Table of Contents
EDIT
July 21, 2016
Amy Christian
Arts Editor/Production Director
Whine Line Jenny is Wright Ruffin It Augusta Tek
amy@themetrospirit.com
Stacey Eidson Staff Writer
stacey@themetrospirit.com
Molly Swift
4 6 8 9
Staff Writer
molly@themetrospirit.com
Insider 10 Feature 14
CREATIVE Joshua Bailey Lead Designer
joshua@themetrospirit.com
COVER DESIGN: KRUHU
SALES Jim Christian Account Executive
jim@themetrospirit.com 706-414-4059
Paige Wilhelm Account Executive
paige@themetrospirit.com 706-833-1904
THE MONKEES RETURN
Metroweek What’s Up Calendar Nightlife Sightings NYT Crossword The Eight Austin Rhodes
21 22 24 32 34 35 36 38
18
BUSINESS Joe White Publisher
joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
Johnny Beckworth circulation manager
johnny@themetrospirit.com
THIS WEEK
Contributors Jenny Wright, Greg Baker, Austin Rhodes, Josh Ruffin, Kris Fisher, Michael Johnson
Metro Spirit is a free newspaper published weekly on Thursday, 52 weeks a year. Editorial coverage includes local issues and news, arts, entertainment, people, places and events. In our paper appear views from across the political and social spectrum. The views do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Visit us at metrospirit. com.© 15 House, LLC. Owner/Publisher: Joe White. Legal: Phillip Scott Hibbard. Reproduction or use without permission is prohibited. One copy per person, please.
Want to advertise in the Metro Spirit? Call or email Joe at 706.373.3636 joe@themetrospirit.com
This week, the Metro Spirit hoped to feature both candidates in the July 26 runoff for the State Court judicial race: Robert “Bo” Hunter III and Richmond County Solicitor Kellie Kenner McIntyre. Only one responded, which left us wondering what exactly is Richmond County Solicitor Kellie Kenner McIntyre afraid of? page 10
The Monkees return to the Bell Auditorium this Sunday, July 24, to celebrate their 50th anniversary. To say that Metro Spirit columnist Austin Rhodes is excited about that is just a little bit of an understatement. So what are his favorite Monkees songs?
Not only is Belair Donuts open extraordinarily early — 5 a.m. at their Evans location and 5:30 a.m. at the location near Fort Gordon’s Gate 2 most days — but those who visit near their 1 p.m. closing time will find themselves left with the crumbs of what the early risers have left. Rule No. 1? Get there early!
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OPINION
The Whine Line
If you play PokemonGo, you are a loser. End of story...end of discussion...end of your last two brain cells. Sorry, but it’s the truth.
I want to know why blacks are the only ones who must teach their children how to respond to a police officer approaching them? Shouldn’t all children be taught?
Was driving down Mike Padgett near Lumpkin crossing and spotted a work of folk art in the making. The Brick Yard is erecting a folk art fence that is more of a work of art than a fence. Antique doors, geodesic designs, bead board walls, old corrugated roofing, hand crafted windows w/ bead board for glass, etc. etc. Worth checking out.
Calling all Grandmas and Grandpas! There comes a point when your grandkids can read and write well. They are also able to pick up the phone and make calls! IF THEY CANT CALL YOU WRITE YOU OR COME AND VISIT, DONT SEND THEM ANYTHING!!! Christmas? NO. Hanukkah ? NO. Birthdays? NO. Good Grades? NO. They are happy as they are and obviously don’t need your money! Tip: Go buy yourself something nice.
Everybody’s all buying into the racist comments and division in the United States and I’m just over here trying to beat “Overwatch”. North Augusta Municipal Building: The US Flag by Presidential Proclamation has been at Half Staff through July 14-22 Yours has been at Full Staff…..either respect the US Flag ….or do not fly it. Has anyone checked into how Richmond County is handling taking over Probation? My understanding is that they took over on July 1st but they only have two employees and their new Chief. If you call down there it just rings. Do they even have a functioning phone system? Sounds like the county didn’t plan this transition too well. Why am I not seeing this in the news?!
Jenny is Wright Ruffin It Augusta Tek
The Augusta Commission has spent nearly $10 million of taxpayer money on studies over the past 20 years and ignored most of the findings. I ask you: Who is to blame; the commissioners, who squander our tax dollars, or the taxpayers who let them get away with it? OUTRAGE!!! The truck driver who slaughtered 5 Georgia Southern Nursing students copped a plea and, with the cooperation of the prosecutor and judge, was sentenced to a measly 5 years in prison. If convicted by trial, he could have been put away for over 90 years. At the very least, he should have been incarcerated for as long as his victims remained dead. Now, this menace to society will eventually get back on the road. We will be reading about him again. The person who has a problem with Karaoke at Mexican restaurants is probably just jealous. I always enjoy going to karaoke at the Mexican restaurant in Grovetown. The singers are excellent. Yes every now and then there is someone who sings off key but most of the singers sound professional. The older man who does the Sinatra and Classic country music is very good. Also, the place is always packed so apparently people enjoy the singing. It’s also nice to hear such a wide variety of music.
What’s going to happen now is more guns will be purchased for self protection against everyone -great for NRA-great for gun stores-great for coffin makers-Dodge City for the rest of us. Columbia County is forever ruined. The schools have already started a downward spiral (look at the current school rankings compared to 10 years ago), taxes are increasing each and every year and are already the highest per capita when compared to other Georgia counties of similar size (just look at the numbers and you will quickly realize your commission is lying to you), crime is increasing every year and from last year forward you will never be able to “get there from here” thanks to suicide lanes and strip zoning. The blight has begun in Martinez and will spread like a cancer. Higher taxes will provide the treatment, but there is no cure. Who was the genius who decided on the phrase “Live Your Healthy”? What a nonsensical and stupid slogan!! Every time I hear it or see it on the TV, I want to throw up!
Not sure what I’m ashamed of most: our country’s current racial divide or the fact that people my age are actually playing Pokemon Go... I am amazed at the directions given to submit to police abuse. When you are stopped, because the cop holds your life at the threat of his trigger finger we have to submit to intrusive abusive questions and intimidation. Then we are advised to go to the police station and report the abuse and make a complaint. Such Bulls,,t! Give them Drivers license if you are driving, if you are not driving you DO NoT need ID but you must Give your correct name. this is not a police state that we must carry our papers with us! You do not have to answer any other questions pertaining to where you have been, where you are going, why you are anywhere, or what you have been doing.
WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM 4 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Have something you want to get off your chest? Send your whines to whineline@themetrospirit.com. The Metro Spirit reserves the right to edit submitted whines for content, but we will otherwise print them pretty much exactly as you type them… spelling errors and all.
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I Can Put a Finger On it Y’ALL KNOW my stupid broken finger story. A freak accident, which resulted in a mostly no big deal splinted broken finger for a few weeks. I’m not sure if I’ve told you about my husband’s issues with injured fingers. He hasn’t broken one, but he’s nearly lost a couple. Many years ago, he begged for this certain knife for Christmas. He collected knives back then, not to be used as weapons, but in a boy-who-likes-knives kinda way. His parents caved and bought him the knife, which came with strict warnings, not unlike, “you’ll shoot your eye out” parent warnings. He didn’t shoot his eye out, because that’s not how knives work. The first time he pulled the blade out of the leather sheath in which it came, it sliced right through the leather and then through his skin. He ran into the kitchen, proclaiming, “I cut myself!” His mama didn’t believe him. “Quit messing around,” she said. “NO, I REALLY CUT MYSELF,” he yelled at her. His father, the nicest gentleman with Southern charm, said, “Son, don’t yell at your mother.” The finger was cut. Blood spewing. The Boy smashed his finger under a hand weight at the gym. It was nasty and involved fingernail removal and a long break from his fitness class. Does this happen to all families? This spring, The Girl played her first season of soccer at the Y. She played two games before she broke her finger. She sat out the rest of the season. As an aside, her team, The Heartbreakers, lost every regular season game. All of them. Because there were only three teams, everyone went to the playoffs. The Heartbreakers won both playoff games. They are the u11 champions. For all those times with broken fingers, we went to different orthopedists in town. They were all great doctors, and we received excellent care. We’re lucky to have such a broad and talented medical community in Augusta. When The Girl broke hers, I called in a favor to a friend. He’s a great, gentle physician whose office is in the clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia (CHOG). Many years ago, when The Boy was a baby, we spent a few days at CHOG. It was the CMC back then. He wasn’t quite 10 pounds, and being at a children’s hospital with children’s sized tools had its benefits. The staff was good, and we were well cared for, but I didn’t really get it. I was too worried about my baby to get it. I didn’t realize how easy they made it for us. Because The Girl wasn’t sick; thank goodness, I paid attention this time. The day we were there, we didn’t see a single employee with a bad attitude. Not one. Either they’re all very happy people who love their jobs, or they’re very good actors. Either way, it works. They walk you from appointment to appointment. They actually offer to do it. The x-ray rooms have colored lights. No, not like Christmas lights or a disco ball. It’s a soft light that fills the room. It changes per the patient’s request. There’s a touch screen projector in the x-ray waiting room. Kids, there for all different ailments or varying degrees, are laughing as they pop virtual bubbles on the wall. They were distracted and not at all afraid.
6 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
When you walk the halls, the quiet is palpable. It’s peaceful, if you can forget why you’re there. There aren’t any loud beeps or doctor calls over the loud speaker. If I was the betting kind, I’d put a lot of money on the fact that I’m pretty sure they blow a good smell out of the vents in there, so it doesn’t smell all hospitally. The physicians sit down and talk to patients and the adults with them. The Girl left with a complete understanding of her injury and treatment plan. The nurses and PAs aren’t hurried. Each patient is the most important. There’s a whole team of people whose job is to make it a happier, easier place for parents going through the hardest times. We talked about CHOG in the car after our day there. I mentioned it to a friend at lunch. She nodded with enthusiasm about what a special place it is. She talked about time spent there with her own child. Tears welled in our eyes as we one-upped each other with good things. We were impressed. The Girl and I were lucky to have been in for a little broken finger. So many of our friends have been for so much more. I hope that none of you ever have to find out for yourselves, but know this: CHOG is one of a kind, y’all. Head, shoulders, knees and toes. And fingers.
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.
21JULY2016
Rip-Off
I’M WRITING THIS on a Tuesday morning, which means that by the time it goes to press, it will be Wednesday, a day and a half removed from the clown car pile-up that was the first day of the 2016 Republican National Convention. Internet publishing provides a number of boons — immediacy being the primary one — but sometimes that opportunity for immediacy is a detriment. I write one column a week, for example, so it’s likely that, as you’re reading this article about Melania Trump, something even more ridiculous will have happened at the Gathering of the Juggalos convention. So, Melania Trump apparently had a trig final and a theater movement piece due the same day as her speech, so she — or whatever poor schmuck is being forced to write her speeches at gunpoint — lifted whole paragraphs of Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic Convention speech nearly verbatim, even the parts that talked about her feelings for her husband. Now look, I have no doubt that Melania loves Donald very much; he sealed her fate and secured her soul in the blood ritual, and the remnants of her humanity have long since ceased clawing in the darkness. I’m also not surprised that, in the wake of the internet’s glee-filled Molly-party in the hours after that speech, the Trump campaign released a statement blindly defending Melania. The crux of their argument, though, was the real kicker: “Well, there is no cribbing of Michelle Obama’s speech,” Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort said. “These were common words and values, and she cares about her family.” (The Atlantic) Fair enough, but also bullsh*t. Just because you’re expressing similar feelings as someone else, that doesn’t mean that you will, independently of knowing about that someone else, use almost exactly the same wording, structure and phrasing. The odds of that are stupidly astronomical. You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning while being digested inside a shark’s stomach. An extinct shark’s stomach. I’ll give you an example. And because I’m a pretentious hack, I’ll use poetry. Take poems by Yusef Komunyakaa and Brian Turner. They both served in wartime — Komunyakaa in Vietnam, Turner in the Iraq War — which they both use a great deal in their work, to devastating emotional impact and effect. Here is a key passage from Komunyakaa’s poem, “Facing It” from the collection Dien cai Dau: Names shimmer on a woman’s blouse but when she walks away the names stay on the wall. (19-21)
Then: He’s lost his right arm inside the stone. In the black mirror a woman’s trying to erase names. No, she’s brushing a boy’s hair. (28-31) Now here’s a passage from Turner’s poem “Curfew” from his breakthrough collection Here, Bullet: There were no bombs, no panic in the streets. Sgt. Gutierrez didn’t comfort an injured man who cupped pieces of his friend’s brain in his hands; instead, today, white birds rose from the Tigris. (10-14) Both Komunyakaa’s poem and Turner’s poem juxtapose the horrors of war with images that blur the line between serenity and violence; they both are measured, nearly matter-of-fact in their observation. They are involved, yet detached. And they are absolutely, unequivocally, completely different. Now, no one will ever accuse anyone involved with the Trump campaign of being poetic, but that’s beside the point. If you told Paul Gaugin and Pablo Picasso “paint that tree,” you’d never know, based on what they would produce, that it was the same tree. Or even a tree to begin with. For that matter, if you took two speechwriters worth a spit, and told them to crank out a feel-good speech for a candidate’s spouse to deliver with the purpose of humanizing the candidate, they would churn out completely different speeches. They may have similar beats, similar sentiments, but they would be different. None of this, of course, is surprising anymore. The only question left is this: on the final night of the convention, when Trump takes the stage, will he rip off Mussolini or Martin Luther King?
