Metro Spirit - 01.14.16 by Metro Spirit

EDIT Amy Christian

Arts Editor/Production Director

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TableJanuary of Contents 14, 2016

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SALES Gayle Bryan

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Marijuana Possession in the Peach State

BUSINESS Joe White Publisher

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Contributors Jenny Wright, Greg Baker, Austin Rhodes, Josh Ruffin, Kris Fisher, Michael Johnson 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

Whine Line

Music

Ruffin It

Arts

Augusta Tek

Calendar

Kris Fisher

Nightlife

Jenny Is Wright

Sightings

Insider

NYT Crossword

News

The Eight

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OPINION

The Whine Line To the whiner last week prying into the business of smokers around their own children; IT IS NONE of YOUR F$&cKi’g Business . You are just another busy body meddler. FYI, the people were not me, I am a reader who feels people should mind their own business and passing of intrusive laws should be stopped. Visiting from Los Angeles: Stop hiding behind a whine line to express your opinions/facts. Assert them directly to the person(s) you have a problem with. Like me, who is in your face. Respectfully, of course. Metro Spirit, will you let me know what issue this whine was in, so I can get a copy for my memoirs from Augusta? Thank You.

So what’s 1 3 ec D , R E ID INS ith using outhouses

wrong w ? and eating squirrel

Ruffin’ It Augusta Tek Kris Fisher Jenny is Wright

The sidewalks in front of the businesses in the strip mall in front of the cinemas on Agerton Lane in Augusta are disgusting! Outside of the sandwich shop, pizza joint and bar and grill you will find spilled drink and food, vomit, trash, stained sidewalks and unidentifiable sticky residue. The trash cans are always running over and swarming with flies and stinking to high heaven! The only business free of this filth is the nail shop and the vape store. Renters of these spaces should complain to landlord. Considering taking all my business elsewhere. Health hazard. Not for nothing but where has the footsteps of Armageddon reporting gone since we rounded the corner into an election year? Did the crisis in the Middle East simply vanish? Was it that easy? Are the Police no longer shooting unarmed civilians? Has everything not relevant to Electoral votes just stopped? Good. Let’s do this election thing very year! Use water, its your bottom. I read a historic book in which the tribal leader excused himself to go use the bathroom. He took with him a bowl of water. So people used water to clean themselves. Who’s nasty idea was it to start using tissue instead? That’s Just gross.

Pete Townshend once explained in an interview that one of the WHO’s biggest songs was about, that in a few years that rock and roll and music would be eventually banned. I guess Pete must be able to look into the future because thats what is happening now. Its almost to that point. The way people are bowing down to the god of the computer, pretty soon everyone will have mandatory cameras in their home 24/7 and curfews. It’ll be too late then. Don’t take it personally. It’s not just your god that I reject - I reject them all. New Year Resolution #1: send Animal Control the addresses along with the photos of large dog owners with uncontrolled pets, so they will be fined instead of just warned. There is a serious need to correct owner/ walkers who have invisible or extended-length leashes and let their animals roam almost at will, exploring and relieving themselves wherever they want. They never clean up after their animals and they frequent the Murray Hills and Westwick neighborhoods, among several others. They carelessly terrorize people who need to get to their mailboxes or cars undisturbed, or just to get in and out of their homes safely. They deliberately impose their animals’ waste - and threats to safety - on others. Animal Control cannot stop them without help from the community. Neighbors, please help if you can! Trying to hurry inside, in time not to be bumped or bitten by one of these dogs, my friend fell and broke her arm.

I second the banana ﬂips

One of the biggest eyesores in my community (what I consider the entire CSRA) is broken glass in parking lots. I would love to meet the type of dippy idiot that consumes something in a glass bottle, and when they’re done, forms the thought in their bean sized brain to shatter it in a place where other citizens can drive over it and risk a flat tire. If this meeting ever took place, I would give their sorry drunk ass such a punch in the face that I’d beat the stupidity out of them with just one strike. Until then, I’ll keep sweeping your ignorant s**t up when I see it, to save people from the potential flat tire I mentioned above.

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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I love when people think I’ve lost it because I keep telling them society is going down the crapper. You want proof? Ok. Social justice warriors (SJW’s), Otherkin (look that up), Anita Sarkeesian third-wave feminism, special snowflakes, political correctness, “safe spaces” at colleges, Twitch gamer girls, the progressive stack, social-media bullying, the 2016 Republican Presidential candidates, reality television, loss of respect for authority, hyper-tilted wealth distribution, selfies and selfie-sticks...need I go on? The parents of murdered children met President Obama several times. While reports of thousands of gun victims keep coming in daily, he asked the entire nation to support and suggest solutions...SILENCE from your senate and congress. So Obama did what any great leader would do. Make a decision without the evil empire.

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Brrrrrr… It’s cold here. I realize that I start at least one column like that each year during the January and February months, but the type of cold we periodically experience here in Wisconsin — American Canada, natch — is of the sort of intensity that bears repeating… and repeating and repeating. Granted, this isn’t as bad as it could be in other parts of the country, but if I lived in North Dakota, you wouldn’t even be reading this; you’d just be directed to the Metro Spirit website, where my entire entry for the week would be a 20-minute audio clip of me fighting off undead wolves with a spare icicle. At around the 14-minute mark, my howls become only faintly human. As of this moment, it’s 1 degree here. Style-wise, you’re not really supposed to use the number key for amounts less than two digits, but that scrawny integer there so perfectly underscores the scant warmth it represents, while the word “one” just brings to mind that stupid U2 song. So really, it’s a no-brainer. For some context, here’s a few of the things that can happen when it’s 1 degree outside: 1. Ice just sort of… happens. We’re not even entirely sure where it comes from. It snowed last night, so the ground is a little slippery, but it’s been consistently this cold for a few days now, so there’s been no melting and re-freezing. And yet, shuffling through the snow on the sidewalk — the only safe way to get around on foot — you’ll inevitably slip on an icy patch, do what we call the “Wisconsin Windmill” and, probably, fall down. The good news is that no one will notice you, probably, because six other people will be doing the same thing within a 50-foot radius. 2. You start to understand that your house does not actually have a consistent climate. Take ours, for example. We just moved into this place — our first home that we actually own — a little more than a month ago, and things are generally good. Still, like most houses built more than 50 years ago, it’s got some kinks, and those kinks have mostly to do with it being drafty and sparsely insulated. For instance, I’m writing this in our study right now because it’s by far the warmest room in the house. It’s small, has only one exposed wall, and there’s a heating vent about three feet from the desk. And that one wall, facing our backyard, is cold. The same wall, by the way, extends into our bedroom, which has an additional exposed wall. This is where we sleep, and this is why we got flannel sheets — which are, by the way, amazing. 3. It’s deceptively pretty. And I’m not just talking about the snow, which is truthfully very, very beautiful. We had a particularly fluffy snowfall last night, and this morning the ground looks pristinely white, the sunrise glinting off of it in a way that is almost sickeningly similar to a Thomas Kinkade “painting.” There’s also a sledding hill across the street from our place and, on most days like this, a gaggle of parents and children would be out there making full use of it. But not today. And this is common; around here, it seems, the pastoral beauty of our landscape is in directly opposite proportion to how bone-numbingly cold it is outside. I’m looking at it right now, and it barely looks real. Eventually, though, I’ll have to step outside, and then I will know. Oh God, I will know.

6 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

And I know that Georgians go through something similar every year, but with heat instead of cold; it’s one of the reasons I didn’t hesitate much to move away. Bitter cold might stop you in your tracks, but a blast of midday heat that literally knocks you back into your house when you try to open your front door is a scary, scary thing. This, I think, is my point: it’s just me, but the cold mobilizes me, and I like that. Intense heat reduces me to a useless heap of skin and hair that once resembled a human being, but the cold forces me to get moving, and keep moving, in order to stay warm. There’s really no other option, and I’m the kind of person who needs that constant nudge-nudge in my life; too often I’m in danger of becoming complacent, and that perpetual reminder that things need to get done is necessary for me. When I finish this, I’m going to suit up, go outside and sweep/shovel/chip away the snow that’s piled up in our driveway and on the sidewalk outside the house. I’m going to check the gutters for icicles, a sign of leakage. I’m going to move quickly through my day, because I’ve got precious little choice in the matter. And after all that, I’m going to pray that it’s at least in the double digits this time next week so I’m not tempted to rehash this column. Again. Josh rUFFIN is a long way from home, having moved from Augusta to Middleton, Wisconsin, with his wife, Michelle. He is a selfdescribed beer guru, so most of his Twitter posts are about what he’s drinking. While drinking, he enjoys writing poetry and watching MMA fights… or writing poetry about MMA fights.

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I Can’t Sleep THIS WEEK’S COLUMN actually begins many, many years ago — back in the era before technology, back even before civilization. During this time, humans lived off the land, eating what they could hunt or gather. They lived in makeshift shelters, and much of their lives revolved around simply staying alive. Survival breeds some interesting features within humans. Humans accumulate fat to nourish to body when food isn’t available. A ﬁght-or-ﬂight instinct kicks in when a stressful situation is encountered. And interestingly, when the sun goes down, humans go to sleep. This human feature may come as a surprise to many readers. Today’s society almost completely discounts the division between day and night. Business and commerce maintain extended hours well into the nighttime hours. Twenty-four hour stores are becoming standard operating procedure. Folks who adhere to the sun’s natural cycle are often chided for being old-fashioned or out-of-date. No matter how you look at it, observing the difference between night and day just isn’t cool. While current-day humans have divorced themselves from the concepts of day and night, this adaptation is relatively new. Society didn’t start ignoring the darkness until the beginning of the last century. Thomas Edison can be rightfully blamed for starting the change. The electric light bulb is the invention that allowed humans to conquer the night. Before the electric light bulb, humans were fully conditioned to do one thing when the sun went down — sleep. And after many millennia of conditioning, the human body has sleep down to a science.

Even when the body clock says its time for sleep, the body won’t begin the process. Even worse, the brain won’t produce the melatonin that influences the process until the person is in a dimly lit environment. The science kind of goes like this — an area of a human’s brain called the hypothalamus is, among its other functions, responsible for initiating the signals that make humans feel sleepy. A key factor in the process is the exposure to light or to darkness. Darkness initiates several biological functions that lead to sleep. Likewise, exposure to bright light starts the biological engines make humans awake and alert. The hormone melatonin appears to be associated with the human sleep cycle. When darkness occurs, the brain begins to produce melatonin. Melatonin levels stay high through the night. When exposed to bright light, the melatonin levels fall and, during daylight hours, melatonin levels are barely detectable. Melatonin production typically occurs on a 24-hour cycle, staying in sync with the natural daylight cycle. Artificial lighting messes things up pretty badly. Exposure to a well-lit environment after daylight hours causes the body to go out of sync, impacting sleep, blood pressure, diet and leads to a whole host of other bad things. The light directly inhibits the release of melatonin. Even when the body clock says its time for sleep, the body won’t begin the process. Even worse, the brain won’t produce the melatonin that influences the process until the person is in a dimly lit environment. Sitting in a dark room with a phone or tablet less than an arm’s length from your face doesn’t count — it actually makes things worse. LED devices such as smartphones, tablets and energy efficient light bulbs tend to produce a bluish-tinted light. According to a Harvard study, the blue light creates a more significant impact on melatonin production, suppressing melatonin for almost twice as long. The number of blue light sources has greatly increased in the last few years, and the experts are concerned that these light sources significantly impact people’s sleep patterns. And that brings us to right now, and the struggle we all have with managing our 14JANUARY2016

24x7 connections. Some recommendations indicate that phone and tablet usage should stop two to three hours before sleep. Honestly, I’m not sure how that is possible, but certainly we can manage 30 minutes to an hour. Other recommendations include the use of redtinted lighting during evening hours and for nightlights. That sounds like a perfect excuse to purchase smart lighting! Hopefully, many millennia from now, the human sleep cycle will adapt to the reality of always-on artiﬁcial lighting. Our descendants will be in a much better position for space travel and colonizing planets with different daily cycles. Yes, it will be a different world — a world where the screen light from a table won’t impact any biological rhythms. (Of course, by that time, the human-computer interface will likely be surgically implanted. But that’s a different article…) @gregory_a_baker

GREGORY BAKER PH.D. is vice president of CMA Technology and, yes, is actually a rocket scientist who used his doctorate in aerospace engineering at Lockheed Martin. In addition to working at CMA, he also serves the community, sitting on several boards in the area.

