The LocaL, February 2018

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STUFF TO READ PAINTING WITH A TWIST PAWS - Do I Have a Dog for You!

GUS’S DRIVE IN BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL Walk The Walk

MUSIC SPOTLIGHT PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST

Ralph Frank’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness

THE JointREDEMPTION

Letter from the Editor

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16 ESCAPE THIS LIVE COLUMBUS 18 20 5 TOP 5

y experiment with vegetarianism did not last long.

The weekend after our January issue hit stands, I traveled to Athens with my son, to visit my parents. When my son and I walked into the kitchen, marinating on the counter were four of the most beautiful ribeye steaks I have ever seen.

The steaks were delicious.

I did try, though. With a few other stumbles along the way, including pepperoni pizza I unthinkingly munched during a magazine meeting at Speakeasy, most of my meals were vegetarian. Maybe I’ll try again—next year.

This issue is more varied than my diet.

Our cover story will introduce you to Ralph Frank, an iconic Columbus artist and widelyrenown dancer; take a tour of historic sites on the Black Heritage Trail; and read our second Joint Redemption article. This month, we’ll take you inside Painting with a Twist and Escape This Live. Of course, we will also catch up with Bobbi Yeo at PAWS Humane.

I am also excited to make the first announcement of our latest secret plan: this year, we are launching an awards series in which you, our readers, vote on your favorite restaurants, shops and a few other things I can’t yet tell you about—you’ll just have to check back next month.

The last thing I need to do is update you on some changes in social media. Facebook has changed the algorithm that determines what pops up in your news feed, and media companies—whether they’re Macedonian trolls or local friends you meet in the coffee shop— are on the losing end. Keep us in your news feed by adjusting your preferences—the little arrow in the upper right corner will get you to the menu, and there you can prioritize The Local. Be sure to prioritize not just this magazine, but any and all valuable sources of news and information.

As always, liking and sharing our posts brings the information you love to the people you love; and we’re supremely grateful to Garry Pound, for providing the cover sketch of Ralph Frank Thank you for reading,

t hel o cal co l u bu s . co m f acebo o k . co m/ t hel o cal co l u mbu s g a

What We Are All About.

The mission of the LocaL magazine is to bring you the best in art, music, food and fun from Columbus and the surrounding area. Locally owned and operated, we work to improve and expand community relationships through promoting positive events and stories. When good things are happening, we will be here to help you get involved. Our monthly print issues will feature stories and events that comprise and drive the ongoing surge toward a more beautiful community. This magazine exists because we who work on it believe in actively engaging with community improvement, and we invite you to join us, not only by reading these pages, but also by taking part in any of the many wonderful events we feature.

publisher

Monica Jones

pu bl i s her @t hel o cal co l u mbu s . co m ads @t hel o cal co l u mbu s . co m

editor

Tom Ingram edi t o r @t hel o cal co l u mbu s . co m

layout & design Mat Cornett

CONTRIBUTORS AND CREDITS

Tom Ingram Editor

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706 250 7777

Frank Etheridge; Bobbi Yeo; Chantel Baul; Tom Ingram; Garry Pound

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of the studio’s 4 degree-holding artists. The possibilities are endless, and all you need to bring is your desire to have fun.

Painting with a Twist is perfect for team building.

Company parties can help build collaboration and a sense of teamwork. Get to know your coworkers in a fun, friendly environment as you put your teamwork skills to good use. Forget spreadsheets, this company meeting is all about canvas. Painting with a Twist provides canvas, paint and brushes, you just bring the squad.

For kids, Painting with a Twist offers not only private parties and Saturday classes at noon, but also spring break and summer camp programs that will get the kids out of the house and busy creating beautiful works they can be proud of.

For couples looking to break the mold this Valentine’s Day, Painting with a Twist is the perfect place to share glasses of wine and make memories you’ll brag about to your friends. Bachelorette parties and bridal showers

Beat The Grind & Let Your Creativity Flow At Painting With A Twist

t’s easy to get locked into a dull routine. Whether it’s date night or a night out with friends, we find ourselves at the same old places, doing the same old things. And it’s the same with our kids, the routine activities—if we can keep them off their phones and tablets long enough to do anything at all. Come to think of it, we have all probably spent too many nights at home, half-watching TV and half-playing some game on the phone. Enough is enough.

We can break this cycle of unmemorable evenings, and with Valentine’s Day coming up (even and especially if you’re celebrating Galentine’s Day this year), it’s the perfect time to learn about Painting with a Twist.

Painting with a Twist, at 6298 Veterans Parkway in Mainstreet Village, is a sip ’n paint studio, where you can bring your favorite beverage (beer or wine) and create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, guided step-by-step by one

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get an artistic flair with wine and painting, and any night out—for ladies and gentlemen—is touched up with original paintings.

For groups up to 48, or for those flying solo and looking to socialize, Painting with a Twist is the perfect place to escape the daily grind, enjoy a digital detox, and make memories and art. Put yourself in the hands of local artists and surround yourselves with friends, old and new, at Painting with a Twist. Sign up or book today by calling (706) 221-6642.

By Tom Ingram

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PAWS HU M AN E

Do I Have a Dog for You!

is name is Sampson. He is black and tan. If I were going to guess I’d say he could be part German shepherd or blue heeler or Aussie. Only H God really knows. Whatever he is, he is a devilishly handsome chap with a charming and playful personality.

That is, once you get on the right side of him. He has been my office foster for at least 6 weeks now and it is an honor to be a member of his esteemed inner circle.

Not everyone gets this status and it is hard to say definitively what makes you “in” vs. “out”. Gender and the wearing of hats may play a role but are not necessarily an absolute either way. I’m pretty sure that with enough effort anyone can be part of this boy’s special club. Strangers, however, may always pose a threat to his level of serenity and whoever decides to adopt Sampson will need to take this into consideration.

It is a common misconception that dogs end up in shelters because there is something wrong with them. I have three shelter dogs and there is nothing particularly wrong with any of them except they are all spoiled rotten. They never bolt out the door or the gate when I leave it open. They are sociable with people and other animals. They know basic commands and they usually come when called whether I pay them with a treat or not.

Most of the dogs at PAWS Humane are here because of human dereliction, not their own. We could write a somewhat entertaining book listing the myriad reasons people give us when they surrender their dogs. One woman recently brought back one of our dogs within a matter of days stating, “It’s not the dog. It’s me. I’m too crazy.” Another young family adopted one of our puppies bringing him back before he was even 14 weeks old saying he was “attacking” the children and chewing things up.

We encourage adoption by people who have no previous experience with a pet and we will support them through the transition, especially with behavioral concerns and questions. We provide 2 sessions with a licensed dog trainer and we go well beyond this if a more serious problem comes up and we think we can save the relationship. Even though the presenting problem is always the dog’s behavior it takes two to tango as they say, and our behaviorist will make sure both parties get what they need to succeed.

A couple of us were talking about Sampson recently. Though he displays behavior that can be hard for the average person to accept, we believe he is savable. He is going to need a savvy and patient adopter who is looking for a challenge. We were joking that our ad for him should start out by saying something like, “Are you single and want to stay that way?”

It’s not that Sampson doesn’t like people. He LOVES his person and will become your jealous boyfriend within a matter of days. He thinks his job is to protect you from people, yet he loves other dogs unequivocally. We think he would do very well in a home with a mature, calm and confident dog. We have found that he is far more bark than bite, and when others stand their ground he will back off and settle down. He will even make friends.

Sampson will be a great dog in the right home and we are committed to finding this no matter how long it may take.

Bobbi Yeo lives in Opelika, AL. She is the CEO of PAWS Humane in Columbus, GA, an animal shelter and veterinary clinic offering low-cost spay/neuter and other services to the public. Email her at byeo@pawshumane.org with your comments and story ideas.

No Shame Theatre

At 10:30 every Friday night, the Springer plays host to No Shame Theatre. No Shame Theatre is an uncensored evening of original performance that allows anyone to explore their creative potential.

Signup begins at 10 p.m., and the first 15 to sign up get a fiveminute time slot to perform their original material. Admission is $5, including for performers. Every Friday, Springer Opera House, 103 10th Street, Columbus, (706) 324-5714

Voices & Visions: The Future of Film

Voices & Visions will create a conversation with our community and a panel of arts professionals. Join The Columbus Museum for an engaging evening of exploring the art and the passion behind making motion pictures. Two film professionals—Jordan Beck, Director of Communications, Fun Academy Motion Pictures; and Kate McArdle, Director of Film Workforce Development and Capstone Projects, Georgia Film Academy—will be on our panel of experts to talk about their careers and how the industry is shaping our region and state. This program is free, and no registration is required. Feb. 15, 6 - 7:30 p.m., The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus

Sampson

Teen Media Lab: Commercials

Join friends in creating and staring in your own commercial.

