Table of Contents
EDIT
March 3, 2016
Amy Christian
Arts Editor/Production Director
Whine Line Ruffin It Augusta Tek Kris Fisher Jenny is Wright
amy@themetrospirit.com
Stacey Eidson Staff Writer
stacey@themetrospirit.com
Molly Swift Staff Writer
molly@themetrospirit.com
8 10 12 14 15
Insider 16 Remembering the 20 Forgotten
CREATIVE Joshua Bailey Lead Designer
joshua@themetrospirit.com
COVER DESIGN: KRUHU
What’s Up Calendar Nightlife Sightings NYT Crossword The Eight Austin Rhodes
SALES Gayle Bryan
Senior Account Executive
gayle@themetrospirit.com 706-373-4846
Jim Christian Account Executive
jim@themetrospirit.com 706-414-4059
29 30 38 40 42 44 46
Bonnie Sloane 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
Turning 10 is a big deal for a little girl. For Mama, It’s a big deal, too. She will eventually get a car and go to college. She might be wearing heels and dangly earrings. She’ll always be my baby.
Six Augusta commissioners decided to provide four local nonprofits with $20,000 each. So, how exactly did this happen totally out of the blue? That’s a very good question.
She calls her clients “the forgotten ones” and feels it’s her mission to remember as many of them as possible. That’s why Helen McVicker started When Help Can’t Wait 10 years ago.
They appear to have pulled off one of the sneakiest media maneuvers ever made in the Augusta market, while making their innocent competitors look like schmucks. But I have to warn the Media General bosses to be careful: God don’t like ugly.
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OPINION
The Whine Line
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Common Sense is not commonly found in many people (in Augusta).
I’d like to know which lame brain idiot decided to shut down Washington Road at Alexander during the day. They do know that the work could have been done at night without much traffic interruption but NOOOOO they assumed that what there were doing is more important than the ambulance that was trapped in the rush and they simply stood around as any good construction crew does and watches. Speaking of a “growing, overreaching, overbearing, unaccountable and imperious federal government,” when are the Augusta Commission races going to be held? We need to make wholesale changes there too. You think atheists don’t have morals? My morals are the only thing keeping me from becoming a pastor and exploiting your gullibility for my profit.
Christians are voting for Trump. Is it hate or ignorance? I’m not ashamed of Jesus but I am ashamed of Christians supporting these Republicans.
Richmond County Board of Education wins the Cheapskates of the Year Award. They actually make the teachers pay for the use of the school buses to take the kids on (school) field trips!! Most of you could not teach a class in this county if your lives depended on it and you have the nerve to charge teachers for this and make them spend their own money on paper, printing and supplies for their classes. Everyday on my way to work i pass a house that has has a big beautiful white dog tied out in the front yard exposed to rain wind cold and probably extreme heat this summer...what kind of people would do this to a dog?? By the way Columbia Cty Animal Control has been called and seem dis-interested in this. I cant figure this out we are supposed to be the growingist county in Georgia, you would not let the man build a water park, so he is supposed to be going to South carolina no one has thought of a zoo, we go to South Carolina and hour up and one back to give them our money we are nothing but a bed room community for Richmond County, we wont more to do than go to new resturants, if the current commissioners cant handle the job then i suggest we get new ones that can..... One reason that the Augusta Library does not have enough funding is because of stupid stuff like the existence of the Wallace Branch, that is a few blocks from the Main Library. Whose idea is to have libraries stacked on top of each other.
Ruffin’ It Augusta Tek Kris Fisher Jenny is Wright
Citizens of Augusta need to look at Ben Hasans past, his actions dictate a wolf in Sheep clothing. Wake up Augusta before we are Detroit.....
8 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Richmond County, your hiring and firing practices are BEGGING for another lawsuit. Columbia County is just as corrupt, but at least they have some decorum. You, on the other hand, are making this area a laughingstock. Southern civil war pride is being proud of traitors to our nation. President Lincoln saved all of the traitors from execution for the purpose of future healing of the United States of America. Southerners should hang their head in shame.
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.
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AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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The Week in Review HOLY MOTHER-OF-WHAT-THE-HELL, YOU GUYS? So much insane stuff happened this week, it would be futile of me to try and pick just one thing to condense into a single column. See, I have the kind of attention span that wavers between super-focused and “OH LOOK A BUTTERFLY” at the drop of a dime, which is why I never really know what I’m going to write about until the moment I prop my busted iPad keyboard up against a hardcover copy of “The Canterbury Tales,” and also why some days I find dominoes in my rolled-up socks. So, these are the three bits of recent news that most often strafed my caffeine-addled brain this past week. THE PRESUMPTIVE GOP NOMINEE REFUSES TO CONDEMN THE FRIGGIN’ KKK You’ve all surely seen or heard about this by now. KKK leader David Duke, who is somehow still allowed to walk around without his lips held together by courtordered Gorilla Glue, recently said that not voting for Trump was “a vote against your heritage.” Of course, by “heritage” he meant “white heritage,” which is really not a thing, and by “your” he meant “the hate-filled troglodytes who still listen to me.” In a recent interview, Trump was asked about the comments, and whether or not he would speak out and condemn them, Duke and the KKK. Bewilderingly, he repeatedly asserted that he would need “more information” about the group in question before making any sort of judgement or assertation about them, despite the host all but screaming at him “KKK! K! K! K!” Trump would later blame his response on a faulty earpiece, which is kind of insane, since he heard the rest of the questions perfectly well, not to mention the entirety of question in question, except for the word “KKK.” The fact that this seems to be helping, not hurting, his numbers in Southern states is just too onthe-nose depressing to even joke about. CONOR MCGREGOR IS MOVING UP TWO WEIGHT CLASSES FOR FUNSIES It’s kind of impossible to state how popular a fighter Conor McGregor is right now, or how much of a cash cow he’s been for the UFC. And while many detractors still can’t stomach his outlandish boasts and personality,
10 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
there’s no arguing that he hasn’t backed up every single word he’s said. Since debuting, he’s run roughshod over the featherweight division, KOing every opponent save Max Holloway, who he still beat despite a torn ACL. After nearly a year of build-up, he knocked out longreigning champion Jose Aldo in a ridiculous 13 seconds. He wants to be a legend, and he’s well on his way. Almost immediately after defeating Aldo, he stated his intention to move up to 155 pounds and straight-away challenge Rafael dos Anjos, a one-man wrecking crew who had defeated Ben Henderson, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone for the lightweight title, a wish that the UFC brass granted him. With a win, McGregor would become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts in two different weight classes at the same time. Unfortunately, dos Anjos suffered a broken foot in training. Fortunately, McGregor long ago ran out of f***s to give, and essentially put out an open challenge, promising he’d stay on the bill. Even more fortunately, the UFC found the only other man in the company with even fewer f***s to give: Nate Diaz, the Stockton-born, mean-mugging jiu-jitsu ace with a massive wingspan and tight boxing skills. Due to the short notice, the fight is going to take place at welterweight, a full 25 pounds over McGregor’s usual fighting weight, and 15 pounds over Diaz’s. The dos Anjos fight may still happen down the road, and carries more historical significance. This… this is pure, unadulterated cotton candy for the fight fan’s soul. And I may actually buy it.
men, etc. — Rock took the Academy, its members and its constituents to task, while still performing ably as an emcee. As a young white man, I’m not really qualified to speak on that, though, and I’m even less qualified to assess the impact, background, subtext and reflection of society that the Lady Gaga/Diane Warren song “Til it Happens to You” addresses. I can say, from a standpoint of social justice, that the song is absolutely delivered in a typically powerhouse manner by Gaga both in recorded and live performances. But the song is successful because of the dire social injustices and conditions that gave inspiration to its very composition, and doesn’t really stand on its own merits. Warren is one of the most famously milquetoast songwriters in modern history, which probably explains why she’s won so many major awards, and this one fairs no better. For sure, it wasn’t any worse than the other two performed nominees, though. So… win-win? Other brief notes: it’s good that George Miller didn’t win Best Director for “Mad Max: Fury Road,” because his response is probably going to be an even more ballexplodingly awesome sequel. Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar, so now we can all start talking about how Michael Fassbender hasn’t won one. Sylvester Stallone is going to have to dig even deeper into his reboot bag to score an unofficial “Thanks for all the Fish” Oscar (maybe a “Cobra” remake?).
THE OSCARS HAPPENED. THE OSCARS HAPPENED SO HARD. Man oh man, the only thing more awkward than Chris Rock’s opening monologue at the Oscars was watching the mostly WASP-ish audience try to figure out whether or not they should be applauding and laughing. And I’m glad for it; the ceremony was going to have the #OscarsSoWhite controversy hanging over it whether or not the producers decided to address it or not, but this was far and away the better option. And while one or two of his jokes were off the mark — “Nobody protested the Oscars back in the ‘60s because they had actual problems to protest!” was particularly head-scratching, what with Flint, the multiple shootings of young black
JOSH RUFFIN is a long way from home, having moved from
Augusta to Middleton, Wisconsin, with his wife, Michelle. He is a self-described beer guru, so most of his Twitter posts are about what he’s drinking. While drinking, he enjoys writing poetry and watching MMA fights… or writing poetry about MMA fights.
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A Mile-High Hack The meeting went long, too long if you ask my opinion, but we ended up getting everything that we needed to continue the project. Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to the trip home. The San Jose to Atlanta flight should give me enough time to catch up on email and do some birthday shopping. A year ago, I’m not sure if any carrier had wi-fi during their flights. Now, it seems like they all do. It’s a nice touch… THE POPULARITY of in-flight wi-fi has skyrocketed. With virtually everyone carrying a mobile device, the airlines were a great big dead spot. Services such as GoGo wireless and Global Eagle Entertainment have filled this coverage gap. The airlines are quick to point out these services when trying to differentiate service. Last month, my family flew to Denver on Southwest Airlines. Like most airlines, Southwest provides internet access for a fee ($8). Of course, this internet access isn’t the greatest — Southwest utilizes satellite-based communications that limit bandwidth to 40 mbps per plan — but it’s good enough for email and Facebook. In addition, Southwest provides a number of free services, including 19 channels of live TV and on-demand streaming of other TV episodes. The inflight wi-fi proved extremely effective in keeping my kids and, more importantly, my wife entertained during the 3-1/2 hour flight. I have to admit, it was tempting to close the Word document I was editing and watch a movie. But in the end, I decided to keep the wi-fi of my work laptop turned off. If you need an explanation, look no further than Steven Petrow, a columnist for USA Today. On a flight from Dallas to Raleigh, Mr. Petrow used the in-flight wi-fi to send and receive email. In particular, Mr. Petrow was writing a column on how the Apple/FBI case impacted ordinary American citizens, and he emailed some notes on the story. At the end of the flight, another passenger on the flight approached Mr. Petrow. This passenger asked Mr. Petrow if he was interested in the Apple/ FBI case, and then divulged that he read all of the emails that Mr. Petrow sent. What’s more, this passenger read the email of many other folks on the flight. The personal attachment we have with our mobile devices provides a sense of privacy. However, this sense of privacy is an illusion when connecting to an in-flight wi-fi system, or any other public and unencrypted wi-fi service. All information transmitted over these services is capable of being captured and recorded. The software used to record wireless traffic is freely available.
Before connecting to any public wi-fi, go ahead and assume that someone is recording your connection. In-flight wi-fi also suffers from a more problematic concern. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption is a common technique used to protect data when transmitted over an unsecure link. (If you see “https” in your browser address bar, your browser is using SSL.) When implemented correctly, the transmission can only be read by the intended destination. However, in-flight wi-fi service providers may “spoof” SSL connections for various purposes (Search on “GoGo SSL proxy” if you want to read more). Also, a nefarious passenger with some inexpensive hardware could spoof the on-board wi-fi completely and trick others into connecting to a rogue hot spot. Either way, the encrypted connection is now compromised. I often hear people say, “I don’t care if others can see what I’m doing… I don’t have anything on my phone that is worth protecting.” While that’s a very comforting sentiment, I believe it’s also very naïve. Privacy is about the protection of our personal space. The sensitivity of the information has little to do with it. We all have stuff in our lives that is simply nobody else’s business. Unfortunately, we live in a time where it’s very easy for others to hack their way in. The tools and techniques exist to keep your business private, but, ultimately, the responsibility is up to you to keep it that way.
