Author Archives: Kristy Johnson

Downton Abbey – Southern Style

People

Photography by Sally Kolar

Local fans of the British TV show celebrated the long-awaited movie premiere with aplomb.

Devoted followers of “Downton Abbey,” a British historical drama that ran on PBS from 2010 to 2015, eagerly awaited the September opening of the movie of the same name. These avid fans included a group of about 50 local ladies that saw the premiere together with reserved seating at Riverwatch Cinemas.

Making an event of the premiere, they dressed in period clothing for a pre-movie champagne brunch at Rosemary Inn Bed & Breakfast in North Augusta before heading to the theater.

Susan Salisbury of Evans organized the party for members of the Augusta Area Newcomers Club movie group and personal friends.

“I wanted everyone to have a happy day, go see a movie that we all like together, and then discuss it afterward,” she said.

Authentic Ambiance
A devoted “Downton Abbey” fan, Susan has visited Highclere Castle, the English estate where the “Downton Abbey” series and movie were filmed and, in real life, is the home of the Eighth Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.

The TV drama depicted the Crawley family, wealthy owners of a large estate in the English countryside in the early 20th century, and their servants. The film is set in 1927, slightly more than a year after the series finale takes place, and it features a royal visit to Downton Abbey by King George V and Queen Mary.

And stepping into Rosemary Inn was like touring the movie set – or Downton Abbey itself.

“This is the perfect house for a festive celebration like this,” said Diana Combs, who owns Rosemary Inn with her husband, Kelly. “A lot of people equate it with ‘Downton Abbey.’ They say it is the Downton Abbey of the South.”

The ladies wandered through the bed and breakfast, where “Downton Abbey” books and CDs, as well as a Life magazine with some of the show’s characters on the cover, were displayed. Period music played in the background on a player piano.

Evans resident Thelma Gilchrist, looking divine in a black dress, black shawl, elegant fingerless black gloves and black feathered flapper headpiece, snapped photos of the guestrooms on her cell phone. She says she recognized one of the bedrooms from a reality TV show.

In addition to dressing for the part, the women brought homemade dishes for the luncheon. Some of the recipes came from the cookbook, Downton Abbey Cooks.

Countertops in the dining hall were blanketed with silver trays of cucumber, pimento cheese and egg salad sandwiches; steak rollups; potato salad; spinach salads; a strawberry congealed salad and a fruit tray with pineapple, grapes and strawberries.

A sideboard was topped with desserts such as Queen Mary’s favorite birthday cake, tiramisu chocolate strawberry trifle, blueberry scones, lemon tarts, petit fours, brownies and lemon thumbprint cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

Prizes were awarded for Most Authentic Dish, Most Beautiful Dish, Best Presentation and Best Costume. The winners received scented soaps.

Lynn Pawlak of Evans won the prize for Most Authentic Dish with her Queen Mary’s cake, a génoise with chocolate frosting, from a recipe that has been in the royal family for generations. Susan LaFrance of Martinez won the Most Beautiful Dish award for the tiramisu, and Martinez resident Betty Sneed won the Best Presentation prize for the pineapple fruit tray.

Dressed to Impress
Martinez resident Fran Weber, one of two winners of the Best Costume contest along with Phyllis Harvey of Martinez, ordered her blush-colored, fringed dress from Amazon. She accented it with a strand of long pearls and a matching headpiece.

“We feel like we’re playing dress up. We feel like we’re part of an era,” said Fran. “I’m going to start binge-watching the show again.”

Phyllis wore a gold-sequined chemise with maroon jewels. “I got the dress a long time ago at a consignment store in Santa Barbara when I was looking for a costume,” she said.

A devoted “Downton Abbey” fan, Phyllis, who splits her time between Martinez and Santa Barbara, was attending a Newcomers event for the first time.

“I thought the party was amazing. I couldn’t believe how well they put it together. I look forward to more outings with the Newcomers,” she says. “The facility was beautiful. It was so fun to go through the house and look at the antiques. I love that era.”

Evans resident Lottie Gilchrist, who had been binge-watching the show for the past couple of months, found a dress in her closet for the occasion.

“I already had this dress. I look like the dowager, but that’s OK. It’s a good excuse to get dressed up,” she says.

Pat Rickerman of Martinez wore a black dress with fringe and long white gloves.

