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Table of Contents September 15, 2016
Whine Line Jenny is Wright Ruffin It Augusta Tek Kris Fisher
6 8 10 12 14
Insider 16 Feature 20
page 25 EDIT
CREATIVE
Amy Christian
Joshua Bailey
Joe White
amy@themetrospirit.com
joshua@themetrospirit.com
joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
Stacey Eidson
COVER DESIGN: Joshua Bailey
Arts Editor/Production Director
Lead Designer
Staff Writer
stacey@themetrospirit.com
Molly Swift Staff Writer
molly@themetrospirit.com
Contributors Jenny Wright, Greg Baker, Austin Rhodes, Josh Ruffin, Kris Fisher, Michael Johnson, Tyler Strong
SALES Jim Christian Account Executive
jim@themetrospirit.com 706-414-4059
Paige Wilhelm Account Executive
paige@themetrospirit.com 706-833-1904
Metroweek What’s Up Calendar Nightlife Sightings NYT Crossword The Eight
35 36 38 46 48 50 52
BUSINESS Publisher
Johnny Beckworth circulation manager
johnny@themetrospirit.com
Metro Spirit is a free newspaper published weekly on Thursday, 52 weeks a year. Editorial coverage includes local issues and news, arts, entertainment, people, places and events. In our paper appear views from across the political and social spectrum. The views do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Visit us at metrospirit.com.Š 15 House, LLC. Owner/Publisher: Joe White. Legal: Phillip Scott Hibbard. Reproduction or use without permission is prohibited. One copy per person, please.
Want to advertise in the Metro Spirit? Call or email Joe at 706.373.3636 joe@themetrospirit.com
OPINION
The Whine Line
12 14
8 10
Why live in Richmond County if the majority of your tax collections are spent in downtown Augusta? The Mob killed Bugsy Siegal for losing money running a casino. Now right wing clowns want to elect Bankrupt King Trump President??? I guess gangsters are smarter than Republicans.
National politics reminds me of Augusta politics. The blind leading the blind, minus Megyn Kelly and Dumb Lemon. Interesting statistics on the GBI website, and it looks like Columbia County is ahead in the larceny (theft of personal property) race. The latest statistics are for 2014, but Columbia County’s larceny rate was 1,263 per 100,000 residents and Richmond County’s was 1086. In simpler terms, Columbia County had 1 larceny for every 79 residents for the year, while Richmond County had 1 larceny for every 92 residents. Congratulations Columbia County! Dear Paine College folks, Where are the blessing and prayers for the females harmed?
Jenny is Wright Ruffin It Augusta Tek Kris Fisher
Columbia County Traffic Engineers or whoever deals with these roads. Why oh why could you not pave the one extra mile of Columbia Rd into four lanes ? Now It just bottlenecks into 2 miles of stopped traffic every day. Sad I can catch up on my Facebook updates and all my emails while stopped. To the lady who I saw today walking her dog outside of the dog park at the Lady A: I saw you watch your dog crap in the grass where my children walk and play and then just walk away. Why are so many dog owners irresponsible and disgusting? If you can’t clean up after your dog, then keep him at home instead of bringing it out to public places! Does Metro Spirit have an editor? While the piece about the Travelers was interesting it devoted more of the story to innuendo about the community & gossip about poor restaurant behavior. The story could have been a truly informative piece about fraud, but instead came across as a smear job about a particular group of people. I have a feeling that 50-60 years ago the same article would have been written about diners &
watermelon! After living here for 7 years I think I have the solution to heal Augusta, GA. Get rid of your county lines! Unite all of our counties and streamline Commissions. Shorten Commission terms to 4 years. All commissioners are responsible for every area of Augusta not just where they live. The Masters have closed themselves off to our mediocrity and saw through our temporary upgrades. Those who have travelled from around the world to be here with us deserve (and will spend for) more upscale dining choices-as do the rest of us year round! We have no one to blame but our selves. If you don’t want to see homeless people walking around begging then give them jobs sweeping and cleaning up more than just Washington road by Alexander Drive and Broad Street. Clean up, fix up, fire up Augusta! The commissioners provided her (the private dancer) free advertisement. Graduation pictures for my daughter cost $350. That photographer has lost his mind. With 200 graduates, do the math, $70.000. For pictures ???? My wife, a victim of television watching, is concerned/embarrased about telling the school, our baby will not be in those pictures. Our focus is the diploma. This mentally disturbed society will not destroy me financially. I dont suffer from image and ego. We are America’s dirt poor 99%. My daughter will learn the value of a dollar, and know her daddy spend his dollars on the house, car, food, vacation, education, and a few beers. As for her timeless graduation pictures, those were free, compliments of Android. Say cheese!
Not all, but some kids kept diaries when I was in my youth. If you peeked at their diary, they tended to get mad. Today, the youth post their thoughts online and get their panties in a wad if nobody reads it. Society...going downhill one day at a time. I don’t get these instructions from RCSO to retreat and run from your home when being threatened with life in your home by home invasion. They say go out the back door, run to a
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.
6 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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neighbor’s house. Do I run out the back to the hands of an accomplice? How do I really know how many and where they are? I am in my home and anyone and all breaking in are a threat to my life! They deserve a stiff dose of lead poisoning. Here we go again! The downtown Augusta merchants saying they need millions of our tax dollars so they can shore up their businesses and “make downtown Augusta whole again.” Don’t they understand that the problem is CRIME. Nobody wants to shop and eat in an area that is NOT SAFE; especially at night. Sure would like to see Stacey Eidson visit the Conference Center and talk with the owner or attend and witness what really is happening at the center. The article is so one sided and full of untruths from Enoch it makes my head hurt!! The people are waiting for an unbiased and trueful report from someone in Augusta? It is interesting how the crime activity areas are changing in Augusta. The recent attempted armed robbery on Monte Sano Ave, man hi-jacked and stabbed on central ave. A home breakin and culpit shot on 2400 block of wrightsboro. Some of us know why the change and shift of previously comfortable safe areas to live are becoming unsafe. But it is not politically correct to state that reason! Areas that used to be a pleasure to walk at anytime day or night with children, dogs, couples or by youself, are now places to be armed for defense of life.
15SEPTEMBER2016
Busy, Busy, Busy I’M INSANELY BUSY THESE DAYS. I’m helping a very ill family member, work is at its height of chaos and my kids, just with homework and their only sorta busy schedule, are keeping me on my toes. Besides that, we have quite a few volunteer obligations to uphold. Everything happens at once. Isn’t it the truth? It’s feast or famine. I’m better when there’s a lot going on. I wish we were talking about my social life, but alas, it’s just my life life. However sad it is, I’m able to better prioritize things to do when I’ve got more to do. I’m happier with a somewhat full, productive schedule. Don’t get me wrong. I love a lazy day like everyone else. I’m looking forward to a full day of American Horror Story as soon as I can get it. I’m on season 3 (Coven) right now. Having to watch an episode here and there isn’t quite the same as bingeing on a whole season from start to finish. Have y’all see Making a Murderer? I watched that entire season on New Year’s Day. That’s 13 episodes. It was that good. Okay, let’s be honest. Even a bad show might be good if binge-watched. I was accused recently of taking on too much and acting like I liked being busy. I was told to take time for myself. I was told there was no way I was happy. Here’s the deal: I don’t love being overwhelmed. I don’t love wondering if it will all get done, but it usually all gets done. For every really busy day, I have an equally laid-back day. I take time to get pedicures and play a game with my kids. As much as I enjoy relaxing, I enjoy being productive. Checking things off a list makes me way too happy. Also, doing for others is doing for myself. Taking care of my kids, volunteering in the community and helping at the kids’ schools are all part of me. My kids have learned it’s fun and rewarding to help others. I’m lucky to have a job I’m passionate about. Sure, there are days when it’s demanding and difficult, but for the most part, I like it a lot. Bad days happen. There are days when things seem busier than usual. There are days I want to complain to someone for a minute about how bad or busy the day was, but it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes we just need to complain. Not to sound like a clichéd jerk, but tomorrow is another day.
Putting all of this aside, I’m sometimes envious of those who come home to a well-shaken cocktail and a chef cooking dinner with freshly ironed sheets on the bed and someone to draw their bath. A relaxing evening sounds lovely, but it’s impractical. My kids will only need rides for so long. Sooner than later, and before I’m ready, they’ll be driving. The Girl baked cookies and bathed the dog while I was out running errands the other day. I was all SHE DOESN’T EVEN NEED ME ANYMORE, but then I got a grip. I may not have someone to draw my bath, but the dog is clean and I’m off the hook. If you’re busy like me, know it’ll pass. If there’s nothing to do, nothing gets done, so it’s probably for the best. I’m sure there’s a light at the end of the busy little tunnel, and I can wait. I’m happy, though. I hope you are, too. Even on a bad day, and trust me they’re there, we know it’ll get better, even if that’s only visible through two tall glasses of red wine (or tea, or beer, or tequila). If you don’t believe me, repeat those silly clichés, and take one more sip of wine. Cheers! JENNY WRIGHT’S humorous observations
on marriage, motherhood and living in Augusta have earned her a devoted following, both in print and on Facebook. When she’s not spying on other parents in the carpool line at school, you’ll probably find her with either a camera, tennis racquet or wine glass in her hand.
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Trump and the Media AT SOME POINT after I hit “send” on this article, I’m going to — let’s not say “hate” — be pretty disappointed in myself. Not because of some offhand comment that slipped through my usually airtight filter due to looming deadlines, but because of the whole thesis behind today’s column. I will look back on this tomorrow, or next week, or in 50 years, and kick myself for rhetorical laziness. That said, if I’m going to flail, I’m going to flail forward. Ready? Okay, here we go. The media is bungling this election. Let me preface the bulk of this by reasserting that there is no way in hell Donald Trump becomes president. He is every slice of liposuctioned ass-fat carved from the nation’s collective tanning booth patrons, bonded together and given sentience. Cancer is trying to find a way to eradicate Donald Trump. If a cold sore could talk, it would have the voice of William F. Buckley compared to Trump. But Donald Trump should have never been allowed to get this far. The second he emerged from the elevator at Trump Tower in the spring of last year and began to vomit insanity and racism in equal proportions, the media, his own party and we — we are culpable, too — should have either collectively ignored him or, rhetorically yet conclusively, stomped a mud hole in him.
But the media — that great go-to boogeyman of the Republican Party — just could not help itself. Faced with an election that already had several foregone conclusions (that it would ultimately come down to another Clinton-Bush race, that Clinton was probably going to win, etc.) they needed an angle. They needed entertainment value. And so they began pointing a camera and microphone at Trump whenever they could, as he could be relied upon to spout some outlandish nonsense that they could use to feed the news cycle for a good 24 hours. In one respect, this is within the confines of the media’s stated role: impartial observers and relayers of information. To that end, for reasons stated above, Trump was a godsend: just point a mic at him and call it a day. It was easy — too easy. So easy, in fact, that every mainstream media outlet came to rely on Trump to dominate their coverage and make their jobs easier. He was, and still is, a ratings boon. In another respect, however, the media has failed us. It is, in addition to being a conduit for information and occurrences, responsible for being… well, responsible. And it has faltered gloriously. For the purposes of this article, I’ll eschew commenting on think pieces, pundits and professional commentators; they’ve forged their own chains, their
own burdens, by discussing Donald Trump as if he’s an actual politician and not a golem made of steak drippings and demon farts and he and his followers are to be taken seriously, even coddled, and not stomped out with the quickness as if they were an errant ember popped from the fireplace onto a living room carpet. What I’m talking about is time and space: camera time, air-time, precious space in print media, etc. Turning a lens on Donald Trump — and, in turn, enabling a frighteningly large and vocal minority of conservative voters that actually believe the kind of BS Trump is using to get this kind of attention — gave him a forum, helping to legitimize him and his bid in the eyes of the American populace. The media decided that we should pay attention, and so we did. Again: we, too, are culpable. Instead of stomping out that ember, we and the media have blown on it, coaxed it to a glow, basked in its heat while the house burns down around us.
