Table of Contents April 20, 2017
Whine Line 4 Jenny is Wright 6 Kris Fisher 7 Insider 8 Feature 12
Pg. 12 EDIT
CREATIVE
Amy Christian
Joshua Bailey
Joe White
amy@themetrospirit.com
joshua@themetrospirit.com
joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
Arts Editor/Production Director
Lead Designer
Stacey Eidson stacey@themetrospirit.com
Molly Swift Staff Writer
molly@themetrospirit.com
Contributors Jenny Wright, Austin Rhodes, Kris Fisher, Michael Johnson, Tyler Strong
SALES
Publisher
circulation manager
jdbeckworth@gmail.com
Joe White Publisher
joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
Rachael Foss Account Executive
rachael@themetrospirit.com 706-910-3461
17 18 19 24 26 27 28 30
BUSINESS
Johnny Beckworth
Staff Writer
What’s Up Alice Cooper Calendar Nightlife NYT Crossword Sightings The Eight Austin Rhodes
COVER DESIGN: Kruhu
Metro Spirit is a free newspaper published weekly on Thursday, 52 weeks a year. Editorial coverage includes local issues and news, arts, entertainment, people, places and events. In our paper appear views from across the political and social spectrum. The views do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Visit us at metrospirit.com.Š 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
OPINION
Jenny is Wright: 6 | Kris Fisher: 7
The Whine Line
Lewd comments to women are wrong!
It should be no surprise that Austin Rhodes is taking the side of United and overzealous airport security over the rights of a paying customer who did nothing wrong other than sit in the seat he had paid for. But then Austin has always been in favor of an authoritarian police state. This is the same guy who has repeatedly advocated abolishing cash and making Americans use government approved debit cards so that all of our transactions can be tracked by the government. And Rhodes claims to be a Conservative?? The pictures on TV showed how the Masters patrons who had to walk far to their parking places would leave trash along the way at bus stops right on the seats. I think Augusta needs to remember to schedule more frequent trash pickups during the 2018 Masters week. What the hell is with religious people that post videos on YouTube? 75% of them are done in automobiles and the same amount are “vertical videos.” C’mon man, turn your phones sideways you chowderheads!
Just saw a segment on channel 12 where Bob Young, an industrial supplies broker, got a letter saying Westinghouse would not be paying him for services due to their bankruptcy. Bob Young? Bob Young? Former local news reader, former mayor, former George Bush butt kisser Bob Young? What does he know about industrial supplies? Imagine that, a really huge international company doing business with people like Bob Young, and they go belly up! Got Trump written all over it. Thanks for posting my first ‘whine’ regarding the three Columbia County “leaders” who have made themselves look beyond foolish! I really enjoy the Metro Spirit and believe it is Fair and Balanced like Fox News and doesn’t follow mainstream media by printing misleading stories and often just “fake news.” Keep up the good work!
be a former police officer and was giving his point of view. Enter Austin and his D.A. self. He would not let the man complete a sentence before interrupting him to tell him how wrong he was. Then Austin started to yell (literally scream) like a five year old to get his point across. When the former police officer brought up the point about the man having a bloody nose Austin defended the airlines by saying he’s been cut hundreds of times just walking down the isle. The bottom line is an adult was trying to have an intelligent conversation and was shut down the second he disagreed with the host. Now let a babbling idiot call into the show and they get royal treatment. Geez, I would rather watch wrestling, At least I know it’s BS. To the former police officer that called Austin. You had a battle of wits with an unarmed man. Shame on you. ;)
Why I don’t listen to Austin Rhodes: On the way home a few days ago I turned on my radio to listen to the news. Unfortunately, Austin was on and spewing his hate and discontent as usual. A person had called into the show to talk about the recent United Airlines fiasco where a man was forcibly removed from an overbooked airplane. He claimed to
Good job following up on Mike Sleeper. But please invest in exposing the toxic levels of nepotism in Columbia County politics and county hiring. I suspect that if you requested the employment rolls and compared them, you’ll see that it’s not “who you know,” it’s “who you’re related to.” Is horrible good? Props to The Metro Spirit for running The Whine Line and real news during Masters Week instead of just a fluff edition. I love The Masters and all the good it brings to Augusta but we don’t need to become a Potemkin Village during that one week. First off most of the Masters visitors are not even paying any attention to our local news. They are fixated on the tournament. It’s fine to accentuate the positive but we also shouldn’t ignore that we have problems that need attention and need to be fixed so the city is better next year. Mama said you gotta learn from the BIG BOYs but I sure couldn’t in Columbia County Please explain why AU president and others were pleased to pose with Snoop Dogg? While Dogg is milder now than in past years, this man served as a pimp. And this posing is coming just before Sexual Awareness events on campus? United Airlines put off a doctor who would not volunteer for $800 to leave his flight and lose a day’s time. Actual cost that should have been offered: over $1,300 and possibly hotel fee. Value of injuring doctor in the eyes of millions: $250 million plus in one day alone. Was that worth it, United?
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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It Has to Get Better Jenny is Wright I’ve spent the last few days in a “13 Reasons Why” bubble. If you don’t know about the book or Netflix series by now, come out of your own bubble and I’ll tell you. “13 Reasons Why” was first a book, but it’s now a Netflix original series, and people are talking about it. A lot. It’s the story of a high school sophomore who commits suicide, leaving behind a series of cassette tapes explaining why she did it. As a parent, parts of it were brutal to watch. Someone asked today if my kids would be watching. For my 11-year-old? The answer is no. It’s not that I’m afraid for her to learn about issues covered in the show. For now, the age-appropriate conversations she has with me are more than enough. When I first started watching, I thought about recommending it to my 13-yearold. Once I got further into the series, I changed my mind. Many of his friends are watching. Maybe they’re acting like they’re watching it, but they sure are talking about it. Parents, listen up: you’ll want to watch, too. It’s not for the faint of heart. Just this week, I’ve talked to teens who say it’s a pretty accurate representation of high school in 2017. Whooo boy. That’s hard to swallow. Another teen went so far as to warn me and other parents that the show could trigger emotions in kids who’ve been sexually assaulted or who self-harm. You know your kids. You know what they can handle. Don’t ignore this as just another teen drama on Netflix. It’s not for middle schoolers to watch on their own. It’s fodder for good discussions and it shouldn’t be ignored. I’m pretty open with my kids. We talk about what they hear on the news. We’ve talked about sex. We’ve talked about bullying. We’ve talked about the dangers of the internet. We’ve talked about self-worth. I’ve told them to come talk to me anytime, because anything is fixable. There might be consequences, but there are no dead ends. Even having had all of these discussions, the TV-MA rating given to “13 Reasons Why” is why our kids shouldn’t be binge watching alone under earbuds. Parents, can we support each other on this? We all have to agree to stay tuned
6 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
in. Know your kids’ passwords. Monitor social media. Did you know many apps have private messenger features? Yep, even musical.ly. Instagram, too. Teach them not to sacrifice their values for popularity. Keep an open dialog and pay attention to how your kid best listens. I hope I’ve taught my kids to be there for their friends and to seek help when necessary. I tell them to listen to their friends. I remind them that it feels super crappy to be picked on and to remember that feeling when temped to make fun of another. A main character in the show, Clay Jensen, sums it up pretty nicely: “It has to get better, the way we treat each other, and look out for each other. It has to get better somehow.” Kids looking out for kids, parents looking out for other parents, and humans caring about humans. All of it matters, and it’s all part of the big puzzle. Let’s make sure our kids have all the pieces. 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.
20APRIL2017
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Hard Knocks: Eight-Year-old Edition Kris Fisher No. 4 is playing spring football. Yes, spring football. This is the south, after all. When is there not some sort of football being played? “Friday Night Tykes” ain’t got nothing on us! Anyway, No. 4 is playing football. His coach called me on Monday, February 13, to tell me which team he’d be playing for: The Patriots. Really? Last season he played for the Gators, this season the Patriots. These things only happen to me. The coach says, “Because Patriots win Superbowls and that’s just what we’re going to do. Sorry if you’re a Falcons fan.” That’s a direct quote, a mere two weeks after the Super Bowl. I wanted to reach through the phone and… well, he was right, so there’s really nothing I could say. Practices start and the kids are having fun. The team mom comes around asking which proud parents want to buy a Patriots shirt. My wife had to tell me to “walk it off.” The hell, you think I’m gonna wear a Patriots shirt? You must be out yo bleepitybleep mind! Before long, we come to the first game. They win it. Coaches are all on the “Yeah! That’s what Patriots do!” kick. I force a smile and congratulate my son. Then comes game 2 and, wouldn’t you know it, game 2 is against the Falcons. There were so many sub-plots to this game. Of course, the obvious one is the Falcons vs. Patriots theme. Then my oldest son, No. 2, and I volunteered to be on the chain gang. Also, it was also No. 4’s first game playing center. For the football impaired: it means he “hikes” the ball to the quarterback. As the game starts, I need a quick reminder to the direction in which play will be proceeding so I know where to take the chain. No. 2 sees this as he needs to “train me” on the game of football. That little… I know how football works! I will cut you. As the game progresses, I secretly pump my fist a bit every time the Falcons score. Yes, I’m that petty. We’re nearing the end of the game when my son botches a snap, there was a fumble and the Falcons recovered the ball. Emotions got the best of one of his teammates and he pushed my son to the ground. At this point, 2 things happened: One, I instantly remembered that this game was about more than my petty, childish obsession with my favorite professional football team. And two, I saw red. Most parents know this feeling. The feeling of seeing our kid go through things that kids go through and the feeling of wanting to intervene badly, even knowing that it’s part of the process of growing up. I literally wanted to go snatch that kid up by his facemask and go all helicopter parent on him. I didn’t, obviously, because I’m not in jail right now. But, after the play, No. 4 comes to the sideline in tears because of the incident. I’m in dad mode, encouraging him to move past the mistake. While I’m doing this, the decibel level of the crowd gets louder. The yells and screams seem to escalate rapidly. I look up to see what all the commotion is and discover that they are all screaming at me: the other parents, the officials, the other guy working the chains and my oldest son. Turns out I did need a little football lesson: After all, I was manning the chains and there was a game still going on. Later, No. 2 explains how loudly he was yelling “DAD, DAD!” then switching to “KRIS! KRIS!” In my defense: I usually ignore kids yelling “Dad” in large crowds because 90 percent of the time it’s another kid yelling for another dad. Additionally, “Kris” (or “Chris”) is the second most common guy name in the world, so I usually ignore that, too. The Patriots went on to lose that game. It’s the only game they’ve lost (so far) this season. The team is actually really good. I’m really proud of all the kids. Yes, even the one that pushed my son. That’s what football is about: emotion and determination. My son used that as motivation to do his job on the team better and it’s worked. If they win two more games, they’ll play for the championship. The team they’ll likely play against: The Falcons, of course. But, there’s always the chance the team will completely collapse and lose every remaining game, including any playoff game they’re a part of. Obviously, I don’t want that to happen. However, if it does, I’ll find a way to blame Tom Brady. 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.