“The gloves are my daughter’s gloves from Social, and I made the dress for her for AP history class when she was in high school,” said Pat, who bought the dress at Goodwill and added the fringe. “The headband is actually a necklace, and the hose are $5 from Target.”

She also is a big fan of “Downton Abbey.” “I love the show and the everyday drama of the characters and the upstairs, downstairs part of it,” said Pat, referring to lives of the aristocratic characters and their household servants who work at the estate.

Teresa McVeigh of Augusta never had seen the TV show, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the festivities.

“I’m an Anglophile. I lived in England for a year,” she said. “I might have to go back and watch the show now.”

Carole Steffes of Evans didn’t know much about “Downton Abbey” either, but she certainly dressed the part. Her 1920s outfit included antique Black Jet mourning jewelry that had belonged to her great-aunt Kate, who was her grandmother’s sister.

Regardless of their familiarity with the show, the ladies enjoyed stepping back in time for a special occasion.

“This gives us an opportunity to channel our own ancestors,” said Susan. “You can tell it makes people so happy. We need these positive moments in our lives. It came from the heart. It makes me happy, but obviously, I’m not alone.”

By Sarah James

Turkey Breast Stuffed with Cranberry, Apricot and Pistachio

Entrees

1 3/4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted pistachio kernels, chopped
2-3 tablespoons garlic paste
2 cups breadcrumbs
2 eggs, lightly whisked
Salt and pepper, to taste
Butter, for greasing
1 (6-7 pound) turkey breast, butterflied

Melt butter and oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Stir in onion, cranberries, apricots, pistachio and garlic and cook until onion has softened; set aside about 5 minutes to cool. Place mixture in a bowl and stir in breadcrumbs, whisked eggs and salt and pepper.

Grease a sheet of aluminum foil and place 5-6 pieces of string across it to tie breast together later; set aside. Open butterflied breast and wrap in plastic wrap. Pound out (or roll with a rolling pin) to flatten to about 1/2-inch thick. Trim sides if needed. Place on strings and foil and season with salt and pepper. Press stuffing along the middle of the joint. Lift up the sides at one end, tucking in the short end and then tie the string firmly to keep the stuffing in place. Repeat with remaining strings and then wrap tightly in the foil. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and roast 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 10 minutes at the end, until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the middle. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Place turkey breast on a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 6-8 servings.

Rick’s Paint & Body

Go Local

Company Name: Rick’s Paint & Body
Year Established: 1976
Owner: Rusty Campbell
Address: 251 Bobby Jones Expressway
Martinez
Phone: 706.868.9904
Website: www.rickspaintandbody.com
Specialties: Collision repair, paint-less dent removal and dent repair, auto body painting, auto glass replacement and 24-hour towing service. Free estimates.

On a Mission

P.Y.S.K.

After founding a nonprofit organization to help vulnerable populations, a local veteran changed his own life by changing the lives of others.

Rock bottom is a holy place. And U.S. Army veteran Don Cummings, who retired in 2012, has been there.

During his 23-year military career, he served in Special Operations for 11 years. He was deployed to Afghanistan six times and to Iraq three times, and he traveled the world with General David Petraeus as his community Noncommissioned Officer for 15 months.

Two events in 2003, however, had a lasting, profound effect on the Hephzibah resident.

As part of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, Cummings was one of about 120 soldiers who took Haditha Dam that spring and defended it from Iraqi forces for 72 hours. For the first two days, the battalion endured nonstop mortar and artillery fire. At one point, a tank leveled its turret and aimed directly at Cummings.

“That started making me rethink life in general,” he says. “When you’re in combat, it’s not so much about the big picture. It’s about just living the next five minutes.”

Then, when he was deployed to Thailand in the fall, one of his men suffered serious injuries. Cummings had to call the soldier’s mother to tell her that her son might not survive. “She said it was all my fault. I was supposed to protect him,” Cummings says.

The soldier lived and received a medical discharge. Nevertheless, between those two incidents, Cummings says, “It put me in a really bad place. Everything in my life fell apart.”

Serving The Disadvantaged
Cummings went through PTSD, a divorce and a battle with alcohol, which left him feeling suicidal and depressed.

He started to turn his life around in October 2010 when someone invited him to church. He enrolled in Bible seminary and got involved in mission work, which led him to found Sons of Consolation Ministries.