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.
Happy Birthday to Me AH, THE ADVANTAGES OF A SUMMERTIME BIRTHDAY… That’s probably something you might not expect to hear. I can attest from experience that most folks gloss over summertime birthdays. Honestly, I can’t blame them. After all, it’s summer! But that’s why Leos were born in the summer. We can handle it. Fun, adventurous, playful — Leos share all the characteristics that make summer so great. Who needs a special day to celebrate when every day is a celebration? Practically speaking, a summertime birthday provides quite a few distinct advantages. The timing, of course, is impeccable. Since summer birthdays are completely out of phase with Christmas, the “present gap” is minimized. To think that some kids have to wait nine or 10 months between their birthday and Christmas, well, that’s just unbearable. The smaller present gap also yields a subtle side effect — minimizing the gift “hold back.” Kids, don’t doubt me on this. Every parent holds back presents if they know another gift-worthy event is approaching. If your birthday is only a couple of months away from another major celebration, you’ve experienced the hold back. Summertime toys are always the best. Hiking, camping, biking, fishing — really, do I need to continue? Now granted, I understand that snowmobiles, ice fishing and electric socks provide a fair amount of enjoyment. However, I’m of the opinion that the combination of a 4-wheeler, a gas grill and flip-flops provides a superior experience. One problem does exist with summertime birthdays. This problem becomes more pronounced as you get older. The price of those summer toys increases. I mean, significantly more expensive. By the time you reach adulthood, the prices begin to reach some quite disturbing levels. Needless to say, these astronomical prices decrease the amount of your celebratory bounty. Somewhere between the ages of 25 and 30, you discover that you’re buying all the cool stuff for yourself. Not long after that, you realize that the only person that is still sending you a gift is your grandmother. But don’t worry, it’s a nice card. (No money, though. Sorry.) Fortunately, I’m here to point out a few great summertime presents for you to share with the Leos in your life. As it turns out, a number of affordable options (less than $50) are available. Please feel free to purchase one (or more) of these great gifts for a loving, caring and, most importantly, deserving, family member. • Everybody needs a drone, and the perfect starter drone is the AUKEY Mini Drone. It’s only a couple of inches square and, at 3.2 ounces, it’s well under the FAA registration limit. No GPS, no camera — just a lot of drone-flying fun! • Every great summer comes with great music, but it’s better if you can take that music with you. The JBL Flip 3 portable bluetooth speaker connects with your smartphone to play music anywhere — including the pool. • Being outside doesn’t mean being out of touch. At least, it doesn’t if you can keep your phone charged. The Anker PowerCore 20100 portable charger provides enough juice to charge your iPhone seven times! • A good tactical flashlight is always useful. The new generation of LED flashlights is very bright. Hundreds of brands exist, but something like the Saitec 878 CREE XM-L T6 could be very useful. I have no doubt that gifts such as these will be received with great enthusiasm. Just be sure to wrap the present with lots of love! @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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The Monkees Return
The Hunt is On
Insider
10 14 18
NEWS
Why Won’t Kellie McIntyre Answer Direct Questions?
AS IN ANY LOCAL ELECTION, the Metro Spirit makes every attempt to contact and interview as many candidates as possible prior to voters heading to the polls. After all, it is part of the newspaper’s mission to inform the public about potential local leaders and their platforms. This election season has been busier than most, but the July 26 runoff will close out this political summer until the November general election. Last week, the newspaper sat down with both former state Rep. Lee Anderson and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Greg Grzybowski who are competing in the Republican runoff for the Georgia State Senate District 24 seat. This week, the Metro Spirit hoped to feature both candidates in the July 26 runoff for the State Court judicial race: Robert “Bo” Hunter III and Richmond County Solicitor Kellie Kenner McIntyre. Hunter quickly responded to the newspaper’s request for an interview and spent almost an hour talking with a Metro Spirit reporter about his service to the local legal community. But McIntyre was a completely different story. The Metro Spirit attempted to give McIntyre the same opportunity to be interviewed as Hunter, but she never responded. Over the past two weeks, the newspaper made more than half a dozen requests to McIntyre for an interview. The requests were made by phone to both her campaign office and the solicitor’s office, as well as via her campaign’s email, but McIntyre never replied. McIntyre, the daughter-in-law of former Augusta Mayor Ed McIntyre, has also refused to debate Hunter prior to the runoff. So the big question for this particular race has become: What exactly is Richmond County Solicitor Kellie Kenner McIntyre afraid of?
She is an elected official running for a State Court judgeship. It’s not time to become bashful. McIntyre insists that she has 23 years of experience in the judicial system, a bachelor’s degree from Emory University, a master’s from the University of Georgia and her law degree from Georgia State University. With all of that under her belt, she can probably handle a few questions from a local reporter. So, what’s the problem? Everyone knows that prior to the May election, McIntyre was heavily criticized following a lengthy news story in The Augusta Chronicle that exposed an enormous backlog in the Richmond County Solicitor’s Office. The Chronicle’s story reported that nearly $1.4 million from fines paid by thousands of residents for minor traffic tickets before Jan. 1, 2014, and some cash bonds that people put up to get others out of jail had been sitting untouched in a bank account for years. The money had allegedly been just sitting there because of the backup in paperwork in the Richmond County Solicitor’s Office, according to the Chronicle. If you have served as solicitor for four years and then decide to ask voters to support you as the next State Court judge, don’t be surprised if the local newspaper does a little digging into how well you’ve done your job. That’s what they do. Was the story politically motivated? Maybe. It is a newspaper owned by Morris Communications, after all. Was the timing of the story perfectly planned to run right before the May election? Sure. Of course, it was. Is it understandable why McIntyre now apparently wants to avoid the media whenever possible? Nope. Not at all. You know why? She is running for public office. And not just a county commission seat or even a seat in the 21JULY2016
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Georgia Legislature, but a seat on the State Court bench. Once she becomes a judge, she will be virtually untouchable. She will be protected by that robe and her authority as a State Court judge. If the public wants to know the truth about these judicial candidates running for the bench, now is the time, before they take office. McIntyre shouldn’t be allowed to hide from criticism. She shouldn’t be able to dodge the media. She should face her opponent in a debate and stand on her own merit. But she’s not. And, despite the fact that Hunter received more votes in the May race for the State Court bench, many people in the community believe McIntyre will win in the runoff. Why? Because McIntyre is black and Hunter is white. Nothing more. Nothing less. If that’s the case, the Metro Spirit is wasting its time interviewing all these candidates and trying to inform voters during an election season. Instead, the paper should just run photos of each candidate so voters can see what everyone looks like. Why not? White politicians have played the same game for decades, right? Yep. But that doesn’t make it right. Actually, it makes it wrong. Supporting someone based solely on his or her race is just as terrible as hating someone because of the color of their skin. And, in the end, no one really wins. In fact, everybody loses.
Time to Move Beyond Regency Mall ALMOST EVERY year for the past 20 years, the subject of the former site of Regency Mall rears its ugly head. This year is no exception. Before Augusta Commissioner Bill Lockett leaves office at the end of this year, he is attempting to make one final stab at trying to turn that vacant piece of property around. Later this week, commissioners are scheduled to take a bus tour of south Augusta and discuss the possibility of creating a South Augusta Development Authority to help promote economic development in the area. Lockett is hoping that this proposed group will find a new use for the former Regency Mall site. Unfortunately, Lockett is likely just dreaming. With an overinflated asking price of $50 million by the owners of the former mall, the reality is that the city’s hands are pretty much tied in this matter. “This mall is an ugly eyesore to the people who live in the community and the people who go up and down Deans Bridge and Gordon Highway,” Lockett has repeatedly said over the years. “The owners obviously have made no attempt whatsoever to try and sell the property or to upgrade the property.” Ever since taking office, Lockett has consistently asked his colleagues to pressure the mall’s property owners, New York-based Cardinale Holdings LLC, to take some kind of action regarding the Regency Mall site. He has even suggested the possibility of using of eminent domain. But nothing ever happens. The former mall remains empty. A sad reminder of what once was in south Augusta. In its heyday, Regency Mall was heralded as a unique shopping experience, unparalleled by anything in the surrounding area. In fact, the mall, built by shopping center magnate Edward J. DeBartolo, was billed as the largest in Georgia at the time it opened its doors in 1978. But through the years, the facade windows — so modern in appearance when the mall first opened — were reduced to shattered glass and boarded up. Now, Regency Mall is abandoned and just a shell of the once prominent mall that was home to more than 70 retail stores. Some blamed a poor location away from an interstate for Regency’s demise; others, its competition with Augusta Mall, in the western section of Augusta — where dollars flowed more freely. Regardless of the reason, Augusta has become saddled with the eyesore that is Regency Mall that still shows no signs of improving. So will there ever be any solution for the former mall? For almost two decades, there have been myriad proposals for the property. More than 10 years ago, the city considered it for the site of the future judicial center. Then,
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there were plans to convert the property into mixed-use residential/office space. Those plans only got as far as the drawing board. Finally, The Augusta Chronicle Publisher William S. Morris III proposed an $80 million sports arena, nicknamed the “Billy Barn,” to be built on the 70-acre site in 2004. But none of those plans ever panned out. All the while, the mall’s current owner, New York-based Cardinale Holdings LLC, has kept the property in complete limbo with an asking price that has been as high as more than $50 million. With that kind of asking price, there will never be any potential buyers for the former Regency Mall. The memories of that mall will eventually fade away as Augusta’s population continues to age. As the trees grow taller around the enormous property, many newcomers to the Garden City won’t even be aware of Regency Mall’s existence. But if nothing is ever done to that property in south Augusta, it will be a huge political defeat for all of those commissioners who have represented that region for so many years. Everyone from former Augusta commissioners J.B. Powell, Ulmer Bridges, Moses Todd, Jimmy Smith, Bobby Hankerson, Andy Cheek, Richard Colclough and now Bill Lockett have been unable to transform that space, often called the center of the county, into anything beneficial. Regency Mall has become the image of all that is wrong with south Augusta. The sad truth is there are thousands of native Augustans who have extremely fond memories of Regency Mall. For many, that mall is where they grew up. Whether it was enjoying a fresh slice of pepperoni pizza with their friends at Dino’s Pizza or climbing up on the little concrete animals in the kids’ play area located at the bottom of the mall’s staircase, Regency Mall was once a magical place. But now it is simply a mall with a past and no foreseeable future. 21JULY2016
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The Hunt is On
State Court Judicial Candidates Robert “Bo” Hunter III and Kellie Kenner McIntyre will face each other in the July 26 runoff, but only Hunter agreed to be interviewed by the Metro Spirit By Stacey Eidson
AuguSTA ATTORney Bo Hunter isn’t interested in taking the easy road. He never has been. Whether he was facing a legal battle against the cigarette giant R.J. Reynolds or defending Richmond County Probate Judge Harry James III in a case involving the politically charged gun-owner-rights group georgiacarry.org, Hunter stands by the law and each of the clients he represents. He understands what it is like for a citizen to sit across from an attorney, hoping for a little help and some solid legal advice. “My dad was in the Army and I was born in Temple, Texas, but I moved to Augusta when I was 8 years old,” Hunter said, sitting in his law office located on Greene Street in historic Olde Town in downtown Augusta. “I first wanted to be an architect, but then my father died when I was 21 years old.” Everything suddenly changed in Hunter’s life. “I got to see what it was like to sit on the other side of a lawyer’s desk,” Hunter said, explaining that he had to rely on a local attorney to help handle his father’s estate. “I realized what an important job a lawyer has because people come in, they are confused and they don’t understand what is going on. But they have a problem and they need your help.” Hunter said an attorney has the ability to not only change one person’s life, but an entire community over the years. “It is like being a doctor,” he said. “You can completely change a client’s future and I really enjoy trying to help people through difficult times, especially after having been on the other side of the desk when I was younger. I understand what they are thinking as a client and what they need.”