20APRIL2017
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NEws
“Don’t Underestimate Me”: 12
Aiken’s Lobster Races Have Come to an End AftER ALmost tHREE dECAdEs of lobsters racing for their lives in front of cheering crowds in downtown Aiken, it appears the Great American Lobster Race may have permanently come to an end. For the third year in a row, one of Aiken’s biggest street festivals has officially been canceled. While the Aiken Lobster Race in the heart of this quaint South Carolina town was always an unusual event, particularly since lobsters are generally associated with states located off the northern Atlantic Ocean, it was quite a show. Why didn’t Aiken race blue crabs caught off the Charleston Harbor or Edisto Island instead of lobsters? Well, simply put, that’s the way Aikenites roll. They think outside of the box and do what they want. The event was reportedly conceived as a spoof of the Kentucky Derby and to pay homage to the impact of the horse industry in Aiken. The inaugural lobster race was held back in Aiken in 1984 and grew over the years. In its final years, the Aiken Lobster Race literally attracted more than 10,000 people to downtown Aiken and was a sight to behold. More than 100 “thoroughbred lobsters” competed each year in several heats leading to the main races that started on Friday evening and ran from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Newberry Street. It was quite a show for only a $10 admission and children under six were allowed into the event for free. While the annual street party featured mostly food and beer, the proceeds from the lobster races benefited clients served by Hitchcock Healthcare, Tri-Development Center of Aiken County and The Aiken County Special Olympics.
Start Here. Go Anywhere. Free Application that Day Learn How to Enroll Without Military Obligation Dual Enrollment Information Available Free Financial Aid Workshops Activities for the Kids Free Food, Scholarship Drawings, and Giveaways
Spring Fling Open House April 29th from 10 am—1 pm
115 Davis Rd Martinez, GA (706) 993-1123 Admissions Questions? Email musry@gmc.edu Or visit www.gmc.edu Start Here. Go Anywhere. 8 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Also, the sale of the popular red floppy foam lobster hats that the crowds always loved helped support the Special Olympics each year. The lobster races also featured family fun rides, live music and local stage performers. Needless to say, it was a fun and very unique event for Aiken. However, it now appears to be coming to a permanent end. For three years, organizers have promised that the lobster races would return the following year, but that hasn’t happened. Back in 2015, the event’s Facebook page stated that it would return on May 7, 2016, with “the biggest, best Lobster Race ever.” But that never happened. The Great American Lobster Race co-founder Todd Stilp told The Aiken Standard in April 2016 that the “long-running Aiken festival needs another year off to retool, rebrand and reorganize.” He told the Aiken newspaper that the last thing he wanted was to run the event just for the sake of running it. “This thing had become its own entity, almost like a yearly reunion,” he reportedly said. “In order to do this right, we need to take our time and not rush things; and if we’re going to do this, we definitely need to do this right.” Stilp seemed so optimistic last year. “Taking another year off is not a bad thing,” he told the newspaper. But three years off is a different story. There are so many new residents moving into Aiken County each year who now have no idea that the Aiken Lobster Race even existed. The last event was held on May 2, 2014. While the city of Aiken and Aiken Public Safety are reportedly in full support of the event, the Aiken Lobster Race is losing steam. (Of course, the lobsters might be secretly celebrating that fact.) While Stilp is still telling the local media that he hopes that the lobster races will return to downtown Aiken in 2018, most say that is unlikely. It is a sad end to a pretty fun event each year in Aiken. The Insider will leave readers with a few fun facts that it has learned about lobsters at the Aiken Lobster Race over the years: • Lobster shells were once used to make golf balls. • Lobsters chew with their stomachs. • They taste with their legs. • They eat each other. (Apparently, the know how tasty they really are.) • Females are the players and alway make the first move. • Lobsters can regenerate their limbs. • Lobsters can be up to 3.25 feet in length. • Lobster shells cannot expand in size as the lobster grows so it shed the shells periodically. • Deep-sea lobsters are blind. • Most people think that lobsters are red in color. They are actually brown or olive-green. • Lobsters in the wild can survive up to 100 years. And you guys thought it was all about eating lobster tails and drinking beer. Farewell, Aiken Lobster Race. Until we (may or may not) meet again. 20APRIL2017
I Chose
Michael, Eastman, Georgia – Doctor of Dental Medicine
This is our university. Like thousands of diverse and talented students and faculty from across the globe, Michael chose Augusta University. As a leading research institution dedicated to excellence in the health and cyber sciences and the arts, our community is developing the next generation of leaders.
Augusta is a great place to work, live and go to school. The future, both for our community and for Augusta University, is now brighter than ever.
augusta.edu/choice
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So, What’s the Truth, Mike Sleeper? In early February, accusations of stolen valor surfaced against Columbia County Board of Education member Mike Sleeper. Sleeper, who also happens to be the son-in-law of Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Cross, was being called out by the website, “This Ain’t Hell: But you can see it from here,” in a blog called “Michael Sleeper, Fake Ranger.” “We have reports of (Sleeper) claiming to have been deployed to Iraq during Desert Storm. Mike also likes to tell people he was a Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment during conversations. He backs up those kind of claims with pictures on his FB profile,” blogger Dave Hardin posted on the website, thisainthell.us. “It sounds like some actual Desert Storm veterans found discrepancies in his stories.” This particular website reviews accusations of stolen valor across the country. Posted on the blog is a document titled, “Information Releasable Under the Freedom of Information Act” about Michael Norman Sleeper. The document states that Sleeper’s dates of active duty service are from Aug. 13, 1985, to Oct. 25, 1988. It indicates Sleeper was discharged at the rank of private. The document also states he was an infantryman in Alaska from Jan. 24, 1986, to October 25, 1988. The document adds, “No record of service beyond 1988.” “That one page alone tells us all we need to know,” Hardin wrote in his blog. “Not a Ranger. No deployment to Desert Storm and he was discharged after a few years as a Private. He spent his time in Alaska as an 11B Grunt and he was not a Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment. His only award listed is the Army Service Ribbon. It appears the Army got tired of dealing with Pvt. Sleeper and sent him back home early.” The blog demanded that Sleeper address these questions surrounding his military record. “Private Sleeper should probably come clean with some people who are under a false impression that he is something that he is not,” Hardin wrote. “Particularly the kids in his school district.” After reviewing the documents produced by Hardin, the Metro Spirit also asked that Sleeper set the record straight. And he didn’t. All Sleeper told a Metro Spirit reporter was, “I recognize there are shortcomings in the military documentation of my military history and I’m attempting to have them corrected.” Specifically, he told the Metro Spirit that he was working with U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s office to correct the “shortcomings” in his military record. That was more than two months ago. Meanwhile, the Metro Spirit also requested Sleeper’s military record and got a similar document that was almost identical to the records produced by thisainthell.us. The records made no mention of him being a Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment. Since that time, Sleeper has been avoiding any questions surrounding his military record. It’s been months. At this point, the public has to demand that Sleeper provide some kind of evidence that he was, in fact, an Army Ranger. Otherwise, he should step down from serving on the school board. The only person who has publicly addressed this issue, besides the local media, is Columbia County Board of Education Chairman David Dekle. On Feb. 14, he asked Sleeper to set the record straight. “I received an email from an unknown individual pointing me to a website and blog post dedicated to exposing individuals who have misrepresented or embellished their military service record or claimed military honors they had not earned,” Dekle stated during the public meeting. “The email and the blog alleged that my fellow board member, Mr. Mike Sleeper, had claimed to be a former Army Ranger when, in fact, the documentation requested and received from the military through an FOIA request showed no such history. The blog showed a picture of a Ranger Tab hanging in Mr. Sleeper’s garage and a post by Mr. Sleeper where he had claimed that it was a companion to the one on his shoulder.” Dekle said those researching Sleeper’s military history found some discrepancies. “In contrast, the documentation posted on the website shows that Mr. Sleeper received a general discharge from the Army after two years as an infantryman while serving in Alaska. There is no mention of earning a Ranger Tab or Scroll,” Dekle said. “Initially, I viewed this as a personal matter of Mr. Sleeper’s that should be dealt with on a personal level by him and without any comment by me or involvement by the Board of 10 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Education. The following Monday, Austin Rhodes ran the story and invited Mr. Sleeper on to his show to set the record straight. Mr. Rhodes went so far as to say that if Mr. Sleeper has misrepresented his military service, he would be the first to ask him to step down from the Board. Mr. Sleeper chose not to go on the Austin Rhodes show that day and has maintained that he will not comment until he has had an opportunity to correct his military record.” But the questions didn’t end there. “In the past week, both the Metro Spirit and the Columbia County News-Times wrote pieces highlighting the facts which have been presented regarding his service record. These news outlets point out that Mr. Sleeper has been described in the media in the past several years as a former Army Ranger, a fact which if untrue, Mr. Sleeper has never denied or corrected,” Dekle stated. “This Board of Education has also presented Mr. Sleeper to the public as an Army Ranger in an open meeting. In recognizing our veterans on Veterans Day in 2014, we proudly displayed a photo of Mr. Sleeper in uniform identifying him as an Army Ranger. We honored him that day as a Ranger for serving our country in that capacity.” As a result, Dekle said he had become concerned about the accuracy of Sleeper’s military history. “So, I cannot view these allegations against a board member to be merely of a personal nature,” Dekle said. “As public servants representing this school district, we must hold ourselves to the same or higher standards that we hold our Superintendent, our employees, and our students. I am not a veteran, so I cannot truly empathize with those members and former members of our armed forces who are offended and frustrated by stolen valor. Nor am I the judge and jury in this case, so I am not saying that Mr. Sleeper has not earned one of the most difficult and prestigious awards bestowed upon our bravest and toughest soldiers. However, I do see unrefuted evidence that raises serious questions, and I see the passage of an inordinate amount of time without answers. This is not good for our school district.” Dekle then turned directly to Sleeper and demanded answers. “Mr. Sleeper, for the good of the Columbia County School District, I respectfully ask that you provide a full and complete explanation of your military service without further delay,” Dekle said. “Please confirm that you are in fact a former Army Ranger, having completed the necessary requirements to legitimately claim that distinction — that you did in fact earn your Ranger Tab or Scroll during your period of service. If not, please correct the record and end this distraction so that this Board may return its full attention to the business at hand.” And what was Sleeper’s response? “Honestly, I just at the moment, pity you,” Sleeper told Dekle. “That’s all I have to say.” Something is pitiful, all right. But it’s not Dekle.
