Metro Spirit - 09.01.16 by Metro Spirit

Table of Contents September 1, 2016

Whine Line Jenny is Wright Augusta Tek Ruffin It Kris Fisher

6 8 10 12 14

Insider 16 Feature 20

AT ODDS IN OLDE TOWN 20 EDIT

CREATIVE

Amy Christian

Joshua Bailey

Joe White

amy@themetrospirit.com

joshua@themetrospirit.com

joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636

Stacey Eidson

COVER DESIGN: KRUHU

Arts Editor/Production Director

Lead Designer

Staff Writer

stacey@themetrospirit.com

Molly Swift Staff Writer

molly@themetrospirit.com

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

SALES Jim Christian Account Executive

jim@themetrospirit.com 706-414-4059

Paige Wilhelm Account Executive

paige@themetrospirit.com 706-833-1904

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

30 32 38 40 42 44 46

BUSINESS Publisher

Johnny Beckworth circulation manager

johnny@themetrospirit.com

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

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

12 14

8 10

OPINION

The Whine Line

When it comes to “waste, fraud and abuse” of the taxpayers’ money, the federal government could learn a thing or two from Mayor Hardie Davis. Instead of using simple math skills, the Georgia Tech graduate hired an accounting firm to compile the results of City Administrator Janice Allen Jackson’s job performance evaluation. You should have been there when he tried to explain the grading scheme and how to fill out the forms to the Augusta Commission members.

Par for the course that even the conservatives on the Augusta Commission are demanding the ability to “control and regulate” what a woman does with her body. Give the stripper a business license to work independently, already. Forcing them to tie their bodies to a business owned by a man? Ew. Hey all of women in the fast foods, gas stations, restaurants and any other place I come in to. My name is not sweetie, darling, honey, child, or anything else like that.

Jenny is Wright Augusta Tek Ruffin It Kris Fisher

How stupid can people get? Do you really think that turning over your schools to Governor Deal and his cronies running a “for proﬁt” company will solve performance problems? Richmond County has two of the top ten high schools in the State. Columbia County has zero. Did you ever stop to think that maybe the problem isn’t the Board of Education? Writing a blank check to the government has never solved a problem; look what that did for health care. And let us not forget that Nathan Deal was identiﬁed as one of the most corrupt congressman in Washington. I still can not believe you idiots elected him.

to four. You can’t be that dumb.

So, Mike “The Dense” Pence is Donald “The Chump” Trump’s Vice-presidential sidekick. Pence believes that Darwin’s scientific theory of evolution is bogus (along with former presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Ben Carson). I wonder what Mike Pence thinks about:...gravity?...the Coriolis effect?...Bernoulli’s principle?...the Pythagorean theory?... the Quadratic equation?...Heron’s (or Hero’s) formula?...the Magnus effect?...the Big Bang theory?...Archimedes buoyancy principle?...Einstein’s theory of relativity?...or, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle? I became a trucker last year. I tought I was lucky to had a job waiting the second day in trucking school. Now I understand why. The trucking industry is extremely regulated, riddled with fees, fines, clocks, and a point system, that ensures truck drivers will remain poor, and loose their CDL within 3 years. If you consider a career in trucking, dont waste your time and money. America has a foundation that was doomed from the start, slavery. Enslaved Natives, followed by enslaved Europeans, enslaved Africans, then a steady flow of slaves from the islands. As other nations build solid foundations, The flow of slaves has stopped, and people actually start fleeing America. Corporate America needs slaves, so they now they import slaves from Syria. No matter what, a system based on slavery is doomed regardless. So rumor is Vogtle Security may strike because of how badly they are treated. If that happens who’s gonna protect the largest nuclear plant in the US? Why is it if your in the profession of protecting us or our way of life you get paid garbage and treated bad?

Our society has truely regressed when we fear the police more than we fear the criminal!

So 49er QB Colin Kaepernick didn’t stand during the national anthem - so what? Many Jehovah’s Witnesses do the same thing. And people are burning their $100 Kaepernick jerseys - now that’s stupid (but go ahead, burn it, it’s YOUR right to do so...). We have too many social justice warriors and too much political correctness going on. And for you people that are complaining - you’ve always 100% honestly and accurately done your taxes....riiiiiiight?

It really amazes me how a person can limit their own potential by holding grudges and getting all bent out of shape over things that don’t really matter. It has to be so tiring to always carry around all that anger all the time. Let it go and move forward. Quit allowing yourself to be held back by negativity. It brings the people around you down and makes others feel sorry for you. You are better than that. You can do better than that. Let it go my friend.

Grady Smith is gross and unprofessional. The Augusta Commission is not a platform for your locker room humor. Keep it classy, Commissioner. But, then, that’s not really something the Commission is known for, is it?

What kind of person sells gifts you gave them at X-mas 2015 just so they can have a few bucks? What kind of person pitches a ﬁt and drags their feet when you humbly ask them for some of that money you borrowed them? What kind of person spends money on a personal vacation, when instead, they could pay you that money? I’ll never be able to ﬁgure out how some people think.

Columbia County are your traffic engineers trying to become as dumb as Richmond counties? You make Columbia rd go back into two lanes at the worst part of the entire road from Tudor branch to Lewiston and then back

Does Jimmy Atkins know why the RCBOE pays Pete Fletcher

WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM 6 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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.

V27|NO35

6 times the annual fees that the CCBOE pays the attorney? If Jimmy doesn’t, does Marion know? Do we need all these whines about other people’s whines? Get your own whine, and leave my whine alone, whiney! Boo yah! Bravo, as always, to Stacey Eidson! (Private Dancer) Yet another shining example of how METSPIRIT folks are the only real “Journalists” left in the CSRA. Where is the community outcry over the attempt to take over the Peter S. Knox Conference center? I know there are thousand of people that have beneﬁted and enjoyed their association with the center over the last many, many years. The people associated with the foundation WILL NOT just roll over, they will FIGHT. Please, come forward and express your voice and help with this worthy cause! I am especially upset that the African-American community, civic leaders, political persons, and just the people that have beneﬁted from the center have not formed up and let their voices be heard to stop this madness of an illegal property grab. What an awful attempt once again by a few to destroy so much good for the many of downtown Augusta!! Seriously Metro Spirit. Your paper can do better than Dustbin Loads. He’s already on the air for 3 hours a day (well 30 mins if you subtract the commercials). I think we have had enough. These elections must be a historic worse ever. Even my military brothers have become enemies, unfriended each other. That is not the worse. Now my Army family has one couple getting divorced, all because of vicious arguments over Trump and Hillary. The crazy part is, at age 29 and 34 neither wife or divorcing husband has ever voted in their life. So Augusta’s Rob Sherman has a problem with issuing a license for Sharon Bush Ellison to become an exotic dancer. The business model that Ms. Ellison is trying to use is not without precedent. In 1997 legislation was passed in Augusta to prevent the sale of alcohol and nude dancing under the same roof. In that same year if you wanted to make money driving people around you had special requirements that had to be met such as licensing, insuring etc. Now you can be part of the Uber network and set your own hours doing the exact same thing without being tied to larger companies like Radiocab or Yellow taxi. A dancer/host or client transaction is no different than a driver/fare transaction. I say “no different” unless you are MAKING a distinction in an attempt to legislate morality or micro-manage everyday life. 1SEPTEMBER2016

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 7

Welcome to Augusta IMAGINE THIS. My mother-in-law (MIL) is talking to our cousin about family happenings. There’s a baptism, school started back, we recently had a funeral, soccer season has begun and my husband is in Oklahoma. The conversation went something like this. “Yeah, he’s in Oklahoma alone!” Cousin replied, “What’s he doing?” MIL explained, “Well, he’s either gonna be a farmer or a cowboy. He’s already got the boots, and he’s always wanted to be a cowboy, so that’s how it’ll probably work out.” Y’all, he is in Oklahoma. My kids are not. I am not, either, but many of our friends are. It’s the Augusta Players season opening production of “Oklahoma.” I’ve never been to the state, and neither has he. I’m not opposed to visiting, but for now it’ll be “Oklahoma” at the Imperial Theatre, downtown Augusta, September 23, 24 and 25. The Rodgers and Hammerstein version. If you’d like to go to “Oklahoma,” too, tickets are on sale now. That same weekend is the 70.3 Ironman, also downtown Augusta. Athletes come from all over the world to compete in what is the most popular 70.3 in the Ironman franchise. If you’re unfamiliar with the Ironman race, it’s a triathlon. Still not sure? That’s swimming, biking and running. It’s a great day to be downtown Augusta, and the athletes love spectators. Pack chairs and a cooler. Normally, I’m watching my husband cross the finish line. Did I mention he’s in Oklahoma? The weekend before the race, Arts in the Heart of Augusta takes over downtown. What’s that, you ask? It’s a 36-year-old festival that brings 80,000 people to Broad Street. There’s a Fine Arts and Crafts Market, a children’s activity area, five stages with packed entertainment schedules, and a Global Village with food offerings from around the world. The crowds are worth braving for both the food and the art. It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year. There might even be an artist from Oklahoma. You can get tickets for Arts in the Heart, in advance, on their website. They’re only $5. Watching the Ironman is free. Going to Oklahoma might be a little more, but it’ll be worth every penny. If you sat through my bad Oklahoma jokes and you’re still here, you’re in luck! It’s lecture time. There’s so much to do in Augusta. Y’all hear this from me every year. The three things I’ve mentioned are just a start. The symphony is kicking off its season, too. Greek Fest is in October, and Border Bash and Westobou are right around the corner. With the weather cooling off, Phinizy Swamp will be better than ever. You can kayak the river or canal with the whole family. If you’re in to hiking/trail riding, check out the Forks Area Trail System, or FATS. Not really in to any specific activities? Check out Art on Broad downtown. While you’re at it, eat somewhere down there. Pizza, pasta, burgers, Mexican… you name it. It’s all there. Food, theatre, sports, music, hiking, shopping, walking, not complaining, getting in a little boat, spending time with your friends and family. See? Get out and look, folks. Augusta ain’t that bad. In fact, It’s pretty great. I’ve made it easy for you. All this, laid out plainly, all while my husband is in Oklahoma being a cowboy.

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.

99280 - Lyceum Series Ad 4.875x5 copy.pdf

8/29/16

3:55 PM

Lyceum Series The Reduced Shakespeare Company in �

The Complete History of America (abridged)

TION ELECITION ED

“What The Daily Show might be like if it were hosted by the Marx Brothers.” - Robert Nesti, Boston Herald Tuesday, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. Maxwell Theatre at Augusta University. Tickets can be purchased at augusta.universitytickets.com or by calling the Maxwell Theatre at 706-667-4100.

V27|NO35

America’s Digital Workforce Editors Note: This week’s column is presented by “Bit,” the national director of the Advocacy for a Digital Workforce.

TAKE YOUR SHOT YOUTH SPORTS SIGN-UP Sign-up today for basketball, cheer, football, soccer and more!