JOSH RUFFIN is a long way from home, having moved from
Augusta to Middleton, Wisconsin, with his wife, Michelle. He is a self-described beer guru, so most of his Twitter posts are about what he’s drinking. While drinking, he enjoys writing poetry and watching MMA fights… or writing poetry about MMA fights.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016 Please join us as we welcome 3,500 athletes plus visitors to our community! And, a special thanks to our 1500+ volunteers and community supporters for this event. WWW.IRONMAN.COM/AUGUSTA70.3 10 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
15SEPTEMBER2016
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Keep Reading for More Cats DISASTER RECOVERY is always a popular topic within the IT nerd crowd. Disaster recovery architectures allow IT professionals to advocate for additional servers and large disk arrays — new hardware is always fun. Also, the concept of moving systems between different hardware is still pretty cool. As someone whose done hundreds of physical-to-virtual and virtual-to-virtual migrations, I still get chills when I boot a system directly from its backup image or, even better, when I restore a previously virtual machine onto physical hardware. Very cool indeed. That said, there is a very dark side to disaster recovery — testing the plan. Ideally, all organizations should perform a complete end-to-end test once a year. In practice, a complete end-to-end test is rarely, if ever, performed. First of all, very few companies possess a string of backup hardware just sitting around waiting for something to fail. Whether we’re talking about employees or computer hardware, business owners don’t like the concept of something “just sitting around.” There is another reason why organizations might not want to perform disaster recovery testing. To borrow a phrase, the cure may be worse than the disease. Last Saturday, ING Bank conducted an evaluation of its fire suppression systems at is main data center in Bucharest, Romania. Fire suppression systems release a large amount of inert gas in a short amount of time in order to suffocate a fire. This rapid release of gas creates a very loud noise, similar to the sound of the wind during a storm. However, in this case, the noise volume exceeded 130 decibels, or about the same as the sound of a military jet on takeoff. Hmmm… something that loud might create a few vibrations, don’t you think? Indeed, it does. The resulting shake, rattle and roll literally shook the hard drive heads off their tracks. With dozens of hard drives affected by the noise, the data center quickly went bye-bye. All services were impacted. No credit card transactions. No ATM transactions. No Internet banking. No websites. It was just like living in the 1980s. Fortunately, ING Bank was prepared. The organization used the opportunity to test many more aspects of their DR plan than initially planned. The only major snag involved a timely notification to customers — the customer database was not available. No worries though. After a mere 10-hour delay, all services were restored and operating normally. CAT CREATIVITY — Stop for moment and close your eyes. Imagine a world where the power of creativity is used solely for the good of mankind. Can you see it? What does it look like? If you are James Turner, this world has a whole bunch of cat pictures in the subway. James Turner is the founder of Glimpse, a new collective for creative people who want to use their skills for good. Instead of focusing on the problem, the group wants to provide “glimpses” into a better world.
A few months ago, Glimpse members asked themselves to “image a world where friends and experiences were more valuable than the stuff you buy.” The result needed to be something big, something that the internet would love. The answer quickly fell out. Glimpse created the Citizen’s Advertising Takeover Service (C.A.T.S). This Kickstarter campaign aims to replace every single advertisement in a London tube station with pictures of cats. With 683 people pledging over $30,000 (US), the campaign was a success. For two weeks starting on September 12, all 68 ad boards in the Clapham Common tube station feature a cute and adorable felines. Honestly, I’m not sure this is the world that I would have imagined, but, hey, it’s a start. @gregory_a_baker
GREGORY BAKER PH.D.
is vice president of CMA Technology and, yes, is actually a rocket scientist who used his doctorate in aerospace engineering at Lockheed Martin. In addition to working at CMA, he also serves the community, sitting on several boards in the area.
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They Grow Up So Fast My daughter did something this week that I hoped she would never do. She turned 12. Not that I hoped she wouldn’t make it to 12. I guess that sounds bad. No, I, like many parents, wish she would stay my sweet little innocent baby girl. I met No. 3 when she had just turned 2. The youngest of my stepchildren, she instantly became my little buddy. She loved me to death and the feeling was mutual. While not much has changed about that part, recently I woke up to discover that my sweet little girl had suddenly become a beautiful young woman. What. The. Hell. It doesn’t stop there. My oldest son, No. 2, one day, all of a sudden, became as tall as me. Now, he’s maybe even taller. He’ll be driving in a little over a year. Which means he’ll be getting his learner’s permit and driving me around after his next birthday in December. Wait a minute, what?! That’s only three months away! How is all this happening? I’m not supposed to have children this old! I’m only 20… 30… uhh, never mind. These two are growing up and they are embracing all of it, much like I did at their age. Now, the reason my mother started clinging to my youth when I was this age is coming more into focus. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I do now. But it still doesn’t excuse her from calling me ‘Krissy” during my teenage years. Yes, “Krissy.” Mom, really? You’re calling a teenage boy “Krissy.” I believe that can be filed under “cruel and unusual.” But I digress. I, at least, haven’t resorted to calling either of them any new overly effeminate nicknames. When you’re done laughing at me, you can move on to the rest of this column. To make matters worse, No.s 2 and 3 have moved into this realm of being constantly embarrassed by their parents. Not that we try to embarrass them, it’s like they’re just embarrassed that they even have parents. This stings a little. As many parents do, we feel like we’re pretty cool parents, much cooler than my parents were. I mean, we have cool jobs, we dress decidedly not parenty… well, other than my shoes that have been dubbed as “Dad Shoes” by more than one person. Also, I guess I can see that my ’93 Astro van isn’t the coolest vehicle from which to be dropped off. And I am always getting on to them about things that they think are ridiculous. Wait a minute, I am my parents! I can’t believe it! How did this happen? I’m not sure I can handle it. Is this one of those mid-life crisis things? Make it stop! With all this adolescence going on in the house, there is still hope: No. 4. He just turned 8 and recently told me that he doesn’t want to grow up. Who says youth is lost on the young? He still loves for us to visit him at school for lunch, he explodes with excitement when we come home from work, still thinks of me as his hero and wants to do everything Daddy does. I cherish every moment of it because I know that he, too, will one day be embarrassed by my mere existence.
KrIS FISher,Kris Fisher is the midday host and program director for HD98.3 and an Augusta radio staple. He is a husband, father of three and lover of all things adventurous, as well as activities most people would have outgrown years ago. djkfish.com.
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The Future of Project Jackson
Insider
16 20
NEWS
Did Goodman’s PTAC Unit Cause the Marshall Square Fire?
WHILE EVERYONE KNOWS that the state’s Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens has ruled that the deadly fire at the Marshall Square retirement community was “accidental,” local attorneys representing the former residents of the building have always wanted to find the specific source and cause of the fire. For more than a year, speculation has centered around the packaged terminal air conditioner/heater, often referred to as PTAC, that was located in Marshall Square’s billiard room. “It was an accident. Sure. Nobody intended to start the fire,” Jack Long, who is representing several former Marshall Square residents, told the Metro Spirit earlier this year. “But we think it started with the air conditioner unit. We think they are going to find that it was a bad electrical connection on that particular unit and that caused the fire.” It appears the Goodman Company has a track record of possibly failing to properly report that some of its PTAC units posed a fire hazard. Just this week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Goodman Company has agreed to pay a $5.55 million civil penalty to settle allegations that it failed to timely inform the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) of a fire risk posed by certain air conditioning and heating units, many of which were installed in hotels, schools and hospitals. The complaint also alleges that, when Goodman ultimately reported the fire risk to the CPSC, it misrepresented the number of fires that had occurred. This delay and misrepresentation violated the Consumer Product Safety Act, the government asserted in a complaint filed this past week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. To resolve the complaint, Goodman has agreed to the $5.55 million civil penalty and other terms of a consent decree, which is subject to judicial approval. “Goodman knew of a fire risk but waited roughly two years to inform the CPSC,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, stated in a press release this week. “Companies must report these safety issues immediately, as the law requires, to protect the public from an unnecessary risk of injury. The Department of Justice will continue to take enforcement action against companies that do not meet their consumer product safety obligations.” The chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission was also dismayed by Goodman’s actions. “Goodman’s conduct was illegal, dangerous and unacceptable,” CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye stated in the press release. “Goodman’s decision to hide information about serious fires for years, while continuing to profit from sales, slowed down the announcement of a recall and put the safety of many families at real risk. CPSC will continue to work closely with the Department of Justice to enforce the law and hold violators accountable.” Specifically, the government’s complaint alleges that Goodman
knew in 2008 that certain PTACs it manufactured between January 2007 and April 2008 had improperly crimped power cords that could pose a fire risk. During that time, the federal government alleged that Goodman had been receiving reports about the Subject PTACs catching fire, smoking and overheating. And these weren’t just fires during the company’s testing of the PTAC units. These were actual fires in occupied buildings. The federal government claims that, in May 2011, Goodman learned of a fire at a lodging facility in New York. “At that hotel, the complaint alleged that Goodman replaced the control boards and power cords for over 100 Subject PTACs,” the Department of Justice stated. “Goodman made similar large-scale replacements in 2013, replacing the power cords and control boards for more than 335 Subject PTACs at seven hotels, following two hotel fires in Indiana and Idaho. But Goodman did not report the fire risk to the CPSC until Nov. 26, 2013, at least six months after it learned of these fires.” Finally, when Goodman reported the fires to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the company identified only three reports of overheating. “In fact, by that time, the complaint alleged that Goodman had received scores of additional reports of overheating, including reports of fire, potentially attributable to the Subject PTACs’ power cord,” the federal government stated in its press release. “After reporting to the CPSC, Goodman learned of additional fires involving the Subject PTACs, but failed to timely report six of them to the CPSC, as set forth in the complaint. At least 10 months passed between when Goodman learned of each of those fires and when the fire was reported to the CPSC.” While it appears that the federal government has proven that Goodman was less than forthcoming about possible fire hazards involving its PTAC units, in agreeing to settle this matter, Goodman has not admitted that it violated the law. But, rest assured, the attorneys representing the former residents of Marshall Square aren’t going to give Goodman a pass. They have conducted an inspection of the PTAC and, have no fear, Goodman is one of the defendants in the Marshall Square civil litigation. Needless to say, the attorneys representing Dorothy Carpenter, the 91-year-old resident who died in the fire, and some of the 80 senior residents who lost their homes the morning of June 2, 2015, will have a laundry list of questions for Goodman. They are not going to allow Goodman to simply dismiss any potential dangers associated with the company’s PTAC units. If Goodman’s PTAC unit caused the fire at Marshall Square, the company won’t be allowed to just walk away. 15SEPTEMBER2016
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An Evening with The Lady Chablis
The Peach State remembers one of the best drag performers of all time IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE that more than 15 years have passed since John Berendt’s novel of Savannah intrigue, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” first propelled an unlikely candidate to international stardom. For the past decade, the popularity of The Lady Chablis — the sassy, transgender nightclub performer who stepped from the pages of Berendt’s book to the silver screen version without missing a beat — was going strong. But, unfortunately, the world learned this past week that The Lady Chablis passed away in Savannah at the age of 59. For years, she frequently visited the Augusta area, performing at some of the local gay nightclubs or simply staying with close friends. While Chablis moved around a lot throughout her lifetime, she once told the Metro Spirit that Augusta would always be on her dance card, owing to the fact that one of her best friends, the late Miss Joan McCoy, once lived here. As a result of that relationship, Chablis said she still had many close friends in the Augusta area. “So, (being in Augusta) is like a celebration of Joan’s remembrance,” Chablis told the Metro Spirit in 2000. Then, of course, there was the other reason Chablis frequently came to Augusta. “I do still make my visits downtown on Broad Street to the wig stores,” Chablis said in 2000. “I find the wig stores in Augusta are the best. And I’ve been doing this a long time.” Chablis even made headlines in this area for a traffic bust in neighboring Aiken County. In 1999, Chablis was stopped for speeding and it was discovered that she was driving without a license and insurance. The local media played up the arrest and subsequent court appearance in humiliating fashion, going to great lengths to mock her attire and mannerisms. But, in pure Chablis style, she told the Metro Spirit back in 2000 that the entire ordeal couldn’t have been better for her professionally. “When all of that stuff transpired it’s just like I said: How many people do you know, other than me and James Brown, who can get our names in the headlines of newspapers for traffic tickets,” Chablis said following one of her stage shows at Club One in Savannah. “It was illegal now, because I didn’t have no insurance or whatever it was. But that hit the websites and it was in every paper. It was in The Atlanta Constitution, it was in one of the New York papers. My Gran’mama even knew about it and I was trying to keep it from her. That Aiken incident was one of the good things that happened to me because it got me all that publicity.” Another good thing that happened to Chablis following the popularity of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” was the penning of her autobiography, “Hiding My Candy,” a catchphrase for keeping the one standout part of her anatomy out of sight. 18 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
As Berendt’s own introduction to “Hiding My Candy” stated, Chablis was a “pre-operative transsexual.” Chablis was always honest about her conscientious decision years ago not to ever have genderreassignment surgery. Of that decision, Chablis, in her book, wrote: “I really didn’t want an operation, didn’t need one. It wasn’t the answer ... An operation could only allow my full-length mirror to tell me what I already knew and felt inside, but it wasn’t gonna make those feelings and that knowledge any stronger. Just more anatomic’ly correct. “But I couldn’t be the same Lady Chablis without my candy.” Chablis’ book has seen several printings since its debut in 1996, and is now sold in paperback. Sue Carswell, the original editor of “Hiding My Candy,” who later became a supervising story editor at ABC’s Good Morning America, said working with Chablis had a big impact on her life. “She was a trip to work with,” Carswell told the Metro Spirit in 2000. “I mean, she’s Chablis. She’s the ultimate in personality. She is very genuine, and very giving ... and very trying. But it seems like when you pick up the phone and talk to her, it’s like talking to an old friend.” For years, Chablis was extremely interested in making “Hiding My Candy” into a movie.