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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Eat The Rich A FEW WEEKS AGO, I was in Los Angeles covering the Grammys for my radio station. I took the wife with me, as she had always wanted to visit L.A. but had never been. For three nights and a full day on Sunday, we got to explore this city that fascinates many of us. If you’ve never been, I’ll tell you now that it is everything you think it would be: Bigger than life and very exciting. It’ll also make you feel like you’re living the life of a peasant. We tried to get out and mix with the crowd, but for the most part people saw right through us. After all, we do have that “collections agencies have us on speed dial” look to us. We aren’t rich by any means. We aren’t poor either. We get by. We have a decent house, food to eat, a car to get around in and usually a few bucks left over to buy tacos and margaritas on the weekends. On most days that’s enough to keep me happy, but, in L.A., we’d be teetering on the brink of poverty. That place is such a different world. The first time we saw a Ferrari driving down the road, my eyes popped out of my head. By the time we left, it was like seeing a Honda Accord or something. Everybody has one. We saw Rolls Royces, Teslas everywhere, Lamborghinis even a Bugatti. All the while we’re driving around in a rented Nissan Altima that I fell in love with. That’s when I realized that there are different levels of rich. My fascination with this rented midsized sedan that retails for roughly $25,000 while surrounded by cars that were priced $200,000 and up was humorous to me. It was very new, much newer than my ‘93 Astrovan, the “Swagger Wagon” as my kids like to call it. I felt rich and fancy driving it. It had some cool options: y’know, a radio that worked. I was in heaven. My rented wonder wagon must have seemed like a 2016 model P.O.S. to the drivers of those cars. Then my wife and I found ourselves wondering where the middle class people lived. Everywhere we drove, it seemed that the houses were all huge, even when we weren’t sightseeing in Beverly Hills. Passing through what we thought looked like normal suburbs, after a quick Zillow search, we found out the houses were all valued much higher than we could ever
afford. I asked her, where do the people with our jobs live? In hindsight, not such a valid question when you consider the guy with my job in L.A. is Ryan Seacrest, worth about $330 million. But, you get the point. I have met some people I would call “rich” with huge houses, fancy cars, kitchens on their back patios (that’s so cool!), but even many of those people pale in comparison to the lifestyle we saw in Los Angeles. The pure wealth on display in much of that city is unbelievable. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. Hey, if you can make it, make all you can and enjoy it. I just find it fascinating that no matter how rich you may think you or someone else may be, there’s always someone richer. Unless you’re Bill Gates. Then, well, y’know.
KRIS FISHER,Kris Fisher is the midday host and program director for HD98.3 and an Augusta radio staple. He is a husband, father of three and lover of all things adventurous, as well as activities most people would have outgrown years ago. djkfish.com.
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The Big 1-0 MY DAUGHTER TURNS 10 THIS WEEK. I know y’all are sick of hearing about birthdays but this one is big. No more single digit children in our house. It’s bittersweet. She wasn’t a bad baby. She ate really well and slept even better. She was also opinionated. She could do everything “ALL by herself.” It was cute when she said it, but once you realized how seriously she meant it, you were in trouble. She was born five weeks early, but she wasn’t tiny. She said her first word at nine months, and hasn’t stopped talking since. She takes after me that way. She’s also my twin. My parents will tell you it’s sometimes eerie listening to her talk, because her voice sounds just like mine did at her age. We were chatting about turning 10, and because she loves lists like I do, she made a list of things she likes about turning 10. With her permission, I’m sharing with you fine people. 1. “Getting closer to buying a car.” I guess she’s planning on buying her own. Good on her. I didn’t have to buy my first car, but I did have to work and pay for maintenance and insurance. If she’s got a better plan, I’m all ears. 2. “Getting closer to college (I [heart] School!).” And she does. When school was cancelled for the water non-crisis in Augusta, she cried because she would miss Art Club. She’s been home sick here recently, and I knew she was really, really sick when she asked to a stay home. She’s not as perky and irritating as Tracy Flick in “Election,” but she’s been known to ask her teacher for harder math problems. She says they’re fun. 3. “Being able to get better at art and other things that I really like.” I mentioned Art Club. She just started soccer and is excited. I hope her enthusiasm and hard-working nature prevail, at least until I’m done paying her college tuition. 4. “Wearing dangly earrings and not using quick dry nail polish.” She’s right. Only studs in the ears, and the nail polish must dry in 60 seconds or less. Have you ever watched a little girl sit still long enough for her nails to dry? Me neither. 5. “Working for money and using the money to buy a house and two horses.” I like the way she thinks. 6. “Being on baking, cooking and other TV shows!” Thanks to Food Network, she’s a budding chef. I made her week by letting her make a boxed mix cake in the Kitchenaid mixer. Besides, that baby who used to be a great eater is a picky little girl now. If she cooks, she’ll at least try a bite. One bite to be polite, because the next time you might like it. 7. “Getting to go to the beach by myself and having a peaceful weekend (maybe with my mom).” Sweetie, I’m first in line for that peaceful weekend. I’m glad I may be invited on hers. 8. “Going to proms and dances in high school with pretty dresses and high heels.” What is it with little girls and heels? Heels are impractical footwear. She has tried to sneak out of the house several times in the hand-me-down silver glitter Steve Madden heeled Mary Janes. Where’s the demand for sparkly Steve Maddens in a size 1.5? In the dress-up basket they will remain, and no matter how tightly they fit her feet, she’ll prance around in them, dreaming of the day I buy her a pair. I’m just glad her focus is on the dresses and shoes and not the boys. Yet.
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9. “Making some things that are worth very much money and selling them.” When do we get started? 10. “Now that I’m 10, I can also stay up later.” You see, what she hasn’t learned yet is 10 isn’t some magic age when everything changes. She goes to bed between 8:30 and 9 right now, and she’ll probably keep doing that. It’s not because I’m strict. It’s because she requires a certain amount of sleep to maintain her cheery disposition. Trust me. She’s been giddy about this birthday. Turning 10 is a big deal for a little girl. For Mama, It’s a big deal, too. She will eventually get a car and go to college. She might be wearing heels and dangly earrings. She’ll always be my baby.
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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Get on the Good Foot, Augusta
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Insider Remembering the Forgotten Metro Spirit’s 5th Annual ETCP Spring Fest
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NEWS
16 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
FOR THOSE AUGUSTANS who always insist on complaining about the downtown area, it’s time to step up, listen to the city’s future plans and let your thoughts be heard. Starting next week, the city of Augusta will hold three public meetings to solicit input from local residents and business owners regarding future improvements to downtown Augusta. The meetings will discuss the Augusta Downtown Concept Plan which includes infrastructure and streetscape improvements along Broad Street. The plan also includes improvements to the James Brown Plaza. It’s hard for many people to believe, but it has been almost 10 years since the “Godfather of Soul” James Brown’s death on Christmas Day in 2006. Ten years is a long time to wait before properly honoring such a great local legend. Thanks to the efforts of George Claussen, a local music promoter and founder of Friends with Benefits, the city will finally celebrate “James Brown Family Birthday Bash” at the Augusta Common on May 3. But the city should do more. If Augusta is serious about attracting additional tourism to the city, it needs to develop a proper plaza honoring the Godfather of Soul. These public meetings are a great opportunity for citizens to take a look at the city’s plans and consider the future of downtown Augusta. Back in 2005, the city of Augusta chose to honor Brown by erecting a life-size statue of him on the 800-block of Broad Street. It didn’t take long for the public to realize that the plaza is stagnant, stale and often covered in darkness. In no way, shape or form does the current plaza spotlight the tremendous talent and charisma of James Brown. In order to help spruce up the James Brown Plaza, the city hired Gary Warner, director of planning and landscape architecture for Cooper Carry out of Atlanta, to review the location this past fall and provide both long-term and short-term solutions to enhance the area. These proposed plans were a part of Cooper Carry’s efforts to develop the proposed Augusta Downtown Concept Plan at a cost of $1.2 million. The plan will be funded by the Transportation Investment Act. “The James Brown Plaza is in the middle of Broad Street with parking on both sides, so there are some challenges with that,” Warner said last fall. “The plaza is not very accessible. If you are not really aware the James Brown Plaza is there, you may not even know that there is a statue. You could easily walk down Broad Street and totally miss it.” The fact is, most tourists don’t see it. Even when they are looking for the statue, they frequently walk right by it and have to ask someone for directions to the plaza. When tourists do find it, most are underwhelmed to say the least. The Godfather deserves better. In order to properly address these issues and honor Brown, Warner told members of the Augusta Commission that the city needs to come up with a solid plan.
“How do we really celebrate this man? How do we celebrate the town that this man is from? The two go hand in hand,” Warner said. “So, is there a way to become more interactive? Is there a way to display more information? Once you are out there on the plaza, there is very little story told. You really don’t know the grand story that is James Brown. You don’t know the grand story of James Brown and the city of Augusta. There is a relationship there that really needs to be celebrated.” Without a doubt, Augusta needs to have a plaza that tells visitors that Brown’s roots were in this city and that he loved this community. But one of the main problems with the plaza is it is too small. It’s too small to hold a celebration. It’s too tiny for even a small concert. Therefore, Therese Huffman, founder of Signature Design in Atlanta, suggested the statue should eventually be moved. Unfortunately, there is another problem. Insiders say it would be extremely difficult to move the statue without damaging it. Many folks will recall that the city had some problems in 2006 after a public-private partnership was developed to construct a small, stage-like platform for the James Brown statue. A successful fundraiser called, “Lend a Hand to Raise the Man,” was developed by two local business leaders, Nelson Curry and Sam Bussey. They graciously donated and help raise more than $12,000 for the platform. But once the city returned the statue to the James Brown Plaza on top of its new platform, city crews apparently learned the hard way that the life-size statue should not be moved again. So, if the city can’t move the statue, then what? Some commissioners are suggesting the city construct several more statues, possibly for every corner of the Augusta Common. Others feel the city should consider developing a full stage or a musical history walk throughout the downtown. All of these suggestions are long-term plans, but the ball is rolling. Now it’s time for the public to have a say. Augusta, let your voice be heard. The following is the schedule for the upcoming public meetings: Tuesday, March 8 6-8 p.m. Augusta Municipal Building, the Beasley Room, 535 Telfair St. Wednesday, March 9 6-8 p.m. Julian Smith BBQ Pit, 87 Milledge Rd. Thursday, March 10, 6-8 p.m. Jamestown Community Center, 3647 Karleen Rd., Hephzibah
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The Augusta Commission’s Deep Pockets ALL OF A SUDDEN members of the Augusta Commission are feeling awfully generous this week with $80,000 of taxpayer money. But these taxpayer dollars aren’t headed to improve city departments. Instead, six Augusta commissioners this week decided to provide four local nonprofits with $20,000 each. Those nonprofits slated to receive the money are the Bethlehem Community Center, Meals on Wheels, the Shiloh Community Center and Serenity Mental Health Center. So, how exactly did these nonprofits receive $20,000 each from this year’s contingency fund totally out of the blue? That’s a very good question. The request for this additional funding was mysteriously lumped together with a motion to give $20,000 to the Augusta Animal Services Department for educational purposes and the implementation of programs relating to its new animal ordinance involving tethering and pet registration fees. Augusta commissioners Bill Lockett, Marion Williams, Bill Fennoy, 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. The obvious question is: What does the funding for Augusta Animal Services have to do with money for the Bethlehem Community Center, Meals on Wheels, the Shiloh Community Center and Serenity Mental Health Center? The answer: Absolutely nothing. Frantom, who had requested the city funding for Animal Services to help educate the public about the new animal ordinance that goes into effect next year, was floored by the additional requests. He told commissioners they were “mixing apples and oranges” by lumping nonprofits in with a city department. Augusta Commissioner Mary Davis, who announced her plans to run for re-election for her District 3 seat this May, also said 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. “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?” Fennoy began chuckling right next to her and shaking his head. But Davis didn’t stop her line of questioning. “I’m being serious,” Davis said. “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 18 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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 simply shook her head. “Mr. Mayor, 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.” Several of the black commissioners were clearly upset by Davis’ line of questioning. “Number one, there are a lot of agencies here that receive money,” Sias said. “One of the agencies, that is a nongovernmental agency, is called Project Access.” Project Access is an outreach program of the Richmond County Medical Society which assists the uninsured indigent people of Richmond and Columbia counties. “From 2002 to 2016, this agency received from our general fund $5,672,210,” Sias said. “And we are talking about some agencies such as Shiloh and Bethlehem that treat folks in our community, seniors and folks who
need a meal. But (Project Access) is a nonprofit that services Columbia County and Richmond County, but we pay for it.” Sias said he had nothing against Project Access, but he was using that organization as a comparison. “Shiloh has submitted paperwork before... Serenity has received money before, but you could lump all of those together for the missions that they do, multiply that by 20 or 30 or 100 and it will still not come up to what Project Access is receiving on a yearly or bi-annual basis,” Sias said. “I think if we are going to look at being accountable, we need to look at the whole picture of being accountable.” In the end, the six black commissioners voted to fund these nonprofits $20,000 each from the contingency fund, while the three white commissioners in the chamber simply shook their heads. Once again, race has suddenly become a dividing factor on the Augusta Commission.