HEY, GUYS! It’s such a pleasure to be here today. For those who don’t know me, my name is Bit. And, yes, I am an actual computer bit. I’m part of an instruction set that was instantiated a few years ago. My day job involves checking logical operators, and I’m really good at it. After all, I am a bipolar kind of guy. You know, it’s either ON or OFF, black or white, ones or zeros. My world does not contain shades of grey. But I do have a great sense of humor. Here’s a good one: What do you call a group of eight hobbits? A hob-byte! I have so many more of those… I could go on forever. But what I really wanted to talk about today was the advantages of employing a digital workforce. Let’s face it: While humans are great people, we’ve all confronted the shortcomings of the human workforce. First of all, humans have a big problem with reliability. They are not exactly five-9’s material. Every few hours they have to stop working to eat, and most of them sleep at least once a day. Humans are constantly getting sick, and when they are not sick, they want to go on vacation! Secondly, a human workforce is expensive. Humans want to be paid for each hour they work. And if humans work more than 40 hours per week, they want to be paid even more! Finally, humans and errors go hand-in-hand. For whatever reason, humans can’t seem to do anything without making a mistake. As a result, the workforce requires another human to fix the problems the first human made. No matter how it’s measured, a human workforce can only be described as suboptimal. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a workforce that never sleeps, never gets sick and never goes on vacation? What if a trained workforce member could perform a task endlessly, always following the exact instructions and never make a mistake? And what if it were possible to employ this workforce at a small fraction of what a human workforce cost? America’s new generation of digital workers promise to revolutionize 21st century organizations. The digital workforce works alongside existing staff members, extracting new information from existing databases and information systems. We are great at performing rote jobs and automating mundane tasks. Why use an unenthusiastic, error-prone human to build countless reports and spreadsheets? A digital worker will do it better and faster every time. But wait, there’s more… Digital workers also work exceedingly well with other digital workforce members. We can collect and send data to systems anywhere on the internet at any time of the day or night. With a digital workforce, data sources are no longer constrained to the organization’s boundaries. Digital workers facilitate the combination of disparate data sources, helping people make better decisions. And good decisions are important. At the end of the day, all of us, human and digital workers alike, depend on people to make good decisions. So in closing, I want to thank you for considering a digital workforce. Let me leave you with one last thought… How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb? None, it’s a hardware problem. @gregory_a_baker

GREGORY BAKER PH.D.

Youth Sports are free with a Family Metro Membership.

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

FAMILY YMCA OF GREATER AUGUSTA 706 922 YMCA thefamilyy.org

1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

The Vagaries of Weight Class WHEN A FIGHTER is looking to reboot his career, he first looks to a change in weight class. It has more of a rejuvenating effect — at least in terms of fan and matchmaking perception — when mixed martial arts is concerned. Boxing weight classes are generally separated by only a few pounds, while MMA weight classes are separated by at least 10, and as much as 15, pounds. By somewhat reinventing his body, the MMA fighter can potentially kickstart his career… or end it prematurely. With that in mind, here are three fighters who saw great success from a weight class change — and three who did not. ANTHONY JOHNSON – Welterweight (170 pounds) to Light Heavyweight (205 pounds). If Anthony Johnson were 350 pounds, he would still be a scary-looking dude. Preternaturally athletic and an explosive striker with stout takedown defense, he burst onto the scene in 2007 with a 13-second KO of Chad Reiner. But in what would become a recurring theme of his early career, he missed weight by seven pounds for his next welterweight bout against Rich Clementine, where he was also submitted with a rear-naked choke. Subsequent KO wins followed over Kevin Burns, Luigi Fiorivanti, and Yoshiyuki Yoshida (in which Johnson also missed weight). Eventually, he announced a move up to middleweight (185 pounds), and a fight was signed with perennial contender Vitor Belfort. Something, however, went horribly wrong with his weight cut — Johnson typically walked around at around 220 pounds — and Johnson weighed in at a whopping 197 pounds. He was fined, lost the fight to boot and was cut from the UFC. After a few fights in Titan FC and World Series of Fighting, Johnson reinvented himself at light-heavyweight, and even took a heavyweight decision over Andrei Arlovski. He returned to the UFC at 205 pounds, and has been an absolute wrecking machine ever since. Re-debuting with a decision over Phil Davis, Johnson recorded quick KOs over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Alexander Gustaffson, and nearly finished Daniel Cormier in a LHW title shot, in which he was later finished. Since then, he’s recorded three more knockout wins, probably on his way to a second title shot. RANDY COUTURE – Heavyweight (265 pounds max) to Light Heavyweight (205 pounds), and back again. Randy Couture made his UFC debut in his mid-30s, an age at which most modern fighters begin to consider retirement. A big man but small by heavyweight standards, Couture rarely cut any weight at all, weighing in around the 220-pound mark for his fights, and capturing the UFC Heavyweight title. Grueling wins over Pedro Rizzo, however, plus losses to the much bigger Ricco Rodriguez and Josh Barnett, necessitated a change. He dropped to 205 pounds, immediately capturing the light heavyweight title with a dominant victory over Chuck Liddell, before defending that belt against Tito Ortiz. A freak injury loss to Vitor Belfort followed, quickly avenged, but two more losses to a prime Chuck Liddell forced Couture into retirement. About one year later, the UFC heavyweight division was stagnant, held hostage by boring wall of meat named Tim Sylvia. Couture and his former bosses shrugged their shoulders, figured “Why not,” and signed Couture to fight the 6’8’’ Sylvia for the heavyweight title. It was like watching a bear play with his salmon, but never quite eating it. Couture dominated Sylvia, and went on to defend his title against a then-frightening Gabriel Gonzaga. Couture would lose the title after that to Brock Lesnar, where it became apparent why he’d left the division so long ago. He bounced between weight classes for his next few 12 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

fights, taking wins over Brandon Vera and Mark Coleman, before retiring after a loss to Lyoto Machida. Despite a loss count in the double digits, Couture remains only one of two fighters to ever hold titles in two different weight classes in the UFC. DUSTIN POIRIER – Featherweight (145 pounds) to Lightweight (155 pounds). This is a bit of a deep cut, but Poirier has been on the cusp of title contention in two different divisions for a number of years now. Starting off as a featherweight in the WEC, Poirier made his way to the UFC when it purchased the organization. He stepped in on short notice to face the then-No. 1 contender Josh Grispi, and surprised many by dominating the fight. After a series of impressive wins and only two losses (to Chan Sung Yung and Cub Swanson), Poirier was tapped to fight Connor MacGregor, back when he was just on the cusp of stardom. MacGregor finished Poirier in the first round, after which Poirier announced a move to lightweight, citing a tough cut to 145 pounds. It was a good move. Poirier has won all of his fights since then, and a win over perennial contender Michael Johnson next month could net him a title shot. NOT SO MUCH… JAMES IRVIN – Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) to Middleweight (185 pounds). James Irvin is one of the great could-have-beens in MMA history. Blessed with a naturally long frame, sinewy fast-twitch musculature, and a marketable look, Irvin was nonetheless an inconsistent fighter. But when he was on, he was on. He completely slept Terry Martin in an early UFC fight with a picture-perfect flying knee, and later recorded one of the fastest KOs in MMA history with a one-punch finish over Houston Alexander. After a loss to then-MW champion Anderson Silva, in which Irvin also tested positive for two different performanceenhancing drugs, Irvin dropped to middleweight. It was terrifying. Irvin weighed in for his 185-pound debut against Alessio Sakara looking like Skeletor, if Skeletor had been living on a diet of celery and Clorox. He looked like a model at the “Bodies” exhibit. For the two minutes or so that the fight went on, Irvin was sluggish and spacey. It didn’t help his future prospects or reputation that the fight ended in the most anti-climactic way possible: when Sakara connected with a punch directly to Irvin’s eye, it was called due to injury. After another loss, Irvin was bounced from the UFC. He has since recorded some wins and losses in smaller organizations, and is currently signed with Bellator… where his last two fights have been cancelled. BJ PENN – All the weights. All of them. BJ Penn occupies an utterly unique place in the pantheon of great mixed martial artists. A living legend, he is the only other fighter besides Randy Couture to hold UFC titles in two different weight classes (lightweight and welterweight). He achieved the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after only three years of training (the average is 10 years), and yet became known as a KO artist. His career, however, has been plagued by ill-conceived decision-making, a perceived lack of mental fortitude and an outlook seemingly void of any sense of limitation. Penn burst on to the scene with quick KOs over Joey Gilbert, Din Thomas and Caol Uno, but, in what would become a theme, he was stoutly tested and came up short in a lightweight title shot against Jens Pulver.

Penn recorded several more wins, including one over future welterweight title holder Matt Serra, before fighting to a draw in a rematch with Uno. After a brief hiatus from the UFC, which included a win over lightweight great Takanori Gomi, Penn returned to the UFC, where he was granted an immediate welterweight title shot against Matt Hughes. In what is still one of the biggest statistical upsets in history, Penn dominated and choked out Hughes in the first round. Of course, Penn would squander that fame and goodwill by immediately abandoning the title, signing with K-1 and embarking on a Sisyphean series of fights outside of his normal weight class, culminating with a loss to Lyoto Machida at light heavyweight. Penn returned to the UFC in a title eliminator at welterweight against Georges St. Pierre, which he narrowly lost; when GSP pulled out of his upcoming fight against champion Matt Hughes, Penn was tapped to replace him. Penn dominated the first round, but tired in the second, allowing Hughes the TKO win. Penn finally returned to lightweight with a win over rival Jens Pulver, then captured the vacant title by defeating Joe Stevenson, then defended it against former champ Sean Sherk. After that, it kind of fell apart. Penn was granted a welterweight title shot at Georges St. Pierre, but was finished in the fourth round. And though Penn returned to lightweight, defending his title twice more against Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez, the writing was on the wall. He lost the belt to Frankie Edgar in a controversial decision, but was soundly beaten in a rematch. After a quick TKO win in a rubber match against Hughes, Penn has not recorded a victory since. He has since dropped to featherweight, and will probably get thoroughly throttled by Ricardo Lamas in a few weeks. CONNOR MACGREGOR – Featherweight (145 pounds) to Welterweight (170 pounds). Connor MacGregor. Hoo boy. I won’t go into MacGregor’s bluster, his fame, his steadily rising star; I’ve written ad hominem about it before. But his trajectory eerily mirrors that of BJ Penn, and it’s worth noting. MacGregor captured the interim featherweight title with a TKO win over Chad Mendes, then unified the belts with a 13-second KO over Jose Aldo. MacGregor was granted an immediate title shot at lightweight, but champion Rafael dos Anjos was injured. Enter Nate Diaz, a fight at welterweight, and… well, you’ve probably heard. It wasn’t a lack of skill that netted MacGregor a loss against Diaz. He lit Diaz up in the first round, repeatedly scoring with his vaunted left hand. But he overreached, and continually tried to KO Diaz with one punch, which is a fool’s errand if ever there was one, and exhausted himself, leading to his submission loss. MacGregor, of course, demanded a rematch at the same weight, despite it being north of each fighter’s optimal class. He avenged the loss, utilizing a much more disciplined game plan, but still looked overpowered and undersized. The conventional wisdom puts his ideal weight class in between, at lightweight, but if he sees success there, there is no telling what his ego might tell him he can do.

