Table of Contents May 25, 2017
Whine Line 4 Jenny is Wright 6
Thursday, June 1st Augusta Common Umphrey’s McGee with special guest Marcus King Band Fwbpro.com EDIT
CREATIVE
Amy Christian
Joshua Bailey
Joe White
amy@themetrospirit.com
joshua@themetrospirit.com
joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
Arts Editor/Production Director
Lead Designer
Stacey Eidson stacey@themetrospirit.com
SALES
circulation manager
jdbeckworth@gmail.com
Publisher
Contributors Jenny Wright, Austin Rhodes, Kris Fisher, Michael Johnson, Tyler Strong
Rachael Foss Account Executive
rachael@themetrospirit.com 706-910-3461
Calendar Nightlife NYT Crossword Sightings The Eight Austin Rhodes
26 32 34 35 36 38
Publisher
Joe White joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
8 10 12 17
BUSINESS
Johnny Beckworth
Staff Writer
Insider Thunder Over Evans Feature Banjo-B-Que
COVER DESIGN: Kruhu
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OPINION
Jenny is Wright: 6
The Whine Line Rompers for grown men????? I give up.
have cell phones in Appling so that’s foreign to me”. “Good job Scott” said the man in charge. “Time to order Ruths Chris, and celebrate me, I am Chairman at large!”
I remember a huge thousand plus word Whine from back in maybe April or May. It was manic, semi-psychotic, and paranoid political. A real page-turner! I thought I sent a Whine commenting on it, but instead I must have just saved it to my drafts file. Which is where I just found it. So, for what it’s worth: “I just read your gigantic whine and all I can say, my friend, is that there is medication for what you have, but you should avoid washing it down with Kool Aid”. The Report from our Sheriff was just as I expected...saying his buddies did nothing wrong, after interviewing folks that were afraid their interview would somehow be recorded or leaked back to their boss and loss of their job. It’s well known that the powers-that-be are afraid to allow a woman(or any woman) of high integrity and exceptional job performance will be allowed to survive in a good-ole-boy environment. I am taking many photos for 2018 signs, of bumper to bumper traffic by drone, to remind residents what it was like, lest we forget. And the County Chairman continues to belittle and besmirch our former EMA Director. Columbia County is building loyal followers. People were ran off, because they aren’t Yes Men. And a secretary making 50k? When did that run in paper? Must be special person to make more than skill workers. How does Ron Cross get away with his shameless waste and abuse of our tax dollars? Commission chairman or not, he should not be allowed to use our water bills as his personal political and social propaganda sheets. Just read the article ‘True Colors of Scott Johnson’. Good article. Threatening the local banker with taking away Columbia County banking business is UNETHICAL. On the AR Talk Show.... Scott proclaimed he is a ‘faculty member’ from the Carl Vinson Leadership Institute in Athens. If this is true.... they need to remove you from their organization. Once again.... there is a Code of Ethics..... and that ‘threat’ or ‘promise’ was a violation. I think we now your true colors even more. I wonder how CC would handle one of the peasant workers who made a threatening call to a local business man? As far as I am concerned, the whitehouse has been reduced to a check cashing tittle loan place, ran by a guy your uncle knows from prison. And the other guys who hang outside all the time sell moonshine. Scott accused Pam of being too sensitive, then he picks up the phone and literally whines that his feelings were hurt. Oh the irony! “Whew” said one CC commissioner!, “Glad Scott only threatens banks and bankers, my car wash business needs those county vehicles!” “Me too” said commissioner number two, ..”banks don’t use temp employees, so my business is safe.” “You can really record cell phone calls, how cool” said commissioner number three, “...we don’t
Websters has updated their dictionary. Please note; PATRIOT, an individual in service to a foreign nation, loyal to the highest monetary offer of either nation. Hey Pam Tucker, how does that knife in your back feel? Austin Rhodes pretended to be your biggest supporter for years but when push comes to shove he will always be in the pocket of the good-ole-boys. He had a lovefest with Scott Johnson for 2 and half hours on his show without taking any calls from listeners. The writing is on the wall. Rhodes is up to his old tricks again. He pretends to support you then turns the tables. Hey Austin, when are you going to have Mike Sleeper on your show? I suspect that too will be 2+ hours of on-air kumbaya with no calls from listeners. It is my great pleasure (...and with the assistance of the Metro Spirit) to announce that as of today, Wednesday, May 24, 2017, the term “viral video” is officially over. When EVERY video on the internet is click-baited as “viral,” there can be no more “viral” videos (...a dog atop a house rooftop is listed as viral...a cat chasing a dog around in a backyard is listed as viral...a guy on a trampoline throwing a football into a basketball hoop is listed as viral...a guy riding a motorcycle through an intersection hitting a car doing three cartwheels is listed as viral...and the list goes on). R.I.P. Viral Video (Beginning of the internet - 5/24/17). I wish we could get rid of all the signs companies and individuals tack onto utility poles all across Richmond County. We need to clean our county up and make the penalty for putting such signs up so strong no one would want to do it. Columbia County Commission employs Columbia County Sheriff ’s Department to conduct an investigation into whether or not Scott Johnson created a hostile workplace environment. Did anyone realistically expect an outcome any different than what was finally reported? Columbia County leaders, restructuring county departments is the last thing we need, how about restructuring some ROADS and TRAFFIC patterns? County leaders resort to desk shuffling and fancy organizational charts, while us commoners spend hours stuck in traffic jams on our overly congested roadways. Total lack of effective planning and development is a clear mandate for new leadership. Time to drain the swamp in Columbia County! Some of the Augusta commissioners need to get their acts together and stop wasting my tax money on every hair brain scheme some consultant or dim wit fellow commissioner comes up with. At least my commissioner (Wayne) knows who pays the bills. The Whine Line = Stupid, Redneck Babble.
WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM Have something you want to get off your chest? Send your whines to whineline@themetrospirit.com. The Metro Spirit reserves the right to edit submitted whines for content, but we will otherwise print them pretty much exactly as you type them… spelling errors and all.
In response to...”Printing swear words in the whine line?.”--Hahahhfalhflahfhahha Did you really just whine about that? What a pompous, arrogant small person you are! This is why I have been pushed further left. You stink of hypocrisy. Of all of the things in the world to be worried about, you are worried about swear words? Unbelievable. This is why we are where we are. This is why children are committing suicide on Facebook for all the world to see. We care about the wrong things! Bet you wouldn’t blink an eye at cutting a social program that helps people but you’re worried about swear words. The small problems of a very small minded person.
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Chore-ography Jenny is Wright
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What’s your least favorite household chore? I don’t think many people actually enjoy mopping, scrubbing toilets or doing laundry, but most of you probably have something you hate over others. As an aside, I do have a couple of friends who might enjoy cleaning. It may be that they appreciate the end result; a clean house is worth the time spent taking care of it. People who don’t enjoy it outsource it, hiring a cleaning person or crew, hoping the hired help gets the job done. If you can’t hire anyone, you can live in filth or get to work. No matter how much I dislike housework, my family deserves crumb-free floors and non-moldy toilet bowls. I can handle the basics. Like, the things that will start to smell if ignored always get done. If I don’t do them, my husband does. We’ve split the duties over the years. He takes out the trash. He deep cleans the bathrooms. He mows the grass. I cook, pick up after the kids, do laundry and who knows what else. It’s evenly divided-ish. Good enough for us. The one thing I hate doing more than anything in the world? Scraping plates after dinner. It’s so nasty. Along those same lines, I won’t dig soggy food out of a drain. If you like doing that, you probably bathe in mayonnaise or something else gross. When I think about it, scraping the leftover food into the sink or trash bag shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Most of the time, it slides right off the plate, and what doesn’t is easily removed with a utensil. If it’s that simple to you, you didn’t grow up with a dad like mine. We’ve always tried to gross each other out. It takes a lot, really. Consequences of plate scraping top the list. My brothers and I had to clear the table and load the dishwasher, which I don’t think is all that uncommon. As we’d scrape the food, and most often with spaghetti, Dad would tell us we could have the leftovers for breakfast in the morning. Cold. Straight out of the trash bag. With milk. He was kidding, of course. The memory of spaghetti in the not nearly opaque enough white trash bag lives in my very vivid memory, unfortunately. I will do the dishes in a pinch. I defer as often as possible. A friend of mine thinks getting the food out of his toddler’s dinner chair is as nasty as it gets. He’s kinda right. Soggy goldfish and half eaten bits of chicken don’t exactly jar the appetite. In a moment of epic horror, his sweet daughter once fed him “chair watermelon.” He ate it, because she insisted, but he was practically in tears when he told the story. I don’t think we should all live together or anything, but what if we could pool our resources? Like cleaning toilets? You get to clean all the toilets on the street this week, but you’re excused from all other chores. Your neighbor will take care of your chair watermelon, and her husband loves scraping plates. Mine doesn’t care for stringing lights on the Christmas tree, and I am not a fan of removing them. I wrap the branches too tightly, they practically have to be cut off the tree. Can we add seasonal decorating to our chore co-op? Our Chore-ography? Too much. Too clever. Horrible name or not, I’m think I’m on to something. There’s something for everyone. Let me know if you’re in. Oh, and evening chores include a complimentary glass of bubbly, poured by me. That’s a job I’ll never mind. Cheers! JENNY WRIGHT’S humorous observations on marriage, motherhood and living in Augusta have earned her a devoted following, both in print and on Facebook. When she’s not spying on other parents in the carpool line at school, you’ll probably find her with either a camera, tennis racquet or wine glass in her hand.
115 Davis Rd Martinez, GA (706) 993-1123 Admissions Questions? Email musry@gmc.edu Or visit www.gmc.edu 25MAY2017
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News
Thunder Over Evans: 10 “I Was Falsely Accused”: 12
Revving Up for Another Fight? Is the Augusta Commission really serious about discussing the possibility of plans for a new racetrack in Richmond County? Last week, Augusta Commissioner Ben Hasan told his colleagues that at least two potential business partners are hoping to possibly develop a racetrack in south Augusta. Do commissioners not remember the complete disaster this idea was almost a decade ago? More than 10 years ago, Augusta Commissioner Marion Williams, along with Leo Charette, owner of Leo’s Produce, were heavily involved in the long-debated $5.4 million proposal to build a dragway on city-owned land along Mike Padgett Highway. Of course, in 2010, Charette was arrested after Richmond County investigators discovered stolen goods, including golf carts and four wheelers, in his warehouse on Fifth Street in downtown Augusta. But, sadly, that wasn’t the biggest controversy surrounding the racetrack. For years, Williams pushed the idea of the city building a first-class racetrack on 250 acres of the city’s 1,700-acre Augusta Corporate Park in south Richmond County. Initially, William’s suggestion was considered more of a joke than a possibility. Serving then as the mayor pro tem, Williams was accused of using his personal love of drag racing to drive the idea. But when a representative from the International Hot Rod Association pledged to commissioners that his group would bring at least one national racing event a year to the Augusta Dragway if it is constructed, a few local residents began taking the suggestion more seriously. One such resident was Leo Charette. A few weeks after the IHRA’s presentation, the commission was presented with a 20page Augusta Dragway feasibility study the group had put together after spending three days in town and talking with members of the Augusta Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau. The study indicated that the track would generate about $30 million a year, and the city would get $2 out of every ticket sold. This is where Charette entered the picture. Williams, along with then-Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek, teamed up with Charette, a local racing enthusiast, to conduct a sound test of the level noise of the cars for the concerned neighbors in south Augusta. The test suggested that the noise impact of the drag strip would be minimal.