20APRIL2017
“Don’t underestimate me”
By Stacey Eidson
Former Ema Director Pam tucker speaks out about working with County administrator scott Johnson and why she has decided to run for commission chair Columbia County’s former EMA Director Pam Tucker will never forget a meeting she had last year with County Administrator Scott Johnson. It wasn’t just unprofessional, she said. It was frightening. “I had been called up to the small conference room on the second floor, which is really the room where the beratements always took place with the doors closed,” Tucker said, adding that Deputy County Administrator Glenn Kennedy was also present for this meeting. “Scott came in with a stack of papers with his hands shaking.” Over the past six years since Johnson was named the county administrator, Tucker had become accustomed to his outbursts. “I was constantly being chewed out,” Tucker said. “Whenever the phone rang and it was Scott, it was never anything positive.” But Tucker had never seen Johnson this incensed. “His hands were shaking so badly that I took it to mean that he was more than just furious. That if he could have had his hands around my throat, I probably would have been dead,” Tucker said. “It was terrifying. People have no idea.” The meeting was all centered around a new hire in the EMA department that Johnson didn’t support, Tucker said. “So this final big push started last year when my 12 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
department was just overworked and overloaded,” Tucker said, adding that her staff at the time included only two other people, EMA Deputy Director Rusty Welsh and Administrative Specialist Suzie Hughes. “Well, last year, I asked for and was approved to get a new employee to help us with our workload because the county had grown so much.” The position was for an operations officer that would be paid $32,000 a year. “We got 200 applicants for the job,” Tucker said, adding that she had decided this new employee would report to Rusty Welsh. “After going through the 200 applications, in the end, we came back to one lady, who is absolutely awesome. She was already a volunteer in many of our different areas of skilled training. We knew she could handle the heavy lifting and could be a part of our team and work well with us. We knew she was a good fit.” During the employee search process, Tucker said she emailed both Johnson and Kennedy about the new position and the department’s progress. “I did let them know, ‘Today, we found our person and we want to make her an offer,’” Tucker said. “I didn’t ever get replies too much on emails from Scott. He preferred texting and calling. He didn’t want to put a lot of stuff in emails.” That day, Tucker said that she called up this young woman and told her that she would soon receive a letter
“His hands were shaking so badly that I took it to mean that he was more than just furious. That if he could have had his hands around my throat, I probably would have been dead. It was terrifying.” 20APRIL2017
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“I believe that Scott had him sit down and write down every negative thing he could think of.” offering her the position. “We were so excited,” Tucker said. “She accepted the job, even though it meant her taking a pay cut. She wanted the job because her passion was working with us. She already put in, Lord knows, how many hours as a volunteer. We thought, ‘Wow. We have turned this corner in a positive way and everything is going to be better.’” A couple of days later, Tucker said she got a call to meet with Johnson up in the small conference room. “When he walked in, I had never seen his hands shaking so badly,” Tucker said. “He was holding a stack of papers and he said, ‘I just went and did a quick check through the applications. Did you talk to any of these people?’” He tossed the applications toward Tucker. She looked at the applications and told him that she had reviewed and considered them, but that those candidates weren’t as good a fit as the woman she had hired. “Some of these people were retired and intellectually brilliant with the rules and laws of emergency management and they had worked in more of a desk job, but that was not what our job description was regarding the operations officer,” Tucker said. “We were looking for a worker bee to help Rusty. Someone to do the heavy lifting.” However, Johnson had other plans in mind, she said. “Scott asked, ‘Can she replace you?’” Tucker said, adding that she was surprised by Johnson’s comment. “And I said, ‘Probably not. Obviously, we are on two different wavelengths regarding the person that I’m supposed to be hiring.’ And he said, ‘You are supposed to be hiring your replacement.’” Tucker was speechless. “He said, ‘We want you to train somebody to take your place,’” Tucker recalled, adding that Johnson hinted that she would eventually have to be replaced down the line. “I said, ‘What about Rusty?’” 20APRIL2017
Johnson asked Tucker if she truly felt that Welsh could take her place. “I said, ‘Yes. I have been mentoring Rusty for 14 years. He has his professional certification. He has everything he needs in his pocket to do the job,’” Tucker said. “But Scott said, ‘Well, I don’t think so.’” At this point, Tucker said she was completely baffled by Johnson’s remarks. “So then I am sitting there, my mind is racing, and I’m trying to figure out what in the heck is happening,” Tucker said. “I told Scott, ‘You all saw the email. I have hired this lady. I have sent her a letter telling her that she has the job.’” Clearly, Johnson didn’t care, Tucker said. “Scott told me, ‘You know, you are a division director, Pam. You can do what you want to do, but I’m telling you that I’m not happy,’” Tucker said. “And I replied, ‘Well, I can’t rescind the offer.’ And Scott said, ‘Sure, you can.’” That’s when Tucker said her heart completely sank. “Doesn’t that go to show what kind of manager he is,” Tucker said. “I’m thinking, ‘Oh my Lord, I love this lady so much. Look at all of the free hours alone that she has put in volunteering for this county. She loves this county and she has worked with us and now I have to go tell her that she is not going to get this job after I already offered it to her.’” But Tucker said she felt she had no other choice. Johnson had made himself clear. “So I set up a lunch meeting with her because I just didn’t know any other way to do it,” Tucker said. “So me, Suzie and Rusty took her to lunch and talked to her. And, I say this from my heart, only somebody with this girl’s awesome character would have sat there and been so understanding of this situation. Only her. And I will love her always for it. It was horrible.” After the county rescinded the offer, the department had to re-advertise the position, Tucker said. Around that same time, Andy Leanza, who was then employed by GEMA as an Area 5 Field Coordinator, decided to apply for the operations officer position in Columbia County. Tucker said Leanza was young, very energetic and had a background in EMA, so the county decided to hire him. “I said, ‘All right. Let’s work with Andy. We’ll train him. He’ll work with Rusty and we’ll move forward because this is the hand that
“I looked at him and said, ‘Scott, what you did was wrong. It was plain wrong.’” I’ve been dealt,’” Tucker said. “So, the day Andy started was Dec. 5. By the time Christmas came around, we all had our Christmas lunch and at the end of the day, I was leaving. I gave Rusty a gift, he gave me gift and we hugged. Everything seemed fine. I left saying, ‘See you at the first of the year.’” For the EMA department, there always needs to be at least one person, either her or Welsh, on call in case there is an emergency. For Thanksgiving, Welsh had taken off the week to go on cruise and Tucker had been on call during that holiday. “I was at the helm and on call during Thanksgiving, so during Christmas, I had both of my granddaughters and I asked if he would be on call and he said, ‘Yes,’” Tucker explained. “Well, then the day before Christmas Eve he sent me a text and said, ‘I would like to go out of town for dinner on Christmas Eve.’ I asked him if there was anybody around to cover for him. And he said, ‘I think Chester is around.’ Chester is one of our great volunteers.” But Tucker felt a staff member should be on call. “And I said, ‘What about Andy?’” Tucker said. “Rusty wrote back and said, ‘Nevermind. I just won’t go.’” Since it was the day before Christmas Eve, Tucker said she was busy playing with her grandchildren and had chili on the stove. “So I didn’t really think anymore about it,” Tucker said. “Well, apparently, Rusty decided he was going to quit. So that Monday, it was still a holiday, he contacted Glenn and Glenn contacted Scott. By the very next day, Scott called up all my managers to the small conference room to show them Rusty’s resignation letter.” There are two resignation letters by Welsh, Tucker said. One just states that he is resigning from his position. In a AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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“After I submitted my resignation letter detailing what I went through at the hands of Scott Johnson, I began finding out that other employees had similar experiences with him as well. And some of them had it even worse. It really opened my eyes because sometimes you think you are the only one.” second letter to Johnson, which was dated Dec. 26, 2016, Welsh complained that Tucker required him to perform over-the-top duties such as maintain an “on call” status at all times including nights, weekends and holidays; he was expected to ask permission to leave town, even during non-working hours and especially during holidays; and he was expected to monitor and reply to email and text messages multiple times within the hour during both non-working and working hours. He also accused Tucker of being “controlling, manipulative, condescending, arrogant, disrespectful, hypocritical and juvenile.” “So, when I came back to work on Jan. 3, I was hit with all of this,” Tucker said. “I was called upstairs to that same room, the beratement room, and I’m told that Rusty has resigned and I’m shocked. Nothing is making sense to me at this point. Questions were racing through my mind, like why didn’t Scott call me the minute that Rusty called him? Why didn’t Rusty call me because I am his supervisor?” When Tucker read Welsh’s resignation letter, she honestly didn’t believe it. “It was almost like somebody said to him, ‘You need to sit down and write down every complaint you have about Pam,’” Tucker said. “That’s what I believe happened. I believe that Scott had him sit down and write down every negative thing he could think of. Because it was all this name calling and that made me think, Rusty and I had a close relationship our whole working life together. I don’t know what happened.” After reading the resignation letter, Tucker asked Johnson if he would contact Welsh and ask him to come to the meeting. “Rusty came up there and I said, ‘Rusty, why are you doing this? You don’t want to do this,’” Tucker said. “I mean, I paid him over $70,000 a year with car allowance. He ran his own show. I never micromanaged him. I was a very, very, very good leader for Rusty. I allowed him the freedom to do his job.” But Tucker said Welsh told her that he was simply “burned out.” “He said, ‘I come in your office and I want to talk to you and if the phone rings, you answer it,’” Tucker said. “I said, ‘Well, Rusty, if people call me, I answer it.’” Since the EMA department only had three employees at the time, Tucker said she always answered the phone if no one else was available. “I have people ask me, ‘Why are you answering your own phone?’ And I tell them, ‘It was ringing,’” Tucker said. “I always take my calls. It wasn’t meant to be negative or disrespectful to him. But that’s how he took it. I guess it was a sensitive side that I didn’t see in him.” Tucker continued to ask Welsh to stay. “I said, ‘You know, we’ve got Andy now to help out,’” Tucker said. “But Rusty said, ‘Well, it is just too late.’ However, I found out later on that I don’t think the two of them were meshing. It was not a good fit between the two of them.” While the sudden resignation of Welsh was bad enough, Tucker also learned that Johnson had been trying to get additional complaints about Tucker from other managers working under her. Johnson had his executive assistant, Janeabeth Wells, contact each of the managers, one by one, saying that they needed to meet with Johnson. 14 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
“I fully understand and recognize that I am walking into the world that the good ol’ boys have controlled forever. I am fully aware of that. People say, ‘Don’t underestimate them.’ And I say, ‘Don’t underestimate me.’” 20APRIL2017
“In fact, I asked him this question at the end, ‘Are you dismantling my division?’ And he did this Cheshire Cat grin and nodded at me. That was the moment that I said, ‘All of the pieces of puzzle are starting to fall together now. He is destroying my career. He wants me gone, regardless of what I do.’ This man was terrible.” “But Janeabeth told them, ‘Don’t tell anybody. Don’t you dare tell Pam. I mean it. Don’t you dare tell Pam.’ Well, when I came back to work, of course, my employees told me,” Tucker said, laughing. “What Scott did was take the manifesto page that Rusty wrote with all the nasty things and said, ‘All right, so this is what Rusty wrote. He has resigned, by the way, so tell us how she treated you?’” When most of the employees said that Tucker had treated them fairly, Johnson continued to press them, she said. “Scott would say, ‘Well, you can be honest. She has already been written up twice and she has been trying to get rid of you,’” Tucker explained. “Well, neither one of those things are true. I was never, ever in my whole entire career written up for anything. Ever. Nothing. And I ended up getting a copy of my own file just to go through it and be sure that nothing was put in there without my knowledge. Also, I was not trying to get rid of anybody.” But Johnson didn’t seem to mind lying to these employees’ faces, Tucker said. “Scott was coercing my mangers into trying to say something negative,” Tucker said. “I confronted him later on and asked, ‘Why did you tell this person that I had been written up twice?’ And Scott said, ‘I didn’t tell her that.’” When Tucker told her employees about Johnson’s response, they couldn’t believe it. “They said, ‘Pam, why would I just make that up?’ And I said, ‘You wouldn’t. I know that,’” Tucker said. Johnson pressed a male employee even further to provide negative information about her, Tucker said. “With another manager, Scott said, ‘You just tell us how is she with you? We already know there are complaints against her,’” Tucker said. “The manager said, ‘Well, we get along fine. I have a strong personality. Pam has a strong personality. But we get along fine.’” And then Scott told the manager, ‘Well, my ex-wife had a strong personality, too, that’s why I divorced her.’” When that employee told Tucker about Johnson’s comment, she said her stomach turned. “This is his so-called investigation because I was accused of a hostile work environment by Rusty?” Tucker asked. “Scott also proceeded to tell me that Rusty had been recording some our private conversations in the office. Heck, who knows what you say in private? But, apparently, he played some of those for Scott.” All of this news came crashing down on Tucker the first week of the year, she said. “The only thing that I can say about my feelings for Rusty is that I’m very, very disappointed in him,” she said. “For everything that I did for him in his career, he knows that I was always the person who followed the policies, followed the rules and followed the laws. I worked hard and I wanted all of us to work hard for the safety of the community. He knows that about me.” That is why Welsh’s accusations against her were so heartbreaking, Tucker said. “Why he suddenly turned on me, I don’t know,” she said. “I think there was some coercion on that as well. I think it all lays at Scott’s feet.” Tucker said she met with Columbia County Commission Chair Ron Cross and Johnson on four separate occasions trying to resolve the situation prior to her submitting her own resignation letter on Jan. 31. “I think it was the second meeting and Scott was sitting in there and I was talking to Ron about some of my concerns and Scott said, ‘So, I’m the reason that you are wanting to leave?’” Tucker said. “And I looked at him and said, ‘Scott, what you did was wrong. It was plain wrong.’ And, even then, I still don’t think it was sinking in. I mean, you just can’t treat people that way. Your good employees won’t stick around just because you pay them money. Money is not everything, especially to somebody who has character and ethics like I do.”
