Metro Spirit 06.14.2012

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INSIDER JENNY IS WRIGHT AUGUSTA TEK AUSTIN RHODES

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SLAB MATT’S MUSIC

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THE8 SIGHTINGS ART45 CUISINE SCENE PETS PAGE BALL

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CONTENTS

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Contributors James Allen|Greg Baker|Rob Brezsny|Sam Eifling|Matt Lane|Austin Rhodes|Josh Ruffin|Matt Stone|Jenny Wright

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AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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

SIDER

THUMBS

up

Chris Thomas at the Joe Neal Jr. trial, scooping the competition by announcing that “we can take you inside the house where the alleged incident happened, only tonight on News 12 at 6!”

down

Really? The tour involved someone pulling up the website vrbo.com and filming the monitor as someone else operated the mouse, scrolling the page down to display images of the home posted by Neal.

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METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time…

In order for Joe Neal, Jr. to reach the sorry state of affairs that led to his recent prosecution and last week’s lurid and sensational trial, he had to make a number of decisions. He had to decide to acquire marijuana. Obviously possession of this substance is against the law. Was that a good idea, particularly for a lawyer?

He had to decide to provide a person, not related to him and under the age of 21, with an alcoholic beverage. Again, a poor choice, no doubt. The fact that he, along with his former wife, Caroline Caldwell Neal, even had the teenage babysitter in the house at all without the presence of their minor children is poor judgment.

Finally, he had to resolve to treat said babysitter as a sexual object. Very. Bad. Idea. Abandonment of any one of these decisions would have most likely led to a different result on that evening at the Neal residence.

Again and again, Neal made the wrong choice. This Insider asks, did Neal ponder the legalities and ethics of his consequences for at least the amount of time, 30 seconds, that it took for him to consummate his perverse intent?

At what point did any one of those acts seem like a good idea? An observer has to wonder what goes on in the mind of a person who could make such decisions without regard for the legal consequences, the effect the decision would have upon the victim and the effect that the indictment, prosecution and resulting trial would have upon the other victims of the case, the defendant’s family. Let us not forget their suffering, which has no doubt been considerable.

The prosecution had a tough case. The prosecution team, the grand jury and the presiding judge are all to be applauded for the tough decisions they made. This case should not have been swept under a rug, and it wasn’t. The sentence handed down, while not severe given the sordid story and appalling actions, is entirely consistent with the plea agreement and the most that the judge could give. The defendant did not receive a pass. This Insider appreciates the poetic justice of assigning time at the wastewater treatment plant for public service.

While Joe Neal, Jr. was not convicted of the crime he was charged with, he and his very capable attorney admitted possession of marijuana and provision of alcohol. The public has heard much of the case and can infer what it may. If you are Joe Neal’s friend, and he does have friends, this Insider asks you: Does that still seem like a good idea?

Correction Last week’s Art 45 story, “Childlike Images,” was written by Valerie Emerick rather than Sam Eifling. The Metro Spirit regrets the error.

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GUESTCOLUMN

We All Have a Stake In Paine College’s Success Belgian Congo in February of 1912. Gilbert, Paine’s first student, first graduate and first black faculty member, represented the C.M.E Church. And Senior Bishop Walter Russell Lambuth represented the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

2012 is the centennial anniversary of that event. And the Gilbert-Lambuth Chapel at Paine College is named for Gilbert and Lambuth in honor of that achievement.

The Gilbert Manor Housing Development was also named for Gilbert.

When Paine celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1933, the occasion was observed by white and black Methodists in every Southern state, according to Elmer T. Clark in his book “The Unique Adventure.” He said it was the first time that an event connected with the progress of and service to African Americans was celebrated by Southern white people.

One of the highlights of that celebration was a letter from President Herbert Hoover congratulating Paine for “pioneering in race relations.”

It should be noted that when Martin Luther King, Jr. so eloquently articulated his dream for America in 1963 — “that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down at the table of brotherhood” — actual slaves and actual slave owners had already been sitting at that table at Paine College for 81 years.

Paine should be appreciated for what it is — a national treasure, far too important to fail.

That said, where do we go from here? Paine President George C. Bradley has announced that the financial aid program is secure. The U. S. Department of Education has officially approved all of Paine’s Title IV funding for next year. The school has also recently received a half million dollars for its Upward Bound Program. And some donors have recently demonstrated their confidence in the school’s future by making significant contributions.

Paine will survive, but in order to thrive it needs the community’s support. Its unique history and record of developing leaders locally and nationally should be cause for all of us to redouble our efforts to ensure that the school remains viable, preparing leaders and lighting the path of racial harmony and equality, as it has done for the past 130 years.

MALLORY MILLENDER is Paine College’s historian.

OPEN 7 DAYS

memorializing Williams Walker, Paine’s second president, Bishop Randall A. Carter said that, “almost every important pulpit in the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church is now filled by a graduate of Paine College, in the Southern states, in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and throughout that section. And this takes account only of the preachers. A similar company of teachers have been sent forth.”

Tiny Paine College (always fewer than a thousand students) has produced 16 college presidents and nine bishops, including the current bishop-in-residence at Emory University.

Other Paine graduates include America’s first black archaeologist; a writer whose 33 novels are said to have sold more copies than all other black writers combined; an alternate U. N. delegate who was also chairman of the board of the NAACP during its heyday; a professor and civil rights leader who was the chief plaintiff in the U. S. Supreme Court case that led to the outlawing of gerrymandering in the United States; a diplomat who was a senior advisor to two presidents and the international secretary of the YMCA; the first African American to head a major publishing company — Harcourt, Brace and World; a dean of the graduate school at Indiana University; a distinguished professor who headed African American Studies at Berkeley and Notre Dame; the first black dean of students at M.I.T; an attorney who became Georgia labor commissioner, and a geologist who was commissioned by NASA to research the pyramids on Mars.

If one looks at black leaders in Augusta-Richmond County, Paine graduates who have served on the City Council/ Commission include Grady Abrams, Ike Washington, T. A. Bowman, Betty Beard, Johnny Hatney and Bill Lockett.

Augusta’s only black mayor, Ed McIntyre, attended Paine, although he graduated from Morehouse College.

The Paine graduates also who have provided leadership in this community also include former Paine College President William Harris, who is now in his fourth college presidency; Augusta Technical College President Terry Elam; both black Richmond County school superintendents, Frank Roberson and Charles Larke; and school board members Marion Barnes, Johnny Hatney, Joe Scott and Barbara Pulliam.

In 1911 Paine’s founding churches launched their second bi-racial project — the establishment of the first Methodist Mission in Africa. John Wesley Gilbert and Walter Russell Lambuth sailed for five months before arriving in the

14JUNE2012

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

IN FRONT OF WALMART IN EVANS

Whatever one thinks of the recent controversy surrounding the alleged mishandling of funds at Paine College, one thing is certain — we are all connected and have a stake in Paine’s survival and wellbeing.

When Paine’s Board of Trustees met on November 1, 1882, the board consisted of six men — three whites, representing the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (now the United Methodist Church), and three blacks, representing the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America (now the Christian Methodist Episcopal or C.M.E. Church).

In his book “Of Men Who Ventured Much and Far,” Paine’s last white President, Dr. E. Clayton Calhoun, says that meeting was “the first official meeting of Southern whites and Southern Negroes on an equal footing.” He said that within the board “there was mutual trust and a concerted effort to found and foster a school in interracial amity and accord.”

According to The Augusta Chronicle (May 25, 1945, page 8), the Paine College Board of Trustees is the oldest interracial body in America.

Paine has a number of distinctions including that it is also the only college in America established by a black denomination and a white denomination. Those two denominations have supported and governed the institution — harmoniously — throughout its 130-year history. And the board has remained interracial the entire time.

Paine is also the only college in America founded by black and white Southerners as an interracial enterprise.

At Paine, whites not only worked for blacks, they worked with blacks as colleagues. It is worth noting that an interracial faculty, which Paine has had since 1888, was illegal in public schools in Georgia.

Classes started January 2, 1884, in Augusta on the corner of 10th and Broad streets, providing a classical liberal arts curriculum at a time when most philanthropists and indeed most Americans, especially Southerners, did not believe that blacks were capable of receiving a liberal arts education. It is significant to point out that, when classes started, the faculty and the president were white. In fact, all of Paine’s presidents were white until 1971, when Dr. Lucius Pitts, a Paine alumnus, was elected president. And women have been on the faculty since the fall of 1884.

Paine not only offered a liberal arts education, it offered top-quality education designed to prepare preachers, teachers and leaders generally. In a 1911 speech

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JENNY IS WRIGHT Stuck Like Glue

Is 35 too old to be claiming a best friend? What about several? It’s not like I still wear one of those heart broken in two bestfriends necklaces or anything. There’s a good reason for that, though. I have several best friends.

It sounds hokey, I’m sure. I really do, though. I have a group of best friends.

We call ourselves The Posse. Before you make fun of the name, just know that we didn’t come up with it. The origin is debatable, but the version I remember most is that an exboyfriend of mine called us that. He wasn’t always being nice, but the name stuck.

Our numbers vary from time to time, but we have a core group that’s always been. Several of us go all the way back to elementary school, and all of us went to the same college (Go Dawgs!). We even survived living together.

We have had our arguments. So-called Bitch Fights. Most of the time no one ever remembers how they start, but they happen. I think we used to have a video of one. It was on spring break our sophomore year in college. We were in Fort Lauderdale, and exhaustion, beer and spending too much time together all exploded in our faces. In typical fashion, I can’t recall what it was about (sure, blame the beer if you’d like), but I’ll bet I had something to do with starting it.

Someone eventually walks (storms) away or starts laughing. Fight over.

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We’ve been through just about everything together: deaths, car accidents, weddings, babies (not really together, but whatever), vacations, bachelorette parties, a liver transplant, arguments, making up and laughter.

Oh, the laughter. We’re damn funny. I think we’re the best at being funny. The humor is usually at the expense of someone else, but we can all take it. Ashley takes it the most, but it’s self-imposed. She never remembers anything. Even if you show her a picture of her at XY location, she will argue her presence. Her lack of memory is especially hilarious when Colleen tells stories. She tells long stories, and I’m certain that Ashley doesn’t remember any of them.

I could list of my favorite things about every one of them. I’m sure they will tell you how I drive them crazy. It’s all good, though. No one gets away with anything. Okay, there are things worth forgetting, like a missed call, a bad attitude or a snide remark. Crappy behavior isn’t overlooked. We hold each other accountable, and we hold each other close.

There are quite a few people in Augusta who mean the world to me. I rely on them on a daily basis. I hope that none of them will be offended when I say that The Posse is the bee’s knees.

I realize that we have something unusual. We’re so close it’s sometimes scary.

We stretch as far as London, but we see each other more often than you’d think.

We talk often, and even if we don’t, there aren’t many secrets. This week, most of us are going to Mexico together. Sorry to bring up the trip again, but honestly I’ve practically checked out already.

If I could give one bit of advice to all the girls who just graduated from college, and even those who are home for the summer, it’d be this: keep in touch with your high school friends. Believe it or not, the little you seemingly have in common now will be the glue that bonds you later. Sure, you’ll make new friends in college, and they will be important, too, but the friends that have 20-plus years on you will be there first ones there when you need help or advice.

Trust me on this. A rough estimate says that The Posse has something like 150 years of combined friendship experience. Not bad at all. My rough estimate says that we have many, many more to go.

I’ll take the good, the bad and the ugly, because that means I’m stuck with them. If I’m stuck with them, they’re stuck with me. After this long, it’s not easy to actually get rid of any of you (or, more importantly, you can’t get rid of me). I look forward to many more vacations, jugs of wine, lifting our jugs and laughing for many more years to come.

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.

14JUNE2012

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AUGUSTA TEK Rise of the Ballbots

It’s All About Apple — This week is the 2012 edition of Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, or affectionately known as WWDC. Typically, Apple uses this event to introduce its new products. In typical Apple fashion, the announcements were shrouded in secrecy up until Monday’s keynote. Was Apple finally going to announce Apple TV? Alas, no. WWDC 2012’s biggest announcement focused on the MacBook, a neglected product line that has been woefully in need of a refresh. Prior to the conference, speculation centered around the combination of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro products, and while that didn’t happen, the two product lines continue to come together.

The MacBook Air features only modest processor upgrades over the prior models. The new models support the Intel Core i-series processor, providing modest improvements in processing speed and battery life and significant improvements in graphics processing. Two new models were introduced, an 11-inch screen and a 13-inch screen. Each model is configurable with either a Core i5 or Core i7 processor and up to a 512 GB solid-state hard drive.

The next-generation MacBook Pros featured the most significant changes with the availability of a 15.4-inch Retina Display. This 220 pixel per inch display was introduced last year on the new iPad and gives the MacBook Pro an astonishing pixel count of 2880 x 1800. In addition, Apple has reduced the width of the MacBook Pro to 0.71-inches, making it the lightest MacBook Pro ever made.

(Writer’s Note: I’m feeling a twinge of envy as I sit here typing on my 1.4-inch HP Compaq 6715b. I fear I might pull a muscle if I have to pick it up.)

Apple also made a couple of ho-hum announcements. The new iPhone operating system, iOS6, was introduced. Facetime will now work over cellular networks, which is fine except that you will go through your Verizon or AT&T data quota in about 17 seconds (thanks, guys). Siri will be available on the iPad, she will make Facebook posts and start apps for you and, via “Eyes Free,” she will be integrated into next year’s line of automobiles. That’s nice. Siri is fun to play with, after all. But I’m still waiting for the day she can wash the dishes, fold the laundry and cut the grass.

The Good Stuff — So, yeah, fun, that’s WWDC this year. Now for the interesting stuff. For those unfamiliar, ted.com is a nonprofit forum dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Leaders from all fields are invited to take 10-15 minutes and share their ideas. I highly recommend this site to anyone… the stuff here is just cool. (If you are looking for a place to start, try watching anything by Hans Rosling.)

This week I ran across the coolest idea for a robot that I’ve seen in a while. It’s called a Ballbot, and its name is Rezero. The novel feature on this little guy is how it gets around. The robot sits on top of a single ball with a computer maintaining stability. Obviously to get the full impact, you have to see the robot in motion. Go to ted.com and search on Rezero to see the video.

(Very!) Shameless Plug — CMA Technology’s Face-to-Face IT and Cloud Services have proven to be a great fit for the Augusta market, and we are looking for new faces to provide responsive and personable services to our business partners.

All inquiries are welcome, but we have an immediate need for a mid-level (five-plus years experience) MCITP who understands the importance of customer service.

(If you are the typical arrogant IT know-it-all, don’t bother to apply — you will be weeded out!) Send your resume to HR@cmaaugusta.com.

Until next time, I’m off the grid @gregory_a_baker.

GREGORY A. BAKER, PH.D, is vice president and chief rocket scientist for CMA, which provides information technology services to CSRA businesses and nonprofits.

14JUNE2012

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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AUSTIN RHODES

Long Knives Out for Wright McLeod While it is always good to lead the pack, or at least be in front of most of the competition in any competitive race, one of the perils is that it is incredibly easy for someone behind to bury a knife squarely in the back of the man working to forge ahead.

That knife must be the sharp pain Wright McLeod is feeling about now.

It was a bad week for the 12th district Republican congressional challenger, who must defeat three dedicated primary opponents before he can lay a glove on the real man to beat, incumbent Congressman John Barrow.