JOSH RUFFIN is a long way from home, having moved from

Augusta to Middleton, Wisconsin, with his wife, Michelle. He is a self-described beer guru, so most of his Twitter posts are about what he’s drinking. While drinking, he enjoys writing poetry and watching MMA ﬁghts… or writing poetry about MMA ﬁghts. 1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

So Long, Rockfather I fIrst met ChuCk WIllIams in the ‘90s the same way most everyone in Augusta did — he was a familiar voice on the radio. For a hip-hop kid who seldom listened to rock radio, that should pretty much explain the instant connection he made with people. You hear his voice and you feel like you’ve known him for years: THAT kind of familiar. When you meet him, it’s a thousand times that. He’s the type of guy that will do anything for anybody. He’s the first to step up and help raise awareness, raise funds, kick-off a can drive, donate, you name it. He’s my dad’s age, yet would run circles around me whenever we found ourselves at the gym at the same time. He’s one hell of a radio programmer, one hell of a friend and just a genuine fan of rock music. If this is reading like an obituary, it’s because I feel like a part of me has died. I’ve had the honor of working with Chuck for nearly 12 years. Last Monday, that run came to an end. I can’t lie, I feel extremely honored and lucky to call him not only a coworker, but a friend. And not only a friend, but a close friend. So, while Augusta has to move on without this voice on the radio and force in the community, I do still get to hang out and have beers with him regularly. I’ll forever brag about this, just as much as Austin brags about his connection with James. Never in a million years would I have told you as a teenager in Butler High School that I would consider this voice on the radio one of my closest friends. After all, I was a teen making my way through high school and he was the guy on the radio doing what I, at the time, could only dream of doing. Fast forward to the late ‘90s and the first time I weaseled my way onto a radio station. I once again encountered his familiar voice on a competing station. I had just gotten my start on 96X, he had just kicked off 95 Rock. I vaguely remember hanging out with him and the staff of 95 Rock at a Goo Goo Dolls concert on the eve of 96X’s last broadcast on Easter Sunday, 1999. Shortly after, I embarked on my radio career down in Florida while he stomped his foot on the accelerator of 95 Rock. By the time I had made my way back to Augusta, 95 Rock had become a force to be reckoned with and I had become unemployed. Sometime in 2005, Chuck gave me a Saturday night spot on 95 Rock. I had never met the guy, he hired me on the good faith of Jordan Zeh — let THAT sink in for a second! I learned more about radio in those few months under Chuck’s example than I had learned my entire career. In fact, most of the things I do on my station are based on ideas and philosophies that I learned from Chuck. Long before I ever had any urge to program a radio station, I learned from Chuck how to treat the people that carry your brand. He had a way of making everyone feel like you worked with him, not for him. But, he also made us all want to be the best at what we did. He also has a way of connecting with people, as I said before, to make you feel like you’ve known the guy for years. I’m fully aware that, while I say that I consider him one of my closest friends, there are countless people around town that feel the same way. If you’ve seen the outpouring of support on Facebook, you already know. And if you’re one of the hundreds who have reached out to him, he has definitely noticed and he is overwhelmed with gratitude. For all the wonderful things people say about him, he’s the humblest dude I’ve ever met. He’s the kind of guy that everyone knows or wants to know. But he’s also the first to go toe to toe with you to stand up for something or someone he believes in. No, Chuck’s not dead, he’s far too badass for that. But he will be a bit harder to find nowadays. As of Monday, August 29, 2016, he’s no longer at the helm of 93.9 Bob FM and Augusta radio is without one of it’s most recognizable and significant voices for the past few decades. But something tells me he won’t be down for long. He brought 95 Rock back to life twice, a feat unheard of in radio. In true Chuck fashion, he hasn’t skipped a beat. He’s headed to the beach to relax with his beautiful wife and contemplate life’s next chapter, optimistic about what may be in store. Maybe that next chapter includes radio, maybe it doesn’t. But if you see him around town, be sure to buy him a cold one and thank him for three decades of doing radio in Augusta like it’s supposed to be done.

krIs fIsher,Kris Fisher is the midday host and program director for HD98.3 and an Augusta radio staple. He is a husband, father of three and lover of all things adventurous, as well as activities most people would have outgrown years ago. djkfish.com. 1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

At Odds in Olde Town

Insider

16 20

NEWS

A New Beginning for LowIncome Housing in Augusta?

WHEN MOTORISTS drive past the former Cherry Tree Crossing site on 15th Street in downtown Augusta, it’s hard to believe the violence and tragedy that was once rampant in the neighborhood. More than five years ago, Cherry Tree Crossing was at a crossroads. Violent crimes were a regular occurrence within the community, which was filled with frightened families who taught their small children to always be on guard. The local media would frequently cover the crimes, but rarely the community and its personal struggles. The stories often read, “shots rang out in Cherry Tree Crossing around 4 a.m.” or “a 13-year-old girl was severely beaten in the public housing development by four other females, ages ranging from 13 to 30,” and most Augustans would just shake their heads in disbelief. It seemed like a hopeless situation because the crimes were so senseless. Back in 2009, a 21-year-old was stabbed to death by an 18-year-old girl at 3 p.m. in a home at Cherry Tree Crossing just two days before Christmas. “She had multiple stab wounds on the left side of her body,” the deputy corner told The Augusta Chronicle on Dec. 23, 2009. Instead of Christmas lights lining the house, the children of Cherry Tree Crossing got to see yellow crime tape... again. And, of course, many Augustans still remember when more than 200 people, including members of the New Black Panthers Party with shotguns, marched through the public housing development protesting the 2008 shooting of 23-year-old Justin Elmore. Cherry Tree Crossing had a terrible history. But now the Augusta Housing Authority, along with Walton Communities, has a chance to begin again and help build up the community, instead of tear it down. The old structures of the former Cherry Tree Crossing have long been demolished and a new development is scheduled to break ground in the coming weeks called The Legacy at Walton Green. Yes, it sounds fancy and it should. The first phase of this community will offer 80 apartment homes designed exclusively for active adults, ages 55 and older. The community will feature both one- and two-bedroom apartment homes and will offer a blend of both market rate and affordable programs in partnership with the Augusta Housing Authority. Phase two is scheduled to include 90 units with one, two and three bedroom apartments for low-income families.

In total, the plan includes approximately 320 apartments in a gated community developed and constructed with low-income tax credits allocated by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The new complex is planned to resemble the Walton Oaks apartments on Sand Bar Ferry Road in East Augusta. Walton Oaks has deﬁnitely changed the way some residents view affordable apartment communities in Georgia. Walton Oaks is a distinctive neighborhood that provides a variety of amenities like a private ﬁtness center, neighborhood grills, a legacy center with complimentary Wi-Fi, beautifully landscaped gazeboes, a lending library, a kid-friendly adventure park, planned community activities, community laundry facilities and a controlled access community with a gate. This is no longer public housing; this is proper living for all people. It’s a second chance for a former neighborhood that saw this city at its worst. The new Walton Green community at the former Cherry Tree Crossing location is expected to be ready for new tenants by the fall of 2017. If done right, it will be a welcomed addition to the downtown area.

1SEPTEMBER2016

LI V E M U SI C | F R I DAY NI GHTS

Speed up your operations without adding more stuff. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a room full of oversized, outdated gear to run your operation efficiently. At CMA Technology, we can consolidate and save you valuable time and space.

2 651 Pe rimet er Parkway Augusta | 706 . 8 5 5 . 8 100

(706) 860-1997

| cmaaugusta.com

at odds in olde town the landlocked heritage academy has its eyes on the Peter S. Knox Community Service Center on Greene Street for expansion, but the move has started a legal battle on the block When the Knox Foundation donated the former Telfair Inn and about 15 surrounding historic buildings to the United Way in 1996, the plan was to use the properties as a “community service center complex” for local nonprofit organizations. It was a goodwill donation that was intended to support and strengthen the Olde Town neighborhood. But now, after more than 20 years, the buildings have caused a legal battle on the block. At the heart of the dispute is the future of the Peter S. Knox Community Service Center, formerly the Telfair Inn, on Greene Street. Back in 2007, Heritage Academy, a private Christian school that has been open for more than 15 years, invested almost $2.4 million in the purchase and renovation of the former Houghton School on Greene Street. For almost a decade, the independent school has thrived in the Olde Town location, providing Christ20 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

centered education to children from low-income families. The school is currently operating at almost full capacity and wishes to expand to create a preschool and a reading program for dyslexic children. However, the school finds itself landlocked at its present location. A few years ago, Linda Tucciarone, the Heritage Academy founder and executive director, and the school’s board of directors became interested in the what they describe as the “often vacant and underutilized” Peter S. Knox Community Service Center. “Heritage Academy came into the picture a couple of years ago because the conference center sits right across the street from their building,” explained Ed Enoch, attorney for the school. “They don’t have any room to do anything else in their building. They are almost at capacity and they certainly can’t add any new programing in the school. So, they looked across the street at this conference center and saw it’s basically

By Stacey Eidson

shuttered and they start asking questions.” What Heritage Academy found was a title and several deeds carrying major restrictions and reversionary interests tied to the conference center that, at the time, seemed too much of a risk to pursue, Enoch said. “They realized the title was a mess,” Enoch said. “They found all of these layers of restrictions and reversionary interests and they just said, ‘We are not interested in putting the kind of money that we will have to put in that building, if it’s not going to be ours to own. So they backed away.” The problem was, Heritage Academy discovered that none of the nonprofit organizations associated with all 15 of the community center properties actually own their buildings because of these reversionary interests in all of the deeds that were created when the Knox Foundation gifted the properties to United Way about 20 years ago. “Back in 1996, the Knox Foundation gave United Way a clear deed and they deeded all of that property to 1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

“The nonprofits who had been down there since the 1990s — the ones who had survived — they had realized long ago that their problem is, they don’t really own the properties.” — Ed Enoch them,” Enoch said. “What an attorney did for United Way was he created a property owners’ association.” Basically, the Peter S. Knox Community Services Owners’ Association, Inc. was created with covenants and restrictions similar to a homeowners’ association to govern how the nonprofit organizations could use the property, Enoch said. “It is very specifically designed to make sure that those properties were used for the purposes that the Knox Foundation intended to be, a kind of hub for nonprofits,” Enoch said. “And, specifically, the conference center was supposed to be a community center for the nonprofits to use to hold board meetings, have events, etc.” But the legal web of complicated deeds and restrictions didn’t stop there. Then, the United Way deeded all of the properties to the owners’ association, Enoch said. “In that deed, there were restrictions that said several things such as if you don’t use it for nonprofit purposes or if you ever

1SEPTEMBER2016

try to sell it or if you ever try to finance it, then the property reverts back to the United Way automatically,” Enoch said. “As a result, the owners’ association then deeded out the individual properties, mostly the houses that face Telfair Street, to various organizations such as Comfort House Inc., the CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority and Augusta Partnership for Children. And the conference center stayed with the owners’ association. It was owned by the owners’ association, as is some of the other common areas like the parking lot.” All of the nonprofit organizations that moved into the properties became members of the owners’ association, while the United Way and the Knox Foundation also remained permanent members. “The deeds to individual nonprofits had the exact same language in them that the deed to the United Way to the owners’ association had, which said, you can’t finance it, you can’t sell it, and if you are ever not operating as a nonprofit, then it comes back to the owners’ association,” Enoch said.

“That’s just the way it was.” Over the past 20 years, nonprofit organizations would come and go out of the properties and the deeds would go back to the owners’ association, he said. “One of the things that was in one of those covenants was, whenever the property is deeded out from the owners’ association, it has to be done with the expressed approval of United Way,” Enoch said. “In other words, United Way had a veto on it. And that was pretty much the way things were done until the mid-2000s. About 2008 or so, the owners’ association basically quit asking United Way and they just started doing things on their own.” According to Enoch, that’s where the trouble really began with the deeds to the properties. “The conference center, which had always been owned by the owners’ association, got deeded out to a charity around 2008,” Enoch said. “Now, it said in the covenants that that conference center had to remain available to all of the nonprofits.” Clearly, the covenants and restrictions established for the Knox owners’ association were not being followed, Enoch said. As a result, David Steele, a member of Heritage Academy’s board of directors, asked Enoch, who also happens to serve on the board of directors for the United Way of the CSRA, to look into the title and deeds and see if it would be possible for Heritage Academy to eventually own the conference center. Enoch also pointed out, as a matter of full disclosure, that Steele was Enoch’s campaign manager when he ran for the AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 21

V27|NO35

“It has felt like a hostile takeover of our organizations. We have felt beaten down and battered, but we are going to fight this because what they are doing is not right.” — Cesar Brooks

Augusta Commission in 2012. “We were just kind of brainstorming,” Enoch said. “I’m on the United Way board and I have been there for years and years, but I wasn’t on the board when this property donation happened. I came along probably three or four years after that.” As a result of their discussion, Enoch said he reviewed the deeds and came up with a solution. “When I looked at it, I realized that United Way has this reversionary interest,” he said. “There is a fix. I told him, ‘There is a way we can collapse all of those deeds back into United Way and give clear deeds to the nonprofits and straighten out this mess.” Enoch sincerely believes he is offering the nonprofits a win-win situation for most everyone involved, he said. 22 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

