Metro Spirit 02.07.2013 by Metro Spirit

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WHINE LINE

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INSIDER RUFFIN’ IT AUSTIN RHODES

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Metro Spirit is a freee newspaper published publis weekly on Thursday, 52 weeks eks a year. Editorial coverage includes local ocal al issues and news, arts, arts entertainment, entert people, places and pectrum. The he views do not necessarily represent present the views of the th publisher. publish Visit us at metrospirit.com. m.© events. In our paperr appear views from across the political and social spectrum. ner/Publisher: Joe White. Legal: Phillip Scott Hibbard. Reproduction or use without permissio p person, perso please. 15 House, LLC. Owner/Publisher: permission is prohibited. One copy per

CONTENTS

Roll Over Beethoven?: New SOA executive director hopes week-long festival will inspire Augustans to give classical music a fresh look

EricJohnson|news editor eric@themetrospirit.com

GabrielVega|lead designer gabe@themetrospirit.com

BrendaCarter|senior account executive brenda@themetrospirit.com

AmyChristian|arts editor/production director amy@themetrospirit.com

JoeWhite|publisher joe@themetrospirit.com

JohnnyBeckworth|circulation manager johnny@themetrospirit.com

Michael-RKQVRQ_VLJKWLQJV Valerie(PHULFN_ZULWHU Amy3HUNLQV_HGLWRULDO LQWHUQ LauraPerry|volunteer

WHINELINE It’s obvious that Austin Rhodes works for a Democratic PAC. He’s paid for his articles to make ultra Conservative Republicans look like flaming jackasses. A gun-owner is more likely to be shot when “confronted with a situation” than a nongun-owner because

chances are gun-owners don’t walk around all the time with a gun in their hand, and they would get shot reaching for their gun, whereas a nongun-owner would live to party another day after they relinquished their wallet. The gun-owner would be the pathetic one, while the nongun-owner could continue to attend sex orgies and pot parties.

Why is the son of the Columbia County fire chief always in the jail report? Does anyone else find that disturbing? I sign into my Tumblr account, and switch the dashboard from my main blog to the secondary blog, then I go to Account _ Preferences _ Customize

your blog, but then it just takes me to the customization page for my main blog. Any way to customize my secondary blog, or should I just create a second account altogether?. If you have dead trees in your yard, please be responsible and have them removed so your neighbor won’t suffer any damages. If your neighbor

o r t e m IRIT SP informs you about a dead tree, then you will pay for the damages if you don’t remove it. Is it just me, or isn’t the ex-lawmaker with a fraud conviction, a.k.a. former Georgia Rep. Robin Williams, an absolute dead-ringer doppleganger for whack-a-doodle conspiracy theorist Alex Jones? (continued on page 42)

Nosing In: Riverkeeper’s dog trained to sniff out sewer leaks Retail Sale: Counties look to add retail to their economic development plans Rental Raise: Columbia County raises fees on rental facilities for first time in six years

COVER DESIGN: KRUHU Want to advertise in the Metro Spirit? 706.496.2535 or 706.373.3636

INSIDER@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM Insider is an anonymous, opinion-based examination of the hidden details of Augusta politics and personalities.

SIDER Slapshot

Rumors are floating around that the current minor league hockey team playing in the James Brown Arena won’t be back next year. Didn’t know we had one? Don’t blame yourself. Many of our other readers didn’t know, either, because the team has an exclusive “sponsorship” agreement with the Augusta Chronicle that forbids them from advertising in any print other than a Morris publication. Make sense? Of course not. As many other organizations and nonprofits have found out, those kinds of deals are very beneficial… for Morris.

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These Are All Entirely Reasonable Last Thursday at 1:10 in the afternoon, two “B/F Heavy” each walked out of BG Shoes with a pair of shoes, sizes 14 and 15. Last seen southbound on Marks Church Road. Friday morning at 11:30 a whole damn family (adult male and female and three children ranging in ages of six to 10) each tried on Nikes at Burlington Coat Factory and got on the good foot out the door into a black SUV. Later Friday around 2 p.m. an 18-year-old male (6’, 156 pounds), we’ll call him String Bean, tried to steal a bottle of Obsession for Men from Sears. Obsession for Men. Launched in 1986. Sears. Launched in 1925. Apparently popped by Marty McFly. Saturday morning a man we’ll call “Einstein” reported his car stolen from Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School downtown. He told police he left it secured in the parking lot at 10 a.m. and found it missing at 11:10 a.m. Einstein called back at 1:08 in the afternoon and told the police he had found his vehicle. In the rear parking lot. Of Davidson. He stated he forgot where he parked the listed vehicle. Saturday afternoon the office manager of the Augusta Mall reported to police that someone had left a message on her business voicemail wanting to know, “if there was any good looking bitches and whores at the mall and that he was really wanting a piece of &$%#@.” From Richmond County Sheriff’s Department reports

Really? Hot on the heels of the discussion to place Gold Cross ambulance service out for bid comes word that the Coliseum Authority is about to bid out management of the Augusta Entertainment Complex, better known as the Place Global Spectrum Put Right. Whether it’s a CYA decision or one to make sure they are getting the best bang for their buck, the thought of Global Spectrum no longer being in Augusta is preposterous. Never in the history of the complex has it been run so well and been so successful. If it’s true and we somehow lose Global Spectrum, those in the local media who work with Global, not to mention all the patrons who have enjoyed the renaissance of the venues, will certainly have something to say about it.

METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Metro Spirit: This is in response to Austin Rhodes’ Metro Spirit article titled, “I Am Coming Out of the Closet.” In the article, Rhodes says he is a conservative who has decided to speak up for legally recognizing the union of same sex partners. In other words, Rhodes now supports gay marriage. Former British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher said, “Being powerful is like being a lady, if you have to say you are you’re not.” Likewise, the same applies to Austin Rhodes, who claims to be a conservative and claims not to be gay or bisexual. A conservative he is not. A liberal in conservative clothing, he is. When it comes to the subject of same sex marriage, he is more like President Barack Obama. Before he was first elected president, Barack Obama was against same sex marriage. Then, after his election, he came out of the closet and evolved to support same sex marriage. He needed the gay voting block to help his reelection efforts. Obviously it worked. Likewise, Austin Rhodes came out of the same closet and is using the same gay pandering strategy as did President Obama. Rhodes is trying to stay relevant and gain sponsors for his radio program. Like the president, he stands for nothing and will say anything when it is to his advantage. Like the president, he is undermining the institution of marriage. Marriage is a spiritual union ordained by God. A God ordained marriage is between a male and female. What God has joined together, let not man put asunder. A true person of God cannot and will not endorse, sanction or support same sex marriage. A civil union is not a marriage, spiritual union or God ordained. Therefore, Austin Rhodes does not have a clue when it comes to the subject of marriage. However, when it comes to gay pandering and boot licking, he is a subject matter expert. Kevin Palmer Martinez

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AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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White Noise

Beware of misdirection from… well, basically, everyone As per usual, a lot of stuff happened this past week in the arena of banshees and retardation we know as national politics. Thanks to inter- and intra-party squabbling, an entitled conservative base and a liberal wing that unpredictably alternates between squandering and overplaying their newfound political clout, the national dialogue is stupidly dysfunctional. Honey Boo Boo and Jersey Shore producers watch Senate hearings and fear for the future of humanity. Decades from now, when the last of us are earning a living as jesters for our new zombie overlords, we’ll refer to these years as “the dark times.” (Warning: misdirection ahead.) The gun control debate, for one, continues to limp placidly along, as Wayne LaPierre — a man paid to lobby for and rhetorically fellate the NRA’s agenda whenever there’s a microphone present — continues to insist that background checks don’t work, at the same time that Baltimore Police Chief Jim Johnson (whose rise to such an occupation should be accompanied by hazard pay on par with a fingerless landmine defuser) completely debunks him, using the arcane arts known in whispers as “logic” and “math.” Fun fact: every time Ted Cruz puts an imaginary pistol grip on a rifle, an angel takes a crap. But I’m not going to talk about that, because what I am going to talk about makes my brain hurt just slightly less. As you may or may not have heard, the Obama administration just released more details on the contraception rule in their Affordable Care Act plan. There’s a lot of political-legal word salad that I don’t have the time or patience to untangle in these pages, but here’s the long and short of it: Under the Affordable Care Act, religious nonprofits and hospitals can choose to opt out of providing contraception benefits for female employees; if they choose, it won’t come out of their pockets. But! Fear not, uterus-havers, because if your employer is freaked out that much by the thought of women’s rights and/or democracy, then the insurance company will still pay for your birth control, with absolutely no co-pay. So even if your boss — in these cases, I like to imagine an obese version of Mr. Monopoly, with a vocabulary that consists entirely of “Harumph!” and farts — you’ll still have access to free contraception if you want/need it. Think of it as a backdoor policy, which is literally what birth control consists of in Alabama. You’d think this would satisfy religious conservatives. Their liberties, which were already in no danger of being infringed upon (because ensuring that women are healthy and in charge of their own bodies is not the same as a Christian vs. Lion Fight Night), are now being not-infringed-upon even more substantially. And yet, tragically and predictably, it’s not stopping religious groups from seeing their perpetual bitch-and-moan through to the bitter end. The Faith and Freedom Coalition refers to it as “window dressing and more of the same;” the Catholic Association says “just another accounting gimmick.” Perhaps most hilariously, Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty (a transparent moniker if ever there was one) says: “[this] proposed rule does nothing to protect the religious freedom of millions of Americans. There would have been an easy way to resolve this — expanding the exemption — but the proposed rule expressly rejects that option.” Two things about that statement: 1) “millions of Americans” could mean

METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

anything. If more than two million Americans shared Duncan’s concerns, that’s a legitimate statement; and it probably is. But here’s the thing: many, many, many millions more support the president’s plan. And this, my friends, is how democracy works. 2) It doesn’t matter what Obama did, does or will do. In this context, conservatives will only be happy if the exemption is expanded to include f***ing everyone. Because when conservatives crow about liberty, what they really mean is limiting the freedoms of the majority of Americans based on their own idiosyncratic, nitpicky insecurities. One idiot in particular is/was responsible for actually trying to push this concept through. Anthony Picarello, general counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — Satan calls him “damaged goods” — calls for expanding the exemption to include not only overt, religiously affiliated entities, but to any company owned or headed up by an individual who objects on moral grounds. Again, two things: 1) something like this would never get past the second minute of deliberation in the Supreme Court, as it would theretofore allow any private entity to skirt government regulations, using the supremely myopic “moral objections” as an excuse. 2) This is America, dips**t. Which means that, even if you don’t like something, you’ve got to pay for it. Plenty of us objected to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we paid for it. There’s a pothole eight blocks away from me, on a street I never drive on. And I pay to have it fixed. It’s sad, it really is, that conservatives, through little more than braying like lunatics, have re-characterized a basic American principle like “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free” to mean “communist dystopia.” And that’s their game: misdirection. It’s what characterizes their policies and talking points, from gun control to contraception to their current attempts to reconfigure the electoral college in their favor. Conservatives know that, left with only facts and figures, they’re up S**t Creek on every issue. Hence the braying; hence the melody, the message, lost in the white noise.

JOSHRUFFIN, a Metro Spirit alum, is a published

journalist and poet who just received his MFA from Georgia College & State University. He was once the most un-intimidating bouncer at Soul Bar.

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Sheriff, We Are Both Here To Stay The following email was sent to my corporate and local bosses last Friday morning (February 1) at 10:20 a.m. by Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree. The body of the letter appears here unedited, exactly as he wrote it: “This morning a Deputy in my agency was involved in a shooting incident which resulted in the death of a suspect. Per our protocol, we contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct the investigation. Due to the sensitive nature of the incident, the fact that it is an ongoing investigation, the pending notification of the deceased family members and the privacy of the Deputy during the investigation, neither my office nor the GBI has Officially released any the names of the victim or the Deputy. We have sent out a news release advising that were would be releasing details of the incident once the initial interviews are completed and the incident scene released. However, it has been brought to my attention that a representative from your Broadcasting affiliate WGAC has posted information via a Facebook website under the name “the Austin Rhodes Show” naming a Deputy they believed to have been involved in the shooting incident. While I cannot confirm at this time if the named Deputy was actually involved, I find it extremely reckless and irresponsible to release information on an ongoing investigation that has not been confirmed by either agency. Furthermore, no consideration was made to the family of the Reported Deputy as if he was involved, he would not have had an opportunity to inform them of his status. I understand the need and desire to be first in reporting “breaking news” and even though this information was reported via a social media website and not through your official email, it goes without say who the individual works for and the station they represent. I am extremely disappointed in your reporting tactics and they do not favor well with my administration. I sincerely hope that, this issue will be addressed as I would like to continue a working relationship with your media affiliate.” Of course, the sheriff was referring to the shooting and subsequent death of suspect Chaz Williams by Deputy Mike Woodard in the wee small hours of that Friday morning. It is true, there were no official RCSO releases involving the details of the situation, none at all really, until well after my morning radio report at 7:50 a.m. In that report, I pretty much laid it all out. I named Williams, I said that he had attempted to elude officers following a traffic stop. I reported that he was wanted on another warrant, and that he had escaped to his girlfriend’s apartment. I reported that he had harmed himself severely with a knife, and was refusing to come from behind a locked door inside that apartment. I reported that at some time around 3:45 a.m., he rushed the team of officers who were there to arrest him. He did this while covered with bloody gore, brandishing a knife and screaming maniacally. Woodard was at the front of the group, and was the only one with a clear shot as Williams aggressively confronted them. Woodard did what he was trained to do in such a situation, and he took aim center mass. Multiple shots. Neutralized perp. Officers shaken, but unharmed. Williams was pronounced dead at approximately 4:20 a.m. Sometime shortly after that, Erin Woodard received a very brief call from her husband, explaining that he was fine, no harm had come to him and that he was going to be quite busy and late coming home. Click. The conversation lasted 10 seconds. I know that because she told me that herself in a phone call following this (unedited) note sent to my radio station email account: “Not that my opinion would phase you but I just want to say as Deputy Woodard’s wife I’m glad for the update(s) you gave. I received one 10 second phone call this morning right after it happened just saying he was ok but he wouldn’t be home on time. Without your updates I would have been lost & I’m just glad you do try to give accurate info. Have a great weekend & keep up the good work!” Au contraire, Erin. Your opinion matters to me more than anyone’s in this case. It should matter way more

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to Sheriff Roundtree, too. He should have been the one calling Erin, or at least talking to her Friday morning briefly, after her husband. He did not. He should have been the one giving her some details, or at the very least explaining thoroughly that her husband had acted bravely and professionally, and that he was fine. He showed up to do TV interviews wearing his Sunday best, so he was on the scene and in the know, and if he can tell Barclay Bishop and Jessica Dill that all is secure and well, how about a phone call to Mrs. Mike Woodard at some point during the festivities to tell her everything was okay? The information that I reported at 7:50 came long after the scene had been secured and the danger eliminated. Members of dead man’s family were there, and to be quite honest about it, I could not care less if the relatives of a criminal killed violently while attacking police officers hear his name, or his fate, on the radio. The family of the deputy who had to pull the trigger, that is quite a different matter. More than three hours after a perp is pronounced should be enough time for anyone to get in touch with their loved ones, and by the number of official people on the scene (more than 30, I am told, by the time the sun came up), there was no way in hell the names of all involved were not being spoken freely. But for some odd reason, Sheriff Roundtree had nothing specific to say about names, circumstances, motivations or anything else until 2 p.m. And most of the details came closer to the 5 p.m. news hour. That is unacceptable, and in a situation similar to this in the future, it could be disastrous. It did not used to be this way under like conditions, so where is all this coming from? I understand the sheriff has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the media at arm’s length, employing a more restrictive policy concerning all but specifically approved communications between his people and the press, but this was ridiculous. I had the story, and I had it right, at 7:50 a.m. I put no one at risk, and according to the wife of the deputy involved, my information did more to calm her concerns than his own people did. If I could speak to Sheriff Roundtree I would remind him that there is no one in Augusta media over the last 20 years that has more consistently and enthusiastically supported law enforcement than I have. His note to my bosses was not only inaccurate, but composed during a period of time when there were far more important things to do than be complaining about me. He really should have known better. But hey, he is not going anywhere, and much to his chagrin, neither am I. So someone tell the sheriff we need to sit down and talk. If he is concerned about me, he can start by telling me. I told him during the media meeting he held some weeks ago that his restrictions were unworkable, and in most cases unnecessary. I laid it out man to man, he can do the same for me. Or, shoot me an email, like this one (unedited) I just got moments ago from Deputy Woodard’s mother-inlaw: “Austin - I am not going to make this a long letter; I know you don’t have time to read long letters. I just wanted to say, thank you for the support you have shown my family. I am the mother-in-law to Mike Woodard. I appreciate the kindness you have shown to my daughter Erin and her husband Mike. Law enforcement is a thankless job; most that are in it for a career do so because they love it (we both know it’s not for the pay). I will be the first to say I may not always agree with you, but you always shoot straight. You say what needs to be said, whether we like to hear it or not. Thanks again for your concern, Alison AUSTINRHODES The views expressed are the opinions of Austin Rhodes Diamond” All in all, it has been a great week for and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. email.