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The Healing Power of Positivity I LIKE TO CONSIDER MYSELF a positive person. I’m one of those people who try to put a positive spin on everything, sometimes annoyingly so. Recently, my usually rosy outlook on life was shown up in a big way. My family spent Christmas in Ohio this year. In between visiting family, we stopped to see a friend who had recently been in a horrible accident. Maybe you remember me writing about him months ago: a victim of a drunk driver. If not, you can catch the article at metrospirit.com. Upon arriving at the rehab facility in which he resides, I was thinking the worst. Here’s a guy with a thorough love for life. He loves to laugh and have fun. Life as he knew it came to a screeching halt on that fateful night. The days that followed would see him bound to a hospital bed and, soon after, a motorized wheelchair, facing life as a quadriplegic. All I could imagine is how I would feel in his situation: Having just spent my first Christmas in a

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chair without proper use of my arms or legs. I thought about the level of severe depression that he must feel. Then we walked into his room. This guy was smiling and joking. As a matter of fact, he had everyone in his room laughing. He had so many people in his room that we had to adjourn to a bigger area to accommodate everyone. When we left the room, after offering people rides on his new chair, he sped down the hallway joking about almost crashing through a wall of windows. He had a dozen other stories, laughing about his new challenges. I kept thinking to myself, is this guy for real? How can he possibly be so jovial in his situation? How is he not replaying that night in his head over and over? The answer is, maybe he does replay that night over and over. Maybe that’s what keeps him going. I don’t know. All I know is that no one talked as much as he did that day. Talking about his therapy, the hot nurses, plans with friends, plans for work… there’s not much he didn’t talk about. Often having to stop to catch his breath, he talked and joked and laughed. I found myself admiring his general disposition. I also found myself believing that his positivity may actually pull him out of this. After his wreck, his family was told that he may never move his arms or legs again. When we visited, he was not only moving his arms, he could navigate through his phone. He still has a long way to go, but he has also come a long way. His doctors and therapists are all amazed and impressed at his positive attitude and his quick progress. So am I. When we arrived at the therapy center, I felt genuinely sorry for the guy. By the time we left, I was almost jealous of him. How could a guy facing such a tough road ahead be in such high spirits? Maybe it’s because he feels that he got a new lease on life. Maybe it’s because he knows it’ll help his situation. Truth is, he’s always kind of been that way. The fact that he can still be that guy while strapped into a wheelchair made all my problems seem petty. Yeah, I have problems. We all do. Some are bigger than others. But, how we let those problems own us is up to us. As for me, I will remember that visit for a long time.

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. 14JANUARY2016

Waiting and Watching THERE’S A WAITING ROOM I visit often, and some of my favorite things have happened there. I’m not telling you where it is, because I want things to keep happening while I wait. I will disclose one fact. It’s not a doctor’s office. Like most, this waiting room brings all different sorts of people to the black vinyl chairs. Thank goodness for vinyl, really. I’d like to imagine the vinyl being wiped down with something antibacterial every day. A girl can dream. It’s better than upholstery. But the people. I love watching them. Wondering what brings them there, besides the general commonality bringing us all to the vinyl chairs. In a place where magazines and a television used to be necessary, most are face-down in their phones, passing the time with Candy Crush. I still get excited when there’s a new People mag in the rack. On this day, I was catching up on my celebrity gossip, on which I’m very behind, by the way. A toddler ran around, a lady talked on her Bluetooth and a talk show blared on the TV. It was loud. Louder than the toddler, and he was loud. I have seen a lot of talk shows in my almost 39 years. They’ve covered everything from “I’m in Labor and You’re My Baby Daddy! Surprise!” To Oprah’s life lessons. That one about the Labor and Baby Daddy is real. It was on only a few days ago. She was in labor, and he was not her Baby Daddy, in case you’re wondering. Back to this day. The topic on the show in the waiting room was sex. Rather, it was about ways to make your relationship more, um, enhanced. I wasn’t paying all that much attention to it, but I noticed someone who was. An elderly woman was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the subject matter. She winced with every mention of “sex.” She left. She couldn’t really leave, though, as her appointment wasn’t yet complete. She shuffled away, hoping the show would end before she returned. I went back to my crossword puzzle. Somewhere between oleo and eerie, she came back. She sunk back into the vinyl, warily eyeing the TV. She was just in time. The segment was a how-to on phone sex, and the hostesses were quite speciﬁc. I’ll let you use your imagination. Feel free to let it run wild. If I thought she was a little uncomfy before, she was now in full lock-down mode. The funny thing is, she didn’t leave. I know I said she couldn’t, but she could’ve moved to another part of the building. Instead, she found a comrade. No one else seemed to notice, including her new friend. She went for it anyway. This new friend wasn’t paying a lick of attention to anything but her tattered world puzzles book. Even as She tried to start a conversation, Word Puzzle lady hardly

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looked up. She went for it again. “Can you believe this?” A kind, sweet, Southern lady, she replied, “Oh, I’m not paying attention to that garbage.” Even if she’d learned all things phone sex, she’d never admit it. “Well, I’m in my right mind to change the channel.” Several of us exchanged amused glances. They continued to talk about it. By “talked” I mean Word Puzzle lady politely listened to a tirade. A snack lady came around, offering chips and honey buns. Word Puzzle Lady took the last honey bun, and for a brief second, it looked like the budding new friendship might end before it really got started. “It was enough for me to watch the trash on television, but now I have to eat Sun Chips? They taste like newsprint.” No one was arguing. Snack Lady disappeared quickly, returning with a Honey Bun. Days of our Lives came on. Two ladies, over Honey Buns and a decades-old soap opera, traded phone sex advice for family scandals and sordid affairs. I wasn’t the only vinyl sitter wondering the difference. “Like my hair color, these stories aren’t real. It’s pretend craziness.” I get it y’all. I did sneak that People magazine into my purse for later. That’s real news, right?

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.

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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NEWS

Insider All Are Welcome Marijuana Possession in the Peach State

Fast and Furious

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OVER THE PAST WEEK, there has been a lot of attention given to a shooting that occurred on Gordon Highway at Old Savannah Road involving what is being described as a “late-night road rage” incident. The shooting included two men in their 20s, two pickup trucks and six shots that were fired from a moving vehicle. As a result, a 25-year-old was shot in the head and shoulder and remains in critical condition at Georgia Regents Medical Center. So, the obvious question is: What in the hell was going on between these two men driving down Gordon Highway last Thursday night around 11 p.m.? According to the Richmond County Sheriff ’s Office, the shooter is actually the victim. Austin Burch, 27, of North Augusta told deputies that he was traveling eastbound on Gordon Highway in his gray, 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck and was being followed by a silver, 1999 Ford Ranger. Burch told deputies he did not know the man driving the Ford Ranger, but suddenly the man began trying to run him off the road. Tensions began to escalate when the driver of the Ford Ranger rammed Burch’s pickup truck, not once, but twice. “Burch stated he feared for his life, so he pulled out his firearm, and discharged the weapon six times into the Ford Ranger,” the police report states. Both Gold Cross and Augusta-Richmond County Fire Department responded to the 911 call and discovered the driver of the Ford Ranger, Geoffrey Reavis, 25, of North Carolina, had sustained two gunshot wounds — one in the head and the other in the shoulder. There was also a 31-year-old man named Chris Kelley who was a passenger in the Ford Ranger with Reavis. As a passenger, he witnessed all that went on between the two men and their trucks. The truth of the matter is, Kelley is extremely lucky to still be alive. Burch fired six shots into the Ford Ranger and one of those bullets could have easily struck and even killed him. The official word from the Richmond County Sheriff ’s Office is that Burch was acting in self defense. “At this time no charges are being brought against Austin Burch as the investigation shows that Burch was justified in his actions and he was released after the preliminary investigation,” according to a statement issued by Sgt. Glen Rahn of the Richmond County Sheriff ’s Office. But Reavis, who is still in the hospital, may face charges in the incident if he recovers from his injuries. “Pending Geoffrey Reavis’ recovery, charges may be brought for his actions in this incident,” Rahn wrote. “At the conclusion of this investigation the case will be sent to the District Attorney’s Office for further review.”

So those are the known facts surrounding the shooting. While many throughout the community are praising Burch for his actions, there are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding this case. What caused this apparent “road rage” incident? While Reavis lives in North Carolina, did any of these men know one another? Burch clearly told deputies that there were “unknown persons” riding in the Ford Ranger that struck his truck, according to the police report. If not, was this completely a random act of violence by Reavis? People get angry at drivers on the road all the time, but rarely does it result in a vehicle ramming another vehicle and trying to force them off the road. There is no disputing the fact that Reavis has a criminal record in North Carolina involving charges of possession with the intent to manufacture, sell and deliver methamphetamine. Was that somehow a factor? Then, there is the question no one seems to want to ask: If someone is ramming your pickup truck, is your first instinct to grab a gun and fire six times at the vehicle while traveling at a high speed? Obviously, Burch stated he feared for his life and the sheriff ’s office has stated that he was “justified in his actions.” But if you are driving behind the wheel and some crazy, unknown person is ramming your truck, why wouldn’t you step on the gas and speed quickly away? A 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck could definitely outrun a 1999 Ford Ranger. However, instead of outrunning the Ford Ranger, Burch fired at a moving vehicle in the middle of the night while driving down Gordon Highway. Now, Burch apparently knows how to use a firearm. Most people would not be able to hit a driver in a moving vehicle, not just once but twice, striking him in the head and shoulder, while driving your own pickup truck in the dark of night. The entire incident resembles a scene out of an action movie starring actor Daniel Craig rather than a “road rage” incident in south Augusta. As a result of the high interest in this shooting, family members and friends of both the victim and the suspect have turned to Facebook to defend their loved ones. The entire incident is tragic and seems completely illogical to many people throughout this community. Hopefully, Reavis will recover from his injuries and Augusta will able to fully address what happened that night. 14JANUARY2016

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Who Will Be Elected to Judge Overstreet’s Seat? AugustA Superior Court Judge Carlisle Overstreet surprised the community this week by announcing that he does not plan to seek re-election this year. Those familiar with Overstreet know that he is the longest-serving local Superior Court judge and is an extremely well-respected judge throughout the CSRA. Of course, some may hear the occasional complaint that he is much too “liberal” in his sentencing on certain local cases. But, what’s “liberal” in Augusta, Georgia, is often considered conservative throughout the rest of the country. However, if you ask most local attorneys, Overstreet always stuck to the law and didn’t bend to public pressure. That is a tremendous quality in any judge and Augusta should be very grateful that he has served in the local superior court since 1991. Overstreet succeeded William Fleming as chief judge back in 2008 and has served honorably ever since. But in the past few days since Overstreet’s recent announcement, many locals are now asking, “Who will be elected to Overstreet’s seat?” While it is too early to say who will and will not run for his seat, insiders say Richmond County State Court Judge John Flythe is a top contender. Just shortly after Overstreet’s announcement that he does not plan to run this May, Flythe, who graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1999 and was an assistant district attorney in the Augusta Judicial Circuit from 1999 to 2001 under former District Attorney Danny Craig, said he would run for the position. Flythe would be perfect for the job. He served as an associate Judge of the Grovetown Municipal Court from 2006 until 2010 and has served as a Richmond County State Court judge since that time. He was appointed to his current seat by former Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2010 after former Judge Gayle Hamrick stepped down to accept a senior judge status that same year. Flythe told NBC News Channel 26 this week that he is ready to take on the role. “It was a little bit of a surprise for me when Judge Overstreet announced his retirement, but it’s a conversation that I’ve had with my family and my wife before,” Flythe told NBC 26. “So after additional discussions, we thought it was the right time and the right opportunity.”