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Be safe (and warm) this winter! Sig Cox will check all of your heating system’s connections, the gas pressure, burner combustion and your heat exchanger (A dirty burner or cracked heat exchanger causes improper burner operation). Improperly operating gas (or oil) heating systems are a fire hazard and can contribute to health problems.
Call today to schedule your pre-season checkup. 706.722.5304 www.sigcox.com
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Remembering the Forgotten By Amy Christian She callS her clientS “the forgotten ones” and feels it’s her mission to remember as many of them as possible. That’s why Helen McVicker started When Help Can’t Wait and, 10 years later, the organization has a small army of volunteers helping between 6,000 and 7,000 nursing home residents a year. They don’t quite get to all of the lost ones, but they do the best they can to visit with and provide the elderly they serve with as much as they possibly can. Helen first stepped foot in a nursing home when she trained with the Ombudsman program, which sends people to advocate for the residents. “I was just a volunteer visitor, the eyes and ears for them,” she explained. “As I did that, I noticed the great needs in the nursing homes. The residents were sitting with cold feet and cold heads and they had nothing in their rooms.” Helen said she wanted to help them, but when she asked someone with the Ombudsman program if she could, she discovered that there were rules against giving the residents anything. “Well, I couldn’t stand to see all that need and not do something about it,” she said. “So I began to investigate.” First, she went to the United Way, who gave her a list of agencies that serve senior citizens. After speaking with them, Helen discovered that none worked in the nursing homes. Rather, all the groups focused on keeping seniors in their homes as long as possible. Unfortunately, once senior citizens enter a nursing home, many times they become part of the forgotten ones. “Very few have family who come and visit and take care of them,” Helen said. “When the nursing home has a family night, where families come to visit and have a meal, there will be six families there, and there are 100 residents in a nursing home. I’ve attended those family nights and they’re lucky if they get six or eight families to come.” Compounding the lack of family is many residents’ lack of funds. “More than 60 percent of the people living in nursing homes in our general area are being paid for by their Medicaid and Social Security, which means they have no money and no financial support,” she explained. “They get $50 a month from their Social Security, which they are allowed to put into an account up at the front desk and that’s how they pay all their bills.” Nursing homes provide the very basics — generic shampoo and toiletries — so that $50 may go to things like deodorant. Many residents buy cable, since its not provided. And Helen said it’s often worse for the women, who are only helped to shower once or twice a week and aren’t allowed hair dryers. Many homes contract with hairstylists, who come in and offer their services, but that, of course, costs money. “That costs $20 a pop at almost all the nursing homes,” Helen said. “So if they go twice a month, they have $10 a month left over for everything they need: to buy underwear, to buy socks, to buy new clothes, to buy house slippers, to buy a new gown, to buy deodorant, to buy a nicer lotion, to get a game book. They have to buy all that with $10 a month. It’s impossible.” That is where When Help Can’t Wait comes in. 20 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
“What we do is step in as a surrogate family,” she said. “We furnish all those things to them when they need them. The activity directors are our point of contact and they come in here and shop like it’s a free Walmart. They just come in with a list.” When Helen began the nonprofit, she specialized in providing residents with clothing and toiletries. These days, her office on Martinez Boulevard is filled with a little bit of everything: clothing, medical supplies, home goods, toiletries, puzzles, stuffed animals, VHS tapes, CDs and more are organized in bins and on shelves that line the walls. “We take everything,” Helen laughed. “Nothing goes to waste. We either show it, sell it or share it, but we throw nothing out.” Money is always tight at When Help Can’t Wait, and Helen said she and her staff carefully sort through donations to figure out where the gifts can do the most good. Getting supplies to nursing home residents is Priority No. 1, but they also put donations to work to make money for the organization. Some clothing, shoes and accessories donations go to the Classy Closet Boutique, which is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. “We also have a First Saturday sale in the boutique for people who can’t get to us on the weekdays,” she said. “We open on the first Saturday of the month to accommodate them.” The next First Saturday Sale is March 5. Helen also sells some things on eBay, they occasionally have yard sales and When 3MARCH2016
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Help Can’t Wait also has a booth in the antique market on Pleasant Home Road. “This year our goal is to up the income coming from that,” she said. “It’s been a slow start but it’s getting better. It would do well for us if we could get a few more quality pieces of small furniture as people clean out their houses.” In addition to what Helen calls their “bread and butter” sales, the organization also has three major fundraisers a year: a 5K race at Blanchard Woods Park in May, an annual silent auction and dinner is October and, new this year, an art auction in July at the antique market. “We hope to have a live auctioneer and serve coffee and decadent desserts, because there’s a coffee shop in the marketplace and we hope to have lots of wonderful desserts and coffee.” It’s this ingenuity, plus a lot of generosity, that has allowed When Help Can’t Wait to survive. “That’s how we’re still here after 10 years, the sales and because of a few donors,” Helen said. “I have a woman who sends us $500 every year. She doesn’t live here so she doesn’t see us, but she’s faithful and sends us $500 a year. I know I can count on that every year, so people like that are the ones who have kept us going.” 3MARCH2016
Donors are generous and so are Helen’s volunteers. When Help Can’t Wait has one paid employee; the rest are volunteers who aren’t even reimbursed for gas money. And yet they continue to go to the nursing homes, some as far away as Warrenton, Sparta and Gibson, each week as a friendly visitor, checking on those who have no family and bringing them supplies as needed. Volunteers also sort the donations and set up clothes closets and jewelry shows at different nursing homes from stock they have at the office so that residents can shop and pick out what they need. Without big donations, however, When Help Can’t Wait continues to struggle. Helen often speaks to church and civic groups about the organization’s needs. “When I speak to groups I tell them, you see a lady with a couple of children and they’re not dressed well and she’s got black eyes and you know we need women’s shelters. That’s obvious,” she said. “You see the men sleeping under the bridge and you know we need homeless shelters. “But we take our grandmas and our grandpas and we lock the doors and we don’t let them out. And we don’t let you in. Nobody sees them, nobody thinks about them, nobody knows the need exists.”
And the needs can be simple. Helen often tells the story of one volunteer, who asked a nursing home resident if she could bring her anything the next time she visited. All the women wanted was a clock because she never knew what time it was. “She said, ‘I wake up and it’s dark and I don’t know if I should wake up or try and sleep some more because I don’t know what time it is,’” Helen said. “Someone had donated a $3 clock from Dollar General, so we put it on the wall opposite her bed and it was like we had given her a new lease on life. “A simple thing like a clock or a radio on their bedside table or a calendar: they don’t have any of that,” she said. “Simple things can make the difference between daylight and dark.” Or the difference between being forgotten or remembered. First saturday sale When Help Can’t Wait Saturday, March 5 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 706-855-0715 whenhelpcantwait.com AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Craft beer, beautiful weather, live music and delicious food are all on tap this Saturday
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What do you get when you combine beautiful weather, live local music, an amazing selection of craft beers and delicious food from a variety of local restaurants? That’s easy. An incredibly relaxing Saturday courtesy of the Metro Spirit’s 5th Annual ETCP Spring Fest. Come join several thousand of your closest friends for this free, family-friendly festival this Saturday, March 5, from noon-6 p.m. at the Lady Antebellum Pavilion in Evans. Only beer drinkers are required to buy an armband for $5 to wear throughout the event in order to purchase craft beer from breweries across the country. “There will be a wide variety of beers to choose from,” said Logan Stansell, the craft brand manger of the area’s largest distributor of craft beers, A.B. Beverage Company. “There will be everything from IPAs to dark beers to even ciders for people who don’t like beer.” Some of the breweries featured this year are right here from the Peach State, including Red Hare Brewing Company, an independent microbrewery that has been located in Marietta since 2011. Red Hare became the first craft brewery in Georgia to can its own beer in 2012 and currently offers four year-round beers in addition to seasonal and reserve brands. This year’s ETCP Spring Fest will also feature beers from Monday Night Brewing, an Atlanta-based craft brewery that is known for offering balanced, flavorful ales that pair well with food. Believe it or not, the idea for Monday Night Brewing grew out of a small Atlanta Bible study, according to the company. Members of the Bible study began brewing beer together on Monday nights as a way to get to know each other better. As the group got more engrained in the industry, more people started showing up to brew with them and beer quickly became more than just a weeknight hobby. Monday Night Brewing is definitely a Georgia brewery that sincerely believes beers should be savored, not guzzled. If you are Georgia Southern fan, a must try this Saturday is a craft beer from Eagle Creek Brewing Company. Founded in August 2013, Eagle Creek Brewing Company is the first craft brewery in Statesboro. Located in the heart of south Georgia, this brewery focuses on producing delicious, interesting and highly drinkable beers using the very best ingredients available. However, if you are a Georgia Bulldog fan, never fear. The Southern Brewing Company, a craft brewery from Athens, will also have brews available to try. The ETCP Spring Fest will also offer craft beers and ciders from Lonerider Brewery based in Raleigh, N.C., and McKenzie’s Hard Cider from New York. “There will be something there for everybody’s taste,” Stansell said. “People are going to enjoy the wide selection.” But, of course, this festival isn’t just about the craft beers. After all, what’s an outdoor festival without incredible, live music. This year, Spring Fest will feature the local bands Delta Cane, The Mason Jars and festival headliner The Robbie Ducey Band. Known for his “old school, 1970s bluesy-rock” style of music and his gritty, soulful vocals, Robbie Ducey and his band bring such enthusiasm to the stage that audiences can’t help but be swept up in the music. “My favorite aspect of performing live on stage is the energy,” Ducey said. “That natural high that you get when you are up there doing your thing and it is hitting on all eight cylinders and it is all sounding good, it’s just incredible.” When that kind of magic happens, there is an instant connection between the audience and the band, Ducey said. “There is just nothing like it. There is no drug you can do that ever gives you that kind of high,” Ducey said, laughing. “Unless you’ve ever gone up on stage and experienced it, you just don’t get it. And that’s why once you get into music, you are hooked. It is done. It never gets out of your system.” Ducey joked that he is living proof of that fact. 3MARCH2016
“There is no drug you can do that ever gives you that kind of high. Unless you’ve ever gone up on stage and experienced it, you just don’t get it. And that’s why once you get into music, you are hooked. It is done. It never gets out of your system.” — Robbie Ducey AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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“Look at me. I retired two years ago, I’m in my 60s and now I’m back playing gigs here and there because I can’t get enough,” Ducey said, explaining that the band agreed to come off the road and stop touring a few years ago. “Prior to 2013, we were pretty much on the road all the time, playing anywhere from small intimate clubs to big outdoor festivals with big-name bands.” Initially, the entire band agreed to slow things down in 2013, but Ducey said he started itching to return to the stage about six months ago. “We all kind of looked at one another and went, ‘Well, we don’t have to go out and do it full-time anymore, but we still have some more music we want to record and we still have some shows that we want to play here and there,’” Ducey said. “So, we did a couple of benefits over this past summer and had a great time. Then, we decided we’re going back to the studio here in the next couple of months to cut some new material and some older material that just never made it on any of the other CDs we put out. So we are kind of semi-out of retirement and back doing it again.” Ducey is extremely proud of the fact that his band has been close for more than 20 years. “I had a long career of playing in cover bands all of my life, like everybody does to make a dollar and have some gigs,” Ducey said. “But around 1995, I was in my early 40s and I decided, ‘All right. How long can you keep playing cover music? You either make a move now or time is just going to pass you by.’ And I decided to give it a shot. Here it is, 20 years later, and we have five CDs out and we managed to carve out a living doing what we love to do.” After more than two decades of playing together, Ducey said the members of his band understand one another and respect each other’s talents when they step on stage. “The Robbie Ducey Band does more or less kind of ‘70s blues-rock style and we play power trio all the time,” Ducey said, referring to a lineup of guitar, bass and drums. “Of course, I’m on guitar and the guys who play with me are super musicians. Just the three of us are able to put out a lot of sound and have a lot of fun doing it.” The members of the band have a real sense for the music because they have been together for such a long time, Ducey said. “Steve Brantley, my bass player, has been all over the world playing with big-name people,” Ducey said. “He made it in the country music industry and lived in Nashville for a long time. When he came back home to Augusta from Nashville in the mid-1990s, he and I kind of found each other. Steve and I got hooked back up after all this time and he helped produce my first two CDs.” As for the band’s drummer, Burt Rayburn, Ducey said he has known him since they were teenagers. “I can remember when we were back in 24 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
“We haven’t had a chance to get out and talk to a large group of people yet about the brewery. And this festival seems like a great place to start.” — Anne Sloan, Riverwatch Brewery high school — I mean, we are talking in the 1960s — we had a band together,” Ducey said, chuckling. “We would go and practice in a tin storage building behind Burt’s parents’ house out in south Augusta. Back then, Burt was an All-State drummer in Butler High School’s marching band.” Even as a teenager, Ducey always knew that music would play a major role in his life. “Here it is, years later, and it is kind of cool that not only do we get to make this incredible music on stage, but we get to do it together,” Ducey said. “The same guys who have known each other since we were teenagers are still together. It has worked so well because we all live and breathe music.” The ETCP Spring Fest will also feature local band The Mason Jars,
known for its passionate, “in your face” music that is the essence of Americana rock. Band members Andy Colbert and Trey Pitts began playing together in May 2005 as simply a way to escape the daily grind. But this twoman band’s fast pickin’ and soulful sound soon caught on all across the region. Whether you love bluegrass, country, blues or rock music, a performance by The Mason Jars never disappoints. This year’s Spring Fest is also proud to feature the live music of local band Delta Cane. Delta Cane is a local group of six close-knit musicians steeped in old time bluegrass roots while also experimenting with a new “modern gypsy-grass sound,” according to band members. With singer Bethany Davis on stage surrounded by Henry Wynn on fiddle, Taylor Swan on banjo, Deveren Roof on bass, Michael Balducci on mandolin and Jarett Acosta on guitar, Delta Cane’s rich, southern sound easily captivates an audience. The band’s sound can only be described as “where the bluegrass meets the bayou.” Along with the great live music and incredible craft beers, Spring Fest will also offer a number of local restaurants and food vendors. Kona Ice, Twisted Burrito, Woody’s Bar-B-Q, Wicked Good Bites, Mini Melts, Lola’s Treats, the Lemonade Man, and Willie Jewell’s Old School Bar-B-Q will all be there. Not only will Spring Fest offer great food and craft beer, but it will also be an ideal setting to expand your knowledge on all aspects of beers, area breweries and the art of homebrewing. For example, Poplar Creek Brewing will have a booth at the festival to discuss its homebrewing supply store located at South Belair Road in Martinez. In 2014, Poplar Creek Brewing opened its doors and has quickly become the CSRA’s homebrewing and wine making headquarters. Owner Wylie Bullock began brewing beer while serving in the U.S Army stationed in Arizona.