8 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
But then-Augusta Commissioner Jimmy Smith said he would fight the proposed drag strip “tooth and toenail.” As the owner of Leo’s Produce, Charette said he would commit $1 million of his own money (well, someone’s money) to fund the drag strip development. Of course, things started to blow up in Williams’ face when it was discovered that his son-in-law Mark Pugh was attempting to purchase property near the proposed site for the race track weeks before it was announced that the site was being considered for the project. The Augusta Chronicle reported that on Aug. 16, 2005, Pugh signed a sales contract to buy about a half-acre directly across the highway from the corporate park entrance. About three months earlier, on May 31, 2005, Pugh signed documents incorporating a limited liability company called Drag Snacks. Even though Pugh insisted that his father-in-law, Williams, did not tip him off about the project, very few people in Augusta actually believed that and eventually the idea of the project returned to being a joke in Richmond County. So, what is the point of rehashing this idea again? Can’t we just all agree that this is pretty much dead in the water? Let’s move on.
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Another Amazing year for thunder over evans Shortly before thousands of fireworks lit up the night sky at Evans Towne Center Park for the grand conclusion of Thunder Over Evans the sky opened up and rain began to fall. Hard. Many left. Those who suck around, however, were happy they did. The incredible fireworks display, that included more than 8,860 projectiles, absolutely took the audience’s breath away and proved that Thunder Over Evans is not only the biggest fireworks display offered in the Augusta area, but also in all of Georgia and South Carolina. Such an enormous number of fireworks included in one show is basically unheard of, even in major metropolitan areas, said Craig Butler, the pyrotechnician for Thunder Over Evans. “You just don’t find that anywhere,” he said. “Maybe Thunder Over Louisville or in New York City or in Washington D.C. or perhaps in Sydney, Australia. But Thunder Over Evans has more shells than what will be shot off in the CSRA over the entire Fourth of July weekend. And I should know. This will be my 27th year doing the Fourth of July fireworks in downtown Augusta.” As the largest privately funded Armed Forces Day celebration in the country, Thunder Over Evans was started by three local businessmen — Donnie Thompson, Andy Jones and the late Dale Phelon — who wanted to give something back to the men and women who serve our country. It is the perfect opportunity to bring together the public and the military for a free, fun-filled day of events and a tribute to those who serve. Butler said there is a great deal of time and effort put into, not only choreographing the fireworks show, but specifically labeling, packaging and shipping each shell by East Coast Pyrotechnics, a company based in Catawba, S.C. “The team at East Coast Pyrotechnics put in over 300 hours of time into carefully labeling and packaging the shells prior to them even showing up at the site,” Butler said, adding that he used four computers to shoot off the fireworks at Thunder Over Evans on Saturday. “It is definitely a lot of work. In fact, it took over a week just to choreograph the show.” Butler believes that the CSRA is extremely lucky to have local businessmen Donnie Thompson and Andy Jones who are willing to privately fund this enormous gift to the area. “Thank God for Mr. Jones and Mr. Thompson,” Butler said. “There aren’t many businessmen around these days that would take money out of their own pocket to fund 10 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
this kind of huge event and provide it to the public for free. We are very lucky to have them here. We have some awesome people in this town.” Several member of the local military community could not agree more. “Thunder Over Evans is an event that makes us feel a part of this community,” Col. Todd Turner, the garrison commander for Fort Gordon, recently told the Metro Spirit. “It is an event that honors our veterans and our fallen, those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom and our way of life, so we are very grateful to the local community.” Those kinds of events mean the world to military families and soldiers at Fort Gordon, Turner said. “This has got to be one of the most supportive military communities around,” Turner said of the entire CSRA. “We are very grateful to the local community and some of those senior leaders in the community that really work tremendously hard to orchestrate events like Thunder Over Evans. It means a lot.” And Thunder Over Evans had a lot to offer the community this year. Included in the day’s festivities was also an incredible motocross show featuring a variety of extreme motorcycle stunts by the nationally recognized riders of Team FMX. Team FMX is a Florida-based company owned and operated by Travis Willis, a freestyle motocross rider who has been performing extreme motorcycle stunt shows and producing events throughout North America since 2000. In fact, Willis has been riding, jumping and flipping motorcycles for the past 15 years across more than 30 countries. After seeing the popularity of freestyle motocross skyrocket in the late 1990s, Willis designed and built a portable selfcontained FMX ramp that travels non-stop putting on freestyle motocross exhibitions across the country. Joining Thunder Over Evans for the sixth year in a row, these brave bikers performed everything from a move called the “rock solid” to the “backflip” right before the audience’s eyes. Since the start of Team FMX, Willis and his bikers have been featured on a variety of different television shows and stations such as American Choppers, MTV’s Jackass, Fox Sports NET, Fuel TV, History Channel, TNN and Speed Channel. Some of the members of Team FMX have even competed and placed in events at the X-Games and the Moto-X World championships. Team FMX Rider Geoff Gaskin is from Montreal, Quebec and he is currently one 25MAY2017
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of Canada’s best Professional Freestyle Motocross riders after performing at U.S. Monster Jam Shows, Supercross Races and many various demos and competitions. At Thunder Over Evans, Gaskin completed an amazing front flip, much like the one he performed earlier this year in Denver during the Kicker Arenacross intermission. The newest addition to Thunder Over Evans this year was a high-energy outdoor circus called No Joe’s Circus that thrilled the audience with amazing balancing acts, a “Wheel of Death” and performances on a multi-bar trapeze with absolutely no safety net. Speaking of a high-energy performance, The Salamanders, a “party band” from Salt Lake City, Utah, brought down the house at Evans Towne Center Park on Saturday. Led by singers, Rickae and Jordan Robbins, who also happen to be a married couple, The Salamanders are known for its world-class musicians who can smoothly skip from one music genre to another. In fact, the band boasts that it has the ability to jump from pop to country, then to rap and Motown, and back to rock all in one show. Several musicians in the band have also performed with other nationally known artists such as Kenny Loggins, Tanya Tucker, Marie Osmond, The Jets, Collin Raye, The Drifters, The Shirelles, Juice Newton, Lucy Lawless, as well as the late Debbie Reynolds. Windsor Jewelers’ Donnie Thompson said Thunder Over Evans is all about honoring those in the military and thanking them for their service. “It’s a community event to make the military feel good,” Thompson said. “And you will feel good that day about patriotism and the military.”
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now that Columbia County Administrator scott Johnson has been cleared of accusations relating to a hostile work environment, he tells his side of the story
By Stacey Eidson
As County AdministrAtor Scott Johnson stood up last week to address the media following the release of a report detailing an investigation by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office into allegations that he had created a hostile work environment for former EMA Director Pam Tucker, he wasn’t celebrating. While the sheriff’s office found no evidence to support Tucker’s claim of a hostile work environment, Johnson said his reputation had been tarnished by serious accusations that were totally baseless. Johnson wasn’t proclaiming a victory. Instead, he was standing up to clear his name. “This is very unfortunate for Columbia County,” Johnson said, addressing the Board of County Commissioners, his staff, supporters and the media. “It has caused a lot of negative attention to Columbia County. For me personally, it’s been very trying.” For almost three months, Johnson said his 30-year career in public service was attacked and nearly destroyed because of a disgruntle employee’s claims. “To be tried and convicted on social media, in professional media and for people to call for your job that don’t even know what you do or don’t even know your name is pretty tough,” Johnson said. “I’ve had physical threats and death threats given to me because of Mrs. Tucker’s popularity. And I still stand here today and say that I did absolutely nothing 12 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
wrong in this situation.” But in the arena of public opinion, accusations such as creating a hostile work environment are difficult to erase, even with an investigation clearing his name, Johnson said.