Kellie Kenner McIntyre never responded to more than half a dozen requests for an interview. At the young age of 21, Hunter inherited radio station WAUG AM & FM from his late father and was immediately thrown into the role of being a boss. But it didn’t take Hunter long to realize that his true calling was the law. “I ran the radio station after my father died, but then I got married and we sold it because I wanted to go off to law school,” Hunter said, adding he and his wife, Lisa, packed their bags and headed to Athens so he could attend the University of Georgia. “My wife agreed to go with me as long as I hurried, so I finished law school in two-an-a-half years and I did very well. Then, I came back to Augusta and I started my own practice in 1983, which is a very difficult thing to do.” About five years later, Hunter was elected to the Office of the Solicitor General for Richmond County, a position he held for eight years until 1996. During his time as solicitor, Hunter quickly addressed the tremendous backlog of cases in the office and became known for getting the office back on track. 14 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
“With 33 years of experience as an attorney in Richmond County, I have had a lot of experience in State Court and I feel like I can really contribute to that court,” Hunter said. “There have been some problems there that obviously I think I can straighten those out and really work with the other State Court judges to find some solutions. Obviously, there is a backlog of cases that we can work on and get those done.” Earlier this year, Kellie Kenner McIntyre, who is the current Richmond County State Court solicitor general and also happens to be Hunter’s opposition in the State Court judicial race, was criticized following a lengthy news story that was published in The Augusta Chronicle about the enormous backlog in the Richmond County Solicitor’s Office. The Chronicle’s story reported that nearly $1.4 million from fines paid by thousands of residents for minor traffic tickets before Jan. 1, 2014, and some cash bonds that people put up to get others out of jail had been sitting untouched in a bank account for years. The money had allegedly been just sitting there because of the backup in paperwork in the Richmond County Solicitor’s Office, according to the Chronicle. The Metro Spirit attempted to interview McIntyre prior to the July 26 runoff and give her the same opportunity to address Richmond County voters as Hunter, but McIntyre never responded to more than half a dozen requests for an interview by the Metro Spirit over the past two weeks. The requests for an interview were made by phone to both her campaign office and the solicitor’s office, as well as via her campaign’s email, but McIntyre never replied. McIntyre, the daughter-in-law of former Augusta Mayor Ed McIntyre, has also refused to debate Hunter throughout the campaign. Regardless of McIntyre’s actions, Hunter says he is simply focused on his campaign and the July 26 runoff. “I just think this is my time,” Hunter said, adding that he has had a number of excellent attorneys work with him over the years who eventually went on to become local judges, including Superior Court Judge Sheryl Jolly, Magistrate Judge Scott Allen and former 21JULY2016
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Nearly $1.4 million from fines paid by thousands of residents for minor traffic tickets before Jan. 1, 2014, and some cash bonds that people put up to get others out of jail had been sitting untouched in a bank account for years. Columbia County Chief Magistrate Judge Bobby Christine. “In fact, Sheryl took over as solicitor when I left office.” Hunter walked across his office and pointed to two badges that were framed and hanging on his wall. “Sheryl (Jolly) gave me this when I stepped down as solicitor,” Hunter said. “It’s my solicitor badge from 1988 to 1996 and my grandfather’s city council badge back when he served in Greenville, S.C. My grandfather taught me that to serve your community was a person’s greatest achievement. This means a lot to me.” Hunter said he decided not to run for re-election to the solicitor’s office in 1996 because he wanted to serve in the Georgia Legislature. “In 1996, I ran for a House seat against Jack Connell, the speaker of the House at the time,” Hunter said. “To be honest, I thought Jack was going to retire, but then he decided not to.” As a result, Hunter was caught in a tough situation. “I already encouraged Sheryl Jolly to run for solicitor’s office because I thought she deserved that opportunity and I couldn’t go back on her because somebody else had gone back on me,” Hunter said. “So I ran for the House and lost to Jack. And I’ve been in private practice ever since.” But Hunter said he has truly enjoyed private practice in Augusta because, as he says one close friend often jokes, he is always somehow “in the middle” of important legal issues. “My friend always asks, ‘How do you get all of these cases that are on the edge of things?’” Hunter said, laughing. “And I just say, ‘I have a crazy kind of life.’” One of Hunter’s most prominent cases involved research conducted by local physician Dr. Paul Fischer — the founder of the Center for Primary Care — regarding the relationship between children and cigarette advertising. Back in the late 1980s, Fischer developed an experiment involving a card game for children that used common commercial products and their advertising symbols. In the game, a set of cards depicted dozens of famous advertising symbols such as McDonald’s golden arches, the apple symbol from Apple Computer and the cartoon character 21JULY2016
Joe Camel from Camel cigarettes. There was also a game board that included pictures of items such as hamburgers, a computer and cigarettes, according to a 1997 article in The Wall Street Journal. Fischer and a few of his colleagues got permission from parents to conduct an experiment at several day-care centers and an elementary school in the area, where they asked more than 225 children, ages 3 to 6, to match each card to the correct image on the board. The country was stunned by Fischer’s results, Hunter said. One-third of the 3-year-olds and more than 90 percent of 6-year-olds matched Joe Camel’s face with the image of cigarettes displayed on the game board, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Journal of the American Medical Association published Fischer’s results in the early 1990s and his finding definitely got the nation’s attention. Many believe Fischer’s study led President Bill Clinton to begin cracking down on cigarette marketing to both children and teenagers. Fischer’s research also quickly drew the attention of cigarette giant R.J. Reynolds, Hunter said. Not long after Fischer’s research was published, R.J. Reynolds served Fischer with a subpoena insisting that he turn over all the records involving his study, including the names of the children involved in the experiment. Fischer refused and decided to legally fight the subpoena to protect the children in his study, Hunter said. To Fischer’s amazement, the Medical College of Georgia, in which he worked at the time, decided not back his decision. Instead, the medical school sided with the tobacco company, Hunter said.
“Dr. Fischer was my doctor and he called me and told me what was going on,” Hunter said. “I immediately said, ‘Yeah, I’ll be glad to help you.’ So I really took on the case just to help him. It was a fascinating case in that I honestly believe it led to the entire litigation concerning tobacco companies and the Attorney General’s offices in states all across the country.” In 1998, the Attorneys General of 46 states signed the Master Settlement Agreement with the four largest tobacco companies in the United States, including R.J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson, Lorillard and Philip Morris. The MSA settled lawsuits by the states to recover costs associated with the treatment of smoking-related illnesses. “Paul (Fischer) was sent to testify in all these cases and that’s when all the settlements started happening when they paid money to the states,” Hunter said. “He is just such an articulate witness. It was incredible.” In the end, the Georgia courts ruled in Fischer’s favor, quashing R.J. Reynolds’ subpoena and thereby allowing Fischer to keep the children’s names confidential. To this day, Fischer and Hunter remain friends. In fact, Fischer has even provided a testimonial to Hunter’s campaign. “When R.J. Reynolds Tobacco company came after my research files and threatened the privacy of our 3-year-old research subjects, Bo successfully fought them all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court,” Fischer stated. “Bo is honest, fair, smart and wise. Everything you would hope for in a judge.” Hunter also recently received a lot of attention after representing Probate Judge Harry B. James III before the Georgia Supreme Court in 2015 against the radical gunowner-rights group called georgiacarry.org. The organization sued James because he did not issue a AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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“This is the same attorney who is suing the Atlanta Botanical Garden because they don’t allow concealed weapons in the park. I think he sued the Georgia Dome so you can bring guns to the football games.” — Bo Hunter
Kellie Kenner McIntyre, the daughter-in-law of former Augusta Mayor Ed McIntyre, has also refused to debate Hunter throughout the campaign. temporary concealed-weapon permit to an individual following a background check. “This fellow came into the office and tried to apply for a temporary concealed-weapon permit. They ran his background check, sent him to the marshal’s office and his record showed a sexual battery charge on there,” Hunter said. “The man told them that it had been taken care of and it had been reduced to another charge that would allow him to have a temporary permit. But they told him, ‘You’ve got to go to Columbia County and go to the district attorney’s office and have this record corrected before we can issue the temporary permit.’” Not long after, the issue over the sexual battery charge was cleared up and the man was given a concealed-weapon permit, Hunter said. But a few weeks later, James received news that his office was being sued by John Monroe, the attorney representing georgiacarry.org. 16 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
“This is the same attorney who is suing the Atlanta Botanical Garden because they don’t allow concealed weapons in the park,” Hunter said. “I think he sued the Georgia Dome so you can bring guns to the football games.” After researching the organization a little, Hunter called up some of the county attorneys who had faced litigation filed by georgiacarry.org. “These county attorneys basically told me, ‘Go ahead and pay him,’” Hunter said, shaking his head. “This guy wanted, I believe, $30,000 to $40,000. Well, I picked up the phone and got this attorney on the line and said, ‘You know your client already has his concealed-weapon license, right? It is all straight. So, what is the deal?’” Monroe, the attorney for georgiacarry.org, said he wanted $40,000 in lawyer’s fees, Hunter said. “I just told him, ‘Well, that’s not going to happen,’” Hunter said, adding that georgiacarry.org took the case all the way up to the Supreme Court of Georgia. “Basically, the court said it was not justiciable because the lawyer filed it after the man got the relief which he was seeking to get a license. They basically said the case was moot.” Hunter said he felt good about not just paying the organization to go away. Instead, he and James decided to fight the group. “I was like, ‘Hell, no. I’m not just going to pay you,’” Hunter said, chuckling. “Because that is how he funds his organization and I wasn’t going to do it.” In each and every case he takes on, Hunter says he truly believes in working hard for his clients and delivering the best possible outcome. “If you are going to really fight for something, you have to believe in a good outcome,” he said. “But, also, if you see that the case is really strong against someone, then you need to start negotiating with the state to see what is the best outcome you can get for them.” If elected judge to the State Court of Richmond County, Hunter believes one of the most important roles he will play in his courtroom is to make sure that those involved in a case are properly heard by the court. “In my opinion, the lawyers should control a case,” Hunter said. “The judges are just the umpires and, if you are forcing a case, such as a divorce case, and trying to push it too fast, it will go nowhere. Sometimes you have to let the anger and the disappointment dissipate before you can make any progress with the parties.” The public also needs to feel that they’ve had their day in court, he said. “I think the greatest quality a judge can have is patience,” Hunter said. “I think it is important because, while we may have heard the story many times before, it is that person’s story and they need it told.” Otherwise, the court system has failed that plaintiff, defendant, witness or victim, Hunter said. “In order for our legal system to be effective, people need to be treated fairly,” Hunter said. “And if people are going to rely on our legal system, then they need to be heard.”
