traveling acting troupe, and American Express, which is devoted to music.

Carden said that programs such as this one are important because soldiers need to keep up their spirits. “Our goal is to raise morale by showing troops that we’re troops just like you. We’re here to make you happy. For those who are deployed and haven’t seen home in a while, we bring home to them.”

Of course, if you’re not a soldier, you can still go. “We direct our show toward soldiers, the families of soldiers and the community of the soldiers,” Carden said.

“Lift Up Your Hearts, America” will be performed Dec. 6 and 7 at Fort Gordon.

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., with the show scheduled to begin at 8:00. Tickets are $30 general admission, $28 for seniors 65 and over, and $25 for enlisted grades E4 and under. The price includes a buffet and show admission.

Reservations required. Call the Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre Box Office at 793-8552.

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S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

Cinema Movie Listings Austin Powers in Goldmember (PG-13) — No golden member, just a tin fig leaf. Mike

Myers still has his crack timing and suppor ting cast (Seth Green a standout, plus Michael Caine agog with fun as Powers' dad), but the silly plot is nothing, and too many gags are just stupid frat-boy stuf f with a lacing of gay schtick. Beyonce Knowles brings a zip of sassy freshness as Fox x y Cleopatra, yet the movie is both smug and lazy, and the gaudy, pushy "st yle" steamrolls the humor into flatness.

With numerous celebrit y cameos, none ver y funny (the least: Steven Spielberg). Running time: 1 hr., 33 mins. (Elliot t) ★1/2 The Banger Sisters (R) — Goldie Hawn plays Suzet te, who is fired from her job as resident bar babe of a Sunset Strip rock club. With her free identit y now turning to chaos, Suzet te wobbles of f to Phoenix to beg money and maybe soul suppor t from the long-gone other half of the Banger Sisters.

But past groupie Vinnie (Susan Sarandon) is now Lavinia, upscale lawyer's wife and mom of t wo contrasting girls (Erika Christensen, Eva Amurri), who rail against her fussy squareness, yet rely on her profoundly. Suzet te shows up as a time warp, wearing pink and leather and hair like a mosh pit, and shakes ever yone loose. What about all the groupies who died of booze or drugs or AIDS? If you need to make that point, you're way too square for the funny spirit and good company of "The Banger Sisters." Cast: Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Geof frey Rush, Erika Christensen, Eva Amurri, Robin Thomas. Running time: 1 hr., 34 mins.

(Elliot t) ★★★ Brown Sugar (PG-13) — "Brown Sugar " is a romantic comedy focusing on t wo childhood friends

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

M E T R O

“Friday After Next”

who have both found success in the world of hiphop: one is an A&R executive at a record label and the other is the editor of a glossy music mag. Even though they’re both involved with others, the t wo discover that they may have already found love – years ago with each other. Cast: Sanaa Latham, Taye Diggs, Queen Latifah, Mos Def. Die Another Day (PG-13) — Pierce Brosnan stars once again as James Bond in the 20th film in the series; 2002 also marks the 40th anniversar y of the James Bond franchise. This plot centers around the experimental mutation device of a Nor th Korean leader who is lef t badly disfigured af ter one of his mutations goes wrong. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berr y, John Cleese, Toby Stephens.

8 Mile (R) — As Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith, Eminem flunks his first hip-hop bat tle, a cut ting contest of insult rhymes at a black club, is pegged a choker, and sulks back to his grueling job at a metal-stamping mill. The simple stor y is how Rabbit motorizes his mouth, confirming the "genius" proclaimed by pal and club emcee Future (Mekhi Phifer). As a buzzer, it has juice. Thanks to Eminem and the rising rap momentum, "8 Mile" is engrossing. In this urban, if not urbane, fantasy, the hero takes a bad beating, gets up and goes to work, interrupts work to wow ever yone at the hip-hop club, then returns to work af ter a verbal outlay that would have put even Winston Churchill in bed for days. Cast: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Evan Jones, Brit tany Murphy, Maureen Steen, Anthony Mackie. Running time: 1 hr., 58 mins.

(Elliot t) ★★★ The Emperor’s Club (PG-13) — "The Emperor’s Club" tackles the relationship bet ween a

“The Emperor's Club”

prep school teacher, played by Kevin Kline, and a troubled student, played by Emile Hirsch. Hirsch must deal with the high expectations his father sets for him. Based on the shor t stor y "The Palace Thief." Cast: Kevin Kline, Emile Hirsch, Patrick Dempsey.

The Four Feathers (PG-13) — Heath Ledger stars as Harr y, who looks even bet ter than most of the men in a scarlet Victorian uniform. Soon af ter engaging to marr y the of ficer's gorgeous daughter Ethne (Kate Hudson) and learning that the regiment is being dispatched to the Sudan for war, Harr y loses his ner ve and resigns. Four white feathers are sent to Harr y, stigmas of disgust and banishment.

The engagement dissolves. The regiment leaves.

Soon Harr y will follow, and he must find his mates in the huge, cruel Sudan. "Four Feathers" has the realit y of pain and endurance. It's macho without much hokum. Cast: Heath Ledger, Kate Hudson, Wes Bentley, Djimon Hounsou, Tim Piggot t-Smith, Michael Sheen. Running time: 2 hrs. (Elliot t) ★★★1/2 Frida (R) — Salma Hayek poured her hear t into this biopic about the life of Mexican ar tist Frida Kahlo. Her open marriage to Diego Rivera, characterized by ex tramarital af fairs and loyal tenderness, as well as the couple’s political and social statements and scandals, made Kahlo one of the most color ful and controversial ar tists of the 20th Centur y. Cast: Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geof frey Rush, Ashley Judd, Antonio Banderas, Edward Nor ton.

Friday After Next (R) — This is the third film in the "Friday" series and features the same people, places and pals highlighted in the first t wo. "Friday Af ter Nex t" takes place around Christmas, as Craig and Day-Day are working as securit y guards af ter a "ghet to Santa" who’s been stealing presents. Cast: Ice Cube, Mike Epps, Don "D.C." Curr y.

Ghost Ship (R) — A salvage crew on a mission discovers an abandoned passenger ship, missing since 1953, floating on a lone stretch of the Bering Sea. When the crew decides to tow the passenger ship back, strange things begin to happen. Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Juliana Margulies, Desmond Harrington.

Half Past Dead (PG-13) — Steven Seagal action flick about a criminal mastermind whose big plan is to infiltrate a ma ximum-securit y prison and obtain information on the whereabouts of $200 million wor th of gold from a death row inmate. What he doesn’t know is that planted inside the prison is an undercover federal agent (Seagal). Cast: Morris Chestnut, Steven Seagal, Mat t Bat taglia.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PG) — Harr y (Daniel Radclif fe) faces destiny

with a clear eye and spor t y will, not the least neurotic despite having been orphaned into a family of idiotic prigs who treat him abominably. He again escapes to Hogwar ts, to his pals (Ruper t Grint as wobble-faced Ron, Emma Watson as book worm Hermione) and the snippish regard of Prof. Snape (Alan Rickman) and Prof. McGonegall (Maggie Smith), and the wonder ful giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Headmaster Dumbledore (Richard

RATINGS

★★★★ — Excellent.

★★★— Worthy.

★★ — Mixed.

★ — Poor.

Harris, now dead). Jason Isaacs should be given more time as Lucius, the evil, white-maned father of snob Draco Malfoy. There is a sense of a grand machine greased, sometimes grinding. The "chamber of secrets" is less an exciting myster y at the center than a device to car t the bulk y saga forward.

Cast: Daniel Radclif fe, Ruper t Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane. Running time: 2 hrs., 41 mins. (Elliot t) ★★★ I Spy (PG-13) — Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson have a cute par tnership in "I Spy," but the movie around them is so of ten nearly nothing that their charm doesn't do a load of good. Murphy is Kelly, the world middleweight boxing champ and Wilson is Alex, junior agent and wannabe Bond.

They are recruited by President Bush for a super mission to Budapest, involving a nuclear stealth plane and a crazed Asian leader being armed by a sociopath (Malcolm McDowell). The plot junk weighs rather heavily on this air-zoned comedy, given the current world situation. Probably the core template for the teaming is the old Hope-Crosby vehicles. Cast: Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Famke Janssen, Malcolm McDowell, Gar y Cole. Running time: 1 hr., 40 mins. (Elliot t) ★★ Jackass: The Movie (R) — Nothing more than a big-screen version of the hit MTV series, "Jackass: The Movie" features Johnny Knox ville and pals per forming hilarious and dangerous stunts and playing practical jokes on unsuspecting crowds.

Don’t tr y this at home. Cast: Johnny Knox ville, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Steve O. Like Mike (PG) — The rapper Lil Bow Wow plays 14-year-old Calvin Cambridge, one of the older residents in an L.A. orphanage. Calvin has t wo wishes — to find parents who love him and to play in the NBA like his idol, Michael Jordan. Then one day, Calvin's only adult ally, Sister Theresa (Anne Meara), discovers an old pair of sneakers that once belonged to Michael Jordan. Calvin tries them on, and they are a per fect fit. The nex t day, Calvin's dreams begin to materialize. He meets one of his idols, basketball superstar Tracey Reynolds (Morris Chestnut), during a half time contest at a Los Angeles Knights game. Calvin makes a wish to be "like Mike" and suddenly displays moves reminiscent of Jordan. He is quickly signed by the Knights, and both he and new teammate Tracey go on a journey of self-discover y. Cast: Lil Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Brenda Song, Crispin Glover, Anne Meara and Eugene Levy. Running time: 1 hr., 30 mins. (McCormick) ★★★ Lilo & Stitch (PG) — A cute Disney 'toon made in Florida but set in Hawaii, where darling Lilo turns a space crit ter into a pet. The animation is not computerized and has lovely watercolor ef fects, though the plot, voicework, Elvis tunes and product plugs are generically New Disney, not of Walt caliber. 1 hr., 20 mins. (Elliot t) ★★1/2 Men in Black 2 (PG-13) — Will Smith (ver y post-"Ali") and Tommy Lee Jones (looking aged and bored) return as the alien-busting men in black, in a movie stuf fed with crit ters and special ef fects, like a vast expansion of a Mad magazine parody.

Rosario Dawson is a decal of innocence; Lara Flynn

0— Not worthy.

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”

37

“I Spy”

M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

2 0 0 2

Boyle a creepy space witch; the pug dog gets more lines; the fun is rather oppressive even at 82 minutes. Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Rosario Dawson, Lara Flynn Boyle. Running time: 1 hr., 22 mins. (Elliot t) ★★

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (PG) —

Unmarried Toula Por tokalos is a 30-year-old waitress in her parents’ Greek restaurant, Dancing Zorba’s. Vowing to change, she gets a makeover and takes a job in her aunt’s travel agency, where, newly confident, she meets handsome Ian Miller — a high-school teacher who is definitely not Greek.

The tale is familiar: strong and fiercely commit ted to their ethnic roots family but ts heads with the outsider wanting to marr y into the group. But “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” of fers enough in the way of wit to stifle the sitcom feel a film like this might otherwise have. Cast: Nia Vardalos, John Corbet t, Louis Mandylor, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone. Running time: 1 hr., 35 mins.

Red Dragon (R) — Ed Nor ton plays Graham.

He hates his work, especially af ter he and Hannibal Lecter nearly kill each other. But he's pulled back by earnest Detective Craw ford (Har vey Keitel) to solve the case of Dolarhyde, a nerdy lunatic whose back is a slab of tat tooed muscle, whose mind is a nightmare. He kills and mutilates families in a grotesque private ritual. Much of the movie is Graham and Craw ford comparing notes, noshing through the case. Lecter drops in for preening and condescending. Ted Tally's script fills the gore quota, pops lurid surprises and peddles a kind of family-values porn.

The stor y savors its psychos as princes of evil, warped vir tuosos of the dark side. Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Nor ton, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Har vey Keitel. Running time: 2 hrs., 4 mins. (Elliot t) ★ The Ring (PG-13) — begins with the telling of an urban-legend-like tale that, for a while, seems likely to consign this movie to the slasher/horror bin: A weird videotape is circulating. As soon as you're through watching it, the telephone rings. A voice on the phone informs you that you have seven days to live. Seven days later, you die. The film

THE METROPOLITAN

boasts first-rate per formances, a gorgeous look, an engaging plot and a jangly, thrumming sense of dread. The ef fectiveness of such a movie depends entirely on the beholder. Save for a long, uneasy feeling of foreboding and one solid jolt, I didn't find it all that scar y. Two young women exiting the theater in front of me, however, declared that the thing had terrified them, and I'm willing to take their word for it. Cast: Naomi Wat ts, Mar tin Henderson, David Dor fman, Brian Cox. Running time: 1 hr., 55 mins.

(Salm) ★★1/2 The Santa Clause 2 (G) — Tim Allen discovers af ter eight years of being Santa that there's another small detail in his contract: In order for him to continue being the Jolly Old Elf, he's got to take a wife. But first he has to deal with his son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), who's landed himself on the naught y list. Charlie's principal (Elizabeth Mitchell) wants him gone pronto and is a bit blue because the holidays don't mean as much to her as they once did. With 28 days to go before the contract expires, Santa's got a lot of work to do. One of his trust y elves comes up with a machine that can duplicate Santa while he's out in the real world hunting for a wife.

Allen is remarkable playing Santa as funny, wise and sympathetic, all at the same time. 1 hr, 42 mins. (McCormick) ★★★ Signs (PG-13) — Mel Gibson plays Father Graham Hess, an Episcopal priest who lost his faith and retired his collar af ter his wife was killed in an auto accident. He lives in an old farmhouse with t wo adorable kids, plus a younger brother (Joaquin Phoenix). Big, elegantly precise "crop signs" turn up in their cornfield. It's space aliens, and the movie teases us as the signs pile up. The aliens show up, shoving clawed hands under doors but scared by steak knives, full of evil strength, yet not able to knock down the pathetic blockade of a fruit cellar.