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“Many people still do not have a clue about what a growler shop is for.” — Marty Koger, Tip Top Taps
Since the closest homebrew supply store was more than 90 miles away, Bullock began reading and researching the art of homebrewing beer and wine on his own. Over time, Bullock gained a newfound appreciation and understanding for the importance of fresh grains, hops, yeast and quality equipment. That knowledge and passion eventually lead him to open Poplar Creek Brewing in order to provide local homebrewers with the tools and equipment they need to make quality beer, wine, mead and cider. Ann Wohlstadter, the store manager at Poplar Creek Brewing, said the store has developed a very loyal customer base over the past year and a half. “There are two different types of customers,” Wohlstadter said. “There’s the people who have been brewing from a long time that were forced to drive to Columbia or Atlanta to get their supplies and now those customers can get their stuff here, locally.” The other type of customer that comes through the door is someone who enjoys making their daily items themselves, she said. For example, people who enjoy making soap, candles or home-cooked meals from scratch are also typically attracted to the idea of making their own beer and wine, 26 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Wohlstadter said. “So we are seeing more and more of those customers coming in that are interested in making beer and wine because they enjoy making things for themselves,” Wohlstadter said. Just this past January, Poplar Creek Brewing offered a class to help educate the public on the art of homebrewing. “We are going to have more of those classes available in the future,” Wohlstadter said. “Classes that will probably take a couple of hours on a Saturday. But if customers just walk into the store without a clue, I will walk them through the quick process and show them the equipment and kind of how it all works here in the store. I can also point them to a couple of different websites as well if they are looking for other tutorials.” Poplar Creek Brewing is also working on creating its own video tutorials that customers can access. “For this Saturday’s festival, we are going to do at least a couple of dry-run demos,” Wohlstadter said. “We are going to have the equipment set up there, like the standard starter kit, and we are going to periodically go through a dry run of how to make a beer.” Poplar Creek Brewing will continue the beer-making process at the festival all the
way up to putting the yeast in the brew, but, because of government regulations, it will have to stop at that point. “We are also going to have some different grains up there that people can smell and check out,” Wohlstadter said. “That way, people can get an idea of what kind of flavor contributions go into homebrewing.” But if you’re not into making your own brew, Tip Top Taps, Columbia County’s newest growler store on Washington Road, will also have a booth available at the festival to educate the public about what it has to offer. “I will be at the festival to share our story about what we do,” said Tip Top Taps owner Marty Koger. “Many people still do not have a clue about what a growler shop is for.” Basically, growlers are jugs that can be filled with draught beer and transported to another location for consumption, he said. Traditional growlers hold 64 ounces of beer; whole howlers, or half growlers, hold 32 ounces. By purchasing craft beer in growlers, it allows customers to enjoy the taste of draught beer at home and it is a cost-effective way to experiment and share the many varieties of beer available, Koger said. “I also intend to promote my vapor business, Bel Air Vapors, at the festival,” Koger said. “So we will have devices and e-juices and batteries there available for sale.” Another point of interest at this year’s festival will be a booth set up by Riverwatch Brewery in Augusta. Just a few weeks ago, Riverwatch Brewery finally received all the state and federal licensing it needed to officially begin brewing beer in Augusta. It will be the city’s first locally owned and operated packaging brewery since the demise of the Augusta Brewing Company. Riverwatch Brewery is currently running a 20-barrel system and plans to offer a taproom to provide tastings.
“We can’t offer any beer at the festival, but we are going to have T-shirts and koozies available for people to purchase and we just want to get a chance to chat with people,” said Anne Sloan, director of sales and marketing for Riverwatch Brewery. “We haven’t had a chance to get out and talk to a large group of people yet about the brewery. And this festival seems like a great place to start.” Anne Sloan’s mother, Brey Sloan, is the head brewer and owner of Riverwatch Brewery and has been a homebrewer for more than 20 years. Now a retired Army colonel, Brey studied brewing technology at the World Brewing Academy, as well at the Siebel Institute in Chicago and Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany. Riverwatch Brewery plans to have four core brews, in addition to limited releases and experimental brews, according to its website. Ever since receiving the final state and federal licenses last week, Anne Sloan said the company has been extremely busy brewing. “It’s been an experience. We are doing a lot of beer brewing this week,” Anne Sloan said, laughing. “We have a launch party tentatively set for March 14 at Enterprise Mill, so we are moving forward and we are really excited. It is picking up speed really fast.” “We just can’t wait to get the public involved and promote the brewery at this festival,” she added. “We hope to see a lot of people out there.” ETCP SPring FEST Evans Towne Center Park Saturday, March 5 Noon-6 p.m. Free metrospirit.com
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WHAT’S UP
Together Again Calendar Music Listings
TOGETHER AGAIN
If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com. 3MARCH2016
OKAY, so it’s not like Tara Scheyer and Erin Jacobs are ever that far apart, but the two have been playing a lot of shows lately, whether it be with Snapdragon or Tara Scheyer and the Mud Puppy Band. This Saturday, March 5, however, offers a unique opportunity when two of Augusta’s favorite female musicians sit down, literally, for an intimate acoustic set at The Fox’s Lair. The cozy basement bar in Olde Town, with its brick walls, strings of lights and friendly bartenders, is the perfect spot for this early concert that starts at 8 p.m. and includes lots of banter between the artists and the audience. If you want a spot at a table or the bar, however, you’d better get there early.
THIS WEEK
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SUNDAY
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THURSDAY
It hasn’t even been two months since founding Eagles member Glenn Frey died, so the concert by 7 Bridges, an Eagles tribute band, should be an emotional experience for fans. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for this show and fans are encouraged to dress in ‘70s and ‘80s style. In honor of Frey, we expect to see lots of mustaches.
Take advantage of the mild weather and enjoy Sunday in the Park at Pendleton King at 3 p.m. The picnic with activities and live music from Christian Ndeti is $5 and free for children under 12. After all, it’ll only be comfortably warm for a couple more weeks.
Don’t feel bad about digging into the incredible spread that the Empty Bowl fundraiser puts out for diners. The money raised from tickets and the fantastic silent auction goes to the Augusta Jewish Community Center and Golden Harvest Food Bank.
Are you a budding entrepreneur? Even if you just like learning new things, head to TheClubhou.se downtown at noon for their Brown Bag Lunch ‘N Learn, an event featuring talks by consultants and other experts.
Don’t let that job search get you down. Instead, head to Goodwill’s The Job Connection for a bootcamp in the morning (or afternoon) that will prepare you for the job fair featuring dozens of employers that will be held that afternoon at The Snelling Center. You’re sure to be headed to a new job in no time.
For more information on these events, see our calendar of events on page 30.
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Morris Museum of Art Paper and book artists Doug Baulos, Kerri Cushman and Suzanne Sawyer discuss their pieces and the techniques they use. A reception will follow. Free. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
EDUCATION Sat Mar 5, 2016
7:30am - 3:30pm 18th Annual Impacting Student Learning Conference Augusta University College of Education The conference will present practical strategies for enhancing P-12 student learning. Topics include classroom management, integrating technology efficiently, differentiation, assessment, STEM, effective instructional strategies and parental engagement.$50; $25 for nonAugusta University students; free, Augusta University faculty and students, as well as faculty in schools in AU’s Partner School Network Districts. $7, optional box lunch. Visit augusta.edu.
11:30am, 12:30pm and 1:30pm A Petersburg Boat Pilot Augusta Museum of History Part of the Voices of the Past series of character monologues. Free with museum admission. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
3 Bridges 5K River Levee Trail, Milledge Road Saturday, March 5 9 a.m. $30 active.com
ARTS Thu Mar 3, 2016
9am - 5pm Horses in Motion Aiken Center for the Arts A five-day painting workshop led by awardwinning equestrian artist Booth Malone. $450 workshop fee includes admission to his March 1 lecture at the center. Call 803641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
11am - 1pm Hand-Building Pottery Attic Treasures, Harlem A six-session Harlem Arts Council class for adults that continues each Thursday through April 21. No experience necessary. $95. Call 706-394-4682 or email harlemartscouncil@gmail.com.
Fri Mar 4, 2016
9am - 5pm Horses in Motion Aiken Center for the Arts Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
Sat Mar 5, 2016
9am - noon Spring Fling
Mon Mar 7, 2016
3:30pm - 5pm Intermediate Spanish Aiken Center for the Arts An event in which participants can try up to three mini art classes for free. Classes include acrylic painting, watercolors, clay and alcohol inks. All supplies and light refreshments provided. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 803-641-9094 or email cathy.rumble@ aikencenterforthearts.org.
10am - 4pm Basket Weaving: Pine Needle Kroc Center A class for those ages 15 and up in which no previous experience is required and supplies are included. $50; pre-registration required. Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/kroc-center/.
10am - 2pm Crayon Batik Harrison Hall, Church of Our Savior An Artists Guild of Columbia County workshop for teens and adults of all skill levels in which participants will combine crayons, fabric, dye, wax and more to create fabric art. Led by Jane Waldrop. $50; all supplies provided. Participants should bring their own lunches. Register by calling 706-
294-2188 or visiting artistguildcc.org.
10am - 2pm Make It, Bake It, Take It: Part II
Friedman Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
Kroc Center A follow-up to the January 30 class in which students can glaze the work they previously made. Free. Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
Tue Mar 8, 2016
Mon Mar 7, 2016
Wed Mar 9, 2016
Attic Treasures, Harlem A two-session class for adults that continues Wednesday, March 9, from 1-2 p.m. Hypertufa is a unique, plant friendly medium created out of a blend of Portland cement, peat moss, perlite or vermiculite and water. This mixture is formed into a mold or built by hand. Once fully cured, it is weatherproof and should not crack during freezing temperatures. $30; pre-registration required. Call 706-231-7199 or email harlemartscouncil@gmail.com.
Columbia County Library A two-session class that concludes Wednesday, March 16. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
1pm - 2:30pm Hypertufa Planters 101
Thu Mar 10, 2016 6pm Art Now: Paper
2pm Computing for Beginners Diamond Lakes Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
10am - 3:30pm Computer Boot Camp
11:30am - 1:30pm Brown Bag History Series Lecture Augusta Museum of History Featuring the European Invasion, a talk by John G. McBrayer, director of Meadow Garden, about the English settlement in the CSRA. Participants should bring their own lunch and the museum will provide beverages. A Q&A session follows the lecture. Free, members; $3, nonmembers. Call 706-
If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com. 30 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
Noon - 1:30pm Brown Bag Lunch ‘N Learn TheClubhou.se An event featuring consultants and other experts who will provide information to budding entrepreneurs. Visit theclubhou.se.