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FOR SALE $125,000 67 Stuart Drive– Modoc Shores! Waterfront Building Lot/Dock Included
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The Monkees Return Here they come, walking down Telfair Street
THe MonkeeS ReTuRn to the Bell Auditorium this Sunday, July 24, for the first time since 1969, and their third visit to the Augusta Entertainment Complex, having played to a sellout crowd at the James Brown Arena in 1987. You might say a few of us are excited (ahem). Celebrating 50 years together as America’s pop culture and television answer to The Beatles, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork headline this tour, with Michael Nesmith along only in spirit, and occasionally dropping in to play a few songs with his mates via closed circuit Skype hookup. Davy Jones of course left the group, and the planet, with his sudden and unexpected death in 2012, but his presence and voice will be part of the show this weekend. (No spoilers here.) No time to waste here summarizing the biography of the group. Google them. We are going to skip the oft-told pleasantries and get right to the heart of the matter: These guys were good, damn good, and in their 18 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
golden anniversary year they have given their fans an incredible gift with the release of a new album which, according to critics far more qualified than I to examine the material, is “nothing short of a masterpiece.” More on that in a moment. The conventional wisdom on The Monkees has been blown up and refuted more times than Donald Trump’s resume, but given their genesis, most can understand the confusion: Four young men assembled to play a struggling Southern California rock band in 1966. The Hollywood production team that cast the show could not have had a clue that they were assembling one of the greatest pop culture phenomenons of the 20th century. A debut album that went to No. 1, only to be succeeded at No. 1 by their second LP. From November 1966 through June of 1967, there were only two No. 1 albums on the Billboard charts: “The Monkees” and “More of the Monkees.” In 1967, the group spent 29 weeks at No. 1 on the album charts with four different LPs. For that year, The Monkees sold more records than The Beatles and
by Austin Rhodes
The Rolling Stones combined. A hit TV show that won an Emmy in its first season for Best Comedy, beating the likes of “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Get Smart” and “Hogan’s Heroes” in the process. The innovative series staging that season also won an Emmy for Best Direction for James Frawley. The combination of the TV success, record sales and soldout concerts from coast to coast made The Monkees the most profitable American rock group of the ‘60s, second worldwide only to The Beatles. Ah, but there was always the albatross. Early in the process a few critics picked up on the fact that the group was largely “pretending” to be accomplished musicians for their TV audience, and aside from their obviously well-executed vocals, they had little to do with the music they were selling. Even Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith’s honest frustrations with the “musical process” were used against them, with their own quotes taken out of context at the time as a means of discrediting the material. 21JULY2016
While the angst of the two talented musicians was real at the time, the body of work has been preserved by history and even the most jaded snobs would have a hard time calling the Monkees’ catalog anything less than impressive and versatile. The band’s well-documented revolt and emancipation from the creative control (and dictatorial rule) of their original music supervisor Don Kirshner for their third LP, “Headquarters,” is legendary. But closer examination of the material that was produced even under Kirshner’s watch proves an amazing amount of technical know how, and artistic depth, from the young group themselves. The proof can now be played for all to hear. The “sessions” disc from the Rhino Records special reissue of The Monkees 1966 debut album (a 2014 release) provided an amazing amount of bonus material, but, more importantly, included was “pre-roll” musical direction from Michael Nesmith as he produced several well known Monkees songs for that first LP. The world knew Nesmith wrote and sang lead on “Papa Gene’s Blues” and “Sweet Young Thing” for that monster debut album, but listen in and hear old “wool hat” himself produce and guide “The Wrecking Crew,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame enshrined legendary session musicians appearing on countless million selling records, in playing the riffs and setting the back beat for the songs which were featured prominently in the first few episodes of the TV show. Then you have Nez diagramming his incredibly catchy “Mary, Mary” to the personnel laying the track with this admonition, “... Glen... when you hit that country thing, and you hit that C sharp... don’t get real busy with it... (he plays the riff )... yeah like that...” That is Nesmith’s direction of guitarist Glen Campbell. You can also hear similar guidance offered to Peter Tork, who was also playing on the track. In the next breath, he is leading Hal Blaine, perhaps the greatest drummer in pop music history, through the
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beat time, and demonstrating the prescribed tempo. This recording session took place July 25, 1966. Six weeks before the debut of the TV show, and many, many months before any controversy arose over the “real talent” of The Monkees. Nesmith and Tork are, simply put, unassailable and brilliant musicians. The depth of Nesmith’s gifts is no surprise to anyone paying attention to the music world over the last half century, and the respect for his body of work is nothing short of immense. His fellow Monkee Peter Tork never got the respect he deserved over the years, likely because of his lack of lead vocals on their most familiar tunes. Damn shame, because he is the most versatile instrumentalist of
the bunch, perhaps one of the best all around “utility players” of ‘60s pop music. Tork’s yeoman’s work on the “Headquarters” album is canon for those familiar with the group. He is all over the place on that project. Stirring background vocals (“Shades of Gray”), and amazing harpsichord, keyboard and banjo work as well. But his greatest contribution to the album is the song he wrote (with Joseph Richards) that became the TV show’s closing theme in season two, “For Pete’s Sake.” Featuring a simple but soulful lead vocal from Micky Dolenz, and an impressive organ base line from Nesmith (Nez on keyboards, who knew?), Tork played lead guitar with Davy Jones contributing percussion. Jones, Tork and Dolenz combined on background vocals, with producer Chip Douglas, the lone non-Monkee on the tune, playing bass. Simply put, it is the perfect Monkees song, with all four members contributing strongly. All this information, limited as it is, is presented in the quest to debunk one of the greatest lies in American pop music history. The Monkees were not simply four guys who were props for a TV show. Yes, they were cast as shallow caricatures of their real personalities (except Tork, who played a simpleton on the show, but is a renaissance man and philosopher in real life), but almost on a dare became a real band producing an amazing amount of substantial music of their own making. Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz got a lot of attention for their very different (but substantial) talents and contributions, but in countless interviews over 50 years, both always credited Nesmith and Tork for pushing the group to its artistic destiny. Paraphrasing Dolenz’s favorite analogy on the topic, it was like the crew from Star Trek becoming real space explorers. There is little doubt that Dolenz and Jones were the “star power” that provided the lead vocals and “teen idol” qualities that brought the band its greatest commercial successes, but anyone looking close saw as true a “team effort” as there can be in the work they did as a quartet. There are stories, so many more stories that go with AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Yes, they were that good, even if they are too damn humble to tell the story themselves. Even Ami, Georgia and Emily Dolenz take the low-key approach. this legendary band: The Jack Nicholson presence/leadership on the group’s sole movie project, the cult classic “Head.” The fact that Michael Nesmith is widely credited for the concept that became MTV. The legendary careers launched/ aided by their early association with The Monkees (Harry Nilsson, Paul Williams, Neil Young, etc.). The financial windfall The Monkees brought to their creators, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, that bankrolled their future Hollywood successes in “Easy Rider,” “The Last Picture Show,” “Five Easy Pieces,” etc. But of course the music is the thing. And for your consideration, here are several examples of The Monkees’ very best songs, and what made them special for so many millions of fans. (In no particular order.) “Pleasant Valley Sunday”: Often called the best song of their catalog, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, it is hard to argue the pedigree. At the time the song was recorded, for their fourth album, the group had found the perfect balance between control and collaboration with others. They proved they could do it all 20 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
themselves by this point, but they weren’t too stubborn to allow contributors. Yes, that is Nesmith’s opening guitar riff. Yes, that is Tork playing piano like a madman. Yes that is Dolenz on one of the best lead vocals of the ‘60s, and you better believe that is Jones and Nesmith contributing awesome contrasting and echoing background vocals that nail it to the cross and take it home. This song alone is proof positive that The Monkees belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I believe we could get a professional review of this tune to have Jann Wenner (Rolling Stone’s publisher, and the lone voice keeping them out by decree) institutionalized as criminally inept, hopelessly tone deaf and 100 percent worthy of a good, sharp punch in the throat. I volunteer to sit in jail for the pleasure of taking the swing. “Daydream Believer”: The opening piano riff of this monster hit was dreamed up in the fertile mind of one Mr. Peter Tork. It wasn’t there until he put it there. Written by Kingston Trio founding member John Stewart, it was a song Davy Jones had to be talked into recording. He
hated it. For a minute. It later became his signature song, and it is used by the band’s surviving members in concert as a memorial to The Manchester Cowboy. “The Girl That I Knew Somewhere”: Written by Michael Nesmith, with the lead vocal by Micky Dolenz and an incredible harpsichord bridge by Peter Tork. Another piece of evidence that Jann Wenner doesn’t know his fanny from a hole in the ground. All four Monkees on this tune, which is both complex in arrangement and catchy to the ear. “Randy Scouse Git”: One of the few songs Micky Dolenz wrote for The Monkees, it is a personal homage to the groups first trip to England to meet and hang out with the guys that would become their life-long friends (and fans), The Beatles. Incredibly original, and an iconic sound that was pure fun. “Sweet Young Thing”/”Papa Gene’s Blues”: From their debut album, both written by Nesmith, singing lead on both, with strong background vocal contributions from Dolenz and Jones. Neo showed he could rock with the best of them on “SYT,” then turn around and
play hillbilly with the feather light “PGB.” Both songs featured prominently in the TV show, it is amazing to me that neither ever charted. “For Pete’s Sake”: See commentary above. I want this song played at my funeral. Peter Tork... love you, man! And holy cow, lest we forget their new album, released last month, “Good Times.” Discovering this album was like meeting your first love 40 years later and seeing that she still has it. Dave Swanson from ultimateclassicrock.com says it better than I ever could. Check out his full review online, here are some highlights: “Good Times!” is certainly the best Monkees LP since their ’60s heyday, but it also stands firmly on its own as one hell of an album circa 2016. To be honest, you’d be hard-pressed to find another act from the same era who has made an album this good in recent memory, and that includes any of the heavyweights still alive and kicking out there.” “The songs written by the new generation (all lifelong, dedicated Monkees fans) hold their own, as well. The first single, the naggingly catchy “She Makes Me Laugh,” was written by Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, while the second single, the effervescent “You Bring the Summer,” which is embedded above, was penned by former XTC leader Andy Partridge. “Birth of an Accidental Hipster,” by Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher, is a blast of pop art pop with Nesmith and Dolenz swapping lead vocals. “Me & Magdalena,” written by Death Cab for Cutie‘s Ben Gibbard, features a world weary and slightly fragile lead vocal from Nesmith, which works to the song’s benefit as Dolenz provides beautiful harmonies. Producer Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) and executive producer John Hughes certainly had a big hand in guiding the process, but it’s the spirit in which Tork, Nesmith and Dolenz took to the idea of making a record this way that makes it all work. Dolenz, at age 71, has retained the power and control of his amazing voice, and all three also contribute via guitars, piano, banjo and drums. The fact that there is a new Monkees album in 2016 is miraculous enough, but that said album, Good Times!, is nothing short of a masterpiece is astounding.” See you guys Sunday at Bell Auditorium. Tickets online at augustaentertainmentcomplex.com.
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While the Black Crowes were considered bluesy, southern rock and roll, describing Chris Robinson’s latest venture is a little trickier. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, which formed in 2011 and has put out six studio and live albums since then, has had its music described as everything from cosmic California music and acid Americana to psychedelic roots and bluesy and kaleidoscopic. This change in musical direction comes into its own on the band’s upcoming album “Anyway You Love We Know How You Feel,” which will be released on July 29. Critics who’ve heard tracks like “Narcissus Soaking Wet,” “Forever As the Moon” (from which the title of the album comes) and closer “California Hymn,” as well as fans who’ve seen them performed live, have attested to its quality. Those headed to Sky City Friday night can expect to hear many of those songs during the Brotherhood’s spectacle of a show, but don’t be surprised if you also hear some classic rock and blues covers and maybe even a Black Crowes song. Personally, we’d like to hear “Hard to Handle.” Chris Robinson Brotherhood Sky City Friday, July 22 Doors, 8 p.m.; show, 9 p.m. $25, advance; $28, day of show skycityaugusta.com
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What’s Up
Food Stuff Calendar Music Listings
Rise and shine!
If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com.
by Amy Christian
BelaiR donUts proves the old adage the early bird gets the worm. Or, in this case, the donut. Not only are they open extraordinarily early — 5 a.m. at their Evans location and 5:30 a.m. at the location near Fort Gordon’s Gate 2 most days — but those who visit near their 1 p.m. closing time will find themselves left with the crumbs of what the early risers have left. Such was the case when I visited Belair Donuts’ Evans location for the first time. I didn’t make it out there until 11 a.m. and was greeted with a large case that had been pretty thoroughly picked over. I had already checked out both their website and their Facebook page, so I had visions of taking home Cro-Dos (croissant donuts), lemonfilled Long Johns, maple bacon donuts or perhaps even an Oreo donut to my surprised and delighted family. Alas, there were only three dozen or so cake donuts left, as well as a couple of cinnamon rolls, pinwheels, pinecones and cream-filled Bismarks. A small shop at the end of a strip center off I-20, Belair Donuts’ interior is spare: a counter with a register, a case for showing off pastries, a refrigerated case with bottled drinks and a few tables are pretty much it for the inside. It makes sense, since most people who visit will take their goodies home to gorge on them in private.
this Week
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If you and your kids like cute, According to Garbage member Are you at the point this You may have taken your kids cuddly animals who like to Steve Marker, the band has summer when you’re looking for to story times before, but those snuggle, Predator vs. Prey, a always wanted to make horriblesomething a little bit different probably don’t have anything on program at 10 a.m. at Reed sounding pop music. We can’t to do? Well, you can’t get much Super Awesome Story Time, a say if they’ve succeeded, but different than visiting a castle Creek Park, may not be for you. weekly event held at 10:30 a.m. If, on the other hand, your kids we’re hoping Shirley Manson and in Trenton, South Carolina, for on Wednesdays at the Book company play classics like “#1 performances, workshops and want to see what really goes on Tavern. Not only will participants Crush” and “Push It,” in addition vendors about belly dancing and in the animal kingdom, they’ll hear a story, but most times probably be fascinated by this, they’ll also sing, do crafts, have a to songs from their recently fire dancing. Under the Stars which includes viewing a snake snack from New Moon Cafe and released “Strange Little Birds” takes place from 4-11 p.m. at when they visit Atlanta’s The Eastwind Castle. Visit facebook. feeding. Yep, that means dead maybe even meet some special rodents are involved. Tabernacle tonight. Tickets are com/events/1602161860107605/ guests. Such is the case today, still available for the all ages, 8 for more information. when Elizabeth Burgess is the p.m. show (doors open at 7 p.m.) guest reader and brings some of and are $49.50-$59.50. her therapy dogs with her.