But trying to dig up dirt about her from other employees really crossed the line, Tucker said. “Scott went behind my back and called up my employees and had this whole thing planned out,” Tucker said. “He broke my heart. He took away my job that I loved. And he did take it away. He can say, ‘Oh, I told Pam I didn’t want her to leave.’ But he did. He took my job away.” In fact, Tucker clearly remembers the evening before her final meeting with Johnson and Cross. “In this last go around, I told my husband, ‘Baby, I don’t think I can take this one more day. I have done all I can do. I have put up with it and put up with it. I just can’t do it anymore,’” Tucker said. “After I submitted my resignation letter detailing what I went through at the hands of Scott Johnson, I began finding out that other employees had similar experiences with him as well. And some of them had it even worse. It really opened my eyes because sometimes you think you are the only one.” Such treatment of county employees is totally unacceptable, Tucker said. “Columbia County deserves better,” she said. “We know that is a change that is going to have to be made. I can say that with full honesty that we can’t have a person like that in our government. That’s not management. That’s not leadership. It’s a control thing with him. And people won’t speak out because they are scared of revenge from him. He is very vindictive.” But Tucker says she refuses to remain silent. In fact, she is taking it to another level by announcing that she is running for Columbia County Commission chair in 2018, the seat currently held by Cross. “I’m not looking for any revenge. I’m not running to just shake things up. I want to truly come in and effect positive change because I love this county and I want the best for it,” Tucker said. “But I’m not naive. Let me tell you something. I fully understand and recognize that I am walking into the world that the good ol’ boys have controlled forever. I am fully aware of that. People say, ‘Don’t underestimate them.’ And I say, ‘Don’t underestimate me.’” With 39 years of public service in both Augusta-Richmond County and Columbia County, Tucker strongly believes she has all the experience in the world to be the next commission chair. During her 18 years with Columbia County, she was first hired as the Columbia County Division Director of Emergency Services as well as the EMA director. Tucker was in charge of not only the EMA department, but Risk Management, 3-1-1 Communications Center, Public Transit, Senior Center, Fleet Services, Animal Services and managed the county contracts for both the ambulance service and the fire department.
“I don’t know what all Scott told the commissioners, but none of them ever came to my aid. And that hurts, too. That causes me to lose a lot of respect for them.”
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It wasn’t until Johnson came on board about six years ago that he slowly began to take departments away from her, Tucker said. “Scott didn’t like me being a division director because that put me in an upper tier. He didn’t want me there,” she said. “But because I did such a good job, it took him a long time to change that, but he slowly and surely did. In fact, I asked him this question at the end, ‘Are you dismantling my division?’ And he did this Cheshire Cat grin and nodded at me. That was the moment that I said, ‘All of the pieces of puzzle are starting to fall together now. He is destroying my career. He wants me gone, regardless of what I do.’ This man was terrible.” Even more shocking was the fact that not one Columbia County commissioner ever asked her about the allegations against her, Tucker said. Instead, the commissioners simply appeared to take Johnson’s word for it. “I don’t know what all Scott told the commissioners, but none of them ever came to my aid. And that hurts, too. That causes me to lose a lot of respect for them,” she said. “The commissioners approved and allowed Scott Johnson to do this to me and, literally, in the end, just destroyed my 39-year career. You have to wonder why there are five commissioners and nobody ever called me and asked what happened. Since my last day, I haven’t heard from anybody.” Tucker said she did receive one comment from Commissioner Doug Duncan on her Facebook page, but that’s been it. “I ran into Trey (Allen) at a meeting the other day and he just kind of stared at me. He didn’t speak at all,” Tucker said, shaking her head. “I’m finding all of these animosities toward me and why? Because what happened went public? It needed to go public. This cannot go on. Not another person should ever have to go through this.” The only comment the commissioners or Johnson have had about Tucker’s resignation is through the county’s public relations manager, Cassidy Harris. She issued a press release on Feb. 1 stating that the Columbia County Board of Commissioners, through Cross, had decided to bring in a neutral, third party to perform an “internal investigation” into the matter. “The request for this investigation has been submitted to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office with the understanding that the Internal Affairs Division will be handling everything from this point forward,” the press release stated. “They are speaking with all the parties involved. The investigation will address the allegations of a hostile work environment as stated from Ms. Pamela Tucker in her resignation letter along with allegation made in (EMA Deputy Director) Rusty Welsh’s resignation.” The investigation has been going on for more than two months. Tucker said she was interviewed for an hour and 45 minutes by an investigator. “I don’t know what will happen with the investigation,” Tucker said. “First of all, it was going to take a couple of weeks. Now, it has been over two months. To me it is taking up way too much taxpayer time and money for something that Scott wanted. They didn’t want to pay me my severance package. They wanted to say, ‘She resigned. That means she doesn’t get it.’ Well, I resigned because of how I was being treated. I was forced out and I deserve my severance package.” Tucker recently heard that a report on the investigation should be completed by Friday, April 28. “I think Scott is going to make every effort to try to put some stuff in there that is negative about me, but I did a good job. I’m not worried about it,” Tucker said. “When I learned about this investigation on Feb. 1, I sent an email to all the commissioners saying, ‘First of all, I welcome the investigation but I would like to request any investigation be done by a third outside party in fairness to everyone.’ I did not get a single reply. Not a single response. They ignored me like I was a piece of dirt.” More positive leadership is desperately needed in Columbia County, Tucker said. “If elected, I am going to share the power of the seat of the chair with the other four commissioners because, right now, it is not like that,” Tucker said. “The other four commissioners don’t have a voice. That needs to change.” Tucker also said she wants to boost employee morale and restore some of the basic benefits that Johnson took away after he replaced former County Administrator Steve Szablewski. “I can’t say enough about the employees in Columbia County. We have a great staff,” Tucker said, smiling. “I am hearing from them every day. Heck, I’ve had campaign donations from a lot of them. The employees are happy that somebody stood up. And I beg them all to hang in there because better days are coming for them.” The future is bright because, if elected, she will insist on hiring a new county administrator, she said. “By 2035, we are going to have 190,000 people in this county. Right now, we’ve got to ‘right this ship,’” Tucker said, laughing. “Scott always used to say, ‘It took this ship many years to get bad and it is going to take me many years to right this ship.’ The truth is, we had a good county before he came along. I just want to right this ship and show some true leadership.” 16 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
All she needs is the grassroots support from Columbia County citizens and Tucker said she will proudly and honorably serve as the next commission chair. “I could have went and got another job and made a lot of money, but I feel like, ‘If not me, who?’ This is the right time for me and I want to do this. This is in my heart,” Tucker said, adding that she has lived in Columbia County for 37 years and wants to see the county prosper for her two grandchildren. “I think the citizens of this county deserve better and I’m going to give them better. I will never let them down.”
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What’S up
Mr. Nice Guy: 18 | Calendar: 19 | Music Listings: 24 If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com.
it’S Beer time! the Weather Will Be lovely, the beer will be flowing and there will be lawn games and food to be had. Yep, it’s time for the Second Annual Augusta Craft Beer Festival. We could give you a blow by blow with all the details to this event, but, really, all you need to know is that you show up to Lake Olmstead Stadium, grab a commemorative glass and start tasting. More than 30 brewers will bring their ales, IPAs, lagers and wheat beers, all with the purpose of giving you a taste. And don’t worry: Local brewers Riverwatch and Savannah River will represent, and shandys and ciders will be available for those who want something a little lighter. Grab your friends and get your tickets. VIP tickets are sold out, but, at press time, there were still The Hive Growler tickets available, which include a growler and a free fill at the downtown restaurant. auguSta CraFt Beer FeStival Lake Olmstead Stadium Saturday, April 22 Noon-5 p.m. $40, general admission; $50, The Hive Growler ticket (including a growler and free fill from The Hive); $20, designated driver augustacraftbeerfest.com
Friday
The Cinema Series at Augusta University has brought moviegoers some amazing films this past year. Now that the semester is ending, they’re celebrating tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Maxwell Theatre with a screening of “Jaws,” as well as an “ultra-trashy, super secret” second film. We can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. Whatever it may be, it’ll be even better because it’s free!
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Saturday
Those who remember the glory days of D. Timms Jazz Café on 6th Street downtown will be happy to know that the venue is back open. Alas, it is for one night only and tonight is that night. Wycliffe Gordon hosts a Jazz Appreciation Month Celebration tonight featuring Dion Parson & 21th Century Band. The musicians will play two sets, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and the show is $35. Visit wycliffegordonpresentsapril2017.eventbrite. com now for tickets, because you won’t want to miss this.
Sunday
Believe it or not, this is the 14th year that the Best Dam Ride has flooded the area around Clarks Hill Dam with both road and trail cyclists. It’s no wonder the event is so popular, though: No matter what your age or fitness level, you can find a route that suits you, from 29- to 100-mile routes for road cyclists to 5- to 36-mile routes for trail riders. Afterwards, everyone sticks around for lunch. Online registration is now closed, but you can still sign up at Chain Reaction or beginning at 7 a.m. at the event itself.
tueSday
The sixth annual Augusta Jewish Film Festival begins tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center. Showing will be “The Women’s Balcony,” an award-winning film about a group of women “speaking the truth to patriarchal power” after an accident during a Bar Mitzvah celebration. Film showings continue in May, and more information about dates and movies can be found by visiting augustajcc.org.