3pm Beginner Spanish Aiken Public Library A class for adults. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Thu Mar 10, 2016
10am - noon Job Fair Boot Camp Goodwill’s The Job Connection Pre-registration required. Call 706-447-5195 or visit goodwillworks.org.
1pm - 4pm Goodwill Job Fair The Snelling Center Prospective employees can meet with employers including Ritz Carlton, Bridgestone, Sage Valley, Augusta Warrior Project, Columbia County Board of Education, Augusta Marriott, Urban Outfitters, Macuch Steel Products, Chick-fil-A, Augusta University Health, Teleperformance, Augusta National, Allgood Pest Solutions, T-Mobile and more. Call 706447-5195 or visit goodwillworks.org.
2pm - 4pm Job Fair Boot Camp Goodwill’s The Job Connection Pre-registration required. Call 706-447-5195 or visit goodwillworks.org.
3pm - 6pm Gadget Help with Alex Columbia County Library A drop-in class. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
6pm College Funding Columbia County Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-8631946, ext. 4, or visit gchrl.org.
The Kroc Center A class for those ages 18 and older that meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-noon. The class is free, but there is a charge for taking the GED exit exam. Preregistration required. Call 706-771-4131 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
Guided Tours 1797 Ezekiel Harris House Offered by appointment only MondayFriday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Last tours of the day begin at 4 p.m. Adults, $2; children, $1. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
North Augusta Driving Tour Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta Offered by appointment and includes a 3045 minute guided tour and admission to the center. Self-guided tours are also available through an iPhone downloadable audio tour or a Google Maps-based tour. Guided tours: $5, adults; $3, students K-12. Call 803-4414380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.
Tours Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Guided tours, approximately 45 minutes long, are offered Thursday-Saturday on the hour from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Group tours are available by advanced reservation. Adults, $5; seniors, $4; kids K-12, $3; under 5 years, free. Call 706-724-0436 or visit wilsonboyhoodhome.org.
Historic Trolley Tours of Augusta Augusta Visitors Center Tours aboard the Lady Libby available at the Augusta Visitors Center with 24-hour advanced reservations. Tickets include admission to the Augusta Museum of History. Call 706-724-4067 or visit visitaugusta.org.
ELSEWHERE Sat Mar 5, 2016
Ongoing
1pm Gallery Tour: REMIX: Themes and Variations in African-American Art
Columbia County Library Free weekly classes held Tuesdays at either 10:30 a.m. or 6 p.m. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
7pm In the Mix: From Vintage to Vogue
ESL Classes
Tutoring Augusta University Literacy Center One-on-one tutoring offered to all ages in all subjects and supervised by a certified teacher at all times. Available by appointment Monday-Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at the center at 1401 Magnolia Drive. Call 706-737-1625 or visit augusta.edu/ colleges/education/lcenter/.
GED Class 3MARCH2016
Columbia Museum of Art Free with admission. Call 803-799-2810 or visit columbiamuseum.org. Columbia Museum of Art A black-tie gala celebrating the spring exhibit REMIX: Themes and Variations in African-American Art that includes food, music, dancing, entertainment and more. $150. Visit columbiamuseum.org/gala.
Sun Mar 6, 2016
2pm Gallery Tour: Highlights of the CMA Collection Columbia Museum of Art Free with admission. Call 803-799-2810 or
visit columbiamuseum.org.
EXHIBITIONS Fri Mar 4, 2016
5pm - 9pm Civic Studies Opening The Clubhou.se The exhibition is a series of works by Jennie Fleming addressing community, along with the social, political and ecological dynamics that come along with living in our places. The exhibition shows March 4-April 27. Visit theclubhou.se.
6pm - 8pm Open Session and Michael Lee Exhibits Opening Reception Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta The Open Session exhibit features works created by more than 20 juried artists. The opening reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit shows until March 24. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.
Thu Mar 10, 2016
5pm - 7pm Lou Ann Zimmerman and Lala Mulherin Streett Exhibition Opening Reception Sacred Heart Cultural Center These local artists will exhibit their paintings March 10-April 29. The opening reception is free and open to the public. Call 706-8264700 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org.
Ongoing Exhibits
Aiken Center for the Arts Exhibits include Malaika Favorite, Sarah Hott, Dwight Rose, Saundra Smith and Lenny Wooden in the main galleries; Aiken Performing Arts Academy, Lloyd Kennedy Charter School, Arts Center Adult/Youth Students in the Brooks Gallery; and Bill LeMay in the Aiken Artist Guild Gallery. The exhibits show through March 12. Call 803641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
Exhibits Augusta Museum of History Includes the following: “The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown; “Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf”; “Augusta’s Story”; “A Community That Heals”; “Into the Interior: A History of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company”; “Local Legends”; “One Man, Two Ships: Lessons in History and Courage”; “A Quilt Journey”; and “Canteens to Combat Boots”. Call 706-7228454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
FLIX Sat Mar 5, 2016
3pm “Big Stone Gap” Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
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Mon Mar 7, 2016
6pm “Odyssey of Destiny” North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library The Aiken Connection Film Series begins with Brent Hoover of Hoover Studios, who will speak about this film before its viewing. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Wed Mar 9, 2016 4pm Family Movie
Diamond Lakes Branch Library Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Thu Mar 10, 2016
11am Thursday Movie Madness Diamond Lakes Branch Library Call for title and rating. Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
HEALTH Thu Mar 3, 2016
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 augustahealth.org/safekids.
Columbia County Sheriff’s Substation Appointment required. Call 706-541-3970 or visit augustahealth.org.
7pm Center for Women Tour
1:30pm - 3:30pm Look Good Feel Better
Doctors Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
Fri Mar 4, 2016
Child Safety Seat Inspections Safe Kids Office Appointment required. Call 706-721-7606 or visit augustahealth.org.
6:30pm - 9:30pm Weekend Childbirth Education Class University Hospital Class continues Saturday, March 5, from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Augusta University Cancer Center An American Cancer Society program that aims to help women in cancer treatment combat the appearance-related side effects of chemo and radiation. Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-0466 or visit augustahealth.org.
6:30pm - 9pm Childbirth Education Class Augusta University Medical Center A four-week class that meets Wednesdays through March 30. Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-2273 or visit augustahealth.org.
Thu Mar 10, 2016
5:45pm - 8pm Car Seat Class
Tue Mar 8, 2016
7:30pm Childbirth Tour AUHealth Call 706-721-2273 or visit augustahealth.org.
Wed Mar 9, 2016
Child Safety Seat Inspections
Safe Kids Office Pre-registration required. $10; car or booster seat provided to families who meet financial guidelines. Call 706-721-7606 or visit augustahealth.org.
7pm - 9:30pm Baby 101
Doctors Hospital An infant care and development class. Preregistration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
7pm - 9:30pm Women’s Center Tour University Hospital Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
HOBBIES Fri Mar 4, 2016
10am Genealogy 101 Columbia County Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-8631946, ext. 4, or visit gchrl.org.
Sat Mar 5, 2016
7am - 4pm Annual Camellia Show North Augusta Community Center Growers in the CSRA can enter camellia blooms from 7-10 a.m.; no entry fee. Show is open to public from noon to 4 p.m. and gardeners will be onhand to answer questions concerning camellias and camellia care. The event also includes a slide presentation on Historic Camellias of North Augusta. Call 803-278-1805 or email aikencamelliasociety@gmail.com.
Noon Saturday Chess Club Euchee Creek Branch Library An all ages program. Pre-registration required. Call 706-556-0594 or visit gchrl.org.
Wed Mar 9, 2016
Noon Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters 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.
Thu Mar 10, 2016
1pm Columbia County Genealogical Society Meeting Euchee Creek Branch Library For those of all abilities. Call 706-556-0594 or visit gchrl.org.
KIDS-TEENS Fri Mar 4, 2016 9:30am Kroc Tots
Tuesday’s Music Live with the Shtrykov-Tanaka Duo Saint Paul’s Church Tuesday, March 8 Noon 706-722-3463 tuesdaysmusiclive.com
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 2 Learn North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library A drop-in activity for young children. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
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North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library For those in grades 6-12, who are invited to talk about their favorite anime and manga, bring items to trade and more. Call 803-2795767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
6pm - 10pm Kids Night Out Kroc Center A drop-off program for kids that will include swimming, gym play, inflatables, arts and crafts projects and more. Swimsuit and towel required. Children 4 and younger will not swim. $15, members; $20, nonmembers. Call 706-922-1533 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
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; $5, nonmembers. Call 706-922-1533 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
weekly; $10, drop-in. Visit augustaga.gov.
4pm Beginner’s Guitar Class
Preschool Time
Columbia County Library A drop-in program for those ages 11-18. Up to six guitars are available to those who cannot bring their own. Pre-registration is required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
Columbia County Library For those ages 3-5. Meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
4pm Storytime in the Gardens
Sat Mar 5, 2016
11am What a Wonderful World Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
Sun Mar 6, 2016
2pm - 4pm Conservation Celebration Morris Museum of Art Part of the Artrageous! Family Sunday series, this event features David Burke from Georgia Reptile Adventures and sketching or painting by the river. Free. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org.
Mon Mar 7, 2016 4pm Makerspace
Columbia County Library Teens will have the opportunity to work on their own projects under staff guidance while using library equipment including CAD software, development software, a 3D scanner, a 3D printer, soldering equipment, and general electronics tools. Call 706-8681946 or visit gchrl.org.
5:30pm Super Novas Club: Water Filtration Experiments Euchee Creek Branch Library A club for those in second-fourth grades. Pre-registration required. Call 706-5560594 or visit gchrl.org.
5:30pm YA Craft Night Euchee Creek Branch Library For those ages 6-12, this event features an exploding box craft. Pre-registration required. Call 706-556-0594 or visit gchrl.org.
Tue Mar 8, 2016
10am - 11:30am Puddle Ducks: Kids & Caregivers Club Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Stories and hands-on fun. Free, members; $5, nonmembers. Call 706-396-1424 or email info@phinizycenter.org.
10:30am Toddler Tuesday Kroc Center 3MARCH2016
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.
4pm Tablet & eBook Class Diamond Lakes Branch Library Part of Teen Tech Week activities. Preregistration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Wed Mar 9, 2016
10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
4:30pm - 6pm 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.
Thu Mar 10, 2016
10am Explore Little St. Simons Island Morris Museum of Art Part of the Mommy and Me series for children and parents in which participants will view The Wild Treasury of Nature exhibit, then make a print inspired by the beach. Free, members; $4 per participants, non-members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-3867 or visit themorris.org.
4pm Lego Club Aiken Public Library For those in grades K-5. Legos provided. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Ongoing
Loud Crowd A supervised after-school program for those ages 4-12, is Monday Friday from 3-6 p.m. at the following community centers: Warren Road, Blythe, Garrett, Diamond Lakes and McBean. The program follows the Richmond County school calendar. $85, monthly; $25,
Toddler Time Columbia County Library For children ages 2-3. Meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:15 each week. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
of parenting style, religion or ethnicity. The group meets for a variety of activities and dues are $20 a year. Visit momsclubofgrovetown.weebly.com.
Mothers of Advanced Maternal Age A group for women with children who are age 35 years or older. Call 706-394-1293 or email hoopnhollar2@yahoo.com.
Homeschool PE Time
Columbia County Library Meets Tuesdays at either 10:15 a.m. or 11 a.m. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
The Kroc Center For kids ages 5-12 and meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30 a.m. Members, free; nonmembers, $2 per visit. Activity follows the Richmond County school calendar. Call 706-364-5762 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/kroc-center/.
Afternoon Adventures
Youth Advisory Board Members
Columbia County Library Stories, songs, dancing, crafts and more for all ages of children. Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
The city of Aiken needs board members in grades 7-12 to help develop youth programs. The board meets once a month at the SmithHazel Recreation Center. Call 803-642-7634.
Baby and Me
Baby & Me Euchee Creek Branch Library A class for those under 2 years and their parents that meets each Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Call 706-556-0594 or visit gchrl.org.
Child Enrichment Euchee Creek Branch Library Stories, songs, dancing, crafts and more for all ages that meets Tuesdays at 4:15 p.m. and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Call 706-5560594 or visit gchrl.org.
Child Enrichment Harlem Branch Library Stories, songs, dancing and crafts for all ages every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Call 706556-9795 or visit gchrl.org.