For more information on these events, see our calendar of events on page 24.
I also knew from my online recon that Belair Donuts uses locally roasted Buona Caffe for the coffee that goes into their extensive menu of drinks. They have lots of choices, but I felt I was in for a sugar rush enough as it was, so I just ordered a plain cappuccino. While the lone employee set about the make my drink, I studied my options. I ended up ordering a half-dozen cake donuts, two each of chocolate, red velvet and chocolate-frosted red velvet. After talking about the other choices, I decided on a pinwheel, which the employee explained was basically a cinnamon roll, but its shape allowed the dough to puff up a bit more than a regular roll. I also went for a Pine Cone, which is the basic cinnamon roll dough which is scored across the top before being baked so that it crisps up more than a regular roll would. I also decided on a couple of Kalachis, which are beef sausages wrapped in donut dough that come in three varieties: regular, spicy and cheese. Once home, we dug in. We devoured the Kalachis in under a minute but the winner of the two was the spicy one rather than the cheese. It wasn’t too spicy and the dough wasn’t too sweet. As for the cinnamon pastries, I have to say that I don’t think I want to go back to a plain cinnamon roll ever again. Now that I’ve tasted the difference, the regular roll just seems so heavy. The Pine Cone and the Pinwheel were both light, not overly sweet or overly frosted and were both exactly as described. I especially liked the crunch of the Pine Cone. And, finally, the donuts. Cake donuts have a reputation for being dense, sometimes too much so. I was therefore surprised when I broke one in half and found lots of little air pockets throughout. They were light, sweet but not too sweet, and delicious. The best? The chocolatefrosted red velvet, of course. As for the coffee, it was the perfect, non-sugary foil for all the sweetness. Strong, but not bitter and mellowed with just the right amount of milk and foam. Demand is great for the products produced at Belair Donuts and I can now see why. The employee I spoke to said that they were in the middle of hiring and training new bakers so they can keep up with demand. Until then, if I want a cream cheese puff, it looks like I’ll be setting my alarm clock. And I’ll happily do that if I can be the early bird. BELAIR DONUTS & COFFEE CORNER 4045 Jimmie Dyess Parkway Monday-Friday, 5 a.m.-1 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 6 a.m.-1 p.m. 706-364-6522 720 E. Robinson Avenue Monday-Thursday, 5:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 6 a.m.-6 p.m. 706-869-5091 belairdonuts.com
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suggested. Call 706-210-3435 or visit necco.org.
Movies on the Common: “The Good Dinosaur” Augusta Common Friday, July 22 7:30 p.m. Pre-movie activities start at 7:30 p.m. and movies start at dusk. Vendors with concessions available. 706-821-1754 augustaga.gov
Wed July 27
6pm - 7:30pm Spanish Conversation Headquarters Branch Library For those at beginner and intermediate levels. Call 317-695-4748.
6:30pm Open House Augusta Technical College An event in which prospective students can meet faculty and partners, tour the facilities, apply for admission, register for classes, learn about financial aid and more. To RSVP, call 706-771-4028 or email alyssa.lloyd@ augustatech.edu.
Thu July 28
10am - noon Computer Help Lab Thursdays Wallace Branch Library Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
Ongoing
James Brown Family Historical Tour
ARTS Fri July 22
Noon Architect Charles Blaney Cluskey Morris Museum of Art Part of the Art at Lunch series led by Matthew Davis, director of the Old Governor’s Mansion in Milledgeville. $10, members; $15, non-members. Catered lunch included. Pre-registration required. Call 706724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
Wed July 27
7pm Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Le Chat Noir A burlesque live drawing event featuring contests, performances, prizes and more. $10, advance; $12 at the door. Call 706-7223322 or visit lcnaugusta.com.
CAMPS Mon July 25 - Fri July 29
Running Wild With Creativity Summer Camps Aiken Center for the Arts Half-day, either 9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m., or full-day, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., camps available for those ages 4-6, rising 1st-4th grades and middle schools in 5th grade and up. $140 a week, half days; $265 a week, full days. Preregistration required. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.
7am - 5pm Youth Horse Camp Hilltop Riding Stables, Fort Gordon For those ages 7-13, who will learn riding, grooming, care and tack, as well as 24 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
participate in other camp activities. $250, sponsored; $275, unsponsored. Call 706-7914864 or visit fortgordon.com.
8am - 5pm Summer Adventures Day Camp Weeks Activities Center, Aiken For those ages 5-12. Early drop off at 7:30 a.m. and late pick up until 5:30 p.m. available. $70 per week. Call 803-642-7631 or visit visitaikensc.com.
8am - 5pm Summer Fun Day Camp Smith-Hazel Recreation Center, Aiken For those ages 5-14. Early drop off at 7:45 a.m. available. $60 per week. Call 803-6427761 or visit visitaikensc.com.
8:30am - 2pm Summer Camp Active Climbing Indoor Rock Climbing and Ninja Warrior Center Kids will learn the basics of climbing techniques and equipment, make crafts, compete on ninja obstacles, play on the slide and more. $60 a day or $200 a week. Call 706-922-1054, email augusta@activeclimbing.com or visit activeclimbing.com.
participants will learn about a variety of art materials and techniques. $300 plus $15 for materials; participants should bring a sack lunch each day. Call 706-723-5782, email heythere@theclubhou.se or visit theclubhou.se/camps/.
6pm - 7:30pm Youth Archery Camp Weeks Center, Gym I, Aiken For those ages 5-17. $60, residents; $80, non-residents. Call 803-642-7631 or visit visitaikensc.com.
10am - noon Computer Help Lab Thursdays Wallace Branch Library Call 706-722-6275 or visit arcpls.org.
North Augusta Driving Tour
EDUCATION Thu July 21
6pm Batter Up! Headquarter Branch Library’s Georgia Heritage Room An evening with baseball aficionado and local collector Lamar Garrard. Call 706-8261511 or visit arcpls.org.
Mon July 25
Kroc Center For those ages 5-12. Extended care available. $100 a week, members; $125, nonmembers; $5 a day, extended care; $30 a week, swim lessons. Call 706-922-1533 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org.
Friedman Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
theClubhou.se A camp for those ages 11 and up in which
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.
9am - 4pm Camp Kroc Summer Camp
9am - 4pm Sequential Art Camp
Augusta Museum of History Available each Saturday at 11 a.m. and lasting approximately two hours, this bus tour includes Brown’s elementary school, his childhood home, his statue and more. $15 fee, includes admission to the museum, which houses the largest collection of James Brown memorabilia. Reservations 24 hours in advance required. Call 803-6402090 or visit jamesbrownfamilyfdn.org.
3:30pm - 5pm Intermediate Spanish
Tue July 26
10am Foster Parent Orientation Necco Augusta A free weekly session. Pre-registration
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.
Tours Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Guided tours, approximately 45 minutes long, are offered Thursday-Saturday on the hour from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Group tours are available by advanced reservation. Adults, $5; seniors, $4; kids K-12, $3; under 5 years, free. Call 706-724-0436 or visit wilsonboyhoodhome.org. 21JULY2016
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Historic Trolley Tours of Augusta Augusta Visitors Center Tours aboard the Lady Libby available at the Augusta Visitors Center with 24-hour advanced reservations. Tickets include admission to the Augusta Museum of History. Call 706-724-4067 or visit visitaugusta.org.
ELSEWHERE Sat July 23
4pm - 11pm Under the Stars Eastwind Castle, Trenton, S.C. A free event that will feature vendors, workshops and performances by belly dancers and fire dancers. Workshops: belly dancing basics at 5 p.m. and poi spinning at 6 p.m. Shows: belly dance performance at 8 p.m. and fire performance at 10 p.m. Visit facebook.com/events/1602161860107605/.
EXHIBITIONS Ongoing
Photo Discovery Project 2016 Morris Museum of Art An exhibition of work from students in this summer photography camp will show July 26-August 7. A closing reception featuring participating students will take place August 7 at 1 p.m. Call 706-828-3808 or visit themorris.org.
Miru: Hope Full Soul Westobou Gallery A collection of new artwork by Staci Swider. A book signing will take place September 2 for Swider’s new book “Acrylic Expressions: Painting Authentic Themes and Creating Your Visual Vocabulary.” The exhibition will show Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through September 2. Call 706-755-2878 or visit westoboufestival.com.
Out of Africa Arts & Heritage Center of North Augusta A show featuring more than 80 pieces of African art from the locally owned corporate collection of Tibi Winston Ltd. will show through August 19 in the main gallery. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.
Exhibits Augusta Museum of History Includes the following: “The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown; “Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf”; “Augusta’s Story”; “A Community That Heals”; “Into the Interior: A History of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company”; “Local Legends”; “One Man, Two Ships: Lessons in History and Courage”; “A Quilt Journey”; and “Canteens to Combat Boots”. Call 706-7228454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
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FLIX Fri July 22
7:30pm Movies on the Common Augusta Common Featuring “The Good Dinosaur.” Pre-movie activities start at 7:30 p.m. and movies start at dusk. Vendors with concessions available. Call 706-821-1754 or visit augustaga.gov.
Sat July 23 10am “Balto”
Imperial Theatre Part of the Summer Family Fun Film Series. Free, but tickets required. Call 706-722-8341 or visit imperialtheatre.com.
3pm “Miracles From Heaven” Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Mon July 25
Noon Summer Movie Diamond Lakes Branch Library A G- or PG-rated movie will show on the library’s big screen. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Tue July 26
2pm Retro Family Afternoon Movie Appleby Branch Library Featuring “Space Jam.” Participants are invited to bring their own snacks. Call 706736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
5:45pm “Sing Street” Headquarters Branch Library Call 706-821-2615 or visit arcpls.org.
Wed July 27
10:30am Back to School Movie Diamond Lakes Branch Library A G- or PG-rated movie will show on the library’s big screen. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Noon “Shaun the Sheep Movie”
The festival will accept through October 2 short film 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 July 21
6pm Breastfeeding Class Babies R Us Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center Part of the Family Movie Matinee Series, door open for this event at noon and the movie starts at 12:30 p.m. Free. Call 706868-3484 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.
7pm Babies, Bumps and Bruises
Thu July 28
6:30pm - 9:30pm Weekend Childbirth
Doctors Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
Fri July 22
Diamond Lakes Branch Library A G- or PG-rated movie will show on the library’s big screen. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Education Class University Hospital Class continues Saturday, July 23, from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Ongoing
Mon July 25
Cause + Effect Georgia Progressive Film Competition
Headquarters Branch Library A free cardio dance class. Call 706-821-
Noon Back to School Movie
Call for Entries
6:30pm Refit
2600 or visit arcpls.org.
Tue July 26
11am Lecture: Food Policy Initiative Happy House Korean Restaurant A CSRA Vegetarian Society event in which an HSUS food policy representative will speak while participants have a vegetarian lunch. For more information, visit meetup.com/csravs/.
Wed July 27
9:45am - noon Car Seat Class Safe Kids Office Pre-registration required. $10; car or booster seat provided to families who meet financial guidelines. Call 706-721-7606 or visit augustahealth.org.
Thu July 28
7pm Infant CPR Class University Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
HOBBIES Thu July 21
7pm Adult Coloring Night North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Sat July 23
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1:30pm Simply Science Fridays: Create a Storm Reed Creek Park A program for those ages 5 and up and their accompanying adult. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit phobbs@columbiacountyga.gov.
2:30pm Friday Afternoon Movie Columbia County Library A teen program featuring popcorn and a new movie each week. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
3pm Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library A celebration of J.K. Rowling’s next movie in which kids of all ages can enjoy crafts, games, videos and refreshments. Call 803279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Saturday Chef Series: Cupcakes Helms College Saturday, July 23 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Participants will take home a dozen cupcakes and are invited to bring their kids. $75; preregistration required. 706-651-9707 helmscontinuingeducation.com Helms College Part of the Saturday Chef series of community cooking classes, this one focusing on preparing cupcakes with different flavors, as well as simple decorating techniques. Participants will take home a dozen cupcakes and are invited to bring their kids. $75; preregistration required. Call 706-651-9707 or visit helmscontinuingeducation.com.