Flythe’s only competition so far this year has been hints that local attorney Chris Hudson may also run for the seat. Odds are that Flythe would definitely take Hudson in a local election. So what makes Flythe the right man for the job? Those who know him best say that he is not only extremely intelligent, but he is earnest and forthright. Flythe is also known for doing the right thing, regardless of the pressure he might be under. For the past several years, Flythe has been involved in the local school system’s “Judge Not” initiative, which is a “year-round program that involves Richmond County judges staging interventions and directing outreach in schools to explain how prison sentences and felonies can lead to unemployment and debt,” according to The Augusta Chronicle. “It’s about building rapport and changing the relationship between the community and our youth,” Flythe, a program advisor, told the Chronicle in 2014. “To do that, we have to reach our children — and reach them early — to show that not all their interaction with the law is adversarial.” Judge Flythe knows the law, he is in touch with this community and he would be an outstanding Superior Court judge if elected this May. So, head to the polls and vote “Yes” for Flythe this spring. Insiders say you won’t regret it.

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All Are Welcome

Interfaith Celebration honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When Dr. Cornel West spoke last year at Augusta’s Interfaith Service of Celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he commended the Progressive Religious Coalition of Augusta for organizing such a special worship service each year. “No one does anything like this,” West told hundreds of people gathered at the GilbertLambuth Chapel on the campus of Paine College. The annual service, established by Progressive Religious Coalition of Augusta approximately nine years ago, is the most extensive interfaith worship that takes place in this region and includes Baha’is, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Unitarian Universalists. The group has worked hard to bring different traditions together to celebrate one another’s culture and develop authentic relationships. The group has included a variety of religious leaders throughout the community over the years, including members such as Rabbi Robert Klensin of the Congregation Children of Israel, Imam Mohamad Jamal Daoudi of the Islamic Society of Augusta and B.N. Roy of the Hindu Temple Society of Augusta. “The dialogue that we have in the PRC, that is probably something that I treasure the most because it is an open and honest dialogue and we are not judged or put down and we can really talk about these issues and disagree about some of these issues,” Rev. Sheryl Padgett, the minister at Christ Church Unity on Central Avenue and one of the original members of the PRC, said. “It has given me the opportunity to see things from all different sides.” The choice of speakers for the interfaith worship service each year reflects that goal. Two years ago, the PRC invited Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas Gandhi, to be the keynote speaker at the service and it was an enormous success. When Dr. Cornel West was the keynote speaker last year, he completely filled the Gilbert-Lambuth Chapel. People were enthralled by West, who is not only a renowned scholar and a life-long activist, but he’s also a profound philosopher, a highly respected professor, a passionate author and one of the country’s leading voices on race relations. This year, the Progressive Religious Coalition of Augusta is proud to bring the first female 12 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

By Stacey Eidson

keynote speaker to the Ninth Annual Interfaith Celebration. Rev. Veronica Goines is a speaker, preacher and lecturer from St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Marin City, Calif. Goines’ ministry focuses on spiritual formation and revitalization, local and global community faith, continuing education, worshipful work and recommitment to affirming the gift of racial and cultural diversity, according to the Rev. Dr. Sid Gates, an ordained Presbyterian minister and one of the cofounders of the Progressive Religious Coalition. Goines has led the church in a process of congregational transformation that is witnessed in its movement from “surviving to thriving” and from “maintenance to ministry,” the church website states. Best-selling author Anne Lamott, a St. Andrew’s parishioner, told the Marin Independent Journal that she wrote about the moment that Goines, a Baptist preacher, was named the pastor of Presbyterian St. Andrew in her book, “Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith.” “There would be different pastors along the way, none of them exactly right for us until a few years ago when a tall African-American woman named Veronica came to lead us,” Lamott wrote. “She stepped into us, the wonderful old worn pair of pants that is St. Andrew, and they fit.” The California newspaper said that Goines applied for the job after hearing about it from a friend at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, where she was a graduate student. “Have I got the church for you,” the man reportedly said to Goines. “I think your gifts are what the church needs.” And St. Andrew is a unique church. As a multicultural congregation, its purpose is to worship God, to serve one another and to share with others the transforming love of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every Sunday morning the congregation recites the following parish purpose, as found in Luke 4:18-19: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, anointing me to preach good news to the poor, sending me to proclaim release to the captives and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 14JANUARY2016

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The church’s website even provides the following “friendly warning”: “Our worship services don’t last the usual one hour. An hour and a half is more like it, with fellowship and a meal afterward. Why? Because we enjoy worship. Our worship is joyful. And we are sustained by the community we ﬁnd at St. Andrew.” The worship also combines the Reformed and African American traditions. With Goines’ obvious enthusiasm for worship, the Ninth Annual Interfaith Celebration this coming Thursday, Jan. 14 will likely be unforgettable. The Progressive Religious Coalition of Augusta is proud to bring different traditions together to celebrate one another’s culture. “There is much more that binds us and bonds us than divides us,” Gates told the Metro Spirit last year. “So, there is kind of a credo of this group. There was a Catholic theologian who once said, ‘There will never be peace among the nations until there is peace among the religions.’ He went on to say, ‘There will never be peace among the religions until there is dialogue among the religions.’”

That is the purpose and the goal of the Progressive Religious Coalition of Augusta, Gates said. “On a grassroots level, we are trying to foster dialogue and build bridges, but what we think is even more important than dialogue is co-worship,” he said. “This is a chance for mutual respect, love and learning from one another about what unites us.” NINTH ANNUAL INTERFAITH SERVICE OF CELEBRATION Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church, 2261 Walton Way Thursday, January 14 6:45 p.m., gathering and worship with the Davidson Choral and Trio Intermezzo 7 p.m., service Free prc-augusta.org

TREECYCLE Recycle your Christmas tree!

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Marijuana Possession in the Peach State Should Georgia eliminate felony marijuana possession charges? One state senator thinks so.

By Stacey Eidson

As soon As state Sen. Harold Jones II announced his proposed bill to eliminate felony marijuana possession charges in Georgia, many people immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. Despite what some people may think, Jones isn’t looking to legalize marijuana in the Peach State. He is simply trying to prevent lives from being destroyed as a result of a felony marijuana possession charge. “What we are looking at is all of the different collateral consequences that happen once you get a felony charge, such as losing the right to vote, losing the right to sit on a jury, and, if you are in school, you can lose scholarship money,” Jones explained. “With a felony charge, you are also totally banned in Georgia from receiving any kind of federal aid like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, which is old school for food stamps. The federal government allows you be totally barred, if your state wants to, from receiving those kinds of funds.” Across this nation, the treatment of marijuana possession varies greatly from state to state, Jones said. Currently, there are 10 states and Washington, D.C., that do not have felony possession laws on the books, but here in Georgia the possession of 1 ounce or more of marijuana is classified as a felony. Some of the strictest states for felony possession in this country include Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma and Tennessee, while the most lenient states are Delaware, Hawaii, Alabama and Louisiana. “Georgia would not be a unique state if this bill is passed,” Jones said. “The punishment for marijuana possession kind of just runs the gamut. But we are one of the few states that actually punishes marijuana as a felony at this level, which is just more than an ounce.” Simply crossing a state line can make all the difference in the world, Jones said. For example, in Arizona, if you are caught carrying “any” amount of marijuana it will draw a guaranteed felony charge on the first offense, according to a 2015 survey by drugtreatment.com. The only state rivaling Arizona’s strictness on a first offense is Oklahoma. Under Oklahoma law, a first offense of possessing even a small amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison, according to the study.

Here in Georgia the possession of 1 ounce or more of marijuana is classified as a felony. 14 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

In Tennessee, even though the state government is currently recruiting farmers to take part in an industrial hemp-growing program, it is still a felony to carry more than a half-ounce of marijuana. However, if someone drives across the border into the neighboring state of Alabama, it is an entirely different story. In Alabama, a person would have to be in possession of more than a kilogram or 35.27 ounces to be charged with a felony charge. In nearby Louisiana, marijuana possession charges are even more lenient. A person must be carrying 960 ounces, which is equivalent to about or 60 pounds, of marijuana to result in a felony possession charge in Louisiana, according to drugtreatment.com. Confusion over the states’ different laws can also result in serious consequences. Late last year, a case involving six teens under the age of 18 in Washington state made national headlines after they were charged with felonies for marijuana possession. The teens were facing up to five years in prison as a result of a prosecutor’s interpretation of a senate bill approved in 2014 by the Washington Legislature, The Seattle Times reported. Prior to the 2014 Senate Bill 5052, such an offense would have resulted in a misdemeanor charge with a maximum 90-day jail sentence. But apparently the prosecutor misinterpreted the new law, which stated possession of less than 40 grams of marijuana is a misdemeanor for juveniles. In two of the teens’ cases, the juveniles had already pleaded guilty to the felonies, The Seattle Times reported. As a result, the prosecutor had to file a motion to immediately 14JANUARY2016

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reduce the charges after realizing his office misinterpreted the state’s new law. Being charged with felony marijuana possession can drastically change a person’s life and that is why Jones said he decided to file Senate Bill 254 this week. “It is really a bill that cuts across racial lines and class lines because you have people who get caught up in this no matter what side of the fence you are on,” Jones said. “You might have a young student in Georgia who gets caught and all of a sudden they lose their financial aid to go to school. Or you also may have a person in Augusta or in Atlanta that needs a little bit of help from federal assistance and they get caught up in it and the same thing happens to them. It can have a serious effect on people’s lives, so I thought this would be a good way of trying to rectify those situations.” While Jones realizes it might be an uphill battle getting the bill passed considering Republicans hold a supermajority in the Georgia Senate, he strongly believes the laws regarding felony marijuana possession charges need to be reviewed. “Our key is to get a hearing on it. That’s the key goal, to at least get it out of committee,” Jones said. “Of course, we want to get it passed, but, right now, our immediate goal is to at least get a hearing on it.” Most importantly, Jones thinks that his colleagues in Atlanta and the public in general need a better understanding of what he is proposing with this new bill. “We understand that there will be people who are skeptical about this bill and there will be some hurdles to overcome,” Jones said. “But I think once we have our hearing, you will find, not only activists, but people in law enforcement and other elected officials that are going to be in support of this bill.” People simply need to read the bill to realize that it has absolutely nothing to do with the legalization of the possession or sale of narcotics, Jones said. “That is a huge a jump that some people are making. This is not legalization at all,” Jones said. “I don’t even think it necessarily puts us on the road to legalization. But I realize it is an education process.” The Metro Spirit had a first-hand experience with the public’s misunderstanding over Jones’ bill when a reporter contacted Chuck Wade, the executive director of The Council on Alcohol and Drugs located in Atlanta. 14JANUARY2016

A person must be carrying 960 ounces, which is equivalent to about or 60 pounds, of marijuana to result in a felony possession charge in Louisiana.