"Signs," though handsomely shot, seems meant for viewers who need to believe in tabloid aliens, and that we can beat them with plain-spun, homeland vir tues. It should be called "Sins" for compounding the sins of bad filming. Cast: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Ror y Culkin, M. Night Shyamalan, Cherr y

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Jones. Running time: 1 hr., 46 mins. (Elliot t) ★ Spider-Man (PG-13) — Sweetly dork y Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is bit ten by a new form of lab spider on a school trip. He morphs into a speed master with arachnid powers, but keeps his real identit y masked from the girl literally nex t door, Mar y Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). Spider-Man casts webs from his hand, climbs and leaps around New York and bat tles a capitalist nut turned Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). Always sidelined is the nut's son, Peter's best friend, Harr y (James Franco). The film is high-craf ted and amusing, though the POW! st yle so right for Mar vel pages can be numbing in this tech-loaded, hypersonic approach. "SpiderMan" has the heat of a newborn franchise. The costumed hero finally makes a brilliant match with Old Glor y, in a gleaming Manhat tan. Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco, Clif f Rober tson, Rosemar y Harris. Running time: 2 hrs. (Elliot t) ★★★ Sweet Home Alabama (PG-13) — Only a year and t wo weeks af ter New York became our most tormented but inspiring cit y, it is upstaged by a happy hicksville called Pigeon Creek. Why? Because cute "Mel" (Reese Witherspoon) fled poorfolks marriage to Pigeon Creek sweethear t Jake (Josh Lucas). She is now a light of Manhat tan as fashion designer Melanie Carmichael. And she has the love of politically upward dreamboat Andrew (Patrick Dempsey, son of The Apple's tough but dishy mayor, Candice Bergen). Andy doesn't know that his betrothed is still married to 'Bama boy Jake, who is hur t, haunted and planning his own rise from mediocrit y. Mel returns home for a divorce, puts on her corn-pone accent instantly, and rediscovers the joys of Pigeon Creek. Director Andy Tennant ser ves this corny material with the skill of a machine punching out Alabama license plates. Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Fred Ward, Mar y Kay Place, Candice Bergen. Running time: 1 hr., 40 mins. (Elliot t) ★★ Swimfan (PG-13) — "Swimfan" is a by-thebook thriller, but in this book, about a third of the pages seem to be missing — the ones that might

provide the viable thrills. The swim is Ben (Jesse Bradford), who surmounted some past trouble by taking to a pool and becoming the budding star of his high school team. The fan is Madison (Erika Christensen), who cares naught for swimming but develops a sudden, compulsive fixation on Ben. Soon af ter joining the student body, she joins his, in the ver y pool of his dreams. Already warped — she has a past jock lover parked in a coma — she becomes the nemesis who cannot abide rejection.

The clima x is an absurd, “let's-wrap” rush of entrapment, and if you really believe it, please don't go into police work. Cast: Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, Shiri Appleby, Dan Hedaya, Kate Bur ton. Running time: 1 hr., 42 mins. (Elliot t) ★1/2 The Transporter (PG-13) — Frank Mar tin is an ex-special forces operator living the quiet life along the Mediterranean in France. He suppor ts himself by running his own courier ser vice – with a few rules. Namely, Mar tin doesn’t want to know who he’s working for or what he’s delivering. But when Mar tin notices the package he’s transpor ting star t to move, he looks in the box and finds a beautiful and bound woman. Cast: Jason Statham, Shu Qi, Mat t Schulze.

XXX (PG-13) — Vin Diesel is buf f, which is surely the main point of his playing "edge spor ts" thrill-seeker turned CIA agent Xander Cage, but he has glints of boyish vulnerabili t y. As he grooves into playing the new agent recrui ted by the agency's top dude (Samuel L. Jackson), the movie finds a rhy thm that is like a more masculine, bulked-up "Barbarella." The plot is junk, about a gang of ex-Red Army cra zies led by a satanic Slavic slime (Mar ton Csokas), nihilists eager to destroy the world wi th a super weapon.

It's another movie where you must believe, or giggle. Cast: Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Asia Argento, Mar ton Csokas, Danny Trejo. Running time: 1 hr., 44 mins. (Elliot t) ★★ —Capsules compiled from movie reviews writ ten by David Elliot t, film critic for The San Diego Union-Tribune and other staf f writers.

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Cinema: Review

“The Emperor's Club” Asks Questions It Can't Answer By Rachel Deahl

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oing where so many films have gone before, “The Emperor’s Club” manages to distinguish itself from the mass of syrupy tales of triumph in the classroom by offering up a less dynamic incaranation of the beloved teacher character, and the values he’s trying to impart to his students.

Bearing a strikingly eerie resemblance to “Dead Poets Society,” this Kevin Kline vehicle is set during the ‘70s at a posh boarding school with its basic distinction being the style and approach of its professor. While Robin Williams urged his tight-lipped pupils to carpadeum in his English class with impressions of John Wayne doing “Hamlet” and improptu poetry readings on the soccer field, Kline’s tight-lipped teach tries to inspire his class the good old fashioned way: with the work itself. Here the subject is the classics with the action centered on Kline’s struggle to steer straight his most wayward student, the spoiled and embittered son of a powerful senator.

Unsure which cliché about teaching it’s trying to pass on, “The Emperor’s Club” squanders multiple opportunities to explore interesting topics about honesty, passion and the real point of education.

Hung on a single action, the film chronicles the lasting effect of its impassioned and painfully honest teacher’s one mistake: changing a grade. But, refusing to focus on its characters and delve into their motivations and fears, “Emperor’s Club” plays out like an uninspired snapshot of a classroom through the years.

Where “Dead Poets Society” filled the screen with trite, but glamorized, images of the teacher who instills his students with a passion for life, “Emperor’s Club” lacks such grandeur. Unfortunately, the less glamorous approach to displaying education at work does nothing to create

a grittier or more interesting film since, ultimately, “Emperor’s Club” spits out the same tired line about how knowledge and learning should conquer all without saying why.

Just as Michelle Pfieffer urged her inner-city students that knowing Dylan Thomas really would improve their hardknocks life in “Dangerous Minds,” Kevin Kline’s professor clings to a prevailing belief that knowing the story of the great ancient civilizations will mold his pupils into better people — of course neither film actually proves this point.

Ultimately neither film is willing to admit the more discomfiting and complex reality that, in and of itself, education is a means and not an ends, and that its usefulness is rarely “practical.”

There’s a seminal scene in the “The Emperor’s Club” when Kline goes to speak with the senator and father of his most difficult student. In the conversation, the politician asks the teacher that most feared question: What’s the point of everything you’re teaching? Kline fumbles with his words and says something about how learning the classics will teach the boys how to govern, lead and rule. Of course that answer is bullshit, but the question matters, and it’s the one thing the film, like Kline’s teacher, never truly faces. Teaching about history, particularly ancient civilizations, is something of a precarious job since we live in a society which is obsessed with seeing tangible results, something education doesn’t often offer. By and large, we still haven’t quite figured out what the point of teaching is. “The Emperor’s Club” certainly doesn’t shed any light on that question and, in an ironic twist, offers up the one response it was most trying to avoid: an empty one more befitting a politician than a teacher.

Cinema: Close-Up

Latest Bond Girl Halle Berry Makes Her Own Rules

By Joey Berlin

T

his year marks the 40th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, and the formula still works like gangbusters. The latest Bond flick, “Die Another Day,” chalks up some history of its own. For starters, the British secret agent has switched Vodka brands. And of greater interest to movie buffs, “Die Another Day” introduces the first Bond babe likely to get her own spin-off movie.

Halle Berry, who plays the sexy trained assassin, Jinx, has already agreed to reprise the character in her own movie, which is currently in an early stage of development.

The actress is fresh off her Best Actress Oscar victory for her candid portrayal of a widow in “Monster’s Ball.” Happily for this 34-year-old star, a post-Oscar drop off the radar does not appear to be in the cards: Berry’s next all-but-guaranteed blockbuster is “XMen 2,” in which she again plays comic book superhero Storm.

Q: Is being a Bond woman everything that you thought it would be?

A: It really was, and I’d have to say more. It was more fun than I could have imagined, and more work. It was great, though.

Q: More work in what sense? You do a lot of running and jumping and fighting and kicking, but you have done all that before.

A: On this film, some days it was just really exhausting. I was thinking I was prepared and realized after the fact that I wasn’t prepared enough. Because in “XMen,” when Storm controls the weather, she just stands there, raises her arms and her eyes go wide. For Bond, I had to fight with knives and rappel from ceilings and run after moving airplanes and jump in and out of holes. But I’m really not even good at chin-ups, and I realized that those are the kinds of things one needs to work on before doing a movie like this.

I just wasn’t prepared that way.

Q: Did Pierce Brosnan really have to give you the Heimlich maneuver once?

A: That he did, that’s true. We were doing the love scene and I was trying to be way too sexy for my own good, obviously, and a fig got stuck in my throat. I was getting no air in or out. Pierce said he knew how to do it, so he jumped behind me, did something, and out came the fig.

It was so not sexy, after that moment.

Q: What was your experience working with Pierce?

A: It was great! He’s a professional, he’s a family man, he’s very giving and he’s funny. He also helped me through those tough spots when I couldn’t do every-

39

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thing he could, because he’s Bond. He didn’t make me feel inadequate, he figured out ways to help me cheat and make it look like I was doing things I really wasn’t. He was really sweet to me.

Q: Do you like Bond movies? Would you have gone to see this movie if you weren’t in it?

A: Yeah, I’ve been going to Bond movies for probably the last 10 years. I love the world of it, the fantasy. And I love the sexy guy, knowing that Bond is going to foil the crime without a scratch on him.

There’s going to be the great lines, the gadgets and the cars. It’s a good clean ride.

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Q: How does winning the Oscar make you feel? Does it take a weight off your shoulders?

A: I was lucky enough to win, but as an actor, we’re all insecure by nature. I think if any actress tells you that they’re not — I believe personally, and I’m going out on a limb here — they’re lying. I think we’re all insecure and that’s why we got into this business. And I think that insecurity is what makes good actors good. So, no, I don’t think I’m “good” now. Now I think I have to prove I deserve the Oscar. I think I’ll always be proving myself.

Q: You have already filmed “X-Men 2.” Is it nice to come back for a sequel?

A: Yes, because you don’t have that first month and a half when everybody’s getting to know everybody. We just picked right up where we left off. And we all have a lot of fun together. It’s a real eclectic group of people from all over the corners of the world, so we always get to learn a lot, we laugh a lot and we’re really comfortable with each other. And we had some new characters that we had to initiate, which we did.

Q: Are Oscar-winning actresses allowed to be action heroes?

A: I don’t know, but I’m going to make my own rules. I’ve always had to, being a woman of color, so why stop now?

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MOVIE CLOCK REGAL AUGUSTA EXCHANGE 20 Movies Good 11/22 - 11/26 Die Another Day (PG-13) 10:10, 10:45, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 10:00, 10:30, 10:55 The Emperor’s Club (PG-13) Fri-Sat: 10:05, 1:35, 4:10, 6:40, 9:15, 11:50; Sun-Tues: 10:05, 1:35, 4:10, 6:40, 9:15 Friday After Nex t (R) Fri-Sat: 10:00, 10:15, 12:05, 1:55, 2:25, 4:05, 4:40, 6:10, 7:50, 8:20, 9:50, 10:50, 12:15; Sun-Tues: 10:00, 10:15, 12:05, 1:55, 2:25, 4:05, 4:40, 6:10, 7:50, 8:20, 9:50, 10:50 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PG) 10:00, 11:20, 11:55, 12:15, 1:25, 2:45, 3:20, 3:40, 4:50, 6:10, 6:45, 7:05, 8:15, 9:35, 10:10, 10:30, 11:45 Half Past Dead (PG-13) Fri-Sat: 11:50, 2:25, 4:55, 5:20, 7:15, 9:40, 10:15, 12:05, 12:40; Sun-Tues: 11:50, 2:25, 4:55, 5:20, 7:15, 9:40, 10:15 8 Mile (R) Fri-Sat: 10:10, 10:40, 12:50, 1:45, 3:55, 4:35, 7:10, 7:40, 9:45, 10:20, 12:25; SunTues: 10:10, 10:40, 12:50, 1:45, 3:55, 4:35, 7:10, 7:40, 9:45, 10:20 I Spy (PG-13) 4:30, 10:05, 12:25 The Santa Clause 2 (G) Fri: 12:00, 2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:20, 11:45; Sat: 2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:20, 11:45; Sun-Tues: 12:00, 2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:20 Ghost Ship (R) 10:25, 12:40, 3:00, 8:00 Jackass: The Movie (R) 12:45, 3:05, 5:40, 8:05, 10:35 The Ring (PG-13) 10:50, 1:40, 4:20, 7:50, 10:40 Brown Sugar (PG-13) Fri-Sat: 10:30, 1:05, 4:00, 6:55, 10:00, 12:30; Sun-Tues: 10:30, 1:05, 4:00, 6:55, 10:00 Sweet Home Alabama (PG-13) Fri-Sat: 10:35, 3:50, 6:50, 9:30, 12:00; Sun-Tues: 10:35, 3:50, 6:50, 9:30 My Big Fat Greek Wedding (PG) 11:20, 1:50, 7:35 EVANS 12 CINEMAS Movies Good 11/22 - 11/26 Die Another Day (PG-13) Fri: 2:15, 4:15, 5:15, 7:15, 8:15, 9:50; Sat-Sun: 1:15, 2:15, 4:15, 5:15, 7:15, 8:15, 9:50; Mon-Tues: 4:15, 5:15, 7:15, 8:15, 9:50 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PG) Fri: 2:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00; Sat-Sun: 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00; Mon-Tues: 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00 Frida (R) Fri: 4:20, 7:05, 9:25; Sat-Sun: 1:40,

