Table of Contents
EDIT
April 28, 2016
Amy Christian
Arts Editor/Production Director
amy@themetrospirit.com
Whine Line Ruffin It Jenny is Wright Augusta Tek
Stacey Eidson Staff Writer
stacey@themetrospirit.com
Molly Swift Staff Writer
molly@themetrospirit.com
Insider 12 News 14
CREATIVE Joshua Bailey Lead Designer
joshua@themetrospirit.com
COVER DESIGN: KRUHU
SALES Gayle Bryan
Senior Account Executive
gayle@themetrospirit.com 706-373-4846
Jim Christian Account Executive
jim@themetrospirit.com 706-414-4059
Bonnie Sloane
4 6 8 10
WHEN I COME HOME
What’s Up Calendar Nightlife Sightings NYT Crossword The Eight Austin Rhodes
29 30 38 40 42 44 46
pg. 22
Account Executive
bonnie@themetrospirit.com 770-401-9357
BUSINESS Joe White Publisher
joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
THIS WEEK
Johnny Beckworth circulation manager
johnny@themetrospirit.com 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.© 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
The Vietnam War was one of the longest wars in American history, resulting in almost 60,000 American soldiers tragically losing their lives overseas. As part of this year’s Thunder Over Evans celebration on Armed Forces Day, Thomson, Ga. pyrotechnician Craig Butler says he plans to honor the Vietnam era and its brave soldiers during this year’s massive fireworks show. Pg. 14
Do you know what the marshal’s office does? As the candidates running for marshal of Richmond County walk door to door speaking to hundreds of Augusta residents prior to the May 24 election, both Marshal Steve Smith and his challenger, Lt. Ramone Lamkin of the Richmond County Sheriff ’s Office, say they are constantly surprised by the number of people who don’t understand the duties of the office. Pg. 16
If it looks like a bluegrass band, it must be a bluegrass band, right? Not necessarily, say Ryan Young of Trampled by Turtles and Pete Bernhard (pictured above) of The Devil Makes Three. Both bands are playing the Riverwalk Revival on May 8, and both band members say looks are very often deceiving.
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OPINION
The Whine Line
What in the world is going on with rental prices in Augusta? I just need 2 bedroom in a neighborhood where my child can play outside, and everything is $800 or more. Come on. Be serious. I’d pay that in Atlanta.
Why is the North Augusta City Council caving into the builders and developers and changing the wording of downtown zoning rules to guidelines? If you want to protect North Augusta’s future, you should attend the meeting between city council and planning commission members to be held April 28 at the Municipal Center’s Palmetto Terrace area on the fourth floor.
I propose mandatory classes for South Carolinians; Common Sense 101. Or perhaps a remedial 098 or 099. Last week I went to the Bell Auditorium for the Cotillion. A class event where outstanding, young women of collor are introduced to society. Their amazing accomplishments at a very young age are recognized, and dances, including one with their fathers. Now these are not your typical ghetto type of the media portrays as the norm. These are young accomplished teens from accomplished families. The applaus throughout the night was not impressive. I got a sense that the black community is tired of everything, like defeated, like what use is it. I feel like the black community, and black institutions, like Paine College, are at the brink of collapse. If they do, the rest of nation will surely follow.
Ruffin’ It Jenny is Wright Augusta Tek
What wasn’t mentioned in the story about the recent improvements to the Partridge Inn is the lady in the blue dress who floats up and down some of the hallways and knocks on doors early in the morning. Traveling down ol Doug Barnard Pkwy with no cars coming or going in either direction. Just lonely ol me. I notice a train worker standing beside some rail road arms up ahead. As I the only car in sight approach he has the arms start to go down when I’m about 15 ft from crossing. Even at my slow pace there would be no way to slam on brakes and react that quick. I know that, he knows that but it’s funny......moron. Once again, Metro Spirit, you have made the “Sightings” page a photo op of taverns/bars in the Augusta area. Aren’t there other places for “sightings”? How about people volunteering at a soup kitchen or working with kids in schools? Or volunteering in a hospital gift shop or walking dogs at a dog rescue? While some people think drinking and bar-hopping is cool, some of us would like to see photos of other activities around town! I cannot wait for Mr. Donald Trump to win this election and take office! The first order of business will be to take all of you whiny, snot nosed, drooling wanta’ handout sniveling cry babies
and put you all on THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR FENCE!!!! GET OUT WHINERS!!! GET OUT!!!! Oh and I forgot to mention, you whiners are going to pay for our wall, build it and then GET OUT!!!!!!!!! A treasure such as The Bon Air used as a poorhouse? And you dare wonder why those from away are aghast, with snide, glib, and other unflattering commentary. Has anybody else noticed the bike signs written on the roadway of the new Berckman Road? It includes a bicycle with two chevrons over it. Supposedly this is a bike lane although there’s no room for bicycles on this relatively narrow two lane road. There is, however, a big beautiful wide sidewalk with no one on it. For that matter, there are no bikers either! What is the sign trying to say? How to ruin a residential neighborhood. 1. Start bulldozing. 2. Put small sign up that says commercial property coming soon. 3. Done I just saw none other than the President of Augusta University, Dr. Keel, walking into the Great Clips on Washington Road. How refreshing to see someone in a position of power and prestige that is still down to earth enough to get his hair cut at an inexpensive chain.
Mayor, Commissioners, A few comments, if I may, about the proposed quiet zone along the railroad on 6th Street. I have lived on 7th Street for almost 16 years. There is little that I enjoy more than the sounds from Saturday Market, the concerts at the eighth and ninth street bulkheads. First Fridays, bands and concerts at The Common. The church bells, the car horns. The sirens. And, yes, the train whistles! These are the sounds of the city. It’s why I live here. We are the second largest metropolitan area in the state! Surely we have more important things to focus on.
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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present
At the Imperial Theatre
MAY 6th – 8th, 2016 Get Your Tickets Today at
AugustaPlayers.org Or call :
706-826-4707
I am running for the U.S. Congress because like so many of you I am tired of the dishonesty and lies from the Washington ruling class elites. Just two years ago, Rick Allen told us he would work for our interests, but then he went to Washington and voted to fund Obama’s scheme to bring Middle Eastern refugees to America. Allen voted to fund Obamacare after he promised us that he would not. Allen even voted to fund Planned Parenthood and to fund amnesty for illegal immigrants; Once again we were betrayed. It is time for a change and you can make a difference by voting for me, Eugene Yu, in the Republican Primary on May 24th. Visit my website and view my policy proposals which will take power from Washington’s ruling class and restore our liberty. Paid for by Eugene for Congress
EARLY VOTING STARTS MAY 2nd.
www.Yu4Congress.us
PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE!
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Celebrity Influence BY NOW I’m sure you’ve heard of the Public Securities and Private Facility Act that North Carolina recently signed into law. Colloquially referred to as the “bathroom law,” it essentially mandates that a person must use the public restroom corresponding to the designated gender on their birth certificate. For most of us, that’s just reinforcing common sense, but that’s because most of us identify with the gender of our birth. The controversy behind the law, rather, stems from its blatant discrimination against transgender citizens, i.e., those who have completed or have almost completed the transition from one gender to another. It is a process that, frankly, most us (including me) don’t understand, but we don’t have to. It’s as biologically legitimate as it is psychologically relevant, and it is something that we’re all going to have to learn to cope with if we want to have a place in this world. To give you an idea of how widespread the outcry against this law has been, here’s a list of high-profile individuals, ranging from “well, duh” to “really?” on the predictability scale: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton,
Bernie Sanders, Nils Lofgren, Jimmy Buffett, Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Rob Reiner, Debra Messing, John Kasich, Donald Trump and more. Yes, Donald “Rounding up Muslims is totally not like what the Nazis did to the Jews during the Holocaust” Trump thinks this law is way out of line. The political statements, especially this year, are par for the course. And celebrity involvement is too, to a large extent. In some cases, celebrities have even more power, seeing as how they can screw with the state’s economy and future ability to bring in revenue. Springsteen and Adams have both cancelled upcoming concerts in protest of the new law, and Buffett, while still going ahead with a series of already-planned concerts, indicated that future visits to North Carolina will hinge on the presence of this “stupid law.” Now, all of these people are absolutely correct to come out in support of LGBT rights, as any true American citizen who cares about personal liberty would. But it keeps the question of celebrity influence in politics fresh and relevant; it’s quite the tightrope. Politicians, news media and
celebrities have long maintained a sort of abusive, symbiotic relationship. Every time a high-profile musician, actor or athlete has the gall to express a political opinion, there are exactly two kinds of responses: those affiliated with the school of thought that celebrity endorsed trot out the sound byte time after time, praising the courage/ common sense/maverick-ness of that individual, etc., while those on the opposite side decry that person as a “mere celebrity” with no business expressing opinions. Ideally, we would regard these on a case-by-case basis. For example, when Bruce Springsteen mentions that maybe the war in Iraq was a bad idea, or that American governments shouldn’t be passing discriminatory legislation in 2016, he expresses his thoughts in a calm, measured tone, and just generally gives you the sense that he’s spent some time thinking about this. When Jenny McCarthy, on the other hand, crows about the danger of vaccinations, she repeatedly cites thoroughly debunked statistics and gives off the impression that she is in fact a woman-suit operated by a stack of schizophrenic meerkats.
But I have serious reservations about the general thoughtfulness of the American citizenry, so careful consideration and well-informed debate is not really an option. So I’ll say this: we have to strike a balance that falls somewhere between utter dismissal and outright worship. If we tend towards the latter, we get a Trump or Reagan situation; if we tend towards the former, that attitude can spill over into how we regard our fellow citizens. For example, “He’s just an actor” can easily morph into “He’s just a bartender” or “She’s just a pet store owner.” None of us should be excluded from the political conversation because of our chosen occupations, nor should we be held up as examples because of them. The paths are wholly different, but each one leads to the same dark place.
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.
Pride in Your Health. Pride in Yourself. Want to quit smoking? Call 1-800 QUIT NOW for free help and a customized Quit Kit. www.scdhec.gov/quitforkeeps 6 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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If It Ain’t Broke Y’ALL ARE GONNA THINK I’M CRAZY. You probably already do, but this might confirm it. A couple of weeks ago, I was taking a quick afternoon nap (timer set, 10 minutes only, nearly a daily requirement) and woke up feeling worried. The Girl was at her soccer game, The Boy home with me. I thought, “Why do I feel like she’s not okay? I should say this out loud, because when she does get hurt, no one will believe I had this weird premonition.” I didn’t say it out loud. She did get hurt. Let me step on a soapbox. Soccer isn’t a dangerous sport, by any stretch. Interestingly enough, many parents say, “Johnny Boy can’t play football, because it’s too dangerous. Only soccer for my delicate flower.” My husband ruptured his spleen and had a concussion or two playing soccer. There are pros and cons to each sport, but rest assured, soccer isn’t the padded room of sports. That said, her injury wasn’t severe at all. It felt like it to her, but she hasn’t played a team sport before. She got pushed during the first game, and she was all, “That girl was mean!” “This ain’t theatre, kiddo,” we told her. It’s a sport. People are kicking and running and all sorts of other things that require quick and direct contact. She loved it. Her team was pretty terrible, losing every game of the season, but they looked adorable in their hot pink polka dot socks. Cuteness counts, folks. Back to that day a couple of weeks ago. I got a text from my husband saying she’d hurt her finger, but it was probably just jammed. She was in a lot of pain and sitting out, but he knew she’d be fine. She wore her splint dutifully and complained about the pain. A lot. “It’s just jammed,” her Daddy said. I don’t exactly blame him, either. He had many, many jammed fingers playing soccer as a kid. He was always sure it was broken, but X-rays would tell a different story. A jammed finger. A painful jammed finger, but not broken. When the swelling went down on her “jammed” finger, it was crooked. We asked a PA friend to take a look. She was sure it was broken. X-ray confirmed it. Whoops. I felt a little better talking to a friend whose son walked around on a broken ankle for weeks before they took him in. We tend to be pretty laid-back parents, rarely freaking out about health things. When the boy crushed his finger, we were only concerned when the swelling was so intense it hardly looked like a finger. And hell, that wasn’t even broken. Today, I realized my broken finger incident was four years ago this week. What is it with fingers? I told my husband and The Girl about my strange premonition. I’m not normally into such things. I don’t do premonitions or fortune tellings or psychics or hauntings. Unless you count that one place in Ireland. It was haunted. I’d swear this one time, though, I knew when she got hurt. That doesn’t erase the fact that I did not know how hurt she was. Bad parenting call.
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It wasn’t our first and it won’t be our last. We did our best. This week, she’s headed to the orthopedist, who will determine if it can be reset or stays crooked forever. If you ever encounter such a situation, just know that “reset” essentially means “break again to make straight.” You’ve been warned. Hopefully, you won’t need that knowledge. Jammed might only sometimes mean jammed, but a jammy Cali red blend will always be delicious. Cheers! 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.