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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ERICJOHNSON

Nosing In

Riverkeeper’s dog trained to sniff out sewer leaks On February 1, after a TV news report aired about sewage leak in an apartment complex off Lumpkin Road, Tonya Bonitatibus decided it was time to go sewage sniffing. As the Savannah Riverkeeper, such things fall under her broad umbrella of duties, and when they do, she’s not the only one who heads out to investigate. So does her dog, Beaudreau. Beaudreau, a Catahoula, is trained to sniff out sewage leaks the way bomb dogs are trained to sniff out explosives, and at the apartment complex he found one. “As soon as he got out of the car he started working,” Bonitatibus says. “Every storm drain he checked, he hit on, which is unusual. We collected samples, and the fecal counts were too numerous to count, so there’s a problem there and the city and the owners are working together to try to resolve it.” Because Beaudreau — she calls him Boo — is so good at what he does, she works closely with the Utilities Department to help them find sewage leaks. In fact, the Utilities Department helped fund Boo’s training. Bonitatibus got the idea to train Boo back when the Ironman first came to town. At that time she was hired to collect E. coli samples out of the river and she found out there were two storm drains in the downtown area that had some high E. coli counts, but it took the city about two and a half weeks to find where the sewer lines were actually leaking. “So I actually reached out to [Utilities Director] Tom Wiedmeier and said, ‘Look — I’ve got this crazy idea. I think I can train my dog, who’s a hunting dog, to find sewer line leaks. He’s certainly never found of pile of anything he didn’t love.’” She says Wiedmeier loved the idea and wrote her a check for $3,500, which was about half the amount of the training. “She had some research from an organization we’re members of — the Water Environment Research Foundation — and if they were looking at it, then I figured it had a lot of potential,” Wiedmeier says. “I was kind of sold the first time we talked about it, but I went to the administrator with it and he was a little skeptical at first.” Skepticism aside, they wrote the check anyway, and from there she sought out Southern K9 Solutions, an Evans-based company that trains bomb dogs and drug detection dogs. “I said I wanted to train him not on bombs or drugs, but on sewage, and after they got done laughing at me, they said they thought they could help me,” she says. Owner Jerry Lyda still laughs when he remembers the request. “I’m pretty good, huh?” he says. “Who would have thought about training a dog to find poop? They’re already pretty good at that.” Dogs might be naturally good at finding poop, but to be effective as a detection dog, Lyda had to get Boo to distinguish between the different kinds of it. “It’s just like narcotics, explosives, termites or bed 8

METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Riverkeeper and Boo sniff sewage bugs,” he says. “We teach them to find the specific odor, and after we teach them that, we teach them what to do when they find that odor.” Drug dogs, for example, are trained to distinguish meth, cocaine, heroin, marijuana or any other kind of drug. If the dog smells any one of those, he’s trained to indicate it. “The same is true for the sewage dog,” he says. “We train him to find sewage. He won’t alert on dog mess, he won’t alert on animal feces or anything like that. It’s going to be human sewage that he finds.” Such training takes time, Lyda says, since you’ve first got to get the dog trained to find the specific odor, then you’ve got to mix other odors with it to keep the dog honest. And once you’ve got the dog trained, you’ve got to keep working him or else the dog will lose the ability. Bonitatibus doesn’t have to worry about Boo losing his ability. The two are constantly searching out sewage, either in town or streamside. “He’s a Louisiana breed that hunts wild boar, and the reason I have him is because I spend a lot of time outside in some wetlands and along the banks of the river where there are hogs,” she says. “I don’t like hogs, so he’s my security blanket. Plus, he’s pretty good at tracking, so we just put the two together.” Not only that, she says the dog has actually gotten better at what he does. Though trained to stick his head into storm drains and indicate whether there was a leak or not, while investigating a sewage leak along Jones Creek, Boo was able to work his way up the creek and find three leaks. Though Bonitatibus says Boo is not the only sewage sniffing dog in the country — she has also found sewage dogs in Michigan — she says Boo is in high demand, and not just around here. Last year, the two flew to Portland, Oregon, to do a presentation where they found three leaks in the midst of their show and they’re also planning to spend some time in Texas as well. Boo has also served as an expert witness in a court case.

Boo is a good natured, playful dog, but once his working harness is on and Bonitatibus starts speaking German, which is how he’s been trained to receive commands, he’s all business. “One of the greatest things about him — every time I go into a neighborhood, he’s loud, and that attracts attention,” she says. “He’s a magnet for kids.” And those kids, she says, often provide her with the best information. “As soon as he shows up, kids come from everywhere,” she says. “Then, it’s ‘Hey guys — where have you been falling in holes? Show me where the holes are and show me where it’s stinky.’ The kids know where all the problems are.” And while she says sometimes people aren’t happy with Boo sniffing around private property, they usually leave her alone because although the dog is naturally friendly and loveable, he’s also big and imposing. Most of the time, though, she says owners are happy to hear her findings. “Sometimes you run into people who just don’t want to fix the problem, but often it’s very expensive to find the problem, and that’s what’s so cool about him. He works cheap and he’s really about his job.” That enthusiasm is evident as she leads him around the storm drains in Olde Town, where he sniffs and moves on and sniffs and moves on until she leads him to a manhole cover with a little vent. There, he drops down, and waits for the payoff — a little ball that serves as his reward. Thanks to grants from the Georgia River Networks and Patagonia, the two will be working with the city a lot come spring, and if everything comes together they way she hopes it will, she’ll soon have a training center at the new Riverkeeper property she’s developing. “We’ve written it into our strategic plan and it’s part of what we’re going to move forward with,” she says. “Not only working him in the basin where needed, but also helping others to have the same ability and training other dogs to go to other facilities.” 07FEBRUARY2013

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Not to mention dating sites for anyone and everyone A physicist, a biologist and a mathematician are sitting in a street cafĂŠ, watching people entering and leaving the house on the other side of the street. First they see two people entering the house. Time passes. After a while they notice three people leaving the house. The physicist says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The measurement wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accurate.â&#x20AC;? The biologist says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;They must have reproduced.â&#x20AC;? The mathematician says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If one more person enters the house then it will be empty.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Anonymous Who Do You Trust? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Ponemon Institute released its annual survey of the most trusted companies for privacy. The study asks consumers to name and rate organizations that they believe are committed to protecting personal privacy. For the sixth year in a row, American Express was rated the most trusted company, followed by HP, Amazon, IBM and the U.S. Postal Service. Health care was rated the top industry, with WebMD being the top company within that sector. The study also held a couple of nuggets with regards to consumer behavior. To start, 78 percent of respondents stated they believe protection of their personal information as important or very important. However, the behavior indicates otherwise as 63 percent admitted to sharing sensitive personal information with an organization they did not know or trust! (Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oh!) Of those that admitted sharing, 60 percent did this simply for convenience! I dare any of these folk to ask me why they get so much spam Super Tweet â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Currently, I am sitting in my office with a glass of milk and a box of Oreos. The lights are off. While my first attempt was a miss, I can confirm the Superbowl tweet: You can dunk in the dark. BuzzFeed Clip of the Week â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day is only a week away. All you singles know exactly what that means â&#x20AC;&#x201D; seven days to badmouth your couple friends while secretly wishing to find someone to hook-up and hang-out with. Check out BuzzFeed for their list of top dating sites to help you find that special someone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There Really Is A Dating Site for Everyone.â&#x20AC;? Just a few of the manyâ&#x20AC;Ś Mylovelyparent.com â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Started by two sons who wanted to find a date for their mom.â&#x20AC;? Farmersonly.com â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not for city folk.â&#x20AC;? Sisterwives.us â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Add another member to your marriage.â&#x20AC;? Crazyblinddate.com â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;A dating site, minus the profile photos.â&#x20AC;? Purrsonals.com â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;For cat lovers.â&#x20AC;? Cougarlife.com â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cubs looking for cougars, Cougars looking for cubs.â&#x20AC;? Womenbehindbars.com â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nuff said. Geek Humor (Part 10) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only 10 types of people in the world â&#x20AC;&#x201D; those that understand binary and those that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Anonymous Until next time, I am off the grid @gregory_a_baker.

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Miller-Motte.edu

621 NW FRONTAGE ROAD | AUGUSTA, GA 30907

; ; < ; ! % $ ! $ ! For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed this program, and other important information, please visit our website at: disclosure.miller-motte.edu

10 METROSPIRITAUGUSTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

07FEBRUARY2013

Celebrate Heart Month with University! JENKINS COUNTY HEALTH FAIR AND BLOOD DRIVE .% 5Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ?Ä&#x2030;Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä Ä&#x20AC;Ĺ? Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;ÄĄÄ&#x201A;Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; Agricultural Center Jenkins County High School 433 Barney Ave., Millen, Ga. University Hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention program will provide plaque scans for the ďŹ rst 50 qualiďŹ ed people to sign up the day of the event. Plaque scans are for those who have never had a stroke, heart attack, stent or angioplasty. Q Free screenings include blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol Q Shepeard Community Blood Center drive with the Jenkins County Anatomy Club Q Education on various health related topics provided by University Hospital and other local health and wellness organizations $%/Ĺ?".!!Ĺ?!2!*0Ĺ?%/Ĺ?+,!*Ĺ?0+Ĺ?0$!Ĺ?,1 (% Ä&#x2039; CARDIO ON THE CANAL 01. 5Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ?Ä&#x160;Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä&#x160;Ä?Ä&#x192;Ä&#x20AC;Ĺ? Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;ÄĄÄ Ä&#x201A;Ä?Ä&#x192;Ä&#x20AC;Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; $!Ĺ? .+ Ĺ? !*0!.Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä Ä&#x2030;Ä&#x192;Ä&#x192;Ĺ? .+ Ĺ? 0Ä&#x2039; Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Fortunately, lifestyle changes and early detection can reduce your risk. Join University Hospital for the second annual Cardio on the Canal, a free family event designed to promote heart health. Q Catch the Cardiologist for children 4 and younger Q A family walk along the canal Q Heart Art Contest winners showcased along the walking route

Q Healthy Cooking Expo with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eating Well with Kimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;? Kim Beavers Q Concert featuring Tara Scheyer & the Mud Puppy Band Q Healthy heart screenings PERSONALIZED CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PREVENTION Christopher McElroy, M.D., Internist ! *!/ 5Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ?Ä&#x2021;Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä&#x2021;ÄĄÄ&#x2C6;Ä?Ä&#x192;Ä&#x20AC;Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; University Hospital Cafeteria Dining Rooms 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3 1350 Walton Way .!!Ä&#x2039;Ĺ? %#$0Ĺ?.!".!/$)!*0/Ĺ?3%((Ĺ? !Ĺ?/!.2! Ä&#x152;Ĺ? * Ĺ?.!/!.2 0%+*/Ĺ? .!Ĺ?.!-1%.! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ? +.Ĺ?)+.!Ĺ? %*"+.) 0%+*Ĺ?+.Ĺ?0+Ĺ?.!#%/0!.Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ((Ĺ?Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x2021;ÄĄÄ&#x2030;Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2030;ÄĄ Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2020;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x201A;Ĺ?+.Ĺ?0+((Ĺ?".!!Ĺ?Ä&#x2030;Ä&#x2021;Ä&#x2021;ÄĄÄ&#x2020;Ä&#x160;Ä ÄĄÄ&#x201A;Ä&#x2020;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2039; HEALTHY DIET, HEALTHY HEART Mac Bowman, M.D., Cardiologist Angela Johnson, RD, LD, Licensed Dietitian Presented by Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention and Weight Management programs ! *!/ 5Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ?Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2C6;Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä Ä&#x20AC;Ĺ? Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;ÄĄÄ Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; Beulah Grove Baptist Church Building of Opportunity 1434 Poplar St. Ä Ä&#x20AC;ÄĄÄ Ä&#x20AC;Ä?Ä&#x192;Ä&#x20AC;Ĺ? Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;Ä?Ĺ?Presentation by Dr. Bowman Ä Ä&#x20AC;Ä?Ä&#x192;Ä&#x20AC;ÄĄÄ Ä Ĺ? Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;Ä?Ĺ?Presentation by Angie Johnson Ä Ä Ĺ? Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;ÄĄ*++*Ä?Ĺ?Heart-healthy lunch ++*ÄĄÄ Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;Ä?Ĺ?Beulah Grove Golden Agers meeting, open to the community. .!!Ä&#x2039;Ĺ? 1* $Ĺ?3%((Ĺ? !Ĺ?/!.2! Ĺ? * Ĺ?.!/!.2 ÄĄ tions are required. Register online at www. universityhealth.org/calendarĹ?+.Ĺ? ((Ĺ?Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x2021;ÄĄ Ä&#x2030;Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2030;ÄĄÄ&#x201A;Ä&#x2020;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x201A;Ĺ?+.Ĺ?0+((Ĺ?".!!Ĺ?Ä&#x2030;Ä&#x2021;Ä&#x2021;ÄĄÄ&#x2020;Ä&#x160;Ä ÄĄÄ&#x201A;Ä&#x2020;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2039;

w w w. u n i v e r s i t y h e a l t h . o r g /c a l e n d a r

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY AND YOU 1!/ 5Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ?Ä&#x2020;Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä&#x2021;ÄĄÄ&#x2C6;Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; University Heart & Vascular Institute Classroom 2 1350 Walton Way Free and reservations are required. +.Ĺ?)+.!Ĺ?%*"+.) 0%+*Ĺ?+.Ĺ?0+Ĺ?.!#%/0!.Ä&#x152; ((Ĺ?Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x2021;ÄĄÄ&#x2C6;Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x2026;ÄĄÄ&#x2030;Ä&#x160;Ä&#x192;Ä Ä&#x2039; HEART ATTACK & STROKE PREVENTION EDUCATION +* 5Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ?Ä&#x2026;Ä&#x152;Ĺ?Ä Ä&#x2030;Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä&#x2021;Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; +* 5Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ?Ä Ä Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä&#x201A;Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; 1!/ 5Ä&#x152;Ĺ? ! Ä&#x2039;Ĺ?Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2021;Ĺ?Ä&#x2018;Ĺ?Ä&#x201A;Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; University Hospital Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention Center This class will explain some of the causes of vascular disease as well as early warning signs. There will be information about changes you can implement today to prevent heart attack and stroke. ((Ĺ?Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x2021;ÄĄÄ&#x2C6;Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x2026;ÄĄÄ&#x2020;Ä&#x2020;Ä&#x2026;Ä&#x2030;Ĺ?"+.Ĺ?)+.!Ĺ?%*"+.) 0%+*Ĺ? or to register. HEART & VASCULAR EDUCATION Every Wednesday Ä&#x2030;Ä?Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2020;Ĺ? Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;Ä&#x152;Ĺ?Ä&#x160;Ä?Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x2020;Ĺ? Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039;Ĺ? * Ĺ?Ä Ä?Ä&#x2020;Ä&#x2020;Ĺ?,Ä&#x2039;)Ä&#x2039; University Heart & Vascular Institute Classroom 2 1350 Walton Way The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program offers heart-related education classes every Wednesday on a variety of topics. Log on to www.universityhealth.org/calendarĹ?"+.Ĺ? Ĺ? +),(!0!Ĺ?(%/0Ĺ?+"Ĺ? ( //!/Ä&#x2039;