“I hope that (“Hiding My Candy” movie) goes forward,” Carswell said. “I think Midnight was so extraordinarily popular that I think some people thought we were trying to put out the sequel, and we weren’t. We were just putting out Chablis’ story, because her story is so extraordinary and she stole two chapters in that (Berendt’s) book.” Chablis was still stealing people’s attention over the past decade, as visitors to Savannah would often line up outside Club One on Jefferson Street to see her shows. When former Metro Spirit reporter Brian Neill visited Chablis’ show in 2000, it was a combination of lipsynching, cabaret performance and stand-up humor. Her grace and charm on stage, dancing in elaborate, flowing dresses and sparkling jewelry, seemed aptly to fit her play-on-word title, “The Queen of Savannah.” That is, until she opened her mouth. Indeed, much of Chablis’ monologue was raunchy, to say the least. But that’s what the audience had come for. During the show, Chablis immediately headed for the first unlikely couple in this audience, a middleaged, conservative-looking engineer and his wife from Atlanta. At first, Chablis seemed to have designs on the 15SEPTEMBER2016
husband, but then told the wife that all takers were welcome. “I’m a bi-sexual, bi-racial, equal opportunity woman,” Chablis said. Then Chablis hinted that the wife might be able to bargain with her husband for a better form of transportation if she improved her skills in the bedroom. “Listen, what kind of car do you drive?” Chablis asked the woman. “Infiniti,” the woman replied. “OK girl, you might need to take me home with you so you can be drivin’ a Lexus,” Chablis joked. “Ok girl, I’m going to show you. We’re going to get you more than a f——-g Infiniti. I’m serious, we’re going to get the Infiniti and just use that to go shopping in.” Born Benjamin Edward Knox in Quincy, Fla., Chablis had overcome many obstacles along the road to finally feeling truly at home with who she was. From severe beatings she received from her mother (whom she deeply loved) and stepfather for her “sissy” behavior as a child, to lurid, but paid-for, “sessions” in the car of a Quincy politician when she was a teenager, Chablis earned her pronoun. Chablis said one of the greatest compliments she ever received was from a former boyfriend, who responded to a friend’s criticism that she was not a woman. “Someone had said, ‘She’s not a woman,’” Chablis said in 2000. “And he looked, and he said to his friends, ‘No she’s not, but she’s more than a woman.’
“And I was like, ‘OK, now watcha gonna say about that?’” Life was not easy for Chablis, but she never let the challenges pull her down. “In my life I have to deal with everything a woman deals with except when it comes to the vagina,” Chablis said. “I don’t have to deal with all those problems birthing babies and monthly cycles and all that mess. That’s the only thing I don’t know about is birthing children and going through the menstrual cycle. But I do know about PMS. “I am fortunate enough to have everything that a woman has. As a matter of fact I have things that women don’t have that they wish that they do, and they all were given to me. I’m very blessed, because I’m a size 3, I weigh 110 pounds, I wear a size 7-and-a-half shoe, I’m petite, I’m a makeup artist and I do hair. So, I’m the total package.” The only time Chablis said she would have to explain her identity was when it was time for her to meet her maker. “And that’s why I say, when I die and go to Heaven I’m still going to be that same person the Lord put down here,” Chablis said in 2000. “The only thing I did was enhance my breasts. I’m on hormone pills, which you know if I stop taking them my breasts will disappear eventually.” While Club One in Savannah is a gay club, Chablis said roughly 75 percent of her audiences were heterosexual over the past decade. Part of that acceptance by the “straight” population Chablis attributed to efforts by TV personalities like Ellen Degeneres and Roseanne Barr to make audiences more aware of the gay lifestyle. Movies like “To Wong Fu: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar” and “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” also helped bring female impersonators into the mainstream, though Chablis said she didn’t
particularly care for their overly comic depictions of the lifestyle. However, Chablis encountered several less-thanpleasant receptions in certain cities and states over the years. She detailed one of those, a run-in with the police of an Alabama town, in her book. But prejudice was never something to stop Chablis from making an appearance. “If I felt that way, I would have never come to Augusta. That’s everywhere,” Chablis said in 2000. “And see, I not only look at it as a gay thing. I’m also black you know, if you forgot that part. So, all of this is nothing new to me. It’s a social thing that’s gone on for years. I’ve had to go through the black thing, the gay thing, the wanting-tobe-a-girl thing, the work thing.” One thing people will never be able to say about The Lady Chablis is that she led a boring life, she said in 2000. “There for a while, every time you saw a drag queen it was some To Wong Fu-looking child — Wesley Snipes or Patrick Swayze,” she said, laughing. “I remember when gay people couldn’t tell people they were gay if they wanted to keep their jobs, but now they can. So it’s just one of those progressions. “I’ll go anywhere. If they payin’, I’m playin’.”
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The Future of Project Jackson North Augusta is excited about the new ballpark and multi-use development along the Savannah River, but the city is determined to finance and build the project correctly By Stacey Eidson
20 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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EVER SINCE Project Jackson was proposed along the Savannah River in North Augusta back in 2012, there has been a great deal of interest in the future of the multi-use development next to the Hammond’s Ferry neighborhood. Project Jackson is far from just the future home of the Augusta GreenJackets. The estimated $180 million project is expected to include not only a baseball park, but a proposed hotel and conference center, restaurants, retail shops, luxury residential units and an office building. While there has been a lot of excitement over the future project, there has also been some criticism regarding the slow progress of its construction. But North Augusta Mayor Lark Jones insists that Project Jackson will be built once all of the financial pieces of the puzzles come together. “The project was announced in December 2012 and, from the outset, this was a very, very ambitious project for the City of North Augusta,” Jones said. “It’s unlike anything that has ever been done here before. And we said the only way it could happen would be to have enough private development to pay for the project.” No matter how long it takes, North Augusta is committed to sticking to that financial plan, Jones said.
“From the outset, this was a very, very ambitious project for the City of North Augusta. It’s unlike anything that has ever been done here before.” — Lark Jones 15SEPTEMBER2016
“That sounds too good to be true to some folks, but most of the opponents that talk about stadiums and minor league teams that are not working, those have projects that they built the stadium and hoped other things would come,” Jones said. “That is not what this project is. This is, we build it together. And part of the latest delay has been on making sure all the pieces to the puzzle fit and the numbers work.” The City of North Augusta is determined to build the project, but to do it correctly, he said. “It is sort of like if I gave you a box and said, ‘This box is a 500-piece puzzle of the Statue of Liberty.’ Well, you know what the Statue of Liberty looks like, but there is not the picture of the puzzle on the box,” Jones said. “So you don’t know if it is taken from a plane looking down, from the ground up, from the left side, from the right side, how far away, whether there is a skyline of Manhattan in the background or what. But you do know it is the Statue of Liberty. That is kind of where we’ve been.” Jones is the first to admit that the planning and development of Project Jackson hasn’t been an easy road. “We had a long process of getting the county and the school board to agree to the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) for the project,” Jones said, explaining that the city voted to amend the TIF district, which was created back in 1996, to repay the bonds it plans to issue for Project Jackson. “To be honest with you, the school board had concerns about whether the project was going to create a lot of schoolchildren and they would have to build a new school, but not get the tax revenue to pay for the school. And that was a very legitimate question.” If Project Jackson had been an enormous residential development, Jones said the school board would have had every reason to oppose it. But Project Jackson has only a small residential element that will likely not bring a huge influx of children into Aiken County. “For instance, the number of children coming out of Hammond’s Ferry and The River (Golf) Club in public schools are very few because most of the people who buy houses in there, their children are grown,” Jones said. “Or, if they have children, most of them are putting them in private schools, to be honest with you.” Even though North Augusta officials were able to successfully convinced both Aiken County and the school board
“We said the only way it could happen would be to have enough private development to pay for the project.” — Lark Jones to support the TIF plan, the city still had to deal with almost two years of litigation. In 2013, North Augusta resident and River Club homeowner Stephen Donohue sued the city, claiming the development area did not include “blighted” property as required to amend a TIF district. Donohue also argued that the North Augusta City Council violated open-meetings laws by failing to announce the specific purpose of closed-door meetings to discuss Project Jackson. It wasn’t until June of last year that the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the City of North Augusta, allowing the riverfront project to move forward. “Fortunately, the court was very instrumental in moving the case through the system as quickly as it possibly could,” Jones said. “Under normal circumstances, we would still be waiting to have the hearing probably before the Supreme Court, AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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“The project will not happen unless all the numbers work and that’s why we are taking our time and making sure it works.” — Lark Jones but they recognized the importance of it. So it has been over a year since we were found to be able to go forward.” But the lawsuit was definitely a setback, Jones said, because many of the private parties interested in the project were reluctant to official sign onto the development with pending litigation. “There are a lot of components in this project. There is an apartment component, there is baseball team component, there is a stadium component, there are restaurant components and there are retail components,” Jones said. “There are about six or seven components. And from Greenstone Properties’ perspective, as the developer, it is very, very hard to get people interested when you are waiting on the outcome of a court case. The fact is, people are not going to invest time, effort and money into a project until they know the go-ahead is underway.” But over the past year, Jones said North Augusta officials have been diligently working to make sure the project will be a success. “So while this project has been going on for a number of years, it has only been a little over a year since we’ve had green flags from the court that we are ready to go,” Jones said. “And now we are looking at a project with a cost that, I would say, will range between $150 million to $200 million. Obviously, that’s a big, broad range and we want to make sure it works.” While Jones understands some local residents are anxious to see the development built, he insists the city will not rush the project. “The project will not happen unless all the numbers work and that’s why we are taking our time and making sure it works,” he said. “Let’s just say, I’m not a wine drinker, but they tell me aged wine is better than quickly made wine. The same is true here. We are being very careful and very cautious because this is important.” Of course, when a project takes longer 22 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
than expected, some citizens are quick to criticize either its progress or the entire development, Jones said. “All of the opponents are saying things like, ‘It is going to raise taxes,’ or ‘It is going to cost each person in North Augusta thousands of dollars,’ none of which is true,” Jones said. “The way the thing is set up is that the tax revenues from the improvements, the hospitality taxes from the restaurants, the rental fee that the team pays for the stadium and the accommodation taxes from the hotel, as well as the parking revenues from the parking deck, provide about five or six sources of revenue.” With all of those sources of revenue, Jones said the North Augusta City Council has tried to design the project with a “20 percent cushion” regarding the projected cost of the development versus the generated revenue. “So if we are off a little bit, we will still have the money to pay for it,” Jones said. “And if the project does really good or even better than projected, we will have money that we can do other things within the city.” But Jones said there are still those throughout the community asking the obvious question: What if Project Jackson fails to generate the necessary revenue to support the development? “We have gotten a financial advisor and he said, ‘Look. You might be a little bit short on parking revenues one year, but you will make it up in the hospitality tax,’” Jones said. “But, of course, it is all dependent on everybody building all the things that they are supposed to do to support the project. That’s why there has been a little bit of a delay. We are concentrating on getting all of those pieces together.” Developers must not only commit to the project, but they also have to understand that each component involved impacts the development’s success, he said. “For instance, if the hotel has to be X