He is getting bruised up pretty badly in response to a story that he voted in the Democratic presidential primary in 2008. Not so much because he voted Dem (anyone remember Rush Limbaugh’s Operation Chaos?), but because the election records seem to disagree with his claim that he voted for Bill Richardson.

Wright told my radio audience he does not understand why the vote did not show up for Richardson, nor why it was recorded as a vote cast on the regular primary day, when he says he clearly remembers voting in the election office, and running into a friend and a fellow attorney while he was on his way to do it.

I certainly have no theories; well, at least no theories as to why there seems to be clear contradictions in his story and the documented election data.

The press seems have taken notice as well, with attention coming from the Billy Morris owned Savannah Morning News, and even this little tidbit from the founder of redstate.com, columnist and now radio talk show host, Erik Erickson: “I don’t have a dog in the fight in Georgia’s 12th Congressional District, but the district has a history of fostering crappy Republicans to take on the imminently beatable John Barrow. The latest seems to be Wright McLeod and I am troubled.... he seems to want to run as a Tea Party candidate, but his record is anything but Tea Party.

“Given the success of the Tea Party in 2010, a lot of people have come calling this time around claiming to be Tea Party candidates. I hope the Tea Party is very discerning lest it support poseurs for Congress.”

Back in 1982, if someone had given me the list of every student enrolled at Westside High School and asked me to list them in order from the biggest poseur down to the most genuine human, Wright McLeod would have been the dead last name, not only on my list, but on just about every list made by every person who knew him.

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He was the senior class president, voted Best All Around, and yep... there he is on page 182 of his Westside senior yearbook, pictured with the Student Council Executive Committee, with just Stuart Cooper and Greg Gilmour standing between him and your esteemed columnist. (He is the only guy in a coat and tie, I am the one with my hand on the shoulders of Elizabeth Anne McDade and Nita Wiggins.)

Wright was as solid as there was among us, and his very presence in the same class made the rest of us want to behave better and sound just a tad bit smarter when called on by the teacher.

Whenever I praise the accomplishments of the local magnet schools, I almost always pause to lament the fact that while they are amazing institutions, they do scoop the cream right off the top of all the other student bodies. I was one of the kids that needed to be in the presence of serious students and conscientious teenagers, and I was a better Westside Patriot because I knew Wright McLeod, and he knew me.

A poseur? No way. I don’t buy it.

Naysayers have also been giving Wright a hard time because he and his wife gave a Democrat candidate for attorney general $7,100 a few years ago. The gripers almost never stop to explain that the candidate was one of Wright’s law school classmates and a very dear friend.

When it comes to Wright’s primary opponents, I do not know any of Maria Sheffield’s friends, associates or political colleagues, but I do know plenty of the company kept by Rick Allen and Lee Anderson.

If those two really want to discuss contributions, friendships and what they have each allowed to happen right in front of their own eyes without so much as a whisper of protest, rest assured, the stories will be told.

When all is said and done, McLeod’s comparative record could make those two gentlemen look like they have been hanging out with the cast of “The Sopranos.”

The knives cut both ways.

AUSTINRHODES

The views expressed are the opinions of Austin Rhodes and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

14JUNE2012

G N I K TA FIR E ON

ERICJOHNS

e firing l i h w m s i c i euver crit

back

to outman s e i r t d o e McL tions a g e l l a e m at so

For Republican congressional candidate Wright McLeod, the last few weeks have been like combat. Ever since he came out ahead of businessman Rick Allen in the first quarter financial numbers, he’s been taking fire.

“Gloria Norwood [the widow of the late Congressman Charlie Norwood] said ‘Look — you have no idea,’” McLeod said, sitting under a painting of an F-14 in the conference room of his Evans law office. “And I said to myself — I think I do. But she was right. I flat missed that.”

First came the Federal Election Commission complaint filed by Allen Campaign Manager Scott Paradise. Then came the charge that he donated money to Democratic candidates, then that he voted for Democrats as recent as in the 2008 primary, a charge that could be particularly damning in conservative Columbia County, though voting records show that Allen, who has been particularly vocal about the issue of voting records, pulled the Democratic lever himself in 1998 and 2004.

In spite of the attacks, McLeod, a Naval Academy graduate who flew backseat in an F-14,

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has in large part failed to return the fire, and the strategy might be working.

“As painful as it is to me, it appears to be backfiring,” he said of the personal attacks, and the results of a June 4 straw poll after the Vidalia debate seem to back him up. According to the Peach Pundit, a website covering Georgia politics, of the 102 votes cast after an evening in which Allen aired all of the above grievances, McLeod walked away as the clear cut winner, earning 55 votes.

Dublin attorney Maria Sheffield came in second with 32, followed by Grovetown farmer Lee Anderson with 11.

Allen garnered just four votes.

“I stayed issue-oriented and we resonated,” McLeod said. “I believe that my sincerity comes across as far as what I want to do and why I’m running, so as long as I can keep deflecting the personal attacks and try to make it more of an issueoriented campaign, then we’re good.”

Despite the “Mission 1st” sign at his campaign office, keeping to the issues isn’t always easy,

Mission 1st doesn’t allow for those kinds of impulses, he said, but it does strengthen his resolve.

“My spin — you associate yourself with stuff like that, then that’s an indication of who you are,” he said.

Paradise, a young campaign professional from Kansas, has found himself at the center of several aggressively fought races, including a 2010 Congressional race for the 4th District of Kansas and a 2011 campaign to unseat the incumbent attorney general in Louisiana, Jim Hood. In both races, the Paradise-run campaigns were notably forceful in their personal attacks against the opposing candidate.

“They hit me for donating money to Ed Tarver when he ran against Charles Walker, even though they did the same thing, so I’m having a hard time on the hypocrisy level,” he said. “They gave to Champ [Walker], I gave to Tarver. He also gave to Ed Tarver — twice.”

And the other donation — $7,100 to Rob Teilhet, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2010 Democratic

Wheeler Road, McLeod summed up the situation in five words — the place is a dump.

“The lease says we assume 100 percent of all the repairs to get the building habitable,” he said.

“Meaning the roof was leaking, there was no water, there was no power and the air conditioning was not working. And we only have a portion of the building — they continue to search for a subtenant for the other parts of the building, and the building remains for sale, which means that at any given time we have to be out in 30 days.”

McLeod said he pays $1,000 rent for roughly 1,000 square feet, which is divided by the four owners, and they report an in-kind contribution of $250 a month. The complaint states he should be paying $6,000 a month due to the surrounding properties which, if divided by the four owners, would total more than the $2,500 maximum allowed contribution.

McLeod also refuted the charge that the campaign stole donor information from the Allen campaign — charges that were leveled when Allen’s daughter

he said, especially when his daughter becomes involved.

“I don’t want this to be a Wright McLeod/Rick Allen grudge match, but they’re very aggressive and they’ve made some very inappropriate remarks to my oldest daughter (a rising senior at Washington and Lee in Virginia),” he said. “Bar smack at the P.I. At least we used to call it bar smack. I don’t know what they call it now.”

Whatever it’s called, McLeod said his daughter and some of the campaign’s interns were at the Partridge Inn when Allen’s campaign manager started making inappropriate comments about McLeod, not knowing that she was his daughter.

Once informed, they allege he continued.

“The hard part is not reacting in a way that you know is inappropriate,” he said. “Your first tendency is to grab and ax and bludgeon back, but that doesn’t serve any purpose.”

nomination for attorney general — was a donation to help a law school buddy, McLeod said.

“The guy’s a good friend,” he said. “If I had known I would run for political office, I might have thought twice, but I don’t think so. He’s my friend, and I believed in him.”

As for the FEC complaint, he alleged it so much chaff.

“They accused me basically of lying, cheating and stealing, but at that point I didn’t realize what we were dealing with as far as the accuser,” McLeod said. “I think if I had known that a little more, I would have been more aggressive, but he’s done this before. This is how he runs campaigns.”

Still, just because he’s aggressive doesn’t mean he’s wrong, so McLeod has found himself on the defensive.

Accused of underreporting the rent donations associated with his campaign headquarters on

and son-in-law claimed they received McLeod campaign material. He maintained that all his campaign mail goes out of the Evans Post Office, while the offending letters had an Atlanta postmark.

As for the third FEC allegation, that the campaign did not itemize $51,000 worth of personnel expenses, listing them simply as payroll, McLeod said he has since given them the list of names and that the numbers add up.

“The only people that said we’ve done anything wrong are Scott Paradise and Rick Allen,” he said.

That, and maybe Savannah Morning News writer Larry Petersen, who has been particularly harsh on McLeod.

“All I can think back is, did I date his daughter in high school?” McLeod said, chuckling.

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14JUNE2012

ERICJOHNSON

Let’s Win This Thing Roundtree gets good news at hearing

Fifteen minutes before the Board of Elections hearing that would determine whether or not he would be allowed to continue his campaign for Richmond County sheriff, Richard Roundtree pulled his dark gray Kia Optima into the first row of the mostly empty Municipal Building parking lot.

He got out of the car, deliberately slipped on his black sport coat and retrieved a folder from inside the car. A big man with a quick smile, he seemed unhurried and lost in thought as he made his way to the front entrance of the Marble Palace.

Because it was so late in the day, getting through security was a snap, but it still took him a little while to finally enter the commission chambers, which is where the hearing was taking place. Inside, several supporters were scattered throughout the room waiting for his arrival.

Most of the city’s television news crews were there, too. They positioned their cameras along the perimeter, got some shots of Roundtree entering the chambers and then quietly chatted with each other while everyone waited for the Board of Elections members to file in.

Once inside, Roundtree shook a few hands and chatted quietly with whoever came up to meet him. Most offered words of encouragement as he worked his way over to his lawyers, who sat in the first row on the Jerry Brigham side of the chambers.

By 6 p.m., three of the four members of the Board of Elections, Director Lynn Bailey and

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attorney Andrew MacKenzie took their places and the meeting was called to order.

Willie Cooper, the Hephzibah man responsible for the challenge against Roundtree’s qualifications to run for sheriff, did not attend the hearing, but was instead represented by attorney Rodney Quesenberry, who began by stating his case — that Roundtree owed back taxes and was therefore ineligible to run for office.

Roundtree’s attorneys countered by providing documents showing he was on a payment plan for the unpaid federal taxes. They also claimed that Cooper’s letter was obviously written by an attorney, alleging that the suspiciously absent Cooper was simply a pawn for someone in opposition to Roundtree’s candidacy.

Quesenberry, who admitted he was brought onboard late in the game, frequently had a deer in the headlights look, especially when he was reduced to making the claim that he really didn’t think his client harbored any ill will toward Roundtree.

The hearing itself was relatively short and to the point. When the board left the room to deliberate, Roundtree, who had been rhythmically chewing a stick of gum he unwrapped at the beginning of the hearing, stood up and worked the room like a man running for office.

At 7:27 the board returned, gave Roundtree back three of the four copies of his tax records, then unanimously denied Cooper’s challenge.

Roundtree sat still for several moments while his supporters stood up and cheered and the cameras all jockeyed for position.

“We’ll win this election, baby,” someone said as Roundtree finally stood up and smiled.

“Let’s go win this thing.”

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By Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz 82 Company whose ads have “Peanuts” characters 86 Not be entirely independent 87 Japanese kana character 88 Big name in suits 91 ___ Creed (statement of religious beliefs) 93 Gliding dance step 96 WARNING: Do not open 98 Nettle 100 Completely cover 102 “The Addams Family” actor John 103 WARNING: Effects on children unknown 106 Ending with farm or home 107 Nothing but 108 Olympic group?

109 “Rubber Duckie” singer 110 Thomas of stage and screen 111 Mens ___ 112 Biofuel source 113 Supplement

42 Oscar winner for “Little Miss Sunshine” 43 Made a misleading move, in football 44 Required 46 Like Spam 47 Grotesque 48 Blog entry 50 Names 51 “It’s the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life!” speaker 52 Headed heavenward 53 Floorboard problem 54 WARNING: Improper use could lead to jealousy, treachery and/or war 58 They’re sometimes seen in banks 60 Compulsion 61 Fictional friend of Peter the goatherd 62 Smallest 64 Charitable creation 65 Notes 66 Certain missile 67 Officer’s title 68 “Bewitched” regular Paul Down 69 Home to many John Constable works, 1 Old naval punishment with “the” 2 Actor Cary 71 Complain loudly 3 Symbol used to mark England’s National 72 Really ridiculing Trails 75 Gainesville athlete 4 WARNING: May cause damnation if 76 Attention-getting sign swallowed 79 ___ Beach (California surfing mecca) 5 Unfortunate 81 “I suspected as much!”

6 Consult, with “to” 82 Near the center 7 Wraps up 83 Shoe part 8 1956 Ingrid Bergman/Yul Brynner film 84 Part of a calf 9 Wheel part 85 Future C.P.A.’s study 10 Like used fire irons 87 Special creator?

11 Earmarks 88 Muscle woe 12 Entertain a party, in a way 89 Food in many shapes 13 1998 home run race participant 90 Cross the doorsill 14 Approach clubs 92 Actor without lines 15 Antediluvian 93 About to happen 16 Strip of weapons 94 Reliable 17 Minister’s reading 95 Grammy-winning Weird Al Yankovic 18 City that hosts the world’s biggest song annual game fair 97 In the distance 24 Comply with 99 “Young Frankenstein” role 25 Seasonal yield 101 Kojak’s first name 30 At all, in dialect 104 Afflict 32 ___ de deux 105 Biblical “indeed” 34 “Ars Amatoria” writer 37 Canters leisurely 39 Sound heard at equestrian events 40 Critter with a lot of teeth 41 Cache for cash, say

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Across 1 Pages (through) 6 Moon shots?

11 Lead-ins to many YouTube videos 14 Sunset color 19 Maker of Reynolds Wrap 20 Film composer Morricone 21 A fire sign 22 Saint Clare of Assisi’s sister 23 WARNING: Suspension system prone to failure 26 Company that owns Lands’ End 27 Tea flavoring 28 Gershwin title character 29 WARNING: May contain Greeks 31 High-precision rifle user 33 Its first car was the Model AA 35 Well-connected industrialists?

36 Generally preferred work shift 37 John 38 Raring to go 40 They get punched out 43 “The Ballad of ___,” 1967 comedy/ western 45 Part of L.A.P.D. 46 Litter member 49 Function 50 WARNING: Possible heart-related side effects 54 1966 Florentine flooder 55 Musandam Peninsula nation 56 Big-box store 57 Single-masted boat 58 Uncorks 59 Proves false 61 Crime film centerpiece 62 Very tame tom 63 Avoided bogey 64 Picket line?

65 Bordeaux grape 66 Silently says “So what?”

67 Furniture purchase 68 Rent 70 Newswoman Roberts 71 Source of the word “bandanna” 72 Saloon singer Sylvia 73 Pods often pickled 74 Foot, e.g.