“I’ve had physical threats and death threats given to me because of Mrs. Tucker’s popularity.” — Scott Johnson 25MAY2017
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“For her to say that she loves this county and loves her job, uh-uh. To walk out like that when your second in command had quit, no sir. Don’t quit. Never, never, never quit.” — Bill Morris “I was falsely accused,” Johnson said. “It has been very difficult for me and for my family. Professionally, if you Google my name now, this is all you get. And I have worked a long time to build up a reputation that I feel like has been ruined unfairly.” During the investigation by the sheriff’s office, Johnson provided two recorded conversations he had with Tucker in January, as well as numerous texts and emails between the two that clearly showed he was trying to be supportive of her needs and was making every attempt to work with Tucker to encourage her to stay on as Columbia County’s EMA director. “This completely caught me off guard,” Johnson said, adding that he is extremely thankful that he had evidence that he could provide the sheriff’s office to corroborate his version of events prior to Tucker resigning on Jan. 31. “I really don’t think I would have gotten a fair shake with the popularity of Mrs. Tucker had I not had some kind of evidence to back up that the claims were not true.” During the almost hour-long press conference, the four commissioners in attendance said they fully supported Johnson as administrator and accepted the findings of the sheriff’s office. “We don’t shy away from controversy,” Columbia County Chairman Ron Cross said, adding that he welcomed the investigation by the sheriff’s office into the accusations of a hostile work environment by Tucker against Johnson, as well as similar allegations against Tucker by former EMA Deputy Director Rusty Welsh. When Welsh resigned in late December, he accused Tucker of being “controlling, manipulative, condescending, arrogant, disrespectful, hypocritical and juvenile.” The investigation by the sheriff’s office also found that there was no evidence to support Welsh’s claims of a hostile work environment created by Tucker. “Basically, we knew from the beginning that there was no possibility of a hostile work environment from either party,” Cross said. However, when such accusations are made against top ranking employees within the county, Cross said the allegations couldn’t be ignored. “Mrs. Tucker was a very good EMA director and she followed the guidelines of FEMA and GEMA extremely well which benefited the citizens of Columbia County,” Cross said during the press conference, adding that none of the commissioners, nor the administrator, wanted her to resign. However, Cross said he found it extremely troubling that after Tucker decided to resign and accused Johnson of creating a hostile work environment, she provided members of the media her letter of resignation, which was extremely critical of Johnson, prior to delivering it to the county. “This appeared to be a deliberate attempt to discredit Mr. Johnson and embarrass Columbia County,” Cross said of Tucker. Those weren’t the only critical comments that Cross made about Tucker during the press conference. “I didn’t realize the undertow was as strong among division directors concerning Mrs. Tucker’s very narcissistic personality. Everything was about Pam,” Cross said. “I think over the years, people have gone out of their way to cater to her because of her sensitivity to constructive criticism and her ability to shut down completely if something was said she did not like.” While Tucker has announced plans to run for Columbia County Chair in 2018, a seat currently held by Cross, he insisted that his comments were not politically motivated. These were observations that he made after talking to several county employees, he said. “One comment was that she was queen of the cut and paste,” Cross said, explaining that some employees accused Tucker of taking full credit for their work. “There were other 25MAY2017
comments that they ‘had to walk on egg shells around her.’” But what truly bothered Cross was the fact that Tucker told him that “if she could get her severance, she would go quietly.” “I didn’t like the tone of that then and I don’t like it today,” Cross said. Those are not comments made by someone who cares about Columbia County, he said. “It has been said that Mrs. Tucker was the face of Columbia County. She may be,” Cross said, looking around the room filled with county staff and commissioners. “But she is not the heart, the soul and backbone of Columbia County. That is right here with the people in this room.” Cross wasn’t the only commissioner critical of Tucker’s action. Commissioner Bill Morris, who also happens to be a former principal in Columbia County, said he was extremely disappointed by the fact that Tucker resigned only weeks after Welsh quit. Her decision left the county with only a newly hired operations officer, Andy Leanza, at the helm. While Leanza is highly qualified and has recently served with GEMA as an Area 5 Field Coordinator, Morris pointed out that he had only been on the job a few weeks. “As a former principal, I had an assistant principal leave. She was very valuable. She had been there longer than I had,” Morris said during the press conference. “I thought about quitting, too, because the superintendent and the board said, ‘You can finish out the year without an assistant principal.’ I was panicked. But I didn’t quit.” Morris refused to turn his back on the school and its students. “I sucked it up and I got the job done for the kids, for the parents and for the citizens of the county,” Morris said. “And this just infuriates me that she would walk out on the citizens of Columbia County. For her to say that she loves this county and loves her job, uh-uh. To walk out like that when your second in command had quit, no sir. Don’t quit. Never, never, never quit.” Following all of the commissioners’ comments, Cross ended the press conference by insisting that Johnson was not only an excellent county administrator, but he was also a very good person. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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“I just didn’t do the things that I have been accused of. I am not the boss that I’ve been made out to be. It is very disheartening for the public to think that we operate like that in Columbia County. We don’t.” — Scott Johnson
“Mr. Johnson is not the gruff individual that some people think,” Cross said. “He is great at his job. He is aggressive, which we want him to be. He demands a high level of excellence. But what has been portrayed of him is nothing short of a crime.” Cross said that Johnson is an outstanding human being. “This is the guy that I know that gives a $100 tip on a $30 meal because the waitress seems to be struggling. This is the guy who pays a hotel bill for a battered wife and her two daughters so that she can stay there until her other residence is taken care of. This is the guy who starts a Christmas fund for one of the custodians here because she doesn’t have enough money to buy gifts for her children. This is the guy who will loan his brand new pick-up truck to a county employee so he can bring a four-wheeler back from Atlanta for his daughter,” Cross said. “This is the guy that I know. The guy that has been portrayed on social media is not the Scott Johnson that I know.” A few days after the release of the report by the sheriff’s office, Johnson agreed to sit down with the Metro Spirit to discuss the findings in the report, as well as some of the previous articles that ran in the newspaper regarding Tucker’s allegations and his leadership style. “I just didn’t do the things that I have been accused of. I am not the boss that I’ve been made out to be,” Johnson said. “It is very disheartening for the public to think that we operate like that in Columbia County. We don’t.” Johnson said the truth of the matter is that Tucker never once voiced any concerns that she had about him or his leadership style, and certainly nothing about a hostile work environment, to anyone, including the commissioners or human resources until she decided to resign in January. “She never voiced anything to me. I went to the commissioners and asked them. She never voiced anything to any individual commissioners about me,” Johnson said. “I asked the other division directors. She had never voiced anything to the other division directors about any problems that we had. She had never been to HR. Not one time.” In fact, Johnson said he thought Tucker was very happy in her position. He specifically pointed to a Dec. 14 article in The Columbia County News-Times that stated Tucker was looking forward to the future and didn’t plan on going anywhere. It wasn’t until EMA Deputy Director Rusty Welsh called him on Dec. 27 and told him he was going to resign that the problems first began, Johnson said. Johnson met with Welsh in his office the following day while Tucker was still on vacation for the holidays. Welsh informed Johnson that he was resigning due to what he described as “intolerable working conditions” created by Tucker. 14 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Johnson said, under county policy, he felt he needed to investigate the matter. Therefore, on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30, Johnson met with three of Tucker’s managers to discuss the allegations against Tucker. After meeting with the managers for about 15 minutes each, Johnson said he quickly learned that all three mangers did not share Welsh’s sentiment that Tucker created intolerable working conditions. “After talking to the three that I brought up, I found there not to be any validity to Rusty’s hostile work environment claims,” Johnson said. “What I found was a situation where Pam may have been a little bit overbearing in my opinion, but there was no violations. She was exonerated of any wrongdoing. She wasn’t in trouble in any way, shape or form.” So, when Tucker returned to work on Tuesday, Jan. 3, Johnson met with her, along with Deputy County Administrator Glenn Kennedy, that afternoon to discuss Welsh’s resignation. According to Johnson, Tucker was “taken completely by surprise by the resignation itself and the complaints,” and she became emotional after reading Welsh’s letter criticizing her as a division director. Tucker was also extremely upset that Johnson had spoken to her three managers about the accusations without her knowledge. According to Tucker’s account of that same meeting to the sheriff’s office, she described it as 2.5-hour “interrogation” by Johnson, where she thought “the big bright light was going to brought down into her face.” Johnson insists that wasn’t the case at all. Instead, Welsh was asked to meet with both Johnson and Tucker to discuss his intentions of resigning. According to Johnson, Tucker wanted to convince Welsh not to leave, but Welsh stated he needed more time to think about it. During the meeting, everyone agreed that Welsh should take some time off and return on Jan. 9 with his decision about whether he intended to resign. On that same day, Johnson said he also spoke to Tucker about her management style and the importance of the department’s actions being a “team effort” and not about one individual. During the conversation, Johnson said they began talking about Tucker’s popularity throughout the county. But Johnson claims that Tucker took the discussion the wrong way. “I said, ‘You know, Pam, 70 percent of the people in this community love you,’” Johnson said. “And she stopped me. Now, she quoted me in her interview with the sheriff’s office as 25MAY2017
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“I try to take the high road in this situation, despite what I feel like is her attempt to ruin me professionally.” — Scott Johnson saying, ‘The other 30 percent hate your guts.’ But that’s not what happened, I said, ‘Pam, 70 percent of the people in this community love you.’ And she said, ‘You mean to tell me, you think 30 percent don’t like me?’” Johnson said he quickly corrected her. “I said, ‘No. That’s not what I said, but maybe. But 50 or 60 percent maybe don’t like me. You have got a better percentage than I do,’” Johnson said, adding that he thought they were just joking at that point. “But she kept going back to that. And I really think, for her, it was about being liked.” Tucker’s embarrassment over the false allegations by Welsh may have been at the root of the problem, Johnson said. “I don’t want to put words in her mouth. I try to take the high road in this situation, despite what I feel like is her attempt to ruin me professionally,” Johnson said. “But it was almost as if she felt like people were whispering behind her back and she felt like other people knew what was going on (with the allegations against her). And they didn’t. Nobody knew what was going on but us. We kept it very close and very quiet.” About a week after their Jan. 3 meeting, Johnson said he received a surprising text from Tucker that stated, “Scott, this is hard to write, but I really need your help. Please would you help me get my severance pay if I just leave and go into the sunset? I do not want any public circus. I want to leave with my dignity and not embarrassment.” She also wrote that the county has a “good team here” and everything will be fine. Not long after receiving the text, Johnson asked Tucker to meet him in his office at 9 a.m. the following morning on Jan. 11. Prior to the meeting, Johnson decided to record the conversation because he was meeting with her alone and he wanted the details of the meeting to be accurate when he talked to the commissioners about her request. “In my 30 years of working in public service, I have never recorded a conversation with an employee,” Johnson said, adding that the only time he secretly recorded a conversation was when he did undercover work during his law enforcement career. “Never with an employee, face-to-face, would I ever do that,” Johnson added. “It was very uncomfortable for me to do that, but now I’m glad that I did because I was accused of things that I just did not do.” Without those recordings, Johnson said he can’t image what the outcome of the investigation would have been. “I think without the tapes, people would have just automatically believed Pam,” he said. “Pam was a trusted source of information for this community for a long time and she put out a lot of information. People went to her for information.” The public was very comfortable trusting and relying on Tucker, he said. “That’s why I decided to record the conversations,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that what was said was accurate.” When Tucker and Johnson met on Jan. 11, Tucker said she “didn’t want to be micromanaged” any longer and she felt “unappreciated.” In fact, Tucker told Johnson that she felt like she had been through “post traumatic stress” that week after reading Welsh’s allegations. According to the recording, Tucker was upset that she was the last to know about Welsh’s accusations and she wanted to resign. “At one point, she stated that nobody wanted her to stay at Columbia County to which I responded that both I and the commissioners wanted her to stay and that she was ‘the best EMA director in the state,’” Johnson said. “I explained to her again the issues I had with her management style, but that in no way was she in trouble nor being disciplined.” Tucker also brought up the hiring of the EMA’s operations officer, Andy Leanza. Last fall, Johnson had a meeting with Tucker where he insists that he simply asked Tucker to reconsider the employee she wished to hire as the operations officer because there were several other applicants that were more highly qualified for the EMA position. During this recorded meeting with Johnson, Tucker seemed very positive about the hiring of Leanza and she said he was “1000 times better” than her original choice. 16 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
