Metro Spirit - 02.16.17 by Metro Spirit

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Table of Contents February 16, 2017 Whine Line 4 Jenny is Wright 6 Kris Fisher 7 Insider 8 Feature 12

12 EDIT

CREATIVE

Amy Christian

Joshua Bailey

Joe White

amy@themetrospirit.com

joshua@themetrospirit.com

joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636

Arts Editor/Production Director

Lead Designer

Stacey Eidson stacey@themetrospirit.com

Molly Swift Staff Writer

molly@themetrospirit.com

Contributors Jenny Wright, Austin Rhodes, Kris Fisher, Michael Johnson, Tyler Strong

SALES

Publisher

circulation manager

johnny@themetrospirit.com

Joe White Publisher

joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636

16 17 18 24 26 27 28 30

BUSINESS

Johnny Beckworth

Staff Writer

Metro Week Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Up Calendar Nightlife Sightings NYT Crossword The Eight Austin Rhodes

COVER DESIGN: Kruhu

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

Want to advertise in the Metro Spirit? Call or email Joe at 706.373.3636 joe@themetrospirit.com

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OPINION

Jenny is Wright: 6 | Kris Fisher: 7

The Whine Line

Apparently eating out at a Mexican restaurant in the Augusta area means you must be subjected to the deafening shrills and wails of off-key “Scaryoke” singers. Now I enjoy hearing some good live music during dinner, IF the people can actually sing and carry a tune. But most of the time it is painful to the ears. All I can say about the Columbia County Scandal is Good riddance Commissioner Cross. PS. Please take your overpaid County Administrator with you before the ship sinks.

we need the Arts in the Heart of Augusta to be held twice a year, if only a smaller one in the spring. Look how popular the Greek Festivals are, even for their smaller spring ones. Let’s have a food truck round up! It is funny how things change...when I was a kid, the young chicks had bleach blonde hair and only little old ladies had blue hair. Somebody gave County Administrator Scott Johnson a fur coat and he thinks he’s King Kong! Bless his heart.

Hahaha, people who don’t shop at Whole Foods now upset that Whole Foods is closing. The place was empty every time I went in, from day 1. Full parking lot, empty store. What did you expect? The fact that EarthFare is still open is still a shocker to me. This town won’t support anything that isn’t fried or endorsed by the Republican Party.

So they did a study to see which areas were most popular for Augustans to attend around downtown? No secret that it’s food and arts and music festivals! I think

Accusations of Columbia County having a Hostile Work Environment are very strong words. Maybe the GBI is best suited to check this one out. Come on down!

We seem like a nation that forgets what the President can do and can’t do. Most of the promises made by Donny and Hill both had no actual substance because the President cannot create laws, create jobs, create walls, or control how tax money is spent. They can only ratify legislation given to them by congress. It’s Civics 101. Maybe some of us might beneﬁt from picking up a textbook and learning a bit about it.

As a Columbia county resident I look forward to seeing Ron Cross explain, with complete fairness and balance, all the shenanigans with Pam Tucker and his son-in-law in full glossy color in my next water bill.

Commissioners Frantom and Jefferson are ex-officio members of the board of assessors. Are we going to have to pay them like Commissioner Williams in Planning and zoning?

Why can’t they make recreational pot legal, we could be paying less taxes and put more into schools and eliminate full jails for minor offenses. Instead of paying taxes we could eliminate state taxes, and just pay taxes on weed

This is a whine for the downtown Augusta bar that served me a 23-year-old single barrel Blanton’s bourbon in a plastic Dixie cup. Now that’s just low class.

Sitting here listening to The Austin Rhodes Show. What is up with his callers? It sounds like every other caller is drunk or just plain crazy and you can barely understand what they say. Austin, do you have a call screener?

Can Columbia County Manager Scott Johnson count up to 3? That’s out the door !

Sounds like he’s trying to join Trump’s administration. His penchant for “alternative facts” ﬁts right in there!

Mrs. Harper, widow of one of the trailblazing black students who got to enter MCG in 1967, was right: What took so long for the acknowledgement and education about the attempts to ﬁnally end desegregation? Why 50 years? Goodness knows with all the racial and other hatreds spread by Trump and his people that a lot of folks surely need these lessons, if only to stop the illegal pushes such as the ridiculous Muslim ban. Wow, so Mike Sleeper has tried to get away with lying for years about a non-existent phony veteran history?

Look here you googly eyed, whiny cry baby freaks...if you can’t ﬁnd anything “good” to whine about then get off of my page. So let me start by saying that this whine line has gone way downhill and if does not get any better very quickly then I am going to take my whining somewhere else...so there, now I did it, I whined about The Whine Line...does it get any whinier than that? When will congress investigate the Yemen raid where Americans were needlessly killed and Trump lied about the reason for the mission and denies its obvious failure? When will congress subpoena all of trump’s communications to ﬁnd out the truth about what he knew and when he knew it? When will the

WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM Have something you want to get off your chest? Send your whines to whineline@themetrospirit.com. The Metro Spirit reserves the right to edit submitted whines for content, but we will otherwise print them pretty much exactly as you type them… spelling errors and all. 4 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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FBI investigate Trump’s lies. Congress has the next 4 years to have multiple hearings and investigations. It’s hard to understand the left. If you voted for Clinton, you voted for a country with no borders and unfettered illegal immigration. That seems at odds with a large part of the left’s base, the folks trapped in the lower economic ladder. For the last 30 years over 25 plus million illegals have entered our country and have decimated those at the bottom of our economy. If you want higher wages and more opportunities, you cannot find that with the left’s ideology. You have to reduce the present labor force by deporting all illegal immigrants. Pronto. Racists come in all colors. In fact if you look in a mirror you’ll find one staring back at you. Sounds like Columbia County should change their “SLOGAN” from Professionalism, Respect, Integrity and Dedication and coin new one. How about- Apathetic, Antagonistic, Immoral and Egotistical. South Carolina is an example of a failed experiment. The Republican controlled state has keep taxes low for the last 31 years, ignores environmental regulations designed to protect its citizens, provides businesses infrastructure free of charge, and advertises the state as a low wage place to do business. Is it any wonder that other than pork barrel federal installations, the only businesses that they draw are those that pay low wages? Now they want a 5-billion-dollar federal bailout to help pay for their crumbling roads and bridges. Since South Carolinians making low wages can’t afford to pay for infrastructure, maybe they can ask the rich businesses to pay their fair share for a change. Why is “ The Dumpster “ determined to lift sanctions on Vladimir Putin? Could this have something to do with his share of the Exon deal his secretary of State/ Exon CEO Tillerson’s oil deal, which is stuck because of the sanctions?

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Pinterest: It’s a Love-Hate Thing Jenny is Wright While Jenny deals with a million things at once this week, please enjoy this ghost of Valentine’s Day past. The Kids took store-bought Valentines to school this week. Honestly, they’ve always taken store-bought Valentines to school. I’ve been known to make my kids’ birthday party invitations, and I almost always make our Christmas cards. I’m not saying that to brag, I promise. I enjoy doing them. It’s my thing. I’ve never, ever taken a picture of the results and posted them on Pinterest. For the lucky ones who’ve never even heard of Pinterest, let me debrief you. It’s a community of sorts. You take pictures of things you like to craft, eat, cook, drink, build, decorate, wear, design or all of the above. No really, after visiting the website, I’m fairly certain that some of those people knit dinner napkins to match the evening’s veggie soup. Only organic veggie soup of course, and photographed with a DLSR, in hand-thrown ceramic bowls, on placemats that their three-year-old quilted just today. Of course it all coordinates with the granite countertops and paint colors in the pinner’s kitchen. It looks like a scene from a Martha Stewart magazine. Once you’ve taken pictures of the things you make, you post them to your various Pinboards, which are virtual bulletin boards that all of your followers can see. What do I mean by followers? They can see everything you “pin” and then have a chance to “re-pin” the photos to their own board. It may sound confusing, but it’s not. Once you get the hang of it, it’s interesting and mildly addictive. Although I sound it, I’m not bitter. When I was first invited to join Pinterest (after a twoweek waiting period, mind you), I was mesmerized. It’s beautiful to peruse. The recipes sound delicious, and the accompanying photos are even more enticing. The living rooms are rooms of my dreams, and I had fun re-pinning the designers’ photos to my Pinboards. I made lists of the things I wanted to try, with everything from toy bins made of sand buckets and cable ties to homemade crayons to cheesecake-stuffed strawberries. Sounds pretty

cool, right? I thought so. I like making things. I usually prefer it over buying them. I don’t mind the process involved in a good craft. But this is out of hand. Instead of birthday parties with helium latex balloons and cake, kids are making their own balloons out of a mixture that the birthday boy’s mother stayed up all night making out of recycled milk cartons. The cake doesn’t just look like Lightening McQueen, it is animated, and it even writes thank you notes. Not to mention the fact that it’s delicious. The invitations actually pick your child up and take them to the party. Maybe my inadequacies are making me a jealous mess. I wish I had the time to do such things. The truth is, I don’t. Most people don’t. What you end up with is a bunch of folks who feel bad that their kids had Tinkerbell valentines with suckers taped to them. That didn’t stop me from purchasing little cards and suckers. I helped them put them together, too. I handed them a pencil, their class list, a roll of tape and said, “don’t forget to tape that to that.” Want to know the strangest part? They enjoyed it. They had a blast going to Target and picking out which cruddy character cards they wanted. The Girl was so proud to write each of her classmates’ names on the lines. The Boy drew a little heart under his name. I thought it was all very sweet and fun. And simple. If you stayed up all night making valentines for your six-month-old, kudos to you. I’m sure they’ll remember it always. If your child is going to school today with a mom-crafted card and piece of mom-made fancy candy, they’re probably embarrassed by it. The other mothers will be impressed, which is all that matters, right? The kids want a Dum Dum and a Star Wars valentine. And Dum Dum they shall have. I aim to please. I won’t complain about the extra sleep. JENNY WRIGHT’S humorous observations on marriage, motherhood and living in Augusta have earned her a devoted following, both in print and on Facebook. When she’s not spying on other parents in the carpool line at school, you’ll probably find her with either a camera, tennis racquet or wine glass in her hand.

FlamencoCarlota Vivo Santana Sunday, February 19, 7:30 p.m.