75 WARNING: Cutting tool required 77 Tour de force 78 Entertainment center location 79 Unrefined 80 ___ United (English football club) 81 Perplex

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N E M U S A R S E S E C U MA RY LA ND H Y M I E O P E R A T O N E D

REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES. Elliott Sons Funeral Homes ELLIOTTFUNERALHOME.COM

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Ruffin’ It

Back-Pew Hero Worship, Part II: The Ritual of Submission Last night, Timothy Bradley defeated Manny Paquiao by split decision (115-113, 115113 and 113-115) to win the WBO Welterweight title. On paper, it was probably the most monumental upset in boxing since Antonio Tarver turned pound-for-pound great Roy Jones, Jr. into a punch-drunk PSA. There’s a reason that people have been clamoring for a mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao for a couple of years now: Every fighter that Mayweather defeated, Pacquiao destroyed. Floyd decisioned Oscar de la Hoya; Pacquiao made “Golden Boy” quit not just the fight, but boxing altogether, on his stool in the sixth round. Floyd TKOd Ricky Hatton in eight; Manny made Hatton see Jesus in the second round with a Tekken-level left hook. Hatton retired immediately afterward.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Floyd’s thrilling decision win over Miguel Cotto. Last year, Pacquiao turned Cotto into hamburger en route to a 10th-round TKO. And he did it all while being naturally about 15 pounds lighter than his last four opponents.

If Floyd Mayweather is a mongoose — and I think he is — then Manny Pacquiao is whatever honey badgers have feverish, piss-heavy nightmares about.

Timothy Bradley was an odd choice from the get-go. While undefeated at 28-0, he wasn’t really a household name, and with only a dozen knockouts to his credit, was more known for his bottomless gas tank and propensity for in-ring head butting than for putting on thrilling fights. The Pacquiao camp had been angling for a rematch with Cotto — who had actually given Pacquiao some minor difficulty in the first four rounds of their fight — but after Mayweather snatched him up, Top Rank Promotions had to scramble.

Amir Khan was booked, Sergio Martinez is too big and Barney Ross has been dead for 45 years, so Bradley was the best option. With youth on his side and a knack for making fights ugly and draining, Bradley was widely considered to be a huge-risk, littlereward affair.

The fight itself exceeded expectations. Bradley frustrated Pacquiao, tying him up and landing short hooks and uppercuts on the inside. Pacquiao, after finding his range, peppered Bradley with straight left hands and crisp counter punches, consistently backing him up in the second half of the bout. After the seventh round, Manny settled into cruise mode, in full control of the fight and dictating the pace. After 12 rounds, everyone watching expected a possibly close, but unanimous decision win for Manny.

When the scores and results were read, pandemonium rightfully ensued. The Twitterverse exploded into an orgy of exclamation points, ampersands and OMGs usually reserved for videos of a kitten sneezing. Nearly every media outlet — except the New York Times, bizarrely — called BS. I watched the fight myself; Bradley acquitted himself well, but was simply outclassed.

There was no way he won the fight. It would be like if “Dewey Defeats Truman!” had actually held up in court.

Then the conspiracy theories began to surface. Pacquiao was evidently due to leave Top Rank early in 2013, which would be a considerable financial blow to promotion boss and Zombie-Tony Bennett impersonator Bob Arum. See, the Pacquiao-Bradley contract had a mandatory rematch clause written into it in case Bradley won. The fight would be promoted by Top Rank, effectively keeping Manny under contract for an extended period of time. And if Manny wins that fight, guess what: rubber match.

Now, I’m not here to accuse anyone of bribery, or to defend any of those same individuals from an unfavorable performance review by the boxing punditry. Okay,

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I’m kind of here to do that first thing. The most glaring aspect of the whole situation, though, will have begun to show itself by the time this column goes to print.

I’m talking about apathy.

It will be preceded, keep in mind, by a couple more days of — again, very justifiable — outrage over both the decision and the seeming lack of interest the Nevada State Athletic Commission has in addressing the matter. When asked if there would be any sort of investigation, Keith Kizer, the commission’s director, essentially responded with the press conference equivalent of (cue Officer Barbrady voice) “Move along, people, nothing to see here.” Specifically, he said something about working proactively to improve the quality of judging in combat sports, but that’s not the issue here.

There have been controversial judges decisions before: Brandon Rios was given a gift against Richard Abril earlier this year, and MMA fans nearly immolated the internet when Lyoto Machida got the decision over Shogun Rua in a title fight he clearly lost at UFC 104. The difference here, though, the X-factor, is money.

Rios and Abril, while solid fighters, are not the cash cows that fighters like Mayweather and Pacquiao are. In the case of the UFC, the organization acts as its own promoter and, with a subtle few exceptions, stands to make a profit on their brand name, not who has a title and who doesn’t. If they did, they’d have hired snipers to take out Rampage Jackson, Shogun Rua, and Rich Franklin, the men responsible for collectively beating Chuck Liddell into retirement.

Boxing fans have an innate awareness of the sport’s history of corruption woven into their DNA. Analysts and writers openly discuss the shady dealings, the quasi-master/ slave situations that sometimes characterize managers and fighters, the vicious cycle whereby aging ex-champs and “names” get fed to young up-and-comers. Yet by their very existence and occupation, they continue validating the sport and, by association, the corruption inherent in it.

We just got done reinstating Scott Walker as governor here in Wisconsin, with the help of some generous voter disenfranchisement. Prime example: robo-calls from the Wisconsin Republican Headquarters (they were traced) telling voters that if they had signed the petition to recall Walker, their vote had already been counted. Efforts to purge minority voters in Florida were recently outed, and over 1,000 signatures on the petition to bring up the anti-gay marriage referendum in Washington state were recently found to be fraudulent.

Visit any major news sites, however — even the actual non-partisan ones like Politico — and the narrative is not focused on whether or not this clearly wrong act is wrong or not. You’ll find instead an exhaustive breakdown of each side’s gameplan, as well as the fallout from the development. It’s non-partisan to a sickening extent.

We are, for better or for worse, an entertainment culture. So much of our lives are governed by trusting some outside body, some system, to occupy our attention. And we are so desperate to be distracted from the minutiae of our everyday lives, that we gladly give ourselves over, simultaneously glossing over the grislier aspects of our chosen all-fathers.

Did we stop caring? Did we ever? I’m not saying we’re any less human for wanting this. I’m saying we are sadly, inevitably human.

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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What a Hoot

ERICJOHNSON LAURAPERRY

Columbia County prepares for Carl Hiaasen and an updated Books Alive festival

Book lovers who have come to look forward to Columbia County’s Books Alive festival will notice a few changes this year. Not only is the date different, but the festival, which is now in its fourth year, is moving across Ronald Regan Drive to the Evans Towne Center Park.

Both moves were necessary to secure this year’s featured writer, international bestselling author Carl Hiaasen.

“Usually, we have the event in March, but we changed it to June this year, mainly because that’s when Carl could come,” says County Librarian Mary Lin Maner. “He was only available on the 16th.”

While that limited availability certainly speaks to his popularity as a writer and a speaker, it’s still unusual to think about an author drawing between 4,000 and 5,000 adults.

“The first year I was here we tried to get him and we showed him the amphitheater behind the library, but they said that wasn’t big enough,” Maner says. “So we kind of put it on the back burner. Then, when they build Evans Towne Center Park, I saw it and said we need to revisit this.”

Because of all the extra space, the rest of the event had to grow, and Maner says she hopes to move forward on an equally large scale in the future.

Aside from having three fire engines, water slides and healthy snack demonstrations from Williams Sonoma, several other family activities will take place, including a teen scavenger hunt, a raffle and silent auction, sidewalk chalk drawing and children’s naturalist Okefenokee Joe. Nature and conservation play a significant role in most of Hiaasen’s work, both

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fiction and nonfiction.

“He has a wide variety of books,” Maner says. “He’s written fiction, nonfiction and young adult. He’s appealing to men, women — a wide variety of people.”

Well known for his opinion column in the Miami Herald, Hiaasen has written many novels including “Basket Case,” “Sick Puppy,” “Tourist Season” and “Strip Tease,” which was made into a 1996 feature film starring Demi Moore and Burt Reynolds. More recently, Hiaasen’s book “Hoot” made a shift to target a younger audience and highlight his passion for environmentalism. The 2006 movie “Hoot” was nominated for an Environmental Media Award for Feature Film.

His most recent book, “Scat,” is a mystery about a biology teacher who never came back home after a swamp field trip.

To go along with his conservation themes, many additional events focus on nature, including a butterfly release, presentations from Reed Creek Nature Park and a live owl presentation from the Ruth Patrick Science Center that dovetails with Hiaasen’s popular young adult book, “Hoot.”

At 4 p.m., Hiaasen will give a young adult talk at the Main Stage leading into a young adult book signing. At 7:30, he will deliver the adultoriented (remember, he wrote “Strip Tease”) keynote address, followed by another book signing and then a laser light show at 9:15… all free to the public.

In between the two talks and signings, truly devoted fans can rub elbows with the celebrated author at a $50 VIP reception catered by French Market Grille West.

“It’s something new that we wanted to try, because we hope to evolve this into having a fundraiser as well as the event itself,” Maner says. “The VIP event this year is a way for us to see what happens.”

Those who don’t go to the event can listen to a concert by the Unmentionables while they wait for the main talk.

Having advertised throughout Georgia and also in Charleston, Greenville and some of the coastal towns, Maner hopes to draw a big crowd that will make the event a yearly destination.

“Carl has never been in the Georgia/Carolina area before, so we figured we’d try to get him here and put our name on the map so we can get other big authors,” she says.

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Your Weird Week in Crime Is Augusta-Richmond County really as crime ridden as you think it is?

As the crimes and the times change, so will the report.

Maybe we should just be vegetarians On Monday, June 4, two heavyset women entered a Family Dollar around 2 p.m.

They went directly to the meat section and put approximately $100 worth of various meats in their purses and fled past the registers into their vehicle. The complainant/ victim attempted to stop the women to no avail. As the victim attempted to copy down the license plate number, the driver tried to hit the victim with the car as they were backing up. When RCSD ran the tag number, the license plate came up registered to a different vehicle.

Cocaine’s a hell of a drug On Tuesday, June 5, RCSD deputies were dispatched to a residence in reference to a suspicious situation. On the way to the residence, deputies observed a broken front window and a trail of blood leading to the front door. The female/complainant stated that a female/suspect, who she only knew by first name, came to the residence looking to see if a man was there. The woman made her way inside to look for the man, but later apologized and left, according to the complainant. The deputies separated, one going to look for female/suspect, and the other to further talk with female/complainant.

As the deputy returned from the patrol car, he observed the female/complainant mopping up a significant amount of blood in the living room and the kitchen. When asked whose blood it was, she said it was the suspect’s. When asked why the female/ complainant allowed the suspect in the house, she had no answer. The deputy followed a trail of blood into the bedroom, where he observed a man with scratch marks on his shoulder and neck holding a baby. The man cursed at the officer when

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he was asked his name. When told to give the child to the mother, the complainant, he response was that it is his “f***ing baby.” The mother was able to retrieve the child and the man assaulted the deputy.

Additional units were called, and it eventually took pepper spray to subdue the man. After later processing, it was discovered that the man had two warrants, one for Richmond County and one for Edgefield County for failure to appear. An unknown substance, later identified as cocaine, was on the man’s possession.

Crime totals for the week 96 counts of larceny (both felony and misdemeanor) 34 counts of invasion of privacy 11 counts of assault Nine counts of financial fraud Eight counts of burglary with forced entry (time unknown) Seven counts of recovered property Six counts of burglary with forced entry (daytime) Five counts of property damage Five counts of burglary with forced entry (night time) Four counts of robbery Three counts of burglary with no forced entry (daytime) Two counts of terroristic threats and acts Two counts of identity fraud Two counts of obstruction of a law enforcement officer One count of weapon offenses One count of burglary with no forced entry (time unknown) One count of theft/mislaid property One count of domestic dispute (no violence) One count of possession of cocaine

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ERICJOHNSON RASHADO’CONNOR

Six days after accepting a plea deal that reduced a felony rape charge to two misdemeanors, a defiant and unapologetic Joe Neal Jr. lashed out at his accuser.

THE

“That girl was just a liar,” he told the Metro Spirit. “If you were in court you would have seen what happened, but we never got a chance to cross examine because she was a liar and she didn’t want to go through with it.”

While it’s true that his accuser backed out of the case before allowing herself to be cross examined, her testimony, combined with the details of text messages sent between Neal and the victim the day after the incident, paint a distinctly unflattering picture of Joe Neal Jr. that has resonated throughout the community.

The Metro Spirit has obtained a copy of the transcripts. An unabridged copy appears on our website, metrospirit.com.

Neal was, of course, the self-proclaimed Warrior for Justice, a lawyer with a big house on the Hill who also fancied himself a poet, an artist and a yoga practitioner.

He burst on the scene in the late 1990s after a stint with the District Attorney’s office by taking high-profile cases that brought in a lot of money and raised lots of eyebrows.

In one of the most well-known cases, Neal brought a wrongful death case against a city of Augusta electrical inspector over a trailer fire that killed two people.

Neal said it was that case he was referring to when a TV crew quoted him after the trial saying he was suing the city, a quote that got a lot of people around town talking.

“They’ve claimed sovereign immunity for five years, so it is the city [he is suing]

WARRIOR’S

WAY Joe Neal Jr. avoids rape conviction, but more than his reputation is soiled

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even though we’re suing a person,” he explained.

The case against Neal has fascinated Augusta ever since world first broke late last year that Neal along with his then-wife Caroline Caldwell Neal were accused of raping his 18-year-old babysitter.

Neal, the former president of the Summerville Neighborhood Association, has been a popular target for gossip as much for his personal life as for his headline grabbing.

Married four times to three different women, the 43-year-old had been divorced for less than a year when he married 23-year-old Caroline Caldwell, and by the time the incident with the babysitter happened, he’d already tried to divorce her once. He first filed for divorce only a few months after their marriage, dismissed the charges 10 days later, then filed again a month after that.

The day after the victim reported the incident, Caroline Neal was charged with simple battery for allegedly hitting and scratching Joe Neal Jr. in front of his 13-yearold son.

The two have since finalized their divorce.

Some would make the argument that this kind of stuff is private, but when you’re a prominent member of the close knit and highly visible Hill community, it’s very, very public. Scandal is the currency with which their economy thrives, and the scope of this one funded a circus atmosphere that spread across the entire city.

And the circus was not confined to those directly involved in the case. There was Joe Neal’s brother-in-law Christian Steinmetz with his pinstripe suit, his bowtie and his assertion to the news camera that it was a “bull****” case and then there was Joe Neal Sr. calling Chris Thomas “son.”

The real drama, however, was reserved for the courtroom, where the victim testified that she had known Joe Neal since she was 13 and that her family and the Neals would have dinner. That relationship, she testified, eventually led to

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babysitting and, on the night in question, five glasses of wine before Neal brought out marijuana and the three — the victim, Caroline Neal and Joe Neal — were on the bedroom deck smoking. She also said the marijuana seemed stronger than what she was used to and that after about 45 minutes she went to the bathroom because she thought she was going to be sick.

When she returned, she said, the Neals were both naked and Caroline Neal kissed her before they all headed to the bedroom.

She also testified that she sent a text message to her boyfriend saying that the Neals were trying to get her to have a threesome.

Richmond County Deputy Joseph Scarlett testified that the victim told him that she passed out and when she woke up in bed with the Neals, her top was off and her pants were pulled down.

Not long after, the victim’s boyfriend picked her up from the Neal’s Kings Way home.

After giving this testimony in court, the victim decided not to go on, which led to Neal pleading guilty to disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana and furnishing alcohol to a person under the age of 21.