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Making Progress IT SEEMS that every Monday afternoon when I sit down to write this column, Microsoft Updater tells me that a patch for Microsoft Word is available. So every Monday afternoon, I dutifully download and install an update to Word. A thought occurred to me as I sat and waited the three or four minutes it takes for the update to complete: I’ve probably spent more than half my time in front of a computer just sitting and watching progress bars. All you DIY computer gurus know exactly what I’m talking about. Every time you download applications from the internet, what do you see? A progress bar. Every time you have to apply software updates, what do you get to watch? A progress bar. Do you need to reboot your system for some reason? Guess what, another progress bar. Of course, the intention of the progress bar is noble. Most of what a computer does is not visible to the user. The progress bar is how the computer says, “Hey, be patient! I’m working on it!” And back in the early days, we were glad see it. As a matter of fact, we designed our own progress bars to show off. Well, we never admitted that — the intent was to always “ensure optimal program performance.” However, the program always seemed to run better when integrated with a cool progress bar. The classical progress bar possesses a couple of flaws, however. The standard left-to-right rectangle fill assumes that a process will run from beginning to end at a reasonably constant pace and without error. In reality, poor software design, bad data and click-happy users tend to invalidate these assumptions. The resulting condition consistently ranks in the top three of the most frustrating computer issues — a stuck progress bar. Software designers utilize several techniques to mitigate the occurrence of stuck progress bars. For example, the rectangular progress bar can be changed from “fill” to “bounce.” Instead of displaying progress from 0 to 100 percent, the bounce bar simply restarts in the reverse direction and repeats until the process completed. While the users won’t have any idea when the process completes, at least they believe the process is running. Designers also use other forms to display progress. First popularized in the early-1990s with the Mosaic browser, variants of the spinning icon are now ubiquitous. While more graceful than the angular progress bar, the spinner still only displays activity. While useful, a hung application forces the user to helplessly endure the endless rotations of the spinning wheel of death. Interestingly, the behavior of the progress bar influences the user’s perception of application performance. A faster spinning indicator makes the application seem it’s running faster. A progress bar that accelerates toward completion gives the indication of accelerating performance. A progress bar that “empties to the left” feels faster than one that “fills to the right.” Designers have spent a great deal of effort to make applications seem fast. Wouldn’t it be interesting to transfer these techniques to everyday life? Specifically, what would happen if you replaced traffic lights with LED progress bars? Would wait times feel shorter if we watched a red bar empty? Would drivers feel more confident when approaching a stale green if they saw that the bar is three-quarters full? Yes, I know what you are thinking. Traffic lights won’t matter when we all have driverless cars. But its still fun to think about. ;-) @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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Mother’s Day BRUNCH
Mother’s Day Brunch | May 8 | North Ball Room Live Action Station Omelets made to order Shrimp and Grits
Seatings: 11:00 a.m.-1 p.m. 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Carved Enhancements Herb Crusted Baron of Beef Pineapple Ham
Walk-ins welcome but reservations strongly encouraged by May 6
Hot Buffet Selections Crust less Spinach and Artichoke Quiche Raspberry Pancake Bread Pudding Applewood Smoked Bacon Pork and Sage Sausage Patties Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy Waffles Chicken Chardonnay Crab Cake Benedicts Garden Rice Pilaf Potatoes Au Gratin Macaroni and Cheese Freshly Steamed Seasonal Vegetables
Reservations Adults: $22 Kids 5-11: $11 Kids 4 & Under: Free
Cold Buffet Selections Fresh Field Greens with Toppings and Dressings Poached Peel and Eat Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce Exotic Fruit Display Domestic and Imported Cheese Board Assortment of Desserts
Walk-ins Adults: $24 Kids 5-11: $13 Kids 4 & Under: Free
19th Street, Building 18402 (706) 791-6780 | (706) 791-2205 (706) 791-3928
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Insider
12 Fireworks at Thunder Over Evans will Honor Vietnam Veterans 14 The Race for Marshal Heats Up 16 When I Come Home 22
nEws
All Eyes on Augusta’s District 1 Race ThE MAy 24 ElEcTion is just around the corner and many Augustans have no idea how much their vote could drastically change the city’s future. One particular local race that is attracting a lot of attention is the election for the Augusta Commission’s District 1 seat currently held by Commissioner Bill Fennoy. Let’s face it, District 1 is the heart of the city. It includes the downtown area, the Laney-Walker neighborhood, Harrisburg, Bethlehem and much of east Augusta. District 1 is vitally important for the economic future of all Augusta. While many in the community believe Commissioner Fennoy has done a good job in his position, others think the district desperately needs someone who is economically driven and understands the importance of promoting the downtown area. Many voters want someone with a business background and political newcomer Michael Thurman is already receiving a great deal of praise. While Thurman is new to politics, he’s a local businessman from Augusta who has invested throughout the city. He is the president of McGillicuddy Rental Properties in Augusta and currently owns more than 100 properties in central Augusta and the Summerville area. In fact, one look at the company’s website will clearly show the wide variety of rental properties that Thurman manages, including the beautifully renovated Victorian home on Hickman Street, once known as Johnnyville. “I am committed to the growth and vitality of this county and its communities,” Thurman recently posted on his campaign’s Facebook page. “I am dedicated to and fully believe that we must all work to build the economic underpinnings of the community downtown and industrial structure.” Just this month, the Police Benevolent Association formally endorsed Michael Thurman for commissioner in the District 1 race. On his campaign’s website, Thurman vows to improve what is damaged, repair what is broken and perpetuate the growth and vitality of Augusta’s communities. He is also a member of the Richmond County Exchange Club and a former member of the Sheriff’s Advisory Board, in which he attended a 40-hour police training course and met monthly for a year with the sheriff to discuss issues pertaining to Augusta law
enforcement. And the fact that Thurman and his family reside in one of the older homes he has completely transformed speaks volumes. People are saying he walks the talk. But it’s not just a two-person race for District 1. Fennoy is also facing competition from community activist Denice Traina. Some Augustans might recall that Traina has run for the District 1 seat before and lost. Let’s just say, Traina is definitely a candidate that is hard to forget. While she has served on both the Richmond County Planning Commission and the Transit Advisory Panel, she is probably best known as the highly enthusiastic “certified beekeeper” who has been a resident of the Harrisburg neighborhood for more than 20 years. We’ll see who wins come May 24, but some of Fennoy’s longtime supporters insist that he deserves to be re-elected. After all, Fennoy has worked to revitalize streets throughout the LaneyWalker and Bethlehem neighborhoods. Every since Fennoy was elected, he has concentrated on the community, mostly senior citizens, who’ve been committed to living in the Laney-Walker and Bethlehem neighborhood for years. People who find themselves sometimes afraid to walk outside their front doors. “I don’t think it is fair for senior citizens to be prisoners in their own neighborhoods,” Fennoy once told The Metro Spirit. “They should be able to walk and feel safe about walking in the neighborhood and not have to worry about anybody snatching their purse or hitting them upside the head.” Fennoy also understands the major concerns facing many District 1 residents. “Almost 40 percent of the people living in District 1 is below the poverty line,” Fennoy told the Metro Spirit. “The average yearly income is less than $15,500 a year. The average educational level is sixth grade.” Fennoy wants to change all that, but he realizes he is facing an uphill battle. He has also been criticized for supporting a vote earlier this year to provide four local nonprofits with $20,000 each. Those nonprofits who received the money were the Bethlehem Community Center, Meals on Wheels, the Shiloh Community Center and Serenity Mental Health Center. 28APRIL2016
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While all of these organizations provide a valuable service to this community, many citizens didn’t like the manner in which they received the funding. The request for this additional funding was mysteriously lumped together with a motion in March to give $20,000 to the Augusta Animal Services Department for educational purposes and the implementation of programs relating to its new animal ordinances. Along with Fennoy, commissioners Bill Lockett, Marion Williams, Sammie Sias, Dennis Williams and Ben Hasan voted to take the $80,000 for these nonprofits from the city’s contingency fund, otherwise known as the city’s “rainy day” fund. Commissioners Mary Davis, Sean Frantom and Grady Smith voted against the motion, while Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle was absent from the meeting. Augusta Commissioner Mary Davis told her colleagues that she had major concerns about the sudden request to fund these nonprofits. “As much as I like all of these organizations, I’ve had phone calls from so many other nonprofits in Augusta saying, ‘We would like some money too. So what is the process?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know the process,’” Davis said on March 2. “I really don’t, Mr. Mayor. I’m confused. Could I figure it out so I can email these nonprofits back? What do they need to do to get the taxpayer dollars?” During the meeting, Fennoy actually began chuckling right next to Davis and shaking his head. “I’m being serious,” Davis told Fennoy. “Who do I direct the process to because I haven’t seen any budget on any of these organizations to why they need the funds and where they will spend them and that concerns me.” City Administrator Janice Allen Jackson said that, typically, nonprofits will submit a request for funding during the commission’s regular budgetary process. Jackson said the Shiloh Community Center and Serenity Mental Health Center did submit a funding request during last year’s budget hearings. “So two of the four nonprofits have sent in and followed the process,” Davis said. “So, with the other two, we are not even sure exactly what the budget is or their expenses or their needs.” Jackson agreed that was true. “I have not seen any detail on those organizations,” Jackson replied. “That’s correct.” Davis was shocked by the administrator’s answer.
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“I have grave concern with this,” Davis said. “That’s my opinion. And nothing against these organizations. I know they do wonderful things for our community.” In the end, the six black commissioners on the commission voted to fund these nonprofits $20,000 each from the contingency fund, while the three white commissioners in the chamber simply shook their heads. Since that vote, Fennoy insists he would do it all over again and give the nonprofits the $80,000, despite the criticism he has received. While the vote regarding the nonprofits fell down racial lines, Fennoy definitely isn’t a follower. In fact, he has made some controversial votes that have upset some of the black leadership on the commission. For example, Fennoy decided to abstain from the vote to terminate Augusta’s Environmental Services Director Mark Johnson. Earlier this year, Augusta Commissioner Marion Williams had targeted Johnson for termination based on some pay raises he and a handful of other employees in the environmental services department had received. Williams insists that Johnson circumvented the proper channels and the raises weren’t officially approved by City Administrator Janice Allen Jackson. “He got this 15 percent raise since July of last year and we didn’t know anything about it,” Williams told the Metro Spirit. “My point is, he didn’t get nobody’s approval. He just sent in the paperwork. He had this whole thing orchestrated.” However, Johnson insisted the pay increases were properly approved by the Augusta Commission in conjunction with the city’s new building demolition program. But in February, a motion to terminate Johnson failed with a vote of 5-4-1 with commissioners Dennis Williams, Ben Hasan, Sammie Sias, Marion Williams and Bill Lockett voting for the motion. Commissioners Davis, Frantom, Guilfoyle and Smith voted against the motion. Only because Augusta Commissioner Bill Fennoy abstained and refused to vote to terminate Johnson was his job spared. So, next month’s election might be interesting. Do voters want the incumbent, a local businessman or a bee keeper? Only you can decide.