For more information on these events, see our calendar of events on page 19. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Mr. Nice Guy
Alice cooper gave up drinking decades ago. So what did the rock legend do to replace the hedonism that claimed the life of so many of his contemporaries? He took up golf. “I quit drinking 35 years ago. I was on the verge of joining all my friends: Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix and those guys. I woke up one morning and threw up blood, realizing that was probably a sign that something was going wrong. So I went to the hospital and I came out a healed alcoholic, not necessarily a cured one, but a healed one. God just kind of took it away from me,” he said. “But the thing of it was, I had to find something else that was going to be an addiction for me, that was not going to kill me and I was a pretty good baseball player, so I said, ‘It can’t be that hard to hit a ball that’s not moving,’ and then all of a sudden you get addicted to the game of golf and at least it’s a healthy addiction, it’s not something that’s going to kill you.” Cooper, who comes to the Bell Auditorium for a gig on Sunday, April 30, went on to say that not only hasn’t he had a drink in decades, he hasn’t really even thought about it. “I can sit down with people drinking all night and it never even occurs to me to have a drink,” he explained. “I’m 35 years behind it, so I know it’s gone for me. It’s not like I’m Superman, but it really is gone out of my life and that’s great. To me that’s a healing, it’s not really a cure.” Golf, on the other hand? Cooper said he and his bandmates can’t go a day without a round. He says it’s how they stay sane during yearly tours that last at least six months and 100 shows. “Well, first of all, I get up every morning and play golf,” he said. “I play 18 holes a day and my guitar player plays and so does my bass player. So we get up and play golf every morning no matter where we are. And I understand you do have some golf courses in Augusta. There’s one I can think of that I’ve heard of.” Given the fact that he’s such a diehard golfer, then, it’s a little surprising that Cooper has never played a show in Augusta nor played golf at the Augusta National. “I don’t think we’ve ever played Augusta. We’ve been touring for something like 48 years and it’s very hard for me to believe that we’ve never played Augusta,” he laughed. “And I’ve seen the course (at Augusta National) but I’ve never played it. And of course, if you’re an avid golfer like I am, that’s the holy grail, that’s the golf course that everyone wants to at least see how they’d do on it. I don’t think it’s a course I would even keep score on, I would just want to play it.” Despite the rigors of touring, which Cooper has been doing for nearly half a century, he says he still enjoys it. “If it was just a regular rock band it would get a little old, but when you’re in an Alice Cooper show, it’s a production. It’s like being in a Broadway show almost, or a sort of weird vaudeville (show) where every night it’s sort of a weird, living, breathing type of thing that changes almost every day because the band is very creative. I let the band be very creative in the whole process and every once in a while they’ll say, ‘Why don’t we switch this song with that song, let’s put this song in,’ or I might tell them, ‘We’re going to bring in this whole new section.’ And if you’re doing 130 shows, you know, in a year, it keeps it living, it keeps it from getting static. You’re up there doing ‘Poison’ and ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy.’ Almost every song you’re doing is one people have heard on the radio, so it’s pretty hard to get bored with it.” Not only that, touring is a family affair. “My wife actually plays a couple parts in the show and we’ve been married 41 years. She started in the Welcome to My Nightmare show in 1976 and she’s now in the show again and she is amazing,” he said. “She plays like three or four characters and this is probably the best band I’ve ever worked with, so every night is fun for us. When we get up on stage, the band is so good, the show is so packed and I’m with my wife every night on stage, so I really look forward to touring.” And, hopefully, after playing the Bell Sunday night, he may just get to play a little golf the next morning. Alice cooper Bell Auditorium Sunday, April 30 8 p.m. $39.50-$79.50 877-4AUGTIX georgialinatix.com
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Earth Day festivities begin today at the Columbia County Library in an event for kids at 4:30 p.m. Activities, which aim to teach the public environmental and climate literacy, continue on Saturday in Aiken, as well as at Phinizy Swamp, Mistletoe State Park and at Brick Pond Park in North Augusta. For more information, visit the Kids-Teens and Special Events sections of our calendar.
ARTS Fri April 21
Noon Art at Lunch: A Celebration of Poetry Morris Museum of Art Featuring members of the Authors Club of Augusta who will read their work and discuss their favorites in honor of National Poetry Month. $12, members; $16, nonmembers. Catered lunch included. Preregistration required. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
Sat April 22
10am - 5pm Basket Weaving Kroc Center A class for those ages 15 and older in which weaving supplies are included. Participants should bring a hand towel, tape measure or ruler, squirt bottle, garden shears or scissors and their lunch. $40, members; $45, non-members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-364-5762 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
10am - 3pm Drawing for Beginners Aiken Center for the Arts $50; pre-registration required. Call 803-6419094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
10am - noon Jewelry from Paper That Looks Like Glass 20APRIL2017
175 North Louisville Street, Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class. $40, supplies included. Pre-registration required. Visit harlemartscouncil.org.
Call to schedule an appointment. Call 706722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
Columbia County Library First come, first served. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
11:30am Workplace Safety Management Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce A Third Thursday Business Builder lunch meeting sponsored by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and Doctors Hospital. Lunch is provided. Free, chamber members; $15, non-members. Preregistration required. Call 706-821-1300 or visit augustametrochamber.com.
Sat April 22
175 North Louisville Street, Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class. $35. Fee includes yarn; participants should bring $5 if they need crochet needles. Pre-registration required. Visit harlemartscouncil.org.
5:30pm Microsoft Powerpoint
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.
Wed April 26
7pm Advanced Sign Language
10am - 2pm Pastel Animals Aiken Center for the Arts An introduction to oil pastels in which participants will create a rooster. $60; preregistration required. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
12:30pm - 2:30pm Crochet Class
7pm Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Le Chat Noir A burlesque live drawing event featuring contests, performances, prizes and more. $10, advance; $12 at the door. Call 706-7223322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
Columbia County Library A computer basics class in which students will create a presentation. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org. University Hospital An 8-week class that continues through June 8. $45, tuition, plus $45, text. Preregistration required. Call 706-738-2095 or visit universityhealth.org.
7pm Family Law Issues
Thu April 20
Aiken Public Library A free legal clinic. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Wallace Branch Library
Fri April 21
EDUCATION 9am - 11am Computer Help for Absolute Beginners
1pm Gadget Help with Alex
10:30am Financial Freedom Diamond Lakes Community Center Part of the Winning in Augusta community empowerment workshop series for south Augusta residents. Free. Call 762-218-1950.
11:30am, 12:30pm and 1:30pm The Other Tubmans
Sun April 23
3:30pm Estate Planning and Elder Care Workshop Columbia County Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
Mon April 24
10am Money Management Diamond Lakes Branch Library Part of the Money Smart Week of events being held April 22-29 at local libraries, this seminar will be led by Walton Options for AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Independent Living and topics will include credit and interest rates, budgeting, record keeping and financial responsibility. Preregistration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
3:30pm Intermediate Spanish Friedman Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
5:30pm Beginner Spanish Friedman Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
Tue April 25
Hands-On Budgeting Tips Headquarters Branch Library Part of the Money Smart Week of events being held April 22-29 at local libraries, this seminar will be held at 9:15-11:15 a.m., noon-2 p.m., 3-5 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. and is led by Balance My Checkbook LLC, a financial coaching and planning company. Participants will need to bring income information and copies of their monthly bills. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-1830 or email info. balancemycheckbook@yahoo.com.
10:30am Tech Tuesday Computer Class Appleby Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Using Excel to Create a Budget Appleby Branch Library A Money Smart Week event. Preregistration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
2pm Microsoft Publisher for Beginners Diamond Lakes Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
5:30pm Microsoft Excel Columbia County Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
Wed April 26
10:30am Email Basics Headquarters Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2615 or visit arcpls.org.
11:30am Environment Matters Lunch and Learn Columbia County Library Led by Margarete Alligood and Tripp Williams, this meeting’s subject is composting. Participants should bring their own lunches. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946, ext. 4, or visit gchrl.org.
4:30pm American Sign Language 20 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
AU’s University Hall 170 Participants will learn words commonly used in classrooms with children who are deaf or nonverbal, as well as about interpreter services available at AU Health. Pre-registration required. Email nkuo@augusta.edu.
6pm Tertulia: Spanish Conversation Group Headquarters Branch Library A group for beginner to intermediate Spanish speakers. Call 317-695-4748.
EXHIBITIONS Fri April 21
5pm - 8pm 5/Fifths AU Student Art Show Opening Westobou Gallery Featuring the works of graduating AU seniors Quintavious Brown, Cezann Cawthon, Carey Mogianesi, Olivia Robinson and Leah Schaffer. The exhibition will be on display through May 20. Call 706-755-2878 or visit westoboufestival.com.
Ongoing
Rhythm and Movement: Paintings by James Michalopoulos Morris Museum of Art An exhibit of more than 30 large-scale paintings of the historic architecture of New Orleans that will show through May 14. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
FLIX Fri April 21
7:30pm End of the Semester Double Feature AU’s Maxwell Theatre A Cinema Series event that includes a screening of “Jaws,” as well as an “ultratrashy, super secret” second film. Free. Visit facebook.com/CinemaSeriesAUG/.
Sat April 22
2pm “American Experience: Rachel Carson” Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
6:30pm Free Outdoor Movie Night Evans Towne Center Park Featuring “Moana.” Movie begins at dark and concessions will be available. Visit evanstownecenterpark.com.
Tue April 25
5:45pm Free Movie Tuesdays Headquarters Branch Library Call 706-821-2600 for weekly selections. Visit arcpls.org.
7:30pm Augusta Jewish Film Festival Opening Night Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center This series of five films, showings of which continue in May, begins with the award-
winning “The Women’s Balcony.” For more information, visit augustajcc.org.
Membership is not required to attend. Visit meetup.com/csravs/.
HEALTH
Mon April 24
Thu April 20
7pm Babies, Bumps and Bruises Doctors Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
Fri April 21
Head and Neck Screenings AU Health Free screenings for head and neck cancers are available by appointment. Visit augustahealth.org/otolaryngology-subsite/ head-and-neck-screening-2.
6:30pm - 9:30pm Weekend Childbirth Education University Hospital Class continues Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Sat April 22
9am - 4:30pm Short and Sweet Doctors Hospital A weekend childbirth education class that continues Sunday, April 23, from 1-5 p. m. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
6:30pm CSRA Veg Monthly Meet Up
6:30pm Refit
Headquarters Branch Library A free cardio dance class. Call 706-8212600 or visit arcpls.org.
7:30pm Beginner’s Yoga That Place Coffee Call 706-339-7011 or visit thatplacecoffee.com.
Wed April 26
5pm Breastfeeding Class University Hospital Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
HOBBIES Thu April 20
6pm - 8pm Strive Guys Burger Night Plum Pudding, Aiken Part of the kitchen store’s schedule of spring cooking classes, participants will enjoy a full meal from the recipes. $65; preregistration required. Call 803-644-4600.
6:30pm PWN AUG Chess Club The Book Tavern A club open to all ages and skill levels. Participants are encouraged to bring their own chess sets. Call 706-826-1940 or visit booktavern.com.
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child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or email phobbs@columbiacountyga.gov.
10:30am Jr. Lego Club Headquarters Branch Library For those ages 2-4. Legos provided. Preregistration required. Call 706-821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.