One of the most fascinating things about the case, however, are the text messages sent the next day between the victim, Joe Neal and Caroline Neal. Because of space considerations and the explicit nature of some of the texts, we’re unable to print the entire transcript here, though we are making them available online.

The text messages are important because it is here that the victim is first told that Joe Neal had sex with her. Before Neal’s text admitting it, she said she didn’t know.

The conversation begins at 10:42 the next morning

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Victim 10:42:42: Hey we’re good right:) sorry I wasn’t so into it…

Neal 10:44:26: Hey! Of course we are! I loved it. I thought u were just nervous. Ur awesome. See ya tonight.

Neal 10:44:56: Y’all were smoking hot Victim 10:46:50: I didn’t want to do anything to make [boyfriend] mad with me. I love you and Caroline though and I didn’t want you to think ajything was wrong.

Neal 10:48:49: I love you too sweety. Last night was awesome. U r so beautiful Victim 10:53:22: Your sweet, but I’m crazy about my boyfriend and I know he would be furious if that situation progressed. You are kind of a sexy daddy though ;) Neal 10:55:38: Ok. If y’all break up lets finish next time :) After more than an hour of texting, the conversation turns more overtly sexual.

Victim 12:07:30: You didnt even do it with me haha… and dont be so sure of yourseld who says thatll even happen again?

Victim 12:09:35: Your girl is a good kissed though :) Neal 12:10:13: I did from behind for about a minute, til u got scared !

Victim 12:11:52: …I can’t believe that damn now I feel a little bad Another thing to note — while the messages reveal both the continued flirtation and the discovery, Joe Neal Jr. was hosting a Christmas party later that evening. Among the invited were the victim, the victim’s boyfriend, the victim’s mother and Joe Neal Sr. The prospect of seeing her again seems to encourage Neal, though not the victim, who seemed pretty clear by 1:40 that afternoon she was no longer willing to participate.

Victim 13:40:52: Last night was an isolated event that we should avoid for reoccurring in the future. I’m not tempting or teasing you with any ideas.

Neal 13:41:36: Ok then Victim 13:46:55: Well I don’t want to be a tease so I’ll try not to. It’s fair right?

Neal 13:47:48: Yes baby I’m still gonna want Ur ass Victim 13:53:26: Well your going to have to contain yourself

The victim’s last text to Neal is at 4:27 that afternoon. There were hours of negotiations concerning the party over the course of the afternoon, but ultimately she does not attend. Two days later, at 11:30 a.m. Neal texts: U doin ok? At 12:12 he sends his final text: U don’t like me anymore?

Given the fact the victim was unwilling to undergo further questioning and the lack of other evidence confirming rape, a conviction was not a possibility, but that didn’t mean Superior Court Judge James Blanchard was going to let Neal go without a dressing down. Some close to the events say Blanchard was clearly upset by the case, which is evidenced by his sentencing. Saying he first intended to sentence Neal to spend his 100 hours of community service at a rape crisis center, Blanchard decided that Neal “probably wouldn’t be welcome there,” so instead he sentenced him to spend his hours at a sewage treatment plant, which he said was in keeping with the conduct of the case.

Whether or not that will come to pass — the Richmond County wastewater treatment plant is privately run and officials there were unaware of any planned supervision of probationers — there was no mistaking Blanchard’s intent.

As for repercussions beyond the stink and humiliation of putting in time at the wastewater treatment plant, it remains to be seen what impact the case will have on Neal’s ability to practice law.

Some say the text messages alone are actionable enough to cause him trouble, while others in the legal community are suggesting that he will be required to undergo psychological testing because of the case.

Either way, the odds are likely that he’ll be putting some distance between himself and Augusta, most likely settling at least temporarily in Charleston.

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Arts

Art at Lunch at the Morris Museum of Art, featuring Bob Trotman discussing his current installation “Office,” is Friday, June 15, at noon. Members, $10; non-members, $14. Lunch by A Catered Affair included. Pre-paid reservations required. Call 706724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

Call for Entries for the Augusta Photo Festival, which is October 27-November 4, is going on now through August 1. For contest rules and more information, visit augustaphotofestival.org/competition.html. Call 706834-9742 or email info@augustaphotofestival.org.

ENTERTAIN

ME

Active-duty military personnel and their families will receive free admission to the Morris Museum of Art through Sunday, September 2, as part of the museum’s participation in the Blue Star Museum program. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

Exhibitions

Adult Student Art Exhibition, open to any adult or teen who has taken a class at the Aiken Center for the Arts since July of 2011, shows June 20-July 28. Each student may show up to three pieces, which must be at the center before June 16. An exhibition opening is Thursday, June 21, from 6-8 p.m. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.

Plein Air Painters Exhibition, including the works of Sally Donovan, Marilyn Hartley, Ann LeMay, Sharon Taylor Padgett, Jane Popiel and Carol Sue Roberts, shows in June at the Aiken Center for the Arts’ AAG Gallery. An opening reception is Thursday, June 21, from 6-8 p.m. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.

ASU/NYC Art Exhibition, featuring manipulated photography and wall-sized painting created by ASU students, shows in the Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art until July 23 and at the Morris Museum of Art until July 1.

Visit aug.edu.

The Work of Ceramic Artist Kyungmin Park is on view June 9-July 27 at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. Call 706-722-5495 or visit ghia.org.

Sally’s Art Exhibition shows through the end of the month at Gaartdensity downtown and features handembroidered, cross-stitched and sewn works made with recycled materials. Call 706-466-5166 or email gaartdensitygallery@rocketmail.com.

Spaces Between, paintings by Staci Swider, is an exhibition that shows in June at Gaartdensity downtown.

Call 706-466-5166 or email gaartdensitygallery@ rocketmail.com.

Harriet Speer Art Exhibition shows through the end of the month at Casa Blanca Cafe. Call 706-504-3431 or visit casablancatime.com.

Music

Music in the Park, featuring Sibling String, is Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m. at the Maude Edenfield Park in North Augusta. Free. Call 803-442-7588 or visit naartscouncil.org.

Choir Camp Performance, presented by the ASU Conservatory Program, is Friday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Maxwell Theater. Call 706-731-7971 or visit aug.edu.

Moonlight Music Cruise featuring Jeff Johnson is Friday, June 15, at 7 p.m. at the Augusta Canal. Participants are invited to bring snacks and drinks to the one and a half hour Petersburg Boat cruise. $25. Call 706-8230440 or visit augustacanal.com.

The Columbia County Amateur Series, featuring Dallas Duff, Nikki B. and 4 B.Y.M., is Friday, June 15, at 7 p.m. at the Columbia County Amphitheater. Call 706-8683349 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.

A Celebration of American Music, presented by the 22 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

The Merchants Association of Columbia County recognized local high school students who received scholarships at a recent meeting. Shown, left to right, are Norman Herrington, Logan Barnes, Falynn Cheek, Merchants Association President Dennis Hobbs, Kendyl Pennington, Zachary Pace and Daniel Banks. Not pictured are scholarship recipients Lauren Lanier, Morgan Ivey, Stephen Turner and Thomas Knight.

Columbia County Choral Society, is Friday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Evans. $15, adults; $10, seniors, students, active-duty military and groups of 10 or more. Call 762-233-7793 or visit ccchroalsociety.org.

CSRA Writers meet Monday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m. at Georgia Military College on Davis Road. Writers needing a support group are invited to attend and bring 10 copies of a manuscript to be critiqued. Call 706-836-7315.

“I’ll Be My Brother’s Keeper,” a Raisin AJ production focusing on teen violence and drug awareness, shows Saturday, June 16, at 3 and 8 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre. $22.50-$26. Call 706-722-8341 or visit imperialtheatre.com.

Music at the Morris, featuring Karen Gordon and Garden City Jazz, is Sunday, June 17, at 2 p.m. Free.

Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

Talk the Talk Ladies Book Club, featuring “The Possibility of You” by Pamela Redmond Satran, meets Tuesday, June 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Flix

Brown Bag Book Discussion, featuring “Half Broke Horses” by Jeanette Walls, is Thursday, June 21, at 11:30 a.m. at the Columbia County Library. Call 706863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org.

“Charlotte’s Web” shows Saturday, June 16, at 2 p.m. at the Wallace Branch Library. Every child attending will receive a copy of the book. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org.

Book Discussion, featuring Dean Koontz’s “Life Expectancy,” is Thursday, June 21, at 4 p.m. at the Harlem Branch Library. Call 706-556-9795 or visit ecgrl.org.

“John Carter” shows Saturday, June 16, at 3 p.m. at the Aiken Public Library. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Glenn Hills High School and The Decibels perform as part of Garden City Jazz’s Candlelight Jazz Series on Sunday, June 17, at the 8th Street River Stage downtown at 8 p.m. Free. Visit gardencityjazz.com.

2012 Hopelands Summer Concert Series, featuring Mike Frost Jazz, is Monday, June 18, at 7 p.m. at Hopelands Gardens in Aiken. Participants should bring lawn chairs and blankets. Free. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.

Evenings in the Appleby Garden, featuring Savannah River Brass Works, is Tuesday, June 19, at 8 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets. Free. Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org.

It’s Your Book Club, featuring “Infidel” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, meets Thursday, June 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Music in the Park, featuring Savannah River Brass Works, is Thursday, June 21, at 7 p.m. at the Maude Edenfield Park in North Augusta. Free. Call 803-4427588 or visit naartscouncil.org.

East Central Georgia’s Summer Reading Program continues through July 20. Categories include Dream Big: Read! for children up to 12 years old, Own the Night for those ages 13-19 and Cover 2 Cover for adults. Visit any branch or ecgrl.org.

Eryn Eubanks and the Family Fold perform Thursday, June 21, at 7 p.m. at North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Literary

Books Alive Festival is Saturday, June 16, from 10 a.m.8:30 p.m. at Evans Towne Center Park. Featuring bestselling author Carl Hiaasen, who will speak to teens at 4 p.m. and deliver an adult-oriented keynote at 7:30 p.m., the event also features an author reception at 5:30 pm. (tickets required) and an appearance by Okefenokee Joe at 11 a.m. Call 706-863-1946 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.

Monday Night Book Discussion, featuring “A Vintage Caper” by Peter Mayle, is Monday, June 18, at 6 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org.

Porter Fleming Literary Competition submissions are being accepted now through July 13. The competition is open to authors ages 18 and older from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina, and categories include fiction, nonfiction, poetry and plays. Prizes totaling $7,000 will be awarded. Entry forms and guidelines can be found at themorris.org/ porterfleming.html.

Theater

“Proof,” a production of Aiken Community Playhouse’s Black Box Theatre, shows Friday-Saturday, June 15-16, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 17, at 3 p.m. at the URS Center for the Performing Arts. Saturday’s showing will be interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing. $7$20. Call 803-648-1438 or visit acp1011.com.

“Bridge to Terabithia” shows Thursday, June 14, at 3 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Call 706-8631946 or visit ecgrl.org.

“Dolphin Tale” shows Tuesday, June 19, at 2:30 p.m. at the Harlem Branch Library. Call 706-556-9795 or visit ecgrl.org.

“We Need to Talk About Kevin” shows Tuesday, June 19, at 6 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library.

Free. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

“Dolphin Tale” shows Wednesday, June 20, at 1 p.m. at the Jabez S. Hardin Theatre inside the Columbia County Library as part of the Family Movie Matinee series. Call 706-312-7194 or visit columbiacountyga.gov.

Monday Movie Matinees show at 2 p.m. at the Diamond Lakes Branch Library. Participants are invited to bring their own snacks. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.

Special Events

Third Annual Miss Augusta Rugby Bikini Contest is Thursday, June 14, at 9:30 p.m. at the Country Club Dance Hall and Saloon. The event also includes music from False Flag. Visit augustarugby.org.

Juneteenth: Celebrating the Good News, an AfricanAmerican celebration commemorating the end of slavery, is Saturday, June 16, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Perry Park in Aiken. Sponsored by the Center for African American History, Art and Culture, the event will include food, festivities, a barbecue cookoff, face painting, 14JUNE2012

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inflatables and more. Free and open to the public. Call 803-649-2221 or visit aikenculturalcenter.org.

10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Wine Tasting Dinner, featuring recipes and wines from Argentina, is Saturday, June 16, at 6 p.m. and includes entertainment from tango dancers. $50; pre-paid reservations required. Call 706-504-3431 or visit casablancatime.com.

Free Water Safety Class is Saturday, June 16, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Fifth Annual Father-Daughter Dinner and Dance Gala is Sunday, June 17, at 5 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel.

Seating begins at 4 p.m. $65, adults; $35, children.

Call 706-790-4600 or visit fdgala.com.

Downtown Beach Blast on Newberry Street in Aiken is Thursday, June 21, from 5:30-11 p.m. and includes shag dancing, beach music, a kids craft from 6-7:30 p.m. and more. Call 803-649-2221 or visit downtownaiken.com.

Weekly Wine Tastings at Vineyard Wine Market in Evans are each Friday from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and each Saturday from 1-6 p.m. Call 706-922-9463 or visit vine11.com.

The Augusta Market at the River is every Saturday through October 27 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the 8th Street Bulkhead and features produce, arts and crafts and more for sale, as well as live music and entertainment. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.

Health

Mobile Mammography Screenings, offered by appointment, are available Thursday, June 14, at Internal Medicine Partners; June 15 at University Hospital; June 19 at Parsons in Aiken; and June 21 at Christ Community Clinic. Appointments can be made from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. each day. Call 706-774-4145 or visit universityhealth.org.

National Blood Donor Day with Shepeard Blood Center is Thursday, June 14, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Free Nutritional Education Class is Thursday, June 14, at 11:30 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Car Seat Class is Thursday, June 14, at 5:45 p.m. at MCGHealth Building 1010C. $10. Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-7606 or visit georgiahealth. org/kids.

Bariatric Seminar is Thursday, June 14, at 6 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Free, but pre-registration required.

Call 706-651-4343 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Surgical Weight Loss Information Seminar is Thursday, June 14, at 6 p.m. at Aiken Regional Medical Centers.

Pre-registration required. Call 803-641-5751 or visit aikenregional.com.

Breastfeeding Class is Thursday, June 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Doctors Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Weight Loss Surgery Seminar is Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-721-2609 or visit georgiahealth.org/weightloss.

Women’s Center Tour is Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m. at University Hospital. Free, but pre-registration required.

Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a free event featuring gastroenterologist Dr. Sunil Lal, is Friday, June 15, at noon at Doctors Hospital. Lunch will be served.

Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-4343 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Free Kidney Health Screening, presented by the National Kidney Foundation, is Saturday, June 16, from 14JUNE2012

Childbirth Preparation Class meets Mondays, June 18-July 9, at 7 p.m. at University Hospital. Free but pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.

Showing and Glowing, a two-session class for those in their second trimesters of pregnancy, meets Tuesdays, June 19 and 26, from 7-9:30 p.m. at Doctors Hospital.

Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Community Health Screenings, featuring cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, blood count, metabolic panel and other tests, is Wednesday, June 20, from 7:30-11:30 a.m. at Doctors Hospital. No preregistration required. Visit doctors-hospital.net.

Infant CPR Class is Wednesday, June 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the GHSU Medical Center. Pre-registration required.

Call 706-721-9351 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Breastfeeding Class is Thursday, June 21, at 7 p.m. at Babies R Us. Pre-registration required. Call 706-7742825 or visit universityhealth.org.