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Fireworks at Thunder Over evans Will honor Vietnam Veterans The VieTnam War was one of the longest wars in American history, resulting in almost 60,000 American soldiers tragically losing their lives overseas. As part of this year’s Thunder Over Evans celebration on Armed Forces Day, Thomson, Ga. pyrotechnician Craig Butler says he plans to honor the Vietnam era and its brave soldiers during this year’s massive fireworks show. “The soundtrack to the show is based on music from the Vietnam era,” Butler said. “We’ll have music from Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steppenwolf, The Beach Boys, James Brown, Jefferson Airplane, the Rolling Stones, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel and I even put a Merle Haggard song in there just because of his recent death.” Not only is Butler showcasing music from 1966 to 1971 during the Thunder Over Evans’ fireworks show at the Evans Towne Center Park on May 21, but he is also making sure that it will be the biggest fireworks show that the Augusta area has ever seen. “People can expect the most fireworks that we’ve ever shot here. It is going to be truly amazing,” Butler said. “Due to the closeness of this show to the audience, we can’t shoot large caliber shells, but we shoot just hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of caliber shells. There are probably more shells shot in this show than in any show in Georgia or South Carolina. Period.” And if people were impressed with last year’s fireworks finale, Butler says folks need to prepare for the thrill of a lifetime at this year’s show. “The finale last year was 6,479 shells in 46 seconds,” Butler said. “The finale this year is going to close to 8,000 shells in a minute.” As the largest privately funded Armed Forces Day celebration in the country, Thunder Over Evans is the brainchild of three local businessmen — Donnie Thompson, Andy Jones and the late Dale Phelon — who wanted to give something back to the men and women who serve our country. It is the perfect opportunity to bring together the public and the military for a fun-filled day of events and a tribute to those who serve. “We are also going to be doing a couple of things that have never been done at any of the other shows at Evans Towne Center Park,” Butler said, chuckling. “I’m not going to give it away, but we are going to add two exciting new features to our program that no one has ever seen before. People are just going to have to come out and see it. And you are going to have to be there onsite to see it. You can’t see this from the nearby Kroger, or you can’t see this from
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the courthouse, or you can’t see it from five blocks away. You have got to be there onsite to see what we are going to perform.” While Butler refused to provide any hints about the surprises, he did say that Vietnam veterans will be particularly moved by what is planned. “I will tell you this, I know all the Vietnam veterans and soldiers will know what a campaign ribbon bar is. That is the bar that goes on their dress uniforms,” Butler said. “Well, we are going to emulate that campaign bar stretching over 200 feet long to salute the soldiers at the opening of the show. We will make that in fireworks and that is going to be awesome. We’ve never done anything like that before, so we encourage all the Vietnam veterans to please come and enjoy the show.” For the finale, Butler said he has also decided to incorporate the Apollo 11 countdown. “That will be the countdown for the finale,” Butler said. “It will be an incredible moment because the Apollo 11 flight, of course, was the mission that resulted in the first man, Neil Armstrong, to walk on the moon in the summer of 1969. It will be the finale of all finales.” In cooperation with Catawba, S.C.-based East Coast Pyrotechnics and 14 other men to help set up and pull off the show, this year’s Thunder Over Evans is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, Butler said. “These fireworks have been carefully designed to present a story,” he said. “We don’t just shoot off fireworks. We create a fireworks show that has been
By Stacey Eidson
carefully choreographed and scripted. It is going to amaze everyone.” Butler, who also performs downtown Augusta’s Fourth of July fireworks show as well as Columbia County’s Fourth of July show, says nothing compares to Thunder Over Evans. “I’ve done the downtown Augusta fireworks 26 years in a row,” Butler said. “But you can take the shows in downtown Augusta and Columbia County, both shows, combine them together, and there will be more shells shot in the last minute of Thunder Over Evans than those two shows combined.” It will be the biggest, most exciting fireworks show of the year in the CSRA, Butler said. “I can tell you right now, I will get very sentimental during this show,” Butler said. “I am not a Vietnam veteran, but I’m from the Vietnam era. I was going to go to Vietnam, but I had a medical issue that kept me from going to Vietnam, thank God. But I will be very sentimental. I will probably even cry. It’s that emotional for me. I’ve got chill bumps on my arm just discussing it. So I hope everyone will come out and enjoy the show.” Thunder OVer eVans Evans Towne Center Park Saturday, May 21 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Free thunderoveraugusta.com 28APRIL2016
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the Race for Marshal heats Up
Long-time Richmond County Marshal Steve Smith faces challenger Lt. Ramone Lamkin in the May 24 election As the cAndidAtes running for marshal of Richmond County walk door to door speaking to hundreds of Augusta residents prior to the May 24 election, both Marshal Steve Smith and his challenger, Lt. Ramone Lamkin of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, say they are constantly surprised by the number of people who don’t understand the duties of the marshal’s office. “When citizens visit the public buildings and fly in and out of Augusta Regional Airport, or if, unfortunately, they are sometimes dealing some civil issues through the courts, then we come in contact with people,” said Richmond County Marshal Steve Smith. “But not everybody really realizes what we do.” Smith, who has served as marshal in Richmond County for 28 years, said he has worked to educate the public about the role of the marshal’s office over the past decade. “Over the last 10 years, we have really tried to improve the public’s perception of us through education, civic clubs, neighborhood associations and articles in the newspaper to kind of inform the public what we do,” Smith said. “But we still never seem to get across that threshold of people really understanding the role that we play in law enforcement.” The marshal office’s primary responsibilities are providing court security and court services for the Civil and Magistrate Court; investigating complaints of illegal dumping, littering, inoperative or junk vehicles and the unauthorized use of a private receptacle; providing 24-hour, on-site law enforcement services to the airport; serving various lawsuits, citations, garnishments, subpoenas and carrying out court-ordered evictions, as well as bench warrants processed by the Civil and Magistrate Court; and providing buildings security for local government offices. “When I first came to this office 28 years ago, and still today, our number one legislatively required duty is to serve Civil and Magistrate Court,” Smith said. “That’s what the law says that we have got to do. The other duties that we have been asked to do 16 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
are duties such as litter enforcement and building security. And every time the Augusta Commission has asked us to take these responsibilities on, we’ve done it and done it very well.” But, for Smith’s challenger, Ramone Lamkin, who is the head of the traffic division for the sheriff’s office, he believes if citizens don’t understand the role of your office, something is not right with that picture. “During my campaigning, a lot of people don’t know what the marshal’s office even does and they don’t know who the marshal is. That’s sad to say, but it is true,” Lamkin said. “People know who the coroner is, but they don’t know who the marshal is.” Lamkin says he doesn’t understand how Smith, who has been marshal for almost three decades, is still unknown in Richmond County. “Being an elected official for 28 years and if people don’t know who you are, that’s his leadership style,” said Lamkin, who has been in law enforcement for 20 years. “I’m not talking bad about him. That’s just how he wants to lead the agency, but that’s not how I want to lead the agency.” Lamkin, who served with the Georgia State Patrol for 10 years prior to being named the head of traffic division by Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree in 2013, said he wants to reach out to the community as marshal. “I believe if you are a public servant, you need to be visible,” Lamkin said. “I think you need to be accessible. People need to be able to call you. People need to be able to talk to you and people need to be able to bring problems to you.” In his role as head of the traffic division, Lamkin said it has always been important for the public to be able to contact him. “A lot of people in the neighborhoods have my cell phone number,” Lamkin said. “They can call me and talk to me about whatever issues they are having. There are so many people that when I tell them I’m running, they say, ‘We want you to win, but we are going to hate losing you at the sheriff’s office,’ because they know that they can call me and we will get their problems
By Stacey Eidson
“A lot of people don’t know what the marshal’s office even does and they don’t know who the marshal is. That’s sad to say, but it is true. People know who the coroner is, but they don’t know who the marshal is.” — Ramone Lamkin 28APRIL2016
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“When it comes to helping people, it doesn’t make any difference if it is a rich guy from Walton Way or a poor person from Hyde Park. We try to help everybody and be fair to everybody and treat everybody the same.” — Steve Smith taken care of. But, as marshal, people will have direct access to me.” However, Smith insists that his office works extremely hard in all of its duties and he takes great pride in the role he plays throughout the community. “I love my job. I love being able to help people,” said Smith, who has served in local law enforcement for almost four decades. “That is probably the most rewarding part of the job is being able to help people when they are facing eviction, when they have hardship cases, when someone in the neighborhood is trying their best to keep their property value up by taking care of their property and they have a neighbor who is not doing their part. We are able to go out and help them.” Smith said his office is dedicated to hearing people’s concerns and treating the community with the utmost respect and professionalism. “When it comes to helping people, it doesn’t make any difference if it is a rich guy from Walton Way or a poor person from Hyde Park,” Smith said. “We try to help everybody and be fair to everybody and treat everybody the same.” Unfortunately, there are some limitations to what the marshal’s office can achieve because of the tight budgetary constraints in the county, Smith said. “For example, the enforcement division was first created, not as a litter division, but it was created for the purpose of catching trucks with rocks blowing off and knocking people’s 28APRIL2016
windshield out,” Smith said. “But we kind of changed the responsibilities somewhat in that we’ve tried to make it more of a neighborhoodtype agency that works with code enforcement to try to enforce codes in our neighborhood to try to clean them up.” The heavy workload of the enforcement division is endless, Smith said. “Primarily for us, it is the junk cars and illegal dumping. But the problem that we’ve got with that division is we’ve got five cars to cover the entire county, seven days a week,” Smith said. “So we don’t have a lot of time for patrol-type activity. What we do is we spend our time responding to complaints from citizens. And then of course, when we issue citations during the year for violators, that requires officers to spend time in court. So, we can’t be as aggressive as we like just because we have a lack of personnel there.” But Lamkin believes there are ways of getting around such financial constraints such as creating a reserves program with officer who need certification to work within the communities, he said. “That will solve some of those manpower issues, help clean up the neighborhoods and it won’t cost the county a dime,” he said. “Let’s start talking to those people and let’s start getting those areas cleaned up for the people who live there. Because, if your community starts looking good, you start feeling good about yourself
and you won’t let bad elements come in your neighborhood. We need to provide that leadership in the marshal’s office.” When it comes to his staff, Smith says he works hard to maintain the professionalism in his office and make sure that everyone is properly trained to work with the public. “For example, in the security division, we have been able to utilize part-time people in lieu of full-time people to save money. However, we want people who are trained. So, we are able to get retired military, retired firefighters and retired policemen and bring that experience into the department and pay them an hourly wage instead of paying a salary,” Smith said. “So we have taken advantage of that experience and used it to our benefit without paying full price for it, so we can save the taxpayers money.” However, Lamkin said he has heard rumors of the manner in which some employees within the marshal’s office are promoted. “One thing I want to do is change the culture over there,” Lamkin said. “I’ve had worked for some agencies that it is who you know to get promoted and some other agencies where it’s what you know and how well you do your job. I’ve heard complaints of people being promoted in the marshal’s office just because of who they know or what they can offer. But it should be based on your merits and how well you do your job and how well you know your job. It shouldn’t be who you know.” But Smith insists that his office has always been managed in a
completely professional manner and his employees, without a doubt, have earned their spots. Smith believes it is easy for someone outside the office to call for a change in leadership during a political campaign to attract voters, but he assures the citizens of Richmond County that he runs his department by the book. “Most of the time when there is an outcry saying, ‘It’s time for a change,’ or ‘There is a need for new leadership,’ you are dealing with policy positions, such as legislators or representatives or commissioners. But we operate by the law,” Smith said of the marshal’s office. “Those other folks make the policies and make the law and we have to follow the law. So, as marshal, you want somebody who is able to interpret the law, understand the law, and decide what to do, which doesn’t necessarily lead to having a change in leadership.” Smith says he has an outstanding record serving Richmond County over the past 28 years. “When people start talking about Congress or the commission, it is a policy-making position and they are governed a lot by opinion,” Smith said. “I don’t get to run my department based on opinion.” Instead, Smith encourages the citizens of Richmond County to look at the facts. “I think the primary factor to keep in mind in this position is experience,” Smith said. “When you start dealing with civil process and you start dealing with the issues at Augusta Regional Airport associated with federal law
“I’ve heard complaints of people being promoted in the marshal’s office just because of who they know or what they can offer. But it should be based on your merits and how well you do your job and how well you know your job.” — Ramone Lamkin AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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“This position has been a big part of my life. Next to my faith and my family, it has been 28 years of my life and I love my job.” — Steve Smith and an interaction with TSA and FAA, this is not knowledge known by the average officer. We are a specialized agency. We are not the sheriff’s office. We help the sheriff’s office on occasion when they need help, and they help us on occasion, but we are two totally separate and different agencies that operate independently.” According to Lamkin, the role of the sheriff’s office and the marshal’s office aren’t that different at all. “There is no difference between the marshal’s office and the sheriff’s office,” Lamkin said. “We all take an oath to uphold the law and the Constitution in Georgia and we all have to do that. I’m definitely ready for the job.” But, if elected, Lamkin said Richmond County citizens will see an entirely new marshal’s office. “Sometimes you will see citizens passing a marshal’s car on the street and they don’t slow down. They are flying past the marshal’s car,” Lamkin said. “People don’t respect them as a law enforcement officer and they are law enforcement officers. Every agency in Richmond County needs to have the same level of respect so we can get these officers back to being proactive in the neighborhoods.” And while Lamkin says that the marshal’s office has a different role in civil process than the sheriff’s office, he says the sheriff’s office actually deals with more court procedures on a regular basis. “The marshal’s office serves papers, that’s true enough, but that is a law enforcement job,” Lamkin said. “I think the marshal’s office is at an even higher risk than some of the sheriff’s deputies because they are doing dispossession. They are going to somebody’s house at their lowest moment and you don’t know what will happen. We need the person to be trained to handle the situation and have compassion for the people who are out there. So there has to be a fine balance.” Smith insists his officers are well trained and ready to handle any situation. In fact, earlier this year, Smith was appointed to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.) by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the 20-member council. P.O.S.T. is responsible for providing the citizens of Georgia with “qualified, professionally trained, ethical and competent peace officers and criminal justice professionals,” according to its website. “It really is the police of the police and, for 20 years, Augusta has not had a voice on P.O.S.T Council until now,” Smith said. “I was appointed by Gov. Deal in January and now Augusta has a seat at the table. We are able to have input and let our needs and our concerns be known. I’m able to speak our case for Augusta because the issues that we deal with here are very different than what officers deal with in Atlanta.” Along with training, Smith has been concentrating on enhancing the security in government buildings throughout the county by using modern technology. The marshal’s office has developed a central monitoring system to eventually bring the remote surveillance of all city assets under one roof. “It has been an idea that I’ve had for several years,” Smith said, as he walked to a work station in the marshal’s office on the seventh floor of the Municipal Building. “I think by using technology, we could do so much more than what 18 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
we’ve been doing.” Jeff Barrett, an administrator for the marshal’s office, was at the work station, which is a smaller version of the consolidated surveillance systems located at the marshal’s substation on Deans Bridge Road. “At the substation at Deans Bridge, they have four big monitors and four or five small monitors that they can interact with that monitor the activity of people coming and going from our government buildings,” Barrett said. “For instance, here in the Municipal Building, whenever somebody opens a door, their picture pops up. And some of these doors we have associated with cameras. Like, if it is an exterior door that we want to know more about and we want to know everybody who goes in and out of certain doors, we can track people by their ID cards, by the activity of the doors and by cameras.” The system also monitors alarms throughout the government facilities
and can quickly pinpoint exactly where in a building the alarm has sounded, Barrett said. The cameras throughout the building also produce high-resolution photos, Barrett said. “So, we can easily identify someone’s face,” Smith said. “The check stations have audio as well, so if there is some type of verbal confrontation between our people and somebody else, and they say, ‘Your officer said this or that to me,’ we can check the audio.” Smith says he is eager to continue to expand the monitoring system to all of the county’s parks and community centers. “Let’s just say, if somebody decides to break into May Park and the alarm goes off in our central control station,” Smith said. “We could zoom those cameras in and we’ll see perpetrator in the office of May Park. We can then pick up the phone, call the sheriff’s office dispatch and say, ‘Hey, you have an alarm going off in May Park. You’ve 28APRIL2016
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“Major Scott Peebles has put out a letter to everybody endorsing me and so has Lt. Lewis Blanchard.” — Ramone Lamkin got a perpetrator in the building.’ We can send the floor plan of May Park to the responding car, by his MDT (Mobile Data Terminal), and say, ‘The perpetrator is in the office.’ So the officer knows exactly where to go.” While that technology is still a few years down the line, Smith says he wants to take the county’s security to the next level. But Lamkin believes it is time for the marshal’s office to become more modernized under new leadership. “An agency takes on the characteristics of its leader,” Lamkin said. “So if a leader is kind of relaxed and doesn’t interact with the public, the other people will end up doing the same thing. But if you have a leader going out and being proactive, that is going to make everyone do what they’re supposed to do.” Lamkin thinks his enthusiasm will quickly rub off on the other officers. “That’s what we do in the traffic division,” Lamkin said. “I’m out there 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. with my guys. Do I have to be out there? No. I’m on salary. I’m not getting paid any more money for being out there, but it is something I want to do. It’s something that I feel that I have to do because I’m not asking the guys to do anything I wouldn’t go out there and do.”