The all-volunteer ministry, which earned 501(c)3 status two years ago, supports the area’s most vulnerable populations including the elderly, inmates, the disabled and children in poverty.

The name of the organization comes from the New Testament figure, Barnabas, a selfless man whose name means “the son of consolation.”

“I have traveled all over the world and seen poverty,” says Cummings, senior pastor and chairman of Sons of Consolation. “I know what it’s like to hurt. I know what it’s like to think nobody cares or understands.”

The ministry relies on the help of about 12 volunteers, including veterans George Wardy, who serves as associate pastor and vice chairman, and Cummings’ wife, Maria.

Martinez resident Craig Stone serves as president and CEO. He manages day-to-day operations and coordinates efforts with corporate sponsors, third-party sponsors and volunteers.

Cummings and Stone met through their work with Kairos Prison Ministry International. “Don told me his vision,” says Stone. “I believed in what he was telling me, and I still do.”

The volunteers visit residents and holds weekly church services at two local assisted living facilities, Amara Health Care & Rehab and Windermere Health and Rehabilitation Center. The nonprofit also gives birthday and Christmas presents to the residents and visits them when they’re hospitalized.

In addition, Sons of Consolation has continued its work with Kairos. Volunteers visit inmates at Richmond County Detention Center and Augusta State Medical Prison, where twice a year they also hold four-day Kairos programs to introduce inmates to Christianity or encourage their spiritual growth.

“The whole idea of Kairos is to build a Christian community inside the prison,” says Stone. “Some of the men have gone through a complete transformation. For the men that go through the program and stay in the program, the recidivism rate drops by about 50 percent.”

Expanding Its Ministries
Through meeting elderly or incarcerated individuals with disabilities, the volunteers discovered another critical need. Many disabled people in the United States need a power wheelchair that they cannot afford, and the disabled in developing countries lack access to basic care. As a result, Sons of Consolation created a wheelchair repair and reassembly workshop.

“After we take them apart, clean them up and repair them, we ship the ‘newsed’ wheelchairs to South America,” Stone says. “The end product looks and functions like a brand new piece of equipment. We recycle the parts that we don’t use.”

Focusing on children in Bolivia and the elderly in Uruguay, they ship wheelchairs to South America twice a year through a partnership with Fridla, or Friends of the Disabled Latin America. The organization donates some refurbished wheelchairs locally as well.

Reaching out to children in poverty is the ministry’s newest program. This fall Sons of Consolation gave more than 100 backpacks, which were filled with school supplies, to four churches to distribute to children in their congregations.

“We don’t donate to individuals,” says Cummings. “We go through a third-party organization such as a church or a nursing home.”

The ministry, which operates in a facility off of Gordon Highway, would like to build its volunteer base.

“People can volunteer one morning a week, or provide financial support,” says Stone. “We will bring church mission boards and civic boards through the building to show them what we do. We steward our money very well.”

Volunteer opportunities range from visiting assisted living homes and refurbishing wheelchairs to baking cookies and filling backpacks.

“People can participate any way they would like. We would like for them to come see what we’re doing, and then they can tell me how they would like to help,” says Cummings. “Our goal in all of our programs is to reinforce a sense of community.”

Serving those who feel forgotten and alone certainly changed his outlook.

“Your choice in life is to sit and dwell on your own problems, or meet the needs of others,” Cummings says. “The more you’re focused on others, the smaller your own problems seem.”

For more information, visit sonsofconsolationministries.org or email info@sonsofconsolationministries.org.

By Betsy Gilliland

Ruth’s Family Restaurant

Go Local

Company Name: Ruth’s Family Restaurant
Year Established: 1965
Owners: Pete & Dee Garland
Address: 3843 Washington Road
Martinez, GA
Phone: (706) 863-5616
Website: Follow Ruth’s Family Restaurant on Facebook
Specialties: Southern home cooking like grandma would make. Breakfast served all day and daily lunch specials.
Open: Mon – Sat 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

L&J Roofing & Home Improvement

Go Local

Company Name: L&J Roofing & Home Improvement
Year Established: 1972
Owner: Grace Gilpin, CEO
Address: 4345 Columbia Road #D
Martinez
Phone: 706.738.7663
Website: augustaroofrescuers.com
Specialties: Residential & commercial roofing • Roof, ventilation, door, window repairs & replacement • Flooring, deck, vinyl siding installation • Gutter installation, repairs & cleanout
• Maintenance programs • Free estimates

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Beverages

2 cups milk
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot black coffee
Whipped cream

Place milk, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, spice and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Whisk together constantly over medium heat until heated through. Stir in hot coffee until well blended. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream. Garnish with a light sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Makes 2-3 servings.