4:20, 7:05, 9:25; Mon-Tues: 4:20, 7:05, 9:25 Half Past Dead (PG-13) Fri: 3:30, 5:40, 7:50, 10:00; Sat-Sun: 1:20, 3:30, 5:40, 7:50, 10:00; Mon-Tues: 5:40, 7:50, 10:00 8 Mile (R) Fri-Sun: 2:10, 4:30, 7:10, 9:35; MonTues: 4:30, 7:10, 9:35 Santa Clause 2 (G) Fri: 3:15, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45; Sat-Sun: 1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45; MonTues: 5:20, 7:30, 9:45 The Ring (PG-13) Fri-Sun: 2:20, 4:40, 7:25, 9:55; Mon-Tues: 4:40, 7:25, 9:55 My Big Fat Greek Wedding (PG) Fri: 3:40, 5:40, 7:40, 9:40; Sat-Sun: 1:40, 3:40, 5:40, 7:40, 9:40; Mon-Tues: 5:40, 7:40, 9:40 Sweet Home Alabama (PG-13) Fri-Sun: 2:30, 5:10, 7:20, 9:50; Mon-Tues: 5:10, 7:20, 9:50 MASTERS 7 CINEMAS Movies Good 11/22 - 11/26 Die Another Day (PG-13) Fri: 4:00, 7:00, 9:40; Sat-Sun: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:40; Mon-Tues: 4:00, 7:00, 9:40 Friday After Nex t (R) Fri: 5:20, 7:20, 9:20; SatSun: 1:20, 3:20, 5:20, 7:20, 9:20; Mon-Tues: 5:20, 7:20, 9:20 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PG) Fri: 5:00, 8:30; Sat-Sun: 1:30, 5:00, 8:30; MonTues: 5:00, 8:30 Half Past Dead (PG-13) Fri: 5:25, 7:25, 9:35; Sat-Sun: 1:25, 3:25, 5:25, 7:25, 9:35; MonTues: 5:25, 7:25, 9:35 8 Mile (R) Fri: 4:15, 7:15, 9:30; Sat-Sun: 1:15, 4:15, 7:15, 9:30; Mon-Tues: 4:15, 7:15, 9:30 Santa Clause 2 (G) Fri: 5:05, 7:05, 9:05; SatSun: 1:05, 3:05, 5:05, 7:05, 9:05; Mon-Tues: 5:05, 7:05, 9:05 The Ring (PG-13) Fri: 4:25, 7:10, 9:25; Sat-Sun: 1:10, 4:25, 7:10, 9:25; Mon-Tues: 4:25, 7:10, 9:25 REGAL 12 CINEMAS Movies Good 11/22 - 11/26 Banger Sisters (R) 2:10, 4:35, 7:40, 10:00 The Transporter (PG-13) 2:40, 4:35, 7:40, 9:40 Signs (PG-13) 2:00, 4:45, 7:00, 9:25 XXX (PG-13) 2:25, 4:55, 7:30, 9:50 Red Dragon (R) 2:20, 5:00, 7:35, 10:05 Four Feathers (PG-13) 2:10, 4:40, 7:15, 9:50 Men in Black 2 (PG-13) 2:35, 4:50, 7:20, 9:45 Swimfan (PG-13) 2:05, 4:30, 7:10, 9:35 Austin Powers in Goldmember (PG-13) 2:30, 5:15, 7:45, 9:40 Lilo and Stitch (PG) 2:15, 5:05, 7:50, 10:00 Spider-Man (PG-13) 2:00, 4:25, 7:05, 9:55 Like Mike (PG) 2:45, 5:10, 7:25, 9:30

Movie listings are subject to change without notice.

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41

Music

M E T R O S P I R I T N O V

Roots Rockers Stewart & Winfield Back in Augusta

By Lisa Jordan

Thanksgiving Treats – The Aural Kind

S

tewart Marshall – that would be the Stewart in Stewart & Winfield – laughs as he talks about the band’s “ruthless sticker campaign.”

“I guess name recognition,” he says, citing a reason for all the Stewart & Winfield stickers you may see in the area. “We’ve been giving those things out at shows for I guess six years now. Once you have a bumper sticker on there, it’s hard to get them off.”

But Stewart & Winfield don’t need to trick you with an indelible sticker to draw you into their web of sound. What started out as a duo from Athens is now a five-piece known throughout the Southeast for their brand of rootsy rock.

“There definitely is a (country) twang there,” Marshall says. “It still incorporates the acoustic guitars and the harmonies. That’s definitely what we aspire to, is to have some clean vocal harmony going on over a driving rhythm section.”

Stewart & Winfield’s signature straightrockin’ sound is the result of years of hard work – and some experimentation with different lineups.

“Winfield and I have been singing together pretty much for about 13 years,”

says Marshall. “Now we’ve got the full circle, can do full Southern rock. We’ll play some places and just do acoustic, with the same players and all.

Everybody’s a lot more versatile. To survive, that only helps you.”

The band, he says, has always had an open-door policy: The makeup of the band has varied over the years, but Stewart & Winfield’s current lineup has been in place over a year now. Along with Marshall, who’s responsible for vocals and acoustic and electric guitars, there is Winfield Smith, also on vocals and acoustic guitars; Augusta native and bassist David Nickel; lead guitarist A.J. Adams; and percussionist Carlton Owens.

Stewart & Winfield’s repertoire includes their latest offering, a double CD, “Lowcountry Blues,” consisting of a CD of new studio tracks, recorded two summers ago in Nashville, and a live CD. “It’s kinda cool,” Marshall says, “because the live CD is our present band as it exists right now. The other CD that’s on there is with a totally different band, so you kinda get the contrast.”

The band’s popularity, despite any personnel changes along the way, speaks

volumes for Stewart & Winfield’s ability to connect with their fans. “It’s a tricky game,” Marshall says of the music world.

“It’s a tough business. With the advent of the Internet and the relatively low cost of producing CDs, it’s never been easier for a group to work the grassroots thing.

“You have the free downloads of music: We’re all over Kazaa. I’m totally for the download thing. It’s so easy to do,” he says, adding that the music industry needs to find a way to work with the technology that makes music sharing possible. “You can have the greatest show in the world, but if you can’t promote it, nobody’s going to come to the show. We can be downloaded, but if that person doesn’t know we’re coming to town, we need to establish a connection.”

Stewart & Winfield is coming to town for some pre-Turkey Day fun at Last Call. They’ll be playing Nov. 27. “This is an annual thing,” says Marshall. “We did this last year at Last Call. We’re trying to make it a big thing.”

For more information, visit www.stewartandwinfield.com or contact Last Call at 738-8730.

If you’re looking to work off that extra-large slice of pumpkin pie, the Fantastic Shakers shake things up for your dancing pleasure at Cadillac’s Friday, Nov. 29, with a mix of original beach music and old pop favorites.

The group, fronted by vocalist Bo Schronce, was formed in the late 1970s and has been playing ever since. They’ve opened for acts like the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean, as well as providing entertainment at numerous festivals and events all over the Southeast. The Fantastic Shakers even entertained then-Vice President George Bush at the grand opening of the Men’s Apparel Mart in Charlotte.

And a Shakers show, it’s rumored, is lots of fun, with a party atmosphere, lots of laughs, and a set list so varied, you won’t know what to expect next.

For details, call Cadillac’s at 364-CADI. Last Call hosts a Thanksgiving Bash Nov. 28 with People Who Must and The Big Mighty. We’re not sure if there will be any turkey there, but we do know you’ll hear great music from some local favorites. For more information, call Last Call: 738-8730.

Also on Thanksgiving night, 2 Live Crew performs at new nightclub I.Q. Go straight from a nice family dinner to getting nasty as you wanna be with the Crew. Call up I.Q. at 737-8077 for information.

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Atlanta Plays Host to The Boss and Buffett

42 M E T R O

WED 11•27

By Lisa Jordan

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THE BIG MIGHTY last call 2701 Washington Road Augusta, GA 30909 706.738.8730 Behind Windsor Jewelers www.lastcallaugusta.com

ruce Springsteen recently reunited with the famed E Street Band to record his latest album, “The Rising.” It marks Springsteen’s first album of new material in seven years and the first studio recording he’s done with the E Street Band since “Born in the U.S.A.” That was all the way back in 1984.

Though darker in tone and heavier in subject matter than many of Springsteen’s preceding albums, “The Rising” is still an affirmation of hope.

His performance of the last track on the album, “My City of Ruins,” was a cornerstone of the post-Sept. 11 “Tribute to Heroes” telethon.

Springsteen himself has been a cornerstone of Americana, peddling the anthems of the working-class man for 30 years now. His first effort with the E Street Band, “Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.,” was released in 1973 to critical acclaim but little commercial success.

It wasn’t until 1974’s “Born to Run” that Springsteen began to achieve commercial strength, and by the time “Born in the U.S.A.” rolled around, Springsteen was filling stadiums with a two-year-long world tour and filling record collections with over 20 million copies sold.

His 1993 album, “Streets of Philadelphia,” a companion piece to the movie “Philadelphia,” earned him Grammys and an Academy Award, as well as a Top 10 hit.

In support of “The Rising,” Springsteen brings himself, as well as the E Street Band, to Atlanta’s Philips Arena Dec. 2. Tickets are $75.25 and can be purchased through TicketMaster: online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 828-7700.

Attention, Parrot Heads Unless you’re busy working on your seventh margarita over there, you’re probably fully aware that tickets to the Feb. 1 Jimmy Buffett show at Philips Arena went on sale last Saturday, Nov. 16.

If you’re not a Parrot Head – and you’re totally out of the loop – Buffett’s been partying hard since the early 1970s, purveying a laid-back selection of songs celebrating, among other things, beach life, boating and booze. Even if you’re not into the tropical lifestyle, you probably enjoy some of Buffett’s “Songs You Know by Heart” – “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Margaritaville” are among his most widely known hits.

Speaking of “Margaritaville,” the enterprising Buffett has opened a chain of restaurants and retail outlets bearing the name Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.

The five locations feature an extensive drink list and six types of – you guessed it – margaritas.

Buffett has also recently made news for walking away from the major-label record industry, releasing an album on his own label, Mailboat Records, that’s been a top-five seller.

But that’s no surprise, given Buffett’s enormous following (there’s even a Church of Buffett, Orthodox) and extensive touring schedule. He usually makes the rounds once a year, and 2003 won’t be any exception.

There are still tickets available for the Atlanta show, but that may not be the case for long. It’ll set you back $31-$65 to see Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band perform. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com or phone 828-7700.

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MUSIC BY TURNER

Let Lenny Rule Dept.

A new in-concert DVD from Lenny Kravitz is set for next week. “Lenny Live” was recorded during the singer’s 2002 U.S. tour and features live renditions of tunes from his six studio releases. The big hits are included (“Are You Gonna Go My Way,” “Believe,” “Again,” “American Woman,” etc.) along with a blistering cover of Earth, Wind, and Fire’s “Shining Star.” Kravitz’s recent Grammywinning single “Dig In” is one of the disc’s many highlights.

Another vintage music DVD makes its debut as “Monterey Pop” has been issued with tons of bonus performances.

“Monterey Pop” was recorded during the mythical “Summer of Love” in June 1967 and was the first major rock gathering. Some of the acts included in the film have never been officially represented in a concert setting, making this three-disc set a must-have for all classic rock fans. Included in the set are performances from Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, Canned Heat, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Animals, The Mamas and the Papas, The Association, Jefferson Airplane, Ravi Shankar, Simon and Garfunkel and others.

B Y

E D

Even though the talent level was huge at Monterey, one performer managed to absolutely steal the show.

Georgia native Otis Redding’s incendiary five song set remains one of the greatest live performances ever committed to tape. From his opening number,“Shake,” Redding and his backing band (mostly Booker T. and the MG’s) are relentless, turning in a set so soulful that the “flower power” attendees were absolutely stunned.

Redding’s death a scant five months later in an airplane forever silenced one of the greatest soul singers of our generation.

Toad the Wet Sprocket have reformed. The “modern rock” (whatever that is or was) musicians broke up over four years ago but rumors have been circulating about a reunion during the past year. The group enjoyed hits that included “All I Want,” “Walk On the Ocean,” and “Fall Down.” The band will open select dates for Counting Crows current U.S. tour.

New releases this week include: Phil Collins’ “Testify”; Missy Elliott’s “Under Construction”; Pearl Jam’s “Riot Act”; Pretenders’ “Loose Screw”; The String Cheese Incident’s “On the Road”; Craig David’s “Slicker Than Your Average”; George Harrison’s “Brainwashed”; Billy Joe Shaver’s “Freedom’s Child”; Susan Tedeschi’s “Wait For Me”; and music in-concert DVD’s from Ben Harper, Overkill, James Last, Drowning Pool, and Joe Cocker.

Turner’s Rock and Roll Jeopardy: A. This rocker said, “It’s an entertaining thought to watch a rock figure self-destruct. But I’m sorry, friends, I’ll have to decline.”

Q. Who was Kurt Cobain?

T

he long-awaited Matchbox Twenty album is finally in stores. “More Than You Think You Are,” their third major label release, was completed in October in order to take advantage of the holiday selling season.

Frontman Rob Thomas wrote most of the 13 songs with various members of the band with one exception — “Disease,” the current hit single, which was co-written with Mick Jagger. The band certainly has their work cut out for them as their last studio offering, “Mad Season,” has sold almost four million copies to date. Matchbox Twenty will not hit the road in support of the album until next year.