For more information, call (706) 243-2782. Feb. 6, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m., Mildred L. Terry Public Library, 640 Veterans Parkway

Southern Fried Chicks: Cage-Free Comedy Tour

As seen on CMT! Think Blue Collar Comedy Tour with better hair and bigger attitude! The Southern Fried Chicks have busted out of the hen house for a night on the town at this special Valentine’s Day performance featuring new stories, music, audience participation, singing, dancing and a multimedia show audiences are sure to enoy! Life and love in the USA has never been funnier as when these top headliners take the stage. Join the Chicks for a night of free-range comedy. Feb. 14, 7:30 - 10:30 p.m., RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, 900 Broadway, Columbus

Mystical Arts of Tibet

The monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery in South India are traveling to promote world peace and healing through the sharing of Tibet’s authentic sacred performances and visual arts. Over the course of four days the monks will complete musical demonstrations and a sacred ceremony in celebration of purificaion, positive energy and life. They will create a large, intricate mandala of colored sand in the RiverCenter lobby before ceremoniousy disassembling the mandela and relesing sands into the Chattahoochee River, symbolizing the impermanence of life. Audience members will also receive sand from the mandala as a keepsake to promote wellbeing in their own lives. Don’t miss this rich cultural experience of Buddhist tradition during Mystical Arts of Tibet. The monks will be at RiverCenter from February 13-17. Performance is Friday, February 16, 7:30 PM. Mandala Ceremony on Saturday, February 17 following market days. Feb. 16, 7:30 - 10:30 p.m., RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, 900 Broadway, Columbus

Adoption Hours Mon-Fri•10am-6pm, Sat•10am-5pm, Sun•12pm-5pm 4900 Milgen Road Columbus, GA 31907 www.pawshumane.org office@pawshumane.org (706) 565-0035 Vet Clinic phone number (706) 987-8380 LocaL

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master to guide our way, and you get to become one. Bring all the colors of the wind, dress for a mess, and Gogh get ready for inspiration. Feb. 13, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road

Champagne Toast to the Permanent Galleries

The Columbus Museum is thrilled to celebrate the reinstallation of our permanent galleries. See how the Museum has reimagined the space to better tell the story of American Art. We invite members Collector Circle and above to join Dr. Jonathan Walz, Director of Curatorial Affairs, for a champagne toast and a tour of the updated galleries to learn his motivation behind the new design. Feb. 13, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m., The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus

Mini Makers: Chalk Art

Bring your preschoolers to build their sensory skills and foster creativity and self expression. To learn more, call the children’s department at (706) 243-2679. Feb. 6, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road

English Paper Piecing Class

We will show you how to baste your shapes with different methods. That way you can use the one you like the best. Then we will join your shapes together to create your block. Various shapes will be demonstrated to show youths potential of EPP. Fussy cutting for special effects will be explained too! Feb. 22 at 10 a.m., Sunday best Quilts, 4517 Harris Road, Ellerslie, Ga.

Still-Life Drawing Hour for Adults

Enjoy an hour to focus on creating a still-life drawing in a non-judgmental environment. Limited sketching material will be provided, so feel free to bring your own drawing/sketching supplies. All skill levels are welcome and no reservations are required. Feb. 7, 5 - 6 p.m., Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road

Columbus Salutes the Centennial Community Celebration

Crafting Power Hour

Columbus Salutes the Centennial 1918-2018 presented by TSYS! See history come alive and see the National Infantry Museum like you’ve never seen it before! Please join us Saturday, February 24 from 9am to 3pm at the National Infantry Museum for a community-wide celebration of Fort Benning’s 100th anniversary. Living historians will be stationed throughout the museum to tell stories behind the exhibits and artifacts that trace Infantry history from 1775 to the present. This is a FREE event and open to the public. Feb. 24, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., National Infantry Museum, 1775 Legacy Way

Get your craft on with the Columbus Museum’s Crafting Power Hour. Each Power Hour will allow you to get hands-on with a variety of materials and create a finished work of art to take home. All materials are provided and each participant will be able to take their creations home with them after each Power Hour. Space is limited and registration is required. Feb. 8, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus

Signature Sunday

Join the Columbus Museum for a private tour of the notable personal collection of Kathleen and Dan Amos. Filled with exquisite pieces focused on works by members of the Ashcan school, The Eight, and other early 20th century artists, the collection will be something you don’t want to miss. Refreshments will be served. This event is open to members Reciprocal level and above. Feb. 11, 3 - 4:30 p.m., The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus

Adult Lecture: Art of the Civil Rights Movement

Explore the art of the Civil Rights Movement during this month’s lunchtime lecture. Shawnya Harris, the Larry D. And Brendan A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diaspora Art at the Georgia Museum of Art, will lead the discussion and will help to discover its influence on contemporary art. If you are interest in purchasing a $10 lunch, please contact the Education Department at edu@columbusmuseum.com by Friday, Feb. 23. Feb. 27, noon - 1 p.m., Free, The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus

Super Museum Sunday!

The Columbus Museum is one of many museums across the state of Georgia that are celebrating Super Museum Sunday in partnership with the Georgia Historical Society. Join the Museum for a POP! Up Art program where you can pop in and create your own masterpiece inspired by the history and art in the Museum’s collection. You can also go on a highlights tour of the Museum’s permanent collection and newest exhibitions with a tour guide. This program is free and open to all ages; no registration is required. Feb. 11, 1 - 3:00 p.m., The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus

Want to see your event listed here? Email events@thelocalcolumbus.com

Look! @ the Museum

LOOK! @ Lunchtime is a collaborative viewing exercise and dialogue centered around works of art from the Museum’s permanent collection. Jonathan Frederick Walz, Director of Curatorial Affairs & Curator of American Art, will facilitate LOOK! Discussions every second Tuesday. Each month a new object will be explored. Feb. 13, 12:15 - 12:30 p.m., The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus

Baroque with No Monet: Youth Art Class

This crash course though art history will be a wild introduction to famous artists and their signature styles. We find a famous LocaL

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has remained authentic through the years. Gus’s still operates from the original structure; its physical foundation is just as resilient as the woman who started it all. The dining room walls are decked with posters, photos and other ephemera recalling earlier times. If these walls could talk, they’d likely have much to say. Patrons certainly do. For customers who grew up in the area, Gus’s is a wistful reminder of happy childhood memories, a place where locals can go for a satisfying meal with a comforting dose of nostalgia on the side.

For customers who are from out of town or are otherwise unfamiliar with the site’s longstanding history, Gus’s is the place to find fresh, yet affordable homestyle food with unmatched flavor. Juicy, never frozen burgers, Grecian gyros with housemade tzatziki sauce, fresh seafood and the famous jumbo wings are just some of the menu offerings Gus’s is celebrated for. “Our signature [is] Gus’s Steak Sandwich. It has been a bestseller for [more than] forty years at the restaurant,” Kontaxis explained.

Ultimately, anyone who hasn’t been to the drive-in recently should make their way to Gus’s Drive-In soon. Gus’s boasts unparalleled service, palate-pleasing plates and a cool Rockabilly vibe that’s real, not replicated. Perpetuated by a mother’s love, this restaurant is emblematic of the city’s resilience, history and pride, and that’s reason enough to drop by.

By Chantel Baul

ore than a mother M an opportunity

fifty years ago, in Florida received to own and operate an out-of-town restaurant.

Ambitious as she was, she packed up her three children and moved them to Columbus where she opened Gus’s Drive-In & Restaurant on Victory Drive. That woman was Mama Gus, the hardworking, compassionate and dedicated restauranteur who patrons have known and loved for decades.

Throughout the late sixties and seventies, Mama Gus’s drive-in was one among several others lining the strip. Muscle cars and hotrods flooded the drive-in lots after football games at Baker High School. Children

waited with excitement in the backseats of the family car for carhops to dash out on skates with trays of the hot, flavorful food Gus’s is known for.