Cheese Steak Sandwiches

Entrees

1 (1-pound) beef top sirloin steak, boneless, 3/4-inch thick
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
6 thin slices provolone cheese
4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted

Cut steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/8-inch thick strips. Season with garlic powder and pepper; set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, pepper and mushrooms; stir-fry 30-60 seconds; remove from skillet and keep warm.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in same skillet until hot. Add half of beef; stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Repeat with remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil and remaining beef.

Return beef and vegetables to skillet; cook and stir until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Top beef with cheese slices. Heat, covered, 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted; stir gently to mix. Place beef mixture on toasted bread and serve. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Hands-On Healing

People

(From left) Helios Equine Rehabilitation Center horse caretaker Rachel Hynes, co-owner Susan Hathaway, general manager Ed David and horse caretaker Christine Smith with guard dog Leizel.

A new equine center offers state-of-the-art therapies to rehabilitate ailing, injured and special needs horses.

Like many good ideas, the concept for Helios Equine Rehabilitation Center began as a sketch on a napkin. With years of diligent research and careful planning, however, that drawing methodically grew from an outline into reality.

Helios Equine, a 150-acre Lincolnton facility that provides rehabilitation services to horses recovering from surgery or injury and treatments to horses requiring special care, is holding a grand opening on Saturday, September 14.

“This is a dream of mine,” says Evans resident Susan Hathaway, who co-owns Helios Equine with Kirk Laney. “I’ve always wanted to be able to take care of horses.”

Her dream began to evolve from the napkin sketch she made five years ago into fruition after she found an architect, a co-owner and a general manager to come along for the ride. And also like many good ideas, this one was born of necessity.

Helios Equine provides around-the-clock customized care for horses that are ailing, recovering from an injury or surgery, have a high-value pregnancy or require special therapies.

When Susan, a retired U.S. Army major who served as a military and a civilian RN, moved to Georgia 10 years ago, she had two horses that had become ill. One had respiratory problems, and the other had post-operative colic surgery complications. “There were few horse therapies in Georgia that met the qualifications to do the therapy they needed,” Susan says.

With her initial design plan in mind, she started scouring the state for land that would meet the requirements to develop a horse rehabilitation facility. She found the Lincolnton property, a former pecan farm and cattle ranch with established pastures, three years ago.

Safety & Security
Susan, who has 21 horses – plus a baby horse in utero – of her own, always has had a strong bond with the animals. “Horses have a lot of healing properties that they give to us,” she says.

And now, with Helios Equine, she can do the same for them with state-of-the-art amenities.

Back view of Helios Equine Rehabilitation Center

Currently, the center features an 18,000-square-foot administrative building and barn, which includes offices, a conference room, a laundry room, dual tack rooms, dual feed rooms, a veterinary care room, an indoor washroom and 24 stalls.

Each stall has a 12-foot-by-12-foot indoor space and a 12-foot-by-12-foot covered outdoor shelter adjoining a 12-foot-by-16-foot run-out paddock.

“Horses in rehab can’t run, so you have to contain them,” says Ed David, general manager.

The stalls also feature ThuroBed mattress flooring, which mimics a pasture for improved comfort and traction, and 24/7 security cameras to monitor the horses.

“With a camera on every horse, we can track their behavior and make better diagnoses,” Susan says.

The building also includes circadian lighting and fire suppression, automatic water monitoring, ventilation and mud management systems in a dust-free environment.

The grand opening of the center will be held Saturday, September 14.

“Safety is very important here. We stress ventilation and circulation because they are necessary for a healthy barn, and we train people to get people and horses out of the barn in case of fire,” says Susan, who also is a former firefighter. “Our water system will kick in and flood the barn, and there is a point of egress in every stall. There are points of egress everywhere. Horses are known to want to come back to their stall.”

In another precaution, Helios Equine keeps only a weeks’ worth of hay supply in the building. “Hay is extremely combustible. It’s more combustible than gasoline,” Ed says.