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Night Life

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Tara Scheyer plays at the Fox’s Lair Friday and Saturday with a special Saturday night treat: She’s playing two shows that night, one at 7 p.m. that’s all-ages and non-smoking, and one at 10 p.m., which will be recorded.

Thursday, 21st The Bee’s Knees - Sweet Nuthin’ Bhoomer’s Lounge - Open Mic Night, Karaoke Cafe Du Teau - Buzz Clif ford Club Argos - Karaoke Coliseum - Karaoke with DJ Hawk Continuum Playa*Listic Thursday Coyote’s - The Rhes Reeves Band D. Timm’s - Joe Patchen and the Blue Diamond Express Fox’s Lair - ELS Enter tainment Garden City Bar and Grill - Karaoke with Mad Dog Mike Greene Streets - Karaoke Joe’s Underground - Keith “Fossill” Gregory Michael’s - Marilyn Adcock Modjeska - House Music Playground - Open Mic Night Rhy thm and Blues Exchange - Sabo and the Scorchers Shannon’s - Ronda Brown Soul Bar - Kilter Improv Group Whiskey Junction - DJ Chaos

Friday, 22nd The Bee’s Knees - Indie Rock Anthems Bhoomer’s Lounge - Heavy Dose Big Iron Saloon - Magic Hat Borders - Paul Gordon Cadillac's - Hack Bar tley Cafe Du Teau - Buzz Clif ford Club Argos - Drag Show Coconuts - DJs Doug and Eric Coliseum - Claire Storm’s Bir thday Bash Continuum - In the House Friday with DJ Nick Snow

Cotton Patch - Fossil Coyote’s - The Rhes Reeves Band Crossroads - Shinebox D. Timm’s - Joe Patchen and the Blue Diamond Express Fox’s Lair - Tara Scheyer Garden City Bar and Grill - Karaoke Greene Streets - Karaoke Highlander - Heavy Dose Joe’s Underground - The Clif f Bennet t Band Last Call - Tony Howard, DJ Richie Rich Luck y Lady’s - The Duke Boys Michael’s - Marilyn Adcock Modjeska - DJ Vegas Red Lion - Ly thium, Undermind Shannon’s - Steve Chappell, Bar t Bell Soul Bar - (R)evolution with DJ JR Whiskey Junction - Voodoo Tuna, DJ Paul Whiskey Road Oyster Factory - Bogie

Saturday, 23rd The Bee’s Knees - Live Jazz Bhoomer’s Lounge - Heavy Dose Big Iron Saloon - Magic Hat Borders - Carl Purdy Cadillac's - Hack Bar tley Cafe Du Teau - Buzz Clif ford Club Argos - Mystery Guest Enter tainer Coconuts - DJs Doug and Eric Coliseum - Mallory Bishop Cotton Patch - Black-Eyed Susan Coyote’s - The Rhes Reeves Band Crossroads - 420 Outback, Bind D. Timm’s - Joe Patchen and the Blue Diamond Express Fox’s Lair - Tara Scheyer Garden City Bar and Grill - Karaoke with Mad Dog Mike

Lythium may be headed out of town Nov. 24 for the East Coast Battle of the Bands, but you can catch them right here at home Nov. 22 at the Red Lion with Undermind.

Greene Streets - Karaoke Joe’s Underground - Joe and Friends Last Call - Tony Howard, DJ Richie Rich Luck y Lady’s - The Duke Boys Michael’s - Marilyn Adcock Modjeska - Miami Night with DJ Boriqua Red Lion - Elohsa, Lykachamp Shannon’s - Bar t Bell Soul Bar - Soul*Bar*Sound*Lab Whiskey Junction - Voodoo Tuna Whiskey Road Oyster Factory - Weston & Preston

Sunday, 24th Cafe Du Teau - Buzz Clif ford and The Last Bohemian Quar tet Cotton Patch - Sabo and the Scorchers The Edge - Tub Ring, Testing Ground, Siclid Shannon’s - Shelley Watkins Somewhere in Augusta - Patrick Blanchard Whiskey Junction - Wayne Capps

Monday, 25th Cadillac’s - Karaoke with Bill Tolber t Crossroads - DJ Chris Greene Streets - Karaoke Joe’s Underground - John Red Lion - Karaoke

Tuesday, 26th Adams Nightclub - Karaoke with Bill Tolber t The Bee’s Knees - Heliocentric Cinema D. Timm’s - Joe Patchen and the Blue Diamond Express Greene Streets - Karaoke

Joe’s Underground - John Metro Coffeehouse - Irish Music Michael’s - Marilyn Adcock

Wednesday, 27th Bhoomer’s Lounge - Heavy Dose Cadillac’s - Karaoke with Bill Tolber t Coyote’s - The Rhes Reeves Band D. Timm’s - Joe Patchen and the Blue Diamond Express Greene Streets - Karaoke I.Q. - Playgirl Male Revue Joe’s Underground - Keith “Fossill” Gregory Last Call - Stewar t & Winfield Michael’s - Marilyn Adcock Rhy thm and Blues Exchange - The Family Trucksters Shannon’s - Shelley Watkins, Steve Chappell Somewhere in Augusta - Live Music Soul Bar - Live Jazz Whiskey Road Oyster Factory - Weston & Preston

Upcoming The 12 Bands of Christmas - Imperial Theatre Dec. 22

Elsewhere Jennifer Nettles Band - 40 Wat t Club, Athens, Ga. - Nov. 21 Soft Cell - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta - Nov. 21 Stereomud - Cot ton Club, Atlanta - Nov. 21 California Guitar Trio - Red Light Cafe, Atlanta Nov. 22 Janeane Garofalo - The Tabernacle, Atlanta Nov. 22

Jemani - The Phat Joint, Myr tle Beach, S.C. Nov. 22 Mad Margritt - The Breaking Point, Atlanta Nov. 22-23 Epitaph’s Punk-O-Rama - Masquerade, Atlanta Nov. 23 Vanessa Carlton - Eleven 50, Atlanta - Nov. 23 The Strokes, Jimmy Fallon - The Tabernacle, Atlanta - Nov. 24 Modern Groove Syndicate - The Handlebar, Greenville, S.C. - Nov. 25 Chris Robinson’s New Earth Mud - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta - Nov. 26 The Break fast Club - Senate Park, Columbia, S.C. - Nov. 27 The Ataris - Cot ton Club, Atlanta - Nov. 27 Dezeray’s Hammer - The Handlebar, Greenville, S.C. - Nov. 27; Senate Park, Columbia, S.C. Dec. 14 Cat Power - The Earl, Atlanta - Nov. 28 Goo Goo Dolls, Lisa Loeb - House of Blues, Myr tle Beach, S.C. - Nov. 29 Drive-By Truckers - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta Nov. 30 Del McCoury - The Handlebar, Greenville, S.C. Nov. 30 Talib Kweli - Cot ton Club, Atlanta - Nov. 30 Lee Greenwood - Classic Center Theatre, Athens, Ga. - Dec. 1 Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Philips Arena, Atlanta - Dec. 2; Charlot te Coliseum, Charlot te, N.C. - Dec. 8; The Carolina Center, Columbia, S.C. - Dec. 9 Aimee Mann - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta - Dec. 3 David Allan Coe - Georgia Theatre, Athens, Ga. - Dec. 7 Gran Torino - The Handlebar, Greenville, S.C. - Dec. 7 Interpol - Cot ton Club, Atlanta - Dec. 8 Jim Brickman - Spar tanburg Memorial Auditorium, Spar tanburg, S.C. - Dec. 10; Ovens

45 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

Siclid performs Sunday at The Edge in North Augusta with Tub Ring and Testing Ground.

Auditorium, Charlot te, N.C. - Dec. 15 Dave Matthews Band - Philips Arena, Atlanta Dec. 11 Cee-Lo - Senate Park, Columbia, S.C. - Dec. 12 Sneaker Pimps - Cot ton Club, Atlanta - Dec. 12 David Allan Coe - Senate Park, Columbia, S.C. Dec. 13 Josh Joplin Group - Red Light Cafe, Atlanta Dec. 13-14 Southern Culture on the Skids - The Handlebar, Greenville, S.C. - Dec. 14 Noise Therapy - Ear thlink Live, Atlanta - Dec. 17 Holiday Music Revue - The Tabernacle, Atlanta Dec. 18 Tandy - The Earl, Atlanta - Dec. 18-19

Los Straitjackets - Echo Lounge, Atlanta - Dec. 20 North Mississippi All-Stars - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta - Dec. 21 Derek Trucks Band - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta - Dec. 27 Cheap Trick - Roxy Theatre, Atlanta - Dec. 27 Trans Siberian Orchestra - Fox Theatre, Atlanta - Dec. 30 Gregg Allman and Friends - The Tabernacle, Atlanta - Dec. 31 Delbert McClinton - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta Dec. 31 The Gaither Homecoming Concert - Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, Ga. - Jan. 9

David Gray - Fox Theatre, Atlanta - Feb. 4 Bon Jovi, The Goo Goo Dolls - Philips Arena, Atlanta - Feb. 13 Many tickets are available through TicketMaster outlets, by calling 828-7700, or online at w w w.ticketmaster.com. Tickets may also be available through Tix Online by calling 278-4TIX or online at w w w.tixonline.com. Night Life listings are subject to change without notice.

Deadline for inclusion in Night Life calendar is Tuesday at 4 p.m. Contact Rhonda Jones or Lisa Jordan by calling 738-1142, fa xing 736-0443 or e-mailing to rhonda_jones@metspirit.com or lisa_jordan@metspirit.com.

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News of the

Weird A

mong issues in the months-long labor-management strife at the Taronga Zoo (Sydney, Australia): Workers have resisted managers’ alleged solution for getting Kibabu the gorilla to mate (following his rejection of all females for six years now), which was to have the keepers sedate him, stimulate him manually, and collect his sperm in a container (but that, said one keeper, would be “too bloody dangerous. What if he woke up?”). It now appears that zoo officials are resigned to use technology instead, by a process called electro-ejaculation. Earlier, workers had announced a partial strike for a 3 percent pay increase, in that they would stop picking up animals’ droppings (whereupon management began docking their pay of the “poo allowance” of the equivalent of US $2.40 an hour).

• On Nov. 2, skydiver Ron Sirull (1,000 career jumps) performed at the Air and Space Show at Vandenberg Air Force Base (just north of Lompoc, Calif.), accompanied by his Dachshund, Brutus the Skydiving Dog (100 career jumps), to the protests of animal-rights activists but (according to Sirull) to the delight of Brutus, who was “totally turned on.”

(Brutus doesn’t jump alone; he wears goggles and rides in Sirull’s jumpsuit.

According to Sirull, Brutus’ vet and the Arizona Humane Society say the jumps are safe.)

People Lower Than a Snake’s Belly • In August, Brian Lynch of Scotchtown, N.Y., was convicted of stealing $8,000 in donations intended for a Sept. 11 FDNY widow. Also in August, Vernon Coleman, 32 (of Philadelphia), and Dane Coleman, 28 (of Upper Darby, Pa.) (who are not related), were arraigned on charges of stealing $35,000 from a donation fund for Afghan children displaced by the war.

Also in August, New York City landlord Denise M. Lyman announced she would not allow the family of Sept. 11 victim Danielle Kousoulis into Danielle’s old apartment to secure DNA to help detect her remains because Danielle had breached her Sept. 1, 2001, lease by failing to give three months’ notice before “abandoning” the apartment.

Chutzpah!

• According to a September New York Times report, New York City homelessshelter workers believe that “50 to 75 percent” of the current population of 8,000 families (2,000 more than the year before) are “unreasonably picky” about moving into permanent assisted housing, thus remaining in temporary apartments at an average cost to the city of $2,800 per family per month. Sara Kelly, a mother of six and eight-year assisted-housing

client, said she could not accept a threebedroom apartment because “you had to walk through one bedroom to get to another bedroom to get to a bathroom (and) I can’t live like that. (I am) choosy about where I live.”

• In White River Junction, Vt., in October, Stewart Fuller, 41, was charged with looting about $30,000 worth of goods from the house of neighbors Roger and Shirley Labelle (who were away) and holding a three-day yard sale nearby so that when the Labelles returned, they couldn’t help but notice that some of their neighbors had their stuff.

• Earlier this year, 89 wives, daughters and lovers of wealthy or powerful Mexican men posed chicly in extravagant settings with complete lack of inhibition about their opulence, for photographer Daniela Rossell’s coffee-table book, “Ricas y Famosas” (“Rich and Famous”), thus appearing to taunt the 53 percent of Mexicans who live in poverty. Rossell, who comes from the upper class herself, and is thought to have made the book in part because of conflicted views of her upbringing, has since received threats from the embarrassed wealthy, who apparently miscalculated how their pictures would be perceived.

Life Imitates a Rodney Dangerfield Joke • Herbert Toney, 36, and Latisha Washington, 29, were arrested in October in St. Bernard Parish, just outside New Orleans, and face several charges including deserting their 8-year-old son.

According to police, the couple instructed the son to go into a Winn Dixie supermarket and steal groceries and beer.

When a security guard stopped him, the boy pointed out his parents nearby, but Toney and Washington matter-of-factly denied knowing the kid and walked away.

Deputies brought the couple in again a while later, but Washington said only that maybe she had seen the boy around the neighborhood a few times. Finally, she admitted he was hers.

Extremely Effective Clothing • According to a July Reuters photo dispatch from the mountains of northeast Colombia, U’wa Indian girls’ traditional “cocora” hats, designed to encourage chastity from puberty until marriage, consist of oversized cones made of layers of large sheets of green leaves, all completely covering the girls’ heads, except for narrow eye slits.