While she seemed happy with the hiring of Leanza during her discussion with Johnson on Jan. 11, Tucker had an entirely different opinion of that decision when she spoke to the Metro Spirit last month. When Johnson approached her about reconsidering a new hire last year, Tucker told the Metro Spirit in April that her meeting with him was not only unprofessional, but frightening. “I had been called up to the small conference room on the second floor, which is really the room where the beratements always took place with the doors closed,” Tucker told the Metro Spirit, adding that Deputy County Administrator Glenn Kennedy was also present for this meeting. “Scott came in with a stack of papers with his hands shaking.” Tucker said she had never seen Johnson that incensed. “His hands were shaking so badly that I took it to mean that he was more than just furious. That if he could have had his hands around my throat, I probably would have been dead,” Tucker said. “It was terrifying. People have no idea.” Johnson said when he read that in the Metro Spirit on April 19, he was speechless. Not only did Tucker never discuss those fears to any of the commissioners or human resources, but Johnson pointed out that Tucker did not give that account to the sheriff’s office during its investigation of a hostile workplace. “Not one time did she ever say she had been berated,” Johnson said. “And, certainly, she never said that if I could get my hands around her neck, she would be dead. She never said any of those things. She also never said any of those things to the investigator. Nothing about the hands around the neck and the shaking and that I threw papers at her.” Johnson also pointed out that Kennedy was in the room during that meeting last year with Tucker. “I have a witness,” Johnson said. “And I know people will say, ‘Oh, Glenn Kennedy is on board. He is your deputy administrator. He is going to do whatever you tell him to do.’” People who say such comments don’t know Kennedy, Johnson said. “Let me tell you something about Glenn Kennedy. He is a retired full-bird colonel from the Army. The man has a ton of integrity. He would not lie for me or anybody else. I fully believe that. He would not,” Johnson said. “He told the truth, but Pam has changed her story two or three times. We have never changed our story from day one.” But back to Johnson’s Jan. 11 meeting with Tucker that was recorded. During the meeting, Tucker stated that she wanted to resign because she could not continue to take any badgering from Johnson. She told Johnson that, “Nothing I ever do is right.” After discussing the issue at some length, Johnson said he pledged to do a better job of meeting her needs and being more sensitive to the way she likes to do her job. Johnson told her, “I don’t want to lose one of our best employees because you feel you can’t work here.” He added, “I need you and this county needs you.” At that point, Tucker agreed to stay with the county. She also said that she believed Welsh should leave his job immediately and not continue to work during his final two-week notice. Johnson offered to go down to the EMA department with Tucker and relieve Welsh of
“I feel a lot better and greatly appreciate you working with me also. We are a good team and I will always be there for you to help in any way.” — text from Pam Tucker to Scott Johnson his duties together, as a “show of solidarity,” he said. “I also told her I would meet with the same three managers that I met with previously while I was there to insure them that Ms. Tucker was the division director and that she had the support of the commission and administration,” Johnson wrote in his statement to the sheriff’s office. “So I made sure all of the employees knew that Rusty was leaving immediately and that we supported Pam. As we left the office, Ms. Tucker thanked (me) and requested a hug.” Johnson gave her an “appropriate hug” and told her, “We’ll get through this.” That evening, Johnson sent Tucker an encouraging text message to show his support 25MAY2017
With more than 20 incredible bands offered on stage ranging from the Grammynominated Avett Brothers to the five-piece American bluegrass/rock band Greensky Bluegrass, Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival gets better each and every year. When Cathy Varnadore came up with the idea of Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival several years ago to honor the legacy of her late father, Joe Pond, she wanted to create an event that showcased his love of live bluegrass music, downhome barbecue cooking and, most importantly, family. Today, it’s clear Varnadore and her dedicated team at A.B. Beverage Company, Inc. have succeeded in putting together a music festival that would make “Papa Joe” Pond extremely proud. “Oh, my dad would love this festival. He would absolutely love it,” said Varnadore, president of A.B. Beverage. “I remember, as kids, he would take us to different festivals throughout Georgia and South Carolina. We would end up in some small town and they would be playing bluegrass music or sometimes he would take us to these shag music events, which were fun, too. My dad pretty much took us everywhere and exposed us to a lot of good, family fun events and that is what we are trying to do here.” Over the years, Banjo-B-Que has featured a variety of outstanding bands including Drive-By Truckers, The Whiskey Gentry and Old Crow Medicine Show. This weekend’s two-day festival at Evans Towne Center Park will continue that tradition by showcasing an impressive lineup of bands, including the return of the festival’s headliner, The Avett Brothers. The Avett Brothers are known for high-energy shows and playing intense gigs featuring sibling musicians Scott and Seth Avett.
Other bands featured in this year’s festival include Greensky Bluegrass, Banditos, The Defibulators, Natchez Tracers, Cicada Rhythm, Hog Slop String Band, Harvest Thieves, Niles Foley, Kyshona Armstrong, Little Roy & Lizzie, Sailing to Denver, The Mason Jars, The Ramblin’ Fevers, Delta Cane, Royal Johnson, The High Divers, Laney Jones & the Spirits, Villain Family, Porter Oaks and West King String Band. There is a great deal of excitement over Greensky Bluegrass’ appearance at this year’s Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival. Formed in 2000 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Greensky Bluegrass have “fine tuned” their live show to brilliantly blend bluegrass music with a full-on spectacle of rock. “You can call us an acoustic ensemble, or a drum-less rock band, or a rock & roll bluegrass band,” the band’s mandolin player, Paul Hoffman, stated on Greensky Bluegrass’ website. “All of that shifting identity has taught us to cover a lot of ground... It’s a balance of moods and textures that we create as a band.” Greensky Bluegrass, which plays around 175 shows a year, has really matured over the past 15 years, said guitarist Dave Bruzza. “We play two sets of music every night with a big light show, and really care about creating a large scale production,” Bruzza stated. “We want to cultivate an experience, where people can escape from their everyday lives for a minute and put their worries aside.” For those at A.B. Beverage who work extremely hard each year organizing Banjo-BQue, Varnadore said she simply wants the community to have a lot of fun listening to the incredible live music, eating the down home barbecue, enjoying craft beers in the beer garden and letting the entire family participate in the festival’s petting zoo, pony rides, pig races and cook-offs. “We want to bring bands through here that are new and different and try to get
more exposure for this area,” Varnadore said. “We work hard all year long to make sure this is an event that the entire community can be proud of. And it is fun to have two different aspects in the event with the music and the barbecue, especially it being Memorial Day weekend.” As always, Banjo-B-Que will continue to be a family affair this year with her husband and vice president of A.B. Beverage, Doug Varnadore, concentrating on barbecue side of the two-day festival. The festival, which is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, will bring more than 60 professional barbecuers from all across the country. “The professional teams will come from Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and Indiana,” Doug Varnadore said. “We’ve probably got five or six of the top 10 of the Kansas City Barbeque teams here at the festival. So, it’s some pretty stiff competition.” Those professionals will compete for $40,00 in prizes money and, this year, the festival was selected as a recipient of the Smoking with Smithfield grant program. That will increase the prize payouts, and representatives from Smithfield will conduct cooking demos at Tuffy Stone at 1, 3:30 and 4 p.m., as well as give out free rib samples cooked by Waylon’s BBQ. There will be much more for the kids to enjoy including the new Pork Chop Revue and the Hog Way Speedway. The Pork Chop Revue features amazing stunts and laughable antics by the smartest swine in the country, and the Hog Way Speedway will be an opportunity for families to watch pigs, ducks and goats battle it out for the title of fastest farm animal. Along with these new attractions, there will be plenty more of activities for the kids to enjoy including a petting zoo, face painting, splash pad and playground, and much more! For the adults, the festival’s beer garden will feature beers from breweries all over the country, including Breckinridge Brewery, Hi Wire Brewing, Devil’s Back Bone Brewing Co., Elysian Brewing Company, Grayton Beer Company, Lonerider Brewing Co., Nantahala Brewing Co., Prairie Artisan Ales, Southern Brewing Co. and Southern Tier, as well as local breweries River Watch Brewery and Savannah River Brewing Co. “There will be over 40 craft beers from the newest to the oldest,” Doug Varnadore said. “It is a great selection.” One of the proudest moments for the Varnadore family at the annual music festival is when Joe Pond’s grandchildren take the stage on Saturday night. “They all get to go up on stage and introduce the last act on Saturday night,” Cathy Varnadore said. “They have a lot of fun doing that. It’s nice because they all come down and they’ll all be there together.” All proceeds raised at Banjo-B-Que benefit the Joseph R. Pond Memorial Foundation, which donates to charitable organizations through the CSRA Community Foundation. A special focus is given to cancer-related organizations because “Papa Joe” Pond, who was a second generation owner of A.B. Beverage, died in 2006 after a seven-year fight against cancer. “We wanted to do something in his name because he did so much in the community,” Cathy Varnadore said. “He always sponsored so many events and charities throughout the CSRA and we just wanted to remember him that way.”
The Namesake Lest festival-goers think that Papa Joe isn’t a real person, he is. Joe Pond is Cathy Varnadore’s late father, and when she came up with the idea for the Papa Joe’s Banjo-BQue, she immediately started asking herself questions. “What would he enjoy doing? What were his favorite things?” she said she asked herself. The answers were bluegrass music and barbecue in a festival atmosphere. “When we were growing up, he took us to different festivals and concerts and fairs. He was all about that. We loved it as kids. And I just thought about how much he gave to the community. We just wanted to carry on with that and I think this is a great way of doing it.” The folks in Augusta, Evans and the surrounding area seem to agree. The music packs in the crowds, the beer and barbecue keep everyone happy, and families can have fun with a number of activities for the kids. It’s a great way to honor a man everyone was so fond of before he lost his fight with cancer. Even better is that proceeds from the event go to the Joseph R. Pond Memorial Foundation named in his honor, which focuses on helping fund cancer-related organizations. Cathy and her team’s hard work on Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que is paying off. The festival was recently named as one of the eight underground festivals to check out before they go mainstream. “We always dreamed of going big, but we’re all just kind of surprised. We never thought we’d reach that level,” she admitted. “And USA Today has nominated us to be in the top 10 barbecue festivals in the nation. It’s called Best 10 and people have to go on there and vote. That’s quite impressive. We’re kind of blown away. My dad would be quite tickled that we’ve done all this.” And that, she said, is what it’s all about. Well, almost. “It’s all about him and the people coming,” Cathy said. “We just want everybody to have a good time.”
of her. Johnson wrote, “I really appreciate your willingness to press on today. I know it has been a tough week for you. We’ll get through this together. As I said today, you are a vital part of our team in Columbia County. I hope you get some rest tonight.” Tucker appeared to appreciate Johnson’s comments. “I feel a lot better and greatly appreciate you working with me also,” Tucker texted back. “We are a good team and I will always be there for you to help in any way.” In Johnson’s mind, he felt they were on a positive path forward. But less than a week later, on Jan. 18, he received another text from Tucker in the evening stating that she wanted to leave. Johnson quickly responded by saying, “No one wants you to leave. Has something else happened? I thought we were working towards a better situation. What has changed? Do you really want to leave so bad?” Tucker answered, “Yes I do.” Johnson scheduled a meeting with Tucker and Chairman Ron Cross the following morning on Jan. 19. Once again, Johnson decided to record the conversation. During that meeting with Johnson and Cross, Tucker said that she felt like “part of her soul and her spirit was taken away.” She further stated that an AED donation to Columbia County had been scheduled, but she was told not to attend the meeting because, she claimed, “The sheriff didn’t want me there.” Tucker told both Cross and Johnson that she felt like she didn’t fit in anymore. She claimed she was “older, and not young and sexy, and don’t fit the mold.” Cross jokingly replied, “Do you think I fit the mold?” But Tucker added that she also couldn’t get over the fact that Johnson had talked to the three managers about Welsh’s accusations against her. Tucker stated during the recorded conversation, “If I can just get my severance pay, we can do something that’s unified and happy. I’ll do whatever I have to do. I don’t want any backlash to y’all and I know that’s the biggest concern.” Johnson said he was baffled by the entire discussion. “All of a sudden we were kind of right back in the same spot again, so I think it has to do a lot with her desire to have people like her,” Johnson said. “She talked a lot about me not liking her. I never disliked Pam. I don’t dislike Pam today. I still say she is the best EMA director that this county ever had and probably the best one in the state. She is very good at being an EMA director.” But it was clear during that meeting with Cross that Tucker was preparing to resign. She even told Cross and Johnson, “At this point, I’m not going to change my mind.” On Jan. 24, the commissioners met in executive session to discuss Tucker’s desire to resign and her request for severance pay. However, because Tucker had just renewed her contract, she was not eligible for severance under the county’s guidelines, Johnson said. “She was denied her severance for a very legal reason,” Johnson said. “It didn’t have anything to do with her personality. She had just signed a contract starting Jan. 1. You can’t receive a severance right after you sign your contract.”