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When Wade was first asked about his thoughts regarding Jones’ proposal in Senate Bill 254, he was absolutely opposed to the bill. “My background is law enforcement. I was a police office for 15 years and I worked undercover as a narcotics agent for 11 years, so, of course, I have a response as a retired law enforcement officer to that and that response would be there are so very, very few marijuana users who actually end up in jail, I don’t really see the reasoning behind the bill,” Wade said. “I know that there is this perception that there’s these jackbooted police officers kicking in dorm room doors and dragging students off for smoking a joint, but it is just not happening. Law enforcement doesn’t have the manpower, the finances or the resources to arrest a college kid for smoking a

joint. It is just not happening.” Wade added that he was astonished that Jones, a former solicitor general from Augusta, would propose such legislation. “I’m really surprised by that,” Wade said. “I don’t know why a former solicitor would decide that was a good idea because surely he must know the statistics first-hand on the people who are actually incarcerated for possessing small amounts of marijuana.” Even though Wade had been sent an email that included Jones’ press release about his Senate Bill 254 more than an hour prior to his interview with the Metro Spirit, he talked about the dangers that young people across Georgia face when adults “make light” of marijuana drug use. “If we continue down this path of encouraging our kids

“It is really a bill that cuts across racial lines and class lines because you have people who get caught up in this no matter what side of the fence you are on.” — Harold Jones II 16 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

to use marijuana because it is a safe and harmless, benign drug, like it is the greatest thing since sliced bread and it cures everything from hangnails to hangovers, what do we expect is going to happen?” Wade asked. “Of course, there is going to be an increase in marijuana use.” Less than five minutes after being interviewed by the Metro Spirit about the bill, Wade immediately contacted the newspaper and explained that he had made a mistake. “After a more careful reading of Sen. Jones’ bill, I realize that it is his intent to remove felony penalties for possession of more than an ounce of marijuana,” Wade stated. “Recognizing that, I would change my statement.” Suddenly, after a better understanding of Jones’ intent, Wade wasn’t as adamantly against the bill. He still didn’t support it, but he was much less critical. “As a former law enforcement officer and undercover narcotics agent, I know that people who possess an ounce or more of marijuana are often selling the drug,” Wade said. “And I believe it is best that the felony penalties should remain in effect, but that judges should be able to exercise discretion under the law.” However, Wade still felt that this legislation could encourage more marijuana use across the state. “When the perception of harm of using a drug goes down, use of the drug goes up,” Wade stated. “As responsible adults, we must realize that when passing pro-marijuana laws we are too often sending a message to our youth that marijuana is safe and harmless and that we are condoning and in some cases encouraging its use. We have to be very careful about that. If we are going to continue down the path of normalization, commercialization and legalization of marijuana, we must find a way to counteract that pro-drug message and we must put into place drug prevention programs that discourage young people from using.” Since pre-filing his bill last week, Jones said he has been amazed by the number of people who have completely misinterpreted the proposed legislation. “People think we are trying to change the punishment drastically. We are not,” Jones said. “People think this would make Georgia a very unique state and it really would not do that at all.” Jones insisted that Senate Bill 254 is in no way a “pro-marijuana law” or a bill that would help defendants charged with selling marijuana in Georgia. 14JANUARY2016

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“Selling is still a felony. You cannot sell. You cannot distribute. It doesn’t change that aspect of it at all,” Jones said. “This bill just changes some of the penalties that are taking place that are pretty rough on people charged with possession. But, again, I realize there is an education process that we will need to go through and I look forward to doing that.” Chris Lindsey, a medical marijuana attorney and a senior legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project based in Washington, D.C., applauded Jones’ efforts with his bill. “Most people agree that possession of marijuana shouldn’t ruin lives and that is really what this bill is about,” Lindsey said. “I think what he’s doing is just acknowledging that fundamental belief that marijuana possession shouldn’t ruin lives and taking this step in order to bring the law in line with that, so we certainly applaud his efforts.” However, the Marijuana Policy Project also takes a much different view of marijuana laws in the United States than Jones. Founded in January 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest organization in the country that’s focused solely on ending marijuana prohibition. Its mission is to change federal law to allow states to determine their own marijuana policies without federal interference, as well as to regulate marijuana like alcohol in all 50 states, Lindsey explained. 18 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

“More often what we see is states that remove criminal penalties as opposed to just zeroing in on the felony aspect. Sen. Jones’ bill doesn’t go that far,” Lindsey said. “Under his bill, it could still be a misdemeanor to be in possession.” But eliminating the felony aspect of marijuana possession in Georgia would be a step in the right direction, Lindsey said. “Most employers, a lot of housing options, secondary schools, they all would look to a person’s criminal history,” Lindsey said. “Having a felony on your history is a huge problem. And beyond that, it might impact your gun rights and you are limited in your right to vote. So it has far-reaching effects that go way beyond whatever immediate realities that a person might face including arrest, prosecution, paying for the lawyers, going through the courts and possibly going to jail. All of those things can have a devastating impact on a person’s life.” According to statistics from the Marijuana Policy Project, someone is arrested for a marijuana offense every 48 seconds in this country and 87 percent of those arrests are for marijuana possession, not for sale or manufacture. “One thing that I would point out is that communities of color bear a particularly high burden when it comes to arrests and convictions for drug-related offenses,” Lindsey said. “There was an analysis done by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) a couple of years ago where they

went state by state and just studied the rates of arrest and prosecution for marijuana when you compare white communities and black communities. In Georgia, blacks are 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for possession than whites. That is a big difference and, really, both communities consume at about the same rate.” The 2013 ACLU study also found that with possession of 2 ounces of marijuana in Georgia, defendants could face up to 10 years in prison. Even though Jones’ bill may seem like a drastic change in Georgia law to some people, Lindsey said many states throughout the country have gotten rid of felony marijuana possession charges several years, if not decades, ago. “Some of these states actually changed their laws as early as the 1970s,” Lindsey said. “So, in terms of reducing penalties for possession, that has been around a long time.” While Jones realizes this might be a somewhat controversial bill across the Peach State, he feels it is time to have an open dialogue about felony marijuana possession charges. “Quite simply, sometimes you just have to push things out and go ahead and get them on the table,” Jones said. “From there, that starts the conversation. So let’s go ahead and push the issue out there and begin the conversation.”

“Most people agree that possession of marijuana shouldn’t ruin lives and that is really what this bill is about.” — Chris Lindsey

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WHAT’S UP

GETTING BY

Getting By Calendar Music Listings

During the video of the band performing their song “Everybody’s Talkin’”, there’s a furious three minutes where the gradually insistent rhythm radiating from Derek Trucks’ guitar visibly gets the other 11 band members moving. Susan Tedeschi takes a step back and gives the stage to her husband — named by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Zen with focus, he runs with it. Tedeschi Trucks Band is straight up one of the best live performances to see. The band is composed of some the most experienced and skilled musicians in the industry, many of whom have ﬂown under the radar for anyone other than devoted enthusiasts. Playing tracks from their new album, “Let Me Get By,” which is set for release late January, the band will play The Bell on January 19.

If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com. 14JANUARY2016

Continued on Next Page

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Catch the story of civil rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland before seeing her speak the next day. “An Ordinary Hero” shows at Augusta University at 6 p.m. Call 706-737-1610 or visit gru.edu.

Haven’t checked out the newly renovated and redecorated Partridge Inn yet? Tonight will be a good night to try the new chef’s divine food and listen to live music by Will McCranie. Call 706-737-8888 or visit partridgeinn.com.

Dysfunction is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving. It’s also the subject of “Group Therapy” that shows tonight at 8 p.m. at Le Chat Noir. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.

Jucifer doesn’t crank up their wall of speakers until around midnight at least. That’ll give you time to pick up some earplugs. Don’t forget, or you won’t be able to hear anything tomorrow. Visit skycityaugusta.com.

Spanky Brown started his comedy career in Savannah, but you can see him at Somewhere in Augusta’s The Comedy Zone tonight. Be in your seat at 7:30 p.m. for this 18 and older show. Visit somewhereinaugusta.com.

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Heading the band are two seasoned artists — Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. The couple have been married since 2001 and live in the Jacksonville area with their two children. It was at their home studio they met with the other band members to record the new album. “It’s the first record that we’ve done with this band all in-house, self-produced it, engineered and mixed it ourselves,” Derek Trucks said about the new album. “We feel it’s a natural step; much more representative of what the band is and what the band does live on the road.” The core of the band has been together for five years or so. Bass player Tim Lefebvre is the newest member. The band also added a 12th member, Alecia Chakour, to sing backup alongside Mike Rivers and Mark Mattison. The years of playing live shows together have helped the band come together in a more fluid and natural way. Trucks said the band was hitting its stride. “No doubt about it. All the everything you do together; all the gigs, all the shared life experiences, they make a big difference,” he explained. “I noticed that really when we got together to start writing tunes, it seemed to be pretty easy — everybody had stories to tell, everybody had these cool ideas and you could genuinely tell the band had taken a step forward. Yeah, we’re in a good spot.” Working toward the goal of a successful band is something both Tedeschi and Trucks can build upon using their ample life experiences in the industry. Derek Trucks began playing at the age of nine and toured with the Allman Brothers when he was 12. It’s hard to visualize such a young person playing with the famous musicians, but evidence exists on YouTube where there’s a nine-minute video of Trucks at age 13 playing a 7-minute “Layla” solo/jam session with the Allman Brothers live. It’s an incredible performance. Even as a kid his talent was undeniable and astounding. Trucks describes his teen years as crucial to his success and growth as a musician. “I worked my ass off with the Allman Brothers for 15 years, on the road from nine years old — you do everything you can to keep it together,” he said. “You’re playing for 30, 40, 50 people, and if you’re lucky some nights there might be 100 people in the house. You just 22 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

keep doing it. There was a good five- or six-year period where we were doing 300 shows a year, that’s what it takes to keep a band together — you grind it out. And I wouldn’t trade those years for anything; that’s when you learn how to play and when you make your mistakes. That’s when it all kinda comes together for you.” It all came together for Trucks — a fluid slide guitarist — when he worked with Eric Clapton on the 2006 studio collaboration, “The Road to Escondido.” In the year that followed, Trucks played with three different bands in 17 countries. Trucks then toured for a year with Eric Clapton as part of his band, which he said was “quite an experience.” Susan has also worked with many of her idols, and within the first few notes she sings it is obvious why. Her voice recalls the same full, gravelly quality as Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin. It’s smooth and breathless with a forcefulness that is unexpected and doesn’t quite match its owner; the catch and the range give the impression she’s a breath away from it breaking completely. “It’s pretty intense. I remember the first time seeing her perform,” said Trucks. “It knocks you back a bit, because you’re not expecting that sound to come out of her.” The comparison to Bonnie Raitt is funny, said Trucks, because the two have met and developed a bond that makes him think they are “kindred spirits.” And for artists like Tedeschi and Trucks, meeting your idol doesn’t always turn out as you hope. “It’s a small world out here in the touring world,” Trucks said. “You run into most of your heroes at some point. Sometimes you wish you hadn’t, but then sometimes you get to see people like Bonnie, or Willie, or B.B. There’s times when it’s better after you meet them, because you find they are even better people than you imagined.” In the years since she sang in her first band at the age of 13, Susan has had great success as a rock and blues singer and guitarist in her own right, earning several Grammy nominations and winning a Grammy with Tedeschi Trucks. After recording a few criticallyacclaimed albums, Susan began opening for many big acts including The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Buddy Guy and The Allman Brothers. It was while opening for The Allman Brothers that Tedeschi