V24|NO06

ERICJOHNSON

Retail Sale

Counties look to add retail to their economic development plans After years following the conventional thinking that economic development is tied to manufacturing and industrial development, both Columbia County and Richmond County are making efforts to actively court the retail sector. According to Columbia County Administrator Scott Johnson, the Development Authority is considering a candidate with retail experience to replace former Director Troy Post, an industrial development expert, whose contract was not renewed at the end of last year. “Every community has its own complexion, and Columbia County, while we enjoy the industrial development we have, does not qualify for some of the incentives that the state gives other communities considered less affluent,” he says. “So that being said, it’s hard for us to attract a Caterpillar plant or a huge industry.” Post, who came to the county highly recommended four years ago, was more of a traditional development authority director, and Johnson says the environment just wasn’t conducive to growing that sector. “In the economic climate we’ve been in during the last four years, there’s not been a lot of expansion,” Johnson says. “And again, we fight the whole system the state has in place, so it makes it really hard for a guy who is really, really focused on industrial development.” While Columbia County considers hiring a development director with an eye for retail, Richmond County is attempting to add an additional position to complement Walter Sprouse, who serves as the director of the Development Authority of Richmond County. According to Dr. Anthony Robinson, assistant professor of marketing at Georgia Regents University’s Hull College of Business, this kind of diversification makes sense. “It makes sense because in this area, you do have a significant amount of disposable income,” he says. “I understand why in Columbia County they are directing quite a bit of attention toward retail. If you look at the median income in Columbia County alone,

12 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

it’s relatively high, so it makes sense that they would focus on that area.” Even if they had a better ability to attract manufacturing, Robinson says it might be smart for Columbia County to turn their attention toward retail anyway. “They want to serve their population and they want to get the biggest bang for their buck,” he says. “So they may have said, ‘We want people to live here and we want them to work here, too. And if you want people to live here and you want them to work here, you want them to spend their money here.” Currently, the largest retail opportunity in the area is the mall in Richmond County, and for years it has pained commissioners to see all that money filling their neighbors’ coffers. With all the talk of retail — in the past, the Development Services Division has independently conducted its own retail survey as well as looked into the feasibility of attracting an outlet mall — Johnson makes it clear the county has not turned its back on industrial development. “Obviously, we’ll still be thinking about that, we’re just trying to find somebody that’s multitalented and can attract both,” he says. “We feel like we have an opportunity and some space available for some industrial development out at our industrial park, and this person can still try to attract those, but day to day we don’t want to miss the opportunity for some

good retail development or the opportunity to at least actively pursue that development.” Like most things in Columbia County, it all comes back to growth. “You have to be smart about it, and that goes back to being visionary,” he says. “In Columbia County we have always been for smart growth. We make sure that we try to keep our infrastructure just ahead of that growth. We don’t want to take the approach that we’re going to let just anything in here.” That defensive strategy was most evident a few years ago in the Marshall Square development, where the county turned its back on the residential component of the planned mixed use development because it eventually contained apartments rather than the more upscale condominiums it started with. Currently, the county owns a large portion of that land, and while building on the other portion has reached a fevered pitch, Johnson says the original vision of a well considered town center is still alive. “We haven’t given up on that,” he says. “The county owns that other parcel and it’s a golden opportunity for a retail developer if we can just attract the right people.” Given the extra consideration devoted to retail, you can’t help feeling that Marshall Square is going to be at the top of the To Do list waiting for the new director.

07FEBRUARY2013

V24|NO06

BLACK CATS

By Jeff Chen / Edited by Will Shortz 94 Where the Mets once met 95 Back-to-back competitions? 100 ETs 102 Dominatrix’s wear 104 — 105 Sampling 106 ___ Sea, body of water north of Norway 108 In itself 109 Really hurts 111 More poker-faced 113 Show time 115 Act impulsively, as young lovers 116 Without any oomph 117 More dirty, as Santa’s boots 118 He wrote “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back” 119 Dramatist Sean 120 Swaddles Down 1 It may be spotted in a pet store 2 Last Oldsmobiles 3 Hinders 4 Wife of Woody 5 Fancy flower holders 6 The Pied Piper of Hamelin, e.g. 7 Years abroad 8 “Misty” crooner 9 Leigh Hunt poem “Abou Ben ___” 10 Middle weights? 11 Traffic director 12 Cry with an accent 13 Mosaic tiles 14 Screwball character on “The Simpsons” 15 Moistens, in a way 16 Make the Billboard charts, say 17 Unwieldy boat 18 Victorian leader? 20 Foursome 27 Ink holders 29 Return address letters? 32 Bonding measurement 33 Feudal vassal 34 P.M.’s and such: Abbr. 36 Sigmoid curve 37 In on 39 Actress Sommer 42 — 43 Cry like a feline 45 Participants in some rivalries, briefly

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Going rate? Yours, in Ypres Number-cruncher’s numbers Hwy. that ends near La Guardia Word often seen before 3, 4 or 5, but never 1 51 Precocious Roald Dahl heroine 54 Apollo 10’s Snoopy, e.g., for short 56 — 58 Hero’s spot 61 Magazine of the National Space Society 64 High-fiber cereal 65 Raptors’ home: Abbr. 67 Pioneering conservationist 68 Watson of the Harry Potter films 69 Part of T.A.: Abbr. 71 Retirement spot 72 Old barnstorming needs 73 Lake connected to Sandusky Bay 74 Roll around in the yard? 76 Modern R&R option 77 Well-rounded 78 Source of talk, often 80 Jack of old westerns 81 “My turn” 83 Double agent Aldrich 85 Shakes on 87 Cherry, e.g. 90 Master of literary twists 92 Sautéed seafood dish 93 Intl. standard 94 Intense, as a gaze 96 Not fazed by 97 Kind of pass for an overseas passenger 98 On the stock exchange 99 Stock units? 101 — 103 Hitch ___ 106 When doubled, island near Tahiti 107 Author’s encl. 108 Univ. figure 109 “The Producers” producer Brooks 110 It may be represented by “XXX” in the funnies 112 One of the X’s in XXX 114 —

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Across 1 Break in poetry 8 Costumed animal, perhaps 14 Something media executives keep an eye on? 19 The hare, notably 20 One on the verge of croaking? 21 Prompt again 22 Allowed aboard 23 Molecules in natural gas 24 Acrobat developer 25 Chains 26 “Take that!” 28 Egg-sorting device 30 Offense that’s provoked by lurid news 31 — 32 “Fine, have it your way!” 35 Davis of “I’m Not Rappaport” 37 Mom-and-pop orgs. 38 Salty stream 40 Aforementioned 41 New England seafood staple 43 Author who wrote about frontier life 44 — 45 Vehicle that’s out of this world? 49 Person on tap? 51 Cold war fighters 52 Shred 53 Villain in many a fairy tale 55 Winged 57 Salon request 59 27-Down predators 60 Diamond unit 62 Water park feature 63 Sowed one’s wild oats 65 — 66 ___-dozen 70 Metals giant in the Dow Jones industrial average 72 Monterrey cheddar? 75 Sanitariums 77 Chaise scene? 79 Villain in many an action movie 82 Darkens 83 ___ mater 84 Paparazzi payer 86 Biblical resting spot 88 Base of Asti wine 89 — 90 Sandwich spec 91 First responders, for short 93 Pop’s pop

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

CREATIVITY CAN BEElliottUPLIFTING Sons Funeral Homes ELLIOTTFUNERALHOME.COM

07FEBRUARY2013

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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V24|NO06

ERICJOHNSON

Roll Over Beethoven?

New SOA executive director hopes week-long festival will inspire Augustans to give classical music a fresh look Executive Director Mieko Di Sano

Symphony Orchestra Augusta’s new Executive Director Mieko Di Sano wants you to give Beethoven a chance, and she’s giving you a whole week to do it. Starting on Monday, February 18, and running until Saturday, February 23, SOA will be hosting a first of its kind community-wide event called the Composer Festival, this year featuring Beethoven. Think of it as all Beethoven, all the time. All over the place. Though the festival was the brainchild of SOA Music Director Shizuo Kuwahara, known throughout the community simply as Z, Di Sano, who took over last August from long-time Executive Director Sandra Self, has been able to put her stamp on the event while getting a crash course in all things Augusta. “One of the main things we’re facing is how can we keep people interested in the classical genre of music and really get it out of the concert hall and into the public, so to speak,” she says. “We want to try to show people what we feel about classical music as classical musicians.” She admits that sometimes that can be a challenge. “Me — I have a doctorate in music and know all about it and all about Beethoven and stuff, but we thought it would be really fun to have one week of 14 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

the year where we just have festivities surrounding a popular composer that, even if people have never heard classical music before, they would know. And everyone knows the name Beethoven.” From movies like “Immortal Beloved,” which will kick of the festival at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, February 18, at the Jaguar Student Activities Center Ballroom, to Schroder’s toy piano to those ominous beginning notes of his Fifth Symphony, Beethoven is a living, breathing part of our daily lives, whether we know it or not, and it’s that interconnectivity that Di Sano hopes to exploit. Professionally speaking, the week-long event also allows SOA to reach out and partner with different local organizations. “That’s something we’re very interested in doing,” she says. “We don’t live in a vacuum, and some of the other organizations have such creative ideas that we thought we could just get together and have a music filled festival.” As the largest and most visible of the community’s arts organizations, SOA has always been a leader among the arts groups, and as such it hasn’t always sought out such partnerships. Here, however, partnerships extend to the Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Society, which will present Miles Hoffman and the American Chamber Players at GRU’s Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre on Friday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m., as well the Richmond County Library, GRU, the KROC Center and two local schools, Miss Charlene’s School of the Arts

and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, both of which will be providing visual art displays inspired by the music of Beethoven. “They’ve been listening to music like Moonlight Sonata and Ode to Joy and their art is going to be inspired by what they’ve been listening to,” says Director of Education and Community Engagement Amy Montgomery. The artwork will be displayed at the Jabez Hardin Performing Arts Center before the Columbia County Music Series Concert featuring the Perlman, Quint, Bailey Trio on Tuesday, February 19, and at Saturday’s Symphony Series Concert at First Baptist of Augusta, both of which will highlight Beethoven. Other events include a children’s move, “Beethoven Lives Upstairs,” at 2 p.m. Saturday at the KROC Center auditorium, a special Salon Concert at a private residence and Beethovenfocused Lunch and Learns Tuesday through Friday at 1 p.m. at the Richmond County Library. For more particulars visit soaugusta.org. “We’ve already started brainstorming about things we could do next year and what other types of organizations we could partner with in order to expand this even more and make this an even bigger deal,” Di Sano says. “But for our first year, we have a pretty packed in week that we’re pretty excited about, and we’re hoping that everyone in town gets excited, too, and just gives Beethoven a chance.” It will be hard not to. Besides the movies and 07FEBRUARY2013

V24|NO06

concerts and lectures, there will also be an actor dressed as Beethoven who will pop up throughout the area and members of the orchestra will participate in Random Acts of Beethoven — unannounced Beethoven-themed musical performances around the community. It’s the musical version of breaking the fourth wall — the imaginary boundary between performer and audience — and it’s an important part of Di Sano’s vision for the orchestra, which is striving to reinvent itself as its audience base gets older and smaller. Di Sano calls it a generational thinking shift, not only in the way people think about art, but in they expect to engage it. “The way I want an organization to engage me with entertainment and art and everything else is so different from my parents and my grandparents,” she says. “So I want people to experience classical music the way that makes me passionate and want to continue to be involved with classical music.” That passion comes from being involved in it so intensely — remember, she has a doctorate in music — and from the sense of community that she’s always gotten from being part of an orchestra. It’s a sense of community that has deep roots. “Across the country, for a hundred years, every town had a symphony orchestra,” she says. “It might just be a community orchestra that gets together and plays at an amateur level, or it might be the New York Philharmonic, but every town had a symphony because it’s a symbol of prosperity and of their pride in their community.” And what other than symphonic music has the capability of getting 100 people together doing one thing in order to create something larger than themselves? Di Sano acknowledges that people could be surprised to learn that something perceived to be so prohibitively exclusive was once such a populist cornerstone, but the effort to expand the audience for classical music is certainly nothing new. Ever since Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts aired on TV throughout the 1960s, the classical music establishment has been trying to entice and excite young people. As part of the 2009 Westobou Festival, SOA itself staged Video Games Live, an energetic, multimedia concert geared toward bringing the burgeoning video game culture into the concert hall. Musically speaking, video games are this generation’s Loony Tunes. In spite of the breadth of its reach, Di Sano herself experiences the built-in cultural resistance many have to the idea of classical music. “It’s funny, because with some of my peers, they’re like, ‘Oh, classical music is for old people,’ and I’m like, wait a minute — you’re friends with me, you like me and you like what I like… then why are you against the symphony?’” she says. “It’s all the preconceived notions, and we just need to get past all this.” Di Sano is far from the blue haired old lady that might be the stereotype of a classical music enthusiast. Young, attractive and cosmopolitan — she came here from Washington, D.C., by way of Aspen and California — she lives downtown, eats with our foodies and has a football signed by coach former USC Coach Pete Carroll prominently displayed in her office at the Sacred Heart Cultural Center. That’s hardly old school symphony, yet she has an old school symphony commitment to the cause. “To me, an orchestra is a symbol of community and what people can do together when they come together,” she says. “That’s sort of my life concept or whatever, and that’s how I envision what a symphony means to a community. It’s not about preserving this type of music, which I still think is important — to me, it’s actually alive. I don’t think of it as dead composers and that we have to do this because it’s like a museum piece. No, classical music is performed today. It’s touched. It’s experienced.” She especially enjoys the physical reaction people have the moment when the orchestra starts to play. “That’s not even just an orchestra — the live experience in general is just so different, though especially so with an orchestra,” she says. “It’s non-amplified. It’s just the nature of music. It conforms to whatever the building it’s in wants.” Which brings her to the Miller Theater, the Broad Street venue the orchestra is anxious to start filling with sound. After years of languishing, owner Peter Knox donated it to the symphony, and since accepting it in 2011, the organization has been working to find a way to make it their permanent home. To make that move work financially, however, the organization will have to rehabilitate the old theater into something that will work for both symphony as well as any number of other uses, since it will need to host more than just symphony events to be cost effective. According to Di Sano, that fits well with her concept of community. “It’s not going to feel like our home if we’re the only ones in it,” she says. 07FEBRUARY2013

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to fill it with community acts and we want to bring in acts that the community wants to see. So yes, it will be our home, but the most exciting piece for us is that we can be so inclusive with our home.â&#x20AC;? The first acoustic test uncovered some things that changed the design a bit, so theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be holding a second acoustic test with their acoustician later in the month. The plan is to fill the theater with people, bring in as much of the orchestra as they can get as well as a rock band so that they can thoroughly test the acoustics for both amplified and non-amplified music. Once the acoustic testing is complete, she says they can resume the schematic design and then start working on the construction documents. Though no timetable has been set, Di Sano makes it obvious that she feels sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrived in town at just the right time and that the inaugural Composer Festival is the start of a new way of thinking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This festival is one of the first things weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to do as an organization to exemplify that our community is the priority of the symphony,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After this, we have plenty more stuff in store for how we want to show the community that we are invested in them just as they invest in us.â&#x20AC;?