“I think it has to do a lot with her desire to have people like her. She talked a lot about me not liking her. I never disliked Pam. I don’t dislike Pam today.” — Scott Johnson Initially, Cross and Tucker were scheduled to meet to discuss her resignation on Jan. 27, but Johnson said he was told that Tucker delayed the meeting until Jan. 31 at 9 a.m. Over that entire week, Johnson said he had limited interaction with Tucker. Finally, Jan. 31 came and Tucker met with Cross alone in his office where she presented him with the letter accusing Johnson of creating a “hostile work environment.” Johnson said he was stunned to discover that Tucker had accused him of “harsh treatment, berating her, being dishonest with the commissioners in regard to her leadership, verbal attacks and having an ongoing campaign to force her out of her job.” During her interview with the sheriff’s investigator, Tucker said that she is “1000 25MAY2017
percent sure” that Johnson acted the way he did out of “professionally jealousy” of her. “I can’t speak to what she said or how she feels, but I can tell you that I am not even 1 percent jealous of her professionally,” Johnson said. “I am not jealous of any of our division directors. I don’t think any of them are jealous of me. We work here as a team.” In fact, Johnson said he prefers to work in the background without much attention. “Pam made the comment one time that she could go anywhere and she doesn’t have to wear a name tag because everybody knows who she is,” Johnson said. “And that maybe very true. To the contrary, I go a lot of places and people have no idea who I am and they have no idea what I do for a living. And when I tell them I am a county administrator, they have no idea what the county administrator does. And that is the way I want it.” Unfortunately, since Tucker’s allegations against him, Johnson said many people in the community have developed an extremely unflattering picture of him. “Pam resigned on Tuesday, Jan. 31,” Johnson said. “Immediately following her resignation, there were thousands of comments and outpouring of support for her. There were people coming out against me saying, ‘What a bully! How terrible. Fire him and keep her. Make her the county administrator.’ It was very difficult. I was accused, tried, convicted and hung in 48 hours after Pam made the allegations before anybody ever knew what really happened.” The very next morning after Tucker submitted her resignation accusing Johnson of a hostile work environment, Johnson said he had a budget meeting schedule with Tucker and her entire staff. “Not even 24 hours after she resigned,” Johnson said, shaking his head. “And you know what? I went in there and conducted myself as a professional. I acted like nothing had happened. I acted like I had not been accused of anything.” However, Johnson said he couldn’t help but notice Tucker’s change in demeanor. “She seemed glowing,” Johnson said. “She seemed happier than she had been in a long time. So she was either happy that she was leaving, happy that she had a lot of support from the community or happy that I was being beaten up. I don’t know why she was happy, but she was very obviously happy.” After this entire ordeal, Johnson said he has learned the harsh realities of social media, its bullying mentality, the existence of media bias and the difficulty of clearing your name once false allegations are made against you. “Even though the investigation is out and even though what I feel like the truth is out, there is still an attempt to slander and ruin me,” Johnson said. “I hate that there is this dark cloud that is hanging over our heads because it is really not Columbia County. It is not what we are all about.”
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Ongoing
Wed May 31
Kroc Center A camp for those ages 5-12 in which participants will enjoy swimming, arts & crafts, group games, sports, Bible lessons and more. Before- and after-care available. Members: $400 per session; non-members, $600 a session. Sessions available May 22 June 16, June 19-July 14 and July 17-August 11. Pre-registration required. Call 706-3645762 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
Headquarters Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2615 or visit arcpls.org.
9am - 3pm Camp Kroc
DANCE Fri May 26
7pm The Art of Swing Dancing Jessye Norman School of the Arts A class held Fridays from 7-8 p.m. that begins May 26 and goes through June 30. Taught by Mario Lett of Lett’s Dance. No experience necessary and a partner is encouraged by not necessary. $7 per class. To sign up, call 706828-7768 or visit jessyenormanschool.org.
EDUCATION Thu May 25
9am - 11am Computer Help for Absolute Beginners Wallace Branch Library Call to schedule an appointment. Call 706722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
ARTS Thu May 25
6pm Camera (Geek) Night Artus Co-Op A night of connections, information, swap shop and learning for camera geeks and photographers. Visit facebook.com/pages/ Artus-Co-op/532417963629102.
Sat May 27
Noon - 2pm Knitting or Crochet 175 North Louisville Street, Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class. $35, including yarn. Pre-registration required. Visit harlemartscouncil.org.
Wed May 31
7pm Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Le Chat Noir 26 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
A burlesque live drawing event featuring contests, performances, prizes and more. $10, advance; $12 at the door. Call 706-7223322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
CAMPS Tue May 30 - Thu June 1
Tue May 30
5pm Augusta Mature Professionals Meeting TBonz Restaurant A networking group welcoming those ages 50 (approximately) and older that holds monthly casual meetings. Drop-ins welcome. Call 706-267-8833.
Thu June 1
9am - 11am Computer Help for Absolute Beginners Wallace Branch Library Call to schedule an appointment. Call 706722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
Ongoing
Professional Development Courses
Sat May 27
James Brown Family Historical Tour
10:30am Family Dynamics Diamond Lakes Community Center Part of the Winning in Augusta community empowerment workshop series for south Augusta residents. Free. Call 762-218-1950.
1pm World War I and the Impact on the River Region Augusta Museum of History Part of a series on this area’s efforts during World War I, this one led by Steve Rauch, retired Army Ordinance officer and currently the U.S. Army Signal Corps historian at Fort Gordon. Free. Call 706722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
Tue May 30
175 North Louisville Street, Harlem For those in kindergarten-second grades. $45, plus $5 supply fee. Pre-registration required. Call 706-394-4682 or visit harlemartscouncil.org.
Appleby Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
175 North Louisville Street, Harlem For those in middle and high school. $45, plus $5 supply fee. Pre-registration required. Call 706-394-4682 or visit harlemartscouncil.org.
Headquarters Branch Library A group for beginner to intermediate Spanish speakers. Call 317-695-4748.
Aiken Public Library A free legal clinic. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
10am - noon Children’s Art Camp
1pm - 3pm Anime Art Camp
6pm Tertulia: Spanish Conversation Group
Jessye Norman School of the Arts The school offers classes in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and other software programs. Call or visit the website to see a schedule of spring and summer classes. Call 706-828-7768 or visit jessyenormanschool.org.
7pm - 8:30pm Wills, Estates and Probate
The Art of Swing Dancing Jessye Norman School of the Arts Friday, May 26 7 p.m. A class held Fridays from 7-8 p.m. that begins May 26 and goes through June 30. Taught by Mario Lett of Lett’s Dance. No experience necessary and a partner is encouraged by not necessary. $7 per class. 706-828-7768 jessyenormanschool.org
10:30am Email Basics
10:30am Tech Tuesday Class
2pm - 4pm Microsoft Publisher for Beginners Diamond Lakes Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Augusta Museum of History Available each Saturday at 11 a.m. and lasting approximately two hours, this bus tour includes Brown’s elementary school, his childhood home, his statue and more. $15 fee, includes admission to the museum, which houses the largest collection of James Brown memorabilia. Reservations 24 hours in advance required. Call 803-6402090 or visit jamesbrownfamilyfdn.org.
Guided Tours 1797 Ezekiel Harris House Offered by appointment only MondayFriday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Last tours of the day begin at 4 p.m. Adults, $2; children, $1. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
North Augusta Driving Tour Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta Offered by appointment and includes a 30-45-minute guided tour and admission to the center. Self-guided tours are also available through an iPhone downloadable audio tour or a Google Maps-based tour. Guided tours: $5, adults; $3, students K-12. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.
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Tours Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Guided tours, approximately 45 minutes long, are offered Thursday-Saturday on the hour from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Group tours are available by advanced reservation. Adults, $5; seniors, $4; kids K-12, $3; under 5 years, free. Call 706-724-0436 or visit wilsonboyhoodhome.org.
Historic Trolley Tours of Augusta Augusta Visitors Center Tours aboard the Lady Libby available at the Augusta Visitors Center with 24-hour advanced reservations. Tickets include admission to the Augusta Museum of History. Call 706-724-4067 or visit visitaugusta.org.
ELSEWHERE Sat May 27
10am - 10pm EastWind Dragon Faire
Call 706-821-2600 for weekly selections. Visit arcpls.org.
Thu June 1
10:30am Summer Break Movie for Teens Appleby Branch Library Featuring a PG-13 rated movie. Participants can bring their own snacks. Call 706-7366244 or visit arcpls.org.
HEALTH Thu May 25
6:30pm - 9:30pm Breastfeeding Class Doctors Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
7pm - 8:30pm Infant CPR University Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
EastWind Castle, Trenton, S.C. A Renaissance Fair with a twist that features battles and jousting, shops, food, knighting ceremonies and more. $5; free, ages 3 and under. Call 706-627-0068 or visit facebook. com/eastwind.castle.
Mon May 29
Sun May 28
10:30am Build a Better You
10am - 6pm EastWind Dragon Faire EastWind Castle, Trenton, S.C. A Renaissance Fair with a twist that features battles and jousting, shops, food, knighting ceremonies and more. $5; free, ages 3 and under. Call 706-627-0068 or visit facebook. com/eastwind.castle.
FLIX Thu May 25
7pm “Bottle Shock” North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Fri May 26
6:45pm Family Movie Night Kroc Center A free movie showing. Concessions will be available for purchase. Call 706-364-5762 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org/kroc-center/.