“I know the world’s always a crazy, messed up place, but especially now when everybody’s kinda at each other’s throats; everyone’s looking for reasons to be pissed off at people. I find that music sometimes melts those barriers. When you start writing off whole cultures it erases a lot beautiful s**t there, too, so let’s all calm down and get along.” — Derek Trucks

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and Trucks first met. “We’re very appreciative of the fact we get to do what we do and have a band like this and the fact that it’s working creatively. But it’s a bit surreal — when you think back over the last five, 10 years, all the things we’ve been able to do, whether it’s the tours with Clapton or the tours with B.B. King a lot of them heroes and lot of them aren’t here anymore.” As a couple, Tedeschi and Trucks have enjoyed some truly surreal moments, such as performing with Warren Hayes for President and Mrs. Obama at the White House. And having a chat with B.B. King while playing in front of a massive crowd at the Hollywood Bowl. “Yeah, there are certainly moments — that being one of them — when you’re sitting on stage with B.B. King and you’re having a musical conversation and a speaking conversation with him on stage, he was being so sweet and complimentary,” Trucks laughed recalling the gig. “That was one of those moments where I was thinking ‘I’ll be telling my grandkids about this one!’” The band has gained from having a vast catalogue of musical experiences to draw from. It’s helped Tedeschi and Trucks manage the band’s growth, direction and strength. “Fifteen years with the Allman Brothers… I mean, those are things that when I first started playing seemed way beyond the realm of possibility, so you look back on a lot of those things and it definitely informs the way you move forward. You learn from being on the road with people like that. You learn what it takes to keep a band together. You learn from people’s mistakes.” Trucks let out a laugh and then went on, “You learn to navigate through that stuff so that when you are putting everything you’ve got into your own thing, and trying to create something from the ground up you have something to go on. I definitely remember the earlier years being much

more trial and error and in some ways it’s like feeling your way through the dark. Whereas with this band, I feel we have a better handle on it.” The band thrives on challenging itself and pushing boundaries and “Let Me Get By” is filled with vibrant tunes spanning soulful blues, high-energy rhythm and blues, and hard-hitting rock. Everyone has their moment as they effortlessly blend guitars, percussion and brass with several vocal harmonies into a seamless. The type of music is almost irrelevant, Trucks said. Just as the musicians in the band are diverse, so are their musical tastes, backgrounds and perspective. The album allowed them to combine all their strengths and ignore the confines of a conventional rock, or R&B, or soul album format. “To me, that’s the beauty of music. It really crosses almost all barriers — it doesn’t matter where you are. If you hear something and it moves you, it just moves you. You don’t consider the background or what it’s coming from,” Trucks said. “I know the world’s always a crazy, messed up place, but especially now when everybody’s kinda at each other’s throats; everyone’s looking for reasons to be pissed off at people. I find that music sometimes melts those barriers. When you start writing off whole cultures it erases a lot beautiful shit there, too, so let’s all calm down and get along.” When the band is touring, said Trucks, they are tapping into one another, learning about new artists and sharing ideas. “It gets busy, you know. But a lot of times you get turned onto what you hear on the tour bus. Somebody’s DJing on the bus and playing us music, and a lot of times that’s where I get to hear someone else or a band I wasn’t hip to. A lot of unique music comes to you that way.” Trucks names classical Indian and traditional Pakistani music as some of his biggest influences, which he says

is likely evident in his style, but probably unexpected by his fans. “Yeah, you’re constantly listening, constantly trying to find things that move you, and sometimes it’s something that’s right down the middle and obvious, and other times it’s the Bulgarian’s Women’s Choir.” Equally unconventional are the band’s live shows which can launch into a whirlwind of improv and spontaneous jam sessions, the format often changing to reflect the collective vibe. Trucks said the show in Augusta will be a lot of fun, and not at all predictable. “The beauty of a band like this where everybody on stage is really good at what they do, and they kinda need that creative challenge from night to night; that keeps me on my toes trying to feed the beast, making sure everyone is inspired and enjoying making music.” The band members manage an often grueling schedule, but Trucks said it’s hardly as stressful as other lifestyles. “It’s a crazy life. It’s busy and there’s a lot going on, but we feel incredibly fortunate to do what we do. Even on a bad day,” he said. “You know, it could be much worse. I grew up down here in Jacksonville and my dad was a roofer. We used work — me and my brother would work with him — and roofing in 100 degree temperatures? That’s a shitty gig. We have a bad show? Things could be a lot worse.”

Tedeschi Trucks Band w/ Railroad Earth The Bell Auditorium Tuesday,January 19 7:30 p.m. $19.50-$79.50 877-4AUGTIX georgialinatix.com

“Yeah, you’re constantly listening, constantly trying to find things that move you, and sometimes it’s something that’s right down the middle and obvious, and other times it’s the Bulgarian’s Women’s Choir.” 14JANUARY2016

— Derek Trucks

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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When local artists Leonard Zimmerman and Jay Jacobs decided to develop a David Bowie themed art show six months ago, neither of them dreamed it would turn into a memorial to a legend. That all changed when Bowie died January 10 after a very private battle with cancer. “Neither one of us knew he was sick — nobody did,” Jacobs said the day after Bowe’s death. “But the weird thing is that the paintings are a little more endearing because they’re more personal.” The Bowie Show opens Friday, February 5, at 8 p.m. at Sky City. Nearly five years ago, the two artists collaborated on a Beatles-themed show and, like that one, this one came about because of one simple reason: the music. “This is all Leonard getting excited about something,” Jacobs laughed. “He had been listening to Bowie a lot more last year and we hadn’t done anything together in a while and we work well together. So we planned this, it was probably six months ago.” Like the Beatles show, the Bowie one will have a focal piece that both artists have a hand in. Individual works find Jacobs more focused on ‘60s and ‘70s Bowie, while Zimmerman concentrated on the performer’s ‘80s incarnations. The show flyers will contain lightning bolts that those who receive them can cut out and put over their eyes for pictures. Jacobs says he also hopes the show will contain a music element in the form of strolling musicians playing unusual instruments. “I’d love to hear ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ on accordion, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” he said. In the meantime, work on the show continues. Jacobs and Zimmerman were even painting and planning the night Bowie died. And while the show will go on, their subject’s passing certainly does change things. “In true Leonard and Jay form, it’s still far from complete,” Jacobs said. “Now the whole feeling of it’s changed. It’s an odd thing. It’s going to be interesting.”

David Bowie January 8, 1947-January 10, 2016 14JANUARY2016

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1946, ext. 4, or visit gchrl.org.

Noon - 4pm SRS Tour Aiken County Applied Research Center Includes a safety brieﬁng, tour of the Savannah River Ecology Lab and general driving tour of the site. Free and open to those 18 or older who are U.S. citizens and have two forms of ID. Call 803-952-8994 or visit srs.gov/general/tour/public.htm.

7pm - 8:30pm Intermediate Sign Language Class University Hospital An eight-week class that meets Thursdays through March 3. $45 plus $45 for the textbook. Pre-registration required. Call 706-738-2095 or visit universityhealth.org.

Fri Jan 15, 2016 Beginner Hip-Hop Dance with Josh is an introductory class for those ages 14 and up who are either just starting out or have a basic understanding of hip-hop. Held Saturday, January 16, at noon at the Kroc Center, the class focuses on developing an ear for rhythms and exploring syncopation through music and choreography. It is scheduled for the third Saturday of each month until April and is $30. Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/kroc-center/.

ARTS Thu Jan 14, 2016

11am - 1pm Hand-Building Pottery Attic Treasures, Harlem A six-session Harlem Arts Council class for adults that continues each Thursday through February 25. No experience necessary. $95. Call 706-394-4682 or email harlemartscouncil@gmail.com.

11am - 1pm Hand-Building Pottery Attic Treasures, Harlem A two-session Harlem Arts Council class for adults that continues Thursday, January 28. $50. Call 706-394-4682 or email harlemartscouncil@gmail.com.

Sat Jan 16, 2016

10am - 4pm Basket Weaving: Market Basket Kroc Center A class for those ages 15 and up in which no previous experience is required and supplies are included. $50; pre-registration required. Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/kroc-center/.

Mon Jan 18, 2016

1:30pm - 4:30pm Oil Painting Attic Treasures, Harlem A class led by Minette Hatcher for those ages 10 to adults. There are three sessions of this class; session 2 is January 25, while session 3 is February 1. $30, one class; $55, two classes; $80, all three classes plus supply fee. Call 706-394-4682 or email harlemartscouncil@gmail.com.

DANCE

Noon - 2pm How to Survive the Coming Times Headquarters Branch Library third floor writing room A systematic study of life-changing world events, including the future of America, global financial collapse, new world order, one world religion and more. The first class provides the framework for this weekly teaching series. Call 706-751-9152.

Sat Jan 16, 2016

11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm The Other Tubmans 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.

Noon - 7pm Work Day New Hope Animal Sanctuary A CSRA Vegetarian/Vegan Society members will work at the sanctuary until 5:30 p.m., then meet for dinner at the Grit in Athens. Membership not required to attend. Visit meetup.com/csravs/.

Sat Jan 16, 2016

3pm Legalized Abortion in America: The Witness of a Sidewalk Counselor

Kroc Center A class for those ages 14 and up. $30; preregistration required. Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/kroc-center/.

Mon Jan 18, 2016

Noon Beginner Hip Hop Dance

EDUCATION Thu Jan 14, 2016

10am - 3:30pm Computer Boot Camp Columbia County Library A two-session class that continues Thursday, January 21. Both sessions and pre-registration required. Call 706-863-

Maxwell Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-793-2020 or visit arcpls.org.

3:30pm - 5pm Intermediate Spanish Friedman Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.

Wed Jan 20, 2016

11:30am - 1:30pm Open Job Lab

Diamond Lakes Branch Library Participants can complete job applications, resumes or conduct job searches with staff available for one-on-one help if needed. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

3pm Spanish For Adults Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Ongoing Tutoring

GRU’s Literacy Center One-on-one tutoring offered to all ages in all subjects and supervised by a certiﬁed teacher at all times. Available by appointment Monday-Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at the center at 1401 Magnolia Drive. Call 706-737-1625 or visit gru.edu/lcenter/.