A U G U S T A S M I L E S . C O M

For the past twelve years, Dr. Andy Allgood, and his dedicated team along with patients, have donated their time, talent, and resources to help children's charities in the CSRA through a special tooth whitening program. Patients in the Augusta area have been able to have their smiles brightened while contributing to worthy children's charities. Dr. Allgood's office and their patients' whitening contributions have donated over $60,000 to local charities. This year's recipient, once again will be the Hope House Therapeutic Children's Center, where mothers fighting addiction are able to bring their children to live. Excellent meals, counseling, and lodging are provided while moms become productive members of our society. To brighten your smile at a reduced, tax deductible fee and help the children of the CSRA smile, call Dr. Allgood's office at (706) 863-3290. Our Smiles for Hope program will be running March 1st through June 1st, so don't wait! Please help the Hope House and its residents, and help yourself to a gorgeous smile! )85< 6 )(55< 52$' Â&#x2021; 0$57,1(= Â&#x2021; 16 METROSPIRITAUGUSTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

07FEBRUARY2013

Coming Soon to Evans!

Early 2013

Our Interest is in You! 4349 Washington Road Across from Mellow Mushroom in front of Kroger www.firstbankofga.com

V24|NO06

KRISTINHAWKINS

Rental Raise

Columbia County raises fees on rental facilities for first time in six years Lady A Ampitheater

Columbia Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rental Facilities and Venues Department is seeking approval from the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commission to increase rental rates and fees at some of its properties. It has been six years since the department has asked for changes in its rental rates and given the time, this is a change that Sandy Boner, the department manager, said she believes is necessary. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are responsible for covering all of our expenses with our revenue,â&#x20AC;? Boner said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the reason that we have to stay current with our prices, because as our expenses go up, our rental fees have to go up.â&#x20AC;? Unlike Richmond County, the Columbia County Rental Facilities and Venue Department acts as an enterprise fund. In other words, the money drawn from each facility goes back into the department, making it self sufficient, said Barry Smith, the Columbia County Community and Leisure Services division director. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They operate off of the money they bring in,â&#x20AC;? Smith explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not part of the general fund, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a whole separate fund that was set up specifically for the Rental Facilities and Venue Department.â&#x20AC;? The Richmond County facilities department operates differently from Columbia County. The revenue for the venues in Richmond County goes back into the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general fund. Each facility has its own approved budget that include general expenses, such as water, electrically and overall maintenance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basically we have budgets set for each of our facilities and they range with the size of the facilities,â&#x20AC;? said Chris Scheuer, the Richmond County deputy director of I-Support Services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A budget is approved by the commission and we kind of set some goals when it comes to the revenue and hopefully we can offset what expenses there are to maintain those facilities.â&#x20AC;? Although both counties operate differently, each uses the same method when it comes to figuring out the appropriate rates to charge for their facilities and venues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We periodically look at things around us, like in

Columbia County or the private sector or maybe even Aiken County to get a gauge on where we stand in relationship to what the market is,â&#x20AC;? Scheuer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of our facilities are a little older than some places like Savannah Rapids Pavilion, so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to position ourselves to put those types of things into consideration. If we put a lot of expenses into these facilities and added value it might justify an increase, but over the last five to 10 years most of our increases have been very small.â&#x20AC;? The increases the Columbia County Rental Facilities and Venues Department are trying to obtain are small according to Boner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a couple of areas where if you rent the entire building that percentage was a little higher because we were actually lower than the market, but for the most part there was $25 to $50 price increases,â&#x20AC;?

the department manager said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you talk about a six, seven or eight hundred dollar price increase, there werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any. If the price was originally $625 it is now $650, which is a small percentage.â&#x20AC;? Through a market survey of facilities comparable to those in Columbia County, Smith said the department determined the prices for its rental facilities did not line up with the prices of the surrounding areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were actually lower in rental fees than (others) were, so raising (the prices) up a little bit is basically going to get us in line with what other facilities are charging in the CSRA,â&#x20AC;? Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it is going to hurt anything, if anything we will gain a little more revenue which periodically you need to do that. We needed to increase the fees to get us more in line with 2013 expenses.â&#x20AC;?

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07FEBRUARY2013

ENTERTAIN

ME Ronnie Milsap, one of country music’s most successful crossover artists, will play the Bell Auditorium as part of Symphony Orchestra Augusta’s Pops! At the Bell series 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. We couldn’t think of a better holiday during which to hear songs like “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life” and “It Was Almost Like a Song.” Tickets are $13.08-$36.45. Visit soaugusta.org.

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Theater

“The Medium” will be performed by the Georgia Regents University Opera Ensemble in the Maxwell PAT at GRUA, 7:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday, Feb. 8-9. General $10; seniors 60 and older $7; students, GRU faculty and staff $5; GRU student free with valid I.D. Not suitable for children. Visit gru.edu. “Gruesome Playground Injuries” by Rajiv Joseph will be performed at Le Chat Noir, Friday-Saturday, Feb. 8-9, at 8 p.m. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com. Cupid’s Cabaret performance will take place at Le Chat Noir Thursday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. Call 706-722-3322 or visit lcnaugusta.com. Set crew needed for Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday, until March 1. Tools will be provided. Email steven.r.walpert.naf@mail.mil.

Flix

“Sidewalls” or “Medianeras” (2011) will be shown at GRUA, University Hall Room 170, 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Gustavo Taretto creates a story about two young people not coping well with the loneliness of high-rise living. Spanish language with subtitles. General admission $3; students, faculty and staff free with JagCard. Call 706-729-2416 or email lwitherington@aug.edu. “Buffalo Soldiers” (PG-13) will be shown at the Maxwell Library at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Visit ecgrl.org. “Girl Model,” a Southern Circuit film, will show at the Morris Museum of Art, 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Visit themorris.org. “The Kid With a Bike” (PG-13, 2011) will be shown at the Headquarters Branch library, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Free. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. “Black America at the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality” will be shown at GRUA in Allgood Hall, 1-2:15 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Call 706-7219265 or visit georgiahealth.edu.

Special Events

First Thursday at Midtown Market, featuring shopping, snacks, drinks, sales and more, takes place 5-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7, at the shops on Kings Way. Call 706-922-5000.

Exhibitions

“Pride and Passion: The African-American Baseball Experience” is on display at GRUA. Call 706-721-9265 or visit georgiahealth.edu. “Young Masters: Work by Savannah River Area High School Students” will be on display at the Morris Museum of Art from Tuesday, Feb. 8, through Sunday, Feb. 14. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org. “Southernscapes” by photographer Bailey Davidson will exhibit through Feb. 26. Call 706-306-1581 or email artistslocal1155@gmail.com.

$15; door $20. Call 706-267-5416. Live Romantic Jazz for Valentine’s Day with Greek and Italian cuisine at Eros Bistro in downtown Augusta is 6:30-9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Reservations required. Call 706-303-8641 or visit erosbistro.com. “In the Mood” big-band 1940s musical revue will be performed at the Imperial Theatre, 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. $25-$40. Call 706-722-8341 or visit artbeatshows.org or imperialtheatre.com.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents Fully Charged at the James Brown Arena the following dates and times: 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7; 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9; 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10. $37, $31, $11. Call 706-262-4573 or visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com. Old House Fair will be held at Sacred Heart Cultural Center, 6-8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. $10. Call 706-724-0436 or visit historicaugusta.org.

“Reflections on Water in American Painting” shows through Sunday, Feb. 10, at the Morris Museum of Art. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

Winter Jam 2013 will be headlined by TobyMac at the James Brown Arena, 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. $10. Doors open 6 p.m. Visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com.

Beer Tasting is Friday, Feb. 8, from 5-8 p.m. at Wine World in North Augusta and will feature 10 bottles of featured beers. $5, with $2 rebate upon purchase of six bottles of the featured beers. Call 803-279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com.

Local sculptor Brian Rust exhibits his work at Sacred Heart Cultural Center until Feb. 24. Call 706-826-4700 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org.

Choral Ensembles will be performed at GRUA, 7:30-9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Call 706-667-4100 or visit gru.edu.

Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast will be held at Paine College, 8 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. $20. Visit paine.edu/homecoming.

Aiken Retro Exhibition will be on display at the Aiken Center for the Arts through Feb. 25. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.

Ronnie Milsap will play at the Bell Auditorium as part of the Pops! At the Bell series, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Visit soaugusta.org.

“Ebony Legacy Revisited” will be on display at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of African-American History through Feb. 28. Adults $5, seniors $3, kids $2. Call 706-724-3576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.

“All Hands on Deck!” will be performed by the Aiken Performing Arts Group at the URS Center for the Performing Arts in Aiken, 8 p.m., Thursday-Friday, Feb. 14-15. General admission $40; students $20. Call 803-648-1438 or visit apagonline.org.

Paine College’s 2013 Homecoming Parade, featuring Grand Marshall Marion Barnes, begins Saturday, Feb. 9, at 11 a.m. at Dyess Park and ends at Laney Walker Boulevard and Druid Park Avenue. The parade will be followed by the homecoming basketball game at the college’s new HEAL Complex. Call 706-396-8167 or visit paine.edu/homecoming.

Katie Harris, photographer and sculptor from Appling, will display her exhibit, “Blissful Fullness-Empty Freedom” at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art through March 1. Non-members $5; members free. Call 706-722-5495 or visit ghia.org.

Music

Tony Howard’s Motown and Elvis Review takes place at the Imperial Theatre, 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. $10-$35. Visit imperialtheatre.com. SoulAviv concert will be performed at the Augusta Jewish Community Center, Sunday, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m. Visit augustajcc.org. Jazz Ensemble will perform at the Maxwell PAT on the GRUA campus, 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Call 706-667-4100 or visit gru.edu. Irish-American singer/songwriter Cathie Ryan will perform with her band at the Enterprise Mill Event Center, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Advance 20 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Literary

Poetry Workshop will be offered at the Headquarters Branch library, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. Writers’ Workshop, “Expositions That Introduce Dynamic Characters,” will be offered at the Headquarters Branch library, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. Author Nikky Finney will talk about and read from some of her works Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 8 p.m. at USC-Aiken’s Etherredge Center as part of the Oswald Distinguished Writers Series. Call 803-641-3479 or visit usca.edu. Poetry Matters is accepting entries through March 23 for their annual poetry contest. Cash prizes will be given out. Categories are middle and high school, adults, and seniors. Visit poetrymatterscelebration.com.

The Price Is Right Live will be at the Bell Auditorium, 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10. $35, $40, $45. Doors open 6 p.m. Call 706-262-4573 or visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com. Downtown Connects, an informal gathering of those who enjoy downtown, will meet from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Email downtownaugustaalliance@gmail.com.

Health

Adult Yoga will be held at the Wallace Branch library for ages 18 and older, Thursday, Feb. 7. Visit ecgrl.org. Healthy Woman, a free program with numerous health and social events, as well as financial, well being and spiritual development, kicks off Thursday, Feb. 7, 5:30-8 p.m. at the Legends Club. Call 706-481-7000 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Cribs for Kids will be held at the Georgia Health Sciences Building, 5:45-8 07FEBRUARY2013

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p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Instructors will teach caregivers how to provide a safe sleep environment and what to watch out for. Those who demonstrate financial need will receive a Pack-n-Play, fitted sheet, sleep sac and a pacifier. Preregistration required. $10 per child. Call 706-721-7606 or visit georgiahealth.org.

or 866-774-4141 (toll free) or visit universityhealth.org.

Family and Friends CPR covers the basics of adult, infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the Aiken Regional Medical Center, 6:308:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. $10. Registration required. Does not result in certification. Call 1-800-882-7445 or visit aikenregional.com.