Lyceum Series, Maxwell Theatre Augusta University, Summerville Campus

RESERVED SEATING Buy your tickets now at: augusta.edu/maxwelltheatre 706-667-4100 “AN INFECTIOUSLY JOYFUL CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND DANCE” ~THE NEW YORK TIMES

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My Weakness Kris Fisher

KRIS FISHER is the midday host and program director for HD98.3 and an Augusta radio staple. He is a husband, father of three and lover of all things adventurous, as well as activities most people would have outgrown years ago. djkﬁsh.com.

SCRAP

TIRE EVENT

RECYCLE SCRAP TIRES IN FEBRUARY!

Individuals can RECYCLE UNWANTED SCRAP TIRES, FREE OF CHARGE during the quarterly scrap tire event

Must provide proof of Richmond County residency

Tires may be on or off the rim

Tires will not be accepted from those in the tire business

RECYCLING EVENTS WILL BE HELD ON A QUARTERLY BASIS AT THE LANDFILL

STIONS

1ST QUARTER RECYCLING EVENT CA

Here is how it works:

LAST WEEK WAS A BAD WEEK. That’s actually an understatement. It was a terrible week, kicked off by the historic Super Bowl meltdown that could only come by the hands of a team from the state of Georgia. I’m still bitter, in case you couldn’t tell, and my friends know it. They like to twist the knife every couple of days. After the Atlanta Falcons pulled an Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl, the week got progressively worse. Personal things went wrong combined with a rough week at work. Then, it peaked on Thursday, the day that our softball team was to begin our season with a double-header. I looked forward to the games because they would be a fun distraction from my week and because, y’know, softball. Then my mom called with bad news. What other news could she call with, really? My grandfather was in the hospital with what she was thinking was a stroke. It turns out it wasn’t a stroke and he has improved and should be leaving the hospital soon. But, this column isn’t about putting a perspective on my bad week. It’s not to say, “things always get better” or anything cheesy like that. The thing is, I already know all these things. I know things will get better (and they have). I know other people have bigger problems. I know it can always be worse. I know I’m alive and should be thankful (and I am). But, sometimes, I just want to wallow in my own misery. It’s probably unhealthy. It’s in no way constructive and it’s completely out of my character… well, as far as I let on, anyway. Truth is, I’m very moody. I try to stay upbeat and positive. But, every now and then I get in a funk and, dammit, just leave me there. The more people come to me with, “Well at least you have a great job and family” the more I want to punch them in the face. A little extreme? Yes. Would I actually punch someone in the face for trying to cheer me up? No. Well, it hasn’t happened yet, anyway. I can’t be the only one who feels this way. I know this because my wife is the same way. We just get in moods. We don’t want to be cheered up. Just let us dwell in our pissy mood and act like a bratty child for a little while. We’ll work through it on our own. It’s one of the reasons we are good together. Our kids and most of our friends can recognize when we need our space. And of course we recognize it ourselves. In fact, it usually makes it worse. That part makes me laugh because it’s actually hilarious: Sometimes we’re mad for no reason. Then we get angrier because we’re mad for no reason. I’m sure some therapist could have a field day with that. For the record: My week got better. My grandfather has improved, I finally made it to a softball game and it’s almost spring! I’ve snapped out of my funk and there’s much to be happy about. However, the Atlanta Hawks still have time to make it to the playoffs and implode. Then, all bets are off.

LL 3

Recycle your scrap tires at the following locations.

SATURDAY, FEB. 18th AUGUSTA - RICHMOND COUNTY LANDFILL 4330 Deans Bridge Road Blythe, Georgia 30805

NEW TIME from 8am – 12pm

REMINDER

SCRAP TIRES ARE NOT PICKED UP DURING CURBSIDE COLLECTIONS!

www.AugustaSolidWaste.com 16FEBRUARY2017

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 7

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News

The Deal with the Mill: 12

Being “interim” in Columbia County won’t be easy Late Last week, Columbia County announced two new interim positions that will oversee key public safety departments. First, Fire Chief Jeremy Wallen, who was recently promoted to deputy chief, is now serving as interim fire chief following the recent retirement of Columbia County Fire Rescue Chief Doug Cooper. Next, Andy Leanza, the deputy EMA director, will now serve as interim EMA director following the abrupt resignation of longtime EMA Director Pam Tucker. Now, both of these individuals seem qualified to serve in their interim positions. Wallen has been with the Columbia County Fire Department for 23 years and is a Georgia firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician. Meanwhile, Leanza is a graduate of the Clayton County Regional Law Enforcement Academy and holds a State of Georgia Advanced Level Emergency Management Certification. He is a GEMA academy instructor and prior to working for Columbia County, he was employed by GEMA as the Area 5 Field Coordinator serving Columbia County and 23 others in the region. All of that looks great on paper, but both individuals are walking into a hotbed of controversy. For Leanza, he gets to follow in the footsteps of Pam Tucker. That will be no easy task. He may be an excellent interim EMA director, but the public and media simply adored Tucker. And the manner in which Tucker left her position puts even more pressure on Leanza, whether he deserves it or not. In her letter of resignation late last month, Tucker was very public on why she was leaving the job she has loved for almost two decades. “During the last few years, I have endured a hostile work environment by the administrator, who has an on-going deliberate campaign to force me out of my job,” Tucker wrote in her Jan. 31 letter of resignation, referring to County Administrator Scott Johnson. “Time and time again, I have tried to be strong and keep focused on my job since that is my passion and has been for a large part of my life. The latest of many verbal attacks on me is more than I can suffer.” Tucker told Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Cross that she was “done.” “As a professional, hard-working employee who truly cares about the citizens of Columbia County, I deserve much better than to be berated repeatedly by the administrator,” Tucker wrote in her letter to Cross. “I have had my job responsibilities slowly stripped away — one by one — because the administrator has been dishonest with the commissioners in regard to my leadership. I don’t know what his ultimate plan was, but I do know that my leadership has greatly benefited our community and the commissioners in countless ways. The administrator’s continuous harsh treatment of me has left me demoralized, frustrated, and dispirited.” The public has been outraged ever since Tucker turned in her keys and walked away from her position as EMA director on Feb. 3. Good luck, Leanza. You are going to need it. As for Wallen over in the fire department, he could be facing some heat, too. Columbia County Fire Rescue still have a lot of unanswered questions regarding the devastating June 2, 2015, fire at Marshall Square that killed 91-year-old resident Dorothy Carpenter and displaced more than 80 senior residents. And, let’s face it: retired Columbia County Fire Chief Doug Cooper managed to end out his career without ever really public addressing what went wrong that night. But his deposition regarding the fire was very telling. Lawyers involved in the lawsuit pertaining to the Marshall Square fire have stated that once Columbia County Fire Rescue arrived on the scene of the fire around 3:30 8 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

a.m., it was discovered that the sprinklers inside Marshall Square were also manually shut off by Marshall Square’s property manager, Chris Bryde. However, Bryde testified that Columbia County fire personnel told him to shut off the sprinklers as soon as they arrived on the scene around 3:30 a.m. While being questioned by Aiken attorney Robin Braithwaite, who is representing the Nebraska-based company Resort Lifestyle Communities that owns Marshall Square, Cooper insisted that no one from his department would shut off the sprinklers. “We never turn off sprinklers in any building that’s got live smoke in it until we have that completely under control,” Cooper said. “That’s just an unwritten law.” Braithwaite asked the chief if he ever discussed the sprinkler system with his firefighters following the Marshall Square fire. “I did,” Cooper said. “I just said, ‘If anybody cut that sprinkler system off, they better own up and let me know.’” But Cooper said nobody owned up to it. “Let me ask you this, have you made any kind of an assessment or determination what role the shutting down of that sprinkler system played in the spread of this fire?” Braithwaite asked. “I think it was detrimental,” Cooper replied. The fire chief insisted that, while the sprinkler system may not have been able to totally extinguish the fire, it definitely would have helped suppress it. But Cooper again insisted that his firefighters know better than to turn off the sprinkler system. “I don’t think any individual fireman would cut a sprinkler off,” he said. “I know my firefighters responded appropriately. I know they did. That thing could have been a lot worse than it was.” “Let me ask you this, would that be dereliction of duty on the part of any fireman who would tell Mr. Bryde to turn that off?” Braithwaite asked. “It would probably end their career,” Cooper bluntly said. The fire chief appeared extremely confident about his firefighters’ actions until Braithwaite announced he was going to play an audio recording of radio communications between the firefighters during the early morning hours of June 2, 2015. On the recording, a male voice can be heard saying, “All right. Let’s shut off the sprinkler system as soon as we can.” After the audio file ends, Braithwaite asked Cooper if he was able to hear the recorded conversation. “Sounded like something… about shutting down the sprinkler system,” Cooper replied. “And do you recognize the voice on there?” Braithwaite asked. “Sounded like Danny Kuhlmann,” Cooper said, referring to the operations chief for Columbia County Fire Rescue. Braithwaite asked Cooper to listen to another audio file that occurred almost one minute later at 3:44 a.m. inside the Marshall Square retirement community. On the recording, a male voice can be heard saying, “I’ve got Engine 3 on their way. We’re by the sprinkler system control valve.” Again, Braithwaite asked Cooper if he was able to hear the voice on the recording. “That was Danny,” Cooper replied. Braithwaite asked if hearing the recording changed Cooper’s mind about the actions of the fire department. “It does if he shut that sprinkler system down,” Cooper said. “Like I said, that’s a career-ending move right there.” And, yet, to this day, Kuhlmann is still on the job and Cooper got to retire and walk away from it all. Business as usual in Columbia County. 16FEBRUARY2017

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Whole Foods leaves a hole in Washington Crossing When Word began to spread this past week that Whole Foods in the Washington Crossing shopping center was already closing its doors, many local residents were shocked. After all, it opened a little over two years ago in September 2014. And the fact that the store is going to close in less than two weeks was also a bit jarring from some people. It all seemed a little abrupt. Also, considering Whole Foods is a more than 40,000-square-foot supermarket, its closure leaves a major hole in Washington Crossing. Of course, many readers may remember that the opening of Whole Foods wasn’t quite a slam dunk. While most of the stores and restaurants located in Washington Crossing appeared to be thriving, there were a number of liens placed on the property back in 2015 by local companies seeking payment for work performed on the shopping center. And the bills that were due weren’t chump change. Back in February 2015, The Insider reported that the liens amounted to more than $200,000 that these companies claimed the developer owed them. For instance, the locally owned business Chaplin and Sons Clearing and Demolition claimed it was owed approximately $140,000 on the project. Back then, Sig Cox, Inc. was waiting and waiting to receive its $34,520 that was billed to the principal contractor on the project, Young Contracting of Atlanta. Mid-South Interiors and Exteriors had two liens on the property in the amount of $17,748 and $37,246. And Augusta Concrete Block Company filed a lien in the amount of $8,887 on Washington Crossing, LLC, while Augusta Ready Mix also filed a lien on the property in the amount of $2,791 for materials it provided to the

10 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

project for Central Masonry, Inc. Most of the companies that were owed money were based right here in Augusta. Meanwhile, the commercial

real estate development firm behind the project, S.J. Collins Enterprises, is based in Fairburn, Ga. Some people speculated that the developer was simply dragging its feet in paying the local companies, but several insiders believed Washington Crossing, LLC was actually trying to wait folks out until they were willing to settle for less than what they were owed. After all, if smaller local companies have to hire an attorney, place a lien on the property and take time off work to fight for their money in court, these bigger developers know that it will end up being very costly for the “little guy.”