GED Class Kroc Center A class for those ages 18 and older that meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-noon. The class is free, but there is a charge for taking the GED exit exam. Preregistration required. Call 706-771-4131 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.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 3045 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 803-4414380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

Tours Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Guided tours, approximately 45 minutes long, are offered Thursday-Saturday on the hour from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Group tours are available by advanced reservation. Adults, $5; seniors, $4; kids K-12, $3; under 5 years, free. Call 706-724-0436 or visit wilsonboyhoodhome.org.

Historic Trolley Tours of Augusta 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.

If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com. 26 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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Call 706-724-4067 or visit visitaugusta.org.

ELSEWHERE Sun Jan 17, 2016

2pm Advocacy That Works: Understanding the Black Lives Matter Movement Columbia Museum of Art A screening of “Fruitvale Station” followed by a panel discussion hosted by Columbia’s chapter of Jack and Jill of America. Preregistration required. Call 803-799-2810 or visit columbiamuseum.org.

2pm Gallery Tour: Highlights of the CMA Collection Columbia Museum of Art Free with admission. Call 803-799-2810 or visit columbiamuseum.org.

Mon Jan 18, 2016

11am - 5pm Martin Luther King Jr. Day Columbia Museum of Art The museum will celebrate with free admission and tours at 1 and 2 p.m. of works by African American artists. Call 803-7992810 or visit columbiamuseum.org.

Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta Featuring the work of Carrie Brooks and Hyunsuk Erickson, this exhibit shows through February 26. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

History of African-American Nursing Exhibition Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History The exhibit shows through February 26. Call 706-724-3576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.

Ajibola Exhibition Sacred Heart Cultural Center Also known as Daphne Taylor, this local artist will exhibit her original paintings through February 26. Call 706-826-4700 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org.

Nico Gozal Exhibition Hire Grounds Cafe The Indonesian artist brings his multicultural heritage to life in his silk paintings, on display throughout the month of January. Call 706650-5760 or visit goodwillworks.org.

SEEDS Exhibition

Columbia Museum of Art Held January 18-29. Call 803-799-2810 or visit columbiamuseum.org.

Westobou Gallery An exhibition of works in a variety of mediums from local and regional artists that are $300 or less. The exhibition will show until January 29. Call 706-755-2878 or visit westoboufestival.com.

Life After Life: Representational and

Exhibits

Ongoing

Free Admission Days

Interpretive Paintings of Elaine Thillen LithaMoonGallery, Greensboro These paintings of Elaine Thillen will show through February 13. Visit lithamoon.com.

EXHIBITIONS Thu Jan 14, 2016

6pm - 8pm The Winter Exhibition Opening Reception Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta The Winter Exhibit features the work of Carrie Brooks and Hyunsuk Erickson, and the opening reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit shows until February 26. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

Thu Jan 21, 2016

6pm - 9pm “Scenic Impressions” Opening Reception Morris Museum of Art Art historian and author Martha Severens discusses the exhibition from the Johnson Collection. A reception and book signing will follow. Free, members; $5, nonmembers. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

Ongoing

The Winter Exhibition 14JANUARY2016

Augusta Museum of History Includes the following: “Augusta, 1864” (through January 2016); “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 Jan 14, 2016

11am Thursday Movie Madness Diamond Lakes Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

6pm - 9pm “An Ordinary Hero” Augusta University’s Jaguar Student Activities Center Ballroom A documentary highlighting the experiences of civil rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, who will be the keynote speaker for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on January 15. Mulholland will be at the screening to share remarks and greet the audience. Call 706-737-1610 or visit gru.edu.

Tue Jan 19, 2016

6pm - 8:30pm “Memoirs of a Geisha” Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

HEALTH Thu Jan 14, 2016

6pm - 7:30pm Eating Well in the New Year Saint Paul’s River Room University’s Eating Well with Kim host Kim Beavers will pair a cooking demonstration with a discussion about the fundamentals of healthy eating, challenges to weight loss and practical tips to help participants reach their weight loss goals. Light refreshments and samples will be served. Free but preregistration required. Call 706-774-7770 or visit universityhealth.org.

7pm - 9:30pm Baby 101 Doctors Hospital An infant care and development class. Preregistration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

7pm - 9:30pm Women’s Center Tour University Hospital Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

Fri Jan 15, 2016

6:30pm - 9:30pm Weekend Childbirth

Education Class University Hospital Class continues Saturday, January 16, from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

Mon Jan 18, 2016

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.

Tue Jan 19, 2016

4pm Beyond the Doctors Office: A1c and Diabetes Wallace Branch Library Led by Sandra Turner, NP, participants in this seminar will learn about what blood pressure numbers mean and get their blood pressure checked. Call 706-721-3443 or visit guides.gru.edu/healthliteracyseries.

Thu Jan 21, 2016

6pm Breastfeeding Class Babies R Us Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

6:30pm - 9:30pm Breastfeeding Class Doctors Hospital AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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11am Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

Mon Jan 18, 2016

9:30am - 2pm Junior Rangers: Outdoor Fire Mistletoe State Park A program for those ages 7-12, who will learn about outdoor fire safety, make their own fires, then roast hot dogs and marshmallows. $25; pre-registration required. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.

10am Monday at the Museum: Little Yellow Trolley Augusta Museum of History This program for preschool-aged children will include a story time and craft. $2, members; $4, non-members. Call 706-7228454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

Tue Jan 19, 2016

10am Ms. Kathy’s Story Time

New Year’s resolutions to eat better abound, but if you need more help than a cookbook, you might want to attend Eating Well in the New Year on Thursday, January 14, at 6 p.m. at Saint Paul’s River Room. University Hospital’s Eating Well with Kim host Kim Beavers will pair a cooking demonstration with a discussion about the fundamentals of healthy eating, challenges to weight loss and practical tips to help participants reach their weight loss goals. Light refreshments and samples will be served. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-774-7770 or visit universityhealth.org. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

HOBBIES Thu Jan 14, 2016

1pm Columbia County Genealogical Society Meeting Euchee Creek Branch Library For those of all abilities. Call 706-556-0594 or visit gchrl.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church Richard Dillenbeck, Sierra Club outings leader, will present a program about Via Ferrata (the iron path), a method of mountain climbing popular in Europe but not well known in the U.S. Free and open to the public. Call 706-631-1489.

KIDS-TEENS Thu Jan 14, 2016 4pm Lego Club

Mon Jan 18, 2016

6pm - 8:30pm Civil War Roundtable Meeting Goodwill’s The Snelling Center Featured speaker is Ron Coddington, the author of “Faces of War,” a monthly column in Civil War News. Meeting will begin with a buffet dinner at 6 p.m. that is $12. Membership is $25 per year, individual; $40, couple. Guests are welcome and membership is open to anyone interested in the history of the Civil War. Call 706-736-2909 or visit civilwarroundtableaugustaga.com.

Tue Jan 19, 2016

6:30pm - 8pm Sierra Club Meeting 28 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Aiken Public Library For those in grades K-5. Legos provided. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Imagination Station An event that includes stories, songs, counting and dancing. Free for members; included with $10 admission for up to 3 kids for nonmembers. Email imagine.augusta@ gmail.com or visit imagineaugusta.org.

Wed Jan 20, 2016

10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

4pm Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Aiken Public Library A story, game and craft time for those ages 4 and up. Pre-registration required. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

5pm Teens @ Your Library Diamond Lakes Branch Library An event that includes movies, crafts and board games for those ages 12-17. Preregistration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.

Ongoing

Walton Winter Weekend

Fri Jan 15, 2016

10:30am Appreciate a Dragon Day North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library A story and craft time for elementary-aged children that will also feature games. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

4pm “How to Train Your Dragon 2” North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Sat Jan 16, 2016

Applications for Walton Foundation for Independence’s Winter Weekend Camp will be accepted until January 15. The camp, which will be held February 5-7 at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Ga., is for children ages 6-18 with physical disabilities and their families. Applications should include a $25 registration fee. For more information, call 706-826-5809 or visit waltonfoundation.net/winterweekend.

Creek Freaks Phinizy Center

A Georgia Adopt-a-Stream team of middle-and high-school students that meets regularly to monitor the health of Butler Creek. Call 706-796-7707 or visit naturalscienceacademy.org.

Loud Crowd A supervised after-school program for those ages 4-12, is Monday Friday from 3-6 p.m. at the following community centers: Warren Road, Blythe, Garrett, Diamond Lakes and McBean. The program follows the Richmond County school calendar. $85, monthly; $25, weekly; $10, drop-in. Visit augustaga.gov.

Moms Club of Augusta A nonprofit group that has weekly playgroups and other activities for stayat-home moms. For more information, visit momsclubaugusta.org.

Moms Club of Grovetown A group that accepts any mom who stays at home with her children regardless of parenting style, religion or ethnicity. The group meets for a variety of activities and dues are $20 a year. Visit momsclubofgrovetown.weebly.com.

Mothers of Advanced Maternal Age (MAMAs) A group for women with children who are age 35 years or older. Call 706-394-1293 or email hoopnhollar2@yahoo.com.

Homeschool PE Time The Kroc Center For kids ages 5-12 and meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30 a.m. Members, free; nonmembers, $2 per visit. Activity follows the Richmond County school calendar. Call 706-364-5762 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/kroc-center/.

LITERARY Fri Jan 15, 2016

10am - 5pm Book Sale Columbia County Library Both fiction and non-fiction books will be for sale in the foyer of the library in this Friends of the Columbia County Library event. Call 706-863-8760 or visit gchrl.org.

Sat Jan 16, 2016

3pm Author Visit and Book Signing Aiken Public Library Featuring Bettie Williams, author of “The Rake’s Tale.” Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org. 14JANUARY2016

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Sun Jan 17, 2016

2pm - 5pm Book Sale Columbia County Library Both fiction and non-fiction books will be for sale in the foyer of the library in this Friends of the Columbia County Library event. Call 706-863-8760 or visit gchrl.org.

Mon Jan 18, 2016

6:30pm Monday Night Book Discussion Columbia County Library The January selection is “Edge of Eternity” by Ken Follett. Call 706-868-1946 or visit gchrl.org.

Tue Jan 19, 2016

Don’t go to the next Sierra Club meeting, held Tuesday, January 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, if you’re afraid of heights. If, however, you want to experience some of Europe’s most amazing climbs without becoming a serious mountaineer, then you should definitely go hear Richard Dillenbeck, Sierra Club outings leader, talk about Via Ferrata. This method of climbing that’s not very popular in the U.S. is also called the Iron Path because it uses metal bars or posts to create ladders and bridges that aid in climbing. Free and open to the public. Call 706-631-1489.

6pm “Darkroom” Book Talk Headquarters Branch Library Part of the Latino Americans Series, this event features author Lila Quintero Weaver, who will talk about her graphic memoir about growing up Latina during the civil rights era in the deep south. Visit gru.edu/latino.

Wed Jan 20, 2016

6pm Teen Graphic Novel Workshop Columbia County Library A workshop for those ages 13-17 led by Lila Quintero Weaver, author of “Darkroom.” Pre-registration required. Visit http://bit.ly/ darkroomworkshop.

Thu Jan 21, 2016

4pm Harlem Book Club

Thu Jan 21, 2016

762-333-0259 or visit wholefoodsmarket.com.

641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.

Harlem Branch Library Call for details. Call 706-556-9795 or visit gchrl.org.

10:30am Seniors Golden Games Appleby Branch Library Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org.

Sat Jan 16, 2016

Thu Jan 21, 2016

MUSIC

1pm - 1:30pm Got 30 Minutes?