3842 Washington Road, Augusta, GA 30907 | 706.868.8616

HOT POT.

Child Safety Seat Inspections and Car Seat Class, sponsored by Safe Kids East Central, are offered by appointment at either the Safe Kids Office or MartinezColumbia Fire Rescue. Call 706-721-7606 or visit georgiahealth.org/safekids.

Joint Efforts, presented by Trinity Hospital of Augusta, meets every Thursday from 11-11:45 a.m. 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.

Infant CPR Anytime Learning Program will be held Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the first floor information desk (west entrance) of Georgia Health Sciences University. Visit georgiahealth.edu.

Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson Disease Aquatics Class meets every Monday and Friday at noon at the Wilson Family Y. Free for members; $3 for nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Call Claudia Collins at 706-922-9664 or visit thefamilyy.org.

Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention Orientation is every Monday at 6 p.m. and Tuesday at 2 p.m. at University Hospital’s Heart & Vascular Institute (Classroom 3). Call 706-774-5548 or visit universityhealth.org.

Adapted Wii Special Populations available by appointment at the Wilson Family Y, and feature individual ½-hour classes for physically and developmentally challenged individuals of all ages. $10, members; $20, non-members. Call Claudia Collins at 706-922-9662 or visit thefamilyy.org.

Support

ALS Support Lunch and Learn is Thursday, June 14, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at GHSU’s Medical Office Building.

Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-2681 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Breast Cancer Support Group meets Thursday, June 14, at 5:30 p.m. at GHSU’s Cancer Center. Call 706721-4109 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Brain Injury Support Group meets Thursday, June 14, at 6 p.m. at NeuroRestorative Georgia. Open to survivors, caregivers and family members. Call 706829-0370 or visit wrh.org.

Monday -Thursday nights One pound of shrimp (fried, grilled or boiled) $9.99

Tuesday night

Crab Legs served with redskin potatoes and mixed green salad $7.99 a pound

Wednesday night

Bone in fried catfish over blue cheese grits and salad $6.99 *dine in only

LUNCH - DINNER

6 DAYS

French Market Grille West

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Face to Face IT™ means we talk to you, one-on-one, to solve your problems.

4020 Washington Rd, Augusta, GA

706.738.1651

Contact us for Cloud Computing, VOIP, Video Conferencing Equipment and other IT Services.

(706) 860-1997 | cmaaugusta.com

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24 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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The Augusta Warrior Project hosts a public meeting for unemployed veterans, ages 35-60, interested in training for a high demand job on Monday, June 18, at 3 p.m. at the Columbia County Library, and Thursday, June 21, at 3 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-691-5362 or visit augustawarriorproject.org.

Cancer Survivors Support Group meets Thursday, June 14, at 6 p.m. upstairs at Augusta Oncology Associates. Call 706-651-2283 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Mended Hearts Support Group meets Friday, June 15, at 10:30 a.m. at the USC-Aiken Business Conference Center. Call 803-648-2381 or visit aikenregional.com.

Sierra Club Meeting, featuring speaker Hazel Langrall from the CSRA Land Trust who will talk about partnering with private landowner and local governments to preserve the region’s natural landscape, is Tuesday, June 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the Unitarian Universalist Church.

Free and open to the public. Email aprillynnwilson@gmail.com.

Young Women with Breast Cancer Support Group meets Friday, June 15, at 12:30 p.m. at University Hospital’s Breast Health Center. Call 706-7744141 or visit universityhealth.org.

SRS Public Tour, including an overview presentation, safety briefing tour of the Savannah River Ecology Lab and a general driving tour of the site, is Wednesday, June 20, with check in beginning at 12:30 p.m. Call 803-9528994 or email laurie.posey@srs.gov.

Essential Tremors Support Group meets Monday, June 18, at 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Aiken. Call 803-226-0338 or visit aikenregional.com.

Look Good, Feel Better Cancer Support Group, for women who want to maintain their appearance and self-image during radiation and chemo, meets Monday, June 18, at 5 p.m. at the American Cancer Society office.

Pre-registration required. Call 706-731-9900 or visit universityhealth.org.

Beginner’s Digital Photography Class is Thursday, June 21, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2604 or visit ecgrl.org.

Work Networking Group is held each Monday from 8:30-10 a.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta. A networking and informational meeting for anyone looking for a job, the group meets in room 206 of the Asbury Building and is facilitated by career and business professionals. Call 803-279-7525 or email doctor@pritchardgroup.com.

Prostate Cancer Support Group meets Tuesday, June 19, at 6 p.m. at GHSU’s Cancer Center. Call 706-721-0550 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Prostate Cancer Support Group meets Tuesday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at Augusta Technical College. Pre-registration required. Call 706-868-8758 or visit universityhealth.org.

Blood Cancer and BMT Support Group meets Wednesday, June 20, at 11:30 a.m. at GHSU’s Cancer Center. Call 706-721-9134 OR 706-721-1634, or visit georgiahealth.org.

Trauma Support Group meets Wednesday, June 20, at noon at the GHSU Medical Center. Call 706-721-4633 or 706-721-3264, or visit georgiahealth.org.

Benefits The Fifth Annual Father-Daughter Dinner and Dance Gala is Sunday, June 17, at 5 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel. Seating begins at 4 p.m. $65, adults; $35, children. Call 706-7904600 or visit fdgala.com

Cancer Support Group meets Wednesday, June 20, at noon in the parlor of Aiken’s First Baptist Church. Call 803-641-5389 or visit aikenregional.com.

meets Fridays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Call 706-855-2419 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Spine Education and Support Group meets Wednesday, June 20, at 1 p.m. at University Hospital. Call 706-774-2760 or visit universityhealth.org.

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

Look Good, Feel Better Cancer Support Group, for women who want to maintain their appearance and self-image during radiation and chemo, meets Thursday, June 21, at 5:30 p.m. at GHSU’s Cancer Center. Preregistration required. Call 706-721-0466 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Skip to My Lupus Support Group meets Thursday, June 21, at 7 p.m. at Aiken Regional’s Dining Room A. Call 803-251-9413 or visit aikenregional.com.

Diabetes Youth Support Group meets quarterly. For more information, call 706-868-3241 or visit universityhealth.org.

Cardiac Support Group meets three times a year. For more information on meetings, as well as for pre-registration, call 706-774-5864 or visit universityhealth.org.

Adult Sexual Assault and Rape Support meets for group counseling. For more information, call 706-724-5200 or visit universityhealth.org.

Narcotics Anonymous, sponsored by Trinity Hospital of Augusta,

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Burn Support Group meets every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at Doctors Hospital (Lori Rogers Nursing Library, JMS Building). All burn survivors, and their families and friends are welcome. Call Tim Dorn at 706-651-6660 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Moms Connection, a free support group for new mothers and their babies, meets Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. at Georgia Health Sciences Building 1010C. Call 706-721-9351 or visit georgiahealth.org.

Karma Yoga is offered at Just Breathe Studio, downtown Aiken, each Friday at 10 a.m. and is free if participants bring a donation of a personal item, which will be given to the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons. Call 803-648-8048 or visit justbreathestudio.com.

Sports-Outdoors

The Augusta GreenJackets play the Greenville Drive on Thursday, June 14, at 5:05 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, June 15-16, at 7:05 p.m.; and Sunday, June 17, at 2:05 p.m. at Lake Olmstead Stadium. $7-$11. Call 706-736-7889 or visit greenjacketsbaseball.com.

Second Annual Wheelchair Tennis Championship is Saturday-Sunday, June 16-17 at Newman Tennis Center. Call 706-826-5809 or visit wrh.org.

Disc Golf Ironman, a tournament that includes three rounds in one day, is Saturday, June 16, at the International Disc Golf Center in Appling, with check-in and registration at 8:30 a.m. and tee off at 10 a.m. Call 706-2616342 or visit pdga.com/idgc.

Hilltop Riding Stables Family Fun Day is Saturday, June 16, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. For ages 7 and up, parents pay half price for 1:30 and 3 p.m. trail rides. Call 706-791-4864 or visit fortgordon.com.

Education

The USA Cycling National Championships begin Wednesday, June 20, with road races on Fort Gordon, and continue through June 24 at locations throughout the Augusta area. Visit augustasportscouncil.org or usacycling.org.

A Fresh Start Educational and Career Expo is Saturday, June 16, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Bernie Ward Community Center and will include on-site hiring opportunities, educational options and resources, credit counseling and information and more. Business attire is required. Free. Call 706-4951595 or email afreshstartexpo@gmail.com.

BlazeSports Swim Team, for all ages of physically challenged swimmers who want to train for competition, meets at the Wilson Family Y. $35 a month, members; $50 a month, non-members. Pre-registration required.

Visit thefamilyy.org.

eReader Workshop for Adults is Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m. at North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Wheelchair Tennis is each Monday at 6 p.m., weather permitting, at the Club

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at Rae’s Creek. Free and open to the public. Call 706826-5809 or visit alsalley@wrh.org.

June 14, at 10 a.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Augusta Canal Boat Tours lasting one hour are offered Monday-Saturday at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30, 3 and 4:30 p.m. All tours include admission to the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center. Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com.

Bear Stories with Bearemy, the Build-a-Bear Workshop mascot, is Thursday, June 14, at 10 a.m. at the Friedman Branch Library. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

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.

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. $5 entry fee and $1 ace pool. Call 803-215-8181 or visit augustadiscgolf.com.

Road Bike Ride meets each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Andy Jordan’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.

Guided Trail Rides at Hilltop Riding Stables at Fort Gordon are available Saturdays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Sundays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon; and Wednesday-Friday at 11 a.m. with reservations 24 hours in advance. All trail rides are on a first-come, first-served basis, and participants should arrive 30 minutes prior to the trail ride starting for sign in procedures. $23-$30. Call 706-791-4864 or visit fortgordon.com.

Call us today at 706.667.9009

Zumba with Sohailla is every Saturday from 10-11 a.m. at the Ballroom Dance Center in Evans. Call 706-4216168 or visit zumbawithsohailla.blogspot.com.

Saturday Historic Trolley Tours are Saturdays from 1:30-3:15 p.m. at the Augusta Museum of History.

Reservations required 24 hours in advance. $12. Call 706-724-4067 or visit augustamuseum.org.

THINK.

Lakeside Rideouts at Hilltop Riding Stables at Fort Gordon are each Sunday beginning at 1:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. The ride, which begins at 2 p.m., is a two-hour guided ride to Wilkerson Lake. $45-$50. Call 706-791-4864 or visit fortgordon.com.

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Yoga Class at Euchee Creek Branch Library meets every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Pre-registration required.

Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org.

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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.

Professional Virus & Spyware Removal Services $69.95 About Us | Services | Virus and Spyware Removal | Custom Built Computers | Point of Sale Systems | Driving Directions | Contact Us Copyright 2011 ComputerOne Technology, Inc., All Rights Reserved - Website developed, hosted and maintained by Southfire, Inc. 2825 Washington Rd., Fairway Square Shopping Center, Augusta, GA 30909 - 706.667.9009

26 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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. For more information, visit augustastriders.com.

Kroc Trotters Running Group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Free for members. Call 706364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Hott Shott Disc Golf is each Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Killer B Disc Golf, 863 Broad Street, and features games and prizes for all ages and skill levels. $2. Call 706-814-7514 or visit killerbdiscgolf.blogspot.com/p/ hott-shott.

Kids

Story Time with Nutritionist Mona Adams is Thursday,

Kangaroos, a young children’s story and craft time for those ages 2-8, is Thursday, June 14, at 10 a.m. at the Diamond Lakes Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.

Hooping with Fire, featuring Christina Berkshire of Pyroteque, is a children’s program at the Aiken Public Library on Thursday, June 14, at 4 p.m. Call 803-6422023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Jazz 4 Kids, featuring the book “The Jazz of Our Street, is Friday, June 15, at 10 a.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Party in Your PJs, a special kids event featuring a craft and information about nocturnal animals, is Friday, June 15, at 3 p.m. at North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Pond Exploration, an outdoor program for kids ages 5 and up, is Friday, June 15, at 4:30 p.m. at Reed Creek Park. Children must be accompanied by an adult and pre-registration is required. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit reedcreekpark.com.

Daddy and Me Olympics is Saturday, June 16, from 10 a.m.-noon at the Kroc Center. Free, members; $5, nonmembers. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Bug Detectives for the Columbia County Water Supply, an outdoor program for kids ages 5 and up, is Saturday, June 16, at 10 a.m. at Reed Creek Park. Children must be accompanied by an adult and pre-registration is required. Free, members; $2 per child, non-members. Call 706-210-4027 or visit reedcreekpark.com.

Music Demonstration for Kids, featuring John Barrett, is Saturday, June 16, at 2 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Evolution of Hip Hop Dance Day Camp meets Monday, June 18-Friday, June 22, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Kroc Center. For ages 7-10. Pre-registration required. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Karaoke Night Club for Teens meets Monday, June 18, from 6-8 p.m. at the Friedman Branch Library.

Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

Angry Birds, a young adult program that re-creates the game in real life, is Monday, June 18, at 7 p.m. at North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library. Call 803-2795767 or visit abbe-lib.org.

When I Grow Up children’s program is Tuesday, June 19, at 10 a.m. at the Friedman Branch Library. Call 706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

EcoTalk with the Savannah River Ecology Lab, a special program for those ages 6-12, is Tuesday, June 19, at 10 a.m. at the Diamond Lakes Branch Library. Preregistration required for groups of six or more. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.

Free Summer Chemistry Course for middle- and highschool students, is June 19-31 and meets Tuesday and Thursdays during those dates at 10:30 a.m. at Paine College. Pre-registration is going on now. Call 706860-8992 or email syousufzai@paine.edu.

Music Basics for Kids Class is Tuesday, June 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org.

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Family Fun Garden Theater, featuring the Youth Wing of the Aiken Community Playhouse’s production of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” is Tuesday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at the Aiken Public Library. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

The Warrior Maiden: A Hopi Legend by Ellen Schecter, a special children’s program presented by the Morris Museum of Art that features a weaving activity, is Wednesday, June 20, at 10 a.m. at the Wallace Branch Library. Call 706-722-6275 or visit ecgrl.org.

706-736-6758 or visit ecgrl.org.

Kroc Tots Activity Hour, featuring story time, crafts and more, is every Friday at 9 a.m. at the Kroc Center.

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

Dreaming, Reading and Singing, a children’s program with Mr. Bill and his guitar George, is Wednesday, June 20, at 10 a.m. at the Maxwell Branch Library. Call 706793-2020 or visit ecgrl.org.

Digistar Virtual Journey shows Saturdays in June at 8 p.m. and More Than Meets the Eye shows Saturdays in June at 9 p.m. at the DuPont Planetarium in Aiken.

Digistar shows are $5.50, adults; $4.50, seniors; $3.50, 4K-12the grade students; $1, USC-A students, faculty and staff. General shows are $4.50, adults; $3.50, seniors; $2.50, 4K-12th grade students; and $1, USC-A students, faculty and staff. Call 803-6413654 or visit http://rpsec.usca.edu/planetarium.

The Augusta Canal, a special children’s program, is Wednesday, June 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the Appleby Branch Library. Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org.

Zumbatonic, a Zumba class for kids, meets Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Magician Chad Crews visits North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library for a program on Wednesday, June 20, at 10:30 a.m. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.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.

Recycled Soda Tab Crafts, a young adult event in which the materials are provided, is Wednesday, June 20, at 2 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library.