Story Times North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Toddler story time is each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., while pre-k story time is at 11:15 a.m. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Story Times Aiken Public Library Baby story time is each Friday at 10:15 a.m., toddler story time is each Friday at 11 a.m. and preschool story time is each Friday at 11:45 a.m. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Moms Club of Augusta A nonprofit group that has weekly playgroups and other activities for stayat-home moms. For more information, visit momsclubaugusta.org.
Moms Club of Grovetown A group that accepts any mom who stays at home with her children regardless
After-School Program Smith-Hazel Recreation Center, Aiken A program for those ages 5-13 that includes homework help, games, snacks and more. It meets Monday-Friday from 2-5 p.m. and follows the Aiken County Public School calendar. Call 803-648-3197.
Toddler Time Weeks Center A weekly program for those ages 5 and under, accompanied by a parent. It meets Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Call 803-642-7631.
LITERARY Sat Mar 5, 2016
10am - 4:30pm Augusta Literary Festival Headquarters Branch Library This free event features author panel discussions, book signing and writing workshops. Highlights include a book chat with New York Times best-selling author CJ Lyons at 1 p.m. For more information, visit augustaliteraryfestival.org.
MUSIC Thu Mar 3, 2016
7:30pm Women of Ireland Jabez S. Hardin PAC An Augusta Amusements event. $37.50. Call 706-726-0366 or visit augustaamusements.com.
Sat Mar 5, 2016
1pm Creative Impressions Augusta Museum of History Rotunda Free. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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7:30pm Prism Saxophone Quartet Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center Part of Symphony Orchestra Augusta’s Columbia County Music Series. $15.74. Call 706-826-4705 or visit soaugusta.org.
Sun Mar 6, 2016
Tue Mar 8, 2016
1:30pm - 3:30pm AARP Class Kroc Center A class that focuses on health insurance, life insurance and retirement. Call 706-3645762 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/ kroc-center/.
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.
Thu Mar 10, 2016
3pm The Crystal Trio
Ongoing
Saint John United Methodist Church Part of the Concerts with a Cause series, this one benefiting SafeHomes of Augusta and featuring three Russian classical musicians performing on glass instruments. Call 706724-9641 or visit stjohnaugusta.org.
4pm Joye in Aiken Sacred Heart Cultural Center Featuring Juilliard organist and Grammy winner Paul Jacobs. $30; $10, students. Call 706-826-4700 or visit joyeinaiken.com.
Tue Mar 8, 2016
Noon Tuesday’s Music Live Saint Paul’s Church Features The Shtrykov-Tanaka Duo. Lunch afterwards requires advance reservations. Call 706-722-3463 or visit tuesdaysmusiclive.com.
6:30pm Pre-LGPE Concert Davidson Fine Arts School the concert features all members of the Davidson Orchestra. Some of the works played include Mozart, Mackey, Williams, Rimsky-Korsakov and Beethoven. This concert is in preparation for the orchestra’s educational evaluation later in March. $5. Visit rcboe.org/davidson.
Ongoing
The 8th Annual Joye in Aiken Performing Arts Festival Various locations, Aiken Juilliard students, faculty and alumni will visit Aiken March 5-12 for a number of different classes and performances. For more information, visit joyeinaiken.com.
SENIORS Thu Mar 3, 2016
2pm - 3:30pm Beginning Senior Computer Class Kroc Center A three-session class that continues Thursdays, March 10 and 17. For ages 62 and older; pre-registration required. Call 706-9220171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
11am - 1pm Medicare and You Kroc Center Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
AARP Tax Aide Kroc Center Helping for seniors in filing out tax returns will be available Tuesdays and Saturdays through April 12, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., as well as Thursday, April 14, and Friday, April 15, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Call 706-364-5762 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/kroc-center/.
AARP Tax Help Columbia County Library Help provided on a first-come, first served basis Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
AARP Tax Help Euchee Creek Branch Library Help offered on a first come, first served basis every Monday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Call 706-556-0594 or visit gchrl.org.
Senior Citizens Club Smith-Hazel Recreation Center Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-noon. Call 803-642-7634.
Silversneakers H.O. Weeks Center Silversneakers Classic Classes offered Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 a.m. and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 11:15 a.m., while Silversneakers Yoga is offered Mondays and Wednesdays at 11:15 a.m. at the Weeks Center in Aiken. $27, members; $52, nonmembers. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
Games for Seniors H.O. Weeks Center Include Mahjong each Thursday from 1-4 p.m., Bridge each Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Bingo each Tuesday 9-10 a.m., Pinochle each Tuesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Canasta on Tuesdays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and on Fridays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; and board games on Thursdays from 5-9 p.m. Call 803642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
Senior Basketball H.O. Weeks Center
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Leagues for those ages 50 and up. Practice is held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
SPECIAL EVENTS Thu Mar 3, 2016
8am - 6pm Auto Auction Preview Days Salvation Army, 1384 Greene Street Customers can view the inventory for the auction, which will be held Saturday, March 5, as well as look under the hood and start the vehicles. Call 706-826-7933 or visit salvationarmycars.com.
5pm - 8pm First Thursday Shops of Midtown, Kings Way This event features discounts in the shops, hors d’oeuvres and more. The featured organization is Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services, Chase Lanier is the artist of the month and Rick McKee will sign copies of his book, “Painting with a Broad Brush.” Call 706-733-1788.
Fri Mar 4, 2016
8am - 6pm Auto Auction Preview Days Salvation Army, 1384 Greene Street Customers can view the inventory for the auction, which will be held Saturday, March 5, as well as look under the hood and start the vehicles. Call 706-826-7933 or visit salvationarmycars.com.
5pm - 9pm First Friday Downtown Augusta A family friendly arts event that includes musicians, dancers, artists and other vendors. Visit artistsrowaugusta.com.
5pm - 9pm Live From Downtown 600 Broad Street A monthly First Friday event presented by the Augusta Regional Collaboration that features live music, art, food and more. Visit facebook.com/600Broad.
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.
5pm - 8pm Wine Tasting Wine World A drop-in First Friday event. $5; $3 rebate upon purchase of a bottle of one of the featured wines. Call 803-279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com.
5:30pm Mega Yard Sale Pre-Sale The Edge at Warren Baptist Church Sale includes furniture, books, media, electronics, housewares, appliances, clothing, jewelry, sports/exercise equipment and more. $5 minimum entrance donation.
Call 706-922-7051 or visit warrenbaptist.org.
7pm - 10pm Attic Sale Preview Party Augusta Exchange Club Fairgrounds An event that includes dinner, live music, raffles and a change to see and purchase attic sale merchandise before the sale on Saturday. $20. Call 706-736-0033 or visit jlaugusta.org.
7pm - 11pm Morris Gala Morris Museum of Art A black-tie event featuring food, live entertainment, dancing, raffles and more. For ticket information, call 706-828-3825 or visit themorris.org.
Sat Mar 5, 2016
7am - 2pm Attic Sale Augusta Exchange Club Fairgrounds A sale of gently used items, including household goods, clothing, furniture, electronics, appliances, books, toys and more. A community health fair will be held at the same time. Call 706-736-0033 or visit jlaugusta.org.
7am - noon Mega Yard Sale The Edge at Warren Baptist Church Sale includes furniture, books, media, electronics, housewares, appliances, clothing, jewelry, sports/exercise equipment and more. Free admission. Call 706-922-7051 or visit warrenbaptist.org.
8am - noon Auto Auction Salvation Army, 1384 Greene Street Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the auction begins at 10 a.m. Call 706-826-7933 or visit salvationarmycars.com.
10am - 2pm First Saturday Sale When Help Can’t Wait The Classy Closet Boutique will offer women’s designer label clothing and accessories at bargain prices, along with some men’s clothing and home decor items. All proceeds benefit the nursing home program of When Help Can’t Wait. Call 706855-0715 or visit whenhelpcantwait.com.
11am - 1pm Roads n’ Rails Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum A first Saturday event featuring railroad songs and country music from Roads n’ Rails (Songs n’ Tales). Call 803-293-7846.
6pm - 10pm Annual Heritage Gala Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History An event that starts with a reception, then continues with dinner at 7 p.m. and keynote speaker Dr. Bobby Donaldson. $75; RSVP required. Call 706-724-3576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.
6pm - 11pm Mardi Gras Auction Our Lady of Peace School, North Augusta 3MARCH2016
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An adults-only event that features silent and live auctions of items including Disney one-day hopper passes, gift cards and more, heavy hors d’oeuvres, beverages and live music by Ryan Abel, Michael Vincent Baideme and Phillip Lee Jr. $20, advance; $30, door. Call 803-279-8396, ext. 100.
Sun Mar 6, 2016
11am - 2:30pm Empty Bowl Legends Club An all-you-can eat soup, bread and dessert buffet, this event also includes silent auctions, children’s story time and activities and a ceramic bowl for each participant to take home. Proceeds benefit the Augusta Jewish Community Center and Golden Harvest Food Bank. Advance ticket: $20 for adults and $5 for kids. At the door they’re $25 and $7.50. Visit emptybowlcsra.org.
3pm Sunday in the Park Pendleton King Park A picnic with activities and live music from Christian Ndeti. $5; free, children under 12. Visit pendletonkingpark.com.
Makerspace Columbia County Library Monday, March 7 4 p.m. 706-868-1946 gchrl.org
Wed Mar 9, 2016
6pm - 9pm Wine Tastings Rose Hill Estate, Aiken Weekly featured wines will be paired with house-made hors d’oeuvres. Call 803-6481181 or visit rosehillestate.com.
Thu Mar 10, 2016
7pm Purses for Purpose The Richmond on Greene A handbag auction event that will benefit the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. The event will also feature live music, a silent auction, door prizes, hors d’oeuvres, wine and more. $50. Call 706-836-3058 or visit jessyenormanschool.org.
SPORTS-OUTDOORS Thu Mar 3, 2016
5pm Crappie USA Pre-Tournament Sign in and Seminar Patriots Park Gym Open to the public. Visit crappieusa.com.
Fri Mar 4, 2016
Crappie USA Tournament Clarks Hill Lake For amateurs and professionals, as well as kayak anglers. Weigh Ins will be held at 3 p.m. each day at Wildwood Park. Visit crappieusa.com.
Sat Mar 5, 2016
Crappie USA Tournament Clarks Hill Lake For amateurs and professionals, as well as kayak anglers. Weigh Ins will be held at 3 p.m. each day at Wildwood Park. Visit 3MARCH2016
crappieusa.com.
8am - 2pm American Heart Association Heart Walk 2016 North Augusta Greeneway Activities begin at 8 a.m. and the walk kicks off at 9 a.m. Visit augustahealth.org/heartwalk.
9am 3 Bridges 5K Lake Olmstead Trailhead, Milledge Road A race on the new River Levee Trail. $30. Visit active.com.
9am - 10am Crappie USA Kids Rodeo Wildwood Park Sign up for this free event for children 12 and under begins at 8 a.m. Visit crappieusa.com.
9:30am - 11:30am Swamp Saturday Hike Phinizy Swamp Nature Park A guided, 2.5-mile hike. This month’s event features the Walk Your Pet Hike, in which pets can participate. Dogs should be on a leash and participants should bring pet waste disposal bags with them. Free, members; $2, non-members. Preregistration required. Call 706-828-2109 or visit phinizycenter.org.
10am - 12:30pm Hike and Craft Mistletoe State Park A naturalist-led hike of about one hour, followed by a craft time. $2, craft; $5, parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Mon Mar 7, 2016
6:30pm - 9:30pm Roller Derby Recruitment Night 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.
Wed Mar 9, 2016
7pm The Harlem Globetrotters USC Aiken Convocation Center $26.50-$94.50. Call 803-643-6901 or visit uscatix.com.
Ongoing
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 Winter Season hours, through March, include Heritage Boat Tours at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. The Civil War boat tour is daily at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $13.75 for adults and $11.75 for seniors, military and students. All tickets include admission to the Canal Discovery Center, which costs $6 for adults and $4 for seniors, military and students without a boat tour. Pre-registration encouraged. Call 706-8230440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
Fencing Classes
Guided Trail Rides
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.
Hilltop Riding Stables Available Saturdays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Sundays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon; and WednesdayFriday at 11 a.m. with reservations 24 hours in advance. All trail rides are on a first-come, first-served basis, and participants should arrive 30 minutes prior to the trail ride starting for sign in procedures. Call 706-7914864 or visit fortgordon.com.
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
South Atlantic Recreation Club Offers kickball, flag football and bowling leagues. For more information, visit sarcaugusta.com.
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 35
V27|NO9
The Augusta Furies Women’s Rugby Football Club Club practices 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Julian Smith Casino for players 18 and up. Email augusta.furies@ gmail.com or visit augustafuries.org.