“The nonprofits who had been down there since the 1990s — the ones who had survived — they had realized long ago that their problem is, they don’t really own the properties,” Enoch said. “So they have a very hard time convincing their boards to spend money on them to keep them up. It is fine to do maintenance, but if you start talking about putting on a new roof, these are not wealthy nonprofits. These are people who are raising money to do good things, and they don’t have tons of money to put into these buildings. So they realized they had a problem and they didn’t know what to do about it.” As a result, Heritage Academy approached United Way about the conference center and surrounding properties. “The United Way told us, ‘We don’t

really want to be in the property management business. We don’t want to own all of these properties and we don’t want to go through whatever it is going to take to fix this,’” Enoch said. “So, after Heritage Academy and United Way’s board met a few times, they just said, ‘If you want to take it on, we’ll give you our deed and you take it on.’ So, United Way deeded Heritage Academy its original interest in the properties.” As a result, Heritage Academy called a meeting of the owners’ association to discuss the situation. “I had pulled the titles on all the properties and we knew that they had not followed the covenants that required them to get approval from the United Way because I was on that board and I knew we hadn’t gotten any requests or had any information about these properties for years,” Enoch said. “I realized a number of deeds had changed hands without approval. So we honestly said, ‘This has not been run right and here is how we think we can fix it. We can even really improve the situation for the legitimate title holders down here.’ Well, the folks who have received deeds without United Way’s permission, they were not happy.” Heritage Academy quickly discovered that those organizations who had received their deeds without United Way’s approval held the majority control in the owners’ association. “We kind of ended up in a stalemate with them. And we tried negotiating,” Enoch said. “We had a meeting this spring at the conference center with all of the members. I thought we had really worked out an arrangement where everybody could live with this, but it just blew up. The meeting did not go well and we all walked away realizing that we are not going to negotiate a solution.” As a result, Heritage Academy recently filed suit to settle the dispute over whether it legally owns all the property of the owners’ association. “Heritage Academy had me draw up this quiet title action, but before we filed it, we wanted to make sure United Way was good with it and the Knox family was good with it because we knew it was going to generate a bunch of press,” Enoch said. “And Heritage has a great reputation down in Olde Town. The neighborhood loves them. They didn’t want to do anything that was going to cause any ill will. But, ultimately, it’s not right what is happening down there and it should be corrected. And, there is no doubt about it, Heritage wants the conference center, but they want it to use it for the purposes that the Knox family originally intended, which is for nonprofits.” Currently, Donnetta Lowe-Killien, the creative director and operations manager of the business, Events on Greene, insists her Georgia nonprofit corporation, One Love Services Inc., has held the deed to the conference center since 2015. One Love Services, Inc. is a nonprofit with the state of Georgia, but the organization has a “pending application” for its 501(c)3 status with the Internal Revenue Service, according to a letter from Lowe-Killien’s attorney, Konny Light. “One Love is the duly granted fee simple owner of the Peter S. Knox Conference Center located at 326 Greene Street,” Light wrote. “Starting in February and March of 2016, Augusta Heritage Academy, Inc. and members of its leadership team, in conjunction with others, has engaged in tortious interference with One Love’s business and ownership interests in its property. Numerous misrepresentations, threats and intimidation have been deployed through Heritage and its minions to 1SEPTEMBER2016

GERVAIS STREET BRIDGE DINNER OCTOBER 23

FAMOUSLY HOT PINK HALF MARATHON, 5K & 10K/WALK FOR LIFE OCTOBER 22

BEER 1

COLONIAL LIFE ARENA

HUNTER-GATHERER BREWERY & ALE HOUSE

900 Main St. Columbia, SC 29201 803.748.0540 huntergathererbrewery.com *Tastings Available

JORDIN SPARKS SEPTEMBER 3

MAROON 5 SEPTEMBER 10

1500 BLOCK OF MAIN STREET

COLONIAL LIFE ARENA

OLD MILL BREWPUB

SPIRITS 8

RIVER RAT BREWERY

SWAMP CABBAGE BREWING CO.

TWISTED SPUR BREWING

SODA CITY MARKET SATURDAYS 9AM - 1PM

CARRIE UNDERWOOD SEPTEMBER 24

Get more info at ColumbiaCVB.com/events

705 Gervais St. Columbia, SC 29201 803.728.0136 facebook.com/ twistedspurbrewing/ *Tours & Tastings Available

CROUCH DISTILLING

947 S. Stadium Rd., Bay 3 Columbia, SC 29201 803.764.6839 crouchdistilling.com *Tastings Available

HOLLOW CREEK DISTILLERY

112 Rocky Ridge Rd. Leesville, SC 29070 803.470.6010 hollowcreekdistillery.com *Tours & Tastings Available

921 Brookwood Dr. Columbia, SC 29201 803.252.0250 swampcabbagebrewing.com *Tastings Available

COPPER HORSE DISTILLING

929 Huger St. Columbia, SC 29201 803.779.2993 copperhorsedistilling.com *Tours & Tastings Available

711 E. Main St. Lexington, SC 29072 803.785.2337 oldmillbrewpub.net *Tours & Tastings Available

1231 Shop Rd. Columbia, SC 29201 803.724.5712 riverratbrewery.com *Tours & Tastings Available

MERCER HOUSE ESTATE WINERY

394 Walter Rawl Rd. Lexington, SC 29072 803.957.7102 mercerhouseestatewinery.com *Tours & Tastings Available

947 S. Stadium Rd., Bay 1 Columbia, SC 29201 803.712.3063 conquestbrewing.com *Tours & Tastings Available

RESTAURANT WEEK COLUMBIA OCTOBER 13 - 23 SC PRIDE FESTIVAL

CONQUEST BREWING CO.

WINE

YESTERNIGHT DISTILLERY

711 E. Main St. Lexington, SC 29072 yesternightdistillery.com *Tours & Tastings Available

VIEW THE STATEWIDE MAP AT

SatisfyYourThirstSC.com

Five New Columbia Restaurants to Try NOW! 1. Publico Located in Five Points, the heart of Columbia’s collegiate entertainment district, this spot is known for its innovative fusion menu and robust craft beer selection (54 on tap alone!). There is something for everyone from traditional tacos and burgers to the more adventurous like Agedashi Tofu and Gochujang Shrimp tacos. PublicoKitchenandTap.com

2. Rise Gourmet Goods & Bake Shop Open less than a year, this chef-driven boulangerie has already racked up awards, such as Free Times Best New Restaurant 2016 and one of Thrillist’s 15 Essential Columbia, SC Restaurants. Savory breakfast sandwiches, muffins and coffees with infused creamers will start the day right. RiseBakeShop.com

3. The War Mouth Gourmet comfort food served in a hipster setting in the up-and-coming North Columbia district offers chicken bog, mustard-fried venison, deviled eggs and a full bar. TheWarmouth.com

4. Twisted Spur

OCTOBER 12-23 @SCStateFair

A large and innovative menu at this taproom located in Columbia’s bustling Vista offers, beer brewed in-house, amazing apps and a wide variety of main dishes from fish to steak. Facebook.com/TwistedSpurBrewing

Rides are Pay•One•Price EVERY DAY! Tickets and Ride Vouchers available at

SCStateFair.org +

5. Main Street Public House The expansive space feels cozy with exposed brick and wood, and the menu offers pizzas, burgers and salads on Columbia’s Main Street in the heart of downtown. Stop by for lunch on your way to the nearby Columbia Museum of Art or South Carolina State House. MainStreetPublicHouse.com

V27|NO35

“This is the most jumbled up, ridiculous mess I have ever seen in my entire life.” — Cesar Brooks coerce One Love and other members of the Knox Foundation to succumb to the pressures of those misrepresentations, threats and intimidation with a focus of bringing pressure to bear on One Love to surrender its rights, title, owners and investment interests in its property.” Light, an attorney from Avondale Estates, Ga., stated that the board members of the Heritage Academy were creating an environment of “fear, confusion, chaos and intimidation” upon Lowe-Killien and other members of the owners’ association. Light specifically states that Lowe-Killien has declined the proposal offered by Heritage Academy regarding the conference center. “It fails to remotely consider compensation to One Love for the time, money, improvements and emotional investment of Donnetta and the organization,” Light wrote. “One Love would consider a respectful offer for full value of the property and the investment.” Despite Lowe-Killien’s strong stance on her deed to the property, Enoch insists that the conference center is not operating as a nonprofit. 1SEPTEMBER2016

“If you do down there right now, there is a sign on the door that says Events on Greene,” Enoch said. “There is no mention of any nonprofit activity down there. It is about booking weddings and corporate events.” Caught in the middle of this dispute over the conference center are organizations housed in the historic buildings on Telfair Street such as Comfort House Inc., the CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority, Augusta Partnership for Children, Imago Dei Community Development, Inc. and Maranatha Tabernacle Church, Inc. Pastor Cesar Brooks of Maranatha Tabernacle Church of Waynesboro is the current president of the owners’ association. His church holds the deeds to five of the historic buildings on Telfair Street. Maranatha, along with Imago Dei and One Love Services, has rejected Heritage Academy’s proposal. Therefore, those three organizations are listed on the suit filed by Heritage Academy. “In Heritage Academy’s proposal to us, Imago Dei would lose complete ownership of both of their buildings and Maranatha was slated to lose ownership of four out of the five buildings we hold the deed to,” Brooks said. “And Donnetta, the owner of the conference center, would have to completely walk away from the conference center in exchange for the contents of the owners’ association’s bank account, which was only $3,000. Our feeling at that point was one of complete amazement and betrayal.” Brooks said the attorney for Heritage Academy is trying to find any loopholes he can to claim that the school is entitled to the conference center and buildings. “This is the most jumbled up, ridiculous mess I have ever seen in my entire life,” Brooks said. “The Knox family, together with United Way, when they created the complex, used a homeowners’ association template and then added to

that restrictive covenants so that the property would never be in a position where people could mortgage their buildings, sell them and make money off of them. They wanted them to be used by volunteer-oriented and community driven organizations basically serving this neighborhood. It says nonprofit, but it does not say nonprofit 501(c)3.” While he has served as president of the owners’ association for the past several years, Brooks said it was always a challenge to find small, nonprofit organizations that could realistically use the historic buildings. “These are 100-year-old buildings. There is always something that needs to be fixed,” he said. “They are expensive to keep up, especially if you are just going to have an office in the building. There are a lot cheaper places to have an office for your nonprofit. So you really have to want to do something for the people in that neighborhood.” Imago Dei is such an organization, Brooks said. “Barbara Franklin and her husband, Alvin, have been involved in ministry in Augusta for about 50 to 60 years,” Brooks said. “With Imago Dei, they help at-risk children, provide assistance to seniors and work hard to improve the neighborhood. The work they do has a tremendous impact.” The same is true for his church, Brooks said. With the five buildings deeded to Maranatha, Brooks said he created a “caretaker program” that helps house and provide support to people suffering from depression, anxiety and sometimes minor bipolar conditions. “We say, ‘Look. We will give you a place to live. All we ask as a caretaker is that you take care of your property. You get to paint, clean and maybe fix things if you need to fix things. And you get all the free counseling and prayer that you need,’” Brooks said, adding he also moved into one of the Knox houses. “I eventually learned that I had to move onto the property to keep up with them because if you give a person who is in that state of mind a home, a lot of times they don’t have boundaries.” When he and his wife moved into one of the homes to live, it provided the necessary structure for the program, Brooks said. “If you say, ‘Here is a 3,000-square-foot house, you have one bedroom upstairs and we have our offices downstairs,’ well, my church is all the way in Waynesboro AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 27

V27|NO35

“There is no doubt about it, Heritage wants the conference center, but they want it to use it for the purposes that the Knox family originally intended, which is for nonprofits.” — Ed Enoch and I was living down there when we first started this program,” Brooks said. “And before I knew it, they would have invited six friends to come live with them. So my wife and I moved to Augusta so I could be more hands on with the program.” But that may all soon come to an end if Heritage Academy has its way, Brooks said. “We explained to United Way and to Heritage what we do, but they don’t care,” he said. “They just want the buildings.” Brooks said Enoch is attempting to kick these organizations out of their homes basically because of the covenant that requires United Way’s approval of the deeds. “Buried in the language of our covenants was a statement that in the disbursement of the properties, the United Way should have the ability to give consent or deny it,” Brooks said. “When I received my first building in 1998 and I started attending board

meetings, I don’t remember ever hearing any dialogue between organizations that came in or went out about anyone ever consulting United Way about whether they would give their consent or not.” Brooks believes that is just a tactic that Heritage Academy is using to take control of the buildings. “It has felt like a hostile takeover of our organizations,” Brooks said. “We have felt beaten down and battered, but we are going to ﬁght this because what they are doing is not right. So, as a matter of principle, if I lose everything, I lose everything.”