People Different From Us • Suspected cult leader Scott Caruthers, 57, was arrested in September in Carroll County, Md., and charged with conspiracy to murder the ex-husbands of two of his alleged disciples; according to a Baltimore Sun report, Caruthers has claimed to be an alien who reported back to the mother ship by messages to cats.

And Dem Mam, 54, head of a fringe Buddhist cult, was freed from custody in October, having been determined not responsible for three disciples’ immolating themselves in a bathtub of gasoline in a Cambodian countryside pagoda; Dem Mam teaches that ritual suicide is the only path to heaven but told police that he did not need to commit suicide himself because he is already holy enough.

— Chuck Shepherd © United Press Syndicate

plain old book-learning here — not about watching and studying life from a safe distance. You need to get more of the edgy kind of know-how that’s only possible to scare up while immersed in the heat of the action. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should hang out in a crack house or travel to a war zone. Choose a milieu that excites your spontaneous curiosity, and put yourself in the midst of its daily flow. Treat it as a laboratory that will be a rich source of experimental data.

Brezsny's Free Will Astrology be so uninterested in what people think of you that you impress them with your authenticity.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Chaos is often good to avoid. But not now, Aries.

You’re in a phase when diving into uncertainty would be fertile and invigorating. May I suggest, then, that you pluck some inspiration from Discordianism? It’s one of the rare religions that takes account of Ralph Abraham’s assertion that heart physiologists find more chaos in the healthy heart than in the sick heart. Here’s a sampling of Discordian tenets. 1. Everyone is a saint, especially you. 2. Meditation consists primarily of cruising around looking for good luck. 3. Eating hot dog buns is prohibited, except on Friday, when it’s compulsory. 4. When you’re stuck in a rut, you must speak in tongues, handle snakes, and experience phantasmagoria. 5. Your guardian angel loves you better when your room is a mess.

6. Bowling alleys are sacred; you must protect them from desecration. 7. The goddess will solve all your problems if you solve all hers.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

When an old tree in the rain forest dies and topples over, it takes a long time to decompose. As it does, it becomes host to new saplings that use the decaying log for nourishment. I’d like you to picture yourself, Scorpio, sitting in the forest gazing upon this scene. How would you describe it?

Would you dwell in grisly detail on the putrefaction of the fallen tree while ignoring the fresh life sprouting out of it? If you did, you’d be imitating the spirit of modern journalists. Or, instead, would you be a balanced witness, reporting on the decay and growth with equal emphasis? In the weeks to come, please be the latter. (Thanks to Ien in the Kootenay Mountains of British Columbia for inspiring this horoscope.)

St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617) was so determined not to be lead into sin by her pretty face that she disfigured it with lye and pepper. Though you’ve never gone that far, Cancerian, you too have hidden or wounded your own beauty. You too have been afraid to reveal the raw majesty of your real self.

Please don’t do that any more. Reject the pathological notion that undervaluing yourself can serve any good at all. To seal your commitment, I urge you to make Rose of Lima your anti-patron saint.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

What metaphor shall we choose to refer to the role you’ve played so skillfully in recent weeks, Leo? Archaeologist of the abyss? Plumber in the undertow? Scavenger of the scrap heap of history? I love the brazen resourcefulness you’ve summoned as you’ve cleaned out the gunk that was clogging up your depths. In any case, it’s now time to crawl up out of the muck and onto center stage. You’re primed to start blinding us all with your light again.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Of all the signs in the zodiac, you’re most likely to fight fairly, Taurus. Sneak attacks are rarely a part of your strategy. You’re not prone to using spies, spewing deceptive propaganda, or manipulating innocent bystanders into serving hidden agendas. I love all this about you. And yet to be true to the astrological omens, I must make the following suggestion: In the coming weeks, use more guile than usual. Figure out how you can employ guerrilla tactics and the element of surprise without diluting your integrity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

At the amusement park I went to last summer, there was a booth where you could get a trick photograph of yourself lodged in the jaws of a shark. I suggest you have an image like this made now, Sagittarius. It’ll be a symbol of the past you’re escaping from — the threatening maw that almost devoured you but didn’t. Next, create a symbol of your future in the form of a second collage. For this one, paste your face on the body of a person holding a fishing pole and standing on a dock adjacent to a shark hanging upsidedown from a hook.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

After writing more than 30 stories about Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle got tired of him. In 1893, the English author killed off his well-loved character, sending him plunging off Reichenbach Falls while in a struggle with his arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty. Readers were unhappy with the decision, though, and nine years later Conan Doyle felt compelled to revive Holmes for another long run. I nominate him to be your role model for the next few weeks, Virgo. You, too, will find good reasons to resurrect an influence from the past or bring an old character back into your life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Your first rule this week is to push with all your might to ensure the arrival of ease and grace.

Your second rule is to act as if the only way you can possibly get what you want is to pretend you don’t want it. Third, be aggressively sensitive and ferociously receptive. Fourth, carry out the most macho form of surrender you can imagine. Fifth,

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You know how it’s possible to expedite the blooming of plants by cultivating them in a greenhouse? I propose that you find a comparable approach to use on your growing anxieties. In other words, Capricorn, compel your worries to mature very rapidly. That way, instead of torturing you with a slow proliferation of half-conscious apprehensions for the next four weeks, they’ll ripen overnight into their full-blown state.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Are you ready to intensify your pursuit of higher edge-ucation, Libra? We’re not talking about

You’ll be able to have a climactic showdown with them by the end of this week, and then move on to more enjoyable explorations.

Schedule your worrygasm — the orgasmic culmination of your worries — for no later than November 27.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

“Why is it so hard to find a soulmate?” asks psychologist Carolyn Godschild Miller in her book “Soulmates: Following Inner Guidance to the Relationship of Your Dreams.” Her answer: “Because most of us are actually searching for egomates instead. We place the most limited and unloving aspect of our minds in charge of our search for love, and then wonder why we aren’t succeeding. … To the degree that we identify with this false sense of self, and operate on the basis of its limited point of view, we aren’t looking for someone to love so much as recruiting fellow actors to take on supporting roles in a favorite melodrama.” I suggest you make this a core meditation for the next seven weeks, Aquarius. After that, you’ll be primed to move on to the next question, which is “What can I do to enjoy life with a soulmate?”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

“Dear Dream Doctor: I dreamt I was caring for a beautiful golden fish in a room with two aquariums. The fish kept leaping from one aquarium to another, and my job was to scoop it up and return it to the water if it missed. I felt bad for it because it couldn’t decide which aquarium it liked better.

One was big and classy but sterile, and the other was small and funky but had lots of cool castles and toys. As soon as the fish jumped into one aquarium, it was already looking longingly at the one it had just left. What does my dream mean, O Wise Oracle? -Frustrated Piscean Caretaker.” Dear Frustrated: In your next dream, relocate the fish to a lake or ocean where it will have many environments to choose from.

— © Rob Brezsny You Can Call Rob Brezsny, day or night, for your Expanded Weekly Horoscope

1-900-950-7700

$1.99 per minute • 18 & over • Touchtone phone required • C/S 612-373-9785 • www.freewillastrology.com/

New York Times Crossword Puzzle

y ACROSS 1 Rigging support 5 Rogue 10 Out of sync 13 No more than a drop 14 Looker 15 Medical discovery 16 Grab (onto) 17 Gussy up 18 Forward and backward 19 Woman of the house playing potsy?

22 Some chips, maybe 23 They may be collared 27 All in 30 Advice to a lighthouse keeper?

34 Didn’t come right out and say

36 Possible church

66 Circus barker? school purchase 67 Babe and

37 Korea Bay

feeder 38 Colony member 39 Emollients 42 Modern-day Caesar 43 “How the Other Half Lives” author 45 Meal source 46 Packing a punch 48 Jazz improv at an A.M.A. meeting?

51 Firing place 52 Stealthy sort 53 Reunion attendee 55 Title of this puzzle 62 Rick’s place 65 “Reversal of Fortune” star

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A D L E R

H E I D I

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

I C E D A M S N O T S O

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

S T R U N G

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A R T E

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others 68 Puts away 69 Hosiery shade 70 Like a bairn 71 Defunct alliance 72 Keel extension DOWN 1 It might evoke pity 2 Horse play?

3 On 4 Unchecked 5 Hardly adequate 6 Club 7 Basic building block 8 Oscar-winner Sorvino 9 Await judgment 10 Loophole 11 Back again 12 Shriner’s topper 15 Acquired 20 Big name in chips 21 Disposed 24 Good sense 25 Picket fence 26 Printing goof 27 Potters’ debris 28 Small gear 29 Attract 31 1980 Tony winner 32 Cosmic order 33 They’re accommodating

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Puzzle by Richard Silvestri

35 It’s shown to

some 40 ___ Mahal 41 Use a pick, maybe 44 Pollen-bearing organ 47 Ancient Egyptian king 49 Russian river

50 Attractive thing

61 Garden pest

54 Rodeo need 56 Barely touch, on 62 Lower in the

a pool table field 57 “Dies ___” 58 Stellar 63 Guitar, slangily spectacular 59 Violin part 60 Colonial Virginia 64 Retainer

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.20 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554.

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. Online subscriptions: Today's puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/diversions ($19.95 a year).

Crosswords for young solvers: The Learning Network, nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

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’ve been dating my girlfriend for about a year, and living with her for several months. Since we moved in together, she’s taken two overnight trips out of town to see her ex-boyfriend. The second time, he paid for her airline tickets. He is a guy she dated for 10 years and was engaged to at one time. When he found out we were moving in together, he proposed. (She turned him down.) He e-mails her daily, and the day after her second trip, he called the house in a panic 17 times about a discussion they’d had the day before. Besides telling her how much he loves her, he apparently spends a lot of time criticizing me and our relationship. She says she’s just trying to salvage a friendship with him. Well, it’s taking a toll on our relationship. Thus far, I think I’ve been understanding, and not motivated by jealousy, but I’ve been honest about my discomfort. Still, I’m beginning to think that she isn’t 100 percent invested in our relationship, and that I’ve been rather clueless.

—Home Boy So, she wants to “salvage a friendship with him.” Wow, there’s a challenge. It’s right up there with luring wild dogs into eating prime rib, or get ting your mom on the phone when George Clooney’s on the other end, wanting to sing her a personal happy bir thday: “Tell him to call back nex t year, I’m doing the dishes!”

You let the “F” word fly right by you.

Everybody does. The word “friendship” has become a tiny oyster cracker lost in a sea of post-post-modernism, neo-prehistoricism, and reconstructed post-structuralism. It’s a slider word — one of those boring, everyday words like “spirituality” that make the average person’s critical thinkability duck out for an espresso and a smoke. As with friendship, everybody agrees that spirituality is a good thing, but nobody can actually define what, exactly, it is.

This means it’s easily repurposed to put an enlightened shine on various dubious activities; for example, “Yes, I try to run over the neighbor’s cat, but only when I’m on my way to yoga.” It’s the per fect justification for a superiority complex, as in, “My consciousness is an honor student, and your consciousness got caught smoking pot in the boys’ bathroom.”

Following the lead of clever “spiritual” people, your girlfriend has repurposed “friendship” to add a half-boyfriend to her boyfriend collection,

probably to meet her ego’s (apparently vast) needs. (Too bad she couldn’t just buy an “Af firmation Machine,” a thingee sold on the Net for recording daily inspirations to wake up to: “Make more money!” “Wow, you have really great hair!” “Don’t forget to pick up the dry cleaning.”) Unlike a lot of boyfriends, you don’t seek to limit your girlfriend’s friendships to women and the occasional hermaphrodite.

Unfor tunately, the guy in question isn’t an aspiring friend; he’s a one-man propaganda campaign to yank your girlfriend out of your life. Just about all he hasn’t done is hire an ad agency and buy time during her favorite TV shows: “Current boyfriend leaving you tired and listless?

Call now, for free plane fare!” Sit your girlfriend down and find out whether she wants to be in a par tnership or a crowd scene. Until you do, you probably won’t have any peace — inner, that is — as opposed to the kind you can buy, with purchase of a Scotch tape dispenser shaped like Buddha, at the nearest mall.

My girlfriend and I live in different states. When we started our relationship we both knew that long distance would be hard. We were going good for a while, but the other day, she said she thought we should start dating other people “to experience life.” She reassured me that “we are going to be together,” but we can date others in the mean time. I’m completely lost. I care about her a lot, and she says she still cares about me, but I don’t understand how dating other people will help.

—Far Alarm Life experience comes in many forms. Some people join the army, other people hike out into nature, and other people, like your girlfriend, take a consumer products approach — volunteering to check whether mat tress manufacturers are telling the truth about their warranties. All the guys she’ll be testing those bedsprings with, they’re just temporary. Whew, bet that makes you feel good. Plus, she hasn’t definitively told you it’s over — probably because she’ll hear a lot less kicking and screaming if she lets you cling to the hope that it’s not. Whenever she’s out with somebody else, just try to remember that you’re supposed to be her forever guy ... or, you will be — just as soon as she gets to the end of that long line of conveniently located temps, or reduces her Sealy Posturepedic to a fine powder — whichever comes first.

— © 2002, Amy Alkon

Got A Problem?

Write Amy Alkon

171 Pier Ave., Box 280 • Santa Monica, CA 90405 or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com

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OLD-FASHIONED VALUES Honest, relaxed, christian SBF, 56, Aries, N/S, enjoys cooking, dining out, quiet times at home. Seeking marriage-minded, financially secure SBM, 50-56, N/S, for LTR. ☎829149 WILLING TO MAKE TIME Busy, hard-working SBF, 31, nurse, mother of one, Taurus, N/S, enjoys traveling, walks, shopping. Seeking SBM, 31-39, N/S, for LTR. ☎836074 COMPATIBLE? Funny, smart SBF, 19, fun-loving, friendly, enjoys movies, clubbing, hand holding, dancing. Seeking SM, with like interests and qualities for friendship and possible LTR. ☎701088 TAKE A CHANCE Laid-back SF, 30, enjoys dining in/out, going to the movies, church activities.