Tue July 26
10am Genealogy 101 Headquarters Branch Library’s Georgia Heritage Room Participants will learn how to start a family history project, as well as discuss resources and strategies. Call 706-826-1511 or visit arcpls.org.
2:30pm - 5pm Get in the (Video) Game
Thu July 28
Columbia County Library A teen program featuring gaming on a big screen with surround sound. Call 706-8631946 or visit gchrl.org.
11am Thursday Game Mania Diamond Lakes Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
KIDS-TEENS Thu July 21
9am Get Pop-Cultured: Comic Convention Collectibles on Sale Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
10am Pond Exploration
Appleby Branch Library Participants should bring their smartphone and/or tablet. Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am Wrapped Bottle Centerpieces
10:30am B&B Puppet Theatre
Diamond Lakes Branch Library Participants should bring and empty glass bottle and a spool of yarn. Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
Wed July 27
Noon Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters Fat Man’s Mill Cafe Those interested are invited to learn speech and leadership skills in a fun and supportive 26 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
9:30am - noon Stepping Into Manhood
atmosphere. Call 706-627-2134.
Reed Creek Park A program in which participants ages 5 and up will learn about the animals living in the park’s ponds. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit phobbs@columbiacountyga.gov.
10:30am Get Pinning with Pinterest
Sat July 23
Diamond Lakes Branch Library Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
2pm Bike Clinic with Outspokin’ Bikes Headquarters Branch Library Brett Ardrey will teach kids bicycle safety as well as about the Tour de France during this clinic. Call 706-821-2600 or visit arcpls.org.
4pm Color Me Happy Aiken Public Library A summer YA program. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
8pm Noctural Thursdays: Interesting Insects Reed Creek Park A program for those ages 5 and up and their accompanying adult. Participants will also take an astronomy class. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit phobbs@columbiacountyga.gov.
Fri July 22
10:15am - noon Friday Story Times Aiken Public Library Story time are at 10:15 for those ages 0-23 months, at 11 a.m. for those ages 2-3 years and at 11:45 a.m. for those ages 4-5 years. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
10:15am - 11:30am Friday Story Times North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Story time are at 10:15 for those ages 0-2 years and at 11 a.m. for those ages 3-5 years. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Trinity Hospital of Augusta A class for boys ages 12-15, accompanied by their father, male relative or friend, that includes a frank discussion on sexuality, peer pressure and responsible decisionmaking. $10. Call 706-481-7604 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.
7pm Get Pop-Cultured: DC Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
Mon July 25
10am - noon Maker Mondays Columbia County Library A teen event in which participants will work on a group project or one of their own using the library’s equipment. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
10am Predator vs. Prey Reed Creek Park A program about animals for those ages 5 and up that includes participants watching a snake feed. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit phobbs@columbiacountyga.gov.
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.
2pm Movie Monday Headquarters Branch Library A G- or PG-rated movie will be shown in the children’s department. Call 706-821-2600 or visit arcpls.org. 21JULY2016
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7pm Cosplay Runway
10:30am Plastic Bag Craft
4:30pm - 6pm Alley Cats
North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library A summer YA program in which participants can dress as their favorite book, television or movie character. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Appleby Branch Library A program for those ages 5-12 in which participants will turn plastic bags into something new. Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
Tue July 26
10:30am Story Time for Tots
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 Big Kids Story Time Headquarters Branch Library Stories and songs for those ages 3-5. Preregistration recommended. Call 706-8212623 or visit arcpls.org.
11am - 1pm Lego Day Aiken Public Library A drop-in event for kids of all ages that will include play, crafts and games. Call 803642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Wed July 27
10am Story Time Maxwell Branch Library For those ages 3-5. Call 706-793-2020 or visit arcpls.org.
10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
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
Thu July 28
9:30am - 2pm Junior Rangers: Back to School Mistletoe State Park
A program for those ages 6 and older, who will Prepare for school by making naturethemed journals and bookmarks, as well as play beach games. Participants should bring lunch, water and sunscreen. $20; preregistration required. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
10am Incredible Birds Reed Creek Park A program for those ages 5 and up. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit phobbs@
The Book Tavern Featuring Elizabeth Burgess and her therapy dogs. Elizabeth will read “How to Be a Dog” and will show participants some dog tricks and teach them the proper way to meet a dog. Cookies and juice provided. Call 706826-1940 or email superawesomestorytime@ booktavern.com.
11am Splashdown North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Kids of all ages can wear their bathing suits to play in the spray provided by the local fire department. Participants should bring towels. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
TAKE YOUR SHOT YOUTH SPORTS SIGN-UP Sign-up today for basketball, cheer, football, soccer and more!
Youth Sports are free with a Family Metro Membership.
FAMILY YMCA OF GREATER AUGUSTA 706 922 YMCA thefamilyy.org
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Appleby Branch Library Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org.
Ongoing
Senior Citizens Club Smith-Hazel Recreation Center Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-noon. Call 803-642-7634.
Silversneakers H.O. Weeks Center Silversneakers Classic Classes offered Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 a.m. and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 11:15 a.m., while Silversneakers Yoga is offered Mondays and Wednesdays at 11:15 a.m. at the Weeks Center in Aiken. $27, members; $52, nonmembers. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
Games for Seniors
Veggie Truck Farmers Market AL Williams Park Tuesday, July 26 4:30-7 p.m. growharrisburg.org columbiacountyga.gov.
10:30am Mr. Bill, His Guitar George and His Girlfriend Nancy Appleby Branch Library A program for those age 3-12. Preregistration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
2pm Library Putt-Putt Golf Headquarters Branch Library The children’s department will turn in to a miniature golf course for kids of all ages. Pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.
2pm Paper Football Headquarters Branch Library A young adult program. Call 706-821-2623 or visit arcpls.org.
2:30pm - 5pm Get in the (Video) Game Columbia County Library A teen program featuring gaming on a big screen with surround sound. Call 706-8631946 or visit gchrl.org.
3pm Perler Bead Craft Appleby Branch Library A YA program for those ages 12 and up. Preregistration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
4pm Tonight Show Game Battles Aiken Public Library A summer YA program for those in grades 28 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
6-12. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe- lib. org.
AU students. Call 706-667-4100 or visit augusta.edu.
8pm Noctural Thursdays: Star Gazing
7:30pm Soiree: Jazz + Wine
Reed Creek Park A program for those ages 5 and up and their accompanying adult. Participants will also take an astronomy class. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit phobbs@columbiacountyga.gov.
Jessye Norman School of the Arts Featuring classic live jazz and wines selected by the host. $7. Call 762-233-5299 or visit jazzsoiree.com.
MUSIC
7:30pm Candlelight Jazz
H.O. Weeks Center Include Mahjong each Thursday from 1-4 p.m., Bridge each Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Bingo each Tuesday 9-10 a.m., Pinochle each Tuesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Canasta on Tuesdays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and on Fridays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; and board games on Thursdays from 5-9 p.m. Call 803642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
Senior Basketball
Thu July 21
7pm Music in the Park Maude Edenfield Park, North Augusta Featuring ABBA Big Band. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be held in the community center. Free. Visit naartscouncil.org.
Sat July 23
11am - 2pm Saturday Morning Swing Eighth Street Plaza Live music from local jazz artists and performing arts groups during the Augusta Market. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.
Sun July 24
Augusta Common Attendees are invited to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and picnics for this live jazz concert. $6. Call 706-821-1754 or visit augustaga.gov.
Mon July 25
7pm Hopelands Summer Concert Series Hopelands Gardens, Aiken Featuring Southern Meltdown. Attendees can bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnics and well-behaved pets on leashes, but no alcohol. Free. Call 803-642-7631 or visit facebook. com/experienceaiken. The rain-out hotline is 803-643-4661.
7pm The Beatles and Richard Rodgers Reimagined
Thu July 28
Maxwell Theatre An Evening with John Bucchino, American Opera and Musical Theatre Institute composer in residence. $10, general; $5, senior, military and Augusta University faculty and staff; free, children up to 17 and
North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
7pm Sweet Adelines
SENIORS Thu July 21
10:30am Seniors Golden Games
H.O. Weeks Center Leagues for those ages 50 and up. Practice is held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
SPECIAL EVENTS Thu July 21
Thursday Throwdown: Peach Party Whole Foods A recipe contest, this time featuring peaches, between different departments in the store and the Helms College culinary department. Customer votes will pick the winner. Call 762-333-0259 or visit wholefoodsmarket.com.
5pm - 7:30pm Farmers Market in the Alley Downtown Aiken This weekly event includes fresh goods, food vendors, artisans, flowers and live music. Call 803-293-2214.
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 803-279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com.
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ministry that will include prints, original oils and more sold in a live auction with paddle bidding, as well as coffee, tea and desserts. Admission is free, but please RSVP. Call 706650-9467 or email whenhelpcantwait@comcast.net.
Sat July 23
8am - 2pm Augusta Market at the River
Participants will visit a number of historic sites, including the Old Governor’s Mansion, Andalusia Farm and Lockerly Arboretum. $50, members; $65, non-members. Fee includes transportation, tours and admission fees. Pre-registration by July 22 required. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
5pm - 7:30pm Farmers Market in the Alley
8th Street Plaza, Reynolds Street The event features vendors of all kinds, activities, live entertainment and more. Visit theaugustamarket.com.
Downtown Aiken This weekly event includes fresh goods, food vendors, artisans, flowers and live music. Call 803-293-2214.
10am - 2pm Aiken Unity Day
Ongoing
Perry Memorial Park, Aiken A family event that will include live music, food, games, contests, children’s activities, prizes and 500 backpacks that will be given out. Free. Call 803-624-7589 or email aikenunityday@gmail.com.
8pm “Engineering the International Space Station” Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1$5.50. Call 803-641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.
9pm “Digistar Laser Fantasy” Dupont Planetarium, Aiken Weather permitting, the observatory, housing the Bechtel Telescope, will be available for viewing after each show. $1$5.50. Call 803-641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.
Tue July 26
Veggie Truck Farmers Market AL Williams Park This weekly event, held through the end of October in the park across from the Kroc Center, features all local farmers and doubles EBT. Visit growharrisburg.org.
Thu July 28
Community Giving 5% Day Whole Foods Market A quarterly event in which the store donates 5 percent of its sales to local organizations. This time proceeds will benefit Paine College. Call 762-333-0259 or visit wholefoodsmarket.com.
Day Trip to Milledgeville
MVP Community Awards Nominations Walton Options for Independent Living is now accepting nominations for the Most Valuable Partner Community Awards. Categories include Inclusive Employment, Community Government, Public Accommodations and Communications, Outstanding Service Organization and Outstanding Individual Advocate. Public nominations will be accepted through August 12 and winners will announced at a ceremony at the Legends Club on November 3. Online forms are available at waltonoptions.org/mvpawards.
SPORTS-OUTDOORS Fri July 22
10am - noon Friday Summer Fun Mistletoe State Park Kid-friendly activities in the park led by a Naturalist. $5 plus $5, parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/ mistletoe.
Sat July 23
10am - noon T-Shirt Dyes Mistletoe State Park A tie-dye program in which participants should bring a white T-shirt. $5 plus $5, parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Tue July 26
7pm - 9pm Evening Canoe Mistletoe State Park Pre-registration required. $10 plus $5 parking. Call 706-5410321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Thu July 28
7:05pm Augusta GreenJackets vs. Lakewood BlueClaws Lake Olmstead Stadium $8-$12. Call 706-922-9467 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.
Ongoing
Fencing Classes Augusta Fencers Club Classes for children as young as six, as well as teens and adults, meet five nights a week. Call 706-722-8878 or visit augustafencersclub.com.
Augusta Sports Leagues This organization offers adult sports leagues and social events, including kickball, soccer, flag football, softball, basketball, indoor and sand volleyball, cornhole, and more for coed and men’s leagues. For more information, visit augustasportsleagues.com.
7am Fort Gordon Army 10-Miler Qualifier
Guided Tours
Fort Gordon A 10-mile race open to the public that is part of the Fort Gordon Run Series. $12, adults; $7, youth ages 13-17. Visit fortgordonrunseries.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.
9:30am - 11:30am Stream Explorers Phinizy Swamp Nature Park For those ages 8 and up, participants should wear long socks and bring water. Waders provided. Free, members; $2, nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-2109 or visit phinizycenter.org.