7:30pm Movies on the Common Augusta Common Featuring pre-movie activities and a showing of “Finding Dory.” Activities begin at 7:30 p.m. and the movie begins at dusk. Call 706-821-1754 or visit augustaga.gov.
Tue May 30
2pm Family Afternoon Movie Appleby Branch Library Featuring a G- or PG-rated movie. Participants can bring their own snacks. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
5:45pm Free Movie Tuesdays Headquarters Branch Library 25MAY2017
7:30pm Beginner’s Yoga That Place Coffee Call 706-339-7011 or visit thatplacecoffee.com.
Thu June 1
Columbia County Library A fitness and nutrition seminar led by fitness specialist and personal trainer Pam Ludlow. Pre-registration required. Call 706863-4946, ext. 4, or visit gchrl.org.
7pm - 9:30pm Baby 101 Doctors Hospital An infant care and development class. Preregistration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
HOBBIES
Reed Creek Park An indoor-outdoor program for those ages 8 and older accompanied by an adult. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit reedcreekpark.com.
10:30am Family Lego Time Appleby Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
Thu June 1
11am Pete the Cat and the Cool Cat Boogie Story Time
Aiken Public Library Pre-registration required. Call 803-6422020, ext. 1131, or visit abbe-lib.org.
Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
KIDS-TEENS
10am Music Party: Celebrating Mr. James Brown
1pm - 3pm Cool Coloring for Grownups
Fri May 26
10:15am - 12:30pm Story Time Fridays Aiken Public Library Stories, songs and interactive activities. Story time for babies (0-23 months) begins at 10:15 a.m., toddlers (2-3 years) at 11 a.m. and preschoolers (4-5 years) at 11:45 a.m. Participants and caregivers are encouraged to participate. Call 803-6422023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
4:30pm Lego Club North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library For those in grades K-5. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Sat May 27
10am Snake Identification
10am Preschool Story Time Diamond Lakes Branch Library A program for those ages 3-5 that includes stories, songs, games, short movies and crafts. Pre-registration required for groups of 6 or more. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Young Children’s Story Time Diamond Lakes Branch Library A program for those ages 0-3 that includes songs, finger plays and readings. Preregistration required for groups of 6 or more. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
4pm Storytime in the Gardens
Mon May 29
Augusta Museum of History Part of the Mondays at the Museum series for those ages 2-6 and an accompanying adult in which participants will learn about James Brown and create their own musical instruments. $2, members; $4, non-members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-722- 8454 or email aschaffman@augustamuseum.org.
Tue May 30
10am Big Kids Story Time Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 3-6. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org.
Hopelands Gardens Each family in attendance will receive a free book. Blankets, chairs, drinks and snacks are welcome. Call 803-642-7631.
Wed May 31
10am Children’s Story Time Friedman Branch Library Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Story Time Wallace Branch Library Pre-registration required for groups. Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Story Time for Tots Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 0-3. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 27
Wear Blue: Run to Remember Memorial Day Lake Olmstead Trailhead Monday, May 29 7:30 a.m. Includes a 5K and 10K run or a 1-mile walk to honor the service and sacrifice of fallen service members. Free and open to runners, walkers, kids and pets. The race will be preceded by a Circle of Remembrance at 8:30 a.m. wearblueruntoremember.org
10am Story Time with Space Yoga Studio
imagineaugusta.org.
8352 or email shepardprojectaugusta@gmail.com.
Maxwell Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-793-2020 or visit arcpls.org.
Thu June 1
LITERARY
10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time
Fort Gordon’s Woodworth Library An event that includes refreshments, help registering, gifts and more. Call 706-791-7323 or visit fortgordon.com.
10am - noon Morning Book Club
Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
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.
10:30am Envelope City Appleby Branch Library An event for those ages 3-12 in which participants will use recycled enveloped to create a city. Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
6pm Summer Reading Program Launch Party
6:30pm Meet and Greet: Elephant and Piggie Columbia County Library An event featuring stories, coloring sheets and photo ops with favorite characters. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
Ongoing
Mayor’s Summer Read and Feed
10:30am Preschool Story Time
Headquarters Branch Library This program for those under 18 years old meets MondaysWednesdays June 5-July 12 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. to read books, eat lunch and have fun. Free. Visit arcpls.org.
Appleby Branch Library For children ages 3-5. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
Build a Better World
10:30am Super Awesome Story Time The Book Tavern Story time, led by Spark Academy Georgia reading “Iggy Peck,” will be followed by a craft, and juice and cookies will be provided by New Moon Cafe. Call 706-826-1940 or email superawesomestorytime@booktavern.com.
3:30pm Yoga for Little Ones Imagination Station Children’s Museum Free, members; $10, visiting families with up to three children and $2 for each additional child. Visit 28 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
All ARCPLS Library Branches This summer reading program for all ages begins May 20 and continues until July 28. Sign up in any branch or online at arcpls.org.
The Shepard Project Metropolitan Community Church of Our Redeemer A teen hangout and safe space for LGBTQ+ teens, ages 14-17, and allies that meets the first and third Tuesday of each month from 5-8 p.m. The group is also looking for chaperones ages 25 and older and youth mentors 18-24 years old, who must pass a background check. Call 803-617-
Thu May 25
Maxwell Branch Library This month’s selection is “The Trial” by Franz Kafka. Call 706-793-2020 or visit ecgrl.org.
7pm - 9pm Graphic Novel Discussion The Book Tavern A group open to older teens and up. Participants in this meeting will discuss “Amulet: Bk1 The Stonekeeper” by Kazu Kibuishi. Call 706-826-1940 or email david@ booktavern.com.
Sat May 27
1pm - 3pm Author Signing The Book Tavern Featuring Bill Kreml, author of “The Bias of Temperament in American Politics.” Call 706-826-1940 or visit booktavern.com.
MUSIC Thu May 25
7pm Music in the Park Maude Edenfield Park, North Augusta Featuring the Mike Frost Band. Participants can bring blankets and chairs. Free. Visit naartscouncil.org.
7pm United States Air Force Airmen of Note Concert Davidson Fine Arts School Theatre 25MAY2017
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Free and open to the public. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com and search for USAF Band.
SENIORS
Saturday’s headlining band is the Avett Brothers. Early Bird: two-day tickets, $60. Friday: $35, general admission; $100, VIP. Saturday, $45, general admission; $200, VIP. Two-day tickets: $70, general admission, $250, VIP. Visit banjobque.com.
Augusta Canal Discovery Center Featuring Wayne Capps, this event features live music aboard a 1 1/2-hour Petersburg boat tour. Participants are invited to bring aboard snacks and beverages. $25; $23, seniors, military and students. Pre-registration required. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
Thu May 25
11am Memorial Day Parade
Diamond Lakes Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Downtown Aiken Call 803-522-0607 or email aikenmemorialdayparade@ gmail.com.
Noon - 4pm Community Day on the Common
Sat May 27
SPECIAL EVENTS Thu May 25
Fri May 26
7pm Moonlight Music Cruise
8am - 2pm Saturday Morning Swing Eighth Street Plaza Live music from local jazz artists and performing arts groups during the Augusta Market. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.
7:30pm A Memorial Concert Sacred Heart Cultural Center An Augusta Choral Society concert. $30, adults; $25, seniors; $10, students and military. Visit augustacs.org.
7:30pm Soiree: Jazz + Wine Jessye Norman School of the Arts Featuring classic live jazz and wines selected by the host. $7. Call 762-233-5299 or visit jazzsoiree.com.
Sun May 28
7:30pm Candlelight Music Series Augusta Common Participants are invited to bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs at this weekly event. $8. Call 706-821-1754 or visit augustaga.gov.
Featuring the Lucia Ensemble. Free, but a love offering will be accepted to help with the ensemble’s travel costs to Spoleto. Call 706-724-9641 or visit stjohnaugusta.org.
11am Classic Movie for Seniors
1:30pm Warrior Remembrance Ceremony Gordon’s Conference and Catering Attendees should dress in uniform or business dress and be seated by 1:15 p.m. Call 706-791-6667 or visit fortgordon.com.
6pm Annual Celebration of Leadership The Richmond on Greene A Leadership Augusta event in which the 2017 Leadership Awards will be presented. $50; pre-registration required. Call 706-821-1308 or email kate.lecea@ augustametrochamber.com.
Fri May 26
10am - noon Melon Planting Day Richmond County Department of Public Health Teaching Gardens An event in which participants, adults and children, plant and taste. Volunteers need to pre-register. Call 706-2287895 or visit augustalocallygrown.org.
4pm - 11pm Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Music Festival
Hopelands Gardens, Aiken Featuring the Aiken Civic Ballet. Attendees can bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnics and well-behaved pets on leashes, but no alcohol. Free. Call 803-642-7631 or visit facebook.com/experienceaiken. The rain-out hotline is 803-643-4661.
Evans Towne Center Park A two-day festival that included live roots, Americana and bluegrass music, a barbecue contest and vendors, craft beer, a petting zoo, pig races, playground and more. Friday’s headlining band is Greensky Bluegrass. Early Bird: two-day tickets, $60. Friday: $35, general admission; $100, VIP. Saturday, $45, general admission; $200, VIP. Two-day tickets: $70, general admission, $250, VIP. Visit banjobque.com.
7pm Memorial Day Concert
7pm A Tour of France Wine Tasting Seminar
Mon May 29
7pm Hopelands Summer Concert Series
Jessye Norman Amphitheatre Featuring the Augusta Concert Band. Visit augustaconcertband.org.
Tue May 30
8pm Evenings in the Appleby Garden Appleby Branch Library Featuring the American Jazz Combo. A free event in which participants can bring their own chairs, blankets beverages and snacks. Those with the best lawn party decor can compete to be the Appleby Garden Party Winner of the Week. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
Thu June 1
7pm Music in the Park Maude Edenfield Park, North Augusta Featuring the John Kolbeck Trio. Participants can bring blankets and chairs. Free. Visit naartscouncil.org.
7:30pm Spoleto Send-Off Concert St. John United Methodist Church 25MAY2017
Wine World An event featuring 11 wines and heavy hors d’oeuvres. $25; pre-paid reservation required. Call 803-279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com.
Augusta Common A Memorial Day event hosted by the Versatility Project that features inflatables, food, games, vendors, a fashion show, motivational speakers, live entertainment and more. Free. Call 706-496-5720 or visit augustaga.gov.
7pm and 8pm “Engineering the International Space Station” Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1$5.50. Call 803-641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.
Tue May 30
4:30pm - 7pm Veggie Park Farmers Market Mill Village Trailhead, 109 Eve Street This weekly event in the park behind the Kroc Center features all local farmers and doubles EBT/SNAP benefits. Visit augustalocallygrown.org/veggie-parkfarmers- market/.