Seeking SM, secure in himself to share those things. ☎767576 WORK OF ART Voluptuous SBF, 28, loves fishing, swimming, cooking. Looking for a man with the same passions. ☎747775 BRAINS & BEAUTY Spirited executive SBF, 41, 5’8”, 138lbs, Gemini, enjoys dancing, dining, intellectual conversation, laughter, picnics, adventures.

Seeking humorous, classy gentleman, 3545, with kindred spirit. ☎751454 SKATE, RIDE, BOWL, ETC. African-American mom, 23, 5’, 159lbs, mother of two, currently in school, looking for honest, trustful family-man, 20s-30s, who’ll give his 100%. ☎751642 I’M YOUR VENUS SWF, 44 (looks younger), 5’, blonde/blue, with a full-figure, seeks HM, 5’5”-6’, who is secure. ☎747133 IMPORT FROM EUROPE This foreign born SWF, 40, Aries, N/S, seeks a fine BM, 35-50, smoker, for friendship and dating. ☎744559 COMPANIONSHIP DWF, 48, enjoys antiquing, travel, dining out, movies and more. Seeking DWM, 4858, for loving, tender relationship. ☎732056 AQUARIUS HERE SWF, 18, brown/brown, loves, reading, travel, movies, outdoors. Seeking mature companion with an easygoing attitude, for friendship, possibly more. ☎732141 GOD LOVER Athletic, shy SBF, 33, 5’5”, 160lbs, Gemini, smoker, enjoys church, dining out, cooking, traveling, shopping, reading. Seeking outgoing man, 35-50, smoker, for LTR. ☎709843 TWO PIECES OF A PUZZLE Full-figured, very attractive, independent woman, 31, 5’2”, seeks someone special to spend time with. You: honest, fun-loving, varied interests. ☎685405 I’LL COOK Fun-loving, intelligent SBF, 22, Capricorn, N/S, student, mother of three, seeks man, 21-30, to accompany me in life. Kids a plus. ☎647824 SENSE OF HUMOR REQUIRED SF, 33, 5’, full-figured, cocoa complexion, looking for friendship leading to relationship with SM, 25-40, who doesn’t play games. ☎579505 ATTENTION... your miracle date is in Augusta. SF seeks military male, 28-50, with good qualities and values. Children ok, race open. ☎732101

LOOKING FOR FRIEND SWF, 29, 5’7”, 129lbs, Gemini, N/S, enjoys sports cars, movies, and more. Seeking SWM, 21-35, kids ok, for friendship first. ☎706587 NEED A SPARK... try me. Attractive, petite SWF, 57, fun, friendly and affectionate, raising grand children, seeks SWM, mid 50s-60s, trustworthy with open heart, for dining, movies, music.

Friendship first. ☎702738 NO GAMES PLEASE DWF, 33, 5’10”, full-figured, brown/hazel, self-employed mother of three, seeks WM, 25-45, honest, faithful, devoted, for fun, friendship, LTR. ☎680330 ABSOLUTE ALTRUISM SBF, 42, 5’7”, 125lbs, seeks emotionally secure gentleman, 35+, with honor, wit, and wisdom. ☎605946 STRONG WILL SBF, 45, outgoing, attractive, youthful, enjoys writing, music, traveling. Seeking mature, strong-willed SBM, 35-48, for friendship. ☎965893 ALL I THINK ABOUT IS YOU SBF, 28, enjoys cooking, reading, traveling, spending time with my kids/family. Looking for a male, 25-40, who likes similar things, friendship first. ☎672206 WANNA KNOW A SECRET? I’m available! BF, 47, serious about life, seeks single African-American male, 40-50, with similar sentiment. ☎660976 SELF-SUFFICIENT... hard-working DWF, 38, full-figured, Leo, smoker, with one child, seeks DWM, 38-50, smoker, children are fine. ☎659397 TIME TO HAVE A BLAST Honest SWF, 43, enjoys spending time with my daughter, bowling, dining out, Nascar, movies, baseball games, camping. Seeking honest, genuine SWM, 43-50, for fun and friendship. ☎554752 NOW IS THE TIME SWPF, 55, likes dancing, walks, movies, the lake, dining out. Seeking SWM, N/S, 48-65, for fun and friendship, and who knows what later! ☎653476 POSITION AVAILABLE! Mother of two lovely daughters, 34, employed with the Board of Education, seeks SW/HM, 33-48, to begin with friendship and possibly evolve into an LTR. ☎651992 KIND-HEARTED, REAL Petite, green-eyed SWC mother, 39, Scorpio, N/S, seeks WM, 33-45, N/S, to build a love that lasts a lifetime. ☎648419 TIME WITH YOU Voluptuous BF, 39, seeks a BM, N/Drugs, social drinker ok. I enjoy reading, dining out, movies, church activities. ☎646176 IN SEARCH OF MY SOULMATE He must be a tall (5’10”-6’4”), Christian man, 42-55, N/S, who is honest, faithful, devoted and lively. I am a SBPF, 5’6”, 150lbs, and looking for LTR. ☎641005 TAKE IT SLOW SWF, 49, 5’6”, reddish/blonde hair, outgoing personality, wants to build a serious relationship with a SWM. ☎642309 BIG AND BEAUTIFUL BF, 43, brown/hazel, loves free time, books, weekend travel. Seeking a mature companion with an easygoing attitude, for friendship, dating, and more. ☎643199 THE MAN OF MY DREAMS... is easy to get along with, and has a great sense of humor and fun. Single mom, 28, 5’, brown/blue, is looking for her soulmate. ☎640587 MOVIES AND MORE Seeking a man with a lively attitude who likes movies. I am a SF, 42, looking for love. ☎636995

GOOD-HEARTED DWF, 61, 5’9”, honest, neat in appearance, with a good sense of humor. Seeking WM, 60-70, who’s honest and caring. ☎574264 THE BELLS ARE RINGING Slim SBCF, 29, 5’3”, student, employed, Pisces, N/S, seeks marriage minded BM, 27-36, N/S, for life’s journey. ☎633606 WE’LL STILL B TOGETHER... on down the road. SWF, 23, Capricorn, N/S, seeks sweet, gentle BM, 22-35, who is interested in a friendship. Let’s become a family! ☎631605 WHO NEEDS A HEADLINE? SWF, 33, full-figured, blonde/blue, Pisces, smoker, likes hiking, camping, and quiet evenings at home. Seeking WM, 25-45, smoker, for LTR. ☎628677 SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL Multiracial SF, 56, 5’7”, animal lover, mother professor of languages, loves beaches, travel, collecting art, reading, and listening to music (Latin and classical). Seeking SM, to share life and love. ☎610690 LONELY WOMAN SBF, 32, single mom, seeks SWPM, quality military man who has old-fashioned values, financially secure, for LTR. ☎591885 OPEN-MINDED Fun-loving, humorous SF, 18, 5’4”, blond/ blue, likes shopping, clubbing, sports.

Seeking SM for friendship and casual dating. ☎589903 START AS FRIENDS SF, 33, likes reading, writing poetry, fishing, travel. Looking for a man who needs a nice woman in his life. ☎579852 PECAN TAN SF, 34, 5’3’’, 145lbs, looking for a kind, caring, and sweet man, 25-45, who can be my friend first. ☎581256 MAKE MY HEART LAUGH SBF, 22, 5’8”, 155lbs, part-time student, seeks sensual, kind man with a great heart, for movies, dining out, and open-minded conversation. ☎565120 CHRISTIAN MAN WANTED SBF, 39, great sense of humor, great listener, desires a mate who possesses similar skills to enjoy various interests such as conversation, walks and Christian activities.

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Seeking SWF, 20-26, N/S, for possible family. ☎835444

SOMETHING SO RIGHT I am looking for a WF who likes long walks, romantic evenings and bowling. SBM, 29, is looking for love. ☎646710 LET’S TALK SM, 28, 6’5”, 320lbs, enjoys sports, reading, movies, dining out, travel. Seeking attractive, intelligent, sensual SF, with similar interests, for dating and more. ☎796390 LET YOUR HAIR DOWN SHM, 26, Leo, N/S, lives a regular, clean-cut lifestyle. Seeking a petite, active woman, 1830, sophisticated southern belle, with back woods babe heart. ☎790345 ARE YOU LONESOME? SM, 37, 6’5’’, 350lbs, would like to meet a nice female, 18-40, to get to know first. Let’s see where this leads! ☎780940 I’M HERE FOR YOU SM, 42, teacher, seeks honest SF, 21-42, for friendship, possibly more. I like music, movies, conversation. How about you? ☎779153 KNOCK-KNOCK, WHO’S THERE? Call me and find out. SWCM, 34, Cancer, N/S, loves to tell jokes. Seeking WF, 25-39, N/S, for friendship and relationships. ☎775609 LET’S BE FRIENDS Outgoing, active SM, 31, enjoys sports, traveling, movies, dining out, and fun.

Seeking SF,with same interests. ☎769857 HEY LADIES! Outgoing happy SM, 24, 5’6”, 150lbs, slender and fit, brown complexion, braided hair, seeks SF, who’s open-minded and down for whatever. ☎767971 LOVING SOUL MATE SWM, 60, 5’8’, 160lbs. Enjoys sports, long walks and quiet evenings. ISO caring, affectionate SF, 45-55 for friendship, possible LTR. ☎668813

Stud Finder YOU HAVE 6 NEW MATCHES

2 1

Mobile Dating. The easiest way to meet great people.

GUIDELINES: DATE MAKER ads are for adults 18 or over seeking monogamous relationships. To ensure your safety, carefully screen all responses. First meetings should occur in a public place. Abbreviations are permitted only to indicate gender preference, race, and religion. We suggest your ad contain a self-description, age range, lifestyle and avocations. Ads and voice messages containing explicit sexual language will not be accepted. This publication reserves the right to revise copy containing objectionable phrases; to reject in its sole discretion, any advertisement on account of its text. This publication assumes no responsibility for the content or reply to any DATE MAKER ad. The advertiser assumes complete liability for the content and all replies to any advertisement or recorded message and for any claims made against this publication and its agents as a result thereof. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold this publication, its employees and its agents harmless from all costs, expenses (including reasonable attorney fees), liabilities and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. By using DATE MAKER, the advertiser agrees not to leave his/her phone number, last name or address in his/her voice greeting. Not all boxes contain a voice greeting.

ABBREVIATIONS

To purchase more than your free 30 words, at $2.00 per word, please call 1-800-234-5120

M B D F H C LTR

Male Black Divorced Female Hispanic Christian Long-term Relationship

G W A S J P N/D N/S

Gay White Asian Single Jewish Professional Non-Drinker Non-smoker

Become a member of Augusta’s hottest new way to meet singles! Call today!

To become a member, call 1-888-223-7044 To listen and respond to ads, call 1-900-226-8908 Calls cost $1.99 per min., Must be 18+.

To respond to ads using a READY DWPM, 5’5”, 155lbs, 54, stable, secure, fit, pleasant, educated, adventurous, N/S, who enjoys most anything. Seeking W/A/HF, petite, pleasant, intelligent, active, secure, honest, positive attitude, caring, open, N/S, for LTR. ☎672623 ONE LOVE SBPM, 28, 5’11”, Capricorn, N/S, business, enjoys reading, cooking, music, movies.

Seeking woman, willing to try new things.

Age, race, weight unimportant. ☎656945 WHAT ABOUT YOU? Tall, blue-eyed blond Southern man, 6’4”, 265lbs, mows lawns for a living. Looking to meet simple, quiet gal, around 25, who likes the country lifestyle. ☎651620 LET’S DANCE! DWM, 37, seeks WF, kids ok, with a vivacious personality, a love for dancing, and an interest in relationship. ☎645955 I’M SERIOUS! ARE YOU? SWM, 25, 5’10”, 165lbs, brown/blue, wants to share quiet evenings at home with a sweet caring SWF. ☎644397 NOT A JOCK 5’11”, 40, brown/blue, 200lbs, handsome, intelligent, business owner, part-time chef, some real estate, enjoys making money, traveling, jazz, rock. Seeking beautiful, broad minded, peace-loving woman, 2535, no Nascar please. ☎570889 YOUNG LOVE SWM, 19, fun-loving, humorous, Virgo, smoker, loves clubbing and sports events.

Seeking WF, 18-23, for casual dating, perhaps something greater. ☎625248 SENSITIVE, BUT STRONG SBM, 31, 190lbs, athletic build, handsome, enjoys church, working out, movies, and sports. Seeking woman, 21-35, with similar values. ☎626248 TIME OF YOUR LIFE Fun-loving BM in search of sexy WF, openminded, for casual dating and a great time.

Ages 18-35. Me? I’m 28. ☎622537 THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE Independent SWM, 32, looking for a sweet, romantic, financially secure lady, who loves kids, enjoys Nascar, long walks on the beach, cuddling, horseback ridding and spontaneity. Why not call? ☎616508

YOU WON’T BE SORRY Real, honest, and sweet GBM, 18, 5’11”, dark-skinned, Gemini, N/S, seeks friendly GBM, 18-35, not into games. I’m ready for a commitment. ☎831448 IT’S YOUR CALL GWM, young 46, 5’11”, 200lbs, brown/ brown, masculine, outgoing, enjoys travel, dining out, movies, shopping, Nascar.