Fast forward to present-day and it’s clear: the classic cars cruise down the strip no more. Wheeled waitresses no longer skate at neighboring drive-ins. And Baker High School has been gone for years. But Gus’s Drive-In and Restaurant still stands proudly on the very same corner it always has. “Gus’s is an old icon of days gone by. . . It’s a time capsule,” described Anthony Kontaxis, Mama Gus’s son, who stepped in to run the restaurant nine years ago at his mother’s request. With more than a half-century in business, Gus’s is a time-preserved cornerstone of Columbus society, a veritable piece of living history.

Family-owned and operated since 1965, Gus’s Drive-In is Mama Gus’s

legacy. Such longevity in the restaurant business is no small feat.

Kontaxis credits Gus’s continued success to his mother’s dedication to her customers: “Everyone knows mom loves her customers . . . It was her support for the community, support for the needy . . . support for the troops that kept her going.”

Another integral contribution to Gus’s reputation is the fact that it LocaL

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WALK THE WALK

trail will feature “sculptures and markers at 11 sites of very significant value to our city brought to life.” It starts at the Muscogee County School District (Macon and Rigdon roads), winds through Carver Heights—built during World War II, the city’s first African-American subdivision—before venturing downtown and ending on Bay Avenue. It will be presented as both a printed map and an app.

“Black people want to know their history and are spending money on hotels, restaurants and tour buses to learn it,” says Buckner, who has taken tour groups as large as 145 on his trail. “This pumps revenue into our city. We want this trail to be the catalyst to draw people from other states and cities to see the black history of Columbus, Georgia and how that’s also the history of this country.”

Growing the impact and importance of African-American historical sites in Columbus Perhaps the most jarring example in Columbus of how history is told—by whom and for whom— and changes with time lies in the shadow of the Government Center.

On that beleaguered tower of bureaucracy’s frontward-facing 10th Street side, a series of three historical markers (erected from 1955-57, during Jim Crow’s last gasp) celebrates the site as connected to: Confederate Hospitals (eight buildings, including the original city court house demolished to make way for the Government Center, in 1864 were charged with care of 1,500plus wounded soldiers), the Ladies Defender (a Confederate cannon cast in Columbus in 1861 with brass furnishings donated by women in the city) and the Red Jacket, a cannon first fired by the Columbus Guards militia to celebrate Georgia’s succession from the Union in 1861.

A few feet over on the Second Avenue side, a historical marker—its shiny finish a contrast to the fade and rust seen on the older signs—erected in 2015 by the Georgia Historical Commis-sion, points to the place where local barber and minister Primus King attempted to vote in the 1944 Democratic primary election. Denied and forcibly removed from the building, King’s long legal battle to win his right to vote changed local and state voting laws and credited here as the first act in Georgia’s Civil Rights Movement.

Primus King’s place in history is one of 26 included in the city’s official Black Heritage Trail, the legacy of late local writer and historian Judith Grant, now maintained by the Parks and Recreation Dept. and promoted by the tourism arm, VisitColumbusGA. “I’m a firm believer that if you don’t know where you come from, then you have no sense of who you are,” says Ronzell Buckner, community leader and owner of Skipper’s Seafood on Buena Vista Road. “This history has to be told so young kids will know of the shoulders they’re standing on. Instill pride in them that they can contribute to our city.”

Buckner first worked with Grant as she wrote her play The Columbus Story, which enjoyed a successful run at the (now-closed) Three Arts Theater in 1992. Describing the Black Heritage Trail as “dormant,” he is now at work on a project to expand upon Grant’s historical footprint and boost both cultural awareness and tourism dollars: the Martin Luther King, Jr. Outdoor Learning Trail.

In partnership with professors from Columbus State University and Chattahoochee Valley Community College, and VisitColumbusGA President Peter Bowden, Buckner says the new LocaL

TAKE THE TOUR Pulled largely from the city’s official Black Heritage Trail, with information from a brochure picked up from the Columbus Visitors Center, as it does not have a website, here’s a condensed tour, easily enjoyed by bike or on foot, that provides a crash course in the city’s rich African-American culture and history.

The Liberty Theatre (9) (823 Eighth Ave.) during the days of segregation was the center of cultural life for African Americans in Columbus as both a movie theater and concert hall that hosted musical legends such as Cab Callaway and Ella Fitzgerald. Built in 1924 with 705 seats, it is only one of two African-American theaters still standing in the state. Now operating as a cultural center but without much programming or funding, the Liberty is admittedly at “a crossroads,” says executive director Shae Anderson, as its board seeks to find a way to be “sustainable” in today’s economic and cultural climate. Still, the Liberty remains a landmark in the city’s oldest black neighborhood and in January served as the host site for the Dream Lives event over the Martin Luther King, jr. holiday weekend, with the annual leaving as always from the Liberty. “It’s a great way to celebrate the life of Dr. King,” Anderson says of Dream Lives, “and an honor for the Liberty to open its doors to all the community organizations to help do so.”

Start heading towards the river to Sixth Avenue, where you’ll find St. James AME Church (3) at the corner of 10th Street on a plot of land deeded by act of the Reconstruction-era Georgia General Assembly in 1875.

The beautiful brick structure is home to one of the city’s most influential congregations and features remarkable hand-carved doors and the state’s second-oldest pipe organ.

Tours available by appointment.

Head a block downriver on Sixth Avenue to the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge, home to the local chapter of the world’s oldest and largest masons of African origin in the world. It was here in July 1958 that Martin Luther King, Jr. made his only public appearance in Columbus.

St. James AME Church Facing death threats against King and the Klu Klux Klan promising to firebomb any church that hosted him, the Lodge was the only site in the city willing to

continued on p. 10

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Points of Interest

BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL OF COLUMBUS GEORGIA

A. Alma Thomas (1891-1978) Childhood Home B. Corporal Eugene Jacques Ballard (1894 – 1961) C. Radcliff School D. Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins (1849 – 1908) E. The 28th Street School F. Scomiers Funeral Complex G. The Columbus Times Newspaper (formerly Columbus World) H. Royal Café I. The Isaac Maund House J. National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus

Historic Monuments

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1. Gertrude “Ma” Rainey House & Blues Museum 2. First African Baptist Church 3. St. John A.M.E. Church 4. Metropolitan Baptist Church 5. The Columbus Depot 6. St. James A.M.E. Church 7. Columbus Stockade 8. Friendship Baptist Church 9. The Liberty Theatre 10. Original Spencer High School 11. Porterdale Cemetary 12. “Old Colored Cemetary” 13. Fifth Avenue School 14. Mildred L. Terry Library 15. Fourth Street Baptist Church 16. The William H. Spencer House 17. Primus King Site 18. First Interracial Law Firm in Columbus 19. Urban League of Greater Columbus 20. The Springer Opera House 21. Dr. Thomas H. Brewer Assassination Site 22. Temperance Hall 23. City Mills 24. Greater Shady Grove Baptist Church 25. Kinfolks Corner 26. Dillingham Street Bridge

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host King’s speech. The event occurred without incident, though later that night dynamite exploded in the home of a black woman who had moved into a white neighborhood on Fifth Avenue. Citing the corresponding violence as proof of what would happen to the Civil Rights Movement leader if he came to town, city leaders told King to never return to Columbus.

The lodge is not part of the Black Heritage Trail.

One street over and operated by the city’s Parks and Recreation Dept., the Ma Rainey House and Blues Museum (1) is a treasure trove of artifacts and information related to the “Mother of the Blues.” Her vocal talents discovered as a child in choir at Friendship Baptist Church on Sixth Avenue, Rainey made her professional debut at age 15 with “A Bunch of Blackberries” at the Springer Opera House, where the band was forced to perform from the balcony as blacks Ma Rain ey H o use & B l ue s Muse um were prohibited from the ground floor. As described by Debi Wise, the Parks and Recreation staffer on site, Rainey lived the life of a present-day feminist icon: bi-sexual with a preference for women and hiring only good-looking men, she succeeded tough times in a tough business because of business smarts, choosing to take revenue from concession sales versus just ticket sales. Yet, Wise says the site receives more interest from Europeans than Americans, despite the display of Rainey’s original records, furniture and the piano where she wrote her popular, influential “See See Rider Blues.”