amount of dollars in the model, we can’t have a hotelier say, ‘Gee, I want to make it $5 million less than X dollars.’ That just doesn’t work for us,” Jones said. “And that’s where we’ve been as far as working to get all of those pieces together. We have been very, very close at times, but I think we are in the process now of hopefully, within the next month or two, making an announcement and being able to move forward.” When construction on the multi-use development finally begins, Jones hopes the entire area will embrace Project Jackson. “Two things have become evident to me in the last couple years of this process,” Jones said. “One, if North Augusta’s biggest controversy is whether or not we do a $160 million to $180 million economic development project on the river, then we are doing pretty good,” Jones said, chuckling. “And the second thing is that these types of projects are a lot more complicated and take a lot more time than you would think.” But no matter how careful the City of North Augusta is about financing Project Jackson, Jones said he expects criticism from some local residents regarding the public-private partnership. “All I can say is, the people who are opposed to this project should look at everything else North Augusta has done,” Jones said pointing to projects such as the North Augusta Greeneway and the Municipal Center. “North Augusta has got a track record that I think is pretty good. If we had police who didn’t come when you called, if you couldn’t drink our water, if we didn’t have parks and we were trying to do this, then, yeah, I would say you have got a good reason to question whether we could pull this off. But look at the track record of the City of North Augusta and look at the balanced budgets we’ve had for as long as I can remember. I think we’re doing pretty good.” As for the GreenJackets, Jones said the team have been anxiously awaiting its move to North Augusta for several years now. Originally, the team had hoped to call North Augusta home by the 2015 season. However, due to the setbacks, the North Augusta ballpark will likely not be ready until the 2018 season, Jones said. “The stadium is going to be a 15 to 18-month project,” Jones said. “And it doesn’t make a lot of sense to start in the middle of the year. Also, out of fairness to Augusta, they want to rent their facility a year at a time, so I would think the 2018 season would be realistic.” From the very beginning, Jeff Eiseman, an owner in the GreenJackets along with Chris Schoen, has been a great partner in the project, Jones said. But Jones said he was always mindful of the fact that he didn’t want to step on Augusta’s toes while negotiating the new ballpark. “When I was first approached by Jeff Eiseman and someone asked, ‘Would North Augusta be willing to consider this?’ The team was still talking about the stadium being built at the former location of Augusta’s Golf and Gardens,” Jones said. “And I told Jeff, ‘I am not going to talk with you or negotiate with you until Deke Copenhaver lets me know things have changed for the city or you’ve let Augusta know that you have changed your mind.’” The two cities are good neighbors and Jones says he never wants to hurt that relationship. “I’m not going to go behind Augusta’s back and stab them in the back. That is not the kind of neighbor North Augusta wants to be,” Jones said. “We want downtown Augusta, which is several hundred yards away from North Augusta, to be very successful. And people from North Augusta frequent downtown Augusta quite regularly. I ate over there on Friday night, as a matter of fact. We want both cities
“I wouldn’t talk about the ballpark in North Augusta until I knew the negotiations had ended in Augusta.” — Lark Jones 15SEPTEMBER2016
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“If North Augusta’s biggest controversy is whether or not we do a $160 million to $180 million economic development project on the river, then we are doing pretty good.” — Lark Jones
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to succeed. So I wouldn’t talk about the ballpark in North Augusta until I knew the negotiations had ended in Augusta.” Originally, the ballpark was proposed on land located near Exit 5 off Interstate 20 in North Augusta, but that location did not properly support the other elements needed to construct Project Jackson, Jones said. “It would have been a good location for a stadium, but it was not a prime location for the other things like the restaurants, the apartments and hotels,” Jones said. “Without those elements, then the project couldn’t pay for itself, so that location did not work for us.” That is when the discussion turned to the riverfront property between Hammond’s Ferry and The River Club, Jones said. Building Project Jackson along the Savannah River was clearly the more ideal location, Jones said. “With a restaurant that overlooks the ballpark on one side and the river on the other that includes some outside dining, I think that is going to be something pretty special,” Jones said. “We can also have concerts at the ballpark like the ones they have at the Lady A in Columbia County. We can have all sorts of different things down there.” If Project Jackson is successful, the development is expected to positively feed into downtown North Augusta, Jones said. “And, hopefully, downtown North Augusta will get some more restaurants and retail. After all, that’s what happened in Greenville, South Carolina,” Jones said. “So, we are hoping to have a venue where someone in this area — not just in North Augusta, but in this entire area — on a Friday or Saturday night might say, ‘What do you want to do?’ And someone else says, ‘Why don’t we ride over to North Augusta and see what is happening down on the riverfront.’” The next thing you know, there will be more visitors dining, shopping and taking a nice stroll along the river in North Augusta, Jones said. “We just don’t have that right now,” Jones said. “We have a wonderful river, but we don’t have a riverfront with restaurants and retail. And with the Riverwalk in Augusta, it doesn’t work that way because of the levee on the river. The levee blocks everything. So this will be a great new addition along the Savannah River that I think will help promote both cities.”
IN A WEIRD WAY, Kat Messick considers her family lucky. Because of a history of autoimmune diseases on her side of the family and genetic brain tumors on her husband Finis’ side of the family, when her son Aubrey (shown with his mom at right) fell ill at school during his second-grade year, doctors decided to do lots of tests. A CT scan showed nothing, and neither did a thorough eye exam. An MRI, however, gave them a definitive diagnosis: Chiari Malformation. “I had no idea (what Chiari was),” Kat, also mom to Carter, 7, said. “I didn’t know how to spell it; I didn’t know what that meant. I had no idea what the next step was, if there was a next step.” Chiari Malformation is a neurological disorder where the cerebellum descends into the spinal area, disrupting the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. The symptoms can vary widely from patient to patient, but often include headaches, dizziness, vision problems, hearing problems, balance issues, speech issues, sensory processing issues and nerve damage to extremities. Those symptoms can often go unnoticed. Aubrey, now 11, seemed normal enough until that day he complained of double vision in class, but Kat says she looks back now and can see the pattern. “You look back and go, ‘Oh, that’s why he had a headache.’ ‘Oh, that is why he stumbled a lot.’ ‘Oh, that makes sense why his knees are so scraped up from falling constantly.’ We just thought he hadn’t grown into his body. Normal kid stuff,” she said. “’Oh, that’s why he failed the hearing test but then passed it later.’ Just little stuff that you look back on but don’t really notice.” And just as symptoms can go unnoticed, they are also commonly misdiagnosed. “That is one thing that is really, really important to me and to everyone else who is fighting for it: A lot of of people will go 10, 15 years with being told that they are depressed or that they have migraines or that they have fibromyalgia or something like that,” Kat said. “Just very common stuff.” Unfortunately for Aubrey and other Chiari sufferers, treatment options are limited to pain medication and brain surgery. “And brain surgery is not a cure,” she said. “It is a really dangerous Band-Aid. It does not cure it and it does not make it better completely. Sometimes it makes it better, sometimes it makes it worse. It’s a process in which you say are you willing to take the risk? Is your life and the symptoms debilitating enough that you want to take the risk?” Aubrey’s symptoms seem to be intensifying, so the Messicks may soon have to go through that process. They’ll know more after a threehour, three-MRI test they’ve scheduled for next week. In the meantime, they’re focused on raising awareness for a disease they had no idea existed two years ago through the Conquer Chiari Walk Across America at Evans Towne Center Park this Saturday. Proceeds from the event will be used to fund research, education and awareness
programs, and the event includes a 5K at 9 a.m. with face painting, music, games, a coloring contest, snacks, information and more following. Kat says it’s not to late to sign up. “The walk starts at 9, so they can show up at 8 to sign up,” she said. “There is no fee to walk; of course, we would like a donation of $25, but it is free to walk. There’s going to be face painting and raffles and prizes to give out, so it’ll be fun along with getting awareness out.”
Conquer Chiari Walk Across America Evans Towne Center Park Saturday, September 17 8 a.m.-noon conquerchiari.org
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What’s Up
the tBonz tradition
Calendar Music Listings
By Molly Swift steakhoUses have been popular gathering places for hearty carnivores since the mid-19th century, and nowadays comprise a healthy percentage of our local dining options. For a meat lover, the possible relationship is a long-term love affair with the right steakhouse; one that is hospitable and friendly without being overbearing or intrusive. One where the service is friendly and responsive, the atmosphere just this side of intimate and the steak is cooked exactly how you want it. TBonz has become exactly this for many Augustans. The TBonz concept was born in Athens to a couple of friends who wanted to open a restaurant just so they could cook some good food, and take care of their friends and families. They were successful and over time the restaurant locations grew — eventually, founders Jerry Scheer and Mark Cumins created TBonz-Liberty Restaurant Group to cover the Carolinas and Georgia.
If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com.
this Week
thUrsday
Friday
satUrday
Wednesday
There’s more to attending college If job interviews make you Le Chat Noir opens its 2016-2017 Always wanted to try your than going to football games, so want to curl up in a ball season this weekend with “Hand hand or, more appropriately, if you have kids that are getting and cry, then maybe you to God,” an irreverent puppet your voice at singing in front of to be about the age where they should attend Goodwill’s Job comedy about a possessed crowd but have been a little to are trying to figure out where Fair Bootcamp on Friday, Christian ministry puppet and the timid to actually do it? Well, the they want to go, you might want September 16, at either 10 a.m. human teenager to whom Tyrone Fox’s Lair could be the place to take them to CSRA College or 2 p.m. Held before their job is unfortunately attached. An to go out on a limb. Open Mic Night on Thursday, September 15, fair next Thursday, September irreverent play about faith and sin Night, hosted by Happy Bones, from 5-8 p.m. at the James Brown 22, Goodwill also includes a from Le Chat Noir? We can’t say is every Wednesday, with sign Arena. There, they will meet bootcamp just for veterans on we’re surprised. Opening night up from 6:30-8 p.m. and music recruiters from many accredited Thursday, September 15, at is Friday, but the fun continues from 8-midnight. And unlike a colleges and universities, as 11 a.m. Either way, those who tonight and next Thursdaylot of other places, the Fox’s well as register for scholarship attend the bootcamps will Saturday at 8 p.m. $25. Call 706- Lair is more of a listening room drawings. Free and open to the not only arrive at the job fair 722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com. with a small and enthusiastic public. Visit srs.gov/general/ better prepared, but they’ll crowd, rather than a rowdy bar. outreach/edoutrch/coll_night.htm. also receive priority admission. What are you waiting for? And when you’re looking for a job, every little bit helps.