The big developers knew that the longer they drug it out, the more desperate these smaller companies became to just get paid something for the job. In the end, that’s what happen to most of these local companies. They were forced to settle for what they could get, even if it wasn’t the full amount that was originally agreed upon. It’s the worst way to treat small business owners because the work was already completed, the stores were already open and shoppers were already browsing through the aisles. All the while, money was still owed. And to make matter worse, many of the smaller companies involved in the Washington Crossing said that the work on the building was extremely complex. One subcontractor described the shopping center as a “nightmare project” because the structure was extremely outdated and required significant improvements in order to transform it into the impressive 149,000-square-feet retail space it is today. “I want my money,” the subcontractor told the Metro Spirit in 2015. “I’m done playing games with these jokers.” To add more stress into the mix, some of the local companies heard rumors that the Atlanta contractor decided to submit an extremely low bid in order to get awarded the work on the shopping center. The fear was that the financing for the Washington Crossing, LLC was upside down almost from the very beginning. Well, folks, karma is clearly a bitch. Washington Crossing is now without its anchor tenant. The lesson here is this: Don’t screw over local companies in a small city like Augusta because such actions leave a very bad taste in people’s mouths.

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two decades ago, Augusta businessman Clay Boardman did the unthinkable. he invested in historic enterprise Mill just for the love of it. When AugustAns leArned lAte lAst yeAr that the historic Enterprise Mill was recently purchased by new owners, it opened a whole new chapter for this local landmark. Carlos Imery, the head of a Coral Gables, Fla.-based Enterprise Mill LLC along with Starr Porter of Atlanta, purchased the historic, multi-million-dollar property from the Melaver family of Savannah in November. While the city of Augusta lists the property’s current value at more than $10 million, a price tag cannot be placed on the historical legacy of Enterprise Mill and its incredible transformation that occurred two decades ago. Back in 1997, Augusta businessman Clay Boardman did the unthinkable. He invested more than $17 million in the former textile mill, which dates back to the mid1800s and was once operated by the Graniteville Company, and converted the abandoned structure into a mix of upscale apartments, businesses and office space located right in the heart of downtown Augusta. This huge leap of faith in the historic mill was an enormous undertaking and it earned Boardman the nickname of “Mr. Enterprise.” “It was one of those things that I never really had a plan written out or thought out very 12 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

By Metro Spirit Staff

well,” Boardman told the Metro Spirit in 2000, not long after completing the restoration and redevelopment of Enterprise Mill. “I just kind of got going and the more you got going you just felt like, if I just go a little bit further and then you nickeled and dimed yourself up to some real money after awhile.” Those nickels and dimes, by his own estimations, amounted to roughly $17 million and some pretty nervous times for the Augusta native, who embarked into the business world after graduating from Augusta Preparatory Day School. “It was pretty scary there for a long time,” Boardman said. “The fear of failure is pretty high. It was developed, and designed, and conceived on the fly. After about two or three months, I had an interested buyer from Kentucky who was offering me enough that I could have actually made some money, and more importantly, gotten out. But, by then I had kind of fallen in love with it, so I just couldn’t really sell it at that point.” As time went on, Boardman’s construction budget reached $50,000 a day. There weren’t any takers on financing and he ended up selling a second house in Charleston. “I didn’t have any financing for the longest time. I used everything I had,’’ Boardman said. “It wasn’t a very nice home (in Charleston). It only bought me a few days of salvation.” 16FEBRUARY2017

“I think Enterprise Mill helped a lot in telling people that you can make it in this type of business in downtown Augusta.” — Clay Boardman Looking back at the project, Boardman described it as his best and worst venture. “From my self-satisfaction perspective, it has certainly been the best, times a million,” Boardman told the Metro Spirit in 2000. “There can’t be anything more personally satisfying. Financially, it hasn’t been very satisfying. It just cost a lot to redo this thing, and the market and rent and such in Augusta are not enough to support something like this.” But Boardman said he strongly believed in investing in Augusta’s future. “It will work out long term,” he said. “But it would never be the best thing to do if you had money burning a hole in your pocket.” Fortunately for Boardman, he and his family sold 67 Smile Gas convenience stores throughout the area a few years after he purchased Enterprise Mill. While the terms of the agreement with Connecticut-based Tosco Corp. prevented him from disclosing the sale price, the 67 convenience stores had combined annual sales of roughly $250 million. It was a business that Boardman knew very well. After all, his family had been in the oil business for nearly 100 years.

The Boardman family owned Charter Terminals, a large gas depository located at Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 25 in Belvedere, S.C. The depository was linked to a Texas pipeline, and the Boardmans distributed gas to a number of large, independent filling stations in the area, such as Speedway, Shell and Crown. “It’s an underground pipeline from Texas and it goes all the way up to New York Harbor,” Boardman told the Metro Spirit in 2000. “It is the largest pipeline in the country and we get 100 percent of our products from there and then we redistribute them.” For more than 20 years, Boardman served as the CEO of Boardman Petroleum and Charter-Triad Terminals. In that role, he identified appropriate sites, negotiated for their acquisition and then developed, owned and operated more than 75 convenience stores, travel centers and quick service food locations throughout the Southeast before selling the retail chain to Circle K in 1999. In addition, more than 20 expansion retail pads were sold for convenience stores. Charter-Triad, which owned and operated nine large petroleum storage facilities in the Southeast handling gasoline, diesel, butane and jet fuels, was sold to Kinder-Morgan Energy Partners in late 2004. Through it all, Boardman put a great deal of time, energy and money into renovating the 260,000-square foot Enterprise Mill. While the project was demanding, Boardman’s redevelopment of Enterprise Mill was only the beginning. Over the years, Boardman has also renovated a number of Augusta landmarks such as the 55,000-square-foot Sutherland Mill, the Houghton School, the Widow’s Home and the William Robinson School, just to name a few. Boardman is also the treasurer and site selection committee chairman of Turn Back the Block. It is a faith-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to revitalize the Harrisburg neighborhood through the rehabilitation of existing housing and the promotion of home ownership by local residents. Recent statistics show that 14 percent of Harrisburg homes are vacant or abandoned, and that less than 25 percent of the homes are owner-occupied.

Turn Back the Block is trying to return the Harrisburg community back to the thriving neighborhood it used to be decades ago, Boardman said. “What’s been so lovely about this situation is the neighbors have seen the activity with the building materials and trucks and they are excited about the change,” Boardman said. “The whole key is that we develop the pride in the neighborhood and, hopefully, it will spill over to block after block.” Change will not happen overnight, Boardman said, but the organization is gaining more attention and volunteers each and every day as the community realizes this group is committed to making a difference. “It’s a long, slow slog,” Boardman said, chuckling. “It will take 25 to 50 years, but it’s going to happen.” While Boardman has touched many areas throughout Augusta, the restoration of Enterprise Mill is probably considered his crown jewel because of the impact it had on

“We need more people in Augusta to take pride in their home and to take pride with their dollars and their involvement. It’s not just a money thing.” — Clay Boardman

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“From my self-satisfaction perspective, it has certainly been the best, times a million. There can’t be anything more personally satisfying.” — Clay Boardman the appearance of the city, yet most weren’t willing to take on such a formidable project and some didn’t have the vision. “Nobody could see what the project could be and I felt like I was seeing that,’’ Boardman said. Not to mention the fact, Augusta was home. “I think sometimes, from a pure financial perspective, there are a lot better places to invest, but it’s home, too,’’ Boardman told the Metro Spirit in 2000. “We need more people in Augusta to take pride in their home and to take pride with their dollars and their involvement. It’s not just a money thing.”

downtown Augusta. After Enterprise Mill opened its doors in 1998, all of a sudden, living downtown was once again a viable option for many residents. And what better place to live than a mill that dates back to the mid-1800s which offers luxury apartments with high ceilings, loft bedrooms and incredible wooden floors. Boardman put his heart into Enterprise Mill and honored its history. In fact, most of the wooden floors in the residential section are dotted with embedded metal rings called travelers, which were left over from the spinning process. Such unique touches added a rugged charm to the apartments in Enterprise Mill, something that ordinary complexes in Augusta couldn’t offer. Even after being renovated into apartments and office space, it’s still clear that this former mill on Greene Street has a story to tell. Enterprise Mill was first developed as a flour mill by James L. Coleman in 1848. Coleman was influential enough to persuade the Augusta City Council to change the route of a proposed power-generating canal to pass by this land. In 1877, the building was converted to a textile mill by the Enterprise Manufacturing Corp. Graniteville Company combined two separate mills on the property, and began operation as a textile mill in 1940. But, unfortunately, the mill closed in March 1983. It stood vacant for almost 15 years until Boardman came along and saved it. Although renovating Enterprise Mill was an extremely expensive venture, Boardman said he felt he would have been letting the community down if he walked away. Many involved in downtown development perceived the mill as a major first step in improving 14 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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As soon as Enterprise Mill reopened, Boardman received a great deal of praise throughout Augusta. Monty Osteen, then-chairman of the Richmond County Development Authority, said Boardman represented the new leadership in Augusta. “He really is the leader of what I’ll call the new generation of leadership that’s going to continue the redevelopment and revitalization of Augusta,’’ Osteen said in 2000. “And I couldn’t be more pleased, because as the older generation phases out, there is clearly a smooth transition to the new generation and that didn’t happen before and I think it’s great for the community.” While Boardman ended up selling the property in 2006 to Savannah, Ga.-based developer Melaver Inc. for about $13 million, his determination and hard work on Enterprise Mill helped inspire other such downtown restoration projects such as The White’s Building, formerly the J.B. White department store, on Broad Street. Just last year, a group called the Augusta Innovation Zone — which was founded by local business people including former Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver, John Cates, Virginia Claussen, Tom Patterson, George Claussen and Tommy Wafford — announced plans to renovate both the historic Woolworth Department Store and the Johnson Building located on the corners of Eighth and Broad streets. Downtown Augusta has really grown up with the addition of more restaurants, bars and hotels over the past 20 years. Such growth is exactly what Boardman was hoping for when he invested in Enterprise Mill back in 1997. “Nothing else breeds success more than success,’’ Boardman told the Metro Spirit in 2000. “I think Enterprise Mill helped a lot in telling people that you can make it in this type of business in downtown Augusta. Hopefully, we can get the momentum going. We’re hopeful that more and more people will choose to either develop their properties or redevelop their properties, or sell them. “It’s kind of the lead, follow or get out of the way syndrome.”