Spine Education Class will be offered by Doctors Hospital, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Registration required. Call 706-651-4343 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Center for Women Tour will be held at Doctors Hospital, 7-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Mobile Mammography Screenings will be held 8 a.m.-3 p.m. the following dates and locations: Christ Community Clinic, Friday, Feb. 8; Delta, Monday, Feb. 11; University Hospital, Tuesday, Feb. 12; Hillcrest Baptist Church, Wednesday, Feb. 13. Appointment required. Call 706-774-4149 or 866-774-4141. Weekend Childbirth Education will be held at the University Hospital 6:30-9:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org. Go Red for Women events by the American Heart Association will be celebrated at GRUA noon-2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8. Visit georgiahealth.edu. Short and Sweet, a two-part labor and delivery class, will be held at Doctors Hospital, 9 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 9, and 1 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10. Registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net Childbirth Tour will take place at Georgia Health Sciences Medical Center, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 9, and 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Call 706-721-9351 or visit mcghealth.org. Yoga for Beginners will be offered at the Headquarters Branch library, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Bring mat and towels. Visit ecgrl.org. “HUG” Your Baby newborn class will be held at Trinity Hospital Monday, Feb. 11, at 4 p.m. Visit trinityofaugusta.com. Breast Self-Exam Class will be held at the University Breast Health Center 4 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Free. Reservations required. Call 706-774-4141

07FEBRUARY2013

Total Joint Replacement educational talk will be offered by Doctors Hospital, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Call 706-651-4343 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Childbirth Education 101 will be held at Trinity Hospital Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 6-8:30 p.m. Visit trinityofaugusta.com. Fresh Start Smoking Cessation Class will be held in the University Hospital Cafeteria 6-7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Registration required. Call 706-7748094 or visit universityhealth.org. Your Amazing Baby will be presented at the GHS Medical Center, 6:30-9 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Registration required. Call 706-721-9351 or visit georgiahealth.org. Car Seat Safety Class will be offered at the Safe Kids Office 5:45-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Registration required. $10. Call 706-721-7606 or visit georgiahealth.org. Bariatric Seminar will be offered by Doctors Hospital 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Free. Registration required. Call 706-651-4343 or visit doctorshospital.net. Weight Loss Surgery Seminar will be held 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Georgia Health Sciences Alumni Center. Call 706-721-2609 or visit mcghealth.org. Women’s Center Tour at University Hospital will be held 7-9:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Free. Registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org. Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program covers topics such as coronary artery disease, heart attack and CHF at the University Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute each Wednesday at 8:15 and 9:15 a.m., and 1:45 p.m. Call 706-774-3278 or visit universityhealth.org. Zumba Gold Classes feature exotic rhythms set to Latin and international beats for low-impact calorie burning. Taught at the Weeks Center in Aiken 1:30-2:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays. $35 for 10 tickets; first class is free. Call 803-642-7631. Zumba Toning combines targeted body-sculpting and high-energy cardio with Latin-infused Zumba moves, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Thursdays at the Weeks Center in Aiken. Age 15 and up. $35 for 10 tickets or $6 per session. Call 803-642-7631. Zumba Sentao uses chair-based choreography for core training and cardio for age 15 and up, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Tuesdays, at the Weeks Center in Aiken. $6 per session or $35 for 10 tickets. Call 803-642-7631. Stress Management Classes are held at the University Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute at 8:15 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. each Wednesday. Call 706-774-3278 or visit universityhealth.org. Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease Aquatics Class meets every Monday and Friday at noon at the Wilson Family Y. Members, free; nonmembers, $3. Pre-registration required. Call Claudia Collins at 706-9229664 or visit thefamilyy.org. Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program covers topics such as coronary artery disease, heart attack and CHF at the University Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute. Program is held each Wednesday at 8:15 and 9:15 a.m., and 1:45 p.m. Call 706-774-3278 or visit universityhealth.org.

Women’s Center Tour will take place at University Hospital 7-9:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org

Joint Efforts, presented by Trinity Hospital of Augusta, meets from 1111:45 a.m. every Thursday at Augusta Bone and Joint, and features a free seminar about knee and hip pain, treatments, medication, food and exercise. Call 706-481-7604 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Childbirth Preparation Classes will be offered by University Hospital in weekly, four-week segments in February, from 7-9:30 p.m., Mondays,

Adapted Special Populations classes offered at the Wilson Family Y. Members $10; non-members $20. Call 706-922-9664 or visit thefamilyy.org.

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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Support

Alzheimer’s Support Group will be held at the Kroc Center 10 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Call 706-731-9060 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Amputee Support Group meets at Walton Rehabilitation Hospital, noon-1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Amputee clinic held from 1-2 p.m., immediately after the support group meeting. Call 706-823-8504 or visit wrh.org.

So you’ve never tasted a double chocolate/coffee/oatmeal stout before? Well, now’s your chance. Founders Breakfast Stout is just one of the 10 brews featured at a beer tasting this Friday, Feb. 8, from 5-8 p.m. at Wine World in North Augusta. $5, with $2 rebate upon purchase of six bottles of the featured beers. Call 803-279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com.

Weight Loss Support Group, for anyone suffering ailments due to obesity, will meet in the Sister Mary Louise Conference Room at Trinity Hospital, 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Call 706-481-7298 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. LaLeche League, a support group for mothers-to-be and nursing moms and their babies, will meet 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 8. Call 706-737-2405 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. ALS Support Group will meet Friday, Feb. 8, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Georgia Health Sciences Medical Office Building. Lunch provided. Call 706721-2681 or visit gru.edu. The Chatterbox Club, a laryngectomy support group for individuals and families, will meet in the Sister Mary Louise Conference Room at Trinity Hospital 3 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10. Call 706-481-7359 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Hospital of Augusta. Visit na.org.

Look Good, Feel Better teaches female cancer patients beauty techniques to help deal with the physical side effects of therapy. Will be held at the American Cancer Society office 5-7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Free. Registration required. Call 706-731-9900 or visit universityhealth.org.

AA meets every Sunday and Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. at Aiken Regional Medical Centers’ Aurora Pavilion, and includes an open discussion. Call 800-322-8322 or visit aikenregional.com.

Pink Magnolias breast cancer support group meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, at the University Hospital Breast Health Center in Professional Center 2, Suite 205. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org.

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.

Men’s Breast Cancer Support Group, for the husbands and significant others of breast cancer patients, meets at the University Hospital Breast Health Center, 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a support group for those who wish to stop drinking. Call 706-860-8331.

Aiken Cares Alzheimer’s Support Group meets 11 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Cumberland Village Library. Call 803-641-5000 or visitaikenregional.com. Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention Class will be held in the University Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute, 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Free. Registration required. Call 706-774-5548 or visit universityhealth.org. Caregiver Support Group meets at Doctors Hospital, 3 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Call 706-651-2283 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Diabetes Support Group meets at the O’Dell Weeks Center in Aiken, 3-4 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Registration required. Call 803-293-0023. Widow and Widower Social will be held 4:30-6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12, at Trinity Hospital Community Bereavement Center. There will be Bingo. Call 706-729-6021 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Bariatric Support Group is held at Aiken Regional Medical Center. Call 803641-5751 or visit aikenregional.com. Beyond the Bars is a support group for those with incarcerated loved ones. Call 706-855-8636.

African-American History on the Web will be offered at the Diamond Lakes Branch library at 4 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11 or 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Basic computer skills required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org. Gun Violence and Gun Legislation public panel forum will be held at GRU, 7-9 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Call 706-737-1735 or visit georgiahealth.edu. Caregiver class will be offered at The Kroc Center, starting 2-3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Six-week class designed to reduce caregiver burnout. Call 706-210-2000 or visit krocaugusta.org. Microsoft Word will be held at the Columbia County Library 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org. PowerPoint I will be offered at the Headquarters Branch library, 10 a.m.noon, Wednesday, Feb. 13. Library card and registration required. Call 706-821-2604 or visit ecgrl.org.

Cardiac Support Group meets three times a year. Free. Preregistration requested. Call 706-774-5864 or visit universityhealth.org.

Good Manners Program is a basic dog training class for dogs 5 months or older, and will be taught 10-11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. $67. Nonresident fees apply. Call 803-642-7631.

Living Well With Diabetes Adult Support Group, designed to teach members how to eat healthy meals while going out, meets in the University Hospital Cafeteria and area restaurants. Call 706-868-3241 or visit universityhealth.org.

Puppy Class will provide owners with info on how to handle a puppy. Puppies will learn skills and commands. $67. Non-resident fees apply. Takes place 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Call 803-6427631.

Living With Diabetes, a program designed to teach skills needed to manage diabetes, is offered at Trinity Hospital. Physician referral required. Call 706-481-7535 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Introduction to E-mail will be held at the Columbia County Library, 1:303:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org.

Lupus Support Group meets at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-394-6484.

Computer Hardware Basics will be offered in two sessions at the Diamond Lakes Branch library, 10 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 14 and Feb. 21. Registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.

Overeaters Support Group meets locally. Call 706-785-0006 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Genealogy Club will be held at the Euchee Creek Branch library at 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org.

OB/GYN Cancer Support Group meets 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Call 706-821-2944.

Parents of Hearing-Impaired Children meets locally. Call 706-481-7396 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Look Good, Feel Better helps female cancer patients maintain their appearance and self-image during treatment 1:30-3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the University Hospital Breast Health Center. Call 706-7210466 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Intermediate Spanish Language Class is each Monday from 2:30-4 p.m. at Friedman Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

Reach for Recovery is presented locally by the American Cancer Society. Call 706-731-9900 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Breast Cancer Support Group will be held at the Georgia Health Sciences Cancer Center, 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Call 706-721-4109 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Galileo’s Job and Career Accelerator will be taught at the Diamond Lakes Branch library, 10 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Registration and basic computer skills required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.

Brain Injury Support Group will meet at NeuroRestorative Georgia, 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Survivors of stroke, traumatic brain injury, aneurysm and other acquired brain injuries and their families and caregivers are invited to attend. Call 706-829-0370.

First Responder Course will be offered at The Kroc Center, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. $30. Develop professional rescuer skills and be prepared to help during emergencies. Visit krocaugusta.org.

Alzheimer’s Support Group meets Tuesday, Feb. 12, the following times and locations: 6:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center, 7 p.m. in the Alzheimer’s Association Chapter Building in Augusta and at the Louis Memorial United Methodist Church. Call 706-731-9060 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Cancer Survivor Support Group meets at Doctors Hospital, 6-7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Call 706-651-2283 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Recovery Support Group meets 7:30 p.m. Sundays and Fridays. Call 706855-2419. Narcotics Anonymous meets Fridays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity 24 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Education

Heritage Scrapbooking will be held at the Headquarters Branch library, 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Beginner’s Spanish Language Class is each Monday from 4-5 p.m. at Friedman Library. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org. Free Tutoring for all ages, offered by GRU’s Literacy Center, is available by appointment Monday-Thursday, from 4-8 p.m., at the center at 1401 Magnolia Drive. Appointments required. Call 706-737-1625 or visit gru. edu. Guided tours of 1797 Ezekiel Harris House offered by appointment only Tuesday-Friday, and Saturday 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.

Introduction to the Internet will be held at the Wallace Branch library 6-7:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org.

GED Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-8212600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Computer Boot Camp Part II will be held at the Columbia County Library, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org.

English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are offered every Tuesday from 6-7:30 p.m. at Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-821-2600 or 07FEBRUARY2013

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visit ecgrl.org. Fort Gordon Toastmasters meets 11:30 a.m. each Wednesday in the Organizational Conference Room (Fish Bowl) on Fort Gordon Army base. Open to public. Visit fortgordon.toastmastersclubs.org.

FORT GORDON DINNER THEATRE PRESENTS

Adult Hebrew Class is taught at Congregation Children of Israel at 10:30 a.m. every Thursday. Email office@ cciaugusta.org or visit cciaugusta.org.

Benefit

Scholarship Masked Ball will be held at Paine College’s HEAL Complex, 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8. $100. Proceeds benefit a Paine scholarship fund. Call 706-821-8233 or visit paine.edu. Voice for a Cure 5K run/walk will take place at Lake Olmstead Saturday, Feb. 9, at 9:30 a.m. Registration required. Visit active.com or lilliejtanksleyfoundation.com. Mardi Gras dinner party, dance and auction will be held at the River Room at St. Paul’s, 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. $40. Proceeds go to fight hunger. Call 706-7242485 or visit saintpauls.org. Fat Saturday Pub Crawl will be held in downtown Augusta, 8 p.m.-midnight, Saturday, Feb. 9. Participants receive a passport granting them access to participating pubs without a cover charge. Registration begins at 4 p.m. on 11th and Broad Street. Passport $10; trolley pass $5. Proceeds benefit the Greater Augusta Arts Council. Call 706836-4702 or visit augustaarts.com. Soup kitchen will be held at the Augusta Jewish Community Center, 8 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 10. Visit augustajcc.org. American Heart Association Fundraiser is Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 6-8 p.m. at Signature Home by Michael. It includes raffles, special Valentine’s Day gifts, wine and snacks and live music. Call 706-447-1503 or visit michaelsiewert.com.

Sports-Outdoors

Waterfowl driving tour at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park will take place 9 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Pre-registration requested. Members $5; non-members $8. Call 706796-7707 or visit augustaaikenaudubon.org. Cardio on the Canal will take place at the Kroc Center, 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Registration required. Call 706-722-9011 or visit universityhealth.org Weekly Group Run meets each Monday at 6 p.m. at Fleet Feet on Fury’s Ferry Road. Two- and four-mile options are available and runners of all abilities are welcome. Call 706-922-9860 or visit fleetfeetaugusta.com.

March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 2013 Dinner 7:00 p.m. | Show 8:00 p.m. Book by Heather Hach Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture Harvard’s beloved blonde takes the stage by pink storm in this fun, upbeat musical about self-discovery. Based on the adored movie, LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL stays true to form with a peppy score and playful book. This musical is ridiculously enjoyable from start to finish. “Very funny. Zips by in an explosion of witty musical numbers and dance routines. Even the most dour character must surely leave the theatre secretly humming the catchy soundtrack.” – Daily Post

Wheelchair Tennis Clinic, presented by the Walton Foundation for Independence, meets each Monday at 6 p.m. (weather permitting) at The Club at Rae’s Creek. Free and open to the public. Call 706-826-5809 or email alsalley@wrh.org.

“A modern fairytale. An enormous treat, not to be missed.” – Evening Chronicle

Yoga Class at Euchee Creek Library meets every Tuesday at 4 p.m. Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org.

London Broil with Merlot Sauce, Seafood Alfredo, Honey Dijon Chicken, Philly Mashed Potatoes, Nutty Rice Pilaf, Cumin Roasted Carrots, Whole Green Beans, Mini Salad Bar, Iced tea or Starbucks Coffee, Deluxe Dessert Bar

Weekly Group Runs include the Monday Metro Run meeting at Metro Coffeehouse 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 6 p.m.; Wednesday’s Blanchard Woods Group Run at 6 p.m.; Wednesday Stay in Shape Group Run at 6 p.m.; Wednesday’s Post Office Hill Training Run at 7 p.m.; Thursday’s Homer Hustle at 6 p.m.; and Saturday’s Stay in Shape Run at 8 a.m. Visit augustastriders.com. The Augusta Rugby Club holds weekly practice sessions at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Larry Bray Memorial Pitch in Augusta. Experienced players and newbies ages 18 and up are welcome. Bring a pair of cleats or cross trainers, a mouthguard, gym shorts and a T-shirt. Visit augustarugby.org or 07FEBRUARY2013

TICKETS

Civilians: $45 | Seniors (65 & over), Retirees, DA Civilians, Active-Duty E7 & above: $43 Active-Duty E6 & below: $35 | Show only: $30

For reservations, call 706-793-8552 AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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Facebook under the Augusta Rugby Club heading.

2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Hott Shott Disc Golf is held each Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Killer B Disc Golf in downtown Augusta, and features games and prizes for all ages and skill levels. $2. Call 706-8147514 or visit killerbdiscgolf.blogspot.com/p/hott-shott.