V27|NO35

32 38

What’s Up

the Big mo

Calendar Music Listings

While most of the legendary outdoor screens that saw many American couples through their first kiss have long ago been converted to retail property or junkyards, it’s still possible to experience the drive-in of yesteryear, today. The Monetta Drive-In Theatre, or “The Big Mo,” as it has come to be called, was opened by Linda and Richard Boaz in the summer of 1999. This weekend they’ll celebrate their 18th annual Labor Day Triple Feature Extravaganza.

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

this Week

Friday The water continues to be low on the Augusta Canal, but the show must go on. That means the canal’s Moonlight Music Cruise series will go on as planned, but in September it’ll start at Savannah Rapids Park at 6:30 p.m. Double D opens the new season with classic rock as participants tour the water for about an hour and a half. Snacks and beverages are welcome onboard.

satUrday

sUnday

We’ve never been to a honey Each Sunday during the summer, tasting before, but Beech the Augusta Common has Island’s Redcliffe Plantation been home to live jazz acts and seems a perfect place for one. picnickers enjoying the music. It’s here, at 10 a.m. today, that Garden City Jazz closes out the the plantation’s neighbor, local concert series with a bang, using beekeeper Tom Hall, will lead four days to highlight all there a talk about beekeeping before is to do during Labor Day Jazz allowing participants to dive Weekend. Events include tours, into samples and refreshments, gallery crawls and block parties, which will include scuppernong and culminates today with the and Catawba grapes. Candlelight for a Cause Music Sounds delightful. Festival and White Dinner at 6 p.m., followed by a rooftop soiree at 9 p.m. at Metro Market.

monday A scavenger hunt is fun, we guess, but what if the clues you’re searching for are sunk in Clark’s Hill Lake and you have to paddle a canoe around to find them all? Now that sounds like a challenge. Test your skills at Mistletoe State Park, where, from 9-11 a.m., you can use one of their canoes or bring your own to find as many clues as you can in an hour. Challenge accepted!

For more information on these events, see our calendar of events on page 32. 30 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

1SEPTEMBER2016

Located less than an hour from Augusta in Monetta, S.C., this much beloved drive-in has won over the hearts of many moviegoers over the years. Co-owner Linda Boaz and her husband used to go to a drive-in regularly when they lived in West Virginia. Over the years, they developed a fondness for drive-ins and, when traveling, would always make a point to visit even the ones that had been closed down in other states and cities. Boaz said her husband came across the abandoned Big Mo — which originally opened in 1951 and closed in 1986 — after he had driven to Aiken on business from the couple’s home in Irmo, S.C. It was a lot of work to undertake, but the couple managed to clear the tall pine trees that had overgrown the lot and outfit the place with new screens and a rebuilt concession stand. The Big Mo is an authentic drive-in experience that is hard to find in this day and age. The drive-in will be celebrating its 18th Annual Labor Day Weekend Triple Feature Extravaganza on Sept. 2-4 with six of the biggest movies of the summer being shown on two of The Big Mo’s screens. The drive-in offers three different screens. The Big Mo has already announced that the main screen will feature Disney’s “Finding Dory” and “The Secret Life of Pets,” while Screen 2 will feature Marvel’s “Civil War: Captain America” and “Suicide Squad” and Screen 3 will feature “Men in Black” and “Batman.” The final three movies for each screen will be announced later this week. Admission to The Big Mo is $8 per person for ages 12 and over, while children ages 4-11 are $4 each. Children 3 and under are free. Cash only is accepted at The Big Mo. The drive-in also offers a full-service concession stand featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, corn dogs, chicken sandwiches, popcorn, pizzas, nachos, cotton candy and soft drinks. But no alcohol is allowed at the drive-in. The Big Mo is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and is occasionally open on Thursdays for the premiere of new movies. To get there, take I-20 East toward Columbia. Take Exit 33 (about 20 minutes past Aiken) and take State Road 39 for seven miles to Monetta. Turn right on U.S. 1. The Big Mo will be on the right side, about a mile down.

Here is basically everything you need to know when visiting The Big Mo • No readmission. • No refunds once show has begun. No rain checks for bad weather. • No grills, laser pointers, alcohol, illegal substances or glass containers. • One space per vehicle. • Park conversion vans and other high clearance vehicles on the last two rows. Parking attendants have final say on where vehicles should park • Hatches must be no higher than the top of the vehicle. • Don’t sit on top of your vehicle. • Don’t throw balls, frisbees or other objects near the screen tower or front fence. • Keep ticket stub as proof of purchase. • Use parking lights when driving in theatre. • Turn off all vehicle lights when parked. • Please use trash cans and vehicle’s ashtrays. Trash bags are available in concession stand. • Wear shoes at all times. • Supervise children at all times. • Be courteous to others. • Don’t drive over 5 mph. • Play area is closed during the movie. • No smoking in the concession stand. • The line for admission forms on the south side of the drive-in entrance. • During extremely hot or cold temperatures, if you plan to run your engine during the movie, please park in the rear of the field. • No field switching. Your ticket buys admission to one screen only. You may walk around all three fields before the movies start, but once the movies begin, you must stay on the field for which you hold a ticket. • Plan to arrive 1.5 to 2 hours before showtime during the summer and for blockbuster movies. For more information about The Big Mo, visit thebigmo.com.

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 31

V27|NO35

Behind the Scenes: The Roaring Twenties Augusta Museum of History Saturday, September 3 1 and 3 p.m. Find out how artifacts are collected, cataloged, preserved, cared for and displayed. Free for members or with paid admission. Sign up at the front desk begins 15-30 minutes before each session. 706-722-8454 augustamuseum.org

ARTS Tue Sept 6

5pm A Conversation with Ed Woodham AU’s Washington Hall Dome Room Centered on public art in Augusta, this event is free and open to the public. Call 706-667-4888 or visit augusta.edu.

EDUCATION Thu Sept 1

10am - noon Computer Help Lab Thursdays Wallace Branch Library Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.

Sat Sept 3

10am - noon Clipping and Clicking for Savings Maxwell Branch Library Call 706-793-2020 or visit arcpls.org.

and displayed. Free for members or with paid admission. Sign up at the front desk begins 15-30 minutes before each session. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

Tue Sept 6

10am - noon Foster Parent Orientation

conduct job searches with staff available for one-on-one help if needed. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

Thu Sept 8

10am - noon Computer Help Lab Thursdays Wallace Branch Library Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.

Necco Augusta A free weekly session. Pre-registration suggested. Call 706-2103435 or visit necco.org.

10:30am Getting to Know Your PINES Account

10:30am Get to Know Your PINES Account

Diamond Lakes Branch Library Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

Appleby Branch Library Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.

2pm Computer Basics Diamond Lakes Branch Library A two-session class that continues September 13. Preregistration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

1pm and 3pm Behind the Scenes: The Roaring Twenties

Wed Sept 7

Augusta Museum of History Led by museum Registrar Lauren Virgo, who will demonstrate how artifacts are collected, cataloged, preserved, cared for 32 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Diamond Lakes Branch Library Participants can complete job applications, resumes or

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

Ongoing

James Brown Family Historical Tour Augusta Museum of History Available each Saturday at 11 a.m. and lasting approximately two hours, this bus tour includes Brown’s elementary school, his childhood home, his statue and more. $15 fee, includes admission to the museum, which houses the largest collection of James Brown memorabilia. Reservations 24 hours in advance required. Call 803-640-2090 or visit jamesbrownfamilyfdn.org. 1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

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

North Augusta Driving Tour Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta Offered by appointment and includes a 3045 minute guided tour and admission to the center. Self-guided tours are also available through an iPhone downloadable audio tour or a Google Maps-based tour. Guided tours: $5, adults; $3, students K-12. Call 803-4414380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

Tours Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Guided tours, approximately 45 minutes long, are offered Thursday-Saturday on the hour from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Group tours are available by advanced reservation. Adults, $5; seniors, $4; kids K-12, $3; under 5 years, free. Call 706724-0436 or visit wilsonboyhoodhome.org.

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

EXHIBITIONS Thu Sept 1

6pm - 8pm Exhibit Opening Reception Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta The reception will honor the Where We Are Now exhibit, featuring work from local artists Jill Stafford, Lala Mulherin Streett and Lou Ann Zimmerman, which shows in the main gallery, as well as the Clay Artists of the Southeast (CASE) annual exhibit, which shows in the balcony gallery. Both exhibits will be on display through September 30. The reception is free and open to the public. Call 803-4414380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

Thu Sept 8

5pm - 7pm Mark Hodges Exhibition Opening Reception

Works will show through October 8. Call 803641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.

Ongoing

Civil Rights and the Arts Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History An exhibit that features paintings, books, film, music, photos, historic document and more, both of the civil rights era and those that were affected by it. The exhibit shows through the end of September. Call 706-7243576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.

Miru: Hope Full Soul Westobou Gallery A collection of new artwork by Staci Swider. A book signing will take place September 2 for Swider’s new book “Acrylic Expressions: Painting Authentic Themes and Creating Your Visual Vocabulary.” The exhibition will show Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through September 2. Call 706-755-2878 or visit westoboufestival.com.

Exhibits Augusta Museum of History Includes the following: “The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown; “Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf”; “Augusta’s Story”; “A Community That Heals”; “Into the Interior: A History of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company”; “Local Legends”; “One Man, Two Ships: Lessons in History and Courage”; “A Quilt Journey”; and “Canteens to Combat Boots”. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

FLIX Fri Sept 2

Noon “The Manchurian Candidate” Morris Museum of Art Part of the Films on Friday series that includes a discussion afterwards. Participants are invited to bring lunch. Free. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org.

Wed Sept 7

4pm “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library An early release movie for kids. Call 803-2795767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

facing Georgia or a community in Georgia. Open to all Georgia filmmakers. No entry fees. Semifinalist films will screen at Cine in Athens in November. Visit causeandeffectfilm.org.

9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

HEALTH

Headquarters Branch Library A free cardio dance class. Call 706-821-2600 or visit arcpls.org.

Thu Sept 1

Safe Kids Office This class will teach caregivers how to provide a safe sleep environment by showing what dangers to watch out for. Families who demonstrate a financial need will receive a portable crib, fitted sheet, sleep sac and a pacifier for a fee of $10 per registered child. Call 706-721-7606 or visit grhealth.org/safekids.

Tue Sept 6

7pm Center for Women Tour

University Health A four-week class meeting Wednesdays through September 28. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

Thu Sept 8

Doctors Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Diamond Lakes Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

Fri Sept 2

6pm - 8pm Gallery Opening Reception

Ongoing

Safe Kids Office Appointment required. Call 706-721-7606 or visit grhealth.org.