For more information on these events, see our calendar of events on page 38. 36 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Continuing the same culture established by his brother, Henry Scheer oversees the development of Augusta’s original TBonz on Washington Road, and maintains the TBonz way of life. From the brand image to the internal operations, Scheer is available to guide and instruct TBonz team members on how to foster, care for and grow the TBonz tradition. “The TBonz philosophy includes helping people out,” Scheer explains. “The steakhouse’s mission is reflected in its people, our values, traditions, iconography and more. From the very beginning, their goal — besides making money — has been to give back to the community.” The four guys that keep TBonz in Augusta and Evans going — Scheer, Tom Jastrom, Chris Wilson and Tyler Wiley — function as the core management team. They know it’s the TBonz culture that makes it thrive, just as it has done since their inception 30 years ago. The interior is like a familiar jacket that you love for its smell and comfort. Dark, wooden, pop culture décor throughout, and cozy dining areas provide the best setting for devouring a cow. Everyone appears to be totally devoted to the tasks at hand — from cleaning to prepping, the prospect of a long day of serving others doesn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits. By the time I left, the staff had the place ready to open and were standing in the kitchen, waiting to eat breakfast together. “We all eat together before our shift starts,” Wilson explained. “It brings everyone together and it’s taking care of our people — we don’t want anyone to be hungry while they are serving others.” Togetherness, tradition, community, teamwork — all are recurring themes in the stories behind TBonz, past and present. Even the management team were Augusta born and raised, and two of the managers grew up together. Evans TBonz is the newest of the CSRA locations. Managed by Tyler Wiley, the new location offers everything its parent does, but is certainly more convenient for the Columbia County crowd. As a 15-year-old in high school, Wiley was first hired to work as a busboy at the Augusta location during Master’s week in 1998. From there, he moved on to other positions within the restaurant, including server and cook. Although Wiley left TBonz to try his hand at other styles of cooking, he later returned to learn to manage and eventually moved into the position of GM at the Evans location. “I’m still learning every day, though; I don’t know everything,” Wiley admits. “And every day presents a challenge, but it’s a good thing — we thrive on that.” Chris Wilson was a childhood friend of Tyler — the two lived in the same neighborhood as kids — and joined the TBonz team in 2000. Also experienced in a range of roles, Wilson worked his way through as cook, kitchen manager, bar manager and front of house manager. Sixteen years on, and Wilson is now the GM of the Augusta TBonz, which is especially fitting since it was a regular family tradition for him before it became his career. “For my family, we always came here to eat on Sundays. It was in high school that I looked at it as a possible job,” explains Wilson. “I got here a year or two after Tyler did — he got me my job here — and the manager at the time told me I probably wasn’t going to be there a week.” “That’s been my motivation since then. This has been my baby for a long time,” Wilson said. And, he says, the experience has helped him out during one of the most crucial weeks of the year — Masters. “Sixteen years of Masters weeks. It’s kinda all in here,” Wilson says, pointing to his head, “but everyone pulls together, absolutely. I love working here — I love the people.” Tom Jastrom insists the GMs are still underselling themselves. According to Jastrom, the two managers are at the core of operations in every possible way. “They are the backbone of our restaurants. They make sure we provide great food, great customer service, sure. But, they also show compassion, which is part of who we are. They understand the business, and on top of that, they’re great guys.” “Could we do Master’s week on Washington Road without Chris?” Jastrom asks as he turns to Scheer. “I don’t think so.”
“We probably could, but I wouldn’t want to,” Scheer replied. A neighborhood steakhouse, TBonz is definitely focused on serving its customers the right food, the right way. The steaks are simply and perfectly seasoned, cooked to order and delivered straight to the customer without making them wait forever in a day. The servers know how to smile, when to appear and when to leave you alone to devour your food like the monster you are. The menu contains a plethora of steak dishes, all of which are cooked using Certified Angus Beef — the best in the industry — and the quality shows. It really is possible to effortlessly cut through the steak with a fork — made all the more notable by the fact TBonz has been voted “Best Steak in Augusta” for 29 years in a row. Other popular menu items include the Tommy Cheese Fries — a truly guilty pleasure concocted by an employee — ribs, chicken, salads, sandwiches and sides. Prices range from a few bucks on up, and entrees sit at around $10 a plate for lunch, and a bit more for dinner. Diners who have a sweet tooth can enjoy some fantastic dessert dishes, too, such as Delightful Bites, a yellow cake bar that features a pecan crust with cream, brown sugar, and vanilla, and served with vanilla bean ice cream. Sweet, Southern and amazing. Above all, though, diners should go home feeling like they are making a difference to the lives of those in the community. Because they are. By supporting TBonz, the CSRA is making it possible for others to have a better quality of life. That’s because every Thanksgiving Day, the restaurant staff feed hundreds of children in need for free, and donates what it can to Golden Harvest and other food banks. The kids also get to select books for free — a gift from the restaurant that Scheer says is loved by the children. Being involved in making the community a better place is at the core of everything the restaurant does. It’s a value that is instilled within every team member, to include management. “We love what we do, and I can’t even tell you how it feels to feed those children each year,” Wilson said. “Everyone goes all in and throws themselves into making that day all about those kids. You won’t find a more dedicated, caring team and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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4076 or visit augusta.edu.
Fri Sept 16
10am and 2pm Goodwill Job Fair Boot Camp The Job Connection Those interested can get ready for the Goodwill Job Fair on Thursday, September 22, from 1-4 p.m. with this session. Boot Camp participants will receive priority admission into the job fair. Pre-registration required. Call 706-447-5195 or visit goodwillworks.org.
Sat Sept 17
1pm or 3pm Behind the Scenes: Flower Power Augusta Museum of History Led by museum Registrar Lauren Virgo, who will demonstrate how artifacts are collected, cataloged, preserved, cared for and displayed. Free for members or with paid admission. Sign up at the front desk begins 15-30 minutes before each session. Call 706722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
Michael Viator’s “Alice” Imperial Theatre Friday, September 16 7 p.m. A production of the Columbia County Ballet. $12-$28. 706-722-8341 imperialtheatre.com
ARTS Thu Sept 15
9am - noon Crochet Your Own Rug Tippy Cakes Bakery and Gift Shop, Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class in which participants will prepare and start their rugs. $30. A follow-up class will be held on Thursday, September 29, in which participants will complete their rugs. $20. Call 706-556-6656, 706-513-2634 or email blalocka@hotmail.com.
Fri Sept 16
Noon Art at Lunch: Exploring Georgia’s Music Legacy Morris Museum of Art Featuring Brian Poust, founder of Georgia Soul. $10, members; $15, non-members. Catered lunch included. Pre-registration required. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
6:30pm - 9pm Acrylic Painting Tippy Cakes Bakery and Gift Shop, Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class. $30. Call 706556-6656, 706-513-2634 or email blalocka@ hotmail.com.
38 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Mon Sept 19
1pm - 3pm Oil Painting Tippy Cakes Bakery and Gift Shop, Harlem A Harlem Arts Council class for those of all ages and experience levels. $20 per class. Call 706-556-6656, 706-513-2634 or email blalocka@hotmail.com.
DANCE Fri Sept 16 7pm “Alice”
Imperial Theatre A production of the Columbia County Ballet. $12-$28. Call 706-722-8341 or visit imperialtheatre.com.
EDUCATION Thu Sept 15
10am - noon Computer Help Lab Thursdays Wallace Branch Library Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
11am Goodwill Job Fair Veterans Boot Camp The Job Connection Those interested can get ready for the Goodwill Job Fair on Thursday, September 22, from 1-4 p.m. with this session. Boot
2pm Into the Light: From Rape Victim to Rape Survivor Maxwell Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-793-2020 or visit arcpls.org.
Mon Sept 19
2pm French Conversation for Adults Camp participants will receive priority admission into the job fair. Pre-registration required. Call 706-447-5195 or visit goodwillworks.org.
5pm - 8:30pm CSRA College Night 2015 James Brown Arena High school students will have an opportunity to meet recruiters from colleges and universities. Juniors and seniors may register to win scholarships. Free and open to the public. Visit srs.gov/general/outreach/ edoutrch/coll_night.htm.
6pm Graduate Programs Open House AU’s University Hall Hosted by the College of Education, this event will include information on programs including EdD in Educational Innovation; EdS programs in Counselor Education, Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Leadership; MAT programs in Early Childhood, Health & P.E., Foreign Language, Middle Grades, Secondary Subjects and Special Education; MEd program in Counselor Education, Instruction, Teacher Leadership and School Leadership; an MS in Kinesiology; and Endorsements, Certificates and Certifications in a variety of subjects. Free and open to the public. Call 706-737-
Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
3:30pm - 5pm Intermediate Spanish Friedman Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
Tue Sept 20
10am - noon Foster Parent Orientation Necco Augusta A free weekly session. Pre-registration suggested. Call 706-210-3435 or visit necco. org.
10:30am - 11:30am Legal Speak: Navigating the Augusta-Richmond County Law Library Headquarters Branch Library A free session in which Richmond County Law Librarian Catherine Balducci will share the resources and material available to the public. Pre-registration required. Call 706826- 1511 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Our Website: A Helpful Guide Appleby Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org. 15SEPTEMBER2016
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Thu Sept 22
visitaugusta.org.
10am - noon Computer Help Lab Thursdays
ELSEWHERE
Wallace Branch Library Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
Wed Sept 21
1pm - 4pm Goodwill Job Fair Snelling Center Prospective employees will meet with respesentatives from, among others, ADP, Augusta National, Urban Outfitters, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Elmcroft Senior Living, FPL Food and Macuch Steel Products. Call 706-447-5195 or visit goodwillworks.org.
Ongoing
James Brown Family Historical Tour Augusta Museum of History Available each Saturday at 11 a.m. and lasting approximately two hours, this bus tour includes Brown’s elementary school, his childhood home, his statue and more. $15 fee, includes admission to the museum, which houses the largest collection of James Brown memorabilia. Reservations 24 hours in advance required. Call 803-640-2090 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
10am - 11:30am Puppetry Workshop Thomson-McDuffie County Library A workshop for those in grades K-4 in which participants will learn about recycling while using recycled materials to make hand puppets. They’ll then create a script which they will perform. $10; pre-registration required. Visit createnowcsra.com.
Ongoing
“Toulouse-Lautrec Works on Paper Featuring the Robbie Barnett and Kathy Olson Collection” Columbia Museum of Art A exhibition of eight works on paper from 19th-century artist Henri de ToulouseLautrec, as well as lithographs from lender Dr. Anna Griswold and the CMA collection. On display through December 4. Call 803799-2810 or visit columbiamuseum.org.
EXHIBITIONS Ongoing
“A Story in Pictures: Studies for the St. Paul Union Depot Murals” Mary S. Byrd Gallery An exhibition previously shown at the Minnesota Museum of American Art that presents studies for six historical and multicultural murals for the St. Paul Union Depot in Minnesota. It shows at the gallery in AU’s Washington Hall through September 16. Call 706-729-2427 or visit augusta.edu.
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.
Civil Rights and the Arts
Tours
Augusta Museum of History Includes the following: “The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown; “Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf”; “Augusta’s Story”; “A Community That Heals”; “Into the Interior: A History of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company”; “Local Legends”; “One Man, Two Ships: Lessons in History and Courage”; “A Quilt Journey”; and “Canteens to Combat Boots”. Call 706-7228454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
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 15SEPTEMBER2016
Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History An exhibit that features paintings, books, film, music, photos, historic document and more, both of the civil rights era and those that were affected by it. The exhibit shows through the end of September. Call 706-7243576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.