Daily Canal Tours Augusta Canal Tours Mondays-Saturdays at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.; the Civil War Boat Tour is daily at 1:30 p.m.; music cruises are Friday evenings at 7 p.m. in June; and sunset cruises are the third Saturdays, in June at 6 p.m.
Morris Museum of Art
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CSRA Parkinson Support Group St. John Towers dining room Tuesday, July 26 6 p.m. Tambra Craven of Day One Fitness will explain the benefit of a specialized boxing program she leads locally for Parkinson patients, give details of how the program works and do a demonstration in which attendees will be invited to participate. 706-364-1662 Tickets are $13.75 for adults and $11.75 for seniors, military and students for Heritage Boat Tours and Civil War Boat Tours. They are $25 for adults and $23 for seniors, students or military for the music and sunset cruises. All tickets include admission to the Canal Discovery Center, which costs $6 for adults and $4 for seniors, military and students without a boat tour. Pre-registration encouraged. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
Guided Trail Rides Hilltop Riding Stables Available Saturdays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Sundays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon; and Wednesday-Friday at 11 a.m. with reservations 24 hours in advance. All trail rides are on a first-come, first-served basis, and participants should arrive 30 minutes prior to the trail ride starting for sign in procedures. Call 706-791-4864 or visit fortgordon.com.
Zumba Classes Patriots Park Held Sundays at 3:30 p.m. and Monday at 8:30 a.m. in the Bobby Waters Gymnasium. Taught by Alex Stampher. First class is free; $5 for each after that. Call 831-521-6439 or visit alexandrastampher.zumba.com.
The Augusta Furies Women’s Rugby Football Club Club practices 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Julian Smith Casino for players 18 and up. Email augusta. furies@gmail.com or visit augustafuries.org.
Chain Reaction Group Rides Rides include Tuesdays at 6 p.m.; Thursdays at 6 p.m.; Saturdays at 8 a.m.; and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Participants should bring their own water and helmet. Call 706-855-2024 or visit chainreactionbicycles.net.
Augusta Disc Golf Association Leagues
11am Meditation Moments Ronald McDonald House An open support group for those in crisis or experiencing loss. Call 706-721-2929 or visit augusta.edu.
Mon July 25
6pm Cancer Share University Hospital For those with any type of cancer. Call 706-774-5946 or visit universityhealth.org.
Andy Jordan’s Group Rides
10:20am Moms Connection
Rides include Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., road bike ride; Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., mountain bike ride; Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., road bike ride; Saturdays at 9 a.m., road bike ride. Front and rear lights, as well as a helmet, are required. Call 706-724-6777 or visit andyjordans.com.
Outspokin’ Bicycles Group Rides
Offers kickball, flag football and bowling leagues. For more information, visit sarcaugusta.com.
Weekly Group Runs
BlazeSports Swim team
Include the Monday Run meeting at Stillwater Taproom at 6 p.m.; Monday Intervals meeting at the Family Y track on Wheeler Road at 7 p.m.; the Tuesday Nacho Mama’s Group Run at 5:30 and 6 p.m.; Wednesday’s Hill Training Run at the Family Y track on Wheeler Road at 7 p.m.; and Thursday’s Homer Hustle at 6 p.m. Visit augustastriders.com.
Sun July 24
Meet Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Riverview Park in North Augusta and Mondays at 6 p.m. at Lake Olmstead. Entry fee for each, $5; ace pool, $1. Call 803-215-8181 (North Augusta), 706-8334263 (Lake Olmstead) or visit augustadiscgolf.com.
Rides include Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 p.m., as well as Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m. Water and helmet required. Call 706-736-2486 or visit outspokinaugusta.com.
South Atlantic Recreation Club
University Hospital Call 706-774-8931 or visit universityhealth.org.
Wilson Family Y’s Katie’s Pool For all ages of physically challenged swimmers who want to train for competition. Members, $30 a month; non-members, $40 a month. Call 706-922-9664 or visit thefamilyy.org.
SUPPORT Thu July 21
Tue July 26
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.
6pm CSRA Parkinson Support Group St. John Towers dining room Tambra Craven of Day One Fitness will explain the benefit of a specialized boxing program she leads locally for Parkinson patients, give details of how the program works and do a demonstration in which attendees will be invited to participate. Free and open to the public. Call 706-364-1662.
Wed July 27
6pm Mental Health Support Group Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta A group for teens and up that follows the methods
6pm Bariatric Surgery Support Group 30 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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of Recovery International. Call 630-6056913 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 weighin beginning at 5:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Call 706-790-0391 or visit tops.org.
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Pine View Baptist Church The group meets Tuesdays, with weigh-in beginning at 4:45 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 5:15 p.m. Call 706-868-0539 or visit tops.org.
La Leche League A breastfeeding support group. For more information on meeting dates, times and locations, visit them on Facebook under La Leche League of Augusta or at lllaugusta. wordpress.com.
Celebrate Recovery Journey Community Church This Christ-centered recovery program meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. The
21JULY2016
meetings last two hours and childcare is provided. Pre-registration suggested. Visit cr@journeycommunity.net.
Write to Heal Creative Writing Program Children’s Hospital of Georgia family resource library For patients, family members and caregivers, this program meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Preregistration required. Call 706-721-5160 or email nawilliams@gru.edu.
Diabetes Youth Support Group Meets quarterly. Call for more information. Call 706-868-3241.
Overeaters Anonymous Meets at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Unity Church, and at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 706863-9534 or email oa.augusta.recovery@ gmail.com.
Adult Sexual Assault and Rape Support Group Provides group counseling at University Hospital for those who have experienced sexual assault, incest, rape or childhood
sexual abuse. Call 706-724-5200 or visit universityhealth.org.
Alcoholics Anonymous Holds several meetings locally. For a current schedule, visit augustaaa.org/meetings.pdf.
Narcotics Anonymous Trinity Hospital of Augusta Meets Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Visit na.org.
Beyond the Bars A support group for those with incarcerated loved ones. Call 706-855-8636.
Families Who Have Lost a Baby Support Group For more information, call 706-721-8299 or visit grhealth.org.
THEATER Fri July 22
7pm “Nice Work If You Can Get It” Grovetown High School A production of the Greater Augusta Youth Theatre. $14-$16. Visit grayt.org.
7:30pm “Freud’s Last Session” Aiken Community Playhouse
An Aiken Community Playhouse production. $20; $17, seniors; $12, students and $7, children 12 and under. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
Sat July 23
7pm “Nice Work If You Can Get It” Grovetown High School A production of the Greater Augusta Youth Theatre. $14-$16. Visit grayt.org.
7:30pm “Freud’s Last Session” Aiken Community Playhouse An Aiken Community Playhouse production. $20; $17, seniors; $12, students and $7, children 12 and under. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikencommunityplayhouse.com.
Tue July 26
7pm “Oklahoma!” Auditions Augusta Ballet School Parts for performers ages 16 and up are available for this Augusta Players production, which shows September 23-25 at the Imperial Theatre. For more information, call 706-826-4707 or visit augustaplayers.org.
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The Monkees 50th Anniversary Tour Bell Auditorium Sunday, July 24 7:30 p.m. $49-$79 877-4AUGTIX georgialinatix.com
Thursday, July 21 Live Music
Maude Edenfield Park (North Augusta) - Music in the Park w/ ABBA Big Band Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Live Music on the Patio Red Pepper (Aiken) - The Mike Frost Band Soul Bar - Dip, Twinki Stillwater Taproom - Jaycie and the Beards Wild Wing - Brendon Roberts Duo The Willcox (Aiken) - Thursday Night Jazz w/ 4 Cats in the Dog House
What’s Tonight?
Bar West - Open Mic Night w/ Jonathon Flowers Carolina Ale House - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper (9 p.m.) Chevy’s - Karaoke Cotton Patch - Old School Thursday w/ DJ Groove Fox’s Lair - Trivia, Soup and Suds Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia Joe’s Underground - Trivia 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, July 22 Live Music
Back Yard Tavern - Chasing Savannah Bar West - Live Music Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - Chris Bandi Coyotes - The Lacs Eli’s American - Friday Night Live w/ Kyle Smith The Highlander - Caleb Tokarska Playoffs (Aiken) - Anybody’s Guess Shannon’s - Terence Lonon and the Untouchables Sky City - Chris Robinson Brotherhood Somewhere in Augusta - Brandon Reeves The Stables Restaurant (Aiken) - Jazz w/ Jimmy Easton
32 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
That Place - John Stoney Cannon, Douglas Oxford, Cradle & Grave Whole Foods - Music @ the Turn Wild Wing - The Remedy The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Knight’s Lounge - Hip Hop Meets Reggae w/ DJ Adrian, DJ Spudd Soul Bar - Soul Bar Sound Lab Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke
Bell Auditorium - The Monkees Iron Heights - The Machinist Mellow Mushroom (Aiken) - Brunch w/ Mike Frost and Lauren Meccia Wild Wing - Ruskin The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane
Monday, July 25 Live Music
Hopelands Gardens (Aiken) - Hopelands Summer Concert Series w/ Southern Meltdown Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Blues Monday w/ Famous Last Words Soul Bar - Crunk Witch, Gloom Cocoon
What’s Tonight?
Joe’s Underground - Poker
Saturday, July 23 Live Music
Cotton Patch - Live Jazz & Blues Country Club - Walker McGuire Coyotes - Pitboss Eighth Street Plaza - Saturday Morning Swing at the Augusta Market on the River Jessye Norman School of the Arts - Jazz + Wine Maxwell Theatre - The Beatles and Richard Rodgers Reimagined w/ John Bucchino Shannon’s - Chasing Savannah Sky City - Wasted Wine, Me Bad Eye, John Krueger Somewhere in Augusta - Old Man Crazy Stillwater Taproom - Kenny George Band CD Release Party Wild Wing - Bombshell The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - DJ Fugi Chevy’s - DJ Nicky B Helga’s Pub & Grille - Bluegrass Brunch (11 a.m.3 p.m.); Trivia, nights The Highlander - Karaoke Joe’s Underground - Ladies Night, Singles Night Vera Cruz Mexican Restaurant - Karaoke
Sunday, July 24 Live Music
Aiken Speakeasy and Eats (Aiken) - Live Jazz Augusta Common - Candlelight Jazz Concert
Caleb Tokarska The Highlander Friday, July 22 9 p.m. pubhighlander.net 21JULY2016
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Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Somewhere in Augusta - World Tavern Poker Wild Wing - Trivia Wing Place (Aiken) - Trivia
Tuesday, July 26 Live Music
Joe’s Underground - Open Mic The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck
What’s Tonight?
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/ Eric Hunter and Christian Saslo Southbound Smokehouse - Trivia Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz Surrey Tavern - Trivia w/ Christian and Mickey
Upcoming
Wednesday, July 27 Live Music
Maxwell, Ro James
What’s Tonight?
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
Gin Blossoms, Tonic
- Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee, North Augusta October 29
Elsewhere Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Kevin Gates, Jhene Aiko
- Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta July 22 Aaron Neville
- City Winery, Atlanta July 22-23
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
The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Shameless Dave Soul Bar - Dead Neighbors Surrey Tavern - Austin Miller Wild Wing - Will McCranie Duo
October 28
Garbage
Billy S
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta July 22
- Stillwater Taproom July 28
Digable Planets
Chris Ndeti and Company
- The Masquerade, Atlanta July 22
- Stillwater Taproom July 29
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, North Mississippi All-Stars
Hound of Goshen, The Will McCranie Band
- Stillwater Taproom July 30 - Bell Auditorium August 6
5 Seconds of Summer
Boston
- Lakeood Amphitheatre, Atlanta July 24
- Bell Auditorium August 7
Ted Nugent
I Love the ‘90s Tour w/ Salt N Pepa, Vanilla Ice, Coolio, Kid N Play, Rob Base, Tone Loc, Color Me Badd
- Symphony Hall, Atlanta July 24 Counting Crows, Rob Thomas
- Bell Auditorium October 6
- Chastain Park, Atlanta July 25
Yonder Mountain String Band, Fruition
Guns N’ Roses
- Jessye Norman Amphitheatre October 6
- Georgia Dome, Atlanta July 27
Blues Traveler, the Marcus King Band, Cranford Hollow
Pitbull, Prince Royce, Farruko
- Philips Arena, Atlanta July 28
- Evans Towne Center Park October 14
Cracker
ZZ Top
- City Winery, Atlanta July 28
- Bell Auditorium October 26
Gwen Stefani, Eve
Moon Taxi, Big Something
- Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee, North Augusta
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
- Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alpharetta July 23
Try FREE: 706-434-0108 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000
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- Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alpharetta July 29
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AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 33
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SIGHTINGS
Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Jamie and Beth Introcaso with Emily and Scott Terry at the premiere of HAPPY: A Small Film with a Big Smile at the Imperial Theatre.