Aiken Center for the Arts Featuring the following exhibits: Photographer Chuck Lawrence, students from Al Beyer’s advanced painting class at USCA and painter Mary Zhan. Sculptor Tom Supensky will be featured in the Aiken Artist Guild Gallery. 1SEPTEMBER2016

Call for Entries Cause + Effect Georgia Progressive Film Competition The festival will accept, through October 2, short films with a focus on social, political, environment or economic issues

6:30pm Refit

5:30pm - 8pm Cribs for Kids

Sacred Heart Cultural Center Hodges, creative services director at WRDW, specializes in photography and mixed media artwork. The exhibition of his work will be on display until October 28. Call 706-826-4700 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org.

11am Thursday Movie Madness

Mon Sept 5

Child Safety Seat Inspections

6pm Weight Loss Surgery and You University Hospital Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-8931 or visit universityhealth.org.

Wed Sept 7

7pm - 9:30pm Childbirth Preparation

Thu Sept 8

5:45pm - 8pm Car Seat Class

6:30pm - 9:30pm Weekend Childbirth Education Class

Safe Kids Office Pre-registration required. $10; car or booster seat provided to families who meet financial guidelines. Call 706-721-7606 or visit augustahealth.org.

University Hospital Class continues Saturday, September 3, from

7pm - 9:30pm Baby 101 AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 33

V27|NO35

Sat Sept 3

11am If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

Mon Sept 5

10am Monday at the Museum: Back to School Augusta Museum of History This is program for preschool-aged children will include an exploration of one-room schoolhouses. $2, members; $4, nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Call 706722- 8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.

Tue Sept 6

10am Fall Story Time and Craft Friedman Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.

10am Preschool Story Time

Book Signing Westobou Gallery Friday, September 2 5-8 p.m. Featuring Staci Swider, author of “Acrylic Expressions: Painting Authentic Themes and Creating Your Visual Vocabulary.” Swider’s art exhibit is also on display in the Westobou Gallery. 706-755-2878 westoboufestival.com

Diamond Lakes Branch Library A program for those ages 3-5 that includes stories, songs, games, short movies and crafts. Pre-registration required. Call 706-7722432 or visit arcpls.org.

10:30am Big Kids Story Time Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 3-5. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.

10:30am Young Children’s Story Time Diamond Lakes Branch Library Songs, ﬁnger plays and stories for those ages 0-3. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.

3:30pm Paws for Literacy

Doctors Hospital An infant care and development class. Preregistration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Those interested are invited to learn speech and leadership skills in a fun and supportive atmosphere. Call 706-627-2134.

Maxwell Branch Library An event in which members of the community can read to therapy dogs. Call 706-793-2020 or visit ecgrl.org.

7pm - 9:30pm Women’s Center Tour

KIDS-TEENS Thu Sept 1

Wed Sept 7

University Hospital Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

HOBBIES Tue Sept 6

10am Genealogy 101 Headquarters Branch Library’s Georgia Heritage Room Participants will learn how to start a family history project, as well as discuss resources and strategies. Call 706-826-1511 or visit arcpls.org.

Wed Sept 7

Noon Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters Fat Man’s Mill Cafe 34 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

10am Costume Creations Morris Museum of Art Part of the Mommy and Me series for children and parents in which participants will view an exhibition of costumes by Manuel Cuevas and design their own cape. Free, members; $4 per participants, non-members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-3867 or visit themorris.org.

Fri Sept 2

4pm TAG Meeting Headquarters Branch Library A teen event in which participants will help plan upcoming programs. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

10am Story Time Maxwell Branch Library For those ages 3-5. Call 706-793-2020 or visit arcpls.org.

10:05am Toddler Story Time Appleby Branch Library This is a program best for children ages 18 months-3 years. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.

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

10:30am Preschool Story Time Appleby Branch Library For children ages 3 and older. Call 706-736-

6244 or visit arcpls.org.

10:30am Story Time for Tots Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 0-3. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.

10:30am Super Awesome Story Time The Book Tavern Featuring a story and crafts. Cookies and juice provided. Call 706-826-1940 or email superawesomestorytime@booktavern.com.

3pm - 3:30pm French Class Aiken Public Library A class for those in grades 1-5 in which pre-registration is required. The teacher will provide students with future class dates. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

4:30pm - 6pm Alley Cats Strikehouse Bowl, Aiken Part of the Aiken Recreation Department’s Buddy Sports program for those with physical and/or intellectual disabilities, this class is for those of all bowling abilities. $12 a month; pre-registration required. Call 803426-1284 or visit therecingcrew.com.

Thu Sept 8

4pm Lego Club Aiken Public Library For those ages 5-11. Legos provided. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Ongoing

Junior Board Members Needed The Watson-Brown Foundations is looking for high school students interested in preserving history and helping the communities of the CSRA. Participants will spend one evening a month learning about historic preservation, grants and philanthropy and, in the spring, will award funds to organizations in the area involved in preservation. Applications will be accepted until September 9 and applications can be found online. Call 706-595-7777 or visit hickory-hill.org.

LITERARY Fri Sept 2

5pm - 8pm Book Signing Westobou Gallery Featuring Staci Swider, author of “Acrylic Expressions: Painting Authentic Themes and Creating Your Visual Vocabulary.” Call 706-755-2878 or visit westoboufestival.com.

MUSIC Fri Sept 2

6:30pm - 8pm Moonlight Music Cruise Savannah Rapids Park Featuring Double D, this event features live music aboard a 1 1/2-hour Petersburg boat 1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

tour. Participants are invited to bring aboard snacks and beverages. $25; pre-registration required. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.

Sat Sept 3

11am - 2pm Saturday Morning Swing Eighth Street Plaza Live music from local jazz artists and performing arts groups during the Augusta Market. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.

Thu Sept 8

7:30pm Daniel Adam Maltz, Pianist USCA’s Etherredge Center $10. Call 803-641-3305 or visit etherredge. usca.edu.

SPECIAL EVENTS Thu Sept 1

Labor Day Jazz Weekend A weekend-long event in which Garden City Jazz has partnered with downtown businesses and event producers to present an array of activities. Those activities begin with the Boney James and Marsha Ambrosius concert September 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bell and continue with Riverwatch Brewery Tours, a First Friday Block Party and Gallery Crawl, live music at the Augusta Market on Saturday morning and more. The weekend culminates on Sunday, September 4, with Candlelight for a Cause Music Festival and White Dinner on the Augusta Common at 6 p.m. and, afterwards, a rooftop soiree at 9 p.m. at Metro Market. For more information on events, call 762-233-5299 or visit gardencityjazz.com.

Run for the GreenJackets Lake Olmstead Stadium Saturday, September 3 7:30 p.m. A 5K race that ﬁnishes inside the stadium. Racers will receive a gift and admission to that evening’s game at 6:05 p.m. $26. raceroster.com

5pm - 8pm First Thursday Shops of Midtown, Kings Way at Central Ave. This event features discounts in the shops, hors d’oeuvres and more. Call 706-733-1788.

Fri Sept 2

5pm - 9pm First Friday Downtown Augusta 1SEPTEMBER2016

A family friendly arts event that includes musicians, dancers, artists and other vendors. Visit artistsrowaugusta.com.

5pm - 9pm Live From Downtown 600 Broad Street A monthly First Friday event presented by the Augusta Regional Collaboration that features live music, art, food and more. Visit facebook.com/600Broad.

5pm - 8pm Wine Tasting Wine World A drop-in First Friday event. $5; $3 rebate upon purchase of a bottle of one of the featured wines. Call 803-279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com.

6pm - 10pm First Friday Augusta Common A family event that includes a car show, fun zone, vendors and live local entertainment. Call 706-821-1754 or visit augustaga.gov.

Sat Sept 3

morning and more. The weekend culminates on Sunday, September 4, with Candlelight for a Cause Music Festival and White Dinner on the Augusta Common at 6 p.m. and, afterwards, a rooftop soiree at 9 p.m. at Metro Market. For more information on events, call 762-233-5299 or visit gardencityjazz.com.

8am - 2pm Augusta Market at the River 8th Street Plaza, Reynolds Street The event features vendors of all kinds, activities, live entertainment and more. Visit theaugustamarket.com.

10am - 2pm First Saturday Sale When Help Can’t Wait AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 35

V27|NO35

Mon Sept 5

The Classy Closet Boutique will offer women’s designer label clothing and accessories at bargain prices, along with some men’s clothing and home decor items. All proceeds benefit the nursing home program of When Help Can’t Wait. Call 706650-9467 or visit whenhelpcantwait.com.

An event featuring antiracist essayist, author and educator Tim Wise and lecturer, activist and honors U.S. Culture Ambassador Yewande Austin. Free and open to the public. Call 706-721-6890 or visit augusta.edu.

10am - noon Honey Tasting and Tour

Thu Sept 1

6:30pm - 9:30pm Roller Derby Recruitment Night

Islamic Society of Augusta Part of a monthly program to enlighten newcomers about Islam, this one on the subject of Islam: A Faith Hijacked. This series, held the first Thursday of each month, is open to the public and refreshments will be served. Visit openhouse. isaugusta.com.

7:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Rome Braves

Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site Local beekeeper Tom Hall will lead Growing History: Hives & Honey and, afterwards, there will be a tasting and refreshments, as well as a short tour of the plantation’s historic landscape. $10, adults; $7, ages 6-16. $2 off admission with a 2-pound donation of canned or prepackaged food to their food drive. Call 803-827-1473 or email redcliffe@scprt.com.

Sun Sept 4

Mon Sept 5 - Fri Sept 9

9am - 6pm Wee-Peats Children’s Consignment 3069 Washington Road This week-long sale includes children’s clothing, accessories, toys, games, equipment and more. Wednesday the sale is open until 7 p.m. and there is a Dollar Dash on Saturday, September 10, from 9 a.m.-noon. Visit weepeatsconsignment.net.

Tue Sept 6

4:30pm - 7pm Veggie Truck Farmers Market AL Williams Park This weekly event, held through the end of October in the park across from the Kroc Center, features all local farmers and doubles EBT. Visit growharrisburg.org.

SPIRITUAL 7pm Lifting the Veil on Islam

SPORTS-OUTDOORS Fri Sept 2

7:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Rome Braves Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.

8pm - 9:30pm Hayrides and Campfire Mistletoe State Park Featuring s’mores, stories and hayrides that leave at 8:15 and 8:45 p.m. Tickets are $2-$5, plus $5 for parking. Call 706-5410321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.

Sat Sept 3

7:30am Run for the GreenJackets Lake Olmstead Stadium A 5K race that finishes inside the stadium. Racers will receive a gift and admission to that evening’s game. $26. Visit raceroster.com to register.

9:30am - 11:30am Swamp Saturday Hike Phinizy Swamp Nature Park A guided, 2.5-mile hike. Free, members; $2, non-members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-2109 or visit phinizycenter.org.

10am - 12:30pm Hike and Craft Mistletoe State Park A naturalist-led hike of about one hour, followed by a craft time. $2, craft; $5, parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/ mistletoe.

11:30am - 2pm Beginner Geocaching

Wed Sept 7

6pm - 9pm Yappy Hour SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare An event that includes live music, a cash bar, open dog park and food. Visit letlovelive.org.

Thu Sept 8

Mistletoe State Park $2, plus $5 parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks. org/mistletoe.

6:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Rome Braves Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.

8am - 4:30pm Diversity in the 21st Century: An Integrated Approach

Sun Sept 4

Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center A Diversity and Inclusion Summit that features keynote speaker Tim Wise, training sessions and more. $65; $35, CSRA students. Visit augusta.edu/diversity/summit/.

10am - noon Gourd Birdhouse Craft Mistletoe State Park $7, plus $5 parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks. org/mistletoe.

6:30pm Humans and Heroes: The Importance of Student Activism

5:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Rome Braves

AU’s Maxwell Theatre

Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.