20 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
And Lamkin is getting a great deal of political support from his colleagues in the sheriff’s office during this campaign. “Major Scott Peebles has put out a letter to everybody endorsing me and so has Lt. Lewis Blanchard,” Lamkin said, adding that he was also recently endorsed by the Augusta Firefighters Association and the CSRA chapter of the Police Benevolent Association of Georgia. “These are all people in key positions in the sheriff’s office and they see my leadership skills everyday.” Lamkin says he is proud of the role he’s played in major community initiatives such as Operation Rolling Thunder and the HEAT Program. “Rolling Thunder was very positive because it saved lives,” Lamkin said, adding that Richmond County had the second highest fatality rate per capita in Georgia in 2012 until he took over the traffic division. “Our fatalities went way down because we targeted areas where we had a problem and we wanted to make sure we got the drunk drivers off the roads. Now, we are not doing Rolling Thunder, but our numbers are still down because it made people wake up and think and say, ‘Hey, let me just get an Uber. Let me call a cab.’ So it was a very positive
program.” Overall, Lamkin says he is determined to continue to be a leader in the community he loves so dearly. “A lot of people don’t know my full story. They know that I came to Augusta as a child, but they don’t know that my mother was 16 and she had three kids: me and my twin brother and an older brother,” Lamkin said. “She gave me and my twin brother up for adoption. I never met my father. I came down here and was raised by my great aunt, who was a single mother and didn’t have much at all. But we didn’t let that determine our outcome. Today, my brother is a high school principal and I’m in law enforcement.” Lamkin says he is proud of all that he has accomplished in his life and he hopes voters will support him as marshal.
“To be able to tell kids in this community that they can do anything they want to do, that is definitely a very happy moment for me,” Lamkin said, smiling. “I’m not a politician. I will tell you things straight and I’ll be honest with you because this community is my life. I have 20 years in law enforcement and it doesn’t feel like I go to work. I love going to work every day. When I come to a point where I’m not being effective and I feel like it’s just a job, it is time for me to do something different.” But, after almost three decades as marshal, Smith insists he still loves every minute of his job and he intends to keep it. “This position has been a big part of my life,” Smith said. “Next to my faith and my family, it has been 28 years of my life and I love my job.”
“When you start dealing with civil process and you start dealing with the issues at Augusta Regional Airport associated with federal law and an interaction with TSA and FAA, this is not knowledge known by the average officer. We are a specialized agency. We are not the sheriff’s office.” — Steve Smith
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‘When I Come Home’ Sharon Jones’ body and soul are never far away from her North Augusta home. Especially when it comes time to celebrate James Brown’s birthday. On May 3, Augusta will celebrate the Godfather of Soul’s birthday with a party at the Augusta Common the likes of which the city won’t soon forget. Now free, thanks to the generosity of title sponsor Copenhaver Consulting, and with proceeds benefiting the James Brown Academy of Musik Pupils, the bash will reunite 13 members of the James Brown Band and feature some very special guests. One of those guests is none other than local favorite Sharon Jones, who has often been called the female James Brown. From her home in North Augusta, Ms. Jones recently talked to the Metro Spirit about how she’s preparing to celebrate the Godfather’s birthday, and then her own the next day, as well as topics ranging from Prince to what home means to her. 22 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
by Amy Christian
Metro SpIrIt:Weren’t you in New Orleans recently? Sharon Jones: Thursday and Friday, actually. Got in Thursday and did the show Friday [at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival]. MS: Didn’t Friday pretty much turn into a Price tribute? SJ: Everyone! You know what? I think I was the only one that didn’t go, “Purple Rain, Purple Rain” [starts singing]. I said, you know what? I’m not going to do any of those songs. I’m just going to do what Prince told me he loved about my songs. And he loved that song “When I Come Home.” He said, “That is one of the funkiest songs that I’ve heard in 25 years.” He said every time he heard it he wanted to play his guitar, so that’s why he came out there that night when we were in Paris [in 2011]. Oh man.
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MS: Did you know he had come out on stage? SJ: No. I was getting on the Soul Train and dancing. I keep my dances but you have to find what songs to dance to, change it up a little bit, so I had switched songs and I had switched it to “When I Come Home.” So I said, “I’m gonna get on this train and go home, go on down to Augusta, Georgia,” and I said, “While I was down there, these are dances that we did in 1965.” So I pull up these dances and I’m doing the jerk and I don’t know what dance I’m in, but the crowd goes “Whaaaa!!!!” and in my mind I was like, “They like the dancing” and I turned around and there was Prince. And the reason he stopped playing so soon was he dropped his pick. That’s what happened. He dropped his pick and he started clapping his hands and backed away. He didn’t want me to stop singing. We didn’t have to tell him what to play. He was just jamming. When we played for him in Madison Square Garden, my manager said, “So Prince wants you to play. What should we ask him for?” And we were like, “I don’t know what to ask for.” We asked him, and he paid us $5,000 more than what we asked for. So the lesson that I learned, don’t go below your worth. All they can do is tell you no or yes, so don’t be afraid. You gotta talk up, you gotta make it, so that was a lesson well learned. Prince taught me that. And not only me, but my management, everybody learned it from that. MS: Do you think that the James Brown birthday bash will turn into a Prince tribute at some point? SJ: I’ll see what the JB’s and the rest of them want to do. It’s an honor just to be there, so I’m just there to fill in. I’ll do whatever. And then I’m celebrating my birthday the next day, May 4. How ironic is that? 28APRIL2016
MS: Didn’t your mom know James Brown? SJ: When she was a little girl she said, “I knew him. We used to see him out there cleaning shoes and dancing for money, you know.” So yeah, to hear that coming from her was pretty cool. I wish I could find this picture of her with The Temptations at this club. And she met Otis Redding. Her and my aunt. Otis Redding was down at some little club in Georgia. MS: You moved away from North Augusta at a young age, didn’t you? SJ: Oh yeah. My mother took me to New York at the age of 3. you see, my mom had left my dad when I was one, when I was a little baby, because they used to fight all the time. And I’m glad she left, because one of them would have killed each other. My father still died. He was 38; I was 12 years old when he passed. And my mother, when she was 23, she had me so she had six kids at the age of 23. But it’s a fact that they used to fight and my mom had this scar on her shoulder and I said, “Mom where’d you get that scar?” and she said, “Your daddy knocked me out the car and I was pregnant with (I forgot who she said she was pregnant with).” He left her out in the ditch and someone came up behind them and said, “Why you did that lady like that?” and picked her up and took her home. That’s why she said after I was born she left. She came to New York and lived in Queens and worked for this Jewish family, stayed in their house and did inside cleaning, you know how they did back in the ‘50s, and that’s what she did until she couldn’t do that anymore because of her back, and then she worked in a toy factory and then she sent for us. She fought our father to get all of us in New York. He didn’t want her to bring all of us up at one time, so she brought the girls up first and then she brought my brothers. In my new album, we’ve got a song coming out and I talk a little bit about my life. The lyrics are, “I left North Augusta at the age of 3; my mother, three brothers, two sisters and me.” AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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going to stay away from you. I don’t like that eye for an eye, you call me a name so I’m gonna call you a name. I’m not going to call you a name back. I’m going to try my best not to, put it like that. I’m going to try my best to pray for you and keep on going and get away from you, get away from anything negative. MS: What do you do when you’re home? SJ: I’ll still go over there to the clubs and meet and see some of the guys. But you know, sometimes when I go out they want me to sing and I don’t want to sing. You just don’t ask someone to sing. And then you’re in a spot because if you don’t go up they say, “Oh, she thinks she too good now?” And that’s why I’m sneaky and I don’t tell them I’m coming. Maybe if you print this they’ll stop calling me up and just let me be there. If I want to sing I will get up there and sing. I will come up and say, “Can I sing?” Just don’t call me. Let me come up and sing. They don’t know. That’s why I sometimes humble myself and go on up there and do it rather than be a snob and, you know, hurt some feelings. But I’ve learned to go up to the mic and say, “Hey baby, I’m just glad to be here.” You know what I’m saying? I even go to churches and they’re like, “Sister Sharon, come on up.” I just want to go to church and sit back there and listen to the word and listen to the other choirs and everybody else singing.
MS: But you came back to the area? Why? SJ: You know, it’s because it’s my home, even though I went to New York. And let me tell you, there was I time when you wouldn’t have heard those words come out of my mouth. I used to say, “I will never go down to the south. It’s too slow down there.” I was just remembering how it use to be back in the day, but it’s not like that, you know what I’m saying? There are things you gotta let go and people seem to forget that sometime. Then my dad passed away and then my grandmother passed away, so I felt like I had nothing to come back down here for. And then my sister in New York came down here, she got married and came down here, and so then my brother, he’s down here with them, my other brother, so the only ones left in New York were my oldest brother and my oldest sister and my younger brother and myself. And my youngest brother stayed with my mom, moved in the house to help take care of my oldest brother and my mother in the projects in New York. I was trying to get my career together when my brother died in 2006, and so my next goal was to get my mother out of those projects. Thank God for Michael Buble’s “Crazy Love” album. I did “Saturday Night Live” with him, the duet we did on that album, “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes).” That was the down payment on my house. So when I finally got a chance to come down here and visit my sister I said, “You know? I think I want me a house down south.” so I told my manager, “Go online and look up some homes in North Augusta” and he said, “Alright.” He found some homes but all the areas he was looking I was like, “But that’s not near the area where I used to live.” Finally, I was just standing there showing my mother and my mother’s friend the old pond we used to fish at where all these raggedy houses were up the hill. Now all these beautiful homes are there and I was like, “Wow!” And all of a sudden it started pouring down rain and we came up the hill and there was this house right on the corner, this brick house with a for sale sign, and we pulled up in front of this car canopy thing to get the rain off of us, and we took that card, and I called that number and the guy said, “Well, I’ll send somebody out the next day.” They came and showed me the house and my manager said, “Go see the other houses.” I was like, “No.” And he said, “Don’t let them think that you really want that house.” And I said, “But I really do want this house.” He said, “You gotta go see them other houses,” but I said, “Nope, I’m not going to see the other houses.” It’s just so nice and I’m just down the block from where I was raised at when I was a kid. But it sure is different, there’s such a big difference around here. The Sno-Cap is still on the corner, but it’s such a big difference. I look back at that Sno-Cap and I remember when I couldn’t go in the front door. We had to go around to the back door, the service door. It’s just amazing. But, you know, some people will never change. You got your diehard racists and they’ll be racists till they’re dead. I’m the type of person that I respect that you treat me bad. I’m not going to go out of my way to treat you bad, but I’m 24 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
MS: What’s the James Brown Family Birthday Bash going to be like? SJ: Oh my God, I don’t even know. This evening I’m going to meet the JAMP [James Brown Academy of Musik Pupils] kids because they’re going to be doing a song of mine, so I’m going to go see how they’re doing. Maybe I’ll get up there and sing it with them. It’s gonna be fun. MS: Ever want to live anywhere else? SJ: I’m glad to be home. The only thing is I gotta get more fishing in. But that’s about it. This is home. This is where I’m gonna be till the end. James Brown Family Birthday Bash Augusta Common Tuesday, May 3 Gates, 5 p.m.; music, 6 p.m. General admission: free VIP: $65, advance; $75, day of show jbfamilybash.com
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Start Here. Go Anywhere. Free Application that Day Learn How to Enroll Without Military Obligation Dual Enrollment Information Sessions Free Financial Aid Workshops Free Food and Activities for the Kids Door Prizes and Giveaways
Spring Fling Open House April 30th from 10 am—1 pm
115 Davis Rd Martinez, GA (706) 993-1123 Admissions Questions? Email musry@gmc.edu Or visit www.gmc.edu Start Here. Go Anywhere.