Free admission. Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Head to the 1000 block of First Avenue, where respected local physician Dr. Thomas Brewer kept his office. The founder of the Columbus chapter of the NAACP the 1930s, Brewer was a leading figure in the local Civil Rights Movement, noted for funding the Primus King’s legal battles and lobbying the Muscogee County School Board for equitable funding for black public schools. As racial tensions escalated in the the mid-1950s, Brewer was killed in a strange set of circumstances still debated today. He was shot and killed by Lu-cio Flowers, who operated a clothing store beneath Brewer’s second-floor office, reportedly after a dispute in front of two police officers over the witnessing of police brutality. Flower’s death one year later was ruled a suicide and some think could point toward a cover-up of Brewer’s death.

D r. Thom as Brew er Site

By Frank Etheridge

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Strong Signal Creating A Columbus Music Scene With Dj Cashflow

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our men wait in the dark of a January night outside the locked back door of iHeartMedia’s offices on 13th Avenue. Smoking and standing next to the towering metal-frame broadcast antennas—their radio reach maximized from this placement atop the western edge of a hilltop neighborhood once called Boogerville—they’re from Atlanta and here to see DJ Cashflow.

About 45 minutes before the start of his “Cashflow Radio” program on Beat 98.3FM—on the air from 7 p.m. to midnight and the top-rated night show in Columbus radio—DJ Cashflow un-locks the door, exchanges warm greetings with each, and walks them inside down the hall to this broadcast booth. Accompanied by two managers and a photographer wearing bright red leather hightops, rising rap star Jamie Ray is here to tape an interview as part of promotions for his new mixtape, Castles in the Air. Introducing to tri-city listeners his special guest, DJ Cash-Flow (born Gilberto Drummonds, Jr. in Panama City, Panama in 1985) asks Jamie Ray to talk about his hit new single “16,” featuring NBA Youngblood and nearing two-million views on YouTube. A white native of Polk, Florida, Ray explains how the song deals with his early-teen years “roaming the streets on my own” after his mom was sent to jail on methamphetamine charges.

Ray and Drummonds (who also goes by “Slimm” and “Dynero”) then pose and send shout-outs together to share on social media before the four head out to hit the road for Atlanta. Drummonds asks the managers if they’ll be in Los Angeles for Golden Spin in February. They won’t, but Drummonds will.

“It’s an awards show for all the DJs the Thursday night before NBA All-Star game in the city hosting the event,” explains Drummond, who says he was able to meet and network with in-spiring idols such as DJ Khaled and DJ Clark Kent (credited with discovering Jay-Z). “I went to the Golden Spins last year when it was in New Orleans. But this year I’m going with more of a purpose.”

Networking with nationally elite DJs and music-industry professionals couldn’t come at a perfect time for Drummond. In addition to his toprated show playing contemporary hip-hop and R&B on Beat 98.3, he is also finding success as a recording artist, in-demand DJ for private parties and high-profile concerts, charity-minded community leader and business entrepreneurs.

Born during his father’s deployment with the U.S. Army in Panama, where he met his mother, Drummond’s childhood musical memories are his dad’s love of salsa star Gilberto Santa Rosa and his mom’s choice of Christian artists such as Kirk Franklin and Shirley Caesar.

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“It was a big deal in my family when I got into hip hop,” he recalls, crediting a Jay-Z cassette he bought while working at the Ft. Benning commissary during his days as a Spencer High School student with forever changing his life.

“I listened to everything: Snoop Dogg, Biggie, even a little rock with Nirvana. As a DJ now, I have to be into everything.”

Drummond followed his friend, mentor and business partner DJ O3 (Olly Hall), who first found success playing college parties, to Davis Broadcasting, home of Columbus stations such as Foxie 105, and then to IHeartRadio’s Beat 98.3. Drummond joined the station in 2008 as a member of the “street team.” Now 35, he began DJing on air in 2011, co-hosting in 2012 and presenting “Cashflow Radio” since 2015.

On March 10, he’ll serve as the “hype man” at a concert at the Civic Center with a stellar roster of rising rap talents Yo Gotti, Moneybaygs Yo and Blac Youngsta.

Cashflow also gets the call to play to countless weddings, private parties and community events, such as the Way Down Film Festival. Known to pack the dance floor at local nightclubs such as Legends and Martini’s, his Saturday night spins at the now-closed Big City Jail are the stuff of late-night legend.

“A real DJ will scan the crowd, get a feel for the vibe, and that will determine what you play,” Drummond says.

Describing his friend as “one of the smartest guys I know and who taught me a lot about busi-ness,” Drummond and Hall formed Firm Grip Music Group to provide professional services (lighting, sound) for private events as well as promote artists and perform community service. Drummond partners with Wal-Mart for annual event collecting much-needed supplies for Bridge’s Girls Home, and plans are underway to create an event with area Boys & Girls Clubs to connect the children to Columbus musicians and musicindustry professionals. “A lot of people don’t realize that music is such a powerful entity, especially with kids,” he says.

A Columbus Tech graduate in business management, Drummond also puts his creative energy into his Lyngo (Let Your Network Grow and Overcome) clothing line, which has expanded from t-shirts to hats, hoodies and sweaters. Sold online and at Culture, the University Avenue store owned by his brother Matthew, Lyngo’s logo is a flamingo that comes cast in all shades and colors.

Praised by Columbus-based hip-hop news and culture site D30 “as turning up the independent music artist scene with hot record after hot record,” DJ Cashflow has dropped four singles in the last year, all featuring the flow of top local MCs such as C-Blaq and Lil Nuke.

“All the records I’ve put out have been a collaborative effort,” Drummond says, who posts videos for the tracks on his CashflowTV channel on YouTube. “We have a lot of talent in Colum-bus, Georgia. We have to come together and support each other. Now’s the time to unify the city and try to create a music scene here.” By Frank Etheridge LocaL

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fellow lovers of all things space, alien, science, and technology related.

Even if you haven’t read the book for the current month, feel free to join the discussion anyway. We meet monthly at Iron Bank Coffee House in Uptown Columbus. For more information, call the adult services department of the Columbus Public Library at 706-243-2669. Feb. 13, 6:30 7:30 p.m., Iron Bank Coffee Company, 6 W 11th Street, Columbus

2018 Youth of the Year

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley’s Youth of the Year award is the highest honor which recognizes our teen Club members. Each finalist has excelled in academics and leadership inside and outside the club. You will have the chance to meet all finalists, watch them compete, hear their personal stories, and witness the crowning of the 2018 Youth of the Year. Feb. 15 6:30 8:30 National Infantry Museum, 1775 Legacy Way, Columbus

Georgia Poetry Circuit & the Carson McCullers Center Present:

Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Aimee Nezhukumatathil was born in Chicago to Filipina mother and South Indian father. She earned her BA and MFA from The Ohio State University and was a Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellow at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is the author of Miracle Fruit (2003, winner of the ForeWord Magazine Poetry Book of the Year and the Global Filipino Literary Award; At the DriveIn Volcano (2007), winner of the Balcones Prize; Lucky Fish (2011); and Oceanic (forthcoming 2018). A book of illustrated nature essays, World of Wonder, is forthcoming in 2018. With Ross Gay, she cowrote the chapbook of Epistolary nature poems, Lace and Pyrite (2014). Feb. 5, 5:00 p.m., Arnold Hall 113 (Auditorium), Columbus State University Main Campus

Book Signing Favorites of Pine Mountain

Chloe Sanguine will be signing her brand new book “Favorites of Pine Mountain.” Feb. 16 6 - 8 p.m., Doggone Good Bargains, 102 Commerce Street, Pine Mountain, Ga.

History Show & Tell Night

Remember Show & Tell back in school? Here’s a night to share stories and reminisce of days gone by! We’re encouraging everyone to bring one, or two, local, historical items regarding anything in the area from the past. Feb 16, 7:30 - 9 p.m., Leigh & Paige Fine art Gallery, 1309 Wildwood Avenue, Columbus

Guest Speaker former Congressman John Barrow Addresses Columbus, Georgia Working Group

Valentine’s Sweetheart’s Ball

It’s a Valentine’s Weekend celebration with Outlaws Valentine Sweetheart’s Ball on Saturday, February 17th! Doors open at 9pm with drink specials, door prizes, $4 sweetheart punch & bring Feb. 17, 9:00 p.m., your sweetie & get her in for free all night!