Tue April 25
10am Big Kids Story Time Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 3-6. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Preschool Story Time Diamond Lakes Branch Library A program for those ages 3-5 that includes stories, songs, games, short movies and crafts. Pre-registration required for groups of 6 or more. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
3pm Funny Money Time
‘Til the Cows Come Home 5K Trail Run Steed’s Dairy Farm Friday, April 21 7 p.m. A fundraiser for Christ Community Health. $30, day of. raceentry.com/race-reviews/til-the-cows-come-home-5k
Fri April 21
Fri April 21
Columbia County Library Topic: Immigration and naturalization. Preregistration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
Columbia County Library A science, technology, engineering and math program for children in grades 6-8. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
10am Genealogy Class
Tue April 25
10:30am Research Your Family History in Galileo
11:30am STEM Class: Mission Possible
4pm Egg Hunt for Children with Special Needs
Appleby Branch Library Branch Library Part of the Money Smart Week of events being held April 22-29 at local libraries, this event will use games to teach real-life applications to those ages 5 and up. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org. activity play and is ideal for children with autism spectrum disorders, sensory integration challenges or children who have trouble sitting still. All ages welcome. Preregistration encouraged. Call 706-821-2625 or visit arcpls.org.
11am We Are the Dinosaurs Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
Headquarters Branch Library Participants will learn how to access the databases in Galileo for family history research. Pre-registration required. Call 706-826-1511 or visit arcpls.org.
Headquarters Branch Library Hosted by the Augusta University SPED Club for children with special needs and their siblings. Pre-registration required. Email bregiste@augusta.edu.
Wed April 26
Sat April 22
Sun April 23
theClubhou.se Part of the Grow Your Own series of workshops sponsored by theClubhou.se and Augusta Locally Grown, this one featuring award-winning BBQ competitor Patrick Sutter. Participants should bring their own beer. Suggested donation for each workshop is $5. Pre-registration required. Call 706-2887895 or visit augustalocallygrown.org.
Diamond Lakes Branch Library A free program for those ages 12-19 that educates youth on teen pregnancy. Parental consent required for those ages 17 and under. Pre-registration required. Call 706394-5073 or 706-394-3179.
Headquarters Branch Library Pre-registration recommended. Call 706821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.
5:30pm Smoking & Curing
KIDS-TEENS
9am Be Proud, Be Responsible
10am - 2pm Kids Earth Day Celebration Brick Pond Park, North Augusta Featuring games, giveaways, music and more. Call 803-441-4310.
Thu April 20
11am Sensory Story Time
Columbia County Library An event featuring crafts, snacks and more. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
Headquarters Branch Library Sponsored by Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS), this event is designed to engage kids through movement, music, stories and sensory
4:30pm Earth Day Party
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2pm “He Named Me Malala” Headquarters Branch Library A teen movie time. Call 706-821-2600 or visit arcpls.org.
4pm - 5pm Storytime in the Gardens Hopelands Gardens Each family in attendance will receive a free book. Blankets, chairs, drinks and snacks are welcome. Call 803-642-7631.
4pm Teen Guitar Club Columbia County Library For those ages 11-18. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
6pm Big Brother/Big Sister Doctors Hospital An educational and interactive class for children ages 3-8 who will soon be welcoming a new baby into the home. Preregistration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
2:30pm Children’s Movie
3pm Service Talent and Academics Recognition Showcase A. R. Johnson Magnet School The program will recognize the Augusta Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s youth mentoring programs Delta Academy, Delta GEMS and EMBODI, and will introduce scholarship winners. Visit dstaugustaalumnae.org.
Mon April 24
10am Mom & Me Story Time Reed Creek Park For those ages 2-4. Free, members; $2 per
Wed April 26
10am Children’s Story Time Friedman Branch Library Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Story Time Maxwell Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-793-2020 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Story Time Wallace Branch Library Pre-registration required for groups. Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Story Time for Tots Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 0-3. PreAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989 METROSPIRIT 21
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6pm and 7:30pm Spring Piano Recital
10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time
interested in a fun, dynamic discussion. Books are selected by members and cover a variety of topics. Free. Call 706-922-0171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
MUSIC
10:05am Toddler Story Time
Thu April 20
6:30pm Hopelands Summer Concert Series
Appleby Branch Library This is a program best for children ages 18 months-3 years. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
Imperial Theatre $10. Call 706-722-8341 or visit imperialtheatre.com.
registration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Preschool Story Time Appleby Branch Library For children ages 3-5. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Super Awesome Story Time The Book Tavern Mayor Hardie Davis will read “Tinyville Town Gets to Work!” Story time will be followed by a craft, and juice and cookies will be provided by New Moon Cafe. Call 706-8261940 or email superawesomestorytime@ booktavern.com.
3pm Get the 411 on GACollege411 Appleby Branch Library A Money Smart Week event for those ages 15-18. Pre-registration required. Call 706736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
LITERARY Fri April 21
6pm - 8pm Release Day and Book Signing The Book Tavern Featuring Charles Campbell, author of the new book “Chasing the White Rabbit. Call 706-826-1940 or visit booktavern.com.
Sun April 23
1:30pm - 4pm Reading/Book Signing The Book Tavern Featuring Sasscer Hill, author of “Flamingo Road.” Call 706-826-1940 or visit booktavern.com.
4pm - 6pm Porter Fleming Literary Competition Awards Ceremony Morris Museum of Art Winners will read from their entries and a reception will follow. Free, but preregistration required. Call 706-828-3800 or visit themorris.org.
Mon April 24
7pm Author Reading and Book Signing Barnes & Noble Featuring ReShonda Tate Billingsley, author of “A Blessing & a Curse.” Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
7pm Deconstructing The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Fri April 21
6:30pm Moonlight Music Cruise Augusta Canal Discovery Center Featuring Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia, this event features live music aboard a 1 1/2-hour Petersburg boat tour. Participants are invited to bring aboard snacks and beverages. $25; $23, seniors, military and students. Preregistration required. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
7:30pm 4 Seasons Chamber Jazz Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta Featuring Arpenik Hakobyan. $20, general; $15, senior; $10, student and military with ID. Call 706-733-7939 or visit uuaugusta.org.
7:30pm The Four Freshmen Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center An Augusta Amusements event. $43. Call 706726-0366 or visit augustaamusements.com.
Sat April 22
8am - 2pm Saturday Morning Swing
Tue April 25
7pm Spring Piano Recital Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School $5. Call 706-823-6924 or visit davidson. rcboe.org.
7:30pm Augusta University Wind Ensemble Concert Maxwell Theatre $5, general; free, AU students, faculty and staff. Call 706-667-4100 or visit augusta.edu.
SENIORS Thu April 20
1pm Got 30 Minutes? Kroc Center Conducted by the Area Agency on Aging, this workshop provides an overview of services available to caregivers, the aging, and those with disabilities. Call 706-9220171 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
Sacred Heart Cultural Center Participants will enjoy dinner and entertainment, plus get a sneak peak at the Sacred Heart Garden Festival, going on April 21-23. $75; pre-registration required. Visit sacredheartgardenfestival.com.
Fri April 21
9am - 5pm Sacred Heart Garden Festival Sacred Heart Cultural Center Includes landscape and floral exhibits, speakers, a vendor market, a tour of gardens and more. Tours are from noon5 p.m. each day. Three-day tickets: $25, advance, or $30 at the door. One-day ticket (not including garden tours): $10. Visit sacredheartgardenfestival.com.
5pm - 8pm Friday Night in the Garden Sacred Heart’s Courtyard Garden Part of the Sacred Heart Garden Festival schedule of events. $10. Visit sacredheartgardenfestival.com. 6pm - 9pm Blues, Brews and BBQ Columbia County Amphitheatre An event that includes barbecue from multiple vendors, craft beer and live music from Speakeasy. $5, admission; $5, barbecue. Call 706-650-5005 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.
7pm - 9pm 36th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet USC Aiken Business & Education Building An annual event hosted by the Aiken County Branch of the NAACP and featuring keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Amos Brown. $50, adults; $30, youth. Call 803-810-1909 or email naacpaikenfreedomfund@gmail.com.
Wed April 26
11am - 9pm Record Store Day
SPECIAL EVENTS
Sat April 22
Thu April 20
8th Street Plaza, Reynolds Street The event features vendors of all kinds, activities, live entertainment and more. Visit theaugustamarket.com.
Grantski Records Call 706-922-9777.
7pm - 11pm Jazz Appreciation Month Celebration Blue Horse Featuring Wycliffe Gordon and Dion Parson & 21st Century Band in sets at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $35. Visit wycliffegordonpresentsapril2017. eventbrite.com.
7:30pm Soiree: Jazz + Wine Jessye Norman School of the Arts Featuring classic live jazz by the Travis Shaw Trio and wines selected by the host. $7. Call 762-233-5299 or visit jazzsoiree.com.
7:30pm Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
6:30pm Book Club Kroc Center Open to anyone ages 25 and older
Mon April 24
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Hopelands Gardens, Aiken Featuring the Aiken Brass. Attendees can bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnics and wellbehaved pets on leashes, but no alcohol. Free. Call 803-642-7631 or visit facebook. com/experienceaiken. The rain-out hotline is 803-643-4661.
7pm - 10pm Sacred Heart Garden Festival Preview Party
Eighth Street Plaza Live music from local jazz artists and performing arts groups during the Augusta Market. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.
First Baptist Church of Augusta Part of Symphony Orchestra Augusta’s Symphony Series. $20.37-$43.52. Call 706826-4705 or visit soaugusta.org.
Wed April 26
Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School $5. Call 706-823-6924 or visit davidson. rcboe.org.
10:30am - 1pm Senior Community Cookout McBean Park Call 706-560-1814 or visit augustaga.gov.
6pm 21st Annual Take Back the Night Rally AU’s Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre This event begins with community information and special activities, as well as the exhibits The Clothesline Project and What Was She Wearing?, both of which are on display April 17-21. The rally, featuring speakers and testimonials from sexual assault survivors, and candlelight campus march begins at 7 p.m. Call 706-724-5200 or visit rapecrisisaugusta.org.
7pm Dinner with Benjamin Franklin North Augusta’s Living History Park Part of the Colonial Times: Under the Crown and Colonial Trades Fair schedule of events featuring an 18th-century-style meal, historical interpreters, a puppet show, and period-appropriate music and dancing. $60; pre-registration required. Call 803-279-7560 or email lynn@colonialtimes.us.
8am - 2pm Augusta Market at the River
9am - 5pm Sacred Heart Garden Festival Sacred Heart Cultural Center Includes landscape and floral exhibits, speakers, a vendor market, a tour of gardens and more. Tours are from noon5 p.m. each day. Three-day tickets: $25, advance, or $30 at the door. One-day ticket (not including garden tours): $10. Visit sacredheartgardenfestival.com.
9:30am - 2pm Earth Day Aiken Newberry Street and the Alley An event featuring exhibits, presentations and demonstrations, as well as a kids zone. Call 803-642-7767.
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Berry Center, 3017 Walton Way A spring bazaar hosted by Hands to Paws Rescue that includes homemade crafts, a bake sale of people and dog treats and a silent auction. Visit hands2paws.org.
10am - 3pm Earth Day Augusta Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Held in sections throughout the park, this family friendly event features animal exhibits, local vendors and entertainment. Parking will be at Lock & Dam Park, and SouthStar Trolley will drive guests to the event. Visit earthdayaugusta.org.