USC Aiken Convocation Center A free event that includes shopping, crafts, makeovers, giveaways, food and more. Visit facebook.com/ladieslifestyleshow.

Euchee Creek Branch Library Participants will learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement. Pre-registration required. Call 706-5560594 or visit gchrl.org.

Sat Jan 16, 2016

7:30pm A Silent Night: A WWI Centennial Tribute in Song USC Aiken’s Etherredge Center Featuring Juilliard alumni John Brancy and Peter Dugan. $50. Call 803-641-3305 or visit etherredge.usca.edu.

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.

9am - 2pm Ladies Lifestyle Show

10am - 5pm Snowfest

7:30pm All Brahms

Thu Jan 14, 2016

First Baptist Church of Augusta Part of Symphony Orchestra Augusta’s Symphony Series. $20.37-$43.52. Call 706826-4705 or visit soaugusta.org.

11am Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Evans Towne Center Park An event that features giant snow slides, live music, concessions, arts and crafts, inflatables, carnival rides and more. $10-$30. Call 706-854-8636 or visit columbiacountysnowfest.com.

Carrie Mays Community Life Center Call 706-821-1754 or visit augustaga.gov.

11am Martin Luther King Jr. Parade

Tue Jan 19, 2016

Noon - 2pm Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration

7:30pm Athens Guitar Duo Concert Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre $5; free for GRU students, faculty and staff. Call 706-667-4100 or visit gru.edu.

SENIORS Thu Jan 14, 2016

11am - 1pm Medicare and You Kroc Center Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org. 14JANUARY2016

SPECIAL EVENTS

Fri Jan 15, 2016

Augusta University’s Maxwell Theatre Hosted by Augusta University, Paine College and Augusta Technical College, this event features keynote speaker and civil rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland. Call 706-737-1610 or visit gru.edu.

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

Dyess Park Community Center Call 706-821-1754 or visit augustaga.gov.

7pm “Ancient Sky Lore” 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.

8pm “Digistar Laser Fantasy” Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1-$5.50. Call 803-

11am Adult Time-Out

5pm - 8pm Third Thursday Tasting Wine World This drop-in event requires no registration. $5; $3 rebate upon purchase of one bottle of the featured wines. Call 803-279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com.

SPORTS-OUTDOORS Sat Jan 16, 2016

10am - 4pm Dulcimer Jam Mistletoe State Park Listen or participate in this musical event featuring dulcimers, fiddles, banjoes, basses and harmonicas. $5, parking. Call 706-5412146 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.

11am Pedal Thru the Past Bike Ride Augusta Canal Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com.

1pm Gun Storage and Safety Cabela’s AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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Thu Jan 21, 2016

6pm - 10pm Augusta Futurity

and Thursday’s Homer Hustle at 6 p.m. Visit augustastriders.com.

James Brown Arena $14.50-$35. For more information and a schedule of events, visit augustafuturity.com.

The Augusta Furies Women’s Rugby Football Club

8pm - 9pm USC Aiken Extra Inning Bullriding James Brown Arena $18-$24. Call 877-4AUGTIX or visit georgialinatix.com.

Ongoing

Fencing Classes Augusta Fencers Club Classes for children as young as six, as well as teens and adults, meet ﬁve nights a week. Call 706-722-8878.

Guided Tours Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Call to schedule custom tours of the park for organizations, kids groups or private parties. Tours included hiking, bicycle or golf cart tours and more. Call 706-828-2109 or email info@phinizycenter.org.

Daily Canal Tours

Lila Quintero Weaver grew up Latina during the civil rights era in the deep south and used her experiences to create “Darkroom,” a graphic novel/memoir. On Tuesday, January 19, at 6 p.m., she’ll speak about her upbringing and her memoir in a talk at the Headquarters Library downtown that is part of the Latino American Series. Then on Wednesday, January 20, at 6 p.m. she’ll teach a workshop to those ages 13-17 who are interested in creating their own graphic novels. Pre-registration is required for the workshop, which will be held at the Columbia County Library. Visit gru.edu/latino or http://bit.ly/darkroomworkshop. Free. Call 762-444-6500 or visit cabelas. com/augusta.

Sun Jan 17, 2016

10am - 4pm Dulcimer Jam Mistletoe State Park Listen or participate in this musical event featuring dulcimers, ﬁddles, banjoes, basses and harmonicas. $5, parking. Call 706-5412146 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.

6pm - 10pm Augusta Futurity James Brown Arena $14.50-$35. For more information and a schedule of events, visit augustafuturity.com.

Mon Jan 18, 2016

6pm - 10pm Augusta Futurity James Brown Arena $14.50-$35. For more information and a 30 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

schedule of events, visit augustafuturity.com.

Tue Jan 19, 2016

6pm - 10pm Augusta Futurity James Brown Arena $14.50-$35. For more information and a schedule of events, visit augustafuturity.com.

6:30pm Responsible Gun Ownership for Women Cabela’s Free. Call 762-444-6500 or visit cabelas. com/augusta.

Wed Jan 20, 2016

6pm - 10pm Augusta Futurity James Brown Arena $14.50-$35. For more information and a schedule of events, visit augustafuturity.com.

Augusta Canal Winter Season hours, through March, include Heritage Boat Tours at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. The Civil War boat tour is daily at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $13.75 for adults and $11.75 for seniors, military and students. All tickets include admission to the Canal Discovery Center, which costs $6 for adults and $4 for seniors, military and students without a boat tour. Pre-registration encouraged. Call 706-8230440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.

Guided Trail Rides Hilltop Riding Stables Available Saturdays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Sundays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon; and WednesdayFriday at 11 a.m. with reservations 24 hours in advance. All trail rides are on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis, and participants should arrive 30 minutes prior to the trail ride starting for sign in procedures. Call 706-7914864 or visit fortgordon.com.

South Atlantic Recreation Club

Club practices 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Julian Smith Casino for players 18 and up. Email augusta.furies@ gmail.com or visit augustafuries.org.

Chain Reaction Group Rides Rides include Tuesdays at 6 p.m.; Thursdays at 6 p.m.; Saturdays at 8 a.m.; and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Participants should bring their own water and helmet. Call 706-855-2024 or visit chainreactionbicycles.net.

Augusta Disc Golf Association Leagues Meet Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Riverview Park in North Augusta and Mondays at 6 p.m. at Lake Olmstead. Entry fee for each, $5; ace pool, $1. Call 803-215-8181 (North Augusta), 706-833-4263 (Lake Olmstead) or visit augustadiscgolf.com.

Andy Jordan’s Group Rides Rides include Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., road bike ride; Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., mountain bike ride; Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., road bike ride; Saturdays at 9 a.m., road bike ride. Front and rear lights, as well as a helmet, are required. Call 706-724-6777 or visit andyjordans.com.

Outspokin’ Bicycles Group Rides Rides include Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 p.m., as well as Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m. Water and helmet required. Call 706-736-2486 or visit outspokinaugusta.com.

BlazeSports Swim team Wilson Family Y’s Katie’s Pool For all ages of physically challenged swimmers who want to train for competition. Members, $30 a month; non-members, $40 a month. Call 706-922-9664 or visit thefamilyy.org.

SUPPORT Thu Jan 14, 2016

6pm Cancer Survivor Support Group Augusta Oncology Associates Call 706-651-4567.

Offers kickball, ﬂag football and bowling leagues. For more information, visit sarcaugusta.com.

Thu Jan 21, 2016

Weekly Group Runs

University Hospital Call 706-774-8931 or visit universityhealth.org.

Include the Monday Run meeting at Stillwater Taproom at 6 p.m.; Monday Intervals meeting at the Family Y track on Wheeler Road at 7 p.m.; the Tuesday Nacho Mama’s Group Run at 5:30 and 6 p.m.; Wednesday’s Hill Training Run at the Family Y track on Wheeler Road at 7 p.m.;

6pm Bariatric Surgery Support Group

Ongoing

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) GA, 110 Augusta St. Alban’s Episcopal Church fellowship hall The group meets Mondays, with weigh14JANUARY2016

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in beginning at 5:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Call 706-790-0391 or visit tops.org.

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Pine View Baptist Church The group meets Tuesdays, with weigh-in beginning at 4:45 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 5:15 p.m. Call 706-868-0539 or visit tops.org.

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.

Diabetes Youth Support Group Meets quarterly. Call for more information. Call 706-868-3241.

Overeaters Anonymous Meets at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Unity Church, and at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 706-863-9534 or email oa.augusta.recovery@gmail.com.

Adult Sexual Assault and Rape Support Group Provides group counseling at University Hospital for those who have experienced sexual assault, incest, rape or childhood sexual abuse. Call 706-724-5200 or visit universityhealth.org.

Alcoholics Anonymous Holds several meetings locally. For a current schedule, visit augustaaa.org/meetings.pdf.

Narcotics Anonymous Trinity Hospital of Augusta Meets Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Visit na.org.

Beyond the Bars A support group for those with incarcerated loved ones. Call 706-855-8636.

Families Who Have Lost a Baby Support Group For more information, call 706-721-8299 or

visit grhealth.org.

THEATER Thu Jan 14, 2016

6pm “Hairspray” Auditions Dayspring Baptist Church Auditions are for those ages 14-19 for this Greater Augusta Youth Theatre production which shows March 28-29. Visit grayt.org.

Fri Jan 15, 2016

7:30pm “Wait Until Dark” Aiken Community Playhouse An Aiken Community Playhouse production. $25; $20, seniors; $15, students and $10, children 12 and under. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

8pm “Group Therapy” Le Chat Noir An original work by local playwright Marty Matfess. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.

8pm “The Me I Like” Judith Simon Drama Studio An Augusta Mini Theatre production to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. $15, adults; $10, students ages 2-18; $8.50, youth and senior groups of 10 or more. Call 706-722-0598 or visit augustaminitheatre.com.

Sun Jan 17, 2016 3pm “The Me I Like”

Judith Simon Drama Studio An Augusta Mini Theatre production to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. $15, adults; $10, students ages 2-18; $8.50, youth and senior groups of 10 or more. Call 706-722-0598 or visit augustaminitheatre.com.

3pm “Wait Until Dark” Aiken Community Playhouse An Aiken Community Playhouse production. $25; $20, seniors; $15, students and $10, children 12 and under. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. $15, adults; $10, students ages 2-18; $8.50, youth and senior groups of 10 or more. Call 706-722-0598 or visit augustaminitheatre.com.

Ongoing

“At the Last Supper” Auditions Kroc Center Auditions for this Enopion Theatre Company production that shows at the Kroc Center in March will be held by appointment only in January. Call 706-771-7777 or visit enopion.com.

VOLUNTEER Ongoing

RSVP

Senior Citizens Council The Retired Volunteer Program (RSVP) is seeking those ages 55 and older who would like to work with disaster preparedness, school literacy, ushering and fundraising for nonproﬁts. Call 706-868-0120 or visit seniorcitizenscouncil.org.

Mon Jan 18, 2016 3pm “The Me I Like”

Judith Simon Drama Studio An Augusta Mini Theatre production

Sat Jan 16, 2016 3pm “The Me I Like”

8pm “Group Therapy”

MARKETPLACE

Le Chat Noir An original work by local playwright Marty Matfess. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.

ALL CLASSIFIED ADS ARE

$40 PER WEEK.