Would like to meet honest, passionate GM, with similar interests, for dating, possible LTR. Serious inquiries only. ☎792384 FREE SPIRIT SBM, 24, loves having fun, enjoys tennis, racquetball, waterskiing. Seeking SM, to share a night out on the town, friendship and maybe a lasting relationship. ☎768054 SHOW ME THE TOWN... and what there is to do around here. Me: SWM, 42, N/S, new to the area. You: SWM, under 51, anxious to show me how wonderful Augusta is. ☎719366 GUY SWEET TALK SWM, 6’2”, 240lbs, brown/blue, 52, dating first, possible relationship, enjoys walking, hand holding and talks. Seeking SWM, 3040, with feelings. ☎966007 LOOKING FOR LOVE GWM, 41, 5’8’, 140lbs, Pisces, enjoys fishing, television, wood working, gardening, arts, crafts. Seeking GWM, 25-45, for friendship first, possible LTR. ☎705204

How do you

TAKE THAT CHANCE Brown-skinned GBM, 35, 5’11”, 150lbs, who likes quiet evenings, reading, dining out, movies and stimulating conversations.

Seeking SB/HM, 30-50, for friendship, possibly more. ☎753854 I KNOW WHERE IT’S AT SBM, 25, practical yet fun, outgoing, Aquarius, smoker, seeks a masculine, alluring, well-rounded BM, 23-45, smoker, with his priorities in order. ☎695448 YOU NEVER KNOW Fun-loving, easygoing GWM, 51, 5’11”, 198lbs, enjoys cooking, movies, fishing, walking. Seeking interesting GWM, 18-33, who’s full of life, for casual relationship, possibly more. ☎676662 OUTGOING SEEKS SAME SM, 35, who enjoys gardening, working out, sports, fishing, long walks in the park, would like to meet an outgoing man for LTR. ☎594617 YOUNG MAN WANTED GWM, 22, brown/brown, pretty good-looking, in search of cute, down-to-earth GWM for movies, dinners, shopping, roller blading. ☎576230 GIVE LOVE; GET LOVE BACK SM, 35, 6’2’’, 190lbs, black hair, medium build, seeks understanding, achieved man who is escalating himself in life. ☎576303 ARE YOU MR. RIGHT? SWM, 51, 5’8’’, 150lbs, likes dining out, quiet evenings, walks and hugs. Seeking SWM, 20-35, slim build, with similar interests. ☎584644 SEEKING MAN OF COLOR GWM, 31, 5’8”, 164lbs, brown/gray, moustache, goatee, down-to-earth, very openminded, seeks SB/HM, 23+, for friendship, maybe more. ☎575272 DOCTOR FIX IT GBM, enjoys chess, racquetball, auto mechanic. Seeking WM with similar interests. ☎566315 OUT SPOKEN SWM, 32, 5’11”, 145lbs, enjoys camping, fishing, Nascar. Seeking laid-back WM, 2335, for LTR. ☎560095 BEYOND SWM, 32, 5’11”, 155lbs, light hair, looking for good time with GM, 18-45, ☎966003 NEW TO TOWN GWM, 31, 5’8”, 175lbs, brown/brown, masculine, country boy, passionate, dedicated, HIV positive. Seeking GWM, 30-45, for LTR. ☎966013

CHURCH-GOER SBF, 38, Virgo, N/S, heavy-duty equipment operator, seeks BF, 30-45. Enjoys motorcycle riding, playing bass guitar. ☎799776 ZEST FOR LIFE Articulate, adventurous WF, 32, 5’8”, brown/brown, enjoys animals, running, movies and dining. Looking for WF, 25-40, for friendship. ☎965827 GIVE ME A RING Cute SBF, 30-something, seeks attractive SF, 25-45, for friendship, maybe more. No games. ☎965825 VERY PRETTY SBF...

28, two children, confident, feminine, seeks female, 20-35, with the same qualities, who is not into head games. ☎785531 A GOOD HEART SF, 39, goes to church, works for a living, likes having fun, going on trips. Seeking a similar female, 37-49. ☎780112 SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP Attractive, feminine SWF, 41, 5’4”, seeks a very open-minded WF, 35-48, for fun and exciting times. ☎775074 RAINBOW SEEKER Seeking my butch. SWF, 41, 5’2”, enjoys movies, walks, reading, quality snuggle time. Honesty is a must. Seeking SWF, with no drama, 30+. ☎754885 FRIENDSHIP FIRST! Funny, smart, down-to-earth GBF, 5’6”, 125lbs, loves long walks, hand holding.

Seeking GF, 21-30, who likes kids and doesn’t play games. ☎965829 INTERESTED? SF, 33, 5’7”, long hair, slim, and would like to meet someone outgoing who like to spend time doing different things like movies and going out. ☎715481 JOIN ME GBF, 32, nurse, part-time student, Capricorn, N/S, enjoys bowling, movies, shopping, traveling. Seeking casual relationship with woman, 25-45. ☎711628

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN SBF, 58, mature, attractive, young-at-heart, Sagittarius, N/S, seeks woman, 48-62, N/S, who is ready to live again and likes traveling, playing cards, and bowling. ☎691703 TO THINE OWN SELF... be true. SBF, 27, 5’5”, 165lbs, Sagittarius, N/S, has 2 kids, enjoys walks, movies, and quiet times. Seeking an honest woman, 2735, N/S, for friendship first and foremost. ☎693934 IT’S ALL IN YOUR HANDS Nice, available stud wanted. I’m a teacher in Augusta, 40, who would like to start a friendship with another female, and progress into something more. ☎664842 BEAUTIFUL WOMAN SEEKS... beautiful woman. I’m 5’3”, physically fit, 132lbs, would like to meet fit female, 25-40, who would enjoy going to movies. Please be discreet. ☎661884 I’D LOVE YOU TO LOVE ME SBF, 41, no children, loves to read, chat on the internet, and more. Seeking a woman who is a romantic at heart, very good-looking, loves pets, family and God. ☎645876 GET TO KNOW THE REAL ME Dark-skinned young woman, 23, 4’9”, attractive, fun-loving, nice, caring, honest, laid-back. Seeking GF, 23-29, for casual relationship. ☎635372 I’M LOOKING 4 U Easygoing, loyal SBF, 31, 5’3”, 155lbs, security officer, people person, fun-loving, nice, caring, honest, enjoys bowling, movies, cuddling at home. Seeking trustworthy, outgoing SBF, 26-35, for friendship, maybe LTR. ☎965835 SECURITY GUARD Laid-back female, 41, likes movies, dining out, cooking, quiet evenings. Seeking similar-minded male for companionship. ☎589877 ARE WE POSSIBLE? GBF, 24, seeks GW/HF, 25-35. I’m outgoing, beautiful, intelligent, with a great mind.

Hoping to meet a woman with a willingness to enjoy life. ☎566252 SEEKING FRIENDSHIP Tall, slim, attractive SWF, 34, single mom, enjoys travel. Seeking athletic, easygoing, humorous, fun SWF, 26-45, to go out and have good times. ☎572618 WASTE NO TIME GBF, 36, enjoys dining out, cooking, dining out. Seeking attractive, open-minded, fun, nice GF, 25-45, for friendship and possibly more. ☎965823

much more than just a great way to meet people.

© 2002 TPI GROUP

HOPELESS ROMANTIC Hard-working DWM, 41, 5’10”, 140lbs, N/S, N/D, two kids, enjoys movies, bowling, fishing. Seeking easygoing WF, 35-45, with similar interests. Friendship first, possible LTR. ☎631228 CALL ME SM, 51, fun-loving, enjoys sporting events, movies, dancing more. Seeking fun woman with similar interests. ☎761290 SEEKS MATURE Spontaneous, sincere SM, 20, seeks older, loving lady, to explore life with, possible LTR. ☎767728 FIT FOR A QUEEN Restaurant manager SWM, 40, 6’, black/ green, moustache, enjoys outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping, movies. Seeking big beautiful woman, 25-50. Tell me about you. ☎754399 GREAT CATCH SWM, 53, enjoys church, music, dining out, travel and more. Seeking kind, understanding SCF, with similar interests. ☎732175 ARE YOU 26-48?

WM, brown/blue, likes fishing, camping, scuba diving, travel, and woodworking. If you would like to jon me, call! ☎715263 PAINT THE TOWN RED Medical student DWM, 41, just moved from Atlanta, seeks casual relationship with intelligent, articulate SBF, who knows Augusta and can show me the sites, dining, and dancing. ☎675071 SEEKING CHRISTIAN WOMAN Friendly, committed, independent SBCM, 42, 5’11”, enjoys quiet evenings. Seeking attractive, committed, independent SBCF for friendship, possible LTR. ☎796760 YOU WIN MY HEART SWM, 44, N/S, seeks clean, sincere, honest, intelligent, wise, crafty SBF, 35-45, N/S, for life mate and deep friendship. ☎704669 CHANGE R LIVES 4 THE BEST Outdoorsy SWM, 57, enjoys fishing, quiet conversation seeks the right woman to be at my side. Let’s accomplish much in life!

Looking for a SW/HF, 45-60. ☎718103 RESPECT AND DESIRE SBM, 37, 5’8”, 164lbs, hazel eyes, Virgo, N/S, enjoys walks, traveling, mountains, cooking, candlelight dinners. Seeking hardworking SBF, 38-55, business owner, for LTR. ☎707443 TRUE TO HEART SWM, 42, 6’, brown/blue, no children, home-owner, Pisces, N/S, seeks spontaneous SW/A/HF, 21-42, loves the beach, movies, sailing, bike rides, for faithful relationship. ☎709121 R WE A MATCH? SWM, 40, 6’1”, 160lbs, brown/blue, enjoys classic rock, movies, dining, more. Seeking nice, friendly SF, 25-45. ☎965931 ANYONE OUT THERE? SWM, 51, 5’11”, 190lbs, brown/green, seeks SF, for conversations, casual dates and maybe something more down the line. ☎701908 TAKE THE CHANCE Open-minded SM, 25, father, loves Nascar car and Nascar car races, walks, time with someone special. Seeking caring, considerate, commitment-minded woman, for friendship and LTR. ☎699632 GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND SWM, 44, piano player, in search of WF, 3555, H/W proportionate, N/D, N/S, drug-free, who enjoys music and backyard swings. ☎695975 THE TRAVELER European SWM, 44, loves traveling, reading, dining out, sports, ping pong, soccer.

Interested in meeting female, who loves traveling, reading and dining out as well. ☎685545 FUN-LOVING SBM 38, 5’7”, 170lbs, waiting in the wings to spot the woman of my dreams. Friends first, work together on loving/understanding relationship. Enjoy dining out, traveling, quiet evenings. Seeking SF, 25-45. ☎672722

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51 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

52 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1

■ Automotive Spirit

Free Automotive Ads

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE METROPOLITAN SPIRIT AND GERALD JONES HONDA

2 0 0 2

Cars 1979 TOYOTA CRESSIDA, runs, new brakes, as is, $350, cash only, 706-738-3065 (727/125) ————————————— 1980 BMW 528i, new shocks, struts, clutch and clutch slave cylinder, clean car, runs great, $2000, 706-736-4858 (756/1219) ————————————— 1984 OLDSMOBILE CUSTOM Cruiser SW, $700 OBO, 706-437-1726 (696/1128) ————————————— 1988 FORD MUSTANG Convertible, red/white top, 5.0, auto, 2dr, PL&W, AC, clean, runs good, CD, am/fm, $4800, 706-742-7701 (752/1219) ————————————— 1989 CADILLAC SEVILLE, 4dr, leather, blue, tip top condition, $4000, 706-556-6124 (553/1219) ————————————— 1989 FORD TEMPO, 44K, new AC & ignition, less than 2K on tires, one owner, very good condition, $2150, 706860-0120 (773/1226) ————————————— 1990 NISSAN 300ZX, 5spd, AC, loaded, red, grey cloth, ttops, CD, new tires, good condition, $6100, 706-833-0797 (671/1121) ————————————— 1991 MAZDA MX5, convertible, hard top, white, mint condition, 85.5K, $7400 OBO, 706-737-8047 (669/1121) ————————————— 1992 GEO STORM, blue, cold AC, 100K, $1300 OBO, 706855-2288, 706-785-0163 (726/125) ————————————— 1992 MAZDA PROTEGE, PS/PB, AC, power window locks, sunroof, cruise, CD, great gas milage, reliable transportation, $1500 OBO, 706-399-7145 (701/1128) ————————————— 1993 BUICK ROADMASTER, Estate wagon, fully loaded, XC, 60K, has Bruno Scooter lift model V550, $6000, 803-2795857 (736/1212) ————————————— 1994 CADILLAC EL DORA-

DO, 92K, new tires, hard pressed to find one any nicer, $8900, won’t last, 706-3736425 (739/1212) ————————————— 1994 LINCOLN TOWN Car, pearl white, white interior, leather, black tie package, excellent condition, $6800, 706-541-9190 (771/1226) ————————————— 1995 BMW 325I, white, standard 5spd, premium package, 70K, XC, no accidents, fairly new tires and brakes, $13,000, 706-722-0665 (753/1219) ————————————— 1995 MERCURY GRAND Marquis LS, clean, all power, cruise, wire wheels, $6250, 706-267-1497 or 706-7302697 (705/1128) ————————————— 1995 MERCURY SABLE, blue, clean, maintained, good conditiion, may be seen at Washington Road, above Center West Parkway, $4200 (772/1226) ————————————— 1996 BUICK CENTURY, white/burgundy, 4dr sedan, 6 cyl, non-smoker, 45K, VGC, $4000 OBO, 706-854-9733 (741/1212) ————————————— 1996 CHEVROLET CAMERO, 41K, factory purple, 5spd, 6 cyl, AC, FM, cass, immaculate, one owner, $8000 OBO, 706868-0090 (472/1226) ————————————— 1996 GEO SPRINT, beige, 4dr, sedan, AC, cassette, new tires, great condition, $3500 OBO, 803-442-4592 (670/1121) ————————————— 1996 LINCOLN TOWN Car, white, blue leather, 70K, loaded, signature edition, great car, P3191A, $10,900, Johnson Motor Company, 706-724-0111 (724) ————————————— 1996 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Spider convertible, red/grey, 78K, 1 owner, service records available, $8500, must sell, divorce, 706-210-0530 (728/125) ————————————— 1996 PONTIAC GRAND Prix GTP, white, tint windows, 3.4L, V6, well cared for, 129K, Jim