10am - 4pm Earth Day Celebration Mistletoe State Park From 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the nature center, visitors will learn about pollinators. From 2-4 p.m., visitors can take water samples at the beach and learn about the fish that live there. $5 per family; $5 parking. Call 706541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
10am - 2pm Strawberry Festival Mead Hall Episcopal School, Aiken An event that will include fresh strawberries, homemade strawberry items, games, activities, craft vendors, book sale, silent auction, bake sale, casserole sale, a talent show and more. Visit meadhallschool.org/ strawberryfestival.
10am - 5pm Under the Crown and Colonial Trades Fair North Augusta’s Living History Park This event will include historical reenactors, local and regional artists displaying their works and more. For more information and a complete schedule of events, call 803-2797560 or visit colonialtimes.us.
Noon - 5pm Augusta Craft Beer Festival Lake Olmstead Stadium An event that includes more than 30 craft beers from local, regional and national breweries, as well as live music, games and vendors. $40, general admission; $50, The Hive Growler ticket (including a growler and free fill from The Hive); $20, designated driver. Visit augustacraftbeerfest.com.
the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1-$5.50. Call 803641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.
8pm “More Than Meets the Eye”
Sun April 23
Augusta Canal Day Paddle
10am - 4pm Under the Crown and Colonial Trades Fair North Augusta’s Living History Park This event will include historical reenactors, local and regional artists displaying their works and more. Sunday’s events include an Anglican church service at 10:30 a.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, call 803-279-7560 or visit colonialtimes.us.
Noon - 5pm Sacred Heart Garden Festival Sacred Heart Cultural Center Includes landscape and floral exhibits, speakers, a vendor market, a tour of gardens and more. Tours are from noon5 p.m. each day. Three-day tickets: $25, advance, or $30 at the door. One-day ticket (not including garden tours): $10. Visit sacredheartgardenfestival.com.
Noon - 4pm Walk for Animals SPCA Albrecht Center, Aiken After the walk, participants are invited to stay for a patio party that will kick off the center’s Yappy Hour season with a cookout, drinks and music. Visit letlovelive.org.
4pm - 6pm The Garden Tea Blanton Garden Part of the Sacred Heart Garden Festival schedule of events. Visit sacredheartgardenfestival.com.
Mon April 24
6pm John Walsh
6pm - 10pm Sweet Celebrations
Tue April 25
7pm “In My Backyard” Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing 20APRIL2017
7pm ‘Til the Cows Come Home 5K Trail Run Steed’s Dairy Farm A fundraiser for Christ Community Health. $30, day of. Visit raceentry.com/racereviews/til-the-cows-come-home-5k.
1 11th Street Visit csrahub.com. North Augusta Community Center A dessert buffet with items from local businesses and silent auction fundraiser for the RECing Crew that also features live entertainment spotlighting the 2017 Crew Idol participants and the organization’s dance programs. $10. Call 803-426-1284 or visit therecingcrew.com.
Fri April 21
Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1-$5.50. Call 803641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.
USC Aiken Convocation Center The America’s Most Wanted host’s appearance is presented by the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County. $50 per seat; $400, table of 8. Dinner included. Visit uscatix.com.
3pm - 5pm CSRA March for Science
SPORTS-OUTDOORS
11am Grand Opening The Juicy Crab Visit facebook.com/TheJuicyCrab/.
4:30pm - 7pm Veggie Park Farmers Market Mill Village Trailhead, 109 Eve Street This weekly event in the park behind the Kroc Center features all local farmers and doubles EBT/SNAP benefits. Visit http:// augustalocallygrown.org/veggie-parkfarmers- market/.
Sat April 22
Savannah Rapids Pavilion A Georgia Conservancy event in which participants will paddle the 7-mile canal to Meadow Gardens. $40 (not including boat rental). To rent a boat, call 706-832-5323 or email savannahrapidskayakrental@ gmail.com. Visit georgiaconservancy.org/ augustacanal/?rq=augusta%20canal.
8:45am Jimmy Jog 5K Savannah Rapids Park The Delta Chi Augusta event benefits the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. $25. Visit eventbrite.com.
Sun April 23
8am Best Dam Ride J. Strom Thurmond Options for road cyclists include 29-, 62- or 100-mile routes. Trail riders can choose from 5-, 15- or 36-mile routes. For more information, visit bestdamride.com.
9:30am Hike
an overview of the clinic’s designation as a center of excellence by the NPF and her role there. Free and open to the public. Call 706-364-1662.
THEATER Thu April 20
8pm Quickies Original Play Festival Le Chat Noir Nine plays are featured in this juried showcase of original works that are between 10-15 minutes long. $20. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com/store/quickiesshort-play-festival.
Fri April 21
7pm “The Life and Times of Petunia Butterby” Kroc Center theatre An Enopion Theatre Company production. $16, adults; $12, seniors, children and groups. Call 706-771-7777 or visit enopion.com.
7:30pm “Lublow Fair and the Whole Shebang” Etherredge Center, Aiken A University Theatre Players production. $8, general; $5, students. Call 803-641-3305 or visit etherredge.usca.edu.
7:30pm “Noises Off” Aiken Community Playhouse $20, adults; $17, seniors and active military; $12, students; $7, children. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
Mistletoe State Park A Sierra Club-sponsored 6-mile moderate hike of the park’s Rock Dam Trail. Participants should bring water and lunch. Pre-registration required. Email sonnyandcathyblack@gmail.com.
8pm Quickies Original Play Festival
3pm Canal Trail Talk
3pm “The Life and Times of Petunia Butterby”
Christ Church, 1904 Greene Street A guided tour led by Buddy Peacock, local historian and long-time church member. Free. Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com.
SUPPORT Thu April 20
Le Chat Noir $20. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta. com/store/quickies-short-play-festival.
Sat April 22
Kroc Center theatre An Enopion Theatre Company production. $16, adults; $12, seniors, children and groups. Call 706-771-7777 or visit enopion.com.
7:30pm “Lublow Fair and the Whole Shebang”
University Hospital Call 706-774-8931 or visit universityhealth.org.
Etherredge Center, Aiken A University Theatre Players production. $8, general; $5, students. Call 803-641-3305 or visit etherredge.usca.edu.
Tue April 25
7:30pm “Noises Off”
6pm Bariatric Surgery Support Group
10:20am Moms Connection Augusta University Medical Center This free weekly support group for new mothers. Call 706-721-8283 or visit augustahealth.org.
6pm CSRA Parkinson Support Group St. John Towers dining room Kathy Tuckey, patient educator and outreach coordinator at the AU Movement and Memory Disorders Clinic, will provide
Aiken Community Playhouse $20, adults; $17, seniors and active military; $12, students; $7, children. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
8pm Quickies Original Play Festival Le Chat Noir $20. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta. com/store/quickies-short-play-festival.
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Wild Wing - DM Radio The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn World of Beer - Reggae w/ Chilikaya
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Chevy’s - DJ Richie Rich Edge Nightclub - Mr. Augusta Pride Pageant Soul Bar - Pop Life
Saturday, April 22 Live Music
Maggie Koerner, Abel Bletz Lee, Shaun Piazza Sky City Thursday, April 20 Doors, 8 p.m.; music, 9 p.m. $8, advance; $10, day of skycityaugusta.com Thursday, April 20 Live Music
Humanitree House - Topher The Red Pepper (Aiken) - Mike Frost Band Sky City - Maggie Koemer, Abel Bletz Lee, Shaun Piazza Southbound Smokehouse - The Roamin’ Jasmine Wild Wing - Bethany and Friends The Willcox (Aiken) - Thursday Night Jazz w/ 4 Cats in the Dog House
What’s Tonight?
Chevy’s - Karaoke w/ Ellie Cotton Patch - Old School Thursday w/ DJ Groove Coyotes - Karaoke with Bam Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia Knight’s Lounge - Karaoke The Loft - Karaoke Pizza Joint (Downtown) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane That Place Coffee - MAD Open Mic
Friday, April 21 Live Music
4 Seasons Chamber Jazz w/ Arpenik Hakobyan Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta Friday, April 21 7:30 p.m. $20, general; $15, senior; $10, student/ military 706-733-7939 4seasons.bpt.me 24 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Augusta Canal - Moonlight Music Cruise w/ Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia Cotton Patch - Live Jazz Country Club - Gannon Adams Coyotes - Brendan Roberts Eli’s - Donna Joe The Highlander - Riley and Friends Iron Heights - Persistent Shadow, As Animals Eat My Insides, Vices & Vessels, Beliefs, East Viridian Jabez S. Hardin PAC - The Four Freshman The Loft - Kelly Cheats Rose Hill Estate (Aiken) - Gavin Reily Shannon’s - The Unmentionables Sky City - The Steppin Stones, Hound of Goshen Southbound Smokehouse - Organ Freeman Surrey Tavern - Stink Bamboo Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta - 4 Seasons Chamber Jazz w/ Arpenik Hakobyan
8th Street Plaza - Saturday Morning Swing at the Augusta Market on the River The Blue Horse - Jazz Appreciation Month Celebration w/ Wycliffe Gordon and Dion Parson & 21st Century Band Cork & Bull (Aiken) - Sir Edward Phillips and the Psychedelic Blue Country Club - Lewis Brice Coyotes - Kason Layne Jessye Norman School of the Arts - Soiree: Jazz + Wine Metro Pub & Coffeehouse - Groove Fly Shannon’s - Southern Meltdown Sky City - Nonchalant, Enoch 7th Prophet, Clash of the Titans, Hellow Tomorrow Southbound Smokehouse - Members of Truth & Salvage Stillwater Taproom - Hound of Goshen Wild Wing - Black Cat Sunshine The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Chevy’s - DJ Richie Rich Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Karaoke Soul Bar - Dance Party That Place Coffee - Cushions & Caffeine Afternoon Open Mic
Sunday, April 23 Live Music
Capri Lounge - Vivian Valium & the Lounge Lizard Divas Wild Wing - Patterson & Nate The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ Mike Johnson
Monday, April 24 Live Music
Hopelands Gardens (Aiken) - Hopelands Summer Concert Series w/ Aiken Brass Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Blues Monday w/ Famous Last Words
What’s Tonight?
Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Wild Wing - Trivia
Tuesday, April 25 Live Music
Fox’s Lair - Irish Music with Dr. John Fisher and the Undefeated Army Joe’s Underground - Open Mic The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck
What’s Tonight? Bar West - Trivia Capri Lounge - Trivia
20APRIL2017
The Cotton Patch - Trivia Limelite Cafe - Bottom’s Up Trivia Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Trivia Mellow Mushroom (Augusta) - Trivia Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Twisted Burrito - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper
Wednesday, April 26 Live Music
The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Shameless Dave Soul Bar - Live Jazz w/ Mike Tanksley Wild Wing - Sabo & Dave
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - Karaoke Capri Lounge - Game Night Chevy’s - DJ Richie Rich Cotton Patch - Trivia and Tunes The Loft - Karaoke Pizza Joint (Evans) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Sky City - Conspiracy w/ DJ Knightmare Southbound Smokehouse - Trivia Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz Surrey Tavern - Trivia w/ Christian and Mickey
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
Try FREE: 706-434-0108 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000 Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+
Upcoming Steep Canyon Rangers
- Bell Auditorium April 27 Simo, the Phillip Lee Band
- Sky City April 29 Alice Cooper
- Bell Auditorium April 30
Meet sexy new friends
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706-434-0112
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HAVING NOTHING ON By Byron Walden/Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Ecclesiastical leader 6 “Get out!” 10 Blood enemy 14 Aussie critters 18 Diaper option 19 Bridge shape 20 French director Clément 21 Martial art whose name means “sword way” 22 Home for Bilbo Baggins 24 West Wing worker 25 A lot 26 A.L. East team: Abbr. 27 Contemptible sorts 28 The ladies-only Western-themed bar I own? 30 Inspector Clouseau or Borat? 33 Peevish 34 Most contemptible 35 Blowup: Abbr. 36 See 9-Down 37 Like some quilt blocks 39 Decoration in a deli case? 45 Tony who managed two World Series championships for the Cardinals 47 Setting for Cardinals home games, briefly 48 Vivacity 49 Neutral tone 50 Parliamentary proceedings, e.g. 51 Romeo or Juliet 53 ____ booster 55 Drained of color 56 “Indubitably” 57 Product of a stable of comic-strip artists? 62 Kentucky college 63 Communication system pioneered by Thomas Gallaudet, for short 64 Greek city where Perseus was born 65 Scaled-down woodwind? 70 Ice-cream container 73 Calendar model 74 Suffix with blast75 Eight-time Olympic medalist Apolo Anton ____ 76 Condo V.I.P. 77 Art Deco artist 78 Belgradian, e.g. 81 Audiophile’s collection 83 Elizabeth with the memoir “Saving Graces”
26 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
85 Audibly upset Belgian francophone? 89 Words after “Sure!” 90 Mournful work 91 MSN alternative 92 Musician in the woodwind section 94 Runs through 97 Satirical depiction of the story of Noah? 100 Most important mounted cavalryman? 102 Opposite corner in a romantic triangle 103 Bush league, for short? 105 Jean who played Aunt Martha in “Arsenic and Old Lace” 106 Important positions 107 Alphas 109 Son of Gloria on “Modern Family” 110 Food thickener 111 Big name among radio shock jocks 112 So-called “Butterfly Capital of Alabama” 113 Environmental bane 114 Hand (out) 115 Study of the heavens: Abbr. 116 Attacked DOWN 1 Drei + fünf 2 Sign of spring 3 1992 Tim Robbins mockumentary 4 Horse picker’s hangout, for short 5 Melodramatic NBC hit starting in 2016 6 Indian “masters” 7 Hybrid bakery treats 8 Roman ____ 9 With 36-Across, a Dr. Seuss book 10 Marker maker 11 Time on the throne 12 “____ Club” (No. 1 hit for 50 Cent) 13 Removes, as a sticker 14 They can provoke knee-jerk reactions 15 Reaching new heights in ballet? 16 Ancient theater 17 Little lad 21 Aussie critters 23 Quick series of social-media posts 28 Something seen at Frankenstein’s birthday party? 29 Shopping ____ 31 Empty spaces
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32 Rhubarb with deep roots? 36 Welcoming necklace 37 DVD remote button 38 Go a mile a minute 40 Woe for some 51-Acrosses 41 Shine 42 Tres + cinco 43 Two-tone treat 44 Georgia senator who helped establish “don’t ask, don’t tell” 46 Correo ____ (words on foreign correspondence) 52 Hairy hunter of Genesis 54 Big do 55 Elvis ____ Presley 57 Pitch in 58 “The BFG” author 59 Automaker that introduced the Rambler 60 Witch 61 2004 Scarlett Johansson film adapted from “Lady Windermere’s Fan” 62 Apt to go Democratic 65 Spit out 66 Actress Sorvino 67 One opposed 68 Big brass 69 Middling 70 Work out spectacularly 71 Beehive, for one 72 Overcome 76 Authority 78 Villainous visage 79 Vegetarian sandwich filling 80 Train syst. 82 Quarters : basketball :: chukkers : ____ 84 Abrupt, disconcerting reaction 86 After-dinner volunteer’s words 87 Pays de ____ (Nantes’s region) 88 Variety of hold ’em 93 Frances who played TV’s Aunt Bee 94 Religious leaders 95 ____ President 96 Baldwin offering 97 Central 98 Gets ready to do push-ups, say 99 Title opera heroine who is a Druidic high priestess 101 Kind of boots 104 ETS offering 107 Going nowhere, metaphorically 108 Women’s-club event
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SIGHTINGS
Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Eric and Janina Mason with Joy Mason and Joshua Mason at Mellow Mushroom downtown.
Brooke Babineaux, Jackson Cheatham and Denise Miles at Southbound Smokehouse.
Steven and Lauren Ocak with Gabby Snodgrass and Gregg Hutt at Sole.
Price Rogers, Kayla Stacks, Aimee Connor and Brooks Towler at the GreenJackets game at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
Lauren Faulk with Anna and Drew Wright at the GreenJackets game at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
Korey Austin and Britton Barnes with McCall and Nathan Montgomery at the GreenJackets game at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
Hannah Weinberger, Pam Weinberger, Julie Richman and Saul Weinberger at The Bee’s Knees.
Arron and Tiffany Snow with Lindsey and Michael Rollock at The Hive.
Joey and Tracy Maroney with Natalie and Jed Lee at Sole.
Join us for an opening reception with the artists Friday, April 21 from 5-8 pm. Visit westobou.org for gallery location and hours.
20APRIL2017
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 27
THE EIGHT
BOX TOPS The “Furious” gang are on top in America and set records across the world. RANK TITLES
WEEKEND GROSS TOTAL GROSS WEEK # LAST WEEK
1
THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS
$98,786,705
$98,786,705
1
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2
THE BOSS BABY
$16,012,349
$116,793,579
3
1
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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
$13,705,122
$454,720,873
5
2
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SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE
$6,714,300
$24,945,059
2
3
5
GOING IN STYLE
$6,288,402
$23,318,880
2
4
In Theaters April 21
DRAMA “Unforgettable,” rated R, starring Katherine Heigl, Rosario Dawson. Didn’t they
DOCUMENTARY “Born in China,” rated G, narrated by John Krasinski and Xun Zhou. A Disneynature
already make this movie a few decades ago with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas?
film that follows panda, golden monkey and snow leopard families. Sounds cute!
V28|NO16
conservatives not abandoning trump austin rhodes I am wrItIng thIs column at a bit of a disadvantage, going out on a limb because its premise is inspired by an election that will not close until a few hours after my deadline, but, no guts, no glory! Democrat Jon Ossoff is not going to win this week’s Georgia congressional race outright, and he will easily be beaten in a June runoff, hopefully, by my old friend (and former Georgia Secretary of State) Republican Karen Handel. Many in the national press have predicted (and some have called for) an Ossoff upset in the race to replace District 6 Congressman Tom Price, but I don’t see it happening. I understand that living in one of the “reddest” counties in one of the country’s “reddest” states means I come to the discussion with a bit of hometown bias in my observations, but, folks, I am being as honest as I can be when I tell you that around these parts there may not be rapt support for every move the president makes, but I see no evidence of any mass voter mutiny among those of us who voted for Donald Trump. There is outrage, protest and anger, no doubt, but it is showing up only among the left wing faithful who always vote liberal, and that without a doubt did not support Trump last November. I have been on the air every single work day since Trump took office and, to date, I have not heard from one single solitary Trump voter who would change their vote if they could today, or who hopes he will be removed from office before the end of his term. I attempted to explore the point further Tuesday afternoon. In the middle of my drive time radio show, I asked for any voters who would change their November vote for Trump today if they could, to call in and tell us about it. I tried for 15 solid minutes to get any Trump voters with regrets to step up and tell the tale.
From 4:45 until 5 p.m., I had no one take me up on my offer. Anecdotal to be sure, but my daily interaction with both pro-Trump and anti-Trump voters seems to indicate the same trend, folks on both sides of his presidency are doing very little migrating, and a whole lot of “digging in.” I predicted this phenomenon a few months before the election, but I admit I had no idea the trend would continue so strongly after the election was long over: From this very column, last July: Those of us on the right can’t complain about being steadfast, we are stuck with Trump because we are so deathly afraid, not of the individuals on the Democratic ticket, but of what they intend to do. I am one of those people. Hillary says she is afraid of what Trump will do with the nuclear codes. She said that this week to Charlie Rose. Kinda scary to think someone with her access (past and present) thinks the president can singlehandedly launch nukes. Can’t happen. Not without a slew of other folks checking off on the decision. Not sure what TV shows she has been watching, but there is way more than one human that stands between us and a nuclear launch. But she does know that, of course she does. But she can’t scare you about Trump if she doesn’t make him out to be Martin Sheen’s crazy character from “The Dead Zone” movie. On the other hand, we are one Supreme Court Justice away from the Second Amendment being gutted, and the federal government issuing “ding dong” inspection rules for elementary school student bathroom use. The president can and will instantly affect our stand on terrorism, illegal immigration, support for police in our cities and climate policy for God knows how long. I can stomach Trump’s silliness over Hillary’s stand on those topics any day of the week. Barring something just this side of verified demonic possession or treason, I am going to ride this Trump wagon, possibly off the rails, if need be. I do that because I believe in a political sense, Hillary’s wagon has been off the rails, over the cliff and plunging toward the rocks since day one. This election is about political philosophy, and as long as I have the hope of conservative viewpoints prevailing, I ain’t budging. I know the other side won’t either. They never, ever have. Romney, Palin, Bush, the left said they were all the devil. Trump? Wait. Trump is the Double Dog Dastardly Devil. With a triple twist. And this time, they mean it. They ain’t budging. The mainstream media is investing their full might in making us believe the shotgun marriage between conservatives and Trump is over, but I am here to say it is not. Not by a long shot!
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.
30 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
20APRIL2017
THE FORT GORDON DINNER THEATRE PRESENTS
“It has heart, wit and a surprisingly zany passion that must carry all before it...it would certainly be a crime for anyone interested in the theatre not to see this play.”
– NY Post
“From time to time a play comes along that restores one’s faith in our theatre…”
– NY Magazine
May 5, 6, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 Dinner 7:00 p.m. • Show 8:00 p.m. The scene is Hazlehurst, Mississippi, where the three Magrath sisters have gathered to await news of the family patriarch, their grandfather, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny, the oldest sister, is unmarried at thirty and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg, the middle sister, who quickly outgrew Hazlehurst, is back after a failed singing career on the West Coast; while Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband in the stomach. Their troubles, grave and yet, somehow, hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by the awkward young lawyer who tries to keep Babe out of jail while helpless not to fall in love with her.
TICKETS
Civilians: $53 | Seniors (65 & over), Retirees, DA Civilians, Active-Duty E7 & above: $50 Active-Duty E6 & below, Students with ID: $40 | Show only: $30
MENU
Mixed Garden Salad with Ranch/Italian/Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette • Risotto Tortellini with Vodka Blush Sauce • String Bean Medley • Steamed Seasonal Vegetable Mix Herb Roasted Chicken • Carved Top Round with Red Wine Demi • Dessert
For reservations, please call 706-793-8552 (SEASON TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE)
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