Outlaws Saloon, 6499 Veterans Parkway, Columbus

Former Congressman John Barrow, a Democratic candidate for Georgia Secretary Of State will be the guest speaker. Mr. Barrow has endured intense gerrymandering, is an experienced legislator, and is a passionate advocate of good, functional governing. State Representatives Carolyn Hugley and Debbie Buckner will attend, as well as Mayor Tomlinson. Everyone who cares about our Voters’ Rights is welcome to attend. Feb. 5, 6:00 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Of Columbus, 8827 Heiferhorn Way, Columbus, Georgia 31904

Indivisible Talk: Honoring Black History Month

Please join us as we welcome Shari Ali, Patricia Lassiter and Nichole Tanner. Columbus Public Library Auditorium. Feb. 18, 3 4:30 p.m., Columbus Public Library, 3000. Macon Road

Lunch & Lecture with Dr. Amanda Rees

A Celebration of Carson McCuller’s 101st Birthday

Reservations are required. $10 per person with lunch included.

Please RSVP by calling (706) 322-0756. Feb. 8, Noon, Mildred L. Terry Public Library, 640 Veterans Parkway, Columbus

Birthday cake reception at Carson’s childhood home, screening of artist Grande Dame’s animated short film, “A Star Named Carson,” reading by poet Sue Brannon Walker from her book, “It’s Good Weather for Fudge: Conversing with Carson McCullers.” Grande Dame, aka Tiff McGinnis, is a self-taught multimedia artist, an audio-visual storyteller who writes music, creates animations and makes an array of art in different mediums from the images in her animations. Feb. 19, 5:00 p.m., Smith-McCullers House, 1519 Stark Avenue, Columbus

Waverly Hall Valentine’s Vendor Market

Small business vendors, children’s activities including a bouncy house, and food vendors. Feb. 10, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., 390 O’Neal Drive, Waverly Hall, Georgia

Big Brothers big Sisters 101 Informational Session

A Big Brother or Big Sister is an adult volunteer who shares activities with a child (Little) so that child can have a positive role model and a special friend to explore the community. If you are interested in learning more about the BBBS organization, want to sign your child up for our mentoring program or want to become a volunteer mentor, please join us at this information session at 10:00 am until 12:00 pm in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Room. Feb. 10 10 a.m. - noon, Mildred L. Terry Public Library, 640 Veterans Parkway, Columbus

General Meeting: League of Women Voters of the Chattahoochee Valley

The LWVCV will be preparing to engage with voters on who (and what) will be on the ballot in the May and November elections. Please join us! Feb. 20, 5 - 7 p.m., Caffee Amici Italian Restaurant, 2301 Airport Thruway, Columbus

2nd Annual Columbus Rally for Peace & Equality

Jordan High School Car Show

The annual Jordan car show will be held at Hollywood Connections in Columbus. You can register at the school or the day of the show. You may also download forms from the Jordan High School website. Early registration is 1$5 until Feb. 23 and $20 the day of the show. Feb. 24, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Hollywood Connection, 1683 Whittlesey Road, Columbus

We’ll be building on last year’s successful rally by expanding on our message of inclusion, diversity, love, peace and equality. Let’s make the second rally even bigger than last year’s. Feb. 10, 1 - 5:00 p.m., Columbus Consolidated Government, 100 10th Avenue

I, Read Sci-Fi Book Club

Join us as we venture into the world of science fiction books, exploring both modern and classic/vintage books. Come nerd out with LocaL

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Masquerade Ball With the Columbus Symphony Orchestra

Join the CSO and the CSU Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Council in the RiverCenter’s 3rd Floor Atrium as we celebrate our “secret identities” preceding the “Super Heroes & Villains” concert. Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a photo booth, and more with some of your favorite characters. Dress to impress for a night of mystery and intrigue! Tickets are $25. Feb. 24, 6 - 7:30 p.m., RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, 900 Broadway, Columbus

Columbus Comic Book and Toy Show

Come join us for a special Sunday full of comics, toys, movies, costume characters, and more. Admission is only $4 - and includes all the normal CCSSC exhibits and simulators plus all the fun Comic and Toy Show vendors. Feb. 25, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Columbus State University’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center 701 Front Avenue

Newnan Regional CSU Alumni Association

The Columbus State University Alumni Association invites all Newnan-area alumni and a guest to join us for dinner at The Cellar at the Firestone on March 1st. During the event, alumni and friends will mix and mingle with university representatives while we celebrate the most recent accomplishments of the university. Deadline to register is February 22nd. March 1, 6:30 - 8 p.m., Richards Hall (Suite 136), 4225 University Avenue, Columbus

Meet Your Muslim Neighbor

An event featuring guest speaker Edward Mitchell, Executive Director of CAIR Atlanta, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Georgia Chapter. March 4, 3 - 4:30 p.m., Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road, Columbus Want to see your event listed here? Email events@thelocalcolumbus.com

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portrait

of an Artist

Ralph Frank’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness In a way, Ralph Frank, Jr. was born to do it.

“I grew up on the south side,” the Columbus native recalls, pointing out that he was born in 1951 at what’s called “the old hospital” that predated Martin Army Hospital, where his two younger siblings where born. “My dad stuck a lettering brush in my hand more than a few times, but I wanted none of it. I wanted to do art. I always liked art.”

Speaking as he sits in his bedroom huddled near the warmth from a cast-iron, wood-burning stove (a tub of water atop it heating up) on a December morning, Frank calls his dad, Ralph Frank, Sr. “my number-one inspiration coming up in my youth.”

After fighting with the 10th Armored Division during World War II and Korea, the elder Frank retired from the Army in Columbus. He sold insurance and “worked at a gas station for 50 bucks a week, supporting a family,” his son says, before joining the Civil Service.

Ralph, Sr.’s job as an illustrator found him screen printing and hand painting at Ft. Benning.

“He worked in large art, creating training aids—big charts on how to take a rifle apart,” Frank, Jr. says, pointing to pictures assembled in a portfolio he grabs from the next room. “He did lettering, too. And he did stuff at home, for the church, and did some fine art for himself.”

Putting Columbus in the rear-view mirror as soon as possible after graduating from Baker High School, Frank in 1969 moved up north with relatives before spending a year in California.

He next hitch-hiked to Ft. Collins, Colorado, where a hometown friend lived. There he found work stripping and sanding old signs. A quick detour back to Georgia then on to Eugene, Oregon. Frank worked as a day laborer and would walk around and spot signs that had faded out, asked the business owners if he could repaint it. “That’s how I started out as a sign painter,” says Frank.

Though he “couldn’t get out of here fast enough” after high school, family brought Frank back to Columbus for good in the ‘80s. He began scaling 50 and 100-foot billboards to paint ads for (Mike) Morris Signs Company—whose contract with Golden Park sent Frank to paint 80 some-odd ads (on signs measuring 16 feet by 8) hung along the then-minor league baseball field’s out-field fence— LocaL

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including one boldly boasting the city’s old slogan, “We’re Talking Proud.”

Demand and recognition for Frank’s hand-letter talents grew further as people saw his sign adorning the highprofile 13th Street location of Colaianni Music Company (today Everything Musical), where he also refinished pianos.

“I do a lot of different stuff, but my forte is moving paint,” says Frank.

“Mostly I use oilbased enamel for my commercial stuff. When I do my art, I use acrylics. I use the ‘oops’ colors—the tester colors the store made but the customer didn’t like. You can get them real cheap—50 cents for the sample size cans— and you get all these offthe-wall colors. I never had any official color training besides what they taught us in grade school—primary colors and how yellow and blue make green and all.”

“People say they recognize my letters,” he continues, “but I just tweaked them a little bit from their origins as Roman letters. I had a conversation with this real educated sign painter; he was explaining how there are thousands and thousands of lettering types.

I call mine Ralphabetz.”

Today the talent behind dozens of signs emblazoned in Ralphabetz on businesses across the Chattahoochee Valley, Frank is also an accomplished folk artist.

His vivid, utterly original paint-ings are sought out by collectors across the country.

The city commissioned Frank’s patriotic mural along Veterans Parkway (recently touched up by Columbus High School art students) dur-ing the 1990s.

More recently, Uptown, Inc. has hired him to transform electrical boxes and trash cans in Broadway’s showcase median into attractive art.

Still, making a living as an artist ain’t easy. “My hey day was in the ‘90s,” says Frank. “It’s all

digital now.”

Plans to computerize his portfolio stopped when his digital camera broke, he admits. Yet, his house functions as both studio LocaL

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and gallery, with Frank pointing out tools and workspaces while discussing the paintings that line the walls as he walks from room to room. Away from the closed-door bedroom with its woodburning stove, it’s cold inside.