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Get ready to have a funky Good time at this year’s Wet Paint Party and Sale, an annual membership event hosted by the Greater Augusta Arts Council. And while the event may up the arts council’s membership numbers, the main reason they hold this event is to help local artists. The silent art auction at this event is like none other in town and, since 2013, more than $20,000 of the money raised from the auction has gone straight into the artists’ pockets. That’s because the arts council gives the artists — nearly 70 participating this year — their asking price for the work they auction; anything over the asking price goes to the organization as a donation. But enough business. Besides nabbing

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some fantastic art, there are plenty of other reasons to attend this party. The ‘60s and ‘70s soul and funk theme will be prominently displayed through a fashion show by Vintage Ooollee, and guest DJ Coco Rubio will, we’re sure, be playing plenty of James Brown and Sharon Jones. Guests will also be treated to hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. It’s definitely a party no one will soon forget, so get your tickets now! Wet Paint Party and Sale Sacred Heart Cultural Center Saturday, February 18 7 p.m. Free for members; $35 and up for nonmembers augustaarts.com

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whAT’s Up

Calendar: 18 | Music Listings: 24 If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com.

All The seNses if YOU MisseD The OpeNiNg of “Outliers: The Art of Printmaking” last Friday night, never fear: The Westobou Gallery is hosting Palette: An Evening of Sight, Smell and Taste this Friday night. What is Palette? It’s a chance to see Outliers, an exhibition of the works of eight local, regional and national printmakers organized by Augusta University Professor Chadwick Tolley. At the same time, however, participants will, thanks to Augusta Food Tours, sample food from several different vendors, including Hammond’s Ferry Larder, Sunshine Bakery and Tin Lizzy’s. Best of all? It’s free! An RSVP, however, is suggested. pAleTTe: AN eveNiNg Of sighT, sMell AND TAsTe Westobou Gallery Friday, February 17 5-7 p.m. westoboufestival.com

This week

ThURsDAY

If you’re looking for an inspirational night of music and messages, look no further than the James Brown Arena, tonight’s home of Winter James Tour Spectacular 2017. Big names include American Idol finalist Colton Dixon (above) and Duck Dynasty’s Sadie Robertson, but almost all of the 10 Christian music artists involved in the show have won Grammys. As usual, there’s a Pre-Jam Party and tickets are $10 at the door.

sUNDAY

Robert J. Williams is a native Augustan who now resides in Washington, DC. Today, he returns to his hometown to read from his debut short story collection, “Strivers and Other Stories,” at 3 p.m. at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. Set primarily in Southern locales between the 1920s and the present day, the stories in Williams’ collection explore a range of African-American and Southern voices reflecting characters striving towards their versions of the American dream.

MONDAY

What better way to celebrate Presidents Day than to visit the Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson downtown? In honor of the holiday, the home will, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., offer tours on each hour and half hour, and will also feature videos and children’s activities. To top it all off, admission will be buy one, get one free. Regular admission prices are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for students K-12, and free for children under age 5.

TUesDAY

The 89th Academy Awards is February 26, and while movie lovers generally try to see the big-name nominees, short films hardly ever get any love. This year, the Cinema Series will show all of the nominated short films on Tuesday, February 21. Documentary shorts will show beginning at noon and 1:30 p.m. Animated shorts will show at 7 p.m. and live action shorts will show at 8:30 p.m. All screenings are in Maxwell Theatre on the Summerville campus and are free.

For more information on these events, see our calendar of events on page 18.

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7pm Monthly Meeting

Flamenco Vivo/Carlota Santana AU’s Maxwell Theatre Sunday, February 19 7:30 p.m. $18, general; $12, AU alumni and military; $7, children, students, AU faculty and staff; free, AU students with JagCard. 706-667-4100 augusta.edu

Odell Weeks Center, Aiken This meeting of the Aiken County Democratic Party will feature Dr. Matthew Thornburg, associate professor at USC Aiken, who will talk about results of the 2016 exit poll interviews in Aiken County. Visit aikencountydemocrats.org.

Sat Feb 18

11:30am, 12:30pm and 1:30pm A Petersburg Boat Captain Augusta Museum of History Part of the Voices of the Past series of character monologues. Free with museum admission. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

3pm Beyond ¡Hola!: A Free Basic Conversational Class Headquarters Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-267-9053 or email speakngrow@gmail.com.

Mon Feb 20

9am - 11am GED Class Diamond Lakes Branch Library A 10-week class led by Augusta Tech that meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-11 a.m. Pre-registration required. Call 706-7714131 or visit arcpls.org.

10am - 4pm Presidents’ Day Tours Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Tours will be given on the hour and half hour, and the event will also feature videos and children’s activities. Admission will be buy one, get one free. Regular admission prices are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for students K-12, and free for children under age 5. Call 706-724-0436 or visit wilsonboyhoodhome.org.

ARTS Fri Feb 17

Noon Art at Lunch: The Baskets of Billie Ruth Sudduth Morris Museum of Art Led by collector Andrew Hayes. $10, members; $15, non-members. Catered lunch included. Pre-registration required. Call 706724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

1pm - 3pm Oil Painting 175 N. Louisville St., Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class. $30 per class. Call 706-556-6656, 706-513-2634 or email blalocka@hotmail.com.

Sat Feb 18

10am - 5pm Basket Weaving: Pine Needle Kroc Center A class for those ages 15 and older in which weaving supplies are included. Participants should bring a hand towel, tape measure or ruler, squirt bottle, garden shears or scissors and their lunch. $40, members; $45, non18 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

members. Pre-registration required. Call 706364-5762 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.

10am - 1pm Photos to Paintings: Pet Portraits Aiken Center for the Arts $60; pre-registration required. Call 803-6419094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.

1pm - 2:30pm Acrylic Painting 175 N. Louisville St., Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class. $20 per class. Call 706-556-6656, 706-513-2634 or email blalocka@hotmail.com.

Mon Feb 20

10am - noon Oil Painting 175 N. Louisville St., Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class for up to six students. $20 per class. Call 706-556- 6656, 706-513-2634 or email blalocka@hotmail.com.

Wed Feb 22

7pm Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School

Le Chat Noir A burlesque live drawing event featuring contests, performances, prizes and more. $10, advance; $12 at the door. Call 706-7223322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.

DANCE Sun Feb 19

7:30pm Flamenco Vivo/Carlota Santana AU’s Maxwell Theatre Part of Augusta University’s Lyceum Series. $18, general; $12, AU alumni and military; $7, children, students, AU faculty and staff; free, AU students with JagCard. Call 706-6674100 or visit augusta.edu.

EDUCATION

3:30pm Intermediate Spanish Headquarters Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.

5:30pm Beginner Spanish Headquarters Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.

Tue Feb 21

10:30am Email Essentials Appleby Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.

Thu Feb 16

Noon World War I and the American Reader

Wallace Branch Library Call to schedule an appointment. Call 706722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.

Augusta Museum of History Part of a series on this area’s efforts during World War I, this one will be facilitated by Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell, director of the Center for the Study of Georgia History and University

9am - 11am Computer Help for Absolute Beginners

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Historian of Augusta University, and will include three veterans reading passages from WWI writers and writings. Free. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

Ongoing

Professional Development Courses Jessye Norman School of the Arts The school offers classes in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and other software programs. Call or visit the website to see a schedule of spring and summer classes. Call 706-828-7768 or visit jessyenormanschool.org.

James Brown Family Historical Tour Augusta Museum of History Available each Saturday at 11 a.m. and lasting approximately two hours, this bus tour includes Brown’s elementary school, his childhood home, his statue and more. $15 fee, includes admission to the museum, which houses the largest collection of James Brown memorabilia. Reservations 24 hours in advance required. Call 803-6402090 or visit jamesbrownfamilyfdn.org.

Guided Tours 1797 Ezekiel Harris House Offered by appointment only MondayFriday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Last tours of the day begin at 4 p.m. Adults, $2; children, $1. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

North Augusta Driving Tour Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta Offered by appointment and includes a 30-45-minute guided tour and admission to the center. Self-guided tours are also available through an iPhone downloadable audio tour or a Google Maps-based tour. Guided tours: $5, adults; $3, students K-12. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

Historic Trolley Tours of Augusta

6:30pm 3 Friends’ Art Wine and Cheese Reception Jessye Norman School of the Arts Three friends, Frances Force, Marian Owens and Pat Tante, present a collaborative show with artwork highlighting Augusta’s southern charm and the value of friendship. The exhibition, in the Ann & Ellis Johnson Gallery, will show February 16-March 4. Call 706-8287768 or visit jessyenormanschool.org.

Ongoing

Black History Month Exhibit Headquarters Branch Library In honor of Black History Month, The Georgia Heritage Room will exhibit a collection of rare and antique books on loan from local historian and writer Elvin Thompson. Some of the books included are an 1852 first edition two-volume set of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe, an 1855 first edition of “My Bondage and My Freedom” by Frederick Douglass, an 1880 second edition of “A Fool’s Errand” by Albion W. Tourgee and many other works. The exhibit will run through March. Call 706-821-2600 or visit arcpls.org.

Outliers: The Art of Printmaking Westobou Gallery A satellite exhibition, in conjunction with the Southern Graphics Council International’s 2017 Conference, in celebration of printmaking featuring artwork from eight local, regional and national printmakers. It will be on display February 10-April 9. Call 706-755-2878 or visit westoboufestival.com.