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Take me to the River
Close on the heels of the James Brown Family Birthday Bash, Friends with Benefits prepares for the Riverwalk Revival What’s the difference between a violinist and a fiddle player? “Well, the funny answer is a violinist has all of their teeth,” says Ryan Young. Young can say that without taking offense because he’s both. He began classical violin training through the fourth grade orchestra, but morphed into a fiddle player when a band in Minnesota needed one and Young was the only person they knew who played the violin. “I had never really played fiddle music before but I was willing to give it a shot, I guess,” he laughed. “So I just kind of taught myself how to play that style of music. Basically, what it came down to was I taught myself how to improvise and do fiddle solos.” That was, of course, before Young joined Trampled by Turtles in 2006. Young and the other four members of TBT are headlining Friends with Benefits’ Riverwalk Revival on Mothers Day, May 8, and it’s one of the very first shows the band will play after a sevenmonth hiatus. “You know, the band’s been around since 2003 and has never, ever taken a break except for right now, so we’re just getting done with that,” he explained. “Actually, we’re getting together to practice tomorrow and it’ll be the first time we’ve been together in seven months. We’ve got a practice tomorrow and then another one the next day and then our tour starts the day after that.” Two practices before a first show after a seven-month break might make some bands nervous, but Young says Trampled by Turtles has been together long enough that everything should fall back into place pretty quickly. “The only thing that I’m maybe worried about is the physical act of playing a two-hour show,” he admitted. “I have to grip a bow for two hours and play really, really fast, so all these little muscles get an extreme workout. And when I do a show every single day for many, many years those muscles will still get tired. So now, after having a seven-month break those muscles have to be as if we had not taken that break. But it’ll come right back.” The type of music TBT plays is pretty physically demanding, he added. “We don’t play all very fast tunes, but quite a lot of them are super high energy, fast, loud songs,” Young explained. “Then we throw in some medium tempo ones and low tempo ones during sets to make it a nice, flowing, non-monotonous set. It’s loud and fast sometimes and low and pretty sometimes.” Some Augustans are well familiar with Trampled by Turtles, since they’ve headlined the Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que twice in recent years. Those people can tell newbies that while the band looks like a traditional bluegrass band, they don’t quite sound like one. “It more looks like a bluegrass show than it does maybe sound like one because we play bluegrass instruments. We have a banjo player and a mandolin player and a fiddle player and a guitar player and a bass. So just by looking at it you might think we’re a bluegrass band,” he said. “But then the music that comes out is a little more, it’s a little more… I don’t know how to say it. It’s kind of like what would happen if a rock band was playing its songs with bluegrass instruments.” 26 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
by Amy Christian
Describing their music is a issue that Trampled by Turtles shares with the band that is opening for them at the Riverwalk Revival, The Devil Makes Three. Comprised of singer-guitarist Pete Bernhard, upright bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist and banjo player Cooper McBean, this up and coming band from Vermont, who formed in California the year before Trampled by Turtles, also looks like a bluegrass band but doesn’t quite sound like one. “Yeah, we’ve got a ton of different influences and so it is hard to say exactly what it is that we do, but I say that there’s one thing we don’t do too much of and that’s bluegrass,” Bernhard admitted. “We definitely base our stuff way more in old rock and roll and blues music than we do bluegrass. And most any bluegrass band will tell you that. We play the same instruments they do but we’re not a bluegrass band. In fact, Trampled by Turtles is more influenced by bluegrass than us and they don’t sound like bluegrass at all.” Several of their songs, especially “Stranger” from their last full-length release, “I’m a Stranger Here” in 2014, have that Johnny Cash, driving freight train sound. Then there are others whose lineage is more random; with enough tweaking, “Johnson Family” could be a Camper Van Beethoven song and “Goodbye Old Friend” could be included on the “Twin Peaks” soundtrack. Adding even more mystery to the band is the fact that, in more than a decade of existence, they’ve only release six albums. “Compared to other bands, we really take our time on our records,” said Bernhard, who is also the main songwriter for the group. “We don’t put out a record as frequently as other groups do, and I think it just takes us a little longer to come up with material. Some bands can just kind of throw out an album every year and we’ve never really been able to do that.” Bernhard did say that they would announce the release of a new record when they play Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 27. And even though the new record won’t be released before they come to Augusta, Bernhard said the band will be road testing some of their new material, as well as (hopefully) conspiring with Trampled by Turtles on a joint project. “We’re going to be playing a bunch of new material, new songs that you haven’t heard. That’s how we do it. We’re going to be road testing a lot of new stuff,” he said. “Hopefully too, at the end of the show, if we can figure it out by the time that we get to you, we’ll be playing with Trampled by Turtles too, probably just playing some cover songs or something like that.” RiveRwalk Revival w/ TRampled by TuRTles and The devil makes ThRee Jessye Norman Amphitheater Sunday, May 8 6:30 p.m. $25 theriverwalkrevival.com 28APRIL2016
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The power of words
when 38 arTisTs, including Augusta’s Kristen Casaletto, first decided to transform copies of white supremacist books into art in 2003, that was their mission: to show the power of words. Words can be used for evil, as the 4,000 copies of hate group propaganda, acquired by the Montana Human rights Network, prove. Words can also be transformed into something beautiful, as the resulting exhibit, Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate, proves. This exhibit has traveled around the country in the 10 years since it was created, but its upcoming appearance at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art is, surprisingly, its first in the South. Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate, sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League and Georgia Equality, will be on display in the Gertrude Herbert’s Main Gallery from April 29-June 3. speaking Volumes: Transforming haTe Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art Opening Reception: Friday, April 29, from 6-8 p.m. Exhibition: April 29-June 3 706-722-5495 ghia.org 28 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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WHAT’S UP
TOWHEADS
Calendar Music Listings
HALEY RICHARDSON is the 2015 Junior Fiddler of Dooney and the 2013 All Ireland Champion. She’s 13 years old. Her brother Dylan began playing guitar at 6 and, by now, at 18, has added the banjo and Irish bouzouki. The two have been playing Irish music together for more than eight years and released their debut CD, “Heart on a String,” in March of 2015. See these multitalented youngsters from Ireland when they visit Fat Man’s Mill Café Thursday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are, not surprisingly, going fast. AN EVENING OF IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC FEATURING HALEY AND DYLAN RICHARDSON Fat Man’s Mill Café Thursday, May 5 7:30 p.m. $20 706-267-5416 towheads.org
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com.
The idea is simple and ingenious: local artists, celebs and leaders create artwork for the Walton Foundation to auction off at a party to benefit Camp To Be Independent, a camp for those ages 8-21 with acquired brain injuries. The catch? Silent auction bidders don’t know who created the masterpiece they’re interested in until right before the end. Sound like fun? It certainly is and it takes place at 7 p.m. at the Legends Club. Be there for the excitement.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Amy Grant is an anomaly. Probably It is that rare season in Augusta: the most wholesome person in The days are warm but the nights the music business, she exudes are still mild. In other words, it’s the goodness and kindness. Then perfect time to visit the Hill’s Indian there’s the fact that she’s one of Queen and it’s newly expanded patio. Grab a beer or try one of their only a select few to take a career in contemporary Christian music seasonal drinks made with only the and have crossover success, freshest ingredients – our fave is the winning Grammy Awards, Dove seasonal lemonade with muddled Awards and more in her decadesberries, vodka, lemon juice and long career. See her at the USCA simple syrup – and head outside Convocation Center tonight. to enjoy what surely won’t last for much longer.
WEDNESDAY A short trip to Aiken’s Plum Pudding at 6 p.m. will net you knowledge of southern cooking like never before. Based on “Garden & Gun: The Southerner’s Cookbook,” this small, chef’s table-style class is one in which participants are encouraged to ask questions and will enjoy a full meal from the recipes provided. On the menu are dishes like Devilish Eggs and Bourbon Balls with Chocolate Bourbon Ice Cream, so you don’t want to miss this one.
For more information on these events, see our calendar of events on page 30. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Cade Dement vs. Laneisha Vinson Jamil Shrine Auditorium, Columbia, S.C. Saturday, April 30 Doors, 6 p.m.; fights, 7 p.m. Fresh off her victory over the east coast champion three weeks ago in Myrtle Beach, local fighter Cade Dement takes on another opponent in Conflict MMA Productions’ Conflict 37 843-603-1115
ARTS Thu Apr 28
7pm Undercover Artists Show The Legends Club Proceeds from this show of “undercover” art by local artists, celebrities and community leaders, whose names will be hidden until the end of the silent auction, will help send more than 50 people, ages 8-21, to Camp To Be Independent, a camp for those with acquired brain injuries. $50. Call 706-826-5809 or email haleyh@waltonfoundation.net.
Fri Apr 29
Noon This Forest in the Sea: Philip Juras’ Portrait of Little St. Simons Island and the American Sublime Morris Museum of Art Part of the Art at Lunch series led by UGA art history professor Dr. Janice Simon. $10, members; $15, non-members. Catered lunch included. Pre-registration required. Call 706724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
Sat Apr 30
10am - 1pm Alcohol Ink Workshop Aiken Center for the Arts A workshop led by Nanette Langner in which participants will paint with alcohol inks on either tiles or paper. All supplies provided. 30 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
$50; pre-registration required. Call 803-6419094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
corporate table of 8 for luncheon. Visit columbiacountychamber.com.
10am - 4pm Handmade Papermaking
Mon May 2
Morris Museum of Art An artist workshop led by Ashley Schick. All materials included. $30, members; $45, nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-3867 or visit themorris.org.
Thu May 5
8:45am Meditation in the Galleries Morris Museum of Art Participants will learn meditation from Kevin Sharpe while viewing the exhibition Paintings by Victoria Lowe. Free, but preregistration required. Call 706-828-3867 or visit themorris.org.
EDUCATION Thu Apr 28
8:30am - 1:30pm Successful Superwoman’s Luncheon DoubleTree Hotel An event presented by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and American Family Insurance that includes five speakers, several breakout sessions, a vendor expo, networking opportunities and more. $55, all day; $35, half-day (second breakout session and luncheon); $280,
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 May 4
3pm Beginner Spanish Aiken Public Library A class for adults. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Ongoing
James Brown Family Historical Tour Augusta Museum of History Available each Saturday at 11 a.m. and lasting approximately two hours, this bus tour includes Brown’s elementary school, his childhood home, his statue and more. $15 fee, includes admission to the museum, which houses the largest collection of James Brown memorabilia. Reservations 24 hours in advance required. Call 803-6402090 or visit jamesbrownfamilyfdn.org.
Guided Tours 1797 Ezekiel Harris House
Offered by appointment only MondayFriday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Last tours of the day begin at 4 p.m. Adults, $2; children, $1. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
North Augusta Driving Tour Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta Offered by appointment and includes a 30-45-minute guided tour and admission to the center. Self-guided tours are also available through an iPhone downloadable audio tour or a Google Maps-based tour. Guided tours: $5, adults; $3, students K-12. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.
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. 28APRIL2016
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Call 706-724-4067 or visit visitaugusta.org.
EXHIBITIONS Fri Apr 29
5pm - 8pm Constructed Realism: Works by Paul Vincent Opening Reception Westobou Gallery The artist, who creates large-scale watercolors and fabric collages, his family and exhibit curator Edward Rice will be on hand for the opening of the exhibit, which will be on display until June 17. Call 706-755-2878 or visit westoboufestival.com/about/the-gallery/.