Pre-registration required. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

Toddler Time, free play 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. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.

Bed Time Stories with Bearemy from Build-a-Bear Workshop is Wednesday, June 20, at 2 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Call 706-863-1946 or visit ecgrl.org.

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.

Magician Chad Crews visits the Aiken Public Library for a program on Wednesday, June 20, at 2 and 3 p.m. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Seniors

Therapy Dogs, a special children’s program, is Wednesday, June 20, at 2:30 p.m. at the Harlem Branch Library. Call 706-556-9795 or visit ecgrl.org.

Special Children’s Program and Craft with the Morris Museum of Art is Wednesday, June 20, at 2:30 p.m. at the Euchee Creek Branch Library. Call 706-556-0594 or visit ecgrl.org.

Celestial Sand Art, a craft program for those in grades 6-12, is Wednesday, June 20, at 3 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706447-7660 or visit ecgrl.org.

Coffee Tiramisu Soap, a young adult program for those ages 11-17, is Wednesday, June 20, at 4 p.m. at the Diamond Lake Branch Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.

Spider Story Time with Cathy Tugmon is Thursday, June 21, at 10 a.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library.

Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

How Big Can You Dream, a children’s story time for those ages 2-8 that features a craft, is Thursday, June 21, at 10 a.m. at the Diamond Lakes Branch Library.

Pre-registration required. Call 706-772-2432 or visit ecgrl.org.

Just Dance Practice Rounds, a program for those in grades 6-12, is Thursday, June 21, at 3 p.m. at the Columbia County Library. Pre-registration required. Call 706-447-7660 or visit ecgrl.org.

Expressionist Painting, a young adult program in which artist Jeanine Rodriguez will guide participants in creating their own work, is Thursday, June 21, at 4 p.m. at the Aiken Public Library. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.

Friedman Branch Library Teen Photography Contest, for those in grades 6-12, is accepting submissions through June 23. Entry forms available at the library.

Photos will be displayed at the library June 27-July 24 and winners will be notified by phone on July 25. Call 14JUNE2012

Blythe Senior Center Father’s Day Program, for those ages 60 and over, is Thursday, June 14, from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Blythe Area Recreation Center.

Call 706-592-6668 or visit augustaga.gov.

Golden Agers meets Mondays from 9 a.m.-noon at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Senior Computer Classes meet weekly at the Kroc Center. Pre-registration required. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Medicare and You is a program that meets every Thursday from 9 a.m.-noon at the Kroc Center. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Spiritual

Bible Teaching Seminar, the topic of which is the Ark of the Covenant, is Saturday, June 16, at noon at the Friedman Branch Library. Participants should bring their Bibles. Call 706-691-4023 or visit donaldsao.com.

Father’s Day Gospel Explosion with Pastor Shirley Caesar, Lee Williams and the Spiritual QCs, Dottie Peoples, Earnest Pugh and Bless-Ed is Saturday, June 16, at 6 p.m. at the James Brown Arena. $29-$49, in advance; $34-$54, day of show. Call 877-4AUGTIX or visit georgialinatix.com.

Food, Faith and Fitness, a women’s group, meets each Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Call 706-3645762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Morning Manna, a community devotion time, meets Wednesdays at 11 a.m. at the Kroc Center. Free. Call 706-364-5762 or visit krocaugusta.org.

Sunday activities at the Kroc Center include an adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m., youth Sunday school at 9:45 a.m., and a worship service at 11 a.m. Free. Call 706364-5762 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.

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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28 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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FREE SEE WHAT FISH HAS TO OFFER:

(706) 305-3900 Locally Owned & Operated 14JUNE2012

AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC.

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THIS WEEK THURS 6.14 - DALLAS DUFF FRI 6.15 - SIBLING STRING SATURDAY 6.16 UNDER THE SUN SUN 6.17 - BRANDON HOOKER DUO 19K@AF?LGF ,< c 1#& www.wildwingcafe.com 30 METROSPIRITAUGUSTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

IN MUSIC

At Least Lady Gaga Only Hurt Herself; Madonna Injured Millions

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to print retractions. Honestly, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because I never have to.

Unfortunately, last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s article may have been a little off. Instead of blaming myself for giving out false information about a band breaking up, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to give out more false information about why I jumped to that conclusion. Yes, I did jump to the conclusion about the demise of one of my favorite bands, The Eskimojitos. But how could I not? Last I heard, singer/guitarist John Kruger had planned on starting his own line of coloring books. Lead guitarist Reno Mendoza has one of the biggest bath salt addictions Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever witnessed. Jack Craig decided that he was more into the arts and has begun posing nude for many local artists downtown. And by artists, I mean homeless people.

And last, we have drummer Zach Swenson. After saving puppies from burning buildings in Iraq, Zach started his own fight club based in Clearwater, South Carolina. His actual whereabouts are unknown. With all these facts, who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have guessed that the band would be doomed? Well Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m happy to inform all of my readers that The Eskimojitos are alive and well. When are they playing next? I have no idea. But I do know that they are still a band.

A big thanks goes out to everyone who came out to see Taproot and Hurt this past Friday night at Sky City. I wish I remembered seeing you all.

Some great bands are popping up all over Augusta this weekend. On Saturday night you can stop into 1102 Downtown Bar and Grill to check out Laroxes. The back bar at 1102 is one of my favorites to see bands. And if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to see the band, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what the pool tables are for.

The band 57 Flip will have their CD Release Party at the Loft on Friday, June 22.

Buy the new album and enjoy music from 57 Flip and False Flag.

Now onto the world of rock retardation. A report has come out that many fans who attended a Madonna concert in Istanbul, Turkey, last week have lost their eyesight. During the opening song, 53-year-old Madonna managed to pop out one of her boobies. Doctors say that if she would of popped out both boobs, we could be looking at the end of a country. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at least worth Googling.

In a related story of pop singers and injuries, during a live performance, one of Lady Gagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back-up dancers accidently smacked her in the head with a pole, leaving the singer with a mild concussion. I figured with Lady Gagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience with poles being thrown in her face that she would have been more prepared than that. Gaga has finished a new album, but it has no release date yet.

No Doubt has a release date, and now, they have a title. The ska/pop/rock? band will release â&#x20AC;&#x153;Push and Shoveâ&#x20AC;? on September 25. The band is shooting a new video for the disc this week. No word on whether Gwen will be taking time away from baby making to head out on tour or not.

One of my favorite bands, Muse, released a sneak peak of their new album via YouTube this week. The two minute and 10 second teaser for the album â&#x20AC;&#x153;2nd Lawâ&#x20AC;? looked awesome, but sounded horrible. I was fine with it until they started to sound like Skrillex. The new album will be out in September.

Calling all music junkies! What bands am I missing out on? Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming to Augusta that will blow me away? Let me know. Email matt@themetrospirit.com.

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

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Thursday, June 14 Live Music

French Market Grille West - Doc Easton Smooth Jazz Joe’s Underground - Cliff Bennett Maude Edenfield Park - Sibling String Mellow Mushroom (Downtown and Evans) - Live and Local O Lounge - Jazmine Soul Band Red Pepper Cafe - Funk/Fusion Jazz Rose Hill Stables - Preston, Weston and Sandra Sky City - Los Bastardos Magnificos, Powerkompany Somewhere in Augusta - Country Line Surrey Tavern - Sibling String Travinia’s - Smooth Jazz Wild Wing - Dallas Duff The Willcox - Classic Jazz

Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke with Jeff Barnes Mi Rancho (Clearwater) - Three J’s Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s - Karaoke Palmetto Tavern - DJ Tim Rebeck’s Hideaway - Open Mic Roadrunner Cafe - Karaoke with Steve Chappel Sector 7G - TFS Rave w/ DJs LinearNorth and Polyphase Wheels - Live DJ Wooden Barrel - Karaoke Contest

Bennett, Jam Samwich, Swyrv, Happy Bones, Mama Says Malibu Jack’s - South Atlantic P.I. Bar and Grill - Not Gaddy Jazz with Pam Bowman Sky City - CJ Rogers Benefit w/ Turf War, Eat Lightning, Nuklear Blast Suntan, The Clap Somewhere in Augusta - Dallas Duff Band Surrey Tavern - The Unmentionables Wild Wing - Under the Sun

Saturday, June 16 Live Music

1102 - John Berret’s LaRoxes

Club Argos - Variety Show Cocktails Lounge - Latin Night Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke

The Acoustic Coffeehouse - Open Acoustic Jam Session with Eryn Eubanks and the Family Fold Cotton Patch - Keith Gregory Country Club - Chris Lane Band The Jazz Lounge - John Hobbs & Robert Reid Joe’s Underground - Camp VIP Rockin for the Kids Benefit w/ Jamie Jones, Paul Arrowood, Cliff

Fox’s Lair - Karaoke Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Loft - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke with Rockin Rob Mi Rancho (Clearwater) - Karaoke with Danny Haywood Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke

What’s Tonight?

Ms. Carolyn’s - Karaoke One Hundred Laurens - DJ Kenny Ray Robbie’s - Saturday Night Dance Party Wheels - Live DJ Wooden Barrel - Kamikaze Karaoke

Sunday, June 17 Live Music

5 O’Clock Bistro - Buzz and Candice Candlelight Jazz - Glenn Hills High School, The Decibels Morris Museum - Music at the Morris w/ Karen Gordon and Garden City Jazz Patridge Inn - Sunday Evening Jazz w/ the Not Gaddy Jazz Trio

What’s Tonight?

Casa Blanca - Thursday Tango Club Argos - Karaoke Cocktails Lounge - Karaoke Coyote’s - Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke Fox’s Lair - Soup, Suds & Conversations Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia The Library - DJ Kris Fisher The Loft - Karaoke The Playground - Open Mic Malibu Jack’s - Sports Trivia with Mike Thomas Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Evans) - Karaoke The Playground - Open Mic with Brandy Shannon’s - Karaoke Soul Bar - Boom Box Dance Party Villa Europa - Karaoke Wooden Barrel - ’80s Night Karaoke

Friday, June 15 Live Music

Augusta Moonlight Music Cruise - Jeff Johnson Columbia County Amphitheatre - Amateur Series w/ Dallas Duff, Nikki B. and 4 B.Y.M. Cotton Patch - The Moose Knuckles Country Club - Kayson Layne Coyote’s - Shane Owens and Bottom Fox’s Lair - She-N-She French Market Grille West - Doc Easton Joe’s Underground - Mama Says Malibu Jack’s - South Atlantic PI Bar & Grill - Jazz Duo Sky City - CJ Rogers Benefit w/ Cecil B & the Fun Boys, De-Evolutionaries, Num Nums, Brothers, Shaun Piazza Somewhere In Augusta - Ruskin Yeargain Stillwater Taproom - Josh Daniel Band Surrey Tavern - Playback The Band with Tutu Dyvine Wild Wing - Sibling String

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos - Variety Show Cocktails Lounge - Grown-Up Fridays with DJ Cork and Bull Pub - Karaoke Eagle’s Nest - Free Salsa Lessons; Latin Dance Par ty First Round - DJ Kris Fisher Fishbowl Lounge - Karaoke Iron Horse Bar & Grill - Karaoke The Library - Foamed Out Friday Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke with Ryan Moseley 14JUNE2012

Wild Wing - Brandon Hooker Duo The Willcox - Jazz Jam Session

What’s Tonight?

Caribbean Soul - Love Jones Sundays Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) - Karaoke, AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Appleby Library - Savannah River Brass Works Fox’s Lair - John Fisher The Highlander - Open Mic Night Joe’s Underground - Happy Bones Wild Wing - Sabo & Dave The Willcox - Piano Jazz

The Lilies and Sparrows - Sky City June 29 Connor Pledger - Somewhere in Augusta June 29 Granny’s Gin - Laura’s Backyard Tavern June 29 The Threads - The First Round June 29 Tony Williams and the Blues Express - Surrey Tavern June 29 Fried Goat - Somewhere in Augusta June 30 Siimplified - Surrey Tavern June 30 John Berret’s LaRoxes - 1102 July 6 Those Darlins, Baby Baby - Sky City July 7 Betsy Franck - Surrey Tavern July 12 Concrete Jumpsuit - Surrey Tavern - July 19 Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-DeVilles - The Loft July 20 Cosmic Charlie (Grateful Dead Tribute) - Surrey Tavern July 20 Machine Funk (Widespread Tribute) - Surrey Tavern - July 27-28 The Southern Meltdown Band - Laura’s Backyard Tavern June 29 John Berret’s LaRoxes - Iron Horse Bar and Grill July 22 John Berret’s LaRoxes - 1102 July 27 Cameras, Guns & Radios - The First Round August 3

What’s Tonight?

Elsewhere

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Salsa Dancing Shannon’s - Karaoke with Peggy Gardner

Monday, June 18 Live Music

Hopelands Gardens - Mike Frost Jazz Shannon’s - Open Mic Night

What’s Tonight?

Applebee’s (Evans) - Trivia Club Argos - Karaoke Malibu Jack’s - Trivia with Mike Thomas Mi Rancho (Downtown) - Trivia with Mike Thomas Somewhere In Augusta - Poker Tournaments Wild Wing - Trivia

Tuesday, June 19 Live Music

Club Argos - Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge - Dart League Laura’s Backyard Tavern - Karaoke w/ David Doane Malibu Jack’s - Karaoke with Denny Mellow Mushroom (Downtown and Evans) - Trivia Shannon’s - Karaoke with Mike Johnson Somewhere In Augusta - Big Prize Trivia

Wednesday, June 20 Live Music

Joe’s Underground - Kathleen Turner Overdrive Wild Wing - Good People Duo

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 Malibu Jack’s - DJ Mike Swift 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/ Frankie Paul and Clay Miles

Upcoming

The Joe Taylor Group - Surrey Tavern June 21 Blair Crimmins and The Hookers - Stillwater Taproom June 22 Joe Stevenson - Somewhere in Augusta June 22 Granny’s Gin - The First Round June 22 The Unmentionables - Surrey Tavern June 22 Prince & The Time Tribute w/ The Klass Band - Sky City June 22 Ten Toes Up - Surrey Tavern June 23 Dr. Bread - Soul Bar June 23 Robert Earl Keen - Imperial Theatre June 27 Nuklear Blast Suntan, Dethrone - Soul Bar June 27 Sibling String - Surrey Tavern June 28 Fresh Music Festival w/ Keith Sweat, Doug E. Fresh, Guy, SWV, K-Ci, & JoJo- James Brown Arena June 29 The Ramblin’ Fevers, The Shoal Creek Stranglers, 32 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

Afrojack - Tabernacle, Atlanta June 14 Government Mule - Chastain Park, Atlanta June 17 The Cult - Tabernacle, Atlanta June 17 Athfest - Athens June 20-24 Bo Deans - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta June 20 Robert Earl Keen - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta June 21 Lady Antebellum - Convention Center at Gwinnett Center, Duluth June 22 Krisin Chenoweth - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta June 22 Concerts in the Garden: Vince Gill - Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta June 22 Norah Jones - Fox Theatre, Atlanta June 23 Def Leppard, Poison - Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta June 29 Jill Soctt’s Summer Block Party w/ Kem and DJ Jazzy Jeff - Chastain Park, Atlanta June 30 Sarah McLachlan - Chastain Park, Atlanta July 3 Flo Rida - Convention Center at Gwinnett Center, Duluth July 5 Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band - Fox Theatre, Atlanta July 6 Collective Soul - Tabernacle, Atlanta July 7 Summerland: Everclear, Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, Lit, Marcy Playground - Chastain Park, Atlanta July 13 Mayhem Festival w/ Anthrax, Motorhead, Slayer, Slipknot, High on Fire, As I Lay Dying, the Devil Wears Prada and more - Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta July 14 Perpetual Groove - Georgia Theatre, Athens July 14 Sleigh Bells, Jel - Center Stage, Atlanta July 16 Neko Case, Kelly Hogan - Atlanta Botanical Garden July 20 B-52s - Fox Theatre, Atlanta July 21 Nicki Minaj - Fox Theatre, Atlanta July 22 KISS, Motley Crue - Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta July 24 Chicago, Doobie Brothers - Chastain Park, Atlanta July 24 Joe Cocker, Huey Lewis and the News - Chastain Park, Atlanta July 25 Aerosmith, Cheap Trick - Philips Arena, Atlanta July 26 Alison Krauss, Union Station - Classic Center, Athens July 27 Fresh Music Festival w/ Keith Sweat, K-Ci, Jo-Jo Savannah Civic Center, Savannah July 27 Seal, Macy Gray - Chastain Park, Atlanta July 28

Do you remember what you were doing between July 2000 and June 2001? Did anything happen then that felt like a wild jumpstart, a series of epiphanies or a benevolent form of shock therapy? Were you forcibly dislodged from a rut by an adversary who eventually became an ally? Did you wake up from a sleepy trance you didn’t even know you had been in? At least some of those experiences will be returning in the coming months, but on a higher octave this time.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Author Steven Covey describes your “circle of concern” as everything you’re concerned with or worried about. Your “circle of influence,” on the other hand, is anything that’s within your ability to change right now. For example, you may have general long-term questions or anxieties about the future of your health. But your circle of influence contains specific actions you can take to affect your health today, like eating good food, getting enough sleep and exercising. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to spend less time in your circle of concern and more in your circle of influence. Simply take charge of the details that will make a difference.