Rhythm and Movement: Paintings by James Michalopoulos Morris Museum of Art An exhibit of more than 30 large-scale paintings of the historic architecture of New Orleans that will show February 18-May 14. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

Augusta Visitors Center Tours aboard the Lady Libby available at the Augusta Visitors Center with 24-hour advanced reservations. Tickets include admission to the Augusta Museum of History. Call 706-724-4067 or visit visitaugusta.org.

The African-American Professional Nursing Experience Exhibition

EXHIBITIONS

Exhibitions Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art

Thu Feb 16

6pm - 8pm Gallery Opening Reception Aiken Center for the Arts Featuring The Five (Judy Adamick, Elizabeth Moretz-Britt, Anne Rauton Smith, Doris Sofge and Jill Stafford); Nanette Langer and Casey Szocinski in the main gallery; Robert Stevens and Warren Westcott in the AAG Gallery and St. Mary’s Help of Christians School in the Brooks Gallery. The exhibitions will remain on display through March 25. Call 803-6419094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org. 16FEBRUARY2017

Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History A Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority exhibition that shows through February 26 at the museum. Call 706-724-3576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.

Exhibits include Between Earth and Sky: Sculpture by Molly Sawyer in the main gallery and works from Lillie Hardy Morris in the Creel-Harison Community Gallery. The exhibits will be on display through February 24. Call 706-722-5495 or visit ghia.org.

Winter Exhibitions Arts & Heritage Center of North Augusta The main gallery exhibition features the work of photographer and painter Luke Andrews and sculptor Wesley L. Stewart. The Balcony Gallery features the work of

abstract painter and Augustan Darlene Williams. Both exhibitions will be on display through March 3. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

Fri Feb 17

3 Friends’ Exhibit

Sun Feb 19

Jessye Norman School of the Arts Three friends, Frances Force, Marian Owens and Pat Tante, present a collaborative show with artwork highlighting Augusta’s southern charm and the value of friendship. The exhibit will show in the Ann & Ellis Gallery of the school February 16-March 4 each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from noon-3 p.m. and on Saturdays by appointment. Call 706-828-7768 or visit jessyenormanschool.org.

Exhibits Augusta Museum of History Includes the following: “The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown; “Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf”; “Augusta’s Story”; “A Community That Heals”; “Into the Interior: A History of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company”; “Local Legends”; “One Man, Two Ships: Lessons in History and Courage”; “A Quilt Journey”; and “Canteens to Combat Boots”. Call 706-7228454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

FLIX Thu Feb 16

6pm “Flipped” North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

4pm “The Princess and the Frog” North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

2:30pm “Lady and the Tramp” Headquarters Branch Library Held in the children’s department. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org.

3pm “In God We Teach” Headquarters Branch Library A free public screening sponsored by the CSRA chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church & State. Visit amunitedcsra.org.

Tue Feb 21

Noon 2017 Oscar Nominated Short Films Screenings AU’s Maxwell Theatre Part of the Cinema Series at Augusta University, Documentary Shorts Program A will begin at noon and Documentary Shorts Program B will begin at 1:30 p.m. Free. Call 706-667-4100 or visit augusta.edu.

Noon School’s Out Movie Diamond Lakes Branch Library Call to find out title and MPAA rating. Participants are invited to bring their own snacks and pre-registration is required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

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Mon Feb 20

7am - 6pm School’s Out Camp Kroc Center An event that includes gym play, crafts, games, swimming and more. Call 706-3645762 or visit augustakroc.org.

9am - 4pm President’s Day Camp Aiken Center for the Arts For kids ages 4 and up. Participants should bring a lunch and snacks, but all art supplies are included. $75; pre-registration required. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.

10:30am Jr. Lego Club Headquarters Branch Library For those ages 2-4. Legos provided. Preregistration required. Call 706-821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.

Maintenance Monday Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse Monday, February 20 6:30 p.m. A class for those who want to learn more about their bikes. Topics include basic bike anatomy, ABC quick check, how to repair a ﬂat and a Q&A session. Pre-registration required. 706-724-2453 andyjordans.com

Tue Feb 21

7am - 6pm School’s Out Camp Kroc Center An event that includes gym play, crafts, games, swimming and more. Call 706-3645762 or visit augustakroc.org.

10am Big Kids Story Time Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 3-6 featuring a Black History/Heritage Month theme. Pre-registration recommended. Call 706-821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.

10am Preschool Story Time Headquarters Branch Library Call 706-821-2600 for weekly selections. Visit arcpls.org.

7pm 2017 Oscar Nominated Short Films Screenings AU’s Maxwell Theatre Part of the Cinema Series at Augusta University, animated shorts screenings will begin at 7 p.m. and live action shorts will begin at 8:30 p.m. Free. Call 706-667-4100 or visit augusta.edu.

HEALTH Mon Feb 20

1pm - 3pm Look Good Feel Better University’s Breast Health Center An American Cancer Society program that aims to help female cancer patients combat the appearance-related side-effects of chemo and radiation. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org.

6:30pm Reﬁt Headquarters Branch Library A free cardio dance class. Call 706-8212600 or visit arcpls.org.

HOBBIES Thu Feb 16 20 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

6:30pm PWN AUG Chess Club The Book Tavern A new club open to all ages and skill levels that meets the ﬁrst and third Thursdays of each month. Participants are encouraged to bring their own chess sets. Call 706-8261940 or visit booktavern.com.

Sat Feb 18

11am, 1pm and 3pm Museum Escape: Red Scare Augusta Museum of History A mystery game in an escape room will be available for up to 8 people per session. Sessions last about 45 minutes. For ages 18 and up, or 12 and up with parental supervision. $15, members; $20, nonmembers; $25, at the door. Call 706-7228454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

Mon Feb 20

6pm Civil War Roundtable Meeting Goodwill’s The Snelling Center Len Riedel, executive director of the Blue and Gray Education Society, will talk about battleﬁeld tours. Meetings are $15, including dinner. Membership is $25 per year, individual; $40, couple. Call 706-736-2909 or visit civilwarroundtableaugustaga.com.

Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

Diamond Lakes Branch Library A program for those ages 3-5 that includes stories, songs, games, short movies and crafts. Pre-registration required for groups of 6 or more. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

KIDS-TEENS

10:30am Young Children’s Story Time

Wed Feb 22

6pm Board Game Night

Aiken Public Library For those ages 0-5. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Diamond Lakes Branch Library Songs, ﬁnger plays and stories for children ages 0-3. Pre-registration required for groups of 6 or more. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

Sat Feb 18

Wed Feb 22

Diamond Lakes Branch Library The theme of this family event is buildings. Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

Wallace Branch Library Pre-registration required for groups of 3 or more. Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.

11am Mighty, Mighty Construction Site Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 0-3. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org.

5:30pm Daddy-Daughter Dance

10:05am Toddler Story Time

Kroc Center A dinner and dancing event for dads and daughters ages 3-17. $30 per couple; $10 for each additional child. Pre-registration required. Call 706-364-5762 or visit augustakroc.org.

10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time

Fri Feb 17

10am - noon Play & Grow Activity

11am - 1pm Family Lego Day

10am Story Time

10am Story Time for Tots

Appleby Branch Library This is a program best for children ages 18 months-3 years. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.

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Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

10:30am Preschool Story Time Appleby Branch Library For children ages 3-5. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.

10:30am Super Awesome Story Time The Book Tavern A celebration of Black History Month that features the story “Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave.” Participants will then go to Tire City Potters to watch a demonstration and make their own pinch pots. Juice and cookies will be provided by New Moon Cafe. Call 706-826-1940 or email superawesomestorytime@booktavern.com.

THE FORT GORDON DINNER THEATRE PRESENTS

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4pm - 6pm Inspire Your Heart with Art North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library A drop-in craft time for kids of all ages. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Ongoing

The Shepard Project Metropolitan Community Church of Our Redeemer A teen hangout and safespace for LGBTQ+ teens, ages 14-17, and allies that meets the ﬁrst and third Tuesday of each month from 5-8 p.m. The group is also looking for chaperones ages 25 and older and youth mentors 18-24 years old, who must pass a background check. Call 803-617-8352 or email shepardprojectaugusta@gmail.com.

Junior Model UN Registration Augusta University Middle school students who are interested in assuming the perspective of a diplomat from a United Nations Member State and representing their position can register for the day-long simulation at Augusta University. February 15 is the late registration deadline. Email Dr. Craig Albert at calbert@augusta.edu or visit augusta. edu/pamplin/pols/juniormodelun.php.

LITERARY Sat Feb 18

6:30pm Poetry Matters Project Open Mic with Poets The Book Tavern A Black History Month event featuring poets Al Black, Len Lawson, James Aaron Snow and Clavin Pennywell Jr. Call 706826-1940 or visit booktavern.com.

Sun Feb 19

3pm Reading and Book Signing Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History Featuring native Augustan Robert J. Williams, author of “Strivers and Other Stories.” Free and open to the public. Call 706-724-3576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com. 16FEBRUARY2017

by Adam Long, Daniel Singer & Jess Winfield “Stupendous, anchorless joy” – The Times

“Pithier than Python. Irresistible!” – New York Times

March 3, 4, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 Directed by

Elizabeth Nelson Walpert

Mixed Garden Salad with Ranch/Italian/Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Beet Risotto • Tortellini with Vodka Blush Sauce • String Bean Medley Steamed Seasonal Vegetable Mix • Herb Roasted Chicken Carved Top Round with Red Wine Demi • Dessert

TICKETS

Civilians: $53 | Seniors (65 & over), Retirees, DA Civilians, Active-Duty E7 & above: $50 Active-Duty E6 & below, Students with ID: $40 | Show only: $30

For reservations, please call 706-793-8552 (SEASON TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE)

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Wed Feb 22

6:30pm - 8pm Book Club Kroc Center Open to anyone ages 25 and older interested in a fun, dynamic discussion. Books are selected by members and cover a variety of topics. Free. Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.

MUSIC Thu Feb 16

7pm An Evening with George & Ira Gershwin Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School $10. Call 706-823-6924 or visit rcboe.org/ davidson.

Sat Feb 18

6:30pm Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody Etherredge Center, Aiken An Aiken Symphony presentation featuring Joyce Yang on piano. $30-$45. Call 803641-3305 or visit aikensymphonyorchestra. com/tickets.