The property also has broken ground on an aqua center, which will include three treadmills for the horses. The treadmills will use hot or cold water to help horses increase their circulation and expedite healing. Susan hopes the aqua center will be open by the end of December.

“I think the aqua center will be a game changer,” Ed says.

Although they are not yet in the works, other future plans include stem cell therapy and a hyperbaric chamber.

Outdoors, the property, which still has pecan trees, features horse friendly landscaping. “Pecans are not dangerous for horses, but black walnuts and persimmons will kill them,” Susan says.

General manager Ed David with Chance and Zuzu

Building Trust
The licensed facility does not offer boarding services, nor is it a rescue center. “Our care is veterinary driven,” Susan says. “To come here, a horse needs a referral from a vet. Or one of our veterinarians can make a recommendation.”

The Helios Equine staff partners with its clients’ veterinarians to create individual rehabilitation programs for recovery, improved patient mobility and health maintenance through strength training.

Helios Equine services include digital thermal imaging, laser therapy, PFE blankets to increase circulation and healing, ice boots and wraps for legs, slinging capabilities and Advanced TeleSensors Vital Sign Equine Sensor therapy. ATS, which is in each stall, remotely detects equine heart and respiratory rates, heart rate variability and motion in real time without putting a sensor on the horse and transmits the information wirelessly.

To receive care at Equine, a horse needs a referral from a veterinarian, or a Helios veterinarian can make a recommendation for services.

The Helios staff members thoroughly document their treatment of the horses, and they develop follow up treatment plans for horses once they are discharged from their care.

“Treating people and horses is similar,” says Susan. “A lot of the medicines that horses take are human medicines, but they take them in larger doses. Wound care for horses is similar to wound care for humans. Nutrition also is very important.”

Susan says the average stay for the horses will be three to six months, depending on what’s wrong with them and how quickly they respond to therapy.

“We’re going to try to get the horses where they need to be safely and soundly with proper medical care,” she says.

Medications and therapies are not the only aspects of treatment that horses and humans have in common, however.

“The way you approach, handle and take care of a horse is similar to a human patient,” Susan says. “You have to gain the trust of a complete stranger. A human can talk to me, but a human can be just as stoic as a horse. People and horses don’t want to bother you, and they don’t let on that they’re in pain. Horses can’t answer you, but they can physically react.”

Helios Equine, a 24/7 facility with round-the-clock security, admitted its first patients in May. In August four patients receiving treatment at the center included Chance, who was there for ATS studies; Zuzu, who had leg sores and stiffness; Lilly, a mare that was mated specifically with another horse and has a high-value pregnancy, and Patches, who was being evaluated for behavioral issues.

Veterinarian Samantha Canup gives an ultrasound to Lilly, a mare under care for a high-value pregnancy.

“Horses like attention, and they want attention,” says Susan. “They’re like very large children in that respect.”

Patches, who is housed in a stall across from Lilly, might be Exhibit A. Susan says he will snort and stomp his feet if staff members go to Lilly before him.

These horses came to the center from Athens as well as Michigan and Texas, and Susan expects to treat horses from anywhere. She also believes the proximity of Aiken and Tryon (North Carolina) International Equestrian Center will draw patients to Helios Equine.

“I really want to offer the best staff for all the horses,” says Susan. “Some people have a knack for horses.”

Horse People
In addition to the owners, the staff currently includes five people –Ed; horse caretakers Christine Smith and Rachel Hynes; Gabriel Hathaway, who runs the maintenance shop; and Jovica Dimovski, who oversees security.

“Everybody is very passionate about the care and rehabilitation of the horses,” says Christine. She has degrees in equestrian studies from Salem (West Virginia) College and Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre in Waverly, West Virginia. Meredith Manor is a nationally accredited equestrian college dedicated exclusively to preparing students for successful careers with horses.

Susan plans to expand the staff to 12 – 14 people for the day shift and four or five people for the night shift. Additional positions will include sports medicine, large animal veterinarians that specialize in surgery, leg injuries, neurology and internal medicine; vet techs; stable hands; a barn manager and a water therapy manager. Initially, the center evaluated horses through veterinary consultations.

“I like to be hands-on with horses,” says Susan. “I like to touch them, see how they work and see if they will do what I ask. We have to meet their physical, emotional and nutritional needs.”

And the horses, in turn, can fulfill emotional needs for the people who take care of them.