There’s a zoo about two hours northwest of Seattle where you can drive your car through land where large animals roam free. When I took the tour, I stopped my rented Dodge Stratus by the side of the road to get a better look at a humongous buffalo with a humped back and a long woolly beard.

It lumbered over and, for the next five minutes, thoroughly licked my windshield with its enormous purple tongue. My head was just inches away from its primal power, and yet I was safe, relaxed and perfectly amused. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a comparable experience sometime soon.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

In the book of Genesis, Jacob had a dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder that went up to heaven. Try to incubate a similar dream, or else do some meditations in which you visualize that scene.

It would help prime your psyche for one of this week’s top assignments, which is to be adaptable as you go back and forth between very high places and very low places. Heaven and earth need to be better connected. So do the faraway and the close-athand, as well as the ideal and the practical.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Thomas Edison said something to the effect that a person who is thoroughly satisfied is probably a failure. I don’t think it applies in all cases — like for you right now. During the upcoming grace period, be perfectly content with the state of your life just as it is. To do so won’t make you lazy and complacent. Just the opposite, in fact: It will charge your psychic batteries and create a reservoir of motivational energy for the second half of 2012.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Twenty-four-year-old actress Annalynne McCord has risen up in rebellion against what she calls “Hollywood’s perfection requirement.” Lately she has been brazenly appearing in public without any makeup. She has even encouraged paparazzi to snap photos of her in her natural state. “I’m not perfect,” she says, “and that’s okay with me.” You will be able to stir up useful blessings for yourself by being loyal to the raw truth. You can gain power by not hiding anything. It’ll be fun to be free of unrealistic images and showy deceptions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Nineteenth-century Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev once called his fellow novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky a “pimple on the face of literature.” But more than a hundred years later, Dostoyevsky is a much more highly regarded and influential writer than Turgenev. If you have to deal with anyone’s judgmental appraisals of you in the coming days, their opinions will say more about them than about you. Refresh your understanding of the phenomenon of “projection,” in which people superimpose their fantasies and delusions on realities they don’t see clearly.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Take a few deep breaths. It’s important not to get overly worked up about your recent diversion from the Truth and the Way. It’s true that you’ve incurred a minor karmic debt that will ultimately have to be repaid. And yes, you’ve been reminded that you can’t allow yourself to lower your standards even slightly. But I doubt any of it will matter in five years — especially if you atone now. Go ahead and give yourself a spanking, make a definitive plan to correct your error and start cruising in the direction of the next chapter of your life story.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Have you ever tried to drink from a firehose? The amount and force of water shooting out the end makes it hard to actually get any moisture in your mouth, let alone enjoy the process. On the other hand, it is kind of entertaining, and it does provide a lot of material to tell funny stories about later on. But are those good enough reasons to go ahead and do it? Draw your sustenance from a more contained flow in the coming week. Cultivate a relationship with a resource that gives you what you really need.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

The coming week will be an excellent time to declare your independence from anything that depresses, obsesses or oppresses you. You will attract help from unexpected sources if you take that brave action. At the same time, it’ll be a perfect moment to declare your interdependence with anything that fires up your imagination, stirs up smart hope or fills you with a desire to create masterpieces. Be adventurous as you dream about blending your energies with the very best influences.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

It’s time for your right hand to find out what your left hand has been doing lately, and vice versa. They’ve been attending to their separate agendas for a while, and now it would be wise to have them work together more closely. As they get reacquainted, a bit of friction would be understandable. Try to get them to play nicely with each other for a while before jumping in to the negotiations about how best they can cooperate in the future. And be very firm with them: no slapping or fighting allowed.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Some relationships that you call “friendships” may be little more than useful connections, status boosters or affiliations that enhance your power and influence. But it’s also a smart idea to make sure that at least some of your alliances are rooted primarily in pure affection. You need to exchange energy with people who don’t serve your ambitions so much as they feed your soul.

The coming weeks will be an excellent time to cultivate friendships like that. Take good care of those you have, and be alert for the possibility of starting a new one.

ROBBREZSNY FREEWILLASTROLOGY@FREEWILLASTROLOGY.COM 14JUNE2012

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THE

BOX TOPS

Moviegoers apparently cannot resist Chris Rock’s circus song.

EIGHT

RANK

TITLE

WEEKEND GROSS

TOTAL GROSS

WEEK #

LAST WEEK

1

MADAGASCAR 3

$60,316,738

$60,316,738

1

-

2

PROMETHEUS

$51,050,101

$51,050,101

1

-

3

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

$23,058,790

$98,537,475

2

1

4

MEN IN BLACK 3

$13,895,720

$135,901,094

3

2

5

THE AVENGERS

$11,249,738

$572,300,463

6

3

“Prometheus”

SAMEIFLING

A great film somehow never emerges from this impressive looking movie There are two types of passionate filmgoers in this world, and “Promethus,” the sci-fi attempted epic by director Ridley Scott, is bound to split them into warring factions.

The first camp could be described as the realists. These are people who want the story they’re experiencing on-screen to feel like a cohesive, coherent world, no matter what rules are set in place. The second camp is made of impressionists.

They favor films that generate strong emotions and achieve memorable aesthetics, regardless of niggling details. In crude terms, this is a left-brain, right-brain tension, yet the great films, the great stories of all types, satisfy both sides.

“Prometheus” will prove particularly divisive because it skews heavily right brain in a genre that prizes intellectual consistency. The visuals, the sound effects, the broad-stroke concepts are all of exceptional quality. But the plotting, the dialogue and the internal logic are so infuriatingly erratic that to impose rational thought to them feels like pouring pebbles straight into your frontal lobe. The conversations after the movie are mostly confused yet hopeful, because while many in the audience felt a great film in there somewhere, no one actually saw it.

Since its announcement about 10 years ago, “Prometheus” has been billed, somewhat erroneously, as a prequel to “Alien,” the 1979 sci-fi horror tour-de-force that led into “Blade Runner” three years later; together, those cemented Scott as a premier director, despite his having made only three or four decent movies in the 30 years since. The aesthetic pops a bit brighter than the “Alien” palate, though with more set design from the inimitable H. R. Geiger, “Prometheus” has a familiar visual echo of the predecessor.

The plot, too, rhymes a bit. Two scientists — played by the fierce Noomi Rapace, recognizable as Liz Salander from the Danish “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and by the unconvincing Logan Marshall-Green, recognizable as some jerk from “The O.C.” — have theorized that the beginnings of human existence may lie on a specific moon in a not-too-distant solar system. Their mission to find proto-people overlaps with the interests of a massive corporation that poured a trillion bucks into sending them, along with a crew of borderline misfits.

The movie wastes Charlize Theron as the stiff, dollar-driven company rep on the trip, and without explanation embalms Guy Pearce under five hours of makeup to play the decrepit corporate patriarch. Michael Fassbender as the attendant cyborg

David, a prim but coldly guileful presence, turns in the only performance other than Rapace’s worth remembering.

Once they arrive on the moon and confirm that it was at one time inhabited, a whole series of alternately wondrous and hammerheaded events take place, as the characters morph into a collection of action-movie dullards who seem to relish in making decisions that lead to disasters. They rush into situations that call for patience, they get lost despite their sophisticated mapping equipment, and one guy does everything shy of actually begging a local alien (oh, spoiler: there are alienmonsters around) to kill him in horrible fashion.

Why do we care about this faraway alien civilization when our own species is so clearly littered with twits? “Prometheus” purports to address Big Questions about human creation, swirling in a pinch of religion, like fish food, as it baldly builds toward (admittedly very awesome) set pieces. But oh, what a disarray of ideas.

Utter hash has rarely been this seductive.

THE8ERS Movie times are subject to change.

The Big Mo

Gates open at 7 p.m.; shows begin at 8:30 p.m. (approximately)

June 15-16 Field 1: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG) and Men in Black III (PG-13); Field 2: Rock of Ages (PG-13) and Snow White and The Huntsman (PG-13); Field 3: The Avengers (PG-13) and Prometheus (R).

Masters 7 Cinemas

June 15-16 The Five-Year Engagement (R) 1, 4, 6:45, 9:30; Safe (R) 5, 10; The Lucky One (PG-13) 12:45, 3, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50; The Cabin

34 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

in the Woods (R) 12:45, 3, 5:15, 7:45, 10; Mirror Mirror (PG) 1:15, 4:15, 7, 9:40; 21 Jump Street (R) 1:30, 4:45, 7:15, 9:40; John Carter (PG-13) 1:15, 7:15; Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (PG) 1:45, 4:30; Safe House (R) 6:45, 9:30

Evans Cinemas

June 15-16 Rock of Ages (PG-13) 1, 4, 7, 9:55; That’s My Boy (R) 1:20, 4:20, 7:15, 9:50; Prometheus (R) 12:30, 1:10, 3:15, 4:10, 6:30, 7:10, 9:15, 10; Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG) noon, 12:45, 1:30, 2:15, 3, 3:45, 4:30, 5:15, 6:15, 6:45, 7:30, 8:30, 9, 9:45; Snow White and the Huntsman (PG-13) 12:50, 3:50, 6:50, 9:40; Men in Black III

(PG-13) noon, 2:30, 5, 7:30, 10; Battleship (PG-13) 12:40, 3:40, 6:40, 9:35; What to Expect When You’re Expecting (PG-13) 12:05, 2:35, 5:05, 7:35, 10:05; Dark Shadows (PG-13) 2:05, 4:45, 7:20, 9:55; The Avengers (PG-13) 1:50, 4:50, 8:15; The Hunger Games (PG13) 1:40, 4:40, 8

Regal Exchange 20 June 15-16

Rock of Ages (PG-13) 11:25, 11:45, 2:05, 2:30, 4:50, 5:15, 7:30, 8, 10:10, 10:45, 12:50; Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (R) 12:20, 2:55, 5:30, 8:20, 10:55; That’s My Boy (R) 11:20, 1:35, 2, 4:25, 4:40, 7:05, 7:20, 9:45, 10:05, 12:25, 12:45; Prometheus

(R) 10, 10:40, 11:40, 1, 1:20, 1:40, 2:40, 4, 4:20, 4:40, 5:40, 7, 7:20, 7:40, 8:40, 10, 10:20, 10:40, 11:40, 12:25, 12:45; Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG) 10:30, 11:30, 12:15, 12:35, 1:05, 1:55, 2:35, 2:55, 3:25, 4:15, 4:55, 5:15, 5:45, 7:10, 7:25, 7:45, 8:05, 9:25, 10:05, 10:25, 11:45, 12:25, 12:40; Snow White and the Huntsman (PG-13) 10:45, 12:45, 1:45, 3:40, 4:50, 7, 7:50, 10, 10:50; Men in Black III (PG-13) 11:45, 1:20, 2:15, 4, 5:15, 6:50, 7:50, 9:25, 10:25, midnight; Battleship (PG-13) 9:35, 12:30; The Dictator (R) 9:45; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (PG-13) 11:10, 2, 4:45, 7:35, 10:25; The Avengers (PG-13) 10:30, 1:35, 4:40, 7:45, 10:50; Think Like a Man (PG-13) 1:05, 3:55, 6:50

14JUNE2012

OPENING FRIDAY, JUNE 15

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MUSICAL

“Rock of Ages,” rated PG-13, starring Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Julianne Hough, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Based on the Tony-award nominated Broadway musical about an attempt to save Hollywood club The Bourbon Room. It features lots of hair-metal hits from the 1980s and, since Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise, he does all his own stunts, which means that he sings. We’ll see how well that turns out.

COMEDY

“That’s My Boy,” rated R, starring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, Susan Sarandon. Whatever else people might say about this movie, Adam and Andy really could be father and son. Which one should I apologize to for that comment?

THRILLER

“The Woman in the Fifth,” rated R, starring Ethan Hawke, Kristin Scott Thomas. The serious version of “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” Hawke (and his crazy teeth) plays a disgraced college professor who moves to Paris, where he becomes involved with a widow who may or may not be a murderer.

WERECOMMEND

“Coraline” and “Monsters, Inc.”

Despite the calendar and all the rain, it’s summer. Sucks for us adults who have to work and can’t lay out by the pool all day, right? Take in these two “kid” features, however, and you may begin to feel like one again. “Coraline” is the darkest animated feature not directed by Tim Burton and it’s no wonder: The book was written by weirdo extraordinaire Neil Gaiman. The title character feels out of place (her family just moved) and unloved by her stressed out parents. Luckily, or so she thinks, she finds an alternate version of reality in her own home, a place where parents make your favorite thing for dinner (every night) and everything is right with the world. Or is it?

This movie, filled will long-dead children, stuff Scotties, and two enormous crazy ladies who dress up as mermaids (complete with pasties), may not be right for small kids, but it’ll be great for big ones. “Monster’s, Inc.,” on the other hand, is a place everyone can love, although it has it’s own dark premise. In a monster-filled world where power is generated by children’s screams, Sully is the frightmaster and Mike Wazowski his handler. Then Boo, a human child from the other world, comes back to theirs and wreaks havoc. One of the funniest movies you’ll ever see, this one will nonetheless reduce you to a puddle of goo and tears by the end… right before you start it over again.

14JUNE2012

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Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Hollis Adair, Holly Vaughn, Paige Satcher and Jennifer Lamanna at The Bee’s Knees.

SIGHTINGS

Kelly Bhin with Lauren and Eric Barr at Metro Coffeehouse and Pub.