Celebrate Yourself Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day event for young adults will be held at the Headquarters Branch library at 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8. Features arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, karaoke and more. Participants must be in the building before the library closes at 5:30 p.m. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Thursday Night Chain Reaction Ride begins at 6 p.m. each Thursday at Patriots Park in Grovetown. For intermediate to fast-paced cyclists, who average 25-32 miles. Participants should bring their own water and helmet. Call 706-855-2024 or visit chainreactionbicycles.net. Riverview Disc Golf League meets each Thursday at 6 p.m. at Riverview Park in North Augusta. Entry fee $5; ace pool $1. Call 803-215-8181 or visit augustadiscgolf.com. Road Bike Ride meets each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Andy Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bicycle Warehouse downtown for an approximately 25-mile ride at a moderate to fast pace. Front and rear lights, as well as a helmet, are required. Call 706-724-6777 or visit andyjordans.com. Adapted Aquatics for Special Populations offered at the Wilson Family Y by appointment. Members $11 per session; nonmembers $22 per session. Discount for additional siblings. Call 706-922-9664 or visit thefamilyy.org. Augusta Canal Interpretive Center and Petersburg boat tours winter schedule runs through March 31 and is as follows: The Center is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Hour-long Petersburg boat canal tours depart at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 and 3 p.m. Admission to Center is $6, or free with $12.50 boat tour ticket. Seniors 65+, active military/dependent and students (age 4-grade12 or with valid college I.D.) are $2. One child under 3 per ticketed adult may get in free. Closed Christmas Day and New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 4. Groups call ext. 7. Visit augustacanal.com. The Augusta Fencers Club is open five nights a week from 5:30-9 p.m. and most Saturday mornings from 10 a.m.-noon. Visitors always welcome. Call 706-722-8878. BlazeSports Swim Team, for all ages of physically challenged swimmers who want to train for competition, meets at the Wilson Family Y. Members $35 a month; non-members $45 a month. Preregistration required. Visit thefamilyy.org. Civil War 150th Canal Tour, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Food, Fabric and Firepower,â&#x20AC;? is offered by the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center at 1:30 daily through 2013. Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com.

Come in for a tour TODAY!

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basketball Registration is being held at the Wilson Family Y through March 6 for ages 18 and up. Members $40; nonmembers $60. $20 team entry fee due by March 6. Season begins March 18. Visit thefamilyy.org.

Kids-Teens

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&DOO .HOOLH 3XJK DW WR VFKHGXOH \RXU SHUVRQDO WRXU WRGD\ 353 N. Belair Rd | Evans M O R N I N G S I D E O F E V A N S . C O M 26 METROSPIRITAUGUSTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the Box: Jitterbug Baby! will be held at the Morris Museum 10-11 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Explore ways communities celebrate events, then make your own mask with surprise items from the box. Members and parents free; non-members $4. Registration required. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org. Heart to Heart craft time will be held at the Appleby Branch library for ages 3-5, 11-11:45 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 7, and 10:30-11:45 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org. Sensory-Friendly Story Times take will be held at the Columbia County Library, 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Weekly story times are also offered. Call 706-8631946 or visit ecgrl.org. Funny Valentine Activity Hour is Thursday, Feb. 7, from 4-5 p.m. at the Aiken Public Library. Call 803-642-

Freedom Friday will be held at the Family Y of Augusta South, 6-9:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8, for ages 8 weeks-12 years. Kids enjoy activities while parents enjoy a few hours to themselves. Free for military families. Preregistration required. Visit thefamilyy.org. Stepping Into Manhood will be offered at Trinity Hospital, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 9. $10. Frank discussion on sexuality, peer pressure and responsible decision-making for boys age 12-15. Visit trinityofaugusta.com. Snakes, Frogs, Turtles, Oh My! is Saturday, Feb. 9, at 10 a.m. at Reed Creek Park. An outreach educator from the Savannah River Ecology Lab will provide an in-person experience with animals from the area. Pre-registration required. Members free; non-members $2 per child. Call 706-210-4027 or visit reedcreekpark.com. Mardi Gras Celebration will be offered at the Headquarters Branch library, Saturday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m. Registration required. Call 706-821-2623 or visit ecgrl.org. Parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Night Out will be held at the Marshall Family Y, 6-9:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Kids enjoy activities while parents enjoy a few hours to themselves. Members free; non-members $20/child. Call 706-3643269 or visit thefamilyy.org. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Follow the Drinking Gourdâ&#x20AC;? will be presented at the DuPont Planetarium at 7 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Learn how slaves used astronomy and song to escape slavery and travel the Underground Railroad to freedom. Weather permitting, after each show, the observatory and Bechtel telescope will be open for viewing. General admission $4.50, grades 4K-12 $2.50, and seniors $3.50. Children under 4 not permitted in public shows. Reservations encouraged. Call 803-641-3654. Chess for Kids, sponsored by the CSRA Chess Club, is at the Headquarters Branch library, 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. Mardi Gras Glamour: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Behind the Mask? will be held at the Headquarters Branch library for teens at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 10. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. Soccer School at the Wilson Family Y late registration is until Sunday, Feb. 10. For ages 3-4. Members $40; non-members $60; late registration fee $15. Visit thefamilyy.org. Spring Soccer at the Wilson Family Y late registration is until Sunday, Feb. 10. For ages 5-15. Members $55; non-members $75; late registration fee $15. Visit thefamilyy.org. Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stories will be offered at the Euchee Creek Branch library at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Registration required. Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org. Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Party! will be held for preschool to fifth grade at the Friedman Branch library 6-7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Registration required. Call 706-7366758 or visit ecgrl.org. Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Story and Craft is offered at the Headquarters Branch library Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 10 a.m. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Princess Playsâ&#x20AC;? will be presented for ages 2-5 at the Diamond Lakes Branch library by the Diamond Lakes Puppet Players at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Registration required for six or more. Call 706-77207FEBRUARY2013

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2432 or visit ecgrl.org. Teen Anti-Valentine’s Party is Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 4-5 p.m. at the Aiken Public Library. Call 803-6422023 or visit abbe-lib.org. “Beautiful Creatures” Tea Party and Book Discussion will be held for grades 6-12 at the Columbia County Library from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Learn makeup tips, then have tea and refreshments while discussing the book. Registration required no later than 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org. All About Love Story Time is at the Headquarters Branch Library Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 10 a.m. Visit ecgrl.org. Heart to Heart Story Time and Craft, for those ages 3-5 and led by those from the Morris Museum of Art, is Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 10:30-11:45 a.m. at the Appleby Branch Library. Groups must pre-register. Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org. Making Valentine’s Day Cards! will be held at the Wallace Branch library 10-10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13, for ages 3-7. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org. To College or Not? will be presented at the Wallace Branch library for teens at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org. Valentine’s Day Craft will be offered at the Maxwell Library, 3:45-5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Pre-registration required. Call 706-793-2020 or visit ecgrl.org. Lego Club Meeting is Thursday, Feb. 14, from 4-5 p.m. at the Aiken Public Library. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org. Children’s Valentine’s Day Program is Thursday, Feb. 14, from 4-5 p.m. at North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org. Valentine’s Date Night Out will be held at the Family Y of Downtown Augusta on Thursday, Feb. 14. Kids enjoy activities from 5-11 p.m. for ages 2-12 at the Family Y of North Augusta, 6-11 p.m. for ages 4-13 at the Wilson Family Y and from 4:30-9 p.m. for ages 2-12 at the Family Y of Downtown Augusta. Members $15, non-members $25. Registration required. Visit thefamilyy.org. “N’Spire: Honoring Our Forgotten Firsts,” a celebration of Black History Month, will be held at Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, 7 p.m., Thursday-Friday, Feb. 14-15. Reserved seating. $7-$10. Call 706-823-6924, ext. 124, or visit davidsonfinearts.org. Basketball Camp offered at the Family Y of Downtown Augusta for kids age 13-17 years. Practice is on Tuesdays; games are on Saturdays. Season is Feb. 18-March 30. Members $35; nonmembers $70. Registration available through Feb. 20. Visit thefamilyy.org. Celebrate Black History Month Contest is offered at the Headquarters Branch library through Feb. 28. Stop by the children’s desk and pick up a contest form. Visit ecgrl.org. Swim Lessons are offered at the Wilson Family Y and the Family Y of Downtown Augusta for all skill levels from 6 months to adult beginners. Held in four-week sessions with twice-weekly classes through March 28. Registration required. Visit thefamilyy.org. Tae Kwon Do is offered for all skill levels age 5 and up at the Family Y of Aiken County, North Augusta, Augusta South and the Wilson Family Y. Registration required. Visit thefamilyy.org.

registration desk, fill it out and drop it in the contest box. A prize will be awarded for the entry with the most correct answers and will be announced in February. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org. Ceramics Class, for ages 14 and up, meets Mondays at 9 a.m. or 6 p.m., Tuesdays at 6 p.m., and Wednesdays at 9 a.m. in the Weeks Ceramics Center. Call 803-6427631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Creative Arts offered at the Family Y of North Augusta for ages 5-12 years. Members $35 per month; nonmembers $55 per month. Visit thefamilyy.org. Toddler Time, playtime for children ages 5 and under, is each Monday and Wednesday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the H.O. Weeks Center in Aiken. $2 per visit; $16 per 10-visit pass. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Little Friends Gym, a parent and child class for those ages 6 months-4 years, is held each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Warren Road Community Center. Call 706-860-2833 or visit augustaga.gov. Story Time is held at the Columbia County Library at 10:15 and 11 a.m., Tuesdays, for kids under 2 years old; at 10:15 a.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for 2-year-olds; at 11 a.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for preschoolers; and at 4 p.m., Wednesdays, for all ages. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org. Loud Crowd, a supervised after-school program for those ages 4-12, is Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. at the Warren Road Community Center. Call 706-8602833 or visit augustaga.gov. Homeschool PE Time, for elementary school aged kids, meets Monday-Friday, from 9-11 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Members free. Call 706-364-5762 for nonmember prices. Visit krocaugusta.org. Story Time is held at the Diamond Lakes Branch library 10 a.m. each Tuesday. Registration required for groups of six or more. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org. Tai Chi Panda, a Chinese martial arts program for kids ages 5-13, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. Ages 5-7 meet at 4 p.m.; ages 8-10 meet at 5 p.m.; ages 11-13 meet at 6 p.m. Call 706-394-0590 or visit augustameditation.com/taichi.html. Preschool Story Time is every Tuesday at Headquarters Branch Library at 10 a.m. Toddler Story Time is every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Group registration required. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Lap-Sit Story Time, for children under two, is held every Tuesday at the Columbia County Library at 11 a.m. Story time for two-year-olds is every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10:15 a.m. and for preschoolers at 11 a.m. Group registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org. Kroc Trotters Running Group, for those ages 16 and older, meets at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at the Kroc Center to run the trails of the Augusta Canal. $15. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. Story Time is held every Wednesday from 10-11:15 a.m. at Wallace Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org.

07FEBRUARY2013

Fairy Tale Ballet is held at the Family Y of Aiken County. Offered once a week for one month for a total of four classes. Members $25/month; nonmembers $35/ month. Visit thefamilyy.org. Boy and Girl Scout troops are hosted by Augusta Jewish Community Center. For Boy Scouts, visit troop119bsa.com or email geoffstew@gmail.com. For Girl Scouts email sbehrend@bellsouth.net. For Daisy/ Brownie Troop email bdmrev@yahoo.com.

Story Time is held each Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Maxwell Branch Library. Pre-registration required for groups. Call 706-793-2020 or visit ecgrl.org.

Child Safety Seat Inspections offered by appointment at the Safe Kids office (call 706-721-7606), Martinez/ Columbia Fire Rescue Engine Co. 3 (call 706-8607763) and Columbia County Sheriff’s Substation in Evans (call 706-541-3970).

Wacky Wednesday Story Time is each Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the children’s department of Barnes and Noble in the Augusta Mall. Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

Car Seat Classes are offered by appointment only at the Safe Kids Office in Augusta and at the Martinez Columbia Fire Rescue Headquarters. Call 706-721-7606.

Story Time is held each Wednesday at the Appleby Branch Library from 10:05-10:20 a.m. for toddlers age 18-35 months, and from 10:30-11:15 a.m. for preschool kids age 3 and up. An adult must remain with the child. Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org.

Creek Freaks, a Georgia Adopt-a-Stream team of middle- and high-school students, meets regularly at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park to monitor the health of Butler Creek. Call 706-796-7707 or visit naturalscienceacademy.org.

Story Time is every Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. for Pre-K, and either 11 or 11:30 a.m. for preschoolers at Aiken County Public Library. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Fun-Time Fridays, for ages 2-5, is held each Friday at 10:45-11:30 a.m. at the Warren Road Community Center. Call 706-860-2833 or visit augustaga.gov.

Story Time is every Wednesday from 10:30-11 a.m. for toddlers and 11:15-11:45 a.m. for preschoolers at North Augusta Branch Library. Call 803-279-5767 or abbe-lib.org. Story Time at the Euchee Creek Branch Library, for all ages, is held each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and each Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org. Study Hall for teens meets Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-8212600 or visit ecgrl.org/teens. Homeschool Playgroup meets each Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at Creighton Park in North Augusta. Call 803613-0484. Mudpuppies, an arts and crafts program for ages 2-5, is held each Thursday at 10:45 a.m. at the Warren Road Community Center. Call 706-860-2833 or visit augustaga.gov.

Story Time is held every Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Friedman Branch Library. Groups of six or more must pre-register. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

The Augusta Arsenal Soccer Club Junior Academy, for boys and girls ages 5-8, meets each Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Augusta Soccer Park. Call 706-854-0149 or visit augustasoccer.com.

Story Time is every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at Harlem Branch Library. Call 706-556-9795 or visit ecgrl.org.

Kroc Tots Activity Hour, for those 5 and under, meets every Friday from 9-10 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Free,

DECLASSIFIED

Gesher, a teen program for post b’nai mitzvah youngsters (7th-12th grade), meets every other Sunday at Adas Yeshurun Synagogue. Call 706-733-9491.

Seniors

Line Dancing will be offered 11 a.m., Friday, Feb. 8, at Trinity Hospital. Call 706-481-7000 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Bingo will be offered at Trinity Hospital from 2-3:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. Call 706-481-7000 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Valentine’s Outing will be offered by Trinity Hospital, 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13. Outing is to the Boll Weevil. Call 706-481-7000 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Medicare and You will be held at The Kroc Center, 11 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 14. Free. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org. AARP Tax Aide allows seniors to have their returns prepared for free at The Kroc Center through April 15. Call 706-364-4064 or visit krocaugusta.org.

If you would like to see your organization’s events listed in our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com. The deadline for each Thursday’s issue is the previous Friday at noon.

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Winter Basketball is held through March at the Family Y of North Jefferson for ages 7-18 years. Members $30; nonmembers $50. Call 706-547-2653 or visit thefamilyy.org. African-American History Month Trivia Contest is offered for ages 8-11. Pick up a form from the

members; $1, non-members. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

ALL DECLASSIFIED ADS ARE CASH IN ADVANCE (CREDIT CARD PAYMENT REQUIRED) AND ARE $40 PER WEEK. VISIT METROSPIRIT.COM TO PLACE YOUR AD IN MINUTES.