EMAIL JOE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM OR CALL

(706)373-3636

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Kicks 99’s Rock for the Cops, now in its second year, features performances by American Idol season 10 winner Scotty McCreery and The Voice season 3 winner Cassadee Pope. The concert, the proceeds from which will benefit the Police Benevolent Foundation and the Georgia Post Critical Incident Seminar, which helps officers recover from traumatic events on the job, is Thursday, January 14, at 8:30 p.m. at The Country Club. Tickets are $25 in advance and VIP tickets, which entitle holders to entry at 7 p.m., as well as free drinks and hors d’oeuvres until 8:30, are $100. Visit etix.com or pbfi.org.

Country Club - An Evening with Scotty McCreery and Cassadee Pope Red Pepper (Aiken) - Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia Sky City - Lara Hope & the Ark-Tones Stillwater Taproom - Will McCranie Wild Wing - Lundy The Willcox (Aiken) - Jazz

Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Jacob Johnson Partridge Inn - Will McCranie Rose Hill Estate (Aiken) - Bluegrass w/ One Step Ahead Shannon’s - Atomic Road Sky City - Roshambeaux Somewhere in Augusta - Jason White Stillwater Taproom - The Tyler Nail Trio Wild Wing - South Paw

nights Joe’s Underground - Comedy Show/Open Mic Night Laura’s Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Soul Bar - Boom Box Saturdays Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke w/ Denny van Valkenburgh

What’s Tonight?

Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Brunch w/ Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia Wild Wing - Prettier Than Matt The Willcox (Aiken) - Jon Vaughn

Thursday, January 14 Live Music

Andrew’s Place - Karaoke with April Powell Bar West - Open Mic Night w/ Jonathon Flowers Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Old School Thursday w/ DJ Groove Fox’s Lair - Trivia, Soup and Suds Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia Joe’s Underground - Trivia The Loft - Karaoke MAD Studios - Open Mic, Spoken Word Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Karaoke

Friday, January 15 Live Music

Cotton Patch - Live Jazz and Blues Country Club - Nate Moran Coyotes - Joe Olds Band Imperial Theatre - Della Mae

32 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Soul Bar - Pop Life Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke w/ Denny van Valkenburgh

Saturday, January 16 Live Music

Cotton Patch - Live Jazz and Blues Country Club - Logan Brill Coyotes - Joe Olds Band Shannon’s - Daze Before Sky City - Fayth Hope, Monet Robinson Somewhere in Augusta - Wild N Loud Boyz Wild Wing - Clay Page Band The Willcox (Aiken) - Jon Vaughn

What’s Tonight?

Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Helga’s Pub & Grille - Bluegrass Brunch (11 a.m.-3 p.m.); Trivia,

Sunday, January 17 Live Music

What’s Tonight?

Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane

Monday, January 18 Live Music

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

What’s Tonight?

Joe’s Underground - Poker Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - World Tavern Poker Wild Wing - Trivia

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Tuesday, January 19 Live Music

Bell Auditorium - Tedeschi Trucks Band Joe’s Underground - Open Mic Sky City - Jucifer, Shehehe The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck

Surrey Tavern - Trivia w/ Christian and Mickey Three Dollar Lounge - World Poker Tournament

Upcoming The Glenn Miller Orchestra

What’s Tonight?

Bar West - Trivia The Cotton Patch - Trivia Limelite Cafe - Bottom’s Up Karaoke Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Big Prize Trivia; Poker for Fun

- Jabez S. Hardin PAC January 22 The Steppin’ Stones

- Sky City January 23 Brantley Gilbert

- James Brown Arena February 4 The Fairfield Four and the McCrary Sisters

- Imperial Theatre February 12 Snapdragon, Jennifer Daniels

Wednesday, January 20 Live Music

The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Shameless Dave Wild Wing - Tony Moyer

What’s Tonight?

Bar West - Karaoke Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Trivia and Tunes The Loft - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke The Playground - Krazy Karaoke w/ Big Troy Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Somewhere in Augusta - The Comedy Zone w/ Spanky Brown Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz

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- Sky City February 12 R5

- Bell Auditorium February 16

- The Tabernacle, Atlanta January 15 Grace Potter

- The Tabernacle, Atlanta January 16 Lamb of God, Anthrax

- The Tabernacle, Atlanta January 19 Madonna

- Philips Arena, Atlanta January 20 Reverend Horton Heat

- Terminal West, Atlanta January 21 Billy Gibbons

- Variety Playhouse, Atlanta January 23 Tool, Primus

- Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth January 25 Art Garfunkel

- Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta January 29 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

- Fox Theatre, Atlanta January 29

Colonel Bruce Hampton

Carrie Underwood, Easton Corbin, The Swon Brothers

- Sky City February 20

- Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth February 1

Copious Jones

Lupe Fiasco

- Sky City March 3

- Georgia Theatre, Athens February 2

The Major Rager w/ Umphrey’s McGee, the Revivalists, Earphunk and Tauk

- Augusta Common April 7

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Elsewhere Jackson Browne

- Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah January 14 Waka Flocka Flame

- Georgia Theatre, Athens January 15 Joe Rogan

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AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 33

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SIGHTINGS

Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com

David Johnson, Marga Schoch, Tonya Bonitatibus and Joseph Shawkat at Stillwater Taproom.

Chuck Trueh with Kari and Hollie McManus at the Hideout.

Maggie Brown, Emily Durham, Stephen Black and Sarah Lord at the Hideout.

Mellissa Lloyd, Valerie Dingman, Alexandra Dingman and Dayna Krukowski at Metro Coffeehouse & Pub.

Elyse Tuley, Jennifer Peyser and Anne Sloan at Whiskey Bar (Kitchen).

Travis Grant and Kylie Betzler with Kayla and Tucker Pennington at Somewhere in Augusta.

Megan Murfey, Ashton Griffith and Allison Jacobs at the Country Club.

Susan Chance, Chuck Hardin, Melinda Jones and Shawn Busby at 1102 Downtown.

Bonnie Keough, Marty Metheny and Ten Broeck at Somewhere in Augusta.

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

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RECORD OF THE YEAR By David Woolf / Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Malicious computer programs 6 Essence 13 Chippendales dancer, e.g. 19 One in the closet 21 Band that doesn’t play much music nowadays 22 Common gas station attachment 23 2001 foreign film with five Oscar nominations 24 Radishes with long white roots 25 Nag 26 Accepted, as an offer 28 Was behind a register, maybe 30 Battery parts 31 For whom products are designed 33 Passing mention? 35 Short pants 39 McKellen of “The Hobbit” 40 Alternative to Facebook Messenger 42 Golden Bears’ sch. 45 Suggest 47 Supreme Court justice who once said “I am a New Yorker, and 7 a.m. is a civilized hour to finish the day, not to start it” 52 Concupiscence 54 Power, so to speak 55 Language of Afghanistan 56 “The Undiscovered Self” author 57 Filthy 58 Low points 59 How curry is often served 60 Divisions politiques 61 Beckons through a portal 63 “I hate when that happens!” 64 Cousin of a foil 66 Dark horses 68 Capital of Gambia 72 Like some building damage 78 Sterile 83 One having a simple existence 85 Blowout, in sports lingo 86 To land 87 Drive off 88 Available 89 Spring forecast 90 How silverware is often sold 91 Obesity 93 Rear 94 Your of yore 95 Some protective barriers

97 “Vous êtes ____” 99 Tap things? 100 Fig. often discounted 101 Pre-curve figure 106 “Sounds likely to me” 109 Exceptionally well behaved 112 Boom box pair 117 Looked (in) 119 Lover boys 121 Sole representatives, maybe 122 Gum arabic source 123 Oakland’s county 124 Like HBO and Showtime vis-à-vis basic cable 125 Something you can believe in 126 If everything fails 127 Blues musician known as Sleepy John

41 It splits the uprights 42 Paramecium propellers 43 Kind of professor 44 Some premium seating 46 Licorice flavor 48 Colorful gem 49 Barber’s supply 50 ____ Accords 51 Keystone Kops-like scene 53 Icy remark? 58 Diverges 61 Besprinkle, say 62 Suffix with conspirator 65 Church book 67 One of the Obamas 68 Unable to do well 69 Rural community 70 Lack of influence 71 Kentucky Derby drinks 73 Ones up in arms? DOWN 74 No longer wanted 1 Pointer’s request? 75 More ____ enough 2 Ending with Cine76 ____ Reader 3 Brief race, in brief 77 Most lipstick options 4 What keys on a key ring do 79 Big lipstick seller 5 Setting for van Gogh’s “River Bank in 80 Dry (off) Springtime” 81 Memorable 2011 hurricane 6 Sonny 82 Mint roll 7 Some desktops 84 Rathskeller decoration 8 Running a high temperature 86 Breathe in 9 Staples Center athlete 92 Word often seen in brackets 10 Stinks 96 Green grp. 11 Emanation from a pen 98 Item in a tent 12 Doctor’s recommendation 100 Guy’s thanks? 13 Box in an arena? 101 Cut over, in a way 14 One helping with servings 102 Dollar competitor 15 Start 103 Convince 16 “You’re missing a comma” and others 104 A lot 17 Turkish inn 105 Horatian work 18 Orch. section 106 Certain tablet 20 Together again 107 Boil down 27 Something people do not want to 108 Handle see outside, for short 110 Publisher of Champion magazine, 29 Cartoon exclamation for short 32 Young ____ 111 “Who is John ____?” (question in 34 Setting not actually found in “Romeo “Atlas Shrugged”) and Juliet” 113 Hosp. readouts 35 Opted for 114 Lies 36 Kind of orchard 115 Just above where 35-Across end 37 Mural’s beginning? 116 They were wiped off the map in ’91 38 Town: Ger. 118 Daniel ____ Kim, “Hawaii Five-0” 40 Singer with the 2012 #1 hit actor “Somebody That I Used to Know” 120 Remained in inventory

6 20

64 70

107

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89 92 97 101

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66 73

42 53

72 84

25 28

106

27 31

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PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWERS S U S S E D

L I S L E A B B A S

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P L O W M A N

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O N O A D P P I N A G E I R D E N D O R T S M A O O T F O S L N W I A P O P T E R O N I A R I N L I N G L A O R P T I N O S A S E S E

A N G L O S

B A C O N

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

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

S T Y N E T A S E D

T R Y S T S

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THE EIGHT

BOX TOPS The Force is strong with this one. RANK

TITLES

WEEKEND GROSS

TOTAL GROSS

WEEK #

LAST WEEK

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

$42,353,785

$812,734,828

THE REVENANT

$39,826,840

$41,383,741

DADDY’S HOME

$15,015,465

$116,329,041

THE FOREST

$12,741,176

SISTERS

$7,189,455

$74,899,400

In Theaters January 15

Comedy

“Ride Along 2,” rated PG-13, starring Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Olivia Munn. They’re now brothersin-law, but Ben and James still don’t get along. Gotta admit: It’d probably be a lot easier for the two LEOs to apprehend the drug dealer they’re looking for if they did get along, but it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.

36 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

ACTIoN

“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,” rated R, starring John Krasinski. Jim from “The Office” bulks up for this Michael Bay directed film based on the real-life killing of an American ambassador in an attack on a U.S. compound in Libya.

FAmIly

“Norm of the North,” rated PG, starring Heather Graham, Bill Nighy, Rob Schneider, James Corden. A polar bear has to leave his home in the Arctic, so he and his friends end up in New York City. Naturally.

14JANUARY2016

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