6pm - 8pm Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate Exhibition Opening Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art This traveling show will show for the first time in the southeast when it opens at the Gertrude Herbert on April 29. The exhibit, in which 38 artists have taken white supremacists books and made them into works of art, will show until June 3. The opening reception is free for members and $5 for non-members. Call 706722-5495 or visit ghia.org.
Thu May 5
6pm Paintings by Victoria Lowe Exhibition Opening Morris Museum of Art The artist will discuss her contemporary paintings at this event. The exhibition will show until July 24. Free, members; $5, non-members. Call 706-828-3867 or visit themorris.org.
FLIX Sat Apr 30
7pm “A Bug’s Life” Aiken State Park Part of the Movie Night at the Park series. Snacks and drinks available for purchase. Call 803-649-2857 or email aiken@scprt.com.
Augusta University Medical Center A four-week class that meets Wednesdays through May 25. Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-2273 or visit augustahealth.org.
Thu May 5
5:30pm - 8pm Cribs for Kids Safe Kids Office This class will teach caregivers how to provide a safe sleep environment by showing what dangers to watch out for. Families who demonstrate a financial need will receive a portable crib, fitted sheet, sleep sac and a pacifier for a fee of $10 per registered child. Call 706-721-7606 or visit grhealth.org/safekids.
7pm Center for Women Tour Doctors Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
HOBBIES Thu Apr 28
1pm - 3pm Coloring for Grownups Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
6:30pm - 9:30pm Augusta Archaeological Society Meeting Big Daddy’s Bar & Grill Dr. Keith Stephenson, director of the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program, will talk about the Woodland Period in Georgia. Dinner, 6:30 p.m.; program, 8 p.m. Call 706-829-1615.
Sat Apr 30
2pm - 4pm Archaeology Day
Le Chat Noir A free movie screening with free popcorn. Cash bar available. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
Augusta Museum of History An Augusta Archaeological Society event that will include archaeologists on hand to identify and classify prehistoric and historic artifacts and collections, artifacts from local sites on display, including those from the Ezekiel Harris House, tours of the Ezekiel Harris House, demonstrations and more. Free. Call 706-7228454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
HEALTH
Wed May 4
7:30pm Cheap Date Free Movie Series
Thu Apr 28
Noon Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters
University Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Fat Man’s Mill Cafe Those interested are invited to learn speech and leadership skills in a fun and supportive atmosphere. Call 706-627-2134.
Tue May 3
6pm - 8pm “Garden & Gun” The Southerner’s Cookbook Cooking Class
7pm - 8:30pm Infant CPR
6pm Weight Loss Surgery and You University Hospital Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-8931 or visit universityhealth.org.
Wed May 4
6:30pm - 9pm Childbirth Education 28APRIL2016
Plum Pudding, Aiken A small, chef’s table-style class in which participants are encouraged to ask questions and will enjoy a full meal from the recipes provided. $65; pre-registration required. Call 888940-7586 or visit plumpuddingkitchen.com.
KIDS-TEENS Thu Apr 28
7pm Teen Poetry Open Mic Night North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Fri Apr 29
9:30am Kroc Tots Kroc Center A weekly event for those ages 18 months-5 years and their parents that includes stories, projects and playtime. $1, members; $2, nonmembers. Call 706-922-1533 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
10am - noon Play & Grow Activity Aiken Public Library For those ages 0-5. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
11am STEM Class: Mathematical Ways of Thinking Columbia County Library A science, technology, engineering and math program for children in grades 3-5. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
4pm Lego Club North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library For those in grades K-5. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Sat Apr 30
10am Snakes and Frogs and Turtles, Oh My! Reed Creek Park An outreach educator with the Savannah River Ecology Lab will talk about the wildlife living in the area, as well as bring some animals, in this family program. Free, but preregistration required. Call 706-210-4027 or email kbyne@columbiacountyga.gov.
11am Night at the Stadium Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
Sun May 1
2pm - 4pm Pots and Paper Morris Museum of Art Part of the Artrageous! Family Sunday series, this event features the staff of the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, who will help participants create handmade paper, and students with AU’s Mad Potters organization. Free. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
Tue May 3
10:30am Toddler Tuesday Kroc Center Parents are invited to bring their toddlers for 30 minutes of playtime and a story, followed by an hour in the pool splash pad area. Parent must remain with their child throughout the program. Free, members; AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Thu May 5
Wed May 4
Morris Museum of Art Part of the Mommy and Me series for children and parents in which participants will view chicken and rooster sculptures and create a chicken hat. Free, members; $4 per participants, non-members. Preregistration required. Call 706-828-3867 or visit themorris.org.
Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
10am Folk Art Celebration
Ongoing
Asthma Day Camps Camp Tanglewood, Columbia County Augusta University is sponsoring this camp, for children ages 6-13 with asthma, July 1116. Activities include asthma management sessions, swimming and hiking. Volunteer lifeguards, physicians and respiratory experts will be on hand to ensure illness or injury does not hinder the fun. However, a parent or guardian must attend a brief orientation and education session. Free, but pre-registration required. For more information, contact Kitty Hernlen: 706-7213554 or khernlen@augusta.edu.
LITERARY Thu Apr 28
10am - noon Morning Book Club
Spring Fever Augusta Ballet School Friday-Saturday, April 29-30 6.m. Collaborative performances with dancers, choreographers including Peter Powlus, Karen Gordon and Garden City Jazz, artwork, heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer from Sheehan’s Irish Pub and Reed Cakes and more $50 danceaugusta.org $5, nonmembers. Call 706-922-1533 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
4pm Storytime in the Gardens Hopelands Gardens Local senior adults will read to participants and each family in attendance will receive a free book. Blankets, chairs, drinks and snacks are welcome. Call 803-642-7631.
Wed May 4
10am Story Time in the Park Osbon Park, Aiken A free event for children ages 8 and under in which each family receives a book. Call 803-642-7631. 32 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
4:30pm Alley Cats Strikehouse Bowl, Aiken Part of the Aiken Recreation Department’s Buddy Sports program for those with physical and/or intellectual disabilities, this class is for those of all bowling abilities. $12 a month; pre-registration required. Call 803426-1284 or visit therecingcrew.com.
6:30pm Star Wars Day: May the 4th Be With You Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
Maxwell Branch Library Discussion will be on “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Salve Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America” by Gerald Home. Call 706-793-2020 or visit ecgrl.org.
10:30am On the Same Page Book Club Euchee Creek Branch Library Featuring a discussion of “The Walnut Tree” by Charles Todd. Call 706-556-0594 or visit gchrl.org.
Sat Apr 30
11am - 4pm Book Sale Headquarters Branch Library Books will include popular mysteries, humor, history, biography, medical, arts, crafts and hobby. Call 706-863-1946 or visit arcpls.org.
3pm “Hidden History of Augusta” Lecture North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library A book sale and signing with author Tom Mack will follow his lecture. Call 803-6422023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Sun May 1
2pm - 4pm Book Sale Headquarters Branch Library Books will include popular mysteries, humor, history, biography, medical, arts, crafts and hobby. Call 706-863-1946 or visit arcpls.org.
6pm Page Turners Book Club
MUSIC Thu Apr 28
7:30pm Arrival: The Music of ABBA Bell Auditorium Part of Symphony Orchestra Augusta’s Pops! at the Bell series. $10.19-$40.74. Call 706-826-4705 or visit soaugusta.org.
Fri Apr 29
6:30pm Music Cruise Augusta Canal Featuring Wayne Capps performing on the Petersburg Boat. Participants are invited to bring snacks and beverages. $25; $23, seniors, military and students. Preregistration required. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
Sat Apr 30
11am - 2pm Saturday Morning Swing Eighth Street Plaza Live music from local jazz artists and performing arts groups during the Augusta Market. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.
7:30pm Duo Astralis Concert Covenant Presbyterian Church Part of the Covenant Concert Series. Free. Call 706-733-0513 or visit covenantaugusta.org.
Sun May 1
3pm - 5pm Sunday in the Park Pendleton King Park’s Franke Pavilion A live music event designed to bring new families in the park. Proceeds benefit the park. Call 762-233-5299 or visit gardencityjazz.com.
7:30pm Candlelight Jazz Augusta Common Attendees are invited to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and picnics for this live jazz concert. $6. Call 706-821-1754 or visit augustaga.gov.
Mon May 2
7pm Hopelands Summer Concert Series Hopelands Gardens, Aiken Featuring the Aiken Concert Band. Attendees can bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnics and well-behaved pets on leashes, but no alcohol. Free. Call 803-642-7631 or visit facebook.com/experienceaiken. The rain-out hotline is 803-643-4661.
Tue May 3
7pm Aiken Youth Orchestra Concert 28APRIL2016
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0184 or visit beech-islandhistory.org.
10am - 4pm Last Saturday in the Park North Augusta’s Living History Park Featuring living history demonstrations. Call 803-279-7560 or visit colonialtimes.us.
5pm Alumni Weekend Signature Event AU’s Maxwell Theatre Featured speaker will be Archie Manning, and the event will also recognize the university’s presidential alumni award winners. $10, alumni; $15, non-alumni. Call 706-737-1759 or visit augusta.edu/ alumniweekend.
6pm - 9pm Spring Fever Augusta Ballet School An event featuring collaborative performances with dancers, choreographers including Peter Powlus, Karen Gordon and Garden City Jazz, artwork, heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer from Sheehan’s Irish Pub and Reed Cakes and more. $50. Visit danceaugusta.org.
Alumni Weekend Signature Event AU’s Maxwell Theatre Saturday, April 30 5 p.m. Featuring speaker Archie Manning $10, alumni; $15, non-alumni 706-737-1759 augusta.edu/alumniweekend Aiken Center for the Arts Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
Thu May 5
7:30pm An Evening of Traditional Irish Music
This event begins with a back to basics expo. A show featuring Dana Elliott, culinary specialist, will begin at 6:30 p.m. $12-$39. Call 803-642-3305 or visit usca.edu.
5:30pm Parents Night Out
Fat Man’s Mill Cafe Featuring brother-sister duo Haley and Dylan Richardson. $20. Call 706-267-5416.
Columbia County Library An adult event that will include crafts and refreshments. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
7:30pm Trio d’Esprit Concert
Fri Apr 29
Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church Part of the Reid Arts Concert Series. Free. Call 706-733-2275 or visit reidchurchaugusta.org.
SENIORS Wed May 4
2pm - 3:30pm Intermediate Senior Computer Class Kroc Center A three-session class that continues Thursdays, May 11 and 18. For ages 62 and older; pre-registration required. Call 706922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
SPECIAL EVENTS Thu Apr 28
2pm - 8pm Taste of Home Etherredge Center, Aiken 34 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
5pm - 8pm Final Friday Wine Tasting Plum Pudding, Aiken $10. Call 803-644-4600.
5pm - 8pm Wine Not It’s Friday Whole Foods A $5 wine tasting in which participants get five 3-ounce samples of featured wines. Call 762-333-0259 or visit wholefoodsmarket.com.
6pm - 9pm Spring Fever Augusta Ballet School An event featuring collaborative performances with dancers, choreographers including Peter Powlus, Karen Gordon and Garden City Jazz, artwork, heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer from Sheehan’s Irish Pub and Reed Cakes and more. $50. Visit danceaugusta.org.
Sun May 1
3:30pm - 6pm The Shamrock and Peach Tea
6:30pm - 10pm Blues, Brews and BBQ Columbia County Amphitheatre An event that includes barbecue from multiple vendors, craft beer and live music. $5; free, children 12 and under. Call 706-650-5005 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.
7pm Islands of Italy Wine Seminar Wine World Led by Adam Verona, this seminar will focus on 10 wines of Sicily and Sardinia. $20; prepaid reservations required. Call 803-2799522 or visit wineworldsc.com.
Sat Apr 30
Gardens on Patty and Dan Blanton An event that includes a walk through the gardens, a traditional Irish Trio comprised of Caitlyn Cleary, Damien Morrisey and Lillie Morris, who will perform at the Tea House at 4:30 p.m., tea, which will be served at 5 p.m., and Irish Lifestyle expert and cookbook author Judith McLoughlin, who will speak. Reservations required. Call 706-826-4700 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org.
Thu May 5
5pm - 8pm First Thursday Kings Way at Central Avenue This event features discounts in the shops, hors d’oeuvres and more. The featured organization is Le Chat Noir and the artist of the month is Alicia Cully. Call 706-733-1788.
8am - 2pm Augusta Market at the River
SPIRITUAL
8th Street Plaza, Reynolds Street The event features vendors of all kinds, activities, live entertainment and more. Visit theaugustamarket.com.
Thu May 5
9am - 2pm Columbia County Day 4 Kids Patriots Park The event will include a health fair, activities for kids and more. Visit connectcolumbia.org.
10am - 5pm 10th Annual Historic Beech Island Tour Beech Island Historical Society A self-guided tour of historic homes, churches, cemeteries and historic sites. Call 803-827-
7pm Pastor’s Anniversary Revival Greater Young Zion Baptist Church Featuring speaker Rev. James Hogan, pastor of New Zion Baptist Church in Augusta. Call 706-724-7120 or visit greateryoungzion.org.