“It’s pretty ancient and has lots of issues,” Frank says of his white wood-framed house, which he rents from Billy Buck, perched atop a hill facing west over downtown and old enough to be visible in an 1886 map of Columbus. “I’ve been here 11 years. I had a lady stay with me for a while but she kept complaining about having holes i n the ceiling. I said, ‘I told you I wasn’t living in no chateau.’ All these years of being accused of being a hippie, when I moved in here I finally started living like one.”

“My daddy always liked Ralph,” says fellow folk artist Butch Anthony, talking by phone just before hosting one of his weekly Friday evening Possum Trot auctions. “Daddy hated hippies, but he always told me, ‘Ralph is the only hippie I’ve ever liked.’ I’m crazy about Ralph. He’s a sweetheart. And he’s the best dancer I know.”

The nationally recognized Anthony for years hosted on h i s land near Seale, Alabama, the Doo-Nanny, a free-wheeling freak show and art sale that had felt like a festival on the fringe. “Ralph’s the only one to catch fire at the Doo-Nanny. It was 2010, I think, and I was trying to get a cotton-rag tied around a cane pole to ignite the big burn we have every year. Well, it flew off and hit Ralph right in the chest. I said, ‘Oh shit, Ralph’s on fire!’ But he jumped on it, put it out, and just kept dancing.”

Anthony hired Frank to “paint about every sign I got out here,” from an old junk store to his Mu-seum of Wonder’s drivethru entrance. “I just like it,” Anthony answers of what draws him to Frank’s work. “You can always spot Ralph’s font style.

There must be 30 or 40 stores around where you can say, ‘There’s

a Ralph.’ And they’re for cool old stores. Hot-dog stands and striper lounges. It’d make for a great coffee-table book.”

Eminent Columbus-based portrait artist Garry Pound recently included Frank in his superb “Fountain City Faces” series of drawings of fellow coffeeshop regulars.

“Ralph is just one of a kind—the kind of local character that make a community great,” Pound tells The LocaL. “Also, he’s just got a great face to draw. Any artist would love to draw him.”

Pound quickly sold two of his portraits of Frank, who received one as a gift from a friend. The other was bought by local businessman/The Loft owner Buddy Nelms, whose second-floor nightclub stairwell is graced by the playful piano keys painted by Frank.

“He’s a terrific sign painter,” Pound says. “You see his everywhere—it’s iconic now. He’s a pro-fessional; he works like a dog at his craft. Creative as well. Not just a sign painter, he’s an artist.”

Frank, back by the wood-burning stove in his bedroom, is preparing to leave home for one of several side jobs (in neighbors’ yards, at the MCSD school-bus warehouse). A few days prior, he worked outside—standing at a work table in his side yard with its expansive survey of the city below—putting the finishing touches on repainting/restoring street signs for the Columbus Historic District.

“My goal, as I try to get through the day, is to continued on p. 16 F e buary 2018

not leave any piles or step in any,” explains Frank. “You got to find joy in your life. Find something that makes you happy.

People engage in bad decisions. Some-times it’s self-torture, self-destruction. You have to forgive yourself whatever mistakes you’ve made so you can progress.”

He was enlisted in the Army and one week away from boarding the bus to serve in recon along the CzechGerman border when his superiors learned Frank lied on his application about having a misdemeanor marijuana conviction (“for six joints”). Instead of following his officer’s order to see an Army psychia-trist in Atlanta and get a waiver, Frank hitchhiked to Oregon.

“I should’ve been dead several times,” Frank confesses. “I was a meth addict. I did some of my best work when I was high and had been up for a couple of days. Something was missing in my life and I had to come to grips with it. You have to find some spirituality. By the grace of God and a loving family, I’ve been clean for 10 years.”

Looking forward, he’d like to get more movie work (he helped on the set of Mississippi Burning filmed in Lafayette, Alabama in the ‘80s), create a large-scale mural, and pass his knowledge down to someone—his four nephews and his friend Sean Crane, a rising talent at painting windows, having recent jobs at Club Martini’s and Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant, come to mind as possible proteges.

Clearly, Ralph Frank, Jr. has wisdom to spare.

“I spent my life questioning things; I was a rebel without a cause,” he says. “But I’m retired from fighting anything.

I’ve felt like burning all my work more than a few times.

But then I know it’s all been a blessing.”

By Frank Etheridge

WARNING: This story contains drug use, child abuse, sexual abuse, suicide and the death of an infant.

T

oday, Erin vigil lives with her daughter, her long-time boyfriend Richard, and Richard’s son. She works two jobs, at a Piggly Wiggly deli counter and as a server and bartender at Speakeasy on Mercury Drive. On March 27, 2015, Speakeasy was robbed by a pistol wielding man, who was later apprehended by Columbus police. During the robbery, Erin and other staff were held at gunpoint, and Erin was afraid.

“I remember thinking, ‘he better make this shot count, right to my head, because I can’t go through that again.”

Erin was afraid of being injured and unable to tell first responders that she cannot have narcotics. Erin avoids hospitals, but when she has to go, as happened recently when she developed a serious infection, she tells hospital staff, “I’m allergic to opioids—I break out in handcuffs and felonies.”

Erin is quick with a joke, a reflex against a difficult personal history, one of childhood trauma, drug addiction and death.

Over lunch, she told The LocaL her story. It was a difficult story to hear, a story Erin related bravely, with the hope that her experience might help someone else survive similar circumstances, or avoid them altogether.

This story may be difficult to read.

As a child, Erin loved school “I always wanted to keep my head in a book,” she said, “and I still have teachers who come to visit me at Speakeasy.”

Erin was a model student through early grades, winning awards for writing. She was involved with gymnastics and excelled in fast-pitch softball.

But her love of school, driven as it was by her precociousness and intellect, was also buttressed by trouble at home, school offering an escape from the maelstrom of home life.

From the outside looking in, Erin said, her family seemed ideal. Her mother and father, Erin and an adopted sister six years Erin’s senior seemed “Brady Bunch,” she said, but, “when the doors were closed and locked, it wasn’t pretty.”

Before Erin’s sister, Tiffany, was adopted, she had been molested. While Erin’s father coddled his youngest, doting on her and making himself an ever-present fixture at her softball games, toward Tiffany he was often violent. Tiffany also molested Erin. Of her father’s violence toward Tiffany, Erin remembers wishing she could “trade places and take the pain.” Erin felt guilty for the stark difference of their father’s treatment of his daughters. When we asked about how Erin felt toward Tiffany for molesting her, Erin said she didn’t hold it against her. Tiffany didn’t know

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what she was doing, Erin said.

Early in Erin’s life, her mother, she recalls, was the sort who made pancakes on Saturday mornings. As much as her mother wanted to maintain her stabilizing influence over the tumultuous household, she was also the victim of her husband’s violence, and beginning with a terrible car accident when Erin was 7, her life quickly spiraled out of control.

“Mom was cookie cutter,” Erin said, “except that she was on drugs.”

Suffering from a slipped disk during her pregnancy with Erin, she went for surgery after giving birth. As was, and in many places still is so common, Erin’s mother was massively overprescribed opioids for her post-surgery pain. When her mother realized she no longer needed the pills for pain but needed them to stifle cravings, she flushed what remained of her prescription. She was clean for six years, until her car was struck by a semi truck, which very nearly killed her.

Back on prescription opioids, her mother lost interest in Erin, both because of the drugs and because responsibility for Tiffany’s worsening condition fell on the mother, while the father kept his distance from his adopted daughter, except when he was violent. At age 15 Tiffany cut the phone cord, held a butcher knife to her mother’s throat, and threatened to kill her mother and herself. Following this episode, Tiffany was committed to the state hospital in Milledgeville.

Erin, who had grown close to her father during her mother’s neglect and her sister’s increasingly violent behavior, did not realize just how unusual her home life was until she was an adult. She “blocked it out.” There was school, gymnastics, softball.

As a child, Erin began to develop health problems. At first, Erin said, she did not need pain medication for her endometriosis and ovarian cysts; but her mother, addicted to the narcotics, not only encouraged Erin to complain of pain, she even pushed for unnecessary medical procedures in order to get still more drugs.

Erin went along with these schemes because, she explained, without the pills her mother was suicidal and verbally abusive.