Nathan and Heather Jordan with Holly and Coco Rubio at the premiere of HAPPY: A Small Film with a Big Smile at the Imperial Theatre.
Matthew Wieberdink, Melissa Sommer, Laura Neff and Tony Colafanceso at the premiere of HAPPY: A Small Film with a Big Smile at the Imperial Theatre.
Allie Brackett, Meredith Hyman and Charmain Brackett at the premiere of HAPPY: A Small Film with a Big Smile at the Imperial Theatre.
Johnny Berry, Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman and Michael Kelley at the premiere of HAPPY: A Small Film with a Big Smile at the Imperial Theatre.
Lisa and Dayton Sherrouse with Linda McNorrill at the 30th Annual Augusta Southern Nationals drag boat races on the Savannah River.
Jeff and Debbie Banks with Gary and Ginger Richardson at the 30th Annual Augusta Southern Nationals drag boat races on the Savannah River.
Mark Storey, Samantha McManus and David Marshall at the 30th Annual Augusta Southern Nationals drag boat races on the Savannah River.
Chris and Amber Ashe with Mary Wamak and Lee Richardson at the 30th Annual Augusta Southern Nationals drag boat races on the Savannah River.
34 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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DOUBLE QUOTE By Patrick Berry/Edited by Will Shortz 97 Use as a bed ACROSS 98 Mom-to-aunt term 1 Onetime Scandinavian automaker 101 Actress Mason (containing the first part of the 103 Journalist/columnist Carl “double quote”) 105 France : madame :: Italy : ____ 5 Music’s Prince of Soul 107 Request for permission 9 Precious Australian exports 109 Showing few lights, as cities during 14 Abandon détente W.W.II 19 Victimizes 112 Follow 21 Like pets but not strays 113 Beeper from “a long time ago,” 22 2015 Oscar winner Morricone informally 23 Solitary sort 114 Speaker of this puzzle’s “double 24 Dream of many Koreans quote” 26 Youngest “Brady Bunch” daughter 115 Have another crack at 27 “No, no, it’s my treat!” 116 Long 29 “____ Fideles” 117 Humorist Bombeck 30 Senatorial vote 118 Spotted (containing the last part of 31 “Key Largo” gangster Johnny the “double quote”) 33 Church group 35 Break DOWN 36 Time periods in a polo match 1 Like vindaloo 39 U people? 2 Golfer Palmer, to fans 41 Authoritarian announcements 3 Health care giant 44 Catch something 4 Disputed North Pole visitor 47 In the doldrums 5 Sir, in Surrey 50 Golden calf’s maker 6 Emulate 51 Birds with throat pouches 7 Head guy in “Hamlet”? 54 Comp-sci acronym 8 Draw in 56 Steep 9 Difficult duty 57 Sitcom whose title character was 10 Market problem Fran Fine 11 Technology eschewers 59 Perfumery oils 12 Not secured, as a gate 60 ____-Cat 61 First secretary of homeland security 13 Reagan-era program, in brief 14 Went over 62 Tank tops? 15 Crosses the sill 64 Make noise while asleep 16 Pernod flavoring 66 Corresponding expense? 17 Crowd scenes? 67 First-chair violinist, perhaps 18 “Woman With a Parasol” painter 68 Person with an account 20 Kikkoman product 71 Political org. dating to 1854 25 “Oliver!” director Reed 74 Bear witness 28 “____ any drop to drink”: Coleridge 75 Painkiller first sold in 1950 31 Repent of 76 Unable to continue 32 Consents to 77 Nameless network user 34 “Bearded” flower 78 Some dumps 36 Celebrate gloatingly 80 Image Awards org. 37 Grown-up pullet 81 Hall of announcing 38 Deceptive police op 82 Pan’s home, in myth 40 Freight-train component 84 Minority branch of Islam 41 Delicately applies 86 Longtime Texas politico Phil 42 Be deserving of 87 Free throws, e.g. 43 Treated with a preservative, as 91 ____ horn telephone poles 94 Judges to be
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45 Teen spots 46 Michael’s wife in “The Godfather” 47 One who seems responsible but isn’t 48 Faux sophistication 49 Slam 51 Reform Party founder 52 “Idylls of the King” woman 53 Shaver 55 Without a date 57 Explicitly 58 Med. care options 59 ____ Villa (English football club) 61 Like major generals 62 Pushes 63 Nonhuman 1930s film star 65 Draft picks 66 Gun full of blanks, maybe 67 Shirt ornament 68 Fanta competitor 69 Quarters 70 Record label owned by Sony 72 As soon as 73 Fires (up) 74 “We are always the same ____ inside”: Gertrude Stein 75 Nth degree? 76 Place for a throne 78 It’s all downhill from here 79 “I feel that way, too” 80 Hairsplitter’s objection 83 Storm shower? 84 “Homeland” network, for short 85 Darling 86 Take a turn for the worse 88 High rollers? 89 Add color to, in a way 90 Lead-in to -itis 91 It may contain bugs 92 Football Hall-of-Famer Bobby 93 Private meeting 95 Mazda two-seater 96 Fully enjoy 98 [Bo-o-oring!] 99 Harden 100 Underworld figure 102 Vietnam War copter 104 “____ Flux” (1990s animated series) 105 Cotillion attendee 106 Horatian collection 108 Put 110 “Gone With the Wind” studio 111 Verdi’s “O patria ____”
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PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWERS
A O R T A
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P A M P E R S
O V E R E A T
P O L E N T A
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A W A S H I N
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S P A C E J U N C T I O N E K E T E D
T A N K T O P
E N D Y D A E Y S S T A G T Y I E F N T O N S W E L T S I T E N A L C R O O R A M Y N E
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V27|NO29
THE EIGHT
BOX TOPS The “Ghostbusters” get slimed by their animated competition. RANK TITLES
WEEKEND GROSS TOTAL GROSS WEEK # LAST WEEK
1
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
$50,838,355
$203,426,220
2
1
2
GHOSTBUSTERS
$46,018,755
$46,018,755
1
-
3
THE LEGEND OF TARZAN
$11,441,337
$103,371,594
3
2
4
FINDING DORY
$11,281,179
$445,745,629
5
3
5
MIKE AND DAVE...
$7,657,918
$31,481,634
2
4
In Theaters July 22
SCI-FI
“Star Trek Beyond,” rated PG-13, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba. So the first two of JJ Abrams’ “Star Trek” films haven’t focused much on the original series’ five-year mission. That’ll change with “Beyond,” and, of course, the Enterprise crew’s explorations will put them in danger. Also of note: the movie is being released on the 50-year anniversary of the TV show’s debut and this, of course, is the last time Anton Yelchin will grace the big screen as Chekov, since he died in June. 36 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
FAMILY
“Ice Age: Collision Course,” rated PG, starring Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Simon Pegg, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Offerman, Neil deGrasse Tyson. As always, Scrat’s dogged pursuit of his beloved acorns is the best part of any “Ice Age” movie. This time, however, it looks like he somehow lands up in space and is the cause of a potential meteor strike on Earth. Oh, Scrat!
HORROR
“Lights Out,” rated PG-13, starring Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Maria Bello, Billy Burke. Horror movies have always used our fear of the dark against us; they’d be stupid not to. But a creature who can only appear in the dark? Now, that’s interesting.
COMEDY
“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie,” rated R, starring Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Jane Horrocks, Julia Sawalha. Well, Edina and Patsy don’t mess around. Even though the alcohol- and drug-crazed twosome haven’t been on television for decades, they pick up right where they left off by charging into movie theaters and accidentally killing off a famous supermodel. So it’s off to France, where we’re sure they get into even more trouble. Expect hilarity, name dropping and lots of terrible outfits. Not you, Patsy: We’re talking about Eddie and Bubbles.
21JULY2016
You Ain’t Budging, We Ain’t Budging It hAs Been some time now since Hillary and The Donald wrapped up their respective party nominations, and it is not a stretch to say many on both sides of the political aisle feel like they are in the middle of an “ugliest date” contest. Lord knows I feel that way. But I don’t see myself switching sides and, yes, I consider “not voting” as a form of aiding the bigger enemy so, no, I won’t be doing that. I don’t see much of the other team bailing either. I do have to chuckle at the “heartfelt” admonitions from people like Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Samantha Bee, etc., etc., etc., who would have us believe that “this year” the Republicans have really lost their minds, they have finally come up with a candidate no one can fathom. I chuckle because they say that every four years. David Letterman assailed Mitt Romney mercilessly for months, ridiculing the GOP presidential nominee as some type of “Scrooge McDuck” billionaire who was so rich that he was out of touch with reality. Oh, and he was an animal abuser to boot. Funny thing, I looked up Romney’s net worth and it is listed as $250 million. Impressive figure, but even more impressive is that Letterman beat him by $150 million with a net worth of $400 million. But don’t tell anyone. The left winger did keep a far more impressive “secret sex room” at his CBS office than anyone ever accused Mitt Romney of having, and as far as the animal abuse goes, I think dogs enjoy car rides, even strapped on the roof in a car carrier, more than they do the studio lights and noises associated with “stupid pet tricks” on TV, but hey, what do I know? In 2008 Sarah Palin was the anti-Christ, so all the forces listed above were in on that effort. They had to be, because, you know, they had to. The bottom line is that the GOP could put forth “Abraham Lincoln resurrected” as the nominee and the Hollywood and Main Stream Media Left would line right up as they always do to stand against him. Because, you know, Lincoln’s wife is crazy, and he didn’t graduate from law school, and he has that weird facial hair that makes him look like Amish. He is just too weird and, come to think of it, did he really fight racism as hard as he could have? The hypocrisy on display at the “outrage” over Mrs. Trump’s plagiarism in her Monday night speech is another great example of their selective outrage. The speech was copied, no doubt. If you are terribly bothered by that, don’t vote for Mrs. Trump. Problem solved. But wait a minute. Joe Biden was found to be a serial plagiarist many years ago, and the left had no problem showing up and voting for him for vice president. Twice. Social media wasn’t a thing back in those days, so maybe you forgot, but the press was sure on him at the time. They flat wore his fanny out over the issue. Pardon me, issues. There were many. But they had “Liberal B” (Bill Clinton) to run to, so they could afford a little righteous indignation, and boy did they nail him with it. Years later when he was the running mate of the Dem nominee it wasn’t such a big deal. You
know, because Obama, of course. And don’t even get me started on the folks who call the sheriff of Milwaukee an “Uncle Tom” because he dares speak out as a conservative, black, law enforcement officer. Of course the left tends to say that about every conservative black, so at least they are consistent in that regard. Open minded, inclusive folks that they all are. But those of us on the right can’t complain about being steadfast; we are stuck with Trump because we are so deathly afraid, not of the individuals on the Democratic ticket, but of what they intend to do. I am one of those people. Hillary says she is afraid of what Trump will do with the “nuclear codes.” She said that this week to Charlie Rose. Kinda scary to think someone with her “access” (past and present) thinks the president can single handedly launch nukes. Can’t happen. Not without a slew of other folks checking off on the decision. Not sure what TV shows she has been watching, but there is way more than one human that stands between us and a nuclear launch. But she does know that, of course she does. But she can’t scare you about Trump if she doesn’t make him out to be Martin Sheen’s crazy character from “The Dead Zone” movie. On the other hand, we are one Supreme Court Justice away from the Second Amendment being gutted and the federal government issuing “ding dong” inspection rules for elementary school student bathroom use. The president can and will instantly affect our stand on terrorism, illegal immigration, support for police in our cities and climate policy for God knows how long. I can stomach Trump’s silliness over Hillary’s stand on those topics any day of the week. Barring something just this side of verified demonic possession or verified treason, I am going to ride this Trump wagon, possibly off the rails, if need be. I do that because I believe in a political sense, Hillary’s wagon has been off the rails, over the cliff and plunging toward the rocks since day one. This election is about political philosophy, and as long as I have the hope of conservative viewpoints prevailing, I ain’t budging. I know the other side won’t either. They never, ever, have. Romney, Palin, Bush… the left AUstIn RhODes said they were all the devil. Trump? Wait. Trump is the A long-time radio talk show host who can Double Dog Dastardly Devil. With be heard weekdays on WGAC from 3-6 p.m. The views expressed are the opinions a triple twist. of Austin Rhodes and do not necessarily And this time, they mean it. represent the views of the publisher. They ain’t budging.
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