SPORTS-OUTDOORS Thu Apr 28
7:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Kannapolis Intimidators Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit 28APRIL2016
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greenjacketsbaseball.com.
Fri Apr 29
7:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.
Sat Apr 30 Benderdinker
A kayak event with music and food along the route followed by a festival with games, food and drink, live music and more. $35 to paddle. Visit benderdinker.com.
6:30am Run United Newberry Street, Aiken A race in which the half marathon starts at 7:30 a.m., the 5K at 8 a.m. and the kids fun run at 9 a.m. Proceeds benefit the United Way of Aiken Country. $65, half; $30, 5K; $15, kids fun run. Call 803-649-6245 or visit aikenco-op.org/rununited.
Waterside Yoga Augusta Canal’s Lake Olmstead Trailhead Saturdays 9 a.m. Open to those of all ages and abilities; participants should bring a mat or towel 706-823- 0440, ext. 2 augustacanal.com
8am FireK Augusta Common A 5K and kids fun run that will raise money for firefighters who have cancer and their families. The event also includes bounce houses, displays of firefighting apparatus, a live DJ and more. $15-$75. Visit active.com.
9am The Color Run Old Academy of Richmond County Parade Grounds Visit thecolorrun.com/augusta.
9am Waterside Yoga Augusta Canal’s Lake Olmstead Trailhead A class open to those of all ages and abilities. Participants should bring a mat or towel. Free, but donations to the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area accepted. Call 706-823- 0440, ext. 2, or visit augustacanal. com.
and it was used to build the original quarry. Participants will also get to ride and walk through this 300-foot deep quarry. Free. Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com.
Mon May 2
6:30pm - 9:30pm Roller Derby Recruitment Night
6:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers
Red Wing Rollerway The Soul City Sirens are looking for skaters, referees, non-skating officials and volunteers. Skaters should bring mouthguard and appropriate workout clothes. Visit soulcitysirens.com.
Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.
7:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers
Sun May 1
2:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.
3pm - 4:30pm Trail Talk: Rocking Out at the Quarry 3019 Riverwatch Parkway A member of Martin Marietta-Augusta’s management team will tell participants about the stone at this centuries-old quarry 36 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.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 or visit augustafencersclub.com.
Augusta Sports Leagues This organization offers adult sports leagues
and social events, including kickball, soccer, flag football, softball, basketball, indoor and sand volleyball, cornhole, and more for coed and men’s leagues. For more information, visit augustasportsleagues.com.
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 Augusta Canal Spring Season hours, April-June, include Heritage Boat Tours Mondays-Saturdays at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.; the Civil War Boat Tour is daily at 1:30 p.m.; music cruises are Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in April, and 7 p.m. in May and June; and sunset cruises are the third Saturdays, in April at 5:30 p.m. and in May and June at 6 p.m. Tickets are $13.75 for adults and $11.75 for seniors, military and students for Heritage Boat Tours and Civil War Boat Tours. They are $25 for adults and $23 for seniors, students or military for the music and sunset cruises. 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 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
Zumba Classes Patriots Park Held Sundays at 3:30 p.m. and Monday at 8:30 a.m. in the Bobby Waters Gymnasium. Taught by Alex Stampher. First class is free; $5 for each after that. Call 831-521-6439 or visit alexandrastampher.zumba.com.
SUPPORT Mon May 2
6:30pm Pink Pistols Meeting A group for women in their 20s and 30s dealing with breast cancer. Call for location. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org.
Tue May 3
10:20am Moms Connection Augusta University Medical Center This free weekly support group for new mothers meets in the Terrace Dining Dogwood Room on the second floor. All new moms and their babies are welcome and an international board certified lactation consultant/educator/perinatal nurse will answer questions and offer resources. Call 706-721-8283 or visit augustahealth.org.
5:30pm Weight Loss Support Group 28APRIL2016
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AU Professional Building 1 Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-721-2609 or visit augustahealth.org/ weightloss.
6:30pm CSRA Huntington’s Disease Support Group GRU Movement Disorders Clinic Call 706-721-2798 or 706-231-2775.
Wed May 4
Noon General Cancer Support Group AU Cancer Center Call 706-721-1634 or visit augusta.edu.
1pm The Lactation Club University Hospital A breastfeeding support group for mothers of NICU babies. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Thu May 5
10am Alzheimer’s Association Support Group
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.
Kroc Center Pre-registration required. Call 706-860-5233.
Families Who Have Lost a Baby Support Group
Ongoing
For more information, call 706-721-8299 or visit grhealth.org.
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) GA, 110 Augusta St. Alban’s Episcopal Church fellowship hall The group meets Mondays, with weighin 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.
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 28APRIL2016
THEATER Fri Apr 29
7:30pm “Dearly Departed” Aiken Community Playhouse An Aiken Community Playhouse production. $20; $17, seniors; $12, students and $7, children 12 and under. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
8pm Tales from the Box Le Chat Noir Comedy and improv by Schodinger’s Cat. $10, advance; $12, door. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
Sat Apr 30
7:30pm “Dearly Departed” Aiken Community Playhouse An Aiken Community Playhouse production. $20; $17, seniors; $12, students and $7, children 12 and under. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
Sun May 1
3pm “Dearly Departed Aiken Community Playhouse An Aiken Community Playhouse production. $20; $17, seniors; $12, students and $7, children 12 and under. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
V27|NO17
Wing Place (Aiken) - Trivia
Tuesday, May 3 Live Music
Augusta Common - James Brown Family Birthday Bash w/ Keith Jenkins and the James Brown Band, Sharon Jones, George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Ty Taylor, Jennifer Hartswick, Chris Rob, Gavin Hamilton, Greg Hester Joe’s Underground - Open Mic The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck
What’s Tonight?
Bar West - Trivia The Cotton Patch - Trivia Limelite Cafe - Bottom’s Up Trivia Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Trivia Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Big Prize Trivia w/ Gorman Twisted Burrito - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper
Spring brings concert season to Augusta and Aiken. Friday night music cruises have already started at the Augusta Canal (call 706-823-0440, ext. 4, for reservations), and this Sunday marks the beginning of the Candlelight Jazz Concert Series, which will run weekly until Labor Day weekend. This week, Hopelands Gardens in Aiken also kicks off its concert series on Monday at 7 p.m. Featuring live music from the Aiken Concert Band, this event encourages attendees to bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnics and well-behaved pets on leashes, but no alcohol. Free. Call 803-642-7631 or visit facebook.com/experienceaiken. The rain-out hotline is 803-643-4661. Thursday, April 28 Live Music
Bar on Broad - Daddy Rich Bell Auditorium - Pops! at the Bell w/ The Music of ABBA Stillwater Taproom - The Michael Martin Band Wild Wing - Dave Love
What’s Tonight?
Bar West - Open Mic Night w/ Jonathon Flowers Carolina Ale House - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper (9 p.m.) Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Old School Thursday w/ DJ Groove Coyotes - Male Revue 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 Pizza Joint (Downtown) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper (7 p.m.) Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Poker for Fun Soul Bar - DJ Jeff Edwards That Place - Open Mic Spoken Word, Poetry, Prose and Singer/Songwriters
Friday, April 29 Live Music
Augusta Canal - Music Cruise w/ Wayne Capps The Backyard Tavern - Third Time Charmers Bar West - Live Music Columbia County Amphitheatre - Blues, Brews and BBQ Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - 10-Year Anniversary Party w/
38 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Locash Coyotes - The Joe Olds Band Joe’s Underground- Burnsom Polo Tavern (Aiken) - New Holland Road Shannon’s - Terence Lonon and the Untouchables Somewhere in Augusta - Jason White Stillwater Taproom - Mountain Express Surrey Center - Tre Sound Whole Foods - Music @ the Turn Wild Wing - Cash Money
What’s Tonight?
Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Sky City - Ms. Augusta Pride 2016 Soul Bar - Disco Hell Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke w/ Denny van Valkenburgh
Saturday, April 30 Live Music
Aiken Speakeasy and Eats (Aiken) - Live Jazz Bar on Broad - Daddy Rich Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - Ben Bradford Coyotes - The Joe Olds Band Eighth Street Plaza - Saturday Morning Swing at the Augusta Market on the River The Iron Heights - Treacherous, Solemn Vow, HoMiCyDe, Kill the Host Shannon’s - Perfect Picture Sky City - Roadkill Ghost Choir, Deep State, Thayer Sarrano Somewhere in Augusta - Old Man Crazy Stillwater Taproom - Runaway Jug Band Surrey Center - Tre Sound Tin Lizzy’s - Steely James USCA Convocation Center - Amy Grant Wild Wing - Deleveled The Willcox (Aiken) - Jon Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - DJ Fugi Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Helga’s Pub & Grille - Bluegrass Brunch (11 a.m.3 p.m.); Trivia, nights Joe’s Underground - Ladies Night, Singles Night Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke w/ Denny van Valkenburgh
Sunday, May 1 Live Music
Aiken Speakeasy and Eats (Aiken) - Live Jazz Augusta Common - Candlelight Jazz Concert Series Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Brunch w/ Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia Pendleton King Park - Sunday in the Park w/ Live Music (3 p.m.) Wild Wing - Sabo and Dave The Willcox (Aiken) - Jon Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane
Monday, May 2 Live Music
Hopelands Gardens (Aiken) - Hopelands Summer Concert Series w/ the Aiken Concert Band Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Blues Monday w/ Famous Last Words Soul Bar - NIHIL (Boston Mass)
What’s Tonight?
Joe’s Underground - Poker Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - World Tavern Poker Wild Wing - Trivia
Wednesday, May 4 Live Music
The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Mike and Walter Wild Wing - Bethany and Balducci
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - Karaoke Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Trivia and Tunes The Loft - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke Pizza Joint (Evans) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper The Playground - Krazy Karaoke w/ Big Troy Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Sky City - Wednesday Night Conspiracy w/ DJ Knightmare Somewhere in Augusta - The Comedy Zone Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz Surrey Tavern - Trivia w/ Christian and Mickey
Upcoming An Evening of Traditional Irish Music w/ Haley and Dylan Richardson
- Fat Man’s Mill Cafe May 5 Josh Brannon Band
- Stillwater Taproom May 5 Gaslight Street
- Stillwater Taproom May 6 Trampled by Turtles, The Devil Makes Three
- Jessye Norman Amphitheater May 8 Kenny Babyface Edmonds, Tank
- Bell Auditorium May 8 The Hoyt Clagwells
- Stillwater Taproom May 12 Black Iron Gathering, The Menders
- Stillwater Taproom May 13 Jason Isbell, Tommy Emmanuel
- Bell Auditorium May 17 Bethany and the Southside Boys
- Stillwater Taproom May 19 An Evening with Sara Evans
- Imperial Theatre May 20 Mississippi Kites
- Stillwater Taproom May 20 Papa Joe’s Banjo B Que w/ Willie Nelson and Family, Old Crow Medicine Show, Steep Canyon Rangers, Blitzen Trapper, Mountain Faith, Sarah Jaroz, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Susto, Ben Miller, Have 28APRIL2016
V27|NO17 Beyonce
- Georgia Dome, Atlanta May 1 Boston
- Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah May 1 The Residents
- Variety Playhouse, Atlanta May 1 Megadeth
- Tabernacle, Atlanta May 2 Kiefer Sutherland
- Cox Capitol Theatre, Macon May 3 Paul Simon
- Fox Theatre, Atlanta May 3 Queensryche
- Masquerade, Atlanta May 4 Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Pop Evil
Help the Country Club celebrate its 10th anniversary this Friday night, April 29, with a celebration featuring a Locash concert. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $10. Call 706-364-1862 or visit augustacountry.com. Gun Will Travel, Guthrie Brown & the Family Tree, Little Roy & Lizzie Show, Great Peacock, Josh Roberts & the Hinges, Motel Radio, Packway Handle Band, Laney Jones & the Spirits, BooHoo Ramblers, Georgia-Lina Boys, the Mason Jars, Muddy Johnson, Delta Cane
- Evans Towne Center Park May 27-28 Alabama, The Charlie Daniels Band
- James Brown Arena June 3 Jeezy & Friends
- Bell Auditorium June 4 Steve Miller Band
- Bell Auditorium July 19
Chris Robinson Brotherhood
- Sky City July 22 Maxwell
- Bell Auditorium August 6 ZZ Top
- Bell Auditorium October 26
Elsewhere Tracy Morgan
- Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta April 30 Snarky Puppy
- Tabernacle, Atlanta April 30
- Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta May 6
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
Lauryn Hill
- Chastain Park, Atlanta May 6 Charles Kelley
- Georgia Theatre, Athens May 6 Laid Back Festival w/ Gregg Allman, ZZ Top, Blackberry Smoke, Kevn Kinney Band
- Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta May 7
Try FREE: 706-434-0108 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000
The Avett Brothers, Brett Dennen
Ahora espaĂąol Livelinks.com 18+
- Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alpharetta May 7 Scorpions, Living Colour
- Chastain Park, Atlanta May 7 Comedy Bang! Bang!