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Are you so frustrated with your computer you’ve considered tossing it out the window? Is it so slow you can barely use it? Are you having trouble getting to your favorite web page... or facebood? Are you even tempted to teake it to one of those Big Box Stores for service? Think again! Do you really want the place that sells you envelopes or flat screen TVs working on your computer? Bring it to ComputerOne today... and our real computer guys will make it all better at a price you can afford. We’re the opposite of a Big Box Store. We’re the little store in Fairway Square and although we have our own of computer experts, we dont really call them geeks (at least to their faces). They’re just competent, skilled computer technicians with the know-how to clean up your computer at a reasonable price and get you back on the internet fast. And although we’re not keeping score, given the fact we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, it is very likely we’ve sold and repaired more computers than any other company in Augusta... and we have thousands of satisfied customers to prove it.

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3035 WASHINGTON ROAD

Get Ready to Drink

Nineteen stops on this year’s Fat Saturday Pub Crawl Each week I’m writing, urging people to venture downtown and see what really makes Augusta, Augusta. And I’m not referring to the homeless people or the prostitutes; I’m referring to the amazing businesses that keep Augusta “cool.” Well, I think I’ve come up with best reason for you to be downtown this weekend: The Third Annual Fat Saturday Pub Crawl! Your tour of downtown Augusta awaits you with 19 stops on this year’s crawl. The object of the game here, kids, is to make it to all 19 stops, get your passport stamped at each stop, then at the end of it all, turn in your passport for a chance to win prizes. It seems easy enough. The problem may come if you try to down a shot and/or beer at every stop. At that point, you’re probably not going to make it, but good luck! For most who decide to do the pub crawl, they’re there for a good time, but there are some that are on a mission. It’s a race to the finish. Either way, this forces everyone to go into bars that you may have never been in before. A lot of people might be surprised that there are actually 19 different businesses downtown. The last two years of bar crawling have been a blast. If you’re worried about having to hit the pavement, walking from stop to stop, no need to worry. I’ll be the host of the Pub Crawl Trolley. We’ll be circling Broad Street, taking you from one destination to the other. If you want to walk, that’s cool too. Thousands attended last year and that was in rainy weather. This year it’s supposed to be perfect. I would advise you signing up early. The first 500 to come sign up get the brand new Pub Crawl shirts for free. Registration begins at 4 p.m. at the corner of 11th and Broad streets. The pub crawl officially kicks off at 8. Check out facebook.com/fatsaturday for more details. As you make your way through downtown Augusta you may find one thing surprising: smoke-free bars. There seems to be a new trend downtown of converting your establishment into one where you are able to breathe without fear of cancer. The first bar I saw that turned smoke free was the most surprising: Joe’s Underground. For years I loved going into Joe’s, but I knew that the next day I would regret it when I was knocked down by the smell of last night’s clothes. Well that is a thing of the past. Hopefully you will make it to Joe’s Underground during your bar crawling; you’ll be smoke free and enjoying music from Camaras, Guns and Radios with special guest Dave Mercer. The next bar to go smoke free was Sky City. “After listening to many potential patrons who don’t go to concerts because of the smoke, we felt it was the right time for Sky City to go smoke free,” says Coco Rubio, co-owner of Sky City and Soul Bar. As for now, Coco has no plans of making Soul Bar smoke free. I like the move of bars being smoke free, but I also like that it’s the owner’s decision. This way we have some options. Whether the bar is smoke free or not, Saturday will be packed with entertainment. There are 19 stops and thousands of people to entertain. It will definitely be the best people watching of the year so far. I say you show up early. Who doesn’t want to pregame for a bar crawl? Last, I have to mention that the 55th Annual Grammy Awards are this Sunday night on CBS. There are many artists performing that night: Sting, Jack White, Elton John, Mumford & Sons, the Black Keys, and some other artists I don’t care about. But honestly, with the return of “The Walking Dead” on Sunday, does anyone care about the Grammys? Mark my words; if they kill off Daryl I will kill the creators. What bands are coming to town? Where is your band playing? Shouldn’t we legalize weed by now? Email me at matt@themetrospirit.com.

MATTSTONE can be heard weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 95 Rock.

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FEATURED

February 7 07Thursday, Live Music

Country Club - Music for Memories Concert w. Montgomery Gentry, Scotty McCreery, Joe Stevenson The First Round - Super Bob, Stillview French Market Grille West - Doc Easton Smooth Jazz Joe’s Underground - Jamie Jones Malibu Jack’s - Marilyn Adcock MAD Studios - 3rd Rail Poet Mellow Mushroom (Downtown and Evans) - Live and Local Rose Hill Estate - Preston Weston & Sandra Sky City - Carey Murdock, Celia Gary, Nigel Maestro Somewhere In Augusta - John Kolbeck The Willcox - Four Cats in a Doghouse Wild Wing - Sibling String

Country singer-songwriter and comedian Rodney Carrington leaves his home state of Texas to visit the Bell Auditorium this Friday, February 8. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show and tickets are $43.75. Call 877-4AUGTIX or visit georgialinatix.com.

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos - Karaoke Cocktails Lounge - Karaoke Coyote’s - DJ Richie Rich & Chad Mac Music Video Mixx Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke Fox’s Lair - Trivia, Soup and Suds Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia The Loft - Karaoke Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Evans) - Karaoke The Playground - Open Mic with Brandy Shannon’s - Karaoke Villa Europa - Karaoke Wooden Barrel - ’80s Night Karaoke

February 8 08Friday, Live Music

100 Laurens - Keith Gregory Bell Auditorium - Rodney Carrington Carolina Ale House - Jim Perkins Country Club - The Dam-Fi-No Band Coyote’s - Dave Firmin, Rhes Reeves & the Coyote Band Doubletree - Classic Jazz First Round - Artemia, Dead End Sons, Blu Avenue Fox’s Lair - She N She French Market Grille West - Doc Easton Joe’s Underground - Cameras, Guns & Radios Malibu Jack’s - South Atlantic Partridge Inn - Music for Lovers featuring Guitarist Matthew Whittington PI Bar & Grill - Jazz Duo Polo Tavern - Outerbanks Rub It In Lounge - John Berret’s LaRoxes Shannon’s - The Southern Meltdown Band Sky City - Dangermuffin Somewhere In Augusta - Ramblin’ Fevers Surrey Tavern - Playback The Band with Tutu Dyvine Wild Wing - China Bulls

What’s Tonight?

Cocktails Lounge - Grown-Up Fridays with DJ Cork and Bull Pub - Karaoke Eagle’s Nest - Free Salsa Lessons; Latin Dance Party Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke Iron Horse Bar & Grill - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke with Ryan Moseley Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke with Jeff Barnes 07FEBRUARY2013

Mi Rancho (Clearwater) - Three J’s Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s - Karaoke Palmetto Tavern - DJ Tim The Playground - DJ Rebeck’s Hideaway - Open Mic Roadrunner Cafe - Karaoke with Steve Chappel Wooden Barrel - Karaoke Contest

Saturday, February 9 Live Music

100 Laurens - Old Man Crazy The Acoustic Coffeehouse - Open Acoustic Jam Session with Eryn Eubanks and the Family Fold Country Club - Natalie Stovall Coyote’s - Dave Firmin, Rhes Reeves & the Coyote Band Joe’s Underground - Mama Says Malibu Jack’s - Tony Williams Blues Express P.I. Bar and Grill - Not Gaddy Jazz with Pam Bowman Polo Tavern - JAR Sky City - Jesup Dolly, Prarie State Heartache Somewhere In Augusta - Cameras, Guns, & Radios Soul Bar - DJ Lowterio Surrey Tavern - Lingo, Craig Waters & the Flood Wild Wing - Acosta

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos - Variety Show Cocktails Lounge - Latin Night Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Loft - DJ Richie Rich Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke with Rockin Rob Mi Rancho (Clearwater) - Karaoke with Danny Haywood Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s - Karaoke Robbie’s - Saturday Night Dance Party Wooden Barrel - Kamikaze Karaoke

Sunday, February 10 Live Music

5 O’Clock Bistro - Funk You Cotton Patch - Keith Gregory (brunch) Malibu Jack’s - Playback The Band w/ Tutu Dy’Vine Patridge Inn - Sunday Evening Jazz w/ the Not Gaddy Jazz Trio The Willcox - Jon Vaughn, brunch; Preston & Weston, night

What’s Tonight?

Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke, Salsa Dancing Shannon’s - Karaoke with Peggy Gardner

February 11 11Monday, Live Music Shannon’s - Open Mic Night

What’s Tonight? Applebee’s (Evans) - Trivia Club Argos - Karaoke Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Trivia Robolli’s - Trivia with Mike Thomas Somewhere in Augusta - Poker

February 12 12Tuesday, Live Music The Highlander - Open Mic Night Shannon’s - Karaoke Contest The Willcox - Piano jazz

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos - Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge - Dart League Laura’s Backyard Tavern - Karaoke w/ David Doane Limelight Cafe - Bottom’s Up Karaoke Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke Mellow Mushroom (Downtown and Evans) - Trivia The Playground - Truly Twisted Trivia with Big Troy Polo Tavern - Karaoke Shannon’s - Karaoke with Mike Johnson Somewhere In Augusta - Big Prize Trivia

February 13 13Wednesday, Live Music

Joe’s Underground - Kathleen TurnerOverdrive Malibu Jack’s - Marilyn Adcock

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos - Santoni’s Satin Dolls Cocktails Lounge - Augusta’s Got Talent Cotton Patch - Trivia and Tunes Hotel Aiken - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Laura’s Backyard Tavern - Karaoke w/ David Doane The Loft - Karaoke

Midtown Lounge - Karaoke w/ Charles O’Byrne Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke with Rockin’ Rob The Playground - Krazy Karaoke with Big Troy Polo Tavern - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Somewhere In Augusta - Comedy Zone w/ Chris Wiles & Jack Warren Surrey Tavern - Trivia with Christian and Mickey Wild Wing - Trivia

Upcoming

The Henrys - 5 O’Clock Bistro February 14 Ronnie Milsap - Bell Auditorium February 14 Jamie-Grace, TobyMac - James Brown Arena February 14 Jeff Johnston - Joe’s Underground February 14 J.C. Bridwell - Somewhere In Augusta February 14 John King Band - Country Club February 15 John Berret’s LaRoxes - The First Round February 15 Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue Imperial Theatre February 15 Brantley Gilbert w/ Kip Moore - James Brown Arena February 15 Impulse Ride - Joe’s Underground February 15 Shameless Dave & The Miracle Whips - Laura’s Backyard Tavern February 15 The Southern Meltdown Band - Playoffs Sports Bar & Grill February 15 Pretty Petty - Polo Tavern February 15 DJ Doc Roc & Friends - Sky City February 15 Conner Pledger - Somewhere In Augusta February 15 The Corduroy Road, Have Gun Will Travel Stillwater Taproom February 15 Old Southern Moonshine Revival - Country Club February 16 John Kolbeck - Joe’s Underground February 16 Ponderosa, Tikka, Cute Boots - Sky City February 16 Acosta - Stillwater Taproom - February 16 Fishbone - Sky City February 18 Ross Coppley - Country Club February 22 The Burning Angels - Stillwater Taproom February 22 Chris Lane Band - Country Club February 23 Josh Pierce - Metro Coffeehouse & Pub February 23 Some Machine w/ Six, F.O.C.U.S., Celia Gary - Sky City February 23 AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

METROSPIRIT 31

THE

EIGHT

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BOX TOPS

Young zombie love wins out in the end. How sweet. RANK

TITLE

WEEKEND GROSS

TOTAL GROSS

WEEK #

LAST WEEK

WARM BODIES

$19,833,967

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HANSEL AND GRETEL

$9,423,274

$34,676,068

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

$7,738,058

$80,002,616

MAMA

$6,590,970

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ZERO DARK THIRTY

$5,176,428

$77,673,978

“Stand Up Guys”

SAMEIFLING

Your loss if you don’t check out this flawed but good film

Despite the flaws of “Stand Up Guys,” and there are several, it achieves the rare and underrated feat of creating a tone all its own. The aging stars — Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin — are familiar names with long careers and lives that have lasted more than 220 combined years. They all play retired gangsters with a strange mix of sadness and verve and regret and affection. “Stand Up Guys” hits these varied notes, often in combination, by pacing itself, letting dialogue unspool and taking itself just seriously enough, as a melancholy crime farce that most people probably won’t care for. Their loss. Pacino is Val, just paroled after 28 years in prison. Picking him up at the gate is Walken as Doc, another old crook who has quit the life voluntarily, content now to paint sunrises in his modest bachelor apartment. Val, naturally, is ready for the first day on the outside — women, drugs, dancing, steak — but knows that because of the way their last caper went down, the job he took the fall for, a vindictive boss named Claphands (a viperous Mark Margolis) won’t let him live long. We know early on that it’s Doc who has to do the dirty work on this one, Claphands’ way of twisting the knife in both of them. But the early going in “Stand Up Guys” shuffles along without much purpose. It’s hard to get a movie moving when it’s premised on age, on fatigue. Pacino plays Val, all hedgehog hair and prison tattoos, with a fatalistic aplomb, as the guy at the bar you hope will leave before picking a fight. He overdoses on boner pills 32 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

and crushes up hypertension meds to snort. He’s not someone you want to watch for 93 minutes. Then he admits to Doc that he knows he’s doomed, and as that grim thought constricts around them both, the story turns from first night back in the world to last night on earth. They decide to reconnect with their old associate Hirsch, played by Arkin, and chase low adventures, always with at least a twinge of malaise. When Hirsch stumbles out of a cathouse, having fulfilled a longtime supposed fantasy, he looks morose. “I’ve never stepped out on my wife before,” the widower says. Even on the night of their lives, the moment can’t compete against the memory. “Stand Up Guys” is too juvenile to be high art, and director Fischer Stevens, whose only other feature-length film is “Just a Kiss,” hasn’t exactly reinvented “Goodfellas” here. But it feels curiously authentic. Pacino and Arkin are fine, of course, while Walken, who has been playing retired gangsters at least since 1997’s “Suicide Kings,” brings a strange tenderness to his role. “Stand Up Guys” probably wouldn’t have worked without these three leads, and it’s arguable that it does even with them. But it at least carries a real sense of finality about it. The characters don’t know how they’re going to go, exactly, but they all know it’s soon. The same could be said for guys still working into their seventies and beyond.

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COMEDY “Identity Thief,” rated R, starring Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, John Cho, Amanda Peet. The premise sounds good: an everyday guy takes to the road to find the woman who stole his identity and maxed out his credit cards. And it has a couple of great people in Bateman and McCarthy headlining this R-rated comedy by “Horrible Bosses” director Seth Gordon. So why is the buzz on this one more like intermittent whining (sorry for stealing that, Car Guys)? Probably because there’s not been a movie yet that lives up to either of its stars’ genius. Maybe they should write something together. THRILLER “Side Effects,” rated R, starring Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones. This whole movie revolves around what Rooney Mara’s character may or may not have done while under the influence of a prescription her psychiatrist gives her. Really, Steven Soderbergh? Are you going to make a movie about someone suffering from a four-hour-long erection next?