Augusta Disc Golf Leagues Meet Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Riverview Park in North Augusta and Mondays at 6 p.m. at Lake Olmstead. Entry fee for each, $5; ace pool, $1. Call 803-215-8181 (North Augusta), 706-833-4263 (Lake Olmstead) or visit augustadiscgolf.com.
SUPPORT Thu Mar 3, 2016
10am Alzheimer’s Association Support Group Kroc Center Pre-registration required. Call 706-860-5233.
Mon Mar 7, 2016
6:30pm Pink Pistols Meeting
Attic Sale Augusta Exchange Club Fairgrounds Preview Party: Friday, March 4, from 7-10 p.m. Sale: Saturday, March 5, from 7 a.m.2 p.m. $20 (preview party) 706-736-0033 jlaugusta.org
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 Mar 8, 2016
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. Call 706-721-8283 or visit augustahealth.org.
7pm Alzheimer’s Support Group Alzheimer’s Association Chapter Building Call 706-731-9060.
7pm OB/GYN Cancer Support Group
meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. The meetings last two hours and childcare is provided. Pre-registration suggested. Visit cr@journeycommunity.net.
Call 706-821-2944.
Write to Heal Creative Writing Program
Thu Mar 10, 2016
Children’s Hospital of Georgia For patients, family members and caregivers, this program meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Preregistration required. Call 706-721-5160 or email nawilliams@gru.edu.
12:30pm Breast Cancer Support Group AU Cancer Center Call 706-721-1560 or visit augusta.edu.
Ongoing
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.
Celebrate Recovery Journey Community Church This Christ-centered recovery program 36 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Overeaters Anonymous Meets at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Unity Church, and at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 706-863-9534 or email oa.augusta.recovery@gmail.com.
Adult Sexual Assault and Rape Support Group Provides group counseling at University Hospital for those who have experienced sexual assault, incest, rape or childhood sexual abuse. Call 706-724-5200 or visit universityhealth.org.
Alcoholics Anonymous Holds several meetings locally. For a current
schedule, visit augustaaa.org/meetings.pdf.
Narcotics Anonymous Trinity Hospital of Augusta Meets Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Visit na.org.
Beyond the Bars A support group for those with incarcerated loved ones. Call 706-855-8636.
Families Who Have Lost a Baby Support Group For more information, call 706-721-8299 or visit grhealth.org.
THEATER Fri Mar 4, 2016
7pm “At the Last Supper” Kroc Center An Enopion Theatre Company original musical production. $16; $12, seniors, children and groups of 10 or more. Call 706771-7777 or visit enopion.com.
7pm “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” North Augusta High School Auditorium Hosted by the North Augusta Cultural Arts Council. $15. Visit naartscouncil.org.
Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre Dinner begins at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. $48, civilians; $45, seniors, retirees, DA civilians, active-duty E7 and above; $35, active-duty E6 and below, students; $28, show only. Call 706-793-8552 or visit fortgordon.com.
8pm xTreme Theatre Games Le Chat Noir First Friday improv comedy by Schrodinger’s Cat. $10, advance; $12, door (if available). Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
10pm Sloppy Seconds Le Chat Noir First Friday improv comedy by Schrodinger’s Cat. $5. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
Sat Mar 5, 2016
2:30pm “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” North Augusta High School Auditorium $15. Visit naartscouncil.org.
3pm “At the Last Supper” Kroc Center $16; $12, seniors, children and groups of 10 or more. Call 706-771-7777 or visit enopion.com.
7pm “The Drowsy Chaperone” 3MARCH2016
V27|NO9
7pm “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
Thu Mar 10, 2016
North Augusta High School Auditorium $15. Visit naartscouncil.org.
Kroc Center $16; $12, seniors, children and groups of 10 or more. Call 706-771-7777 or visit enopion. com.
7pm “The Drowsy Chaperone” Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre $48, civilians; $45, seniors, retirees, DA civilians, active-duty E7 and above; $35, active-duty E6 and below, students; $28, show only. Call 706793-8552 or visit fortgordon.com.
Sun Mar 6, 2016
2:30pm “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” North Augusta High School Auditorium $15. Visit naartscouncil.org.
7pm “At the Last Supper”
7pm “The Drowsy Chaperone” Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre” $48, civilians; $45, seniors, retirees, DA civilians, active-duty E7 and above; $35, active-duty E6 and below, students; $28, show only. Call 706-793-8552 or visit fortgordon.com.
VOLUNTEER Ongoing
Senior Companions Needed Senior Citizens Council The council is seeking those ages 55 and older who can serve 20 hours a week with a special needs adult. Benefits include stipend, travel reimbursement and annual physical. For more information, call 706-868-0120.
V27|NO9
The Willcox (Aiken) - Jon Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke 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 The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke w/ Denny van Valkenburgh
Sunday, March 6 Live Music
Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Brunch w/ Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia Wild Wing - Sabo & Dave The Willcox (Aiken) - Jon Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane
Monday, March 7 Live Music
Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Blues Monday w/ Famous Last Words
What’s Tonight?
Joe’s Underground - Poker Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - World Tavern Poker Wild Wing - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper
Tuesday, March 8 Live Music
Joe’s Underground - Open Mic The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck
Lecrae’s Higher Learning Tour Bell Auditorium Friday, March 4 7:30 p.m. $15-$34; $75, VIP Experience 877-4AUGTIX georgialinatix.com Thursday, March 3 Live Music
Sky City - Copious Jones Stillwater Taproom - Red Valley Flyers Tin Lizzy’s - Spencer Rush Wild Wing - Sabo & Reid The Willcox (Aiken) - Jazz
What’s Tonight?
Andrew’s Place - Karaoke with April Powell 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 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
38 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
What’s Tonight?
Bar West - Trivia The Cotton Patch - Trivia Limelite Cafe - Bottom’s Up Karaoke Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Big Prize Trivia; Poker for Fun Twisted Burrito - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Somewhere in Augusta - Karaoke That Place - Open Mic Spoken Word, Poetry, Prose and Singer/Songwriters
Friday, March 4 Live Music
The Backyard Tavern - Thick as Thieves Bell Auditorium - Lecrae Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - Radio Romance The Highlander (North Augusta) - Happy Bones Iron Heights - Awake at Last, My Brother’s Keeper, East From West, Similiar Odds Jabez Hardin PAC - 7 Bridges (Eagles Tribute) Playoffs (Aiken) - Anybody’s Guess Polo Tavern (Aiken) - The Phun Pharm Band Red Pepper (Aiken) - Sherry Iles, Lo Down Brown Rose Hill Estate (Aiken) - Jazz w/ Jimmy “Doc” Easton Shannon’s - Preston and Weston Somewhere in Augusta - Live Music Tin Lizzy’s - Lundy Whole Foods - @ the Turn w/ Live Music
Wild Wing - Southpaw
What’s Tonight?
Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke w/ Denny van Valkenburgh
Saturday, March 5 Live Music
Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - Holland Marie Evans Towne Center Park - Springfest w/ the Robbie Ducy Band, the Mason Jars Fox’s Lair - Tara Scheyer and Eric Jacobs Iron Heights - Solemn Vow, Faces Unturned, Redefined, Last Legacy, Kill the Host, Occido Shannon’s - Terence Lonon and the Untouchables Sky City - Scarlet Begonias, the Bitteroots Somewhere in Augusta - Live Music Surrey Tavern - Kenny George Band, Nick Clyburn Band That Place - Cusions and Caffeine w/ Live Music (2-4 p.m.) Wild Wing - Black Cat Sunshine
Wednesday, March 9 Live Music
The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Mike and Walter Wild Wing - Jason Marcum
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 Three Dollar Lounge - World Poker Tournament
3MARCH2016
V27|NO9
Upcoming Michael Baideme
- Stillwater Taproom March 10 The Mason Jars
- Stillwater Taproom March 11
BooHoo Ramblers, Georgia-Lina Boys, the Mason Jars, Muddy Johnson, Delta Cane
Joan Baez
- Evans Towne Center Park May 27-28
Vance Joy
Alabama, The Charlie Daniels Band
- James Brown Arena June 3
- Symphony Hall, Atlanta March 17 - The Tabernacle, Atlanta March 19 Joe Satriani
- Symphony Hall, Atlanta March 23
Boyz II Men, All-4-One
- Bell Auditorium March 13
Elsewhere
Funk You’s St. Patrick’s Day Party
CeeLo Green
- Variety Playhouse, Atlanta March 25
- Sky City March 17
- Terminal West, Atlanta March 3
Third Eye Blind
Travis Tritt
Indigo Girls
- Georgia Theatre, Athens March 25-26
- Imperial Theatre March 19
- Symphony Hall, Atlanta March 4
Dwight Yoakam
Delta Cane
Dropkick Murphys, Tiger Army, Darkbuster
- Stillwater Taproom March 19
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta March 5
- Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah March 31
The Major Rager w/ Umphrey’s McGee, the Revivalists, Earphunk and Tauk
Wolfmother
America
- Center Stage, Atlanta March 7
- Symphony Hall, Atlanta April 1
- Augusta Common April 7
AC/DC
G Love & Special Sauce
Widespread Panic
- Philips Arena, Atlanta March 8
- Variety Plahouse, Atlanta April 1
- James Brown Arena April 19
Adam Lambert
Paula Poundstone
The Werks, CBDB
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta March 8
- Variety Playhouse, Atlanta April 2
- Sky City April 19
Rihanna, Travis Scott
Mike Epps
The Oh Hellos, The Collection
- Philips Arena, Atlanta March 9
- Philips Arena, Atlanta April 2
- Sky City April 22
X Ambassadors
Belinda Carlisle, Gabe Lopez
Rascal Flatts, Jana Kramer
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta March 11
- James Brown Arena April 23
Moody Blues
Amy Grant, Nicole Nordeman, Ellie Holcomb
- Fox Theatre, Atlanta March 12
- USCA Convocation Center April 30
- Center Stage, Atlanta April 2 Ry Cooder, Sharon White, Ricky Skaggs - Center Stage, Atlanta April 3
Village People
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings
Merle Haggard, Jason Isbell
- Anderson Theater, Marietta March 13
- Bell Auditorium May 17
Coheed and Cambria
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 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,
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta March 14
- Lucas Theatre for the Arts, Savannah April 4
Gordon Lightfoot
- Symphony Hall, Atlanta March 15 Fetty Wap, Post Malone
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta March 15 Elton John
- Civic Center, Columbus March 16
Yacht Rock Revue
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
Try FREE: 706-434-0108 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000 Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+
Fool’s Paradise w/ Lettuce, Griz, Chris Robinson’s Soul Revue, Vulfpeck, The Nth Power, Goldfish
- St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, Fla., April 1-2 Meet sexy new friends
FREE TRIAL
706-434-0112
V27|NO9
SIGHTINGS
Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Stephanie Haley, Kathy Mills, Amanda Justice and Jessica Stewart at the Pizza Joint downtown.
Wesley Barney, Sarah Fletcher and Paul Marsh at the Pizza Joint downtown.
Donna Harding, Jessica Kendall, Dana Spencer and Melissa Mitchell at the Pizza Joint downtown.
Emily Bryan, Courtney Merritt, Rachel Norris and Serena Spence at Farmhaus.
Addie Storzier, singer/songwriter McKenna Hydrick, Joanne Martin and Stephanie Henderson at Hydrick’s EP release concert at the Country Club.
Joe and Jodi Huff with Fran and Herb Upton at the Miller Theater’s 76th birthday celebration at the Emporium Building.
Levi Hill, Anne Catherine Murray, Beverly Smith and Phil Caldwell at the Miller Theater’s 76th birthday celebration at the Emporium Building.
Tommy Wafford, Ashley Easterlin and Daniel Beaufort at the Miller Theater’s 76th birthday celebration at the Emporium Building.
Emily Azar, Kaitlin Gilhan and Courtney Johnson at Craft & Vine.
40 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
3MARCH2016
Speed up your operations without adding more stuff. You don’t need a room full of oversized, outdated gear to run your operation efficiently. At CMA Technology, we can consolidate and save you valuable time and space.
Contact us for Cloud Computing, Telephone Systems, Disaster Recovery and Network Management.