- Tabernacle, Atlanta May 11
Meet sexy new friends
FREE TRIAL
706-434-0112
V27|NO17
SIGHTINGS
Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Jimmy and Nancy McLeod with Nan and Charlie Shaefer at the Sacred Heart Garden Festival.
Herbert and Carson Elliot with Frank and Jackie Christian at the Sacred Heart Garden Festival.
Karen Heid, Patty and Dan Blanton and Zach Kelehr at the Sacred Heart Garden Festival.
Steven Fealko, Tecie Sams, Shannon Sombar and Steven Morris at Sole.
Pia Hagler with Gould and Amy Hagler at the Sacred Heart Garden Festival.
Roger Smith and Elaine Clark Smith with Robin and Rick Allen at the Sacred Heart Garden Festival.
Jahin Roknuzzaman, Salik Asghar and Serena Pankhania at Farmhaus Burger.
Shellie Clinkscales, Thania Lloyd and Lakeasha Selman-Wright at Sole.
Tammy Champion, Taylor Poole and Drake Thomann at Whiskey Bar (Kitchen).
40 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
28APRIL2016
EXPANDED WORLDVIEW By Howard Barkin / Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Kind of chip 6 Novelist Tillie who wrote “Tell Me a Riddle” 11 1950s sci-fi terror, with “the” 15 Pro-baller-turned-commentator for N.B.A. on TNT 19 Upper reaches 20 Last method of death in Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” 21 Letter sign-off 22 Modern movement inits. 23 *1978 movie in which Kevin Bacon made his film debut 25 Minicar, say 27 Makeup for a “Wizard of Oz” character? 28 Cooperate (with) 29 Didn’t exist 30 Sufficient, in brief 32 *Having it made 35 Deg. in the boardroom 38 Fails to brake in time for, maybe 40 “I see what you did there!” 41 Comments from a crossword kibitzer 43 It’s sold by the yard 44 If all else fails 47 Actor Morales 48 *Progress preventer 53 Some Vegas attractions 55 Prophet whose name means “deliverance” 56 Southern Italian port 57 Lock combination? 59 Helmeted deity 60 Cravings 63 Sing loudly 67 Non-____ (modern food label) 68 *1990s-2000s HBO hit 71 A, in Amiens 72 Feeling 74 “Chilean” fish 75 Typewriter type 76 Family symbols 79 Mexican sauce 80 “Natural” way to serve a roast 81 “Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette,” e.g. 84 *Laos or Vietnam 88 Start to -matic 89 “Oh jeez, don’t look at me” 90 Sue Grafton’s
“____ for Ricochet” 91 Result of overexposure? 94 Where phone nos. might be stored 95 Burst through, as a barrier 100 Prefix meaning 118-Across 101 *Sobriquet for ardent Boston fans 105 Tetra- plus two 106 Superficially repair 107 Things always kept on hand? 109 Quick jump in the pool 110 Like some photography 113 *Popular app that can view any of the places named at the ends of the answers to the starred clues 115 Tippy-top 116 Disturbance 117 Bach composition 118 See 100-Across 119 Shock to the system 120 “____-Team” 121 Blackjack option 122 “Duck Dynasty” network
44 Broadly smiling 45 Gang in “Grease” with an automotive name 46 Reggae precursor 48 Fetches 49 See 112-Down 50 Deliver to, as a pickup line 51 Agile mountain climbers 52 Explorer’s grp. 53 Guitar bars 54 One way to sit by 58 Storklike waders 60 Dissuade 61 La saison chaude 62 P.I., in old slang 64 Board displaying the alphabet 65 Like some DVD-exclusive releases 66 Mess with, as hair or siblings 68 What covers parts of 80-Down? 69 Poetic shades 70 L.A. locale 73 Cartoon Great Dane, informally 75 Coup d’état DOWN 77 Cable channel whose first initial 1 More likely to win a handwriting award stands for its founder 2 When many start the workday 78 Drama that can go on for years 3 Achebe who wrote “Things Fall 80 See 68-Down Apart” 81 Order in the court 4 Designer line? 82 Cabinet dept. 5 Like some medication 83 El ____ 6 Available 85 The year 2510 7 Sarges’ superiors 86 Average 8 March composer 87 Thirty, en français 9 Curves seen in sports car ads 89 Thorough 10 Formerly 92 River past Orsk 11 Instrument in a metalworker’s union? 93 Meal 12 Soloist? 95 Mogul 13 Lose control at the buffet 96 Churned 14 Appear 97 Star of Hitchcock’s “The Birds” 15 Blind part 98 Egressed 16 Elev. 99 Nymph turned into a laurel tree, in 17 Prez on a penny Greek myth 18 15 mins. of an N.F.L. game 102 “Calvin and Hobbes” girl 24 Rich Richie 103 Tennis situation after deuce 26 Tolkien creatures 104 Border county of New York or 31 Purchase at an optometrist’s Pennsylvania 33 Cry of pain 106 “omg” or “lol,” say 34 “Vamoose!” 108 Phantasy Star maker 35 Work well together 110 Indian mausoleum opening? 36 Seasoned pork sausage, informally 111 N.Y.S.E. debut 37 “No warranty” 112 With 49-Down, singer with the 39 Third-largest island in Italy, after autobiography “It Wasn’t All Velvet” Sicily and Sardinia 113 Guys’ dates, informally 42 “____ the Beat” (1982 Go-Go’s hit) 114 ____ Pacis (Roman monument)
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PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWERS E T E R N A L
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O L G E E O R S O H I C S I D A O I L T A R A B N O T A S N O R S R S N E W Y A V A T H A R D
R U P I N E J G E R A O S I N R U N E R A F T R A D O R E V E R E S E N R O O R O B W A C O A N K E R I A N S E S T E C T S T B A I F E R R Y O R K H A A R A G L Y N O
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P E I C O A N N G N E I S S
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A S T R L A I N O C E A T U S B O N T A N D O L C A N A L M I L E N A B E I A S K E R S A E R K E B A O B C R O S H O T E E L I N E L E C P O S E
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V27|NO17
THE EIGHT
BOX TOPS “The Huntsman” can’t seem to catch the creatures in “The Jungle Book.” In fact, nobody can. RANK TITLES
WEEKEND GROSS TOTAL GROSS WEEK # LAST WEEK
1
THE JUNGLE BOOK
$61,538,821
$192,213,247
2
1
2
THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR $19,445,035
$19,445,035
1
-
3
BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT $10,518,254
$35,719,746
2
2
4
ZOOTOPIA
$6,579,545
$316,404,151
8
5
5
THE BOSS
$6,228,205
$49,656,410
3
3
In Theaters April 29
COMEDY
“Keanu,” rated R, starring Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Will Forte, Nia Long. Key and Peele do what they do best: play male stereotypes for laughs. Only this time they throw in a kitten and a bunch of drug dealers and make an action movie sendup. In a time when all Hollywood seems to churn out is sequels, reboots and tired reworkings of ideas that have sort of succeeded before (see “Mother’s Day”), we will stand in line for this one.
44 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
COMEDY
“Mother’s Day,” rated PG-13, starring Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis. Sweet Valley High, what the hell is on Julia Roberts’ head? Seriously, did she lose a bet with director Garry Marshall?
COMEDY
“Ratchet & Clank,” rated PG, starring Sylvester Stallone. An animated movie based on a video game series set in outer space. Gee, I wonder if the heroes will save the galaxy?
28APRIL2016
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Failure to Act Can Put Blood on our Own Hands There are real bad guys in the real world who mean to harm innocents. Their stories have been told for years, whether named for their handiwork, like Jack the Ripper and The Boston Strangler, or known by their now infamous proper names, like John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy. The monsters preyed upon their victims like demons in the night, the hunt often giving them as much sadistic thrill as the kill itself. They produce made-for-TV movies about such evil men, where they are often portrayed with ominous lighting and creepy music accompanying their every move. Those types of evil men do tend to get a lot of attention from Hollywood, not to mention the fear of them we create in our own fertile imaginations. But in the real world, most of the people who do most of the killing in our suburban homes and neighborhoods won’t be found pictured on a movie poster. More likely, they will be featured prominently in our own family albums. Wayne Hawes smiled back at us a lot this weekend. His pictures were featured on at least a dozen social media pages, posted by friends and loved ones all over the area. Many of us went looking for clues as to what happened, who his family was and why he was so very, very angry. Haunting images to say the least, but virtually nothing posted prior to his jealousy inspired murder spree that would indicate anyone was afraid of Hawes, or that there were any concerns he was a danger to himself or others. Shortly after 7 p.m. last Friday night he went looking for his in-laws. What followed was the single deadliest criminal rampage in local history. Five victims dead, topped with his own suicide just for good measure. Wayne Hawes wanted to cause his estranged wife as much heartache and heartbreak as he could possibly muster. Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins described the scene to Abbigail Lennon, as she reported in The Augusta Chronicle: “Collins pronounced Roose-velt Burns and Rheba Mae Dent dead at the scene of their Johnson Drive home Friday night. Collins said both were in a shed behind the home cutting up chicken thighs where they were shot. Burns was seated in a chair inside the shed, and Dent was found seated on the floor. Collins said he suspects the pair were not threatened by Hawes when he approached because they were found still holding the utensils they were using to cut chicken.
46 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Both were shot in the chest.” Burns and Dent were in fact preparing a large meal for their relatives gathering for the funeral of their 28-yearold cousin Travis Dent, who died of natural causes exactly one week to the day prior to their own untimely and unnatural deaths. As the coroner theorized, none of the victims knew to fear their killer. In a conversation with Columbia County Sheriff Clay Whittle three days after the attack, he made it crystal clear that his people had no warning that Wayne Hawes was threatening violence or that he was in illegal possession of four guns with which to do the damage. As a convicted felon of many years, Hawes was not allowed to have firearms. As a man with a serious criminal record, reported threats of violence would have been vigorously investigated, with zero tolerance for excuses. So who knew he was considering such a plan? According to several hundred headlines that covered at least four continents, apparently several people did. Most notably, his own 26-year-old daughter, as quoted by the Associated Press: “He made threats before, but we never thought it would be at this capacity,” Lauren Hawes said. “He’s been kind of a ticking time bomb if you want to put in a few words.” She continued, “He’s done things that were questionable in the past, but never to this extent. This is very surprising. We thought he could possibly hurt himself, but not others...” There was another quote, this one from a WRDW-TV News 12 report: “Lauren says trouble started brewing a few weeks ago. Her dad kicked her and her one year old daughter out of his home after an argument when Lauren says she was sticking up for her mom. Then, last week, she says her mom stuck up for herself after decades of verbal abuse. “My mom had left, and this time it was for real. She had left before and it was kind of sporadic and she didn’t really take anything. This time it was more planned. She took her personal belongings,” said Lauren. “Last week he had started making threats saying that he would kill her and that he was going to make CNN news,” she said. These quotes are not shared to blame Lauren or her mother, who was apparently directly threatened by Wayne Hawes many times. It is shared as a cautionary tale for the rest of the world.
Wayne Hawes’ immediate family knew of his criminal past, they also reportedly knew he kept guns around. They knew he had a temper, and as you read above, they knew what he was promising to do. We must assume they simply did not believe he was evil enough to carry through on his promises. Clearly, it was an assumption that cost them dearly. Last week in this space I shared a few details of the sad and troubled last days of 23-year-old Hannah Newman. While the final word on her exact cause of death will be delayed due to the indefensible underfunding of the Georgia Crime Lab, there is no doubt that she was living a life that was full of conflict, violence and substance abuse. Those close to her, family and friends who genuinely mourn her loss, were eyewitnesses to lots of self destructive and risky behavior. Behavior that should have been aggressively curtailed. I was not a witness to what went on in her Oakdale Road home; maybe they did try to intervene. If they did try, and they honestly failed, there is no shame in that. Sorrow perhaps, but no shame. But was the attempt made? The same question must be put to the family of Wayne Hawes. How much more warning did they need, what possible straw was to be the one that broke the camel’s back and force a call to the police? Their failure to act, and their reluctance to report what was clearly threatening and illegal behavior, put them all at risk. Given his anger, and the number of guns he had in his possession, it is a minor miracle 20 more beloved family members didn’t die. There are tragic lessons in the examples given to us by the people closest to both Hannah Newman and Wayne Hawes. Lessons detailed in the news copy and obituary notices reporting the names of the deceased, and the sad circumstances that preceded their passing. Deaths that did not have to happen. Deaths that came without warning, to all but those who knew the prologue, and simply chose not to tell it.
aUSTIN rhODeS
A long-time radio talk show host who can be heard weekdays on WGAC from 3-6 p.m. The views expressed are the opinions of Austin Rhodes and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.
28APRIL2016