Exhibits
FLIX Thu Sept 15
1pm “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” AU’s Maxwell Theatre This showing kicks of the Cinema Series
at Augusta University fall season and will be followed by a Q&A with director Jeff Feuerzeig. Free. Visit augusta.edu.
6:30pm Eva Clayton Documentary and Discussion
Sun Sept 18
2pm Star Wars Reads Day Movie Series Headquarters Branch Library Featuring “Episode IV: A New Hope.” Call 706-821-2604 or visit arcpls.org.
Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History Clayton was the first African American woman to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Congress. Free and open to the public. Call 706-724-3576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.
Thu Sept 22
7pm “Author: The JT LeRoy Story”
Call for Entries
AU’s Maxwell Theatre Shows as part of the Cinema Series at Augusta University’s fall season kick off. A discussion led by Matthew Buzzell, assistant professor of communications and the director of the Cinema Series, will follow. Free. Visit augusta.edu.
Sat Sept 17
Noon Saturday Family Matinee Diamond Lakes Branch Library The library will show a G- or PG-rated movie. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
3pm “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
7pm “Love and Friendship” Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Ongoing
Cause + Effect Georgia Progressive Film Competition The festival will accept, through October 2, short films with a focus on social, political, environment or economic issues facing Georgia or a community in Georgia. Open to all Georgia filmmakers. No entry fees. Semifinalist films will screen at Cine in Athens in November. Visit causeandeffectfilm.org.
HEALTH Thu Sept 15
6pm Breastfeeding Class Babies R Us Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
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Aiken Public Library Includes homemade ice cream. Preregistration required. Call 803-642-2020, ext. 1131, or visit abbe-lib.org.
A teen event in which participants will get to play with cool gadgets like Google Cardboard and iPad Air. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.
Sat Sept 17
Sat Sept 17
Helms College Part of the Saturday Chef series of community cooking classes, this one focusing on sushi. Participants will learn the basic terminology, how to prepare Nigiri and various sushi rolls, as well as miso soup, sushi rice and more. $75, pre-registration required. Call 706-651- 9707 or visit helmscontinuingeducation.com.
Barnes & Noble An all-day teen event featuring activities, trivia, coloring and more. Cosplay welcome. Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
10am - 12:30pm Sushi
11am, 1pm and 3 pm Museum Escape Augusta Museum of History Coinciding with the museum’s new exhibit, Augusta 1875-1900, this murder-mystery game in an escape room will be available for up to 8 people per session. Sessions last about one hour. For ages 18 and up, or 12 and up with parental supervision. $15, members; $20, non-members; $25, at the door. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
Puppetry Workshop Thomson-McDuffie County Library Wednesday, September 21 10 a.m. A workshop for those in grades K-4 in which participants will learn about recycling while using recycled materials to make hand puppets. They’ll then create a script which they will perform. $10; pre-registration required. createnowcsra.com
Mon Sept 19
6pm - 8pm Civil War Roundtable Goodwill’s The Snelling Center Terry Alford, author, historian and professor at Northern Virginia Community College, presents a program on his book “Fortune’s Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth.” Meetings are $12, including dinner. Membership is $25 per year, individual; $40, couple. Call 706-736-2909 or visit civilwarroundtableaugustaga.com.
7pm Babies, Bumps and Bruises
2600 or visit arcpls.org.
Doctors Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
Tue Sept 20
Fri Sept 16
AugustaHealth Medical Center Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-8283 or visit augusta.edu.
Headquarters Branch Library’s Georgia Heritage Room Participants will learn how to start a family history project, as well as discuss resources and strategies. Call 706-826-1511 or visit arcpls.org.
Thu Sept 22
7pm Augusta Rose Society Meeting
6:30pm - 9:30pm Weekend Childbirth Class University Hospital Class continues Saturday, September 17, from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Mon Sept 19
1pm - 3pm Look Good Feel Better University’s Breast Health Center An American Cancer Society program that aims to help female cancer patients combat the appearance-related side-effects of chemo and radiation. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org.
6:30pm Refit Headquarters Branch Library A free cardio dance class. Call 706-82140 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
7pm - 9pm Breastfeeding Class
7pm - 9pm Happiest Baby on the Block Doctors Hospital An infant care and sleep class for new parents. Pre-registration required. Call 706651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
7pm - 8:30pm Infant CPR Class University Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
HOBBIES Thu Sept 15
6:30pm - 8:30pm Cool Coloring for Grownups: Sweets Edition
Tue Sept 20
10am Genealogy 101
First Baptist Church’s Adult Building Free. Call 803-215-0157 or visit theaugustarosesociety.org.
Wed Sept 21
Noon Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters Fat Man’s Mill Cafe Those interested are invited to learn speech and leadership skills in a fun and supportive atmosphere. Call 706-627-2134.
KIDS-TEENS
Batman Day
10:30am Family Story Time Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
11am Curious George Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
Mon Sept 19
10:30am Music & Me Headquarters Branch Library A class for children ages 0-4 in which participants will learn how to chant, sing, play instruments and move to the music. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.
7pm Candy Challenge for Teens Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
7pm Teen Trivia Night North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Tue Sept 20
10am Farm Animals Friedman Branch Library Featuring a story and crafts. Preregistration required. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Preschool Story Time Diamond Lakes Branch Library A program for those ages 3-5 that includes stories, songs, games, short movies and crafts. Pre-registration required. Call 706772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Big Kids Story Time Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 3-5. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Young Children’s Story Time Diamond Lakes Branch Library Songs, finger plays and stories for those ages 0-3. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Thu Sept 15
Wed Sept 21
Headquarters Branch Library
Maxwell Branch Library
6pm Technology Demonstration
10am Story Time 15SEPTEMBER2016
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For those ages 3-5. Call 706-793-2020 or visit arcpls.org.
10:05am Toddler Story Time Appleby Branch Library This is a program best for children ages 18 months-3 years. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
4pm Willy Wonka Kids Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
4:30pm - 6pm Alley Cats
Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
Strikehouse Bowl, Aiken Part of the Aiken Recreation Department’s Buddy Sports program for those with physical and/or intellectual disabilities, this class is for those of all bowling abilities. $12 a month; pre-registration required. Call 803426-1284 or visit therecingcrew.com.
10:30am Preschool Story Time
5pm Teens @ Your Library
Appleby Branch Library For children ages 3 and older. Call 706-7366244 or visit arcpls.org.
Diamond Lakes Branch Library An event for those ages 12-17 that will include movies, crafts and/or board games. Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time
10:30am Story Time for Tots Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 0-3. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Super Awesome Story Time The Book Tavern Featuring a story and crafts. Cookies and juice provided. Call 706-826-1940 or email superawesomestorytime@booktavern.com.
Ongoing
Junior Model UN Registration Augusta University Middle school students who are interested in assuming the perspective of a diplomat from a United Nations Member State and representing their position can register for the day-long simulation at Augusta University. Early registration ends October 15; January 16 is registration deadline; February 15 is the late registration deadline. Email Dr. Craig Albert
at calbert@augusta.edu or visit augusta.edu/ pamplin/pols/juniormodelun.php.
LITERARY Thu Sept 15
7pm Author Talk-Autograph Signing Columbia County Library Part of the All About Author Series, this one featuring E. Lockhart, the pen name for Emily Jenkins, who has written nearly 40 books for children, teens, and adults. She is best known for her Ruby Oliver quartet and “We Were Liars,” a young-adult novel that won the 2015- 2016 Georgia Peach Book Award. Reservations can be made at elockhart.eventbrite.com. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
Sat Sept 17
11am - 1pm The 2016 Novel Writers Series Headquarters Branch Library A five-session lunch and learn series that began in June. September’s session will deal with story structure, and participants should bring a lunch. Free. Call 706-821-2600 or visit augustaliteraryfestival.org.
Thu Sept 22
7pm - 9pm Graphic Novel Discussion
The Book Tavern The group meets the fourth Thursday of each month and discusses a book picked at the previous meeting. Call 706-826-1940 or email david@booktavern.com.
MUSIC Fri Sept 16
6:30pm Moonlight Music Cruise Savannah Rapids Park Featuring Gaffney Jarrell, this event features live music aboard a 1 1/2-hour Petersburg boat tour. Participants are invited to bring aboard snacks and beverages. $25; pre-registration required. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
6:30pm The Russian Romantics Etherredge Center, Aiken An Aiken Symphony presentation featuring Marina Lomazov on piano. Maestro Donald Portnoy will present Illuminations, a preconcert talk, at 6:30 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. concert. $30-$45. Call 803-641-3305 or visit aikensymphonyorchestra.com/tickets.
Sat Sept 17
11am - 2pm Saturday Morning Swing Eighth Street Plaza Live music from local jazz artists and
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Wrenn Morris Museum of Art Sunday, September 18 2 p.m. Part of the Music at the Morris series. Free. 706-724-7501 themorris.org performing arts groups during the Augusta Market. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.
2:30pm Guitar Lessons Tippy Cakes Bakery and Gift Shop A Harlem Arts Council class for those with beginner to intermediate guitar experience. $30. Call 706-556-6656, 706-513-2634 or email blalocka@hotmail.com.
Sun Sept 18 2pm Wrenn
Morris Museum of Art Part of the Music at the Morris series. Free. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org.
SENIORS Thu Sept 15
10:30am Seniors Golden Games Appleby Branch Library Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org.
Tue Sept 20 2pm Tech Help
Diamond Lakes Branch Library Participants can bring devices and receive one-on-one assistance from library staff. Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
SPECIAL EVENTS Thu Sept 15
8am - 6pm Day Trip to the Atlanta Botanical Garden Morris Museum of Art A trip to look at the Chihuly in the Garden exhibition. $75, members; $85, nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-3803 or visit themorris.org.
5pm - 8pm Third Thursday Tasting Wine World A drop-in event that features a wine or beer tasting. $5; $3 rebate upon purchase of a featured bottle. Call 803-2799522 or visit wineworldsc.com.
6pm - 9pm Cork & Canvas Whole Foods $25. Call 762-333-0259 or visit wholefoodsmarket.com.
6:30pm Perfectly Aged Saint Paul’s River Room Historic Augusta’s benefit auction will feature a wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, a raffle, a silent auction and more. $100; $50, those ages 35 and under. Call 706-724-0436 or visit historicaugusta.org.
Fri Sept 16
5pm - 9pm Arts in the Heart of Augusta Downtown Augusta An arts and cultural festival that includes live entertainment on several stages, food from different countries and cultures, a fine arts and crafts market, a family area and more. Weekend badges: $5, advance; $10 during the weekend. Call 706-826-4702 or visit
artsintheheartofaugusta.com.
5pm - 8pm Wine Not It’s Friday Whole Foods A $5 wine tasting in which participants get five 3-ounce samples of featured wines. Call 762-333-0259 or visit wholefoodsmarket.com.
Sat Sept 17
8am - 2pm Augusta Market at the River 8th Street Plaza, Reynolds Street The event features vendors of all kinds, activities, live entertainment and more. Visit theaugustamarket.com.
10am - 2pm Columbia County Prepare and Aware Day Emergency Operations Center An event that includes activities and displays in the operations center, as well as family events and food. Six disaster supply kits will be given as door prizes, as well as five NOAA Alert Radios, five first aid kits in backpacks and three gift baskets. Call 706-868-3303 or visit ccprepareandaware.com.
11am - 9pm Arts in the Heart of Augusta Downtown Augusta An arts and cultural festival that includes live entertainment on several stages, food from different countries and cultures, a fine arts and crafts market, a family area and more. Weekend badges: $5, advance; $10 during the weekend. Call 706-826-4702 or visit 15SEPTEMBER2016
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artsintheheartofaugusta.com.
7pm “Dark Shadows” Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1-$5.50. Call 803641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.