Thu June 1
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.
SPIRITUAL Sun May 28
11am 150th Church Anniversary Celebration Palmer Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Hephzibah The event begins with morning worship at 11 a.m., featuring guest minister Rev. Jimmy McCollough III, and continues with a celebration at 2 p.m. Call 706-554-5789.
2pm 178th Church Anniversary Celebration Lofton AME Church, Wrens Call 706-547-3026.
Sat May 27
Thu June 1
8th Street Plaza, Reynolds Street The event features vendors of all kinds, activities, live entertainment and more. Visit theaugustamarket.com.
Islamic Society of Augusta Part of a monthly program to enlighten newcomers about Islam, this one featuring the annual Taste of Ramadan presentation and dinner. Visitors will also be able to meet the ISA’s new Imam Jawad Rasul. Free, but pre-registration required. Visit tasteoframadan.eventbrite.com.
8am - 2pm Augusta Market at the River
10am - 4pm Last Saturday in the Park North Augusta’s Living History Park Featuring living history demonstrations. Call 803-279-7560 or visit colonialtimes.us.
10:30am - 11pm Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Music Festival Evans Towne Center Park A two-day festival that included live roots, Americana and bluegrass music, a barbecue contest and vendors, craft beer, a petting zoo, pig races, playground and more.
7pm Lifting the Veil on Islam
SPORTS-OUTDOORS Thu May 25
7:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Rome Braves Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 29
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Fri May 26
6pm Memorial Day Celebration Mistletoe State Park An event featuring games, scavenger hunts, music and more. $5, parking. Call 706-5410321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
6:30pm Off the Beaten Path Ride Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse A monthly mixed-surface ride in which cross/gravel bikes are recommended. Preregistration required. Call 706-724-2453 or visit andyjordans.com.
7:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Rome Braves Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.
Sat May 27
9am Waterside Yoga Augusta Canal’s Lake Olmstead Trailhead A class open to those of all ages and abilities. Participants should bring a mat or towel. Free, but donations to the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area accepted. Call 706823-0440, ext. 2, or visit augustacanal.com.
1pm - 6pm 2017 Beach Blast Pointes West Army Resort An event featuring food, drinks, activities and prizes for all ages. Call 706-791-8878 or visit fortgordon.com.
4pm Family Camping Night Phinizy Swamp Nature Park An event that includes evening activities, campfire grill dinner with hot dogs, hot chocolate and s’mores, Cabela’s games and activities, survival and camp craft skills, demos by former U.S. Navy Survival Instructor, movies and more. It ends Sunday, May 28, at noon. Cost per group (up to six campers) is $29 for members and $39 for nonmembers. $5 per additional camper. Preregistration required. Call 706-396-1426 or visit phinizycenter.org.
6:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Rome Braves Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.
7pm Memorial Weekend Paddle Mistletoe State Park A sunset paddle on canoes or kayaks. Preregistration required. $15; $5, parking. Call 706541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
8pm Bingo Night Mistletoe State Park Boards are two for $1 and prizes will be awarded. $5, parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Sun May 28
3pm Memorial Day Craft
Evenings in the Appleby Garden Appleby Branch Library Tuesday, May 30 8 p.m. Featuring the American Jazz Combo. A free event in which participants can bring their own chairs, blankets beverages and snacks. Those with the best lawn party decor can compete to be the Appleby Garden Party Winner of the Week. 706-736-6244 arcpls.org
Mistletoe State Park All supplies provided. $2; $5, parking. Call 706541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
6:35pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Rome Braves Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.
7pm WWE Live James Brown Arena $17-$102. Call 877-4AUGTIX or visit georgialinatix.com.
Mon May 29
7:30am Wear Blue: Run to Remember Memorial Day Lake Olmstead Trailhead Includes a 5K and 10K run or a 1-mile walk to honor the service and sacrifice of fallen service members. Free and open to runners, walkers, kids and pets. The race will be preceded by a Circle of Remembrance at 8:30 a.m. Visit wearblueruntoremember.org.
11:30am What’s Living at the Lake? Mistletoe State Park $5, parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Ongoing
Fencing Classes Augusta Fencers Club The next round of introductory foil fencing classes will begin on Monday, June 19. Those ages 9-13 meet at 5 p.m.; adults down to 14 years of age meet at 7 pm. There are no introductory classes for kids younger than 9 this summer. The 10-week class is $180, with all competitive equipment provided. Preregistration required. Call 706-722-8878 or visit augustafencersclub.com.
SUPPORT Tue May 30
10:20am Moms Connection Augusta University Medical Center This free weekly support group for new mothers meets in the Terrace Dining Dogwood Room on the second floor. All new moms and their babies are welcome and an international board certified lactation consultant/educator/perinatal nurse will answer questions and offer resources. Call 706-721-8283 or visit augustahealth.org.
Thu June 1
10am Alzheimer’s Association Support Group Kroc Center For those dealing with Alzheimer’s and/or caregivers. Pre-registration required. Call 706-860-5233.
Noon Active-Duty Parent Support Group Fort Gordon’s Family Outreach Center Call 706-792-5220 or visit fortgordon.com.
Ongoing
Recovery International Mental Health Support Group
Diabetes Youth Support Group
Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta A weekly group that meets Wednesday from 6:30-8 p.m. Based on the work of Abraham Low, MD, RI offers its members a low cost method to regain and maintain their mental health by using mental health through will training. People who stick with the RI Method are able to live healthy, productive lives with lower levels of tension, anger, fear, anxiety, stress, compulsions, and other symptoms. Email marykahb@yahoo.com.
Meets quarterly. Call for more information. Call 706-868-3241.
La Leche League
Holds several meetings locally. For a current schedule, visit augustaaa.org/meetings.pdf.
A breastfeeding support group. For more information on meeting dates, times and locations, visit them on Facebook under La Leche League of Augusta or at lllaugusta.wordpress.com.
Celebrate Recovery 30 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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.
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
Narcotics Anonymous Trinity Hospital of Augusta Meets Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 25MAY2017
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p.m. Visit na.org.
THEATER Fri May 26 - Sat May 27
7:30pm “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” Aiken Community Playhouse $25, adults; $20, seniors and active military; $15, students; $10, children. Call 803-6481438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
Sun May 28
3pm “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” Aiken Community Playhouse $25, adults; $20, seniors and active military; $15, students; $10, children. Call 803-6481438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
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Umphrey’s McGee, The Marcus King Band Augusta Common Thursday, June 1 6:30 p.m. $35, general admission; $80, VIP An after party, featuring Human Beans with members of Funk You, Dank and Butter, follows the show at Sky City. Visit fwbpro.com
Iron Heights - Soundclash 2 w/ DJs Scales, BakPacca, Terminal K, IIISD, SycNasty, BassFusion, TuneKeeper Sky City - Press Play w/ DJs Sha and Visionz Soul Bar - Dance Party That Place Coffee - Cushions & Caffeine Afternoon Open Mic
Sunday, May 28 Live Music
Augusta Common - Candlelight Jazz Capri Lounge - Vivian Valium & the Lounge Lizard Divas Wild Wing - Prettier Than Matt The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ Mike Johnson
Monday, May 29 Live Music
Hopelands Gardens (Aiken) - Hopelands Summer Concert Series w/ The Aiken Civic Ballet Jessye Norman Amphitheatre - Memorial Day Concert w/ the Augusta Concert Band Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Blues Monday w/ Famous Last Words
What’s Tonight?
Augusta Athletic Sports Bar - Sports Trivia Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Wild Wing - Trivia
Tuesday, May 30 Live Music
Appleby Branch Library - Evenings in the Appleby Garden Opening Concert w/ the American Jazz Combo Fox’s Lair - Irish Music with Dr. John Fisher and the Undefeated Army Joe’s Underground - Open Mic Soul Bar - Deaf Poets Surrey Tavern - The Barons The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck
What’s Tonight?
Thursday, May 25 Live Music
Fox’s Lair - Open Mic Jam w/ Thomas Langley Le Chat Noir - Phillip Lee Jr. Maude Edenfield Park (North Augusta) - Music in the Park w/ the Mike Frost Band Wild Wing - Robbie & Rushton The Willcox (Aiken) - Thursday Night Jazz w/ 4 Cats in the Dog House
What’s Tonight?
Augusta Athletic Sports Bar - Karaoke Chevy’s - Karaoke w/ Ellie Cotton Patch - Old School Thursday w/ DJ Groove Coyotes - Karaoke with Bam Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia The Loft - Karaoke Pizza Joint (Downtown) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane That Place Coffee - MAD Open Mic
32 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Friday, May 26 Live Music
Augusta Canal - Moonlight Music Cruise w/ Wayne Capps Cotton Patch - Live Jazz Country Club - The Unmentionables Coyotes - Mo Jo Hooker Band Evans Towne Center Park - Papa Joe’s Banjo-BQue w/ Greensky Bluegrass and More The Highlander - False Flag, Dewayne Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Wit’s End Rose Hill Estate (Aiken) - Jazz w/ Jimmy Easton Shannon’s - Hello Betty Stillwater Taproom - Hound of Goshen Wild Wing - Sequence 8 The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Chevy’s - DJ Richie Rich Sky City - CSRA Summer Jam 2017 w/ DJ Haze Soul Bar - Disco Hell
Saturday, May 27 Live Music
8th Street Plaza - Saturday Morning Swing at the Augusta Market on the River Country Club- Justin Adams Coyotes - Augusta’s Most Wanted Evans Towne Center Park - Papa Joe’s Banjo-BQue w/ The Avett Brothers and More Jessye Norman School of the Arts - Soiree: Jazz + Wine Metro Pub & Coffeehouse - Reuben Bidez Shannon’s - Southern Meltdown Stillwater Taproom - Jacob Beltz Surrey Tavern - Crane, Jahlistic Tin Lizzy’s - Lundy Wild Wing - Tokyo Joe The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Chevy’s - DJ Richie Rich Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Karaoke
Bar West - Trivia Capri Lounge - Trivia The Cotton Patch - Trivia Limelite Cafe - Bottom’s Up Trivia Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Trivia Mellow Mushroom (Augusta) - Trivia Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane
Wednesday, May 31 Live Music
The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Mike and Walter Soul Bar - Live Jazz w/ A Step Up Wild Wing - Sabo & Dave
What’s Tonight?
Augusta Athletic Sports Bar - Karaoke The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - Karaoke Capri Lounge - Game Night Chevy’s - DJ Richie Rich Pizza Joint (Evans) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Sky City - Conspiracy w/ DJ Knightmare Southbound Smokehouse - Trivia Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz 25MAY2017
Upcoming Umphrey’s McGee, The Marcus King Band
- Augusta Common June 1 Umphrey’s McGee After Party w/ Human Beans (Members of Funk You, Dank, Butter)
- Sky City June 1 Caleb and the Gents
- Stillwater Taproom June 3 Tedeschi Trucks Band
- Bell Auditorium June 13 Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
- Columbia County Amphitheater June 15 Hank Williams Jr.