By helping her mother obtain the pills, Erin hoped “we could all be happy again.” By the time Erin was 15, she had been red flagged, meaning she was recognized by doctors as a possible addict gaming the system for prescriptions. The unnecessary medical procedures also began to take their toll on Erin’s body, and her ability to recover without pain subsided. Though she hurt after procedures, she still did not take the drugs, instead giving them to her mother. Her mother, Erin believes out of guilt, pressured her to begin using the medications.

At 15, for the first time, in serious pain and pressured by her mother, Erin shot the contents of a fentanyl patch into her hip.

“There was no boundary,” Erin said. “We were so far gone, anything went.”

Over a few short years, the sisters progressed from swindling friends and relatives to theft and, eventually, prostitution.

Tiffany, Erin says, was the first to sell sexual favors in order to provide for their habit. Erin, already with two young children at age 19, soon followed.

Tiffany, Erin explained, grew worse, falling ever deeper into depression, growing increasingly suicidal. Erin, with her mother and two children, had no place to go except for the home of an abusive man who would often hold Erin hostage in a closet. One night, the details blurry, Erin sent her mother to Tiffany’s, where the mother and daughter got into a dispute. Tiffany swallowed 56 Nortriptyline pills, a medication intended to treat nerve pain and depression. This is where Erin explained to The LocaL that, despite her disputes with Tiffany, they shared a special bond, the sort of bond under which, as Erin said, “ if you jump, I jump.” By the time Tiffany swallowed the pills, Erin was at the house, with her two children, joining her mother and Tiffany’s two children.

Tiffany then fled the house.

In the moment, Erin reasoned that the best thing to do was to call the police.

Tiffany was on felony probation at the time, so Erin supposed Tiffany would be apprehended by police, and thereby treated appropriately. An hour after taking the pills, Tiffany returned to the house, where she was met by an ambulance. According to Erin, to her horror, the paramedics allowed Tiffany to sign documents and refuse treatment, after which Tiffany asked the police to remove Erin and her mother for trespassing. Erin remembers being grateful that she was able to take Tiffany’s kids with her.

In response to the chaos and pressure of the night’s events, Erin says she swallowed an entire bottle of blood pressure medication.

“I woke up the next day,” Erin said. “There’s the difference.”

The next day, Erin procured three 80 milligram Oxycontin pills, which she intended to share with her mother and Tiffany.

The drugs were to be a kind of peace offering between the three. When she arrived at Tiffany’s house, something was wrong. Scattered throughout the house were empty cans of Spark, an alcoholic beverage containing caffeine; this was unusual, Erin said, because Tiffany rarely drank, and when she did, she drank very little.

In the living room, Spark cans scattered about. In the bathroom, a bathtub full of water. In the bedroom, Erin discovered Tiffany naked on the bed.

“I immediately knew,” Erin said. She doesn’t remember what happened over the next two weeks.

Erin’s story wil continue in the next issue.

By Tom Ingram

Erin’s sister, after time in the state hospital in Milledgeville and the Annes Elizabeth Shepherd Home, returned to live with Erin and her mother. Their father had left them, Erin said, primarily because of his wife’s drug abuse. Their mother and Tiffany, both addicted, collaborated to provide for their daily habit. What soon developed, however, was a system in which responsibility for providing the drugs fell onto Erin and Tiffany.

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Emergency Preparedness Seminar Do you know the difference between an emergency and a disaster?

Are you equipped with items needed in case of a natural or man-made disaster? Come out to the seminar to prepare yourself, your family, and your community for emergencies that may arise. Get tips, a plan and see a demonstration of items to ensure the safety of your family during natural or man-made disasters. Feb. 8, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m., Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road Riverbend Park Cleanup We’re cleaning up Riverbend Park and need your help! If you are unfamiliar with this unique and beautiful section of the river, this is the perfect opportunity to explore a new place.

Please dress for the weather. Chattahoochee River Warden will provide trash bags, gloves, snacks and beverages. Call with any questions: (706) 649-2326. Feb. 10, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Riverbend Park, Cusseta, Georgia

Can You Escape?

Valentine Relay 5k Fun Run We are turning our annual Valentine Relay into a fun run. This year it will be on Valentine’s Day as part of our Wednesday Evening Group.

What a fun date! Just show up and run with a partner and you’ll get to participate. If you don’t have someone to run with don’t let that stop you from coming. We can match you up with someone else who may not have a partner. Or comment in the discussion portion of this event and see if there’s someone who will run with you. The run is free. There will be no awards or tshirts, but there will be a special treat for all who participate. Hope to see you there!

It was a cold, overcast day recently, when a group of firsttimers arrived at Escape This Live, at 1036 1st Avenue, in the heart of Uptown Columbus. They were not entirely certain what was in store for them as they climbed the stairs to the second floor of the building; but as they mounted the stairs, their excitement mounted, too. On the recommendation of a friend, who had fallen in love with escape room games in another city, they were eager to try a game in Columbus.

The first-timers had a general idea of what to expect. Escape This Live is an interactive adventure game that puts your wits and determination to the test as you discover clues, solve puzzles, unlock locks and escape the room before time runs out. Each room has a unique theme and story.

You have 60 minutes. Can you escape alive?

The friends played “Asylum,” in which they are searching for a journalist student who had gone to an abandoned insane asylum to uncover its dark past but had never returned (you know the horror movie set-up). With the backstory told and rules explained (no phones, don’t break things), the friends were sent into a dark room. Over the walkie-talkie, provided to each group of gamers, they were told to search along the wall for

31st Annual Open Door Classic 5k Walk and Run to end poverty. To register go to www.odch.org and click on the Open Door Classic logo. Individuals or teams are welcome to walk or run. Event features: Live music, prizes and awards. March 3, 8 a.m. - noon, Woodruff Park, 1000 Bay Avenue, Columbus Feb. 14, 6 7 p.m., Big Dog Feet Feet, 1200 Broadway, Columbus Columbus Hockey Association Try Hockey Free Event This event is designed to provide kids, between the ages of 4 to 9, a completely free experience to try youth hockey. A limited amount of equipment is available to borrow. Our top coaches will be on the ice to assist your child in learning the basics. Your son or daughter does not need any previous skating or hockey experience. Register Today at www.tryhockeyforfree.com/8448, March 3, 9 - 10:30 a.m., Columbus Ice Rink, 400 4th Street, Columbus, Ga One Fish Two Fish Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday and fish with the Ranger. Ages 4-15 do not need a fishing license. Adults go online to gooutdoorsga.com to purchase license. We have limited loaner poles and cut hot dog bait. Fish craft & games included. Bring own gear and worm bait if you have it. Pre-register to in insure equipment loaners. $3 Meet at Fishing Dock in the campground. March 3, 9:30 - 11 a.m., Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, 2970 Ga Highway 190, Pine Mountain, Ga. Want to see your event listed here? Email events@thelocalcolumbus.com LocaL

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a flashlight. Once they found their only source of light, the group quickly went to work. They rummaged through desk drawers and searched around a gurney. They found documents detailing the treatment of a patient at the nowdefunct asylum. They conversed, considered their clues, and there it was—the combination to the first lock.

For the next hour, the team dashed through the first and then second room of the game, discovering clues, decoding messages, and working together to escape.

Several times, stumped, they used the radio to call for hints, which helped them on their progress. The voice on the radio called out their time, “thirty minutes remaining—fifteen minutes left—five minutes!”

The friends, racing madly to solve the next clue—and laughing, too, at their own eagerness—were fully immersed in the game when time was up. They hadn’t finished the room, which was normal for first-time players.

“It’s like a video game,” one of the friends told the staff who came to show them what they had missed. “That got really intense.”

“It was also really fun,” another friend added, and the group nodded in agreement.

Though this group was small, rooms can accommodate up to twelve players. Though the backstory to “Asylum” is creepy, it wasn’t scary at all. The general mood of adventure and

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discovery was apparent when staff showed the players what they missed and the players followed all of the reveals, laughing, reprimanding themselves for not noticing a detail, and congratulating each other for things they had discovered.

“You just get caught up in it, finding the clues, solving the puzzles,” one of the players said. While the rooms are geared towards adults, children 10 and up are welcomed with adult supervision.

This group, who wanted to do something fun together, found Escape This Live as a way to get out of the ugly weather. For parties, ETL is a unique way to get the blood pumping. As one of the friends suggested, the games are also perfect for team building.

“This sure beats trust falls,” one of the friends said.

“We worked together. We each developed roles in the group, helped each other. I was kinda surprised what a solid team we made.”