WERECOMMEND “Paranormal Activity”

As most horror movies do, “Paranormal Activity” begins normally enough. Katie drives up to the house she shares with boyfriend Micah (cutely pronounced MEE-kah) to find him filming her. He follows her into the house… after which he ties her up and kills her. Just kidding! It takes 86 more minutes to find out what happens to Katie and Micah and, until about the 75th minute or so, most of what happens in their SoCal lives is pretty normal. They go out, they eat pizza at the kitchen counter, they have sex (without the cameras on). Oh, and Katie’s is being followed around, occasionally, by a ghost. But it’s not a ghost, says a psychic they hire. It’s a demon and they need to hire a demonologist. Micah laughs and jokes about getting a Ouija board. The psychic says not to tempt the demon. Micah should listen to the psychic but, this being a horror movie, doesn’t. Needless to say, things go downhill after that. Despite finding a picture from Katie’s childhood (a picture that shouldn’t exist since all her family’s belongings were destroyed in a fire), seeing unearthly footprints in the baby powder Micah lays out as a trap and hearing the demon smash a picture of the couple, this movie is great a lulling you into a fall sense of security. Everything’s so normal, so mundane. And Katie looks like Pam from “The Office.” Nothing bad will happen, will it? That lull makes the final 10 minutes of the movie pretty damn creepy. It’s not outright terrifying, but it comes close. 07FEBRUARY2013

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Allow Me

Incentives are wonderful things

The Boy has asked for an allowance. For about half of you, this will sound totally normal. When you were little, you got paid weekly for doing your chores. You made your bed, picked up your clothes and took your dirty dishes to the sink. Does that sound about right? For the rest of you, an allowance was money paid for hard labor done around the house or in the yard. It was expected that you’d make your bed, pick up your clothes and take your dirty dishes to the sink. Money could be earned for raking piles of leaves or dusting the whole house. This is the approach we’ve taken with our kids so far. They should pick up and put in the hamper their dirty clothes on a regular basis, and I hope they’ll empty their laundry baskets within a reasonable amount of time. Chores aren’t rewarded. Real work is. By the way, I’m not exactly sure what I mean by “reasonable.” We aren’t the best at putting laundry away. Half the time, it seems pointless anyway. We have a hamper in the hall for dirty clothes, and the baskets are for clean clothes. I feel the same way about a dishwasher. Putting the dishes in the cabinets after they’re cleaned is silly. Unless you have those glass front cabinets. Then, I guess you need something to put in them so your kitchen looks pretty. Someday I will have two dishwashers. We already have quite a few laundry baskets. Back to the allowance thing. What’s your philosophy on this? Earning money is good for kids. It teaches them responsibility. They learn to work for things they’d like to have, and saving money becomes habit. I like the idea of setting some aside to donate or tithe as well. A couple of my friends give their children three jars. A percentage of their allowance/earnings goes in each jar. One is labeled “Save,” one “Spend” and the third is “Give.” Good lessons. I’m for it all in some way. It’s easier to have a set amount each week, so there isn’t any question as to what needs to be done or paid. As a parent, I like the idea of having some leverage, so they’ll just make the damn beds, forthelove. I would also like it if they’d do that anyway, without incentive. Let’s face it; incentives work. Honestly, though, my kids will do the stuff I don’t want to do. That’s the bottom line. They’re cheap labor, too. Just the other day, we were running behind, and I’d noticed a major backlog in the dusting department. Give a kid a feather duster, and you’ll blow his mind. They sell them in pink and blue at the dollar store. I even let them choose their

34 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

own color. Thanks to the feathers, mine would probably do it for free, but offering them a dollar promises dust-free shelves. I let The Girl use the Swiffer last week. See how I spun that? “Okay, Baby. If you will dust under the furniture for me, I’ll let you use this really cool thing called a Swiffer. You don’t even have to bend over to use it. I’ll even pay you one whole dollar.” She actually cheered. She cheered because I asked her to clean the house. She did my job and enjoyed it. That’s a win-win in my book. I did pay her the dollar, and I paid her brother for dusting the bookshelves. They have also asked about getting a regular allowance. We can’t seem to figure out the right way to go. How do you do it? Did you get an allowance as a child? I didn’t. When I was little, my parents gave me the money to go to the movies or to get ice cream with friends. Sure, I had to do stuff around the house, but I didn’t have specified chores. I had to do whatever the hell my parents told me to do. Not only did I have to do it, but I had to do it correctly. Vacuum marks must be visible, and nothing may be shoved under the bed. That last one was the kicker. I could clean my room in five minutes flat. All was cool until my Uncle Tom came in and moved my big brass bed about five feet to the side. There was a perfect square of my possessions that were once hidden under the bed. I started over. As soon as I was 15, I had a job and money was up to me. My dad bought me a used car after I turned 16, but gas, maintenance and insurance came out of my paycheck. I still believe he got me a car so I could help shuffle my brothers around town. I got a car; he got a taxi. See? Win-win. The Boy will be nine in less than two weeks (NINE?). It’s time to figure this all out, I suppose. My kids will help around the house whether they get paid or not. It’s just a matter of how often and for how much. I don’t want to break the bank, but I love their enthusiastic help. Like me, they are more efficient when a buck is involved. A dollar is a small price to pay for an entire dust job. I’m game. Besides, if I’m ever going to finish season two of Downton, I’ll need someone to pick up my slack. I wonder if it’s possible to scrub a toilet with a pink feather duster. Anything’s possible for a price.

JENNYWRIGHT lives in Summerville with her husband, who she calls The Man, and two kids, who she affectionately calls The Boy and The Girl. She enjoys taking photos, cooking and playing tennis.

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Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

April Wood, Wendy Diaz, Patricia DiCarlo and Kelly Cooksey at Chevy’s Night Club.

SIGHTINGS

Megan Watts, Ila Anderson and Kaitlin Richards at Still Water Tap Room.

Shaquania Chance, Michelle Nieves, Kendra Hill and Melissa Crespo at the Eagle’s Nest.

SIGHTINGS

Margaret Ann Anderson, Mieko Di Sano, Ashley Fowke and Mike Palmer at Odd Fellows Art Gallery.

Fred and Tricia Sims with Michele and Tom Bird at Whiskey Bar (Kitchen).

SIGHTINGS

Hope Key, Nikki Powpow and Josh Pinion at the grand opening of Salon Duo.

We W e specialize in tree cutting a and nd limbing, landscaping, lot clearing, stump grinding, and much more!

Ask A sk to see our License and Insurance. Call C all Michael Murray at 706.691.8832

AUGUSTA A UGUSTA TREE PROFESSIONALS

36 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

GEO Jim Stiff, Susan Everitt and Stephen Denton at the VIP preview of Goodwill’s Edgar’s Grille.

Blake Clendenin, Rachael Carroll, Erin Brands and Matt Wilson at Metro Coffeehouse.

Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Dr. George Snelling, Venessa Cooper and Chef Ian MacDonald at the VIP preview of Goodwill’s Edgar’s Grille.

MONEY

DOESN’T

GROW ON TREES (Although some local tree services must belililiev be evee it does ev ddoe oess according oe acco ac cord co rdin rd ingg to their in tthe heir he ir estimates!) est est stim imat im ates at ess!)) believe

07FEBRUARY2013

Windsor Fine Jewelers presents:

My Tweet Valentine

#HDSpirit

Tweet why you love your honey so much and you could be the winner of a diamond heart necklace from Windsor Fine Jewelers and dinner this Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day! If you win, not only do you get the prizes, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also feature you in our February 14th issue!

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AMYCHRISTIAN

Party Time!

French Market West celebrates a New Orleans tradition

If we lived in or around New Orleans, we’d be in the thick of Mardi Gras right now. Except for a week-long break for the Super Bowl, celebrations that include almost daily parades have been going on since January 19, all leading up to Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is the last day of Carnival season, one last ditch effort to eat too much, drink too much and

38 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

have way too much fun before Ash Wednesday comes the next day and begins the season of restraint that is Lent. We’re not in New Orleans, however, although Jim Beck, co-owner of French Market Grille West in Martinez, hopes to help locals cram as much Louisiana fun as they can into Fat Tuesday, February 12. So this Tuesday, he and his staff are pulling out all the stops. Hour Hour will last all day long, and patrons will want to try a rum and fruit drink concoction famous to New Orleans, the Hurricane. They’ll also serve traditional New Orleans fare like the muffaletta, a round sesame roll filled with meat, cheese and olive salad, and crawfish by the pound. But don’t worry, he said: His regular Tuesday night specials, crab legs and shrimp, will still be on the menu. Mardi Gras favors, including beads, will abound, as will King Cakes, a sweet similar to coffee cake frosted with traditional Carnival colors (purple, green and gold). Celebrating Mardi Gras is a natural fit for Beck, who managed the kitchen when French Market West opened 15 years ago. serving traditional Cajun and Creole cuisine. “There were three guys who opened it — Chuck Baldwin, Carl Swanson and Frank Chirkinian,” he explained. “I told Chuck, ‘I’ll run the restaurant,’ And

I did. I worked all day every day. Then I bought Frank out in ’04 and I bought Chuck out in ’06.” That makes Beck co-owner of French Market West with Carl Swanson and it is a totally separate entity from the one in Surrey Center, although the menu still contains most of the items so popular there. Guests at French Market West will, however, notice some different touches to Beck’s menu. The Crab Chop is there, along with the fiery Barbequed Shrimp (and that’s New Orleans barbecue sauce, rather than the version usually served over pulled pork). The po’ boy sandwiches are present, however, the gumbo is different from the version at Surrey Center. The combination of the traditional menu and Beck’s inventive takes on Cajun and Creole dishes have garnered the restaurant a loyal following. And many of his regulars will be there Fat Tuesday celebrating. It’s an event that Beck says shouldn’t be missed. “It’ll be packed,” he said. “It’s always packed.” French Market Grille West 360 Fury’s Ferry Road, Martinez Lunch: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner: Monday-Thursday, 3-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 3-11 p.m. 706-855-5111 frenchmarketwest.com

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VALERIEEMERICK

Spreading the Word

Former James Brown collaborator finds a different mission Derrick Monk was born in Dallas, Texas, and got his musical start in Oakland, California, when he and his brothers signed with Fantasy Records. His career got an extra boost when he joined up with James Brown in 1992 and moved to Augusta. Brown offered Monk the position of A&R director/producer/songwriter for “The New James Brown Enterprises,” and that changed his career, and in many respects, his life, forever. “Me and him was like father and son,” recalls Monk. “That was my best friend for a long time. Every car I got, he bought it. I was his producer. I produced over five albums on James Brown. I wasn’t just a musician or a singer, I wrote the songs.” It was a great opportunity for Monk, who was just 21 years old at the time, to work with James Brown. “Being with James Brown, that was like a dream come true,” explains Monk. “You know, James Brown being who he was.” He laughs and quickly adds a caveat. “But I didn’t exactly come up in the James Brown era, so I wasn’t starstruck, which may have been ignorance on my half,” he says. “I was raised up in the Michael Jackson era, you know what I mean? James Brown was more in my mom and my dad’s era. But the older I get and I realize all the things that he’s done and all the blueprints he’s put down, I’m like, ‘Wow! I didn’t even know who he was!’ and he used to tell me that all the time ‘Mr. Monk, you don’t know who I am, son!’ I used to have fun with him. So that was kind-of a dream come true.” And it’s a dream whose importance he realizes more and more every passing day. “The more I live and the older I get the more I realize the blessing I had just being up under him,” Monk says. “A lot of times you can be around something and you don’t realize the importance of them until they’re gone. That’s why I still talk about him every day or mention something about something he said to me every day. I spent countless hours in the studio with him, just being groomed and chiseled and learning a lot of stuff that no other musician in the world would ever learn because he invested that time all with me.” James Brown died Christmas 2005, but Monk’s career didn’t end with the passing of The Godfather of Soul. It’s just taken a different, but familiar path for Monk. “Since the death of James Brown I have really just totally given my life over Christ,” says Monk. “And I have people all the time telling me, ‘Why don’t you write a book?’ ‘Why don’t you use James Brown’s name for this or that?’ And I never got with James Brown for that. I got with James Brown because I genuinely loved the man. At the end of the day it wasn’t about making money and even today it’s not about making money… I believe that God will provide. If you do the right thing, I believe that our Father will do the right thing. I was raised in church all my life – so coming out of the church, my dad being a pastor and my mom being an evangelist – I was in the church anyway. That’s where I learned how to play, that’s where I learned how to sing… It was the church that got me started and that’s where I am right now. I came back home to the Lord. And that’s working for me.” Now, Monk is spreading the word here in Augusta, at the Kroc Center. “I got the second Sunday of each month at the Kroc Center. And what we’re trying to do there is ‘Amazing Praise and Worship,’” says Monk. “I’m just trying to do something uplift and motivate the area… to continue to build that spirit of giving back to the public. When God is good to you want to give back to the community.” Derrick Monk in Concert The Kroc Center Sunday, February 10 | 4 p.m.; doors open at 3 p.m. | Free 706-364-KROC | krocaugusta.org 40 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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WHINE

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WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM

Have something you want to get off your chest? Send your whines to whineline@themetrospirit. com. If you do so by noon on Friday, you might just see it in the next Thursday’s issue. Oh, and whines may be edited for content but will pretty much be printed exactly as you type them.

LINE

you guy’s need a copy editor. or maybe spellcheck. or maybe better writers. or subjects to write about. but i must admit, your adver ts are pretty good.

if they WERE welcome...To me the fact that this “nonprofit” has spent three years to turn ONE house says that “Turn Back the Block” is more about self aggrandizement for the “moneyed elite” than it is about actually making a substantial difference in a neighborhood that they themselves wouldn’t wee wee on if it was on fire...

People need to star t asking questions about how the new Columbia county fire depar tment is run. Lots of mismanagement and Chiefs looking out for friends. All the problems Richmond county had are there, the commissioners don’t realize what a headache they’ve inherited. A decent attorney could eat that place for lunch, especially the guys at the top.

What is the big deal about that new restaurant downtown? I ate there and it was pretty bad food. Frozen vegetables and instant mashed potatoes are not wor th my money. The only thing there was to brag about was a really nice staff.

No wonder the TEE Center people did not want to book a roller derby event. They probably did not want their new floor cracked and damaged. And I’m not talking about from the roller skates, have you seen the size of some of those roller derby girls? They might as well just let elephants trample on the floor from the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Is there a fat chick magnet buried somewhere under Augusta?

THUMBS

From his own ar ticle last week (I Am Coming Out of the Closet), I quote the magnanimity of the magnanimous Austin Rhodes: “It is longer than the combined total of my two failed marriages and my one successful marriage.” He’s been married three times and he’s what - 44 or 45 years old? I guess the third time(!) really is the charm - apparently. Either that or he continues to get back up on that horse after he’s been bucked....after he’s been bucked....after he’s been bucked...and, well, you know the rest of that story. Wow! Never thought I would agree with an Austin Rhodes column but his musings on Sandy Rogers and her par tner were spot on. I was amazed the Chronicle ran that wonderful piece to begin with but even more amazed that Austin sang it’s praises. Maybe there’s hope. RE: the whine against Lori Davis and her stance on the Blue Jean Ball....My impression is that she has no problem with Clay Boardman OR the event. But she (and many others) have a problem with people breaking their arms patting themselves on the back at a purely social event that most in Harrisburg could not afford to attend even

Even with the stache and the basketball jersey, we much prefer Will Ferrell’s makeout session for Old Milwaukee than that other one everybody’s talking about.

down Really, Trump?

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07FEBRUARY2013