Sun Feb 19

2pm Jamal Moore and Susan Zhang Morris Museum of Art Part of the Music at the Morris series. Free. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

3pm A Choral Festival with Brad Holmes St. John’s United Methodist Church Presented by Saint John Church and Concerts with a Cause and featuring Brad Holmes leading the choirs of Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, Thomson First United Methodist and St. John United Methodist. Free, but an offering will be taken for Natalie’s Light. Visit stjohnaugusta.org.

Tue Feb 21

Noon Tuesday’s Music Live Saint Paul’s Church Featuring a free concert by Duo 2. Lunch afterwards is $12 a person and requires reservation. Call 706-722-3463 or visit tuesdaysmusiclive.com.

Wed Feb 22

7:30pm That’s Amore The Etherredge Center, Aiken A presentation of the Aiken Women’s Heart Board. $25. Call 803-641-3305 or visit etherredge.usca.edu.

SENIORS Thu Feb 16

1pm Got 30 Minutes? Kroc Center Conducted by the Area Agency on Aging, this workshop provides an overview of services available to caregivers, the aging, and those with disabilities. Call 706-9220171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org. 22 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

SPECIAL EVENTS Thu Feb 16

5pm - 8pm Meet and Greet Julian Smith BBQ Pit Featuring new Marshal Ramone Lampkin and his staff. Visit augustaga.gov.

Fri Feb 17

10am - 4pm 5th Street Exchange Riverwalk Marina A market featuring everything from arts and crafts and vintage jewelry and clothing to furniture and health and beauty items. The market will also feature a children’s area, several food trucks and more. Email 5thstmarina@gmail.com.

9am - 7pm Consignment Sale

2pm Black History Parade

Trinity on the Hill UMC Sale includes clothes, accessories, toys, equipment and more. Call 706-738-8822 or visit trinityonthehill.net.

Downtown Aiken Call 803-642-7634.

5pm - 7pm Palette: An Evening of Sight, Smell and Taste Westobou Gallery An event featuring samples from some of Augusta’s best restaurants, vendors and individuals and the gallery’s exhibition “Outliers: The Art of Printmaking.” Free, but RSVP suggested. Visit westoboufestival.com.

5pm - 8pm Wine Not It’s Friday Whole Foods A $5 wine tasting in which participants get five 3-ounce samples of featured wines. Call 762-333-0259 or visit wholefoodsmarket.com.

6pm - 9pm Art for Heart Fundraiser The Book Tavern An event presented by AU’s Biomedical Student Association to raise money for the American Heart Association that includes an art sale, live music and hors d’oeuvres. Visit augusta.edu.

8pm Valentine Massacre Red Party Pub Crawl and Benefit Show Joe’s Underground An Augusta Pride benefit that begins at Joe’s Underground where the Gin Jockeys will play at 9 p.m. A stop at Blue Sky Kitchen will be followed by a Happy Bones show, a screening of the horror short “Destiny Darling” and a Chainsaw Masscara show at Sky City. $5. Visit prideaugusta.org.

Sat Feb 18

8am - 1pm Consignment Sale Trinity on the Hill UMC Sale includes clothes, accessories, toys, equipment and more. Call 706-738-8822 or visit trinityonthehill.net.

9am - 1pm Ladies Lifestyle Show USC Aiken Convocation Center A free event that includes everything from health screenings and self-defense classes to makeovers and nutrition tips. Visit uscatix.com.

9am - 2pm Tire Recycling Event Landfill, Blythe An Augusta Solid Waste event for Richmond County residents. Visit augustasolidwaste.com.

7pm “Follow the Drinking Gourd” Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1-$5.50. Call 803641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.

7pm Wet Paint Party and Sale Sacred Heart Cultural Center This Greater Augusta Arts Council event includes a vintage fashion show, art auction, food, music and more with a ‘60s and ‘70s soul and funk theme. Free for members; $35 and up for non-members. Visit augustaarts.com.

8pm “Explorers of Mauna Kea” Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1-$5.50. Call 803641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.

Sun Feb 19

9am Downtown Cleanup Artus Co-Op, 1155 Broad Street Cleanup gear provided. Visit facebook.com/ pages/Artus-Co-op/532417963629102.

1pm - 5pm CSRA Bridal Expo Sacred Heart Cultural Center Presented by Sho Ane’s Bridal and Formals, this event features 35 vendors, live music, food and more. Call 706-724-7220 or visit shoanesbridal.com.

Mon Feb 20

10am - 6pm Wee-Peats Spring and Summer Consignment Sale 3069 Washington Road, Martinez Visit weepeatsconsignment.net.

Tue Feb 21

10am - 6pm Wee-Peats Spring and Summer Consignment Sale 3069 Washington Road, Martinez Visit weepeatsconsignment.net.

11:30am Women in Business Luncheon The Legends Club An Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce event featuring speaker Dr. Ron Eaker on “Why Normal Isn’t Healthy: Living a Balanced Life.” $30, members; $40, non-members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-821-1300 or visit

augustametrochamber.com.

5pm - 8pm Meet and Greet Diamond Lakes Community Center Featuring new Marshal Ramone Lampkin and his staff. Visit augustaga.gov.

Wed Feb 22

9am - 6pm George Washington’s 285th Birthday Celebration That Place, La Pavilion Shopping Center An event held by the William Few Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution that will feature cake and coffee. $6. Visit thatplacecoffee.com.

10am - 7pm Wee-Peats Spring and Summer Consignment Sale 3069 Washington Road, Martinez Visit weepeatsconsignment.net.

SPORTS-OUTDOORS Sat Feb 18

8:30am - 10:30am Bird Hike Mistletoe State Park The group will meet at the nature center before the hike. Participants will need binoculars. $2; $5, parking. Call 706-5410321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.

9am 4-H Family Yoga in the Park Phinizy Swamp Nature Park For all levels of kids and adults. Participants should bring yoga mat and water. Call 706828-2109 or visit phinizycenter.org.

9am - 11:15am Backstretch Tour Aiken Training Track A behind-the-scenes tour of the Aiken Training Track for those ages 16 and older. Participants should meet at the Rye Patch parking lot at 8:45 a.m. to catch a bus to the track. $25; pre-registration required. Call 803-643-2121 or 803-642-7631, email halloffame@cityofaikensc.gov or visit aikenracinghalloffame.com.

10am - noon Indoor Climbing and Belaying Active Climbing A Sierra Club-sponsored intro to free climbing and on-belay climbing and bouldering. $25; fee includes shoes, harness and instruction. Pre-registration required. Call 706-869-8770 or email rvdillenbeck@ knology.net.

1pm - 4pm Geocaching Mistletoe State Park $5, plus $5 parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.

Mon Feb 20

6:30pm Maintenance Monday Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse A class for those who want to learn more about their bikes. Topics include basic bike anatomy, ABC quick check, how to repair 16FEBRUARY2017

V28|NO7

a ďŹ&#x201A;at and a Q&A session. Pre-registration required. Call 706-724-2453 or visit andyjordans.com.

Ongoing

Run Fit Club Kroc Center A club for those ages 16 and older that will meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in March at 5:30 a.m. Pre-registration required. $10, members; $20, non-members. Call 706922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.

Fencing Classes Augusta Fencers Club Classes for children as young as six, as well as teens and adults, meet ďŹ ve nights a week. Call 706-722-8878, email rvolk1@comcast.net or visit augustafencersclub.com.

SUPPORT Thu Feb 16

6pm Bariatric Surgery Support Group University Hospital Call 706-774-8931 or visit universityhealth.org.

Mon Feb 20

Noon Holistic Grief Support Group Ronald McDonald House For caregivers, family members, students and employees. Call 706-721-2929.

6:15pm CSRA GYN Cancer Support Group Daksha Chudgar Lydia House Call 706-721-5557 or visit augusta.edu.

Tue Feb 21

10:20am Moms Connection Augusta University Medical Center This free weekly support group for new mothers meets in the Terrace Dining Dogwood Room on the second ďŹ&#x201A;oor. All new moms and their babies are welcome and an international board certiďŹ ed lactation consultant/educator/perinatal nurse will answer questions and offer resources. Call 706-721-8283 or visit augustahealth.org.

7pm Prostate Cancer Support Group AUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cancer Clinic Call 706-721-0472 or visit augusta.edu.

Ongoing

La Leche League A breastfeeding support group. For more information on meeting dates, times and locations, visit them on Facebook under La Leche League of Augusta or at lllaugusta. wordpress.com.

Blood Cancer/BMT Support Group GRU Cancer Center Meets the third Wednesday of each month. Call 706-721-1634 or visit grhealth.org

Celebrate Recovery Journey Community Church This Christ-centered recovery program meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. The meetings last two hours and childcare is provided. Pre-registration suggested. Visit cr@journeycommunity.net.

Write to Heal Creative Writing Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital of Georgia family resource library For patients, family members and caregivers, this program meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Preregistration required. Call 706-721-5160 or email nawilliams@gru.edu.

THEATER

Wing production. $20, adults; $17, seniors and active military; $12, students; $7, children. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

7pm â&#x20AC;&#x153;Noises Off â&#x20AC;? Auditions Aiken Community Playhouse The production will show in April and May. For more information, call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

Wed Feb 22

7:30pm â&#x20AC;&#x153;Crimes of the Heartâ&#x20AC;? Auditions Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre Two men and four women are needed to play characters in this Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre production that shows May 5-20. Call 706-793-8552 or email danny.f.posey. naf@mail.mil.

VOLUNTEER Sat Feb 18

Mon Feb 20

9am - 3pm Wetlands Project Volunteers Needed Pendleton King Park For more information, call 706-564-7462 or visit pendletonkingpark.com.

Fri Feb 17

7:30pm â&#x20AC;&#x153;Romeo and Julietâ&#x20AC;? Aiken Community Playhouse An Aiken Community Playhouse Youth Wing production. $20, adults; $17, seniors and active military; $12, students; $7, children. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

AUGUSTA JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

8pm â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Last Five Yearsâ&#x20AC;? Le Chat Noir A Le Chat Noir production. $30. Call 706722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.

Sat Feb 18

3pm â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before the Stormâ&#x20AC;? Augusta Mini Theatre $15, adults; $10, students, children ages 2-18 and seniors; $8.50, groups of 10 or more. Call 706-722-0598 or visit augustaminitheatre.com.

2017

8pm â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before the Stormâ&#x20AC;? Augusta Mini Theatre $15, adults; $10, students, children ages 2-18 and seniors; $8.50, groups of 10 or more. Call 706-722-0598 or visit augustaminitheatre.com.