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GERALD JONES

HONDA 2 0 0 3 G O R D O N H I G H W AY • A U G U S TA , G A • 7 0 6 - 7 3 3 - 2 2 1 0 • W W W. G E R A L D J O N E S H O N D A . C O M

706-721-3365 days or 706547-7878 eve. (754/1219) ————————————— 1997 ACURA 3.2TL, Premium, loaded, great ride, new tires, remote keyless entry, power locks & windows, AC, climate control system, Bose radio/cassette/CD, remote sunroof, $11,900, 803279-8326 (738/1212) ————————————— 1997 FORD TAURUS LX, white, leather, 1 owner, local trade, power everything, P3185B, $13,900, Johnson Motor Company, 706-7240111 (767) ————————————— 1997 MAZDA MX6, auto, V6, leather, loaded, 67K, XC, female adult driven, take over payments, details, 803-3028660 (737/1212) ————————————— 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE, black, cruise, alarm, keyless entry, 63K, current tune ups, XC, $9995 OBO, 706-8232420 (697/1128) ————————————— 1998 CADILLAC DEVILLE Sedan DeElegance, frosted tan, fully loaded OnStar, voice activated phone, extended warranty, CD/tape, leather, mint condition, 78K, $18,500, 706-721-1896 (751/1212) —————————————

1998 OLDSMOBILE 88, gold, great shape, family car, P3233A, $8900, Johnson Motor Company, 706-7240111 (768) ————————————— 1999 LEXUS ES300, Coach edition, 35K, loaded with every option, only one owner, $18,999, Acura of Augusta, 800-851-5158 (683) ————————————— 1999 LEXUS GS300, black, tan interior, $29,900, Acura of Augusta, 800-851-5158 (678) ————————————— 1999 MAZDA MILLENIA, gold, automatic, leather, sunroof, $15,995, Andy Jones Mazda, 803-202-0002 (744) ————————————— 2000 ACURA INTEGRA LS, silver, 2dr, 5spd, all power, CD, sunroof, cold-air intake, warranty, XC $15,000 OBO, 706294-2691 (755/1219) ————————————— 2000 CHEVROLET LUMINA, burgundy, clean family car, 4dr, cloth seats, V6, power seats, locks & windows, C2152A, $9900, Johnson Motor Company, 706-724-0111 (723) ————————————— 2000 DODGE STRATUS SE, extra clean car, one owner, $9995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (712) —————————————

2000 FORD ESCORT ZX2, black, 2dr, auto, 43K, loaded, $6999, Acura of Augusta, Ron Sumler, 800-851-5158 (685) ————————————— 2000 HONDA ACCORD SE, 4dr, auto, ABS, PW/L, cruise, CD, cassette, trunk liner, cargo net, 31.5K, $16,000, 706-7336807 (700/1128) ————————————— 2000 HONDA CIVIC EX, white, 4dr, auto, PL/W, sunroof, CD, low miles, $13,400, 706-210-9590 (702/1128) ————————————— 2000 HONDA CIVIC EX, silver, 42K, 5spd, 2dr, sunroof, CD, XC, car in Augusta, 610-7635202 (695/1128) ————————————— 2000 MAZDA MIATA, green/tan top, leather, factory warranty, $15,995, Andy Jones Mazda, 803-202-0002 (746) ————————————— 2000 MAZDA MIATA, black, 5spd, PW, CD, appearance package, 47K, $13,500, 706951-0805 (672/1121) ————————————— 2000 MERCURY MYSTIQUE, automatic, 30K, $9990, Andy Jones Mazda, 803-202-0002 (748) ————————————— 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA, champagne, 46K, power windows & locks, lady driven,

clean, P3086A, Johnson Motor Company, 706-724-0111 (725) ————————————— 2000 PONTIAC GRAND Am, black, 2dr, coupe, loaded with equipment, 48K, $8999, Acura of Augusta, John Peterson, 800-851-5158 (684) ————————————— 2001 BUICK CENTURY, silver, great ride, power seats, windows, & locks, V6, P3101, $13,900, Johnson Motor Company, 706-724-0111 (764) ————————————— 2001 BUICK LESABRE, white, low miles, power everything, cloth seats, 3800 GM power plant, P3062, $14,900, Johnson Motor Company, 706-724-0111 (763) ————————————— 2001 CHEVY CAVALIER, white, 4dr, auto, AC, brand new radials, $7999, Acura of Augusta, John Bell, 800-8515158 (681) ————————————— 2001 CHEVY IMPALA LS, On Star package, alloys, CD and much more, $14.995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (713) ————————————— 2001 CHEVY MALIBU, green, 17K, power seats, V6, great vehicle, like apple pie, P3174, $11,900, Johnson Motor

continued on page 54

C H E C K U S O U T O N L I N E AT W W W. M E T S P I R I T. C O M

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54 M E T R O S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

FREE AUTO CLASSIFIEDS

* Automobiles for sale by an individual may be placed in our FREE Auto Classifieds. The same ad will run continuously for six weeks or until the vehicle sells, whichever comes first. After two weeks, if you want to keep running the same ad, you must call The Metropolitan Spirit by 5 p.m. on Friday or we will assume you sold the vehicle and will delete the ad. All vehicles must indicate price. FREE Auto Classified ads are offered to individuals only and are not offered to commercial companies or dealers.

TO PLACE YOUR AD: Mail: P.O. Box 3809, Augusta, GA 30914-3809 Email: classified@metspirit.com Fax: 706-733-6663 Website: www.metspirit.com Visit Us At: 825 Russell Street, Augusta, GA MUST BE MAILED, FAXED OR EMAILED ON SPECIFIED FORM. ADS ARE NOT TAKEN BY PHONE.

GENERAL POLICIES: The Metropolitan Spirit reserves the right to reject, revise, alter, or reclassify any classified advertisement. Please check your ad for errors the first week the ad is published.

The Metropolitan Spirit is not responsible for any errors which appear after the first week the ad is inserted.

AD PLACEMENT FORM:

DEADLINES: In person - Monday at 3PM By mail, fax or email - Friday at 4PM

Name_________________________________________________________________________ Daytime Phone_________________________________________________________________ Address______________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________________State________Zip_____________ Ad Copy 20 words or less________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

GUARANTEED CLASSIFIEDS

* Items for sale by an individual may be placed in our Guaranteed Classifieds. The same ad will run continuously for ten weeks or until the item sells, whichever comes first.You must call by 5PM on Friday every two weeks to renew the ad or The Metropolitan Spirit will assume the item has been sold and will delete the ad. There is a $5 reinstatement fee if you forget to renew your ad. All items must indicate price. Guaranteed classified ads are offered to individuals only and are not offered to commercial companies. Guaranteed Classified ads do not include any automotive vehicles, real estate or pets.

RATES: FREE ADS Merchandise Under $250 $8 ADS Merchandise $251 to $500 $15 ADS Merchandise $501 to $1000 $20 ADS Merchandise over $1000 20 Words or Less - No Exceptions.

ADS MUST BE PREPAID DEADLINES: In person - Monday at 3PM By mail, fax or email - Friday at 4PM

TO PLACE YOUR AD: Mail: P.O. Box 3809, Augusta, GA 30914-3809 Email: classified@metspirit.com Fax: 706-733-6663 ADS ARE NOT TAKEN BY PHONE Website: www.metspirit.com Visit Us At: 825 Russell Street, Augusta, GA MUST BE MAILED, FAXED OR EMAILED ON SPECIFIED FORM. PAYMENT OPTIONS: (ADS MUST BE PREPAID) Cash-Money Order-Check

AD PLACEMENT FORM:

Name_______________________________________Daytime Phone_____________________ Address______________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________________State________Zip_____________ Payment ❑ Cash ❑ Check ❑ Money Order ❑ Visa ❑ MC Card No./Exp. Date_____________________________________________________________ Billing Address (if different from above)_____________________________________________ City______________________________________________State________Zip_____________ Ad Copy 20 words or less________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ GENERAL POLICIES: The Metropolitan Spirit reserves the right to reject, revise, alter, or reclassify any classified advertisement. Please check your ad for errors the first week the ad is published. The Metropolitan Spirit is not responsible for any errors which appear after the first week the ad is inserted.

continued from page 52 Company, 706-724-0111 (765) ————————————— 2001 CHEVY MONTE Carlo SS, white beauty, gotta see it, $14,995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (714) ————————————— 2001 FORD ESCORT SE, 2 to choose from, auto, full power, like new, $6999, Acura of Augusta, Rogers Gotier, 800851-5158 (686) ————————————— 2001 FORD TAURUS SES, alloys, CD, theft deterrent system, $11,995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (715) ————————————— 2001 INFINITI I-30, rare find, has navigation system, 15K, all optional equipment, $24,995, no sales tax, 706-869-9007 (730/125) ————————————— 2001 MERCURY SABLE LS, premium package, alloy wheels, CD and much more, $11,995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (708) ————————————— 2001 OLDSMOBILE ALERO, fully loaded, all power options, fully serviced, $9999, Acura of Augusta, Donald Jackson, 800-851-5158 (679) ————————————— 2001 PONTIAC GRAND Prix GT, white, 4dr, loaded, all the power options, CD, $11,999, Acura of Augusta, Cardell Burton, 800-851-5158 (680) ————————————— 2001 PONTIAC GRAND Prix GT, burgundy, power seats, local trade, feel the power, P3260A, $14,900, Johnson Motor Company, 706-7240111 (769) ————————————— 2001 VW BEETLE, black beauty, auto, gotta have it, $13,995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (709)

————————————— 2002 AUDI A4 Turbo, 4dr, dark green/tan leather, all power, AM/FM, Cass/CD, 8K, $31,850 OBO, 706-863-1941 (729/125) ————————————— 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, 5spd, power package, factory warranty, 11K, $10,990, Andy Jones Mazda, 803-2020002 (747)

SUVs 1979 FORD BRONCO, needs work, first $500 takes it, 706790-3305 (703/1128) ————————————— 1997 FORD EXPEDITON XLT, green/tan cloth, 5.4L, 3rd seat, rear air, power everything, hands-free phone, 132K highway miles, XC, $8500 OBO, 706-364-5347(699/1128) ————————————— 1999 JEEP GRAND Cherokee, Limited Edition, leather, power roof, $15,995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706733-2210 (711) ————————————— 2000 FORD EXPLORER, burgundy, 16K, clean as a whistle, cloth interior, loaded, P3114, $13,900, Johnson Motor Company, 706-724-0111 (766) ————————————— 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE Classic, extra clean, new tires, won’t last long, $9979, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (706) ————————————— 2000 KIA SPORTAGE, 4dr, auto, all power, AC, CD, one owner, runs great, XC, $11,500, 706-8400957(698/1128) ————————————— 2000 NISSAN FRONTIER, auto, low miles, local trade $6995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (707)

THE METROPOLITAN

Paper Carrier Needed for Aiken Route

Trucks 1989 MAZDA B2000, white, 5spd, AC, bedliner, fiberglass shell, new clutch & tires, 159K, $1500 OBO, 803-725-3581 (740/1212) ————————————— 1999 FORD F-150 Sport, silver, shortbed, auto, chrome wheels, XLT trim, $10,999, Acura of Augusta, Dwayne Eisenhower, 800-851-5158 (686) ————————————— 1999 MAZDA B3000, 4.0L, auto fully equipped for only $10.995, Gerald Jones Honda, 706-733-2210 (710)

Vans 1995 CHEVROLET ASTRO Van, V6, 4.3L, 7 passenger, luggage rack, rear air, power seats and mirrors, $7000, 706-733-0526 (694/1128) ————————————— 1997 FORD WINDSTAR GL, dark red, 7 passenger, 3.8 V6, AC, tilt, power windows, 146K, $4200 OBO, 706-860-5001 (774/1226) ————————————— 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY EX, top of the line EX model, electric doors, dual air, every option, $17,999, Acura of Augusta, 800-851-5158 (682) ————————————— 1999 PLYMOUTH GRAND Voyager Expresso, white, 51K, 10 speaker infinity sound system, cassette, CD, rear air, captain’s chairs, new tires, great condition, $13,600, 706868-1045 (770/1226) ————————————— 2001 DODGE GRAND Caravan, blue, 39K, V6, auto, $14,995, Andy Jones Mazda, 803-202-0002 (745)

Seeking paper carrier to deliver The Metropolitan Spirit on established Aiken route.

Must have reliable transportation, insurance and a current drivers license.

Call the Circulation Department

738-1142

55

THE CSRA'S PRE-OWNED TRUCK SOURCE

THANK YOU

King Cab • Long Bed

$12,900

1999

$13,900

Very Clean Truck

2000

CHEVROLET S-10

DODGE RAM

M E T R O

For Supporting Our Advertisers

NISSAN FRONTIER

Low Miles

2001

$13,900

1999

$9,995

Clean As A Whistle • Low Miles

DODGE DAKOTA

ANDY JONES MAZDA ISUZU

(803) 202-0002

2003 CADILLAC CTS

COME DRIVE ONE TODAY 1122 WALTON WAY AUGUSTA, GA 30901 706-724-0111

Service

WE’RE A SERVICE COMPANY THAT SELLS GREAT CARS & TRUCKS

S P I R I T N O V 2 1 2 0 0 2

This year let the green box say it for you. ....with the purchase of an item below receive a free monogram engraving!

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Pewter Pendant

Pewter Cuff Bracelet

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