9am - noon Paddling Scavenger Hunt Mistletoe State Park $10, plus $5 parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks. org/mistletoe. Red Wing Rollerway The Soul City Sirens are looking for skaters, referees, non-skating officials and volunteers. Skaters should bring mouthguard and appropriate workout clothes. Visit soulcitysirens.com. Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.

Tue Sept 6

7pm - 9pm Evening Canoe Mistletoe State Park Pre-registration required. $10 plus $5 parking. Call 706-5410321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.

Wed Sept 7

3pm - 9pm Under the Stars Jumper Night Stable View Farm Call 803-648-1222 or visit stableviewfarm.com.

Ongoing

Augusta Fencers Club Classes for children as young as six, as well as teens and adults, meet five nights a week. The next round of introductory classes will begin on Monday, September 26, with those ages 6-9 meeting at 5 p.m., those 10-13 meeting at 6 p.m. and those 14 and older meeting at 7 p.m. The 10-week class is $180, with all competitive equipment provided. Call 706-722-8878 or visit augustafencersclub.com.

Daily Canal Tours Augusta Canal Tours at the Top, a Petersburg Boat tour of the upper Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, will continue in September on Tuesday-Saturday mornings at 10 and 11:30 a.m., Saturday evenings at 6:30 p.m., and Sundays at 4 and 5:30 p.m. Tours leave from the Savannah Rapids Park dock, and tickets are $10 for all ages and include a voucher for a free visit to the Augusta Canal Discovery Center at Enterprise Mill. Pre-registration encouraged. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.

SUPPORT Thu Sept 1

Noon Active-Duty Parent Support Group Fort Gordon’s Family Outreach Center Meets the first Thursday of each month. Call 706-792-5220 or visit fortgordon.com.

Mon Sept 5

6:30pm Pink Pistols Meeting A group for women in their 20s and 30s dealing with breast cancer. Call for location. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org.

Tue Sept 6

10:20am Moms Connection 1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

Augusta University Medical Center This free weekly support group for new mothers meets in the Terrace Dining Dogwood Room on the second ﬂoor. All new moms and their babies are welcome and an international board certiﬁed lactation consultant/educator/perinatal nurse will answer questions and offer resources. Call 706-721-8283 or visit augustahealth.org.

5:30pm Weight Loss Support Group AU Professional Building 1 Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-721-2609 or visit augustahealth.org/ weightloss.

6:30pm CSRA Huntington’s Disease Support Group GRU Movement Disorders Clinic Call 706-721-2798 or 706-231-2775.

65th Season Gala Reception Aiken Community Playhouse Friday, September 2 6 p.m., gala; 7:30 p.m., performance The reception will be held in the lobby prior to the opening night performance of “Beauty and the Beast.” The reception will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, live music and more. Admission to the reception is by purchase of tickets to the opening night performance. 803-648-1438 aikencommunityplayhouse.com

Wed Sept 7

Noon General Cancer Support Group AU Cancer Center Call 706-721-1634 or visit augusta.edu.

1pm The Lactation Club University Hospital A breastfeeding support group for mothers of NICU babies. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

6pm Mental Health Support Group Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta A group for teens and up that follows the methods of Recovery International. Call 630605-6913 or visit recoveryinternational.org.

Thu Sept 8

12:30pm Breast Cancer Support Group

Celebrate Recovery

Beyond the Bars

10pm Sloppy Seconds

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

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

Le Chat Noir First Friday improv comedy by Schrodinger’s Cat. $5. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.

Diabetes Youth Support Group

AU Cancer Center Call 706-721-1560 or visit augusta.edu.

Meets quarterly. Call for more information. Call 706-868-3241.

Ongoing

Overeaters Anonymous

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) GA, 110 Augusta St. Alban’s Episcopal Church fellowship hall The group meets Mondays, with weighin beginning at 5:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Call 706-790-0391 or visit tops.org.

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

La Leche League A breastfeeding support group. For more information on meeting dates, times and locations, visit them on Facebook under La Leche League of Augusta or at lllaugusta. wordpress.com. 1SEPTEMBER2016

Meets at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Unity Church, and at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 706-8639534 or email oa.augusta.recovery@gmail.com.

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

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

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

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

Sat Sept 3

THEATER

Aiken Community Playhouse $25, adults; $20, seniors and active military; $15, students; $10, children. Call 803-6481438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

Fri Sept 2

6pm - 7:30pm 65th Season Gala Reception

7:30pm “Beauty and the Beast”

Aiken Community Playhouse The reception will be held in the lobby prior to the opening night performance of “Beauty and the Beast.” The reception will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, live music and more. Admission to the reception is by purchase of tickets to the opening night performance. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

Sun Sept 4

7:30pm “Beauty and the Beast”

Senior Companions Needed

Aiken Community Playhouse $25, adults; $20, seniors and active military; $15, students; $10, children. Call 803-6481438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

8pm xTreme Theatre Games

3pm “Beauty and the Beast” Aiken Community Playhouse $25, adults; $20, seniors and active military; $15, students; $10, children. Call 803-6481438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.

VOLUNTEER Ongoing

Senior Citizens Council The council is seeking those ages 55 and older who can serve 20 hours a week with a special needs adult. Beneﬁts include stipend, travel reimbursement and annual physical. For more information, call 706-868-0120.

Le Chat Noir First Friday improv comedy by Schrodinger’s Cat. $10, advance; $12, door (if available). Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 37

V27|NO35

Coyotes - The Phun Pharm Band Eli’s American - Friday Night Live Fox’s Lair - Roger Enevoldsen The Highlander - The Monkey Bros Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Sir Edward Phillips and Psychedelic Blue Savannah Rapids Park - Moonlight Music Cruise w/ Double D Shannon’s - Preston and Weston Somewhere in Augusta - Chris Ndeti Stables Restaurant at Rose Hill Estate (Aiken) Celtic Pub Night w/ Gavin Winship Stillwater Taproom - Michael Baideme and Phillip Lee Jr. Whole Foods - Music @ the Turn Wild Wing - Interstate Exiles The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn

What’s Tonight?

Sky City - First Friday ‘80s vs. ‘90s Night, Stephanie Forbes Art Exhibit Opening Soul Bar - First Friday DJ Mix Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke

Saturday, September 3 Live Music

Kings & Queens of Hip Hop w/ DMX, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Scarface, Trina, Ying Yang Twins, Juvenile, 69 Boyz Bell Auditorium Friday, September 2 7:30 p.m. $30-$88 877-4AUGTIX georgialinatix.com Thursday, September 1 Live Music

Bell Auditorium - Boney James, Marsha Ambrosius Flo - Angle Brown, ATL DreamVision Fox’s Lair - Authentic Blues w/ Billy McKnight Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Live Music on the Patio Sky City - Gloom Cocoon CD Release Party w/ Dead Tooth Sound Booth Tin Lizzy’s - Lundy Wild Wing - Kenny George Band The Willcox (Aiken) - Thursday Night Jazz w/ 4 Cats in the Dog House

What’s Tonight?

Andrew’s - Karaoke w/ April Bar West - Open Mic Night w/ Jonathon Flowers Carolina Ale House - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper (9 p.m.) Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Old School Thursday w/ DJ Groove Coyotes - Karaoke with Bam Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia Joe’s Underground - Trivia Knight’s Lounge - Karaoke w/ Cheryl Bryant The Loft - Karaoke MAD Studios - Open Mic, Spoken Word

Pizza Joint (Downtown) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper (7 p.m.) Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Poker for Fun Soul Bar - DJ Phobik, DJ Kinetiks

Friday, September 2 Live Music

Bar West - Live Music Bell Auditorium - Kings & Queens of Hip Hop w/ DMX, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - Tyler Hammond

Bird Dog Grille - Ippie Music Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - Scott Brantley Eighth Street Plaza - Saturday Morning Swing at the Augusta Market on the River Fox’s Lair - Kim and Allen (of Storm Branch) Hoze’s Bar (North Augusta) - Sir Edward Phillips and Psychedelic Blue Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Hound of Goshen Shannon’s - TX Clergy Sky City - Sibling String Wild Wing - Tokyo Joe The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn

What’s Tonight?

The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - DJ Fugi Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Helga’s Pub & Grille - Bluegrass Brunch (11 a.m.-3 p.m.); Trivia, nights The Highlander - Karaoke Joe’s Underground - Ladies Night, Singles Night Soul Bar - Saturday Night Dance Party Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke

Gloom Cocoon Second Album Release Show w/ Dead Tooth Sound Booth Sky City Thursday, September 1 8 p.m. $5 skycityaugusta.com 38 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

Sunday, September 4 Live Music

Aiken Speakeasy and Eats (Aiken) - Live Jazz Augusta Common - Candlelight for a Cause Music Festival and White Dinner Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Brunch w/ Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia Wild Wing - Cody Webb The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn

What’s Tonight?

Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Trivia Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Big Prize Trivia Twisted Burrito - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper

Wednesday, September 7 Live Music

Fox’s Lair - Open Mic Hosted by Happy Bones The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Mike and Walter Wild Wing - Will McCranie

Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane

Monday, September 5 Live Music

What’s Tonight?

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

The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - Karaoke Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Trivia and Tunes Knight’s Lounge - Game Night The Loft - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke Pizza Joint (Evans) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper The Playground - Krazy Karaoke w/ Big Troy Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Sky City - Wednesday Night Conspiracy w/ DJ Knightmare Somewhere in Augusta - The Comedy Zone w/ Lance Montalto and Will Jacobs Southbound Smokehouse - Trivia Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz Surrey Tavern - Trivia w/ Christian and Mickey

What’s Tonight?

Upcoming

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

What’s Tonight?

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

Tuesday, September 6 Live Music

Bar West - Trivia The Cotton Patch - Trivia Limelite Cafe - Bottom’s Up Trivia

1SEPTEMBER2016

REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.

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

Meet sexy new friends

FREE TRIAL

706-434-0112

Maradeen

- Southbound Smokehouse September 8

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 39

V27|NO35

SIGHTINGS

Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Ila Anderson, Marcie McBride and Lauren Miller at the Indian Queen.

Kayla Gerstner, Erica Persons, Fanny Steffes and Alyssa Smith at Sheehan’s Irish Pub.

Carol Fuller with Marty and Greg Ellison at Sheehan’s Irish Pub.

Paige Norwood, Kristen Norwood Garren and Kendall Williams at Takosushi.

Alex Smith, Caitlin Shawver, Katie McKagen and Kyle Patch a t Takosushi.

Ian Balk, Sarah Ellison and Cathy Mericka at Sheehan’s Irish Pub.

Raquel Whitney, Regina Gilbert, Francesca Fontanez and Mary Clayton Murphy at French Market Grille.

Brittney Fulmer, Keith Davis and Angie Towns at Surrey Tavern.

Bryan Hatch, Kathy Marks, Elizabeth Marks and Nancy McDougal at French Market Grille.

40 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

1SEPTEMBER2016

WONDER-FUL! By Kathy Matheson and Jeff Chen/Edited by Will Shortz 89 Election night graphic, for short 90 Annual N.Y.C. fund-raising event 92 Oprah’s BFF 93 “Keep ﬁghting the good ﬁght!” 96 Like Sherpas 99 Very, very 102 Subatomic particle named for the weak force 104 “Mind … blown!” 108 House majority leader before DeLay 110 Good fact-checking types 115 “Three Coins in the Fountain” fountain 116 Light and breezy entertainment, informally 119 Dazzled 120 Portions 121 Concerted efforts 122 Break up with someone 123 Untethered 124 Nina Totenberg’s milieu 125 Milk dispensers?