8pm â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Last Five Yearsâ&#x20AC;? Le Chat Noir A Le Chat Noir production. $30. Call 706722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.

16 Years of Ending Hunger Together LEGENDS CLUB

Sunday, March 5, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 10:30 am - 2:00 pm TICKETS: ADULTS....$20.00/$25.00* â&#x20AC;˘ KIDS 2-10....$5.00/$7.50* *at the door ALL YOU CAN EAT soups, breads and desserts donated by area restaurants & caterers. Free student created ceramic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Empty Bowlâ&#x20AC;? for each ticket holder. You â&#x20AC;&#x153;Canâ&#x20AC;? Help Raffle - Win a BIKE! â&#x20AC;˘ Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;SOUPERâ&#x20AC;? Events & Eats

CSRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Best Silent Auction

For ticket locations go to: www.emptybowlcsra.org Our Sponsors

Sun Feb 19

Knight Outdoor Advertising

3pm â&#x20AC;&#x153;Romeo and Julietâ&#x20AC;? Aiken Community Playhouse An Aiken Community Playhouse Youth

16FEBRUARY2017

AUGUSTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 23

V28|NO7 Liz Brasher

Vince Gill Bell Auditorium Friday, February 17 8 p.m. $39.50-$75 877-4AUGTIX georgialinatix.com

- Soul Bar February 23 Sweet Lilies

- Stillwater Taproom February 24 Vanessa Silberman, Chelsea Logue

- Soul Bar February 27 Styx

- Bell Auditorium March 1 Dwight Yoakam

- Bell Auditorium March 3 The Whiskey Gentry, Bethany and the Southside Boys

- Sky City March 3 The High Divers, Motel Radio

- Sky City March 16 Cracker, The Shaun Piazza Band

- Sky City March 24 Rock Fore! Dough w/ Lady Antebellum, Kip Moore, Bethany and the Southside Boys

- Evans Towne Center Park April 4 The Major Rager w/ The Flaming Lips, People of the Sun (by Moon Taxi), The Eric Krasno Band, Stop Light Observations

- Augusta Common April 6 The Major Rager AFter Pary w/ Funk You, Schema

- Sky City April 6 Home Free

- Imperial Theatre April 13 Steep Canyon Rangers

- Bell Auditorium April 27 Alice Cooper

- Bell Auditorium April 30 The Avett Brothers, Greensky Bluegrass

Thursday, February 16 Live Music

James Brown Arena - Winter Jam w/ Crowder, Britt Nicole, Tenth Avenue North, Andy Mineo, Colton Dixon, Thousand Foot Krutch, NewSong Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Live Music on the Patio Mellow Mushroom (Evans) - Ruskin and Cam Wild Wing - Will McCranie The Willcox (Aiken) - Thursday Night Jazz w/ 4 Cats in the Dog House

What’s Tonight?

Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Old School Thursday w/ DJ Groove Coyotes - Karaoke with Bam Fox’s Lair - Open Mic Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia Joe’s Underground - Trivia The Loft - Karaoke Pizza Joint (Downtown) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Sky City - AU Go Downtown Dance Party

Friday, February 17 Live Music

Bell Auditorium - Vince Gill Cotton Patch - Live Jazz Eli’s American Grille - Donna Jo Fox’s Lair - Ruskin and Cam The Highlander - Passage, Trust in Traitors, Mobius Iron Heights - OP4 Rose Hill Estate (Aiken) - Jazz w/ Doc Easton Shannon’s - Atomic Road Sky City - Valentine Massacre Red Party w/ Chainsaw Masscara Stillwater Taproom - Gaslight Street Wild Wing - Famous Last Words The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn

What’s Tonight?

Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Country Club - All Night DJ Dance Party Soul Bar - Pop Life

Saturday, February 18 Live Music

Country Club - Brandon Roberts Coyotes - Matt Brantley Polo Tavern (Aiken) - The Upshot Shannon’s - Driver Stillwater Taproom - Calimino Wild Wing - Moby Dick The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn

What’s Tonight?

The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Karaoke Sky City - Soundclash, Guest DJs Soul Bar - DJ Dance Party

Sunday, February 19 Live Music

Capri Lounge - Vivian Valium & the Lounge Lizard Divas Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Brunch w/ Jason Shepard (Scarlet Begonias) Wild Wing - Prettier Than Matt The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn

What’s Tonight?

Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ Mike Johnson

Monday, February 20 Live Music

Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Blues Monday w/ Famous Last Words

What’s Tonight?

Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Wild Wing - Trivia

Tuesday, February 21 Live Music

Fox’s Lair - Irish Music with Dr. John Fisher Joe’s Underground - Open Mic The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck

Hank Williams Jr.

- James Brown Arena June 16

Elsewhere Eric Church

- Inﬁnite Energy Arena, Duluth February 16 Drive By Trucker

- 40 Watt Club, Athens February 16-18

What’s Tonight?

Bar West - Trivia Blue Sky Bar & Kitchen - Butt Naked Trivia The Cotton Patch - Trivia Limelite Cafe - Bottom’s Up Trivia Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Trivia Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Twisted Burrito - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper

Wednesday, February 22 Live Music The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Shameless Dave Wild Wing - Sabo and Dave

REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.

What’s Tonight?

The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Trivia and Tunes The Loft - Karaoke Pizza Joint (Evans) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Sky City - Conspiracy w/ DJ Knightmare Southbound Smokehouse - Trivia Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz Surrey Tavern - Trivia w/ Christian and Mickey

Try FREE: 706-434-0108 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000 Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+

Upcoming Trae Pierce & the T-Stones

- Sky City February 23 24 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

- Evans Towne Center Park May 27-28

Meet sexy new friends

FREE TRIAL

706-434-0112 16FEBRUARY2017

V28|NO7

SIGHTINGS

Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Brian and Melissa Apple with Amanda Antompietri and Jeffrey Broder at French Market Grille West.

Jim Beck with Karen and Rex Miller at French Market Grille West.

Luvenia Gavin, Reda Bowell, Jamie Hurst and Staci Johnson at French Market Grille West.

Angelia, Peter, Bobby and Sheri Christine at Augusta Amusements’ The Pam Tillis Trio at the Jabez Hardin Performing Arts Center.

Jeannette Hughes, singer-songwriter Pam Tillis and Michael Deas at Augusta Amusements’ The Pam Tillis Trio at the Jabez Hardin Performing Arts Center.

Brittany Burg, LeAnne Oneill and Ashlyn Castle Berry at Augusta Amusements’ The Pam Tillis Trio at the Jabez Hardin Performing Arts Center.

Mary Ann Wikie, Nicole Davis and Chelsea Martin at Craft & Vine.

Wayne and Dorthe Peloquin with Dixie and Mark Thigpen at Bonefish Grill.

Brian Reisen, Samantha Graham and Jonathan Otis at Craft & Vine.

26 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

16FEBRUARY2017

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FIRST LADIES By Sam Trabucco/Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS 1 16-ounce container 6 Material commonly used during cathedral construction 14 Primitive timer 19 Pinnacles 20 Sidney Poitier’s 1980 autobiography 21 Moretz of “Carrie” 22 Performs, biblically 23 When soap operas first flourished 24 They’re measured by pluviometers 25 Geneticist’s study 26 Rage 28 Sheena who sang “U Got the Look” with Prince 29 “No worries” 30 It helps you achieve balance 33 Highlighter shades 34 %: Abbr. 35 Reply to “No offense” 37 Aid after a computer crash, say 40 Get 41 Mark 44 Mosaic pieces 46 Question after a photo finish 47 “How’s it hangin’?” 48 Click “Going” on a Facebook event, e.g. 49 2013 best seller by Sheryl Sandberg 53 Pennsylvania vacation locale, with “the” 56 Pokey’s pal on TV 57 Spanish she-bear 60 Running a bit behind 61 Part of a stock exchange? 64 Overcome a certain career barrier … or what the answers to the starred clues do? 68 Heavy weight 69 “Same with me” 70 Move hastily 71 Also-ran in 2000 72 Gray squirrel, in slang 74 Send elsewhere for the night, as a roommate, in modern lingo 75 Easy-to-carry telescope 79 Cubs’ home 80 Less safe for a plane landing, in a way 84 Change from black-and-white 86 Classical musician with a Presidential Medal of Freedom

87 Pub vessel 91 Permeates 92 Behind 94 Fix, as an election 95 Cab destination? 100 Geometric toy whose sides change depending on how it’s folded 101 Drop a bit 103 Arthurian princess 105 Poetic preposition 106 Scrape (out) 107 Go online 108 Remove fat from, as a soup 110 Caramel candies from Hershey 112 Opposite of standing 113 Getting ready to swing 114 Lake catch 115 White who is the oldest person ever to host “S.N.L.” 116 Participate in deciding 117 Took care of

42 What boats shouldn’t do 43 ____ Gay (W.W. II plane) 44 Best Foreign Film of 2005, set in South Africa 45 Kennedy who was the mother of Maria Shriver 46 Aid for the handy, informally 49 Letters of “pride” 50 Alternative to a pound 51 Emphatic agreement 52 Org. with a travel ban? 54 Bills, e.g. 55 Hit record? 57 “Yi-i-ikes!” 58 Pacific 59 Ending with teen 61 Certain conservative skirt 62 Hillary Clinton in 1969 or Bill Clinton in 1970 63 Monster 65 Fictional spacecraft created by the Time Lords DOWN 66 Like lettuce 1 Superfluous part of an essay 67 West Coast air hub 2 *One who 64-Acrossed for Supreme 73 Overly Court justices … 74 Two-____ (smallish car) 3 Emphatic refusal 75 ____-fi 4 After deductions 76 Yapping dog, for short 5 Gift-shop item 77 *… for secretaries of state 6 Hurriedly showed oneself out? 78 “Don’t be so dumb!” 7 “J to ____ L-O!” (Jennifer Lopez 81 Rip off, informally album) 82 Clown (around) 8 *… for astronauts 83 [Yawn] 9 Like over four billion people 85 Rule by governing board 10 “Victory is yours” 87 Altar constellation 11 Mexican president Enrique Peña ____ 88 *… for Best Directors 12 Zac of “Neighbors” 89 Ranger’s station 13 Professors answer to them 90 Che Guevara’s real first name 14 Reading material for a Hollywood 93 Puts forward, as effort agent 95 Factor in area calculation 15 *… for British prime ministers 96 “____ little silhouetto of a man” 16 Most-wanted invitees (Queen lyric) 17 Texting while driving, e.g. 97 Desert NE of the Sinai Peninsula 18 Anchor’s place 98 *… for Nobel laureates 27 Enter, as data 99 1941 chart-topper “Maria ____” 31 Cousin of “OMG!” 101 Slice for a hearty appetite 32 Guido who painted “Massacre of the 102 Miner’s strike Innocents” 104 Catches off base 36 Today 109 Apologia pro vita ____ 37 “Hmm, guess so” 111 60 minuti 38 Loo, for short 39 ____ rally