8pm “To the Moon and Beyond Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1-$5.50. Call 803641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.
Sun Sept 18
Noon - 7pm Arts in the Heart of Augusta Downtown Augusta An arts and cultural festival that includes live entertainment on several stages, food from different countries and cultures, a fine arts and crafts market, a family area and more. Weekend badges: $5, advance; $10 during the weekend. Call 706-826-4702 or visit artsintheheartofaugusta.com.
Tue Sept 20
4:30pm - 7pm Veggie Truck Farmers Market
15SEPTEMBER2016
AL Williams Park This weekly event, held through the end of October in the park across from the Kroc Center, features all local farmers and doubles EBT. Visit growharrisburg.org.
SPORTS-OUTDOORS Fri Sept 16
8pm - 10pm Harvest Moon Night Hike Mistletoe State Park Participants should wear walking shoes and bring a flashlight. $5, parking. Call 706-5410321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
9pm - 11pm Full Moon Hike Phinizy Swamp Nature Park $5, members; $10, nonmembers. Preregistration required. Call 706-396-1426 or visit phinizycenter.org.
Sat Sept 17
8am - noon Augusta HBCU 5K Fun Run/Walk and Health Fair Riverview Park, North Augusta The 5K begins at 8 a.m. and the health fair begins at 9 a.m. $25, adults; $10, those 12 and under; $30, day of event. Visit augustahbcu5k3.eventbrite.com.
8am - noon Conquer Chiari Walk Across America Evans Towne Center Park Proceeds will be used to fund research, education and awareness programs for chiari malformation, a neurological disorder affecting more than 300,000 people in the U.S. Registration for the the 5K walk begins at 8 a.m. and the walk itself starts at 9 a.m. Afterwards there will be face painting, music, games, a coloring contest, snacks and more. Pre-
register at conquerchiari.org.
8:30am - 9:30am FATS Trail Hike Sportsman’s Corner A Savannah River Group Sierra Club event in which participants will hike the Big Rock Trail, approximately 4 miles. Participants should bring water, snacks, insect repellent and wear appropriate hiking clothes. Call 404-538-3336 or email billjakson@att.net.
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Perfectly Aged Saint Paul’s River Room Thursday, September 15 6:30 p.m. Historic Augusta’s benefit auction will feature a wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, a raffle, a silent auction and more. $100; $50, those ages 35 and under. 706-724-0436 historicaugusta.org
9am - 9:30am 4-H Family Yoga in the Park Phinizy Swamp Nature Park For all levels of kids and adults. Participants should bring yoga mat and water. Call 706-828-2109 or visit phinizycenter.org.
9am - 2pm Fish for Life Wildwood Park A fishing rodeo and family day featuring food, bounce houses, face painting, sno cones, games and more. Free. Visit chfishforlife.org.
Pendleton King Park Foundation will be accepted. Visit theyogacenter.net.
week class is $180, with all competitive equipment provided. Call 706-722-8878 or visit augustafencersclub.com.
Tue Sept 20
Augusta Sports Leagues
The First Tee of Aiken A free event for both beginner and long-time golfers ages 15 and older who have faced life-changing or acute illnesses or injuries. Visit waltonfoundation.net.
This organization offers adult sports leagues and social events, including kickball, soccer, flag football, softball, basketball, indoor and sand volleyball, cornhole, and more for coed and men’s leagues. For more information, visit augustasportsleagues.com.
6:30pm Monthly Meeting and Ice Cream Social
Guided Tours
10am - noon Aiken Adaptive Golf Clinic
Mistletoe State Park Dogs must be on leashes. $5 parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta A Savannah River Group Sierra Club event that will include a program on native plants and trees by Karen Smith, owner of Southern Native Plantings. Free and open to the public. Email msmcb@outlook.com.
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Call to schedule custom tours of the park for organizations, kids groups or private parties. Tours included hiking, bicycle or golf cart tours and more. Call 706-828-2109 or email info@phinizycenter.org.
Sun Sept 18
7pm - 9pm Evening Canoe
Daily Canal Tours
10am - noon Doggie Day Hike
8am - 10am Adopt a Highway Cleanup Riverwatch Parkway Pilot Travel Center A Savannah River Group Sierra Club event in which participants will clean up a mile stretch on Riverwatch Parkway and be done by 10 a.m. Call 706-945-3454 or email t.nelken@att.net.
10am - 11:30am Yoga in the Park Pendleton King Park Pavilion Taught by staff from The Yoga Center, these classes are appropriate for those of all skill levels. Participants should bring their own mats and water. Free, but donations to the 44 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Mistletoe State Park Pre-registration required. $10 plus $5 parking. Call 706-5410321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Ongoing
Fencing Classes Augusta Fencers Club Classes for children as young as six, as well as teens and adults, meet five nights a week. The next round of introductory classes will begin on Monday, September 26, with those ages 6-9 meeting at 6 p.m., those 10-13 meeting at 5 p.m. and those 14 and older meeting at 7 p.m. The 10-
Augusta Canal Tours at the Top, a Petersburg Boat tour of the upper Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, will continue in September on Tuesday-Saturday mornings at 10 and 11:30 a.m., Saturday evenings at 6:30 p.m., and Sundays at 4 and 5:30 p.m. Tours leave from the Savannah Rapids Park dock, and tickets are $10 for all ages and include a voucher for a free visit to the Augusta Canal Discovery Center at Enterprise Mill. Pre-registration encouraged. Call 706-8230440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
The Augusta Furies Women’s Rugby Football Club Club practices 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 15SEPTEMBER2016
V27|NO37
Celebrate Recovery
7:30pm “Beauty and the Beast” Aiken Community Playhouse $25, adults; $20, seniors and active military; $15, students; $10, children. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
2pm Alzheimer’s Support Group
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.
Alzheimer’s Association Call 800-272-3900 or visit alz.org.
Diabetes Youth Support Group
Julian Smith Casino for players 18 and up. Email augusta. furies@gmail.com or visit augustafuries.org.
SUPPORT Thu Sept 15
6pm Bariatric Surgery Support Group
Meets quarterly. Call for more information. Call 706-8683241.
University Hospital Call 706-774-8931 or visit universityhealth.org.
Overeaters Anonymous
Mon Sept 19
6:15pm CSRA GYN Cancer Support Group Daksha Chudgar Lydia House Call 706-721-5557 or visit grhealth.org.
Tue Sept 20
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.
Wed Sept 21
11:30am Blood Cancer/BMT Support AU Cancer Center For patients, family, friends and caregivers. Call 706-7211634 or visit auhealth.org.
6pm Mental Health Support Group Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta A group for teens and up that follows the methods of Recovery International. Call 630-605-6913 or visit recoveryinternational.org.
Ongoing
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) GA, 110 Augusta St. Alban’s Episcopal Church fellowship hall The group meets Mondays, with weigh-in beginning at 5:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Call 706-7900391 or visit tops.org.
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Pine View Baptist Church The group meets Tuesdays, with weigh-in beginning at 4:45 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 5:15 p.m. Call 706-8680539 or visit tops.org.
La Leche League A breastfeeding support group. For more information on meeting dates, times and locations, visit them on Facebook under La Leche League of Augusta or at lllaugusta. wordpress.com.
Blood Cancer/BMT Support Group GRU Cancer Center Meets the third Wednesday of each month. Call 706-7211634 or visit grhealth.org 15SEPTEMBER2016
Meets at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Unity Church, and at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 706-863-9534 or email oa.augusta.recovery@gmail. com.
Adult Sexual Assault and Rape Support Group Provides group counseling at University Hospital for those who have experienced sexual assault, incest, rape or childhood sexual abuse. Call 706-724-5200 or visit universityhealth.org.
Alcoholics Anonymous Holds several meetings locally. For a current schedule, visit augustaaa.org/meetings.pdf.
Narcotics Anonymous Trinity Hospital of Augusta Meets Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Visit na.org.
Beyond the Bars A support group for those with incarcerated loved ones. Call 706-855-8636.
Families Who Have Lost a Baby Support Group For more information, call 706-721-8299 or visit grhealth.org.
THEATER Thu Sept 15 7pm “Sylvia”
Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre Dinner begins at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. $48, civilians; $45, seniors, retirees, DA civilians, active-duty E7 and above; $35, active-duty E6 and below, students; $28, show only. Call 706-793-8552 or visit fortgordon.com.
7:30pm “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” Auditions
8pm “Hand to God” Le Chat Noir A Le Chat Noir production. $25. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
Sat Sept 17 7pm “Sylvia”
Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre Dinner begins at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. $48, civilians; $45, seniors, retirees, DA civilians, active-duty E7 and above; $35, activeduty E6 and below, students; $28, show only. Call 706-7938552 or visit fortgordon.com.
7:30pm “Beauty and the Beast” Aiken Community Playhouse $25, adults; $20, seniors and active military; $15, students; $10, children. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
8pm “Hand to God” Le Chat Noir A Le Chat Noir production. $25. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
Thu Sept 22 7pm “Sylvia”
Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre Dinner begins at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. $48, civilians; $45, seniors, retirees, DA civilians, active-duty E7 and above; $35, activeduty E6 and below, students; $28, show only. Call 706-7938552 or visit fortgordon.com.
7:30pm The Wonder Bread Years AECOM Theater, Aiken A presentation of the Aiken Performing Arts Group. $40. Visit apagonline.org.
8pm “Hand to God” Le Chat Noir A Le Chat Noir production. $25. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
Musical Theatre Studios Parts available for this Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre production, which shows in November. Call 706-793-8552 or email danny.f.posey.naf@mail.mil.
Fri Sept 16 7pm “Sylvia”
Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre Dinner begins at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. $48, civilians; $45, seniors, retirees, DA civilians, active-duty E7 and above; $35, activeduty E6 and below, students; $28, show only. Call 706-7938552 or visit fortgordon.com. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 45
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What’s Tonight?
Joe’s Underground - Poker Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - World Tavern Poker Wild Wing - Trivia Wing Place (Aiken) - Trivia
Tuesday, September 20 Live Music
Fox’s Lair - Fat Bone Joe’s Underground - Open Mic Soul Bar - Jack Oblivion & the Sheiks The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck
What’s Tonight?
Bar West - Trivia The Cotton Patch - Trivia Limelite Cafe - Bottom’s Up Trivia Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Trivia Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Big Prize Trivia Twisted Burrito - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper
Wednesday, September 21 Live Music
Fox’s Lair - Open Mic Hosted by Happy Bones The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Shameless Dave Soul Bar - Gloom Cocoon Wild Wing - Will McCranie
Riff Raff Kings Reunion Show, WM3 Sky City Saturday, September 17 Before they close out the Arts in the Heart of Augusta festival, performing on the Global Stage Sunday, September 18, at 6:15 p.m., the beloved Riff Raff Kings will warm up with this reunion show the night before with the Will McCranie 3 opening. 8 p.m., doors; 10 p.m., music $5 skycityaugusta.com Thursday, September 15 Live Music
Flo - Angel Brown, ATL DreamVision Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Live Music on the Patio The Red Pepper (Aiken) - Anybody’s Guess Wild Wing - Bethany and Friends The Willcox (Aiken) - Thursday Night Jazz w/ 4 Cats in the Dog House
What’s Tonight?