ETL changes games regularly, so return guests will always have a new adventure awaiting them. When you’re ready to test your wits and have fun, whether for date night, with friends or as a company team, call (706) 221-7903 to schedule a game.

by Tom Ingram

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Quick & Easy Recipe Shop Do you have a favorite quick-and-easy recipe, or would you like to find a new favorite? We all love fresh cooked meals, but we don’t all have the time to spend hours in the kitchen. Join us for an opportunity to exchange recipes and trade cooking tips! You do not have to bring a recipe to attend, but if you do, please bring enough copies for everyone, a dozen should do it! To learn more, call 706-243-2669. Feb. 8, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road, Columbus

My name is Jud Ri char d so n a n d I a m t h e R oa s t e r a n d O w n e r o f F o u n ta i n City Cof f ee. Whil e I’v e o w n e d th e sh o p fo r 5 ye a r s, I ’ v e b e e n w o r k i n g there since 2005. It’s b e e n m y g oa l to se e th e pl ace th r i v e a n d to pr ov i d e a refuge for folks w h i l e a l s o r oa s t i n g t h e b e s t b e a n s a r o u n d ! I h av e al so never run out of r a d i sh e s. ”

Top Five B a ris ta q uest i o n s

Mardi Gras Weekend Bash at Outlaws Saloon

What is your spirit animal?

What is in the village beyond the wood?

What kind of pizza would you be and who is your best friend?

What really happened in Cleveland?

Tell me a joke.

Free party favors and beads to throw out, $4 hurricane punch, contest for the most beads. Feb. 9, 9:00 p.m., Outlaws Saloon, 6499 Veterans Parkway, Columbus

Valentine’s Dinner with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra

Top Five fin ge rs

Love is in the air! Celebrate in style at the Columbus Symphony Orchestra with a romantic candlelit dinner prior to the evening’s “Baroque Suites & Sweets” concert on Feb. 13. Dinner will begin with a field green salad with strawberries, walnuts and poppy seed dressing and fresh baked bread. The main course will be your choice of beef medallions with a demi glaze or grilled salmon with a wasabi ginger sauce. Both entrees will be served with cheese polenta and grilled asparagus. The meal will conclude with dessert. Wine, tea and water will be available as well.

Following the dinner, enjoy an evening of compelling chamber orchestra music (not included in dinner ticket), plus champagne & desserts at the “Baroque Suites & Sweets” concert. It is the perfect night out for you and your loved one! Dinner tickets are $75. SPACE IS LIMITED and tickets must be purchased by Feb. 6. Feb. 13, 6 - 7:30 p.m., RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, 900 Broadway, Columbus

Middle Index Ring Pinky Middle, again

Top Five s h ow s I ’ v e b e e n m ea n i n g t o wat ch b ut h av e n ’ t fou n d th e tim e f o r Baskets The Punisher Jean Claude Van Johnson Happy!

Unreleased Ancient Aliens Episodes

Valentine’s Day Dinner

Love is in the air! Enjoy Dinner & Drinks to Live Music performed by the incredibly talented Emily Stillwell. We will feature a Special Valentine’s Dinner Menu, with Decadent Desserts made in-house. Please call or message for call ahead seating. Feb. 14, 4 - 10 p.m., Ben’s Chophouse, 6780 Veterans Parkway, Columbus

Top Five Favorit e m ov i e s They Live Brazil Sunshine Bottle Rocket The Stuff

Fat Tires & Flat Tires with Ambassador Cheryl

Come on in for a pint of Fat Tire beer and chips and we’ll teach you how to change your flat bicycle tire. Don’t worry, we have all the equipment and tools. Feb. 22, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Ride on Bikes, 1036 Broadway, Columbus

T o p F i v e t h i n g s t o d o d u r i n g b oy ’s w e e k e n d at G i r l S c ou t c a mp *** Cry Buy stuffed animals Call Mom Cry Wear color coded swimming caps

Sour Beer Class with Liberator Distributing at Maltitude

Join us for our first beer class at Maltitude! The class will be taught

by Fred Crudder of Liberator Distributing and will take place in our stock room in the back of the store. The class will last approximately 45 mins-1 hour followed by a short Q&A session. Your ticket price includes three samples of sour beers during the class. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the counter at Maltitude. Feb. 24, 1 - 2:00 p.m., Maltitude, 1031 Broadway, Columbus

Jud Richardson

***Outrageous as it sounds, Jud insists that this is based on a true story. In case you were worried, his swimming cap indicated that he was a strong swimmer. Still, he bought a lot of stuffed animals and cried a lot; who wouldn’t?

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Faculty Recital: Organ with Friends

Feb.18, 4:00 pm. Free. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Faculty Recital: Dr. Susan Tomkiewicz

Feb. 20.,7:30 pm. Free. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

19th Annual Guitar Symposium

Feb. 24, 8:00 pm. $20. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Faculty Recital: Natalie Higgins, Horn

Feb. 4, 4 p.m. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, 900 Broadway, Columbus

Guest Artist: Emily Brebach, English Horn

Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m. Free. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Guest Artist: Brian Meixner, Euphonium

Feb. 6. 6:30 p.m. Free. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Bobaflex returns to Soho Bar & Grill

Feb. 8, 7:00 p.m. - midnight, Soho Bar & Grill, 5751 Milgen Road, Columbus

Vocal Jazz Concert at The Loft

Vocal jazz band Southern Standard with Rusty Taylor (vocals and dancing), Taylor Pierce (guitars), Chris Helms (sax), Jeff Smith )bass), and Mark Parker (drums). Feb. 9, 7 - 9:00 p.m., The Loft, 1032 Broadway, Columbus

Feeding Fingers (New Wave/Post-Punk/Darkwave) at Soho Bar & Grill

Feb. 24, 10:30 p.m. - 2 a.m., 5751 Milgen Road, Columbus

Super Heroes & Villains With the Columbus Symphony Orchestra

This rollicking Pops concert searches film scores and television sound tracks to present music that pits the most virtuous super heroes against the most vile, evil super villains. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and all the rest will do battle with their arch nemeses. At the end only one will remain standing (and it probably won’t be conductor Del Gobbo). Feb. 24, 7:30 - 10 p.m., Columbus Symphony Orchestra, 900 Broadway, Columbus

The McRyatts / Sinema at The Estate

Feb. 24, 7 p.m., 1231 Midway Drive, Columbus

19th Annual Guitar Symposium

Feb. 25, 7:30 pm. $20. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Kelen Heller at Soho Bar & Grill

Feb. 10, 8 p.m. - 1 a.m., 5751 Milgen Road, Columbus

Special Event: Music Under The Dome

Vagrants / Outlast the End at The Estate

Free, but tickets are required. Visit ccssc.com for more information. Feb. 27, 5:00 pm, Coca-Cola Space Science Center, 701 Front Avenue.

Feb. 10, 7 p.m., 1231 Midway Drive, Columbus

Wolf and Clover CD Release

Wolf and Clover is releasing its first full-length album and will perform it live in Legacy Hall in the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts! This concert is free, open to the public, and unticketed, so bring your family out to hear some old favorites as well as exciting new tunes! CDs will be on sale outside. Feb. 10, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m., RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, 900 Broadway, Columbus

The Brown Goose at The Loft

The Brown Goose is a Tallahassee, Fl.-based rock band emerging from the North Florida panhandle, and are known for having a melodic alternative rock sound mixed with a high energy live performance. Now hailing from George Clinton’s What Studios in Tallahassee, The Geese are headed to spread their talents and contagious good vibes in Columbus.

Feb. 10, 9:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m., The Loft, 1032 Broadway, Columbus

Viola Studio Recital

Feb. 27, 7:30 pm, Free, Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Guest Artist: Jonathan-Hulting Cohen, Saxophone

Feb. 28, 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm, Free. Studio Theatre, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Choir of Babble at Soho Bar & Grill

March 1, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., 5751 Milgen Road, Columbus

Want to see your event listed here? Email events@thelocalcolumbus.com

Violin Studio Gala Concert

Feb. 11, 4:00 pm. Free. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Faculty Recital: Joe Girard

Feb. 15, 7:30 pm. Free. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Alabama Avenue at The Tavern

Feb. 16, 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., 6298 Veterans Parkway, Columbus

Earl Coleman Studio Recital

Feb. 17, 4:00 p.m. Free. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus

Michelle DeBruyn Studio Recital

Feb. 17, 7:30 pm. Free. Legacy Hall, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. 900 Broadway, Columbus LocaL

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