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L B A R O O S E B A N D S E R Y T R E O I W U N K G I V D A L F I T Y O N R I F F A C A S A Y L O G G F E N S E L I T A K S T E S A

D A L V I E E S U E M Y T R O E L C E H I R I F S I T E I N A D N S

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V28|NO7

THE EIGHT

BOX TOPS The Lego movie beat “Fifty Shades Darker.” We bet they liked it, though. RANK TITLES

WEEKEND GROSS TOTAL GROSS WEEK # LAST WEEK

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

$53,003,468

FIFTY SHADES DARKER

$46,607,250

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER TWO

$30,436,123

SPLIT

$9,525,935

$112,498,205

HIDDEN FIGURES

$8,002,670

$131,454,920

In Theaters February 17

ACTION “The Great Wall,” rated PG-13, starring Matt

COMEDY “Fist Fight,” rated R, starring Ice Cube, Charlie Day,

HORROR “A Cure for Wellness,” rated R, starring Jason Isaacs,

Damon, Tian Jing, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau. Some time in the past, European thieves imprisoned in the Great Wall of China discover that said wall is protecting its people from something much more deadly than other humans. Looks like dragons, but never fear, people of China: Matt Damon will save you!

Christina Hendricks, Tracy Morgan. One teacher gets another one fired. Which is all well and good unless you’re the fire-er (the shrimpy guy from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and the fire-ee is Ice Cube. Then, there’s going to be trouble after school. Looks funny; pretty sure it’s going to be terrible.

Dane DeHaan, Mia Goth. We love how this one stars Jason Isaacs, already known for his evil turn as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series of movies. We also love how the ads mimic real prescription medicine commercials. Come to think of it, the side effects don’t sound that far off from some of the real drugs. Now that is scary.

28 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

16FEBRUARY2017

“obviously… We Were Deceived.” Again! Austin Rhodes So thiS time the teacher’s name is Dr. Jayson Reed. According to my law enforcement sources, Reed is accused by at least five different female students (a number now most likely in double digits, thanks to new information) of inappropriate intimate contact with them, during school hours, going back at least 15 years. The award-winning math teacher at A.R. Johnson Magnet School remains in jail facing multiple charges generated by these allegations at this writing, and there may very well be more allegations filed before all is said and done. While I would like to be able to tell you these charges come out of the blue, and without prior warning, that is the furthest thing from the truth. Two letters of reprimand involving some of these accusations go back to 2001, and list the initials of multiple students reporting the highly inappropriate behavior of Dr. Reed. Over the 2016 Christmas break, the mother of a recent Johnson graduate discovered evidence that her daughter may have been engaged in similarly illicit and illegal behavior with Reed during her time as a student at the school. That parent’s report to law officers was what prompted the recent arrest. Officials within the current administrations, both at the school and the downtown headquarters of the Richmond County Board of Education, have been stuttering and stammering when asked about how all this happened, blaming much of it on the fact that Reed’s “original sins” occurred under different leadership at both the school and central office level. Such denials are of little comfort to the victims and their families, and the thousands of other students who have apparently been put at risk by being in the presence of an individual who may be capable of such behavior. So here is a fair question: How many more of these sleazebags are currently on the payroll, under contract to teach (or administrate, or drive a bus, etc., etc.) in Richmond County schools, with similar accusations in their personnel files? It is particularly disturbing to me to have to ask this, but after the public revelations in 2014 of similar accusations of misbehavior, buried in the BOE personnel files of one of this area’s most prominent former educators, it is clear that it needs to be done. From my column in 2014 that reported the sordid details, allow me to refresh your collective memories... The town has been abuzz since Tracey McManus’s well-written expose centering on serious sexual abuse allegations against Augusta’s local NAACP President Charles Smith ran over the weekend. The two-part Augusta Chronicle article took several months to put together, and leaves not only Smith, but a number of other local leaders looking pretty bad. While he is innocent until proven guilty, there seem to be many (more than 10) more allegations similar in detail and seriousness being lodged against Smith for his behavior while serving as one of the most respected and well-known educators. As the band director at T.W. Josey, and the creator of The Sonic Boom of the South, there were few who were as beloved as Smith. When allegations of his misconduct toward female students surfaced 13 years ago, few had any idea of the depth or the quantity of the claims. Most heard his troubles had something to do with “harassment,” which can be defined as many rather mundane and routine acts, as compared to full blown “sexual congress with students,” which we now know were exactly the allegations he faced. I am told then-Richmond County Schools Superintendent Dr. Charles Larke, no stranger to sexual misconduct charges himself through the years, wanted Smith fired. Smith pushed back, demanding a hearing on the matter, and that was when things got sticky. Smith hired the infamously brilliant attorney Jack Long to handle his case, and it looked like an open hearing was just days away when “cooler heads prevailed.” The sitting school board at the time was purposely kept in the dark as to the nature of the charges against Smith because they were in fact required to sit as the “jury” if is termination hearing went forward. Bottom line, they didn’t have a clue how serious the charges were going to be. I am told BOE attorney Pete Fletcher strongly advised Larke to settle the case because, if he didn’t, the stories the victims would be telling in open session would not only tear the community apart, but serve as the “dinner bell” for attorneys who would then seek millions in damages against the system on behalf of those same victims. Long reportedly knew this would happen, so when Fletcher and Larke suggested a deal to allow Smith to quietly put in time toward his system retirement working at the transportation office and away from students, he recommended Smith take the deal and run with it. He did. Ken Echols was a member of the RCBOE back then, and he said after all was said and done, they were never told of the seriousness of the allegations against Smith. “We were told it was some kind of harassment situation, but we were not told the severity of the situation, or that minors (students) were involved. Basically we were told it was “no big deal...” He went on to add, “...Obviously, we were deceived!” No doubt. Smith did his time until retirement “pumping gas” (Fletcher’s words at the time), and collecting veteran teacher’s pay in the process, and then assumed a position at Paine College for a time, eventually becoming the local president of the NAACP.

As you know by now, he was never criminally prosecuted for his alleged behavior at Josey, and now that many women are making their claims against Smith public, everyone wants to know why the cops failed to move forward with a case. The BOE settlement would have no effect on his criminal prosecution, of course, so why didn’t one happen? Long story short, because no female victims came to police to detail any felonies taking place. Despite all the rumors and the reports that Dr. Larke had in hand, which I believe he should have immediately turned over to law enforcement, no girls or parents ever reported conduct regarding Smith that was anything more than “dirty talk” and “aggressive hugging.” In this day and age, failure to report allegations of sexual contact between teachers and students is itself a crime. Larke did not report it to local investigators, at least not to the ones outside his own homegrown BOE police force. Then again, neither did anyone else. That is baffling to me. All these allegations, and all these years, yet no real complaints filed to the proper authorities. Whispers and rumors were making the rounds, but the time elapsed has allowed the statute of limitations to expire, which means even if filmed evidence of the crimes were presented, Smith could not be charged. By the way, Georgia law has changed in that regard, and time is not a factor in moving forward with similar cases in the future. That law was changed, in no small part, thanks to the efforts of my former colleague Scott Hudson. Scott suffered at the hands of a molester decades ago, and that man escaped unpunished because of the time consideration. South Carolina law, thank God, did not allow a similar fiend refuge when his crimes came to light in 2007. Seven years ago in these pages I had some pretty harsh words for accused North Augusta child molester Ed Meloan. The long-retired TV production technician was an old man in a wheelchair when he was finally brought to justice for crimes committed decades before against who knows how many young boys, who he was able to lure into his home largely because he played the part of Channel 12’s Saturday night Shock Theater movie host, Count Justin Sane. Back in the pre-cable days of the ‘60s and ‘70s, he was a pretty big deal to young people all over the CSRA. As the accounts of a handful of his accusers played out, many more came forward, and many more after that privately acknowledged similar advances made against them, even if they were unwilling to personally come forward. Meloan pled guilty to enough crimes to keep him in jail for the rest of his natural life, which hopefully will be running out any minute. The Ed Meloan story is important to keep in mind as the Charles Smith situation plays out for several reasons, but mainly to remind us that while cases like this are thankfully rare, they are not impossible. I wrote back then a message that I reemphasize now, with Smith’s name, if he is guilty, interchangeable with Meloan’s: “There are grown men and women in every corner of this community that were once victims of sexual predators in ways some of us could never imagine. It is imperative that these people report their stories to the proper authorities, and that their tormentors are identified. Had just ONE of Meloan’s dozens of victims had spoken out decades ago, there is no telling how many boys would have been spared his disgusting proclivities, and how many lives could have been saved. Victims in such cases have a responsibility to recover, and then as soon as humanly possible, report. It may be difficult to put that kind of pressure on a teen, or a child even younger, but certainly as maturity comes and as the birthdays pass, there comes a time when they understand what happened to them was wrong, and the wrongness is only compounded by their silence. Meloan conducted his criminal campaigns 30-40 years ago. How many suffered needlessly? How many victims were created by the silence? It is a realization that has brought the truth out of one man. He told his story to lawmen this week. How many other stories are yet to be told?” It has become abundantly clear to me that the Richmond County School System has had administrators in place both past and present that were entirely capable of sweeping these kinds of crimes under the rug, allowing victims to go untreated, justice to be denied and, most tragically, enabling and empowering sexual predators to satisfy their depraved cravings without fear. It is time for the parents of Richmond County to demand that individuals such as Jayson Reed be purged from the BOE payroll and, more importantly, that the administrators who believed the presence of such shady characters in the classrooms of Augusta represented an “acceptable risk” also be removed from positions of authority in our fair city. AUSTIN RHODES A long-time radio talk show host who can be heard weekdays on WGAC from 3-6 p.m. The views expressed are the opinions of Austin Rhodes and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.