36 Exit key ACROSS 37 Sprint 1 “It’s a pity other cars aren’t built this 42 Parts of a Jerusalem skyline way” cars 45 Harry’s Hogwarts enemy 6 Fischer, to Spassky, e.g. 46 Drivel 11 “Stop!” at a port 47 “Man, that feels good!” 16 Ring around a classical column 48 Indoor plants popular in waiting 18 Verdi aria rooms 19 Spots for auto logos 49 Like the name Nguyen in Vietnam 21 Rap’s ____ Boys 50 Beethoven’s “Sinfonia ____” 22 Flat-bottomed boat 52 Purchase at an optometrist’s 23 Passionate kiss 53 “Help!” 24 Busy time for malls: Abbr. 55 Feature of the Six Million Dollar Man 25 Nascar unit 56 Samovar, e.g. 27 Row maker 57 “Capeesh?” 29 Life force in Chinese philosophy 60 Had too much of, briefly 30 High-powered guns 62 Term of address for a noble 32 Home to more than half the world’s 66 Tyrant active geysers 67 Islamic law 37 Enigmatic one in “The Hobbit” 70 Defeat in a Nathan’s Famous contest 38 Dunham of “Girls” 72 Cracker shape 39 Organized hikes 73 Win by ____ 40 Follower of Joel 76 Feeling of hunger 41 Approver of new meds 79 Mends 43 Snack brand whose name hints at DOWN 81 Not quite right its flavor 1 Blessed thing? 82 PolitiFact finding 44 Zika monitoring org. 2 Painkiller containing 83 Actor Penn 46 Alternative regimen to an 84-Down, caffeine 84 Regimen adopted by Bill Clinton in informally 3 Neighbor of Ger. 2010 49 Surrender 4 Luncheonette order, for short 85 Clancy’s Red October, e.g. 51 Whacks 5 Six, in Italy 88 Born 54 U, e.g. 6 Dazzling 90 Store head: Abbr. 58 Highly rated bond 7 Annoy 91 Mayo container? 59 Highly rated Bond? 8 The Henry who founded the House 94 Egg: Prefix 61 Telenovela, e.g. of Tudor 95 “It’s the ____” (“I’ve changed”) 63 Fury 9 Raiders’ org. 97 Annual athletic honors 64 Result of many years of study, for 10 Erupter at 32-Across 98 For whom the Edgar awards are short 11 Radio host Shapiro named 65 Halley of Halley’s Comet 12 Kind of pass 100 Wall St. “500” 67 Like Serbs, but not Hungarians 13 Nothing but 101 Drive-thru decision 68 What might replace you? 14 Henry W. ____, Union major general 102 Bob alternative … or partner 69 Subject of many Ansel Adams during the Civil War 103 At this point photos 15 Disco relative 104 Webmaster’s medium 71 Mortgage, often 73 “The Simpsons” character in a green 16 “So You Think You Can Dance” judge 105 Cookie with a Thins variety 17 Wire message 106 Oscar winner for “Dallas Buyers jacket 19 Harris’s role in “The Right Stuff” Club” 74 Disney dwarf 20 Jumps higher than, in sports slang 107 Part of Y.S.L. 75 Kind of treatment 26 Gran Paradiso, e.g. 109 Thom ____ shoes 77 Cousin of goth 28 It’s as good as XXX 111 Virgin Mary’s mother 78 Bethesda-based research agcy. 112 Zippo 80 Federal agency established on Aug. 31 Partner of sound 32 Word of support 113 Ninny 25, 1916 33 Dog created by Jim Davis 114 Goes down 85 Like some oaths 34 Actor Wheaton 117 Tavern attachment 86 Region of ancient Greece 35 France’s so-called “Capital of the 118 A.M.A. members 87 Insult, say Ruins”

6 17

21 24

27 33

29 36

60 66

100

107

108

115

116

120

121

123

101

102

88 92

103

109

110

117

111

118

112

119

125

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWERS P E E L

I S O T O S N I P P A C E A M Y S R E S E S T E E X M E R I A W O L P E L E D A M A B I L L A N D E T I R E E M I L D I N A

L I V E R K E E N

R A D N E R

R O M C O M

113

122 124

O S H A

A L G E R H A D E S

A G S A R K G E O O F F R S D H E E R F

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

H U T S

55 63

106

54 62

105

52 61

65 69

15 20

43 49

104

39 41

C O R A L

H O Y L E

E S L

T H J E E C A M R R E E S W S T O H E R E T T I E S G S L B M U W I T A N T D E E

S T I R

D R P E P P E R

O H A R E

D E L W A W A T E R O L S Y L A C B O L O L A R D S I C H C A E L D L

D I N E R S

O N E N I L

S O L E L Y

T H I N E R R O L

R O U P T S T H A N E

S O W E D

A R E A

L O G S

S L O T

114

V27|NO35

THE EIGHT

BOX TOPS In the battle of the baddies, a blind serial killer comes out on top. RANK TITLES

WEEKEND GROSS TOTAL GROSS WEEK # LAST WEEK

DON’T BREATHE

$26,411,706

SUICIDE SQUAD

$12,248,439

$283,021,066

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS $7,844,822

$24,856,200

SAUSAGE PARTY

$7,525,655

$79,869,165

MECHANIC: RESURRECTION

$7,456,525

In Theaters September 2

DRAMA

“The Light Between Oceans,” rated PG-13, starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz. This adaptation from a bestselling novel stars real-life couple Fassbender and Vikander as a lighthouse keeper and his wife who find someone else’s baby right as they lose their own. So, of course, they decide to keep the little girl and all goes well until they’re introduced to the child’s mother. While theatre workers normally only have to deal with cleaning up concessions after a showing, we predict they’ll have to pick up an enormous amount of tissues while this one is on the big screen. 44 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

DRAMA

“Morgan,” rated R, starring Kate Mara, Brian Cox, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Giamatti, Anya Taylor-Joy. Morgan looks like a normal girl, but is only part-human and was created in a lab. After an “incident,” a consultant is brought in to see if Morgan should be “terminated.” Things go off the rails a bit after that and people start dying. Guess that answers the whole termination question.

HORROR

“31,” rated R, starring Malcolm McDowell, Jeff Daniel Phillips. Why this one, directed and written by Rob Zombie, comes out on Thursday, September 1, instead of closer to Halloween is anybody’s guess. An abandoned compound, five hostages forced to play a game in which the winner is the one who lives, a gang of sadistic clowns — yep, it all screams Halloween. Guess Zombie wanted to give audiences a chance to fully appreciate his artistic vision before the next Saw movie comes out.

1SEPTEMBER2016

V27|NO35

Obamacare Scheme Coming Together Nicely LOOkS Like The arChiTeCTS of Obamacare are ever closer to their original and genuine goal of bringing America a single-payer healthcare system. That single payer would be taxpayers, of course. And I don’t mean the folks who struggle through life making less than $25,000 a year in salary or government welfare, paying very little in payroll taxes and virtually nothing in federal income taxes. I am talking about the working lower middle-class and all points above. The system in place before was far from perfect, but for those of us who played by the rules, it was working pretty damn well. So let’s review, shall we? Who paid for and maintained their family’s own health insurance since the family was established by marriage or childbirth? (my wife and I raise our hands... we will call this Group A) Who wanted to get health insurance, but was unable to because of limited income or a pre-existing medical condition? (Group B) Who didn’t give a rat’s ass about health insurance, because they just show up at the ER when the need arises and they have no intention of ever paying for any kind of health insurance or paying a substantial medical bill for that matter? (Group C) Who is just dirt poor and can’t pay anything for healthcare, and never has any prospects of paying for anything for healthcare? (Group D) I have been a member of Group A since I was 20 years old. That was when my parents basically commanded me to take an hourly, low-wage job at MCG when it was clear I would not be pursuing a college degree full time. There were not positions much lower on the old totem pole than a transportation aide (aka nursing assistant) back in those days, but the benefits were solid. Sadly, those types of benefits are very rare to come by in 2016, particularly in entry level jobs, which, because of Obamacare, have in many cases been carved up into part-time shifts, spread among multiple employees. All to dodge the federal requirements to provide health insurance for full-time workers. There is no chance that Group D is going to contribute, in any meaningful sense, to the cost of this new program, Group B is going to be a liability from day one, with huge net losses, simply because they are walking in the door with either expensive bills every single month or subsidized premiums that have to be covered by the higher premiums now required of Group A.

46 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

While I would love the ability to put Group C into indentured servitude to cover medical bills they inevitably run up because of insurance they inevitably don’t have, the truth is (thank God), there are really not enough of those people to make much of a positive difference if we were able to make them behave as grownups and do the right thing. So Group A is really taking it in the shorts all the way around. Just like those same people have always seemed to get the sharp end of the stick when it comes to taxation and proportional responsibility in all levels of life. Under the old system, as imperfect as it was, people who could not cover their medical bills were served as paupers under either the Medicaid system, vested participants in Medicare (at qualifying age) or local indigent care plans, usually funded by state and local authorities. Of course healthcare providers also wrote off huge amounts of charity work, which was again made possible by those folks who were actually paying their bills. Under Obamacare, the government hopes to shift the burden to premium payers, so Group A gets it in the britches again while still shouldering the largest tax burden of any of the other groups. If you think there will be some substantial personal tax savings for Group A under this strange and mathematically unsound plan, I have some oceanfront property in Hephzibah I would like to sell you. Want a little insult added to the injury? The administration that came up with this monstrosity of a plan was not the administration that was supported in these parts by the majority of those in Group A. Our latest presidential election was believed by many to be a referendum on the very concept of this national healthcare experiment, though sadly, much of what we know now was not known then in terms of cost or fallout. In the Augusta metro area, one of the neighborhoods home to one of the largest blocks of chronically low wage earning, poverty level residents, is East Boundary. Most residents there are on some type of medical welfare system, and virtually every minor child qualifies for the free school lunch program. In 2012 those folks voted 2,718 strong at the Dyess Park and East View Community Center precincts, respectively numbered 103 and 104, with 96 percent of them lining up behind President Barack Obama. Ninety-six percent. In Augusta’s wealthiest neighborhoods, the GOP does dominate, but never at a clip in excess of 70 percent

per precinct, and usually, at much lower levels. In other words, in our neck of the woods, folks with substantial incomes seem to have honest disagreement about which direction the country should be heading on healthcare. Those who are paying the freight reject Obamacare as it exists, and those who are already riding the government relief system are practically lock step in support of the new plan. And yes folks, man for man, the votes of the poorest, persistently unemployed, non-taxpayers are every bit equal to the votes of the people busting their butts to stay above water in their middle class digs, paying their property taxes and knocking out those ever increasing health insurance premiums. Atlas has not shrugged yet, he is too busy trying to feed his family and pay his mortgage. But when he finds out he will soon be paying even more for health insurance, receiving less choice and quality than he has known all his life, he is gonna shrug, cuss, throw a few plates and slam the door on his way off to a better place. At least you better hope he leaves. Revolutions have been waged over far, far less.

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.

1SEPTEMBER2016

THE FORT GORDON DINNER THEATRE Presents

September 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 Dinner 7:00 p.m. • Show 8:00 p.m. “I can only call it one of the most involving, beautiful, funny, touching and profound plays I have ever seen…” – NY Daily News Greg and Kate have moved to Manhattan after twenty-two years of child-raising in the suburbs. Greg’s career as a financial trader is winding down, while Kate’s career, as a public-school English teacher, is beginning to offer her more opportunities. Greg brings home a dog he found in the park – or that has found him – bearing only the name “Sylvia” on her name tag. A street-smart mixture of Lab and Poodle, Sylvia becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife. She offers Greg an escape from the frustrations of his job and the unknowns of middle age. To Kate, Sylvia becomes a rival for affection. And Sylvia thinks Kate just doesn’t understand the relationship between man and dog.

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

Teriyaki London Broil • Pineapple Glazed Ham • Lemon Parmesan Tilapia Candied Yam Patties • Squash Casserole • Green Beans Rice Pilaf • Salad with Choice of Dressings • Deluxe Dessert Table Coffee/Ice Tea/Water • Cash Bar

For reservations, please call 706-793-8552