- James Brown Arena June 16 Laura Blackley and the Wildflowers
- Stillwater Taproom June 16 Almost Kings, Villanova, Trust in Traitors
- Sky City June 24 Travis Tritt
- Bell Auditorium July 1 Riverwalk Revival w/ Gov’t Mule, Galactic
- Jessye Norman Amphitheater August 1 Corey Smith
- Bell Auditorium August 12 Brian Regan
- Bell Auditorium August 25 Kansas
- Bell Auditorium October 25
Elsewhere Chris Rock
- Fox Theatre, Atlanta May 26-28 Todd Rundgren
- Center Stage, Atlanta May 30 Arrested Development
- City Winery, Atlanta June 1-2 Perpetual Groove
- Georgia Theatre, Athens June 1 Train, Natasha Bedengfield, O.A.R.
- Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta June 2 Paul Simon
- Chastain Park, Atlanta June 2
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PLACES, EVERYONE! By Will Nediger/Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Necklace parts 7 Extreme 14 Peter out 19 Relative of a brasserie 20 Phoenix event 21 Power machine in woodworking 22 Dropped out 23 U.S. heartland 24 Dexterous one 25 Where you might stop before going home 26 Prince Buster’s genre 27 Heathrow facilities 28 Cherished by 29 Start of a boast 30 Battle-torn Syrian city 32 Org. that delivers 34 Contraction lacking just a “v” 35 You might find one under a Christmas tree 37 One using 32-Across, e.g. 39 Hideouts 40 Did a cobbler’s job on 42 First-year law student 43 Sinus suffix 45 “Who ____?” 48 Enter 50 Tool for talking online 52 Angel dust 55 Knightstick? 57 Colossal head sculptors 59 Setting for John Ford’s “My Darling Clementine” 61 Sarah Palin, by birth 63 ____ Gunderson, sad sack on “The Simpsons” 64 Average 65 White House worker 66 Abandoned 67 Person pretty far up the corporate ladder 69 Having correct opinions 71 No longer in the company, say 72 Singer/reality TV personality Aubrey 74 What old couches tend to do 75 ____ up on (conspiring against) 76 It lacks locks 78 Credit-card provider, e.g. 80 Theft preventer … or theft encourager 81 Equal
82 Mushroom makers 84 R.&R. by oneself 86 H.S.-level exam 87 Smooch 88 Vinick’s portrayer on “The West Wing” 90 Searcher for “the lost village,” in film 92 Catalyst 95 “Told you so!” 98 Accountant’s list 101 Creature also called a catamount 102 All-inclusive 103 Aggrandize 105 Apple of Discord thrower 107 Poison victim’s remedy 109 Fidel’s brother 111 Whack 112 Suburb of Minneapolis 113 Blind-side protector, usually, in an offensive line 114 Chaucer’s tongue 116 Brings up a menu with a PC mouse 117 Waters and Kennedy 118 Aisle’s head? 119 Disavows 120 Juicy bits, in slang 121 Item for a cafeteria worker 122 Whim DOWN 1 “The Late Show” airer 2 Reindeer moss, e.g. 3 Glowing 4 News highlights 5 Nudge 6 La preceder 7 Rapper with the 4x platinum album “Views” 8 Charts again 9 Fin 10 Boneless cut 11 Huey, Dewey and Louie, e.g. 12 Brangelina was one 13 Gliding step, in ballet 14 Wings, to zoologists 15 Grand pooh-bahs 16 Russian film director Tarkovsky 17 Threaten to fall 18 They may be unforced 21 Many profs 26 Think over 30 Bedfellow 31 Contribute to a radio show
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33 Syringe sensations 36 Lavish with attention 38 They provide backing for churchgoers 39 Sight at a red-carpet event 41 Director Guillermo ____ Toro 44 City SSW of Seattle 45 Fictional woodcutter 46 Was belligerent 47 Debt-ridden 49 Coming-out words 51 Vulgar sort 52 Indulging (oneself) in selfsatisfaction 53 Rhythm 54 Vowed 56 Neglected one, stereotypically 58 Bourgeoisie 60 Mezzo-soprano, for female voices 62 Rescues a foundling, say 64 Smooth transition 67 Yoga equipment 68 Line to a pilot? 70 Figures out 73 “Is that so?” 75 [That’s painful!] 77 Fox neighbor 78 Part of a chain 79 Many “Star Trek” characters, for short 83 Home of the highest point in Africa 85 Cry to a sled dog 87 Where teams that have little-to-no chance of winning are found 89 Inhabitant of the ocean’s benthic zone 91 Profiting from the misfortunes of others 92 Treated with malice 93 Transform, as larvae 94 Actor Don 96 Cult leader killed in the Waco siege 97 Sibelius’s “Valse ____” 99 One of the Nixon daughters 100 Fishing item 102 Part of a dead man’s hand 104 Onetime tool for talking online 106 Full of lip 108 First word in a Shakespeare title 110 Hybrid citrus 112 Home of Zeno and Parmenides 115 Roadside stop 116 405, to Flavius
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V28|NO21
SIGHTINGS
Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Amy, Liam and Michael Clark at Thunder Over Evans in Evans Towne Center Park.
PV2 Christopher Gaytan, PV1 Jose Carabajal and PVT Alejandro Ortis at Thunder Over Evans in Evans Towne Center Park.
Sierra Davis, Team FMX Extreme Stunt Showman Travis Willis and Sheri Davis at Thunder Over Evans in Evans Towne Center Park.
PV2 Michael Moreno, major partner Donnie Thompson and PV2 Nicholas Palaca at Thunder Over Evans in Evans Towne Center Park.
MSGT Catherine Whittington, Senior Airman Shaelyn Purcarey and CMSGT Madelyn Ketcham at Thunder Over Evans in Evans Towne Center Park.
Wayne and SGT Robin Barrette with MG John B Morrison Jr. at Thunder Over Evans in Evans Towne Center Park.
David Jones, MG Bill Rajczak (Ret.) and major partner Andy Jones at Thunder Over Evans in Evans Town Center Park
Andrew Hester, Sarah Finch and Ryan Jones at Westobou’s Springboard in the Augusta Common.
Jason and Tammy Corzan with singer/songwriter Scotty McCreery and Tiffani Burney at the Imperial Theatre.
Black White Read JUNE 2 - JULY 21, 2017 25MAY2017
Esteban Patiño
First Friday Join us for a reception with Esteban Patiño in the Gallery on June 2 from 5pm to 8pm.
westobou.org
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 35
THE EIGHT
BOX TOPS It was a battle in space for the No. 1 spot this week. RANK TITLES
WEEKEND GROSS TOTAL GROSS WEEK # LAST WEEK
1
ALIEN: COVENANT
$36,160,621
2
$36,160,621
1
-
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 $34,653,754
$301,391,228
3
1
3
EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING
$11,727,390
$11,727,390
1
-
4
SNATCHED
$7,832,517
$33,015,117
2
2
5
KING ARTHUR: LEGEND...
$7,152,269
$27,503,490
2
3
In Theaters May 26
ACTION “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” rated PG-13, starring
COMEDY “Baywatch,” rated R, starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra
Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley. A pirate even badder than Jack Sparrow and Barbossa? Apparently Captain Salazar wants to eliminate the competition by killing all the other pirates, and the other ones who can stop him are… well, you know the rest. Look for the unexpected presence of Sir Paul McCartney in this latest installment.
Daddario, Priyanka Chopra. We love The Rock; truly and sincerely, Dwayne Johnson can do no wrong. Well, until we heard that he was in the new “Baywatch” movie. Charm goes a long way, maybe even to the White House. But can it save this retread? Look for The Hoff himself, as well as Pamela Anderson, to make appearances.
V28|NO21
radical muslims must Be Defeated by Peaceful muslims Austin rhodes
Another mAniAc with a martyr fantasy, another butcher’s bill for the world to mourn. The scene this week was a pop concert in Manchester, but, unfortunately, it is a tragedy that seems to play out the same way no matter where it manifests for the moment. New York, Boston, San Bernardino, Orlando, Fort Hood, Paris and, sadly, many others. Aside from the twisted perversions of the “peaceful religion” that most American Muslims claim to embrace, the radical terrorists who carried out those attacks almost all share another characteristic that is sadly underreported and almost never emphasized. In almost every instance there are a collection of “good Muslims” who either had direct knowledge that the radicals were planning to violently strike, or at least strong suspicions that the individuals were contemplating violent behavior of some kind. I am a white, middle-aged, Southern Baptist living in the Metro Augusta area. I don’t know any Muslims, or at least I don’t know any personally. I have met a few around town, I have interviewed a few on the radio show, but I could not call any of them friends. Not that I am opposed to that. I have friends who are Jewish, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, agnostic and atheist, but none that are Muslim. I make this admission in the course of pointing out that where I have no insight, I have no influence. If there were violent radicals among the congregation at my church, I would hope and expect that their existence would be reported to the police. If I were aware of
such a threat, I would drop that dime in a heartbeat, without hesitation. I would also expect that if any of my fellow worshippers believed I was planning illegal violence in the name of the church, they would similarly respond. But how hard do we push these expectations and and civic responsibilities when it comes to speaking to the “peaceful” Muslims that represent the vast majority of America’s Muslim population? President Donald Trump aggressively pushed the point last week in Saudi Arabia, as he spoke to Muslim heads of state from the region, demanding that they engage the violent extremists who kill in the name of their native religion. “Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land. And drive them out of this earth.” It is a message and a moral that should echo in all ways of life and in all lands. This is not a problem that can be solved by suburban Catholics in London or urban Jews in New York. It is a problem that is born in the Muslim faith and can only be defeated within the Muslim faith. America should lead the way in providing financial incentives and political asylum to Muslims who report terrorist plans and movements that threaten the western world. Tell us where the savages are gathering to attack, and we can take it from there, but it has to start with the insider knowledge that is virtually impossible to access without Muslim sources. In a letter I just received, an American serviceman named Matt offers his professional assessment in full agreement. I yield my remaining space to him, as his voice in the matter is one we should all appreciate and respect: Austin, I’ve been serving in the armed forces since 2003. I’ve known nothing but the war on terrorism my entire career and most of my adult life. Having said that, and considering everything I’ve seen during deployments, what we’re doing against radicalism isn’t working. This is going from “the war of our generation” to “the war that will last a generation.” The only way I see this trend changing course and making REAL progress is getting the leaders of Islam to shame and denounce these pockets of radical Islam. They should be on TV, radio, and rooftops shouting to the world that these groups are not Muslims and they are destroying what Muslims stand for. We need to reverse this tide. Thanks, A Tired Soldier
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.
38 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
25MAY2017