Andrew’s - Karaoke w/ April Bar West - Open Mic Night w/ Jonathon Flowers Carolina Ale House - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper (9 p.m.) Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Old School Thursday w/ DJ Groove Coyotes - Karaoke with Bam Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia Joe’s Underground - Trivia Knight’s Lounge - Karaoke w/ Cheryl Bryant The Loft - Karaoke MAD Studios - Open Mic, Spoken Word Pizza Joint (Downtown) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper (7 p.m.) Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - Poker for Fun
Friday, September 16 Live Music
Andrew’s - Stone Dogs, DJ Richie Rich Back Yard Tavern - Chasing Savannah Bar West - Live Music Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues
46 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Country Club - Radio Romance Coyotes - Joe Olds Band Downtown Augusta - Arts in the Heart w/ five stages featuring live music and performances Eli’s American - Friday Night Live w/ Old Man Crazy Fox’s Lair - Authentic Blues w/ Billy McKnight Iron Heights - Daedalvs, Lorelei, Occido, Enthean Savannah Rapids Park - Moonlight Music Cruise w/ Gaffney Jarrell Shannon’s - Atomic Road Sky City - Ben Price, Westside Hardy, Downsouth, Am3n, Hen Somewhere in Augusta - All Bets R Off Stables Restaurant at Rose Hill Estate (Aiken) Gavin Reily Whole Foods - Music @ the Turn w/ Adam Harris Thompson Wild Wing - The Unmentionables The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Soul Bar - Soul Bar Sound Lab Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke
Saturday, September 17 Live Music
Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - Phil Vaught Coyotes - Joe Olds Band Downtown Augusta - Arts in the Heart w/ five stages featuring live music and performances Eighth Street Plaza - Saturday Morning Swing at the Augusta Market on the River Shannon’s - Sassy Brass
What’s Tonight?
Sky City - Riff Raff Kings Reunion Show, WM3 Wild Wing - Deleveled The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Andrew’s - DJ Richie Rich The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - DJ Fugi Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Helga’s Pub & Grille - Bluegrass Brunch (11 a.m.-3 p.m.); Trivia, nights The Highlander - Karaoke Joe’s Underground - Ladies Night, Singles Night Fox’s Lair - Karaoke Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - Karaoke Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Trivia and Tunes Knight’s Lounge - Game Night The Loft - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke Pizza Joint (Evans) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper The Playground - Krazy Karaoke w/ Big Troy Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Sky City - Wednesday Night Conspiracy w/ DJ Knightmare Somewhere in Augusta - The Comedy Zone w/ Mikey Mason and Shane Gillis Southbound Smokehouse - Trivia Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz Surrey Tavern - Trivia w/ Christian and Mickey
Upcoming TI, Mario, Red Cafe
- Bell Auditorium September 24 Mike Durand Cancer Fund Poker Run & Benefit Show
Sunday, September 18 Live Music
Aiken Speakeasy and Eats (Aiken) - Live Jazz Downtown Augusta - Arts in the Heart w/ five stages featuring live music and performances Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Brunch w/ Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia Wild Wing - Brandon Reeves The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane
Monday, September 19 Live Music
Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Blues Monday w/ Famous Last Words
- Backyard Tavern September 24 Esperanza Spalding, Preservation Hall Jazz Band
- Bell Auditorium September 29 Drivin’ N Cryin’
- Sky City September 30 I Love the ‘90s Tour w/ Salt N Pepa, Vanilla Ice, Coolio, Kid N Play, Rob Base, Tone Loc, Color Me Badd
- Bell Auditorium October 6 Yonder Mountain String Band, Fruition
- Jessye Norman Amphitheatre October 6 Blues Traveler, the Marcus King Band, Cranford Hollow
- Evans Towne Center Park October 14 Mountain Faith
- Imperial Theatre October 14 Jucifer
- Sky City October 25 ZZ Top
- Bell Auditorium October 26 15SEPTEMBER2016
V27|NO37 Moon Taxi, Big Something
Gov’t Mule
- Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee, North Augusta October 28
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta September 23 Lauryn Hill
Gin Blossoms, Tonic
- Chastain Park, Atlanta September 24
- Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee, North Augusta October 29
Jason Isbell
- Fox Theatre, Atlanta September 24
Big & Rich w/ Cowboy Troy and DJ Sinister
Built to Spill
- Evans Towne Center Park November 4
- Georgia Theatre, Athens September 24
Elsewhere
- Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta September 25
Widespread Panic
- Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alpharetta September 16 The Game
- Center Stage, Atlanta September 16 Indigo Girls
- Georgia Theatre, Athens September 16 Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Cheap Trick
- Chastain Park, Atlanta September 17 Cameo, the SOS Band, Klymaxx, Cherrelle
- Wolf Creek Amphitheater, Atlanta September 17 Elton John
- Martin Luther King Jr. Arena, Savannah, September 21
Violent Femmes
Cake
- Class Center Theatre, Athens September 25 Beyonce
- Georgia Dome, Atlanta September 26 Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley, George Lopez, Charlie Murphy
- Philips Arena, Atlanta September 30 Prophets of Rage, Awolnation
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
- Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alpharetta October 4
Try FREE: 706-434-0108 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000
Alice in Chains
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta September 21 Amos Lee
- Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta September 23
15SEPTEMBER2016
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AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 47
V27|NO37
SIGHTINGS
Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Harold and Lucy Thomas with Tom and Leslie Barrett at the Marty Stuart concert at the Imperial Theatre.
Brinsley Thigpen, fashion designer Manuel and Kathryn Lakvold at the opening of A Fashion Show of Eclectic Designs by Manuel at the Morris Museum of Art.
Becca Gulino, Frank Gulino, Erica Battle and Murray MacNamara at Blue Sky Kitchen.
Ted and Carla Oellerich with Becky Coar and Pearl Bailie at the Marty Stuart concert at the Imperial Theatre.
Tasha Lee, Cindy Young, singer/songwriter/photographer Marty Stuart and Marilyn Liggett at the opening of American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart at the Morris Museum of Art.
Michael Siewert, Marcia Eckmann and Justin Resley at Fuse Creative Cuisine & Craft Beer.
Preston Sneed, Julie Kennedy, Derek Sneed and Lee Ferguson at the Marty Stuart concert at the Imperial Theatre.
Dabney Ludwig, Chenin Sacino and Jonathan Kareis at Blue Sky Kitchen.
Anthony and Sheree Griffis with Kiersten Pak and Ryan Teston at Fuse Creative Cuisine & Craft Beer.
48 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
15SEPTEMBER2016
ONE BY ONE By Tom McCoy/Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS 1 Flair 5 Indication of freshness 9 Weak 15 ____ bag (party giveaway) 19 Have a one-person apartment, say 21 “Old MacDonald” sounds 22 “Check and ____” 23 Neighbor of Illinois 24 Response to a flatterer 25 Subordinate: Abbr. 26 “That ____ part of our agreement!” 27 Short dagger 29 Flattened at the poles 31 Concorde, e.g. 32 Ball in a socket 34 There are 24 in a caffeine molecule 35 Release from TLC or Alicia Keys 36 Tee seller 39 Like many a lad or lass 40 “Since you didn’t hear me the first time …” 41 Actor Reeves 43 Start of a time- capsule direction 45 Retired Steeler Taylor 46 Takes it easy 48 End-of-seminar feature 53 ____ letter (college app part) 54 Scads 55 Sources of mescaline 57 Prefix with parasite 58 School in Oxford, informally 60 ____-Atlantic 61 Burns’s refusal 62 Where bees be 63 Slithy one, to Carroll 64 Diamond head? 66 ____ salad 67 Shout made while pointing 69 Cops, with “the” 70 ____ Alamos 71 Targeted 74 Spanish prefix with líneas 75 Begin a voyage 77 ____ Fresh (Tex-Mex chain) 78 Airport posting, for short 79 Multicolored candy in a yellow package 81 Noted index 84 Grp. sponsoring of the Muzzle Loading Championship 85 Footnote material
1
86 Stemmed (from) 87 Transition 90 Go on 91 1997 film megahit 93 Site of the George Bush Presidential Library 94 Material in two states 96 Droop 97 The “e” of i.e. 100 Descend in a controlled fashion 101 Might be able to do it 104 Oscar-winning Berry 106 The “E” of HOMES 107 Like three men of rhyme 109 Beverage since 1922 111 Bareilles who sang “Love Song” 112 “Negotiations are off!” 113 Some fuel oils 114 Leave in 115 Gertrude ____, first woman to swim the English Channel 116 Meh 117 Lead-in to Victoria or Albert
37 Red ____ 38 Go (for) 41 Ocean bottom? 42 And more 44 “Going somewhere?” 45 “That makes sense” 46 Miracle-____ 47 Electees 48 2022 World Cup host 49 Surrounder of la Grande Jatte 50 Martians, in “The War of the Worlds” 51 Wordsworth work 52 Negatives 56 Word often replaced with “your” 59 Ignoramus 60 Big mouths 62 United Nations concern 64 Tangles 65 Behemoths 66 City where Mexico’s routes 1 and 2 meet 67 Word that becomes its own synonym when spelled backward 68 Giggle syllable DOWN 69 Basic form of a word 1 Things aggressive people may throw 71 Spa sound 2 Turkish money 72 Do to ____ 3 “Cease!” on 73 Bit the seas 75 Simplify 4 Answer to “Is Bonn the capital 76 Just like always of Deutschland?” 77 Big swig 5 Kind of camera, for short 80 Neglect 6 Releases 82 Number of hills in ancient Rome 7 Bio course: Abbr. 83 Rx writer 8 Mani-____ 85 Optometrist, at times 9 “Ready!” 87 Pirate, in old slang 10 “It’s all good” 88 Breathe out 11 They mind their manors 89 View in awe 12 Foist (upon) 90 Slightly 13 Most important piece in échecs 92 Noted philanthropic family 14 Relatives of scooters 93 Lock 15 One of two in the Adidas logo 95 Relative of a weasel 16 Sushi go-with 97 Justice Kagan 17 Offered for breeding 98 Smooth and glossy 18 “Don’t let those guys escape!” 99 Like Calvin Coolidge 20 Choice 102 Neocons, e.g. 28 A U.S. flag is a common one 103 Ice-cream flavor 30 Ammonia and lye 105 Cain mutiny victim? 33 Calvin Coolidge’s reputed reply to a 108 Positive sign woman who bet she could get more 110 Game-winning line than two words out of him 36 Old men
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V27|NO37
THE EIGHT
BOX TOPS Did anyone really think it would be anyone but Captain Sullenberger sailing to the top this week? RANK TITLES
WEEKEND GROSS TOTAL GROSS WEEK # LAST WEEK
1
SULLY
$35,028,301
$35,028,301
1
-
2
WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS
$14,202,323
$14,202,323
1
-
3
DON’T BREATHE
$8,250,225
$66,873,383
3
1
4
SUICIDE SQUAD
$5,723,038
$307,480,891
6
2
5
THE WILD LIFE
$3,342,696
$3,342,696
1
-
In Theaters September 16
COMEDY “Bridget Jones’s Baby,”
rated R, starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Emma Thompson. This third installment in the life of professional hot mess Bridget Jones comes 12 years after the second installment, has very little to do with Helen Fielding’s third book (that, to be fair, most Jones aficionados abhorred) and, sadly, contains no Hugh Grant. So even with the addition of Patrick Dempsey the question becomes, “What’s the point?”
52 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
HORROR DRAMA SPIRITUAL “Blair Witch,” rated R, starring James “Snowden,” rated R, starring Joseph “HIllsong: Let Hope Rise,” rated PG. Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid, Brandon Scott. Speaking of long times between releases, “The Blair Witch Project” came out in 1999 and revolutionized the horror movie industry. Its sequel a year later, “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,” was widely panned and is barely remembered. So why make another one now? Who the hell knows, but those of us who loved the first one are keeping our fingers crossed for this new take.
Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto. Director Oliver Stone can’t resist a good conspiracy theory, so it should be no surprise to anyone that he decided to helm this one, based on the reallife case of NSA employee Edward Snowden, who leaked thousands of classified documents to the press before fleeing to Russia. It won’t be a fair and balanced movie, and whether or not you like it will definitely depend on whether you see Snowden as a whistleblower or a traitor. One this is certain, however: Gordon-Levitt does a fantastic job impersonating Snowden.
This is being called a theatrical worship experience led by the Australia-based praise band Hillsong UNITED.
15SEPTEMBER2016
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