Casey DiMarco, Ashley Snyder, Baily Martinez and Tricia Fralick at Metro Coffeehouse and Pub.

SIGHTINGS

Courtney Starr with Jodi and Andrew Harman at WBBQ’s 65th birthday concert with Rick Springfield at Evans Towne Center Park.

Angela Maskey with Rick Springfield at WBBQ’s 65th birthday concert with Rick Springfield at Evans Towne Center Park.

SIGHTINGS

Brian Marshall, Angie Minestra and Stephanie Watford at Bar on Broad.

36 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

James Anderson, Emmalee Boring, Kaylee Proctor and Gary Stikeleacher at the Loft.

PrinCess and Minnesota Fats with Heidi and Cliff Bennett at WBBQ’s 65th birthday concert with Rick Springfield at Evans Towne Center Park.

Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Brett Olson, Mandy Ortiz and Devin Joy at The County Club.

14JUNE2012

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ART45

VALERIEEMERICK

Father’s Day In Aiken Community Playhouse’s production, real father and daughter play those roles on stage While most people will probably spend the upcoming Father’s Day weekend cooking out, going to dinner and doing nice things for their dads, Augusta actors Emily and John Greene, a real-life father and daughter, will be portraying a fictitious father and daughter in the Aiken Community Playhouse’s production of “Proof,” which was the winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Best Play.

“Proof,” by American playwright David Auburn, tells the story of Catherine (played by Emily Greene), a troubled young woman who has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, Robert (played by John Greene), a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father’s who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind.

Throughout, the play explores Catherine’s fear of following in her father’s footsteps, both mathematically and mentally.

“I think that this play originally appealed to my inner (hopefully hidden) ‘geek,’” says the play’s director, Dave Howard. “During my education as an engineer I was exposed to a lot of advanced mathematics, and I appreciated the ability of mathematicians to ‘prove’ that something was absolutely true beyond any shadow of doubt.”

The play consists of only four characters, but as Howard explains, “I love having a small cast. It gives me a chance to interact more closely with them, get to know them, and work with them to tailor their portrayal to my (and their) vision of the character.”

He later adds, “It’s a wonderful luxury for me, as a director, having a real father/ daughter team portray the father/daughter characters in the play. John and Emily already have that dynamic between them, so I didn’t have to wait for two strangers to develop that in their interaction. At the start of rehearsals they were a jump ahead of where we normally would be. In addition they are comfortable with portraying the

photo by Haley Hughes

love and the irritations… that exist between parent/child, whereas two unrelated actors often are hesitant to portray that.”

“Working with my dad has been pretty easy,” explains Emily. “While we haven’t played opposite each other often, we have done a lot of theater together and know how each other works. Playing my father’s daughter hasn’t been too much of a stretch.”

Her father, John, adds “We have been in other shows before, but not opposite of each other… It’s been interesting… there are some interesting life parallels going on here… dealing with a parent getting older… a young person finding herself… it’s very, very realistic.”

“The cast is wonderful!” says Howard. “I had an almost bewildering assortment of very talented people to choose from after my auditions; I could have cast the show with many different equally talented people.”

In addition to Emily and John Greene (pictured above during rehearsal), the cast consists of Gabe Emmanuel, another Augusta actor who plays the role of Hal, and Lauren Ellis a veteran Aiken Community Playhouse actor, who plays the role of Claire, Catherine’s sister.

“Proof” | URS Center for the Performing Arts Friday-Saturday, June 15-16, 22-23: 8 p.m. | Sunday, June 17: 3 p.m.

Adults, $20; seniors, $17; students, $17; children under 12, $7 | 803-648-1438 aikencommunityplayhouse.info

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AMYCHRISTIAN

CUISINE SCENE

Blue Skies Ahead New owner says business is picking up at downtown institution

It’s been almost a year since Sae Shin took over ownership of Blue Sky Kitchen, and though it hasn’t always been easy, he said people are slowly coming back to the institution at the corner of Broad and 10th streets.

“So far so good,” Shin said of business at the restaurant. “It was a little bit of a struggle in the beginning, converting it back to being open for dinner.

It’s funny how an open sign helps so much.”

Before Shin bought the restaurant last summer, former owner Barry Blackston, who opened Blue Sky 13 years ago with Stillwater Tap Room owner Matt Flynn, had scaled back operations to daily lunch, with dinner on First Fridays only. The only change Shin made immediately upon purchase was to open it back up for dinner and to occasionally have live music on Saturday nights.

“I don’t want this to become a music venue, but there are some talented guys around here that never get a chance to play,” he explained. “I don’t want that to be on a regular basis, though; I just want to occasionally throw people a curve ball.”

In the months since then, however, regular customers have noticed Shin’s stamp on the restaurant. Not only is he 38 METROSPIRITAUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989

there regularly, donning an apron to pull a kitchen shift, but he has revamped and expanded the full bar, replaced the carpet in the booth area and tweaked the menu.

And while he said that popular menu items like the Redneck Stir Fry would never disappear from the menu, new dishes have become favorites as well. Such is the case with Chicken Makhani, an Indian butter chicken one of his chefs talked him into trying.

“One of the chefs here made it one night and it was great, but I didn’t know if people would go for it,” Shin said. “But it’s one of our most popular dishes.”

Another new and popular part of the menu is the small plates section available during dinner. Made up of global dishes meant to be shared, Shin said it’s based on cultures from around the world, as well as his own experiences as a child.

“In Asia, everybody puts the dishes in the middle and gets their own bowl of rice and picks at everything with their chopsticks,” he said. “It’s just the way I grew up.

Americans are so used to getting their own plates and you might want a bite of something someone else has but you’re kind of afraid to ask.”

Included in the small plates section are long-time favorites like basil pesto hummus and jerk chicken 14JUNE2012

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wings. Fans of Blue Sky’s chicken and spinach eggrolls, formerly only available when they ordered Bulgogi, will be happy to see them available on their own. Those favorites join new items like Cuban albonigas (meatballs with queso), steamed asparagus wrapped with prosciutto and served with balsamic vinegar reduction and chicken lettuce wraps.

“The Thai mussels… people love those,” Shin said. “And the calamari’s been a hit. People also love the portabella mushrooms stuffed with chicken, spinach and artichokes.”

The global influence will be even more apparent during another menu revamp, set to happen “soon,” Shin said.

“One of my chefs, he’s Irish and has got some ideas, so I’m not going to stay with what I know,” he said. “It’s going to be even more global.”

Also coming up is a remodel, something Shin said his wife Mia will definitely be in charge of.

“My wife’s got an itch to do it right now,” he laughed. “And you know guys… they’re like, ‘Okay.’ She decorated Soy and a lot of people walk in a say, ‘Wow. This place is beautiful.’”

Shin said he and Mia have put a lot of time and effort into Blue Sky but he thinks it will benefit them, and diners, in the long run.

“I knew that it was going to take time and money and work, so me and my wife talked about it and, so far, we’ve managed,” he said. “When we first converted, there was nobody in here, but slowly they’ve come back and now there are some nights when we’re overwhelmed. Like with every restaurant, if you have good food and good service at good prices, people will come.”

Sushi at Soy

When Sae and Mia Shin opened Soy Noodle House several years ago, they had planned on including sushi in the menu. But when they discovered they were just a few doors down from an already established sushi restaurant, they decided they didn’t want to step on any toes.

“We were going to include sushi originally but, out of respect for Wicked Wasabi, we decided not to,” Sae Shin recently said, adding with a smile, “it was an Asian thing, I guess.”

With Wicked Wasabi’s recent shuttering, as well as Soy’s expansion last fall that saw the restaurant double in size, Shin decided that there was no time like the present to add the essential component to his Asian cuisine venture.

“Me and my wife grew up eating sushi, so it’s natural for us,” he Blue Sky Kitchen explained. “And we [at Soy] have 990 Broad Street | 706-821-3988 a variety of maki rolls, nigiri…

Lunch and dinner daily everything.”

To help them get the new sushi bar up and running, the Shins hired Duy Phan, who helped develop the menu.

“He’s been doing this for five years,” Shin said of Chef Phan’s qualifications. “And he came in and showed me and Mia how to do everything, so my wife and I can do it as well.”

Open since May, Soy’s sushi bar menu is extensive. The two pages of offerings include everything from a vegetarian roll with avocado, roasted peanuts and white sauce to sashimi, dinners and Bento boxes, appetizers and a wide variety of Makimono rolls. On this section of the menu, customers will find those that they’ve heard of before (California and Alaska rolls) to crazy combinations like the Hawaiian Roll, that includes pan-fried Spam.

There’s even one named after the Shins’ daughter, Umi, who will turn two at the end of the summer.

When Soy’s sushi bar first opened in May, it was available at lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. Now, however, they’ve decided to make it a dinner-only option on the same days, which Shin said has worked out much better.

“Now it’s set up, we’ve got brand-new equipment and we’re rolling,” he said. “I think it’s made Soy complete, really.”

Soy Noodle House 1032 Broad Street Restaurant: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Sunday Sushi Bar: 5-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday | 706-364-3116 | soynoodlehouse.com 14JUNE2012

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14JUNE2012

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ON THE BALL

For The Love Of The Game Getting started is the most difficult part of wheelchair tennis Prix championships, but has also served as an instructor and advocate for the sport as well.

One reason wheelchair tennis has rapidly gained in popularity over the years is that it’s one of the few sports that allows wheelchair users to compete against each other, or against ablebodied players also.

You know the famous old saying, those that can’t do, teach? While that quote of unknown origin is sometimes the case, what Shapiro embodies as a participant/promoter/teacher aligns more with what one of the more famous teachers in history has to say.

“Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach.” — Aristotle And it’s his understanding of not only the physical difficulties that present themselves to his students, but of the mental challenges that can sometimes hamper initial participation.

“Getting people to come out and try it for the first time is the hardest part,” says Shapiro.” It’s such an easy game to learn. After coming to the clinic, I just hope that they continue to play and fall in love with it.”

So this weekend Donald Shapiro will switch wheelchairs, grab his racket and head out to the courts for an event not only ripe with competition, but with fellowship as well.

Walton Foundation for Independence’s Second Annual Wheelchair Tennis Championship For Donald Shapiro, wheelchair tennis is many things wrapped into one.

It’s fun.

It’s challenging.

It’s interactive.

But while talking to Shapiro, it doesn’t take one long to arrive at what ties everything together.

“It’s just good getting everyone together and competing out on the court,” he said.

Just by listening to him talk about the upcoming tournament this weekend reveals his insatiable appetite for the sport, but there was a time when even he needed a nudging towards the game he now enjoys so much.

The idea of wheelchair tennis being a worthwhile pursuit for Shapiro came by way of his sister after watching a “Good Morning America” segment on television. Six years earlier he had been in a car wreck that put him in his wheelchair and, 32 years later, his passion for the game is as intense as it’s ever been. So much so that, over that period of time, he has not only competed for Georgia State Wheelchair Grand

Newman Tennis Center, 3103 Wrightsboro Road Saturday-Sunday, June 16-17 | Free | 706-826-5809 alsalley@wrh.org Tennis Clinic The Club at Rae’s Creek | Each Monday | 6-8 p.m. | Free | 706-826-5809 alsalley@wrh.org

MATTLANE is host of The Weekend Rundown which airs from 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays on News-Talk-Sports 1630 AM. He can be reached at mattlane28@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Mattlane28.

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METROSPIRIT 41

WHINE

LINE

never been a fan of talk radio but i saw auston rhodes host two different big charity events last week and he was great!

Hey, I think Coco Rubio is a great guy.

I wish someone had of told me how bad south Augusta stinks in the summer before I bought my home earlier this year. I noticed when the temps and the humidity started going up the stank started to go into high gear. It smells like someone farting in your face every time you go outside. Now I know why the houses are so cheap out here. This stink is just heinous!

Call me all the names you want but the Lady Antebellum “Amphitheater” is not a good place to see a show. It’s a field not an amphitheater. I can hardly see the stage.

Be proud of your paper. AC sucks, website is always a week behind, and they make you pay to read it online if you look more than once. All the other local papers print stories about their sponsors and friends at

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. church. I rarely read more than one or two articles in the Spirit, but it’s still the best read in town. Well that and the Rhineharts bathroom wall.

Employers in the CSRA need to be aware of the ADEA Act of 1967. Why? Because I’m very well aware of it - that’s why.

Why is the boxer on the left side of your pages backwards? Look at the name on his trunks!!

Why do the whines scroll so fast? I don’t get a chance to read the long ones!

I see Brad Owens and his nutty band of conspiracy theorists are still talking about this grand “Cabal” that is controlling every aspect of our lives. What’s next? Alien abductions? Bigfoot? Elvis sightings?

Funny that Mr. Owens complains about this “Cabal” when he defended Charles Walker for years and even wrote for his propaganda mouthpiece, The Augusta Focus.

I can’t believe the downtown famous restaurant owner would feel like things had gone downhill for his place. If he opened up for lunch, he could make more monies. But there are plenty of other places that open more hours so we’ve been too happy at their place to necessarily go to eveningonly places.

Joe Neal said god forgave him, knew this was going to happen. Next time he and his wife want a threesome dont pick the babysitter. At least pick someboby who is of age to drink. Oh yeah,wine to a minor, and weed.

Just another good old boy pay off, yes it does happen to those who think different, have been in that system.

To the person who wanted to know about the Alamo Plaza: I heard through the grapevine that the Alamo is a homosexual playground.

Bonnie Ruben should run for the RCBOE. The educRATS in The Broad Street Temple would never sneak multi-million dollar scams by her.

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I just saw that 19 year-old Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) got engaged to Liam Hemsworth. I just called my

Las Vegas bookies - Dewey, Cheatum, & Howe - and laid down $1k that charade goes 7 years or less. Tape this one to your refrigerator because next to death and taxes, there will be no surer bet!

I’ve seen Columbia County Commissioner Charles Allen out campaigning for his brother Rick who is running for congress. I wonder if Charles is collecting mileage on the county’s travel expense. Someone should take a look at that.

Re: the recent Dist. 1 candidate whines....as long as we have a commission seat paid for with “walking around money”, which is what we have now, District 1 will continue to languish....I don’t think Matt Aitken is corrupt. But the people who paid for him to be there, are.

I have been going to the GHSU/MCG for the past few months and I am disgusted at the attire that is being worn by many of the female student body. There has to be a dress code policy in place- because I have noticed that the majority of them are wearing shorts so short that their butts are literally hanging out. Are these students in training to becoming medical professionals or are they in training to become strip club dancers? I am totally outraged by their apparent lack of decency while in this educational (professional-in training) environment.

I was complaining to a friend the other day how politics in Augusta is always about white vs black and wondered why there weren’t any hsiapnics or asians on the commission. My friend said that there already is an asian on the commission. Did I miss something?

Well I see where Brad Owens is trying to inject himself into downtown Augusta politics again even though he doesn’t even live anywhere near Augusta anymore. But downtown business owners should know that with Brad it’s all about personal vendettas. He couldn’t hack it in the bar business and now he has an ax to grind. He’s pretty much just a loudmouth who wants to tear everybody else down.

When I heard a witch was running for the commission I had the image of a glamorous Samantha Stevens type but after I saw the photo in the paper realized it was just another washed up ex hippy. Figures. That whole Wiccan thing is like a bunch of Dungeons and Dragons misfits anyway.

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