(706) 860-1997
| cmaaugusta.com
V27|NO9
AWESOME! By Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Harmful aspects 6 Go long 13 Surveillance equipment 20 Balloon 21 Shakespeare character who says, “Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies; good night, good night” 22 “Wet look” product 23 Burlesque theater? 25 Make amends for 26 Bathed in the sun 27 Toothy turner 29 Exceeded a limit 30 Group engagement 31 Moviegoers who can’t afford concession-stand snacks? 37 Killers at sea 40 Prepared for takeoff 41 Class with derivatives, briefly 42 Bad kid’s Christmas tree? 44 Loses 49 Old Testament prophet 50 Page views? 51 “Eldorado” poet 52 Political opponent of Ike 53 Guy Fawkes Day mo. 54 Brother, in Brittany 55 Like many food-drive offerings 58 Showing signs of age 59 Utilized 61 Sealant used by NASA? 63 Viscount’s inferior 65 “Quit talking!” 66 Centurion weapon 67 B-roll from “Splendor in the Grass”? 70 Formal 73 It’s divided into nine circles 74 Shutterbugs’ settings 75 2014 Cooperstown inductee Joe 78 Certain H&R Block worker 79 DuPont creation of 1941 81 Creator of plot holes? 82 Ardent lover 83 Can of worms? 84 Broke up 87 Owners of large enthusiastic dogs? 89 Cooler unit 90 Kicks off 91 Sustains 92 Writing implement from Planters?
1
97 ____-repeated 98 Lover of Radames, in opera 99 Feature of the Tokyo Imperial Palace 100 Greenland natives 103 Carol Brady on “The Brady Bunch,” e.g. 106 Supporting actors in a Bea Arthur sitcom? 112 Up on deck 113 Legendary lover of Abelard 114 Blake who composed “I’m Just Wild About Harry” 115 Crossed the sill 116 Border disputer with Ethiopia 117 Works as a trader
40 Do data entry 43 Roughly removed 44 Common pay period 45 Program with plugs 46 Heavenly painting? 47 Viscount’s superior 48 Deteriorate 51 Comma, to an orator 54 Food sticker 55 Finishes all at once, in a way 56 Some people movers 57 One on the web at daybreak? 60 Strong punch 61 Figure 62 Geological sample 64 Inclusions in safer passwords: Abbr. DOWN 65 Rose 1 Regression 67 Like Derby entrants 2 Wallachian prince who inspired 68 Garr of “Tootsie” “Dracula” 69 Game with a 64-square board 3 “The Bridges of Madison County” 71 Tanker mishap setting 72 Eastwood’s role on “Rawhide” 4 Her fans are called Little Monsters 75 Specifically 5 Smart 76 Augural observations 6 Drubbing 77 Johnny Bench’s team 7 Longtime employer of Helen Thomas, 80 Guitar part in brief 82 Classico competitor 8 Rangers’ org. 83 Posh shop 9 Was in charge 85 Flag thrower 10 Fight of the Century loser 86 Hung out with the riffraff 11 Egocentric tyrant 87 Gift that may be gold-plated 12 Fired up 88 Gave off 13 Ones helping people up? 90 Rub the wrong way 14 “____ vobiscum” (Mass salutation) 92 Social stratum 15 Toy dog’s bark 93 Make advances toward 16 Like iceberg lettuce 94 No slouch 17 Visibly amazed 95 Instance of forgetfulness 18 Word with parking or postage 96 Pool-cue-maker’s tool 19 What the Olympic sport of skeleton 97 Vowel’s value in Scrabble involves 100 Impression 24 Highly successful 101 Bass instrument 28 Like the Mesopotamian people 102 Set ____ (embark) 31 Writing assignment 104 I.S.S. forerunner 32 Ethylene ____ 105 Pindaric composition 33 Tailor’s supply 107 New Haven student 34 Community leader? 108 Vocabulaire entry 35 Bernina, for one 109 Intangible quality 36 One of the so-called “Public Ivies” 110 Expend 37 Nonstop 111 ____ Peres (St. Louis suburb) 38 Shower accessory 39 Trick questions, e.g.
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PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWERS LOVE M E D O
B A R I C U N A P T G E T S A R V A A B A S E D N O M A S Z O O M B A L U M L C A N Y O U T C M R E S A N D I S T H I S N E O N A T LOVE T A K E S
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T O U G H
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A L LOVE C E O H T I M E T O U I N L E T A C R E A M L R A I S E L O G L E S Y N E A R S
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R B O A A B L W I D A Y C A A B R R E D T E S LOVE T O N R S I S A G LOVE L E S T A R O R S I R W A R A N A V G T E L E T E D O
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I T H LOVE B I A N A R R E A B S D O T E R S
V27|NO9
THE EIGHT
BOX TOPS “Deadpool” continues to kill the competition. RANK
TITLES
WEEKEND GROSS
TOTAL GROSS
WEEK #
LAST WEEK
1
DEADPOOL
$31,115,195
$285,254,204
3
1
2
GODS OF EGYPT
$14,123,903
$14,123,903
1
-
3
KUNG FU PANDA 3
$8,898,439
$128,353,798
5
2
4
RISEN
$6,815,021
$22,518,768
2
3
5
TRIPLE 9
$6,109,085
$6,109,085
1
-
In Theaters March 4
ACTION
“London Has Fallen,” rated R, starring Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Aaron Eckhart. Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Butler) is back, this time on assignment in London for the prime minister’s funeral. While there, he, of course, discovers a plot to assassinate the attending world leaders and must singlehandedly stop it.
44 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
HORROR
“The Other Side of the Door,” rated R, starring Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto. Hopefully the mother Sarah Wayne Callies plays in this movie, about a woman who learns of a way to say a final goodbye to her dead son, won’t be hated nearly as much as the one she played in “The Walking Dead” was.
COMEDY
“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” rated R, starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman. Upheaval in her personal life leads journalist Kim (Fey) to make some drastic changes and head to Afghanistan and Pakistan to cover stories there. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, or at least the first letter of each of those words, is probably what she said to herself as soon as she got off the plane.
FAMILY
“Zootopia,” rated PG, starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Tommy Chong, Shakira. In a world filled with animals instead of people, a bunny and a fox find they must work together to solve a mystery.
3MARCH2016
V27|NO9
Getting Away with Murder, and Looking Good I have to hand it to Media General, the parent company of Augusta’s WJBF-TV, Channel 6. They appear to have pulled off one of the sneakiest media maneuvers ever made in the Augusta market, while making their innocent competitors look like schmucks in the process. While the evil spirit of Simon Legree may be somewhere laughing down at the complicated, local mess that has been created for some damn fine professional media people, I have to warn the Media General bosses to be careful: God don’t like ugly and karma can be a real bitch. Of course all this is about Schurz Communications, the parent company of market’s NBC affiliate, WAGT-Channel 26, selling out lock, stock and barrel to Gray Television, which happens to own, among many other stations nationwide, Augusta’s own WRDW-TV Channel 12. Schurz is getting out of the TV business. In Augusta, they got out of it a long time ago, opting to turn control of Channel 26 over to Media General, via a “lease management agreement.” When Schurz sold out nationwide, there was likely little thought given to the situation in the Augusta market, or the real human beings whose lives were going to be impacted. Full disclosure here... many of those “impacted lives” belong to people I know and love dearly. NBC26 morning anchor Barclay Bishop has been a guest in my home regularly for many years, and my family has stayed at her family home in Pittsburgh several times. Channel 12’s morning anchor Meredith Anderson has worked closely with me to raise funds for local arts groups over the last four years, and we have more projects planned in the future. Chris Kane (Channel 6), Richard Rogers (Channel 12), Jennie Montgomery (Channel 6), Dana Lynn McIntyre (Channel 12) and Jay Jefferies (Channel 26) are all old friends of long standing, and I know and appreciate their work immensely. Channel 12’s Operations Manager and News Director Estelle Parsley is one of the best and smartest news executives I ever had the pleasure to work with. There is not a finer human on the planet. Mark Rosen, the news director at Channel 26, may be one of the most popular bosses in the history of local media. The people who have worked for him would slay dragons for that guy. He is loyal to the bone. So with all these fantastic people, and amazing journalists, why is there so much mystery surrounding how and why the 26 crew disappeared a few weeks ago when the Gray acquisition was finalized, and why has an incredibly misleading narrative been allowed to stand? Two words: pending litigation. Let me take you to the Facebook statement of former Augusta Chamber of Commerce President Ed Presnell the day we all tuned in to see Channel 26’s morning news team replaced with a Channel 12 news simulcast: ”In case you haven’t noticed, WAGT doesn’t feature the normal team... the acquisition/takeover by CH 12 parent company has now become reality. Opinions are a freedom we enjoy as Americans and right now my opinion of this talent change is a huge mistake!!! It is an unprecedented abomination of TV warfare in the Augusta market! The employee reference in their FB statement is an insult to the integrity of many people whose professional careers and livelihoods have been abruptly interrupted by this transaction!!! To operate two major networks via simulcast is no different than another network in this market being produced out of Savannah. Of course, this is business and it’s their bat and their ball. However, unless I’m missing something, it is bush league baseball in a major league city.....Ch 12, if your phone isn’t ringing, it’s me. Quasi Channel 26, if your phone isn’t ringing, refer to the Ch 12 comment. I know my opinion doesn’t matter, but it’s my opinion that you have not only crushed the careers of very fine people, but you are likewise depriving Augusta the choice to view a more appealing morning show......thanks, but no thanks! I hope you find a way to reverse the direction you have taken by unprofessionally hijacking our freedom of choice with this morning show action via the rumor mill. CHANNEL 6, GOOD MORNING AUGUSTA!!!!!!!!” Not to pick on Ed, but as a former C of C president, his opinions and voice carry a lot of weight. That is one of many reasons the truth needs to be known sooner rather than later. Sadly, in Ed’s defense of his good friends at 26, he was missing a whole bunch of the story, as were most of us. Before both sides lawyered up, I was able to get the straight scoop not only on the air from Gray’s corporate attorney, but also background from a former 26 employee who wanted me to understand the “plan.” Media General had four more years left on their 10-year agreement to “lease and operate” Channel 26. Local news is an integral part of that operation, because without it, the station would likely lose its affiliation with NBC. The major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) pretty much demand that their affiliates air independent, original newscasts. That demand was one of the main reasons 26 started a news department many years ago after decades of resistance. Same for Channel 54, our Fox affiliate. 46 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Media General made a brilliant and calculating move as the original Schurz employees saw their contracts expire during the six years they have been under MG control. The 26 veterans (and new hires) were all transitioned to MG contracts. That means if the station was sold, it would have to be sold minus every single name and face associated with the 26 News “brand.” If you remember the old TV show “Green Acres,” it is a move that was straight out of Mr. Haney’s playbook. The vagabond sales weasel once sold Mr. Douglas a “car,” then asked him if he would be interested in perhaps buying the “engine” to go with it. Not to be deterred, when Gray found out that they had been sold an Augusta TV station, but with none of the personalities who were connected with it attached, they set out to rectify the situation. Thus began weeks and months of letters and calls to MG home office personnel that went unanswered. MG big wigs had no intention of playing this situation to the benefit of the employees, just to the bottom line. Gray’s people knew that if they attempted to contact MG personnel who were under contract (within the same market), they would be opening themselves up to massive lawsuits and untold legal sanctions. Gray would have loved to have been able to “throw the switch” and have you see the same faces you know and love, giving you the Channel 26 news, morning, nights and weekends. Certainly in the immediate future. But Media General’s management wanted no part of that. They preferred putting their Augusta competitor (Channel 12) in the awkward position of owning a new plane with no pilots, and with as little prior notice, as to their dilemma, as possible. And what chaos and tumult ensued! Almost immediately viewers were told to contact the FCC and complain (which is one of the most ridiculous suggestions/ideas ever), and the sad faces of Barclay, Jay, Paige Tucker, etc., etc., were paraded around to look like forgotten refugees in a CARE commercial, with “In the Arms of an Angel” playing in the background. Channel 12 and Gray were painted as the “evil overseers” (see Ed’s letter) and 26 staffers were innocent victims of all this corporate greed. MG smelled the blood in the water and they were not about to miss an opportunity to make their competition look bad. Sadly, the “huge bag of crap” they tossed at the general public was accepted as gospel by many of the viewers who loved their 26 people. Well, I am here to tell you to wipe the poop off your glasses and see the light. Media General has all those beloved 26ers under contract, and can release them from their non-compete clauses with the stroke of a pen, if they care to do it. Of course, if they do, then they may have to explain what took them so long. I understand that new legal challenges are playing out in court, but I needed to state for the record that MG saw this thing coming a mile away, and played the loyal viewers of Channel 26 like chumps at a cheap carnival. Their beef should be with Schurz, not with Gray. But then, there is no one standing around from Schurz that can be made to look like the bad guy who is keeping those 26 staffers away from their appointed duties. Brilliant and sneaky business move, Media General, but boy are you guys asking for some bad karma to fly right up your fanny and kick it. That is a special I would love to see televised.
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.
3MARCH2016