“Where else can you go and enjoy life and be happy?” Ed, who spent 30 years in the military and 18 years in law enforcement, says of the facility. “I think our society is changing, and we are losing values. The horses want to do good. It’s satisfying that they want to do better.”

For more information, visit hserc.com.

By Leigh Howard

Photography by Sally Kolar

Edible Flower Salad with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

Salads

1 ounce ricotta salata cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 cups mixed salad greens
12 nasturtium flowers (taste slightly peppery)
16 borage blossoms (taste like cucumber)

Shave ricotta salata cheese into strips with a vegetable peeler; set aside. Place olive oil, lemon juice, honey, poppy seeds and salt in a small jar. Cover jar and shake vigorously to combine. Place mixed greens in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with ricotta salata and top with nasturtium and borage flowers. Makes 4 salads.

Tuna Lemon Cups

Entrees

1 can (5 ounces) tuna, drained
1 teaspoon fresh dill
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1-2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or Italian dressing)
Sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste
4 large lemons
Fresh dill, for garnish

Place tuna in a bowl and break chunks into small pieces with a fork. Stir in dill, celery, cucumber, onion, eggs, capers and lemon juice. Gently stir in extra virgin olive oil or Italian dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes. Slice off bottoms of lemons so they stand on their own. Scoop out pulp (save it to make lemonade, basil-lemon mayonnaise, lemon butter or sauces) and fill lemons with the salad. Garnish with fresh dill and serve. Makes 4 lemon cups.

Hot Cross Buns

Side Dishes

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, lukewarm
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon oil

Glaze:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

Cream cheese icing:

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon water

In a large mixing bowl, mix together salt, nutmeg and 4 cups flour until combined; set aside. In a small bowl, combine lukewarm milk, sugar and yeast. Stir and let rest about 10 minutes until yeast activates (you will notice bubbles forming). If yeast does not froth up, do not continue — your dough will not rise.

Add eggs and butter to yeast mixture and stir. Pour yeast mixture over flour and mix about 5 minutes using the dough hook attachment. Add raisins and mix another minute or until dough is soft and elastic. If dough is too wet, add more flour as needed. The dough is done when it doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl anymore.

Place a tablespoon oil in a large bowl and add dough. Roll dough around until completely coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough on a clean, lightly floured work surface and divide into 15 even pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place on the prepared pan, leaving enough space for dough to expand. Cover (but don’t wrap) with a clean damp towel and let rest 30 minutes until doubled in size. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

While baking, make glaze by mixing sugar and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over low heat and then boil another minute or until glaze thickens; set aside.

Place icing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until combined. Add to piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use. When buns are done, remove from oven and brush with glaze. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes and then pipe icing over buns to form a cross. Makes 15.

Sip & Savor

LIFE + STYLE

The Columbia County Food and Wine Festival is back in a new rooftop location.

If there is truth in wine, then it’s certain that local residents can enjoy a taste of food and drink, fun and fellowship – not to mention a fabulous view – at the 14th annual Columbia County Food and Wine Festival on the rooftop of The Meybohm Building at the Plaza.

Organized this year by Roger Strohl, owner of Cork & Flame, the festival will feature more than 200 wines from around the world for sampling as well as culinary tastings from area establishments.

Participants include Cork & Flame, French Market Grille West, Finch & Fifth, Bogey’s Grille, Papa Mountain, Events 2020 and the Augusta Technical College Culinary Program.

“Our main goal is to make food and wine approachable for everyone no matter what their budget is,” says Chelsea Mathews, manager of the Cork & Flame Wine Market.

Festival-goers also can enjoy live entertainment by jazz musician Karen Gordon and bid on items ranging from a golf car to a wine cooler in a silent auction.

Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the American Heart Association, the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the Augusta Technical College Culinary Arts Program Educational Scholarship Endowment Fund.

All attendees must be at least 21 years old and show a photo ID.

If You Go:
What: Columbia County Food and Wine Festival

When: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, March 2

Where: The Meybohm Building at the Plaza

How Much: $50 in advance, $55 at door; $25 designated drivers. Tickets available at Cork & Flame and eventbrite.com

More Info: csrawinefestival.com, eventbrite.com

Music, Magic & Fairy Tales

LIFE + STYLE

Innovative concerts blend music and entertainment.

When Augusta Symphony performs, the show is bound to be magical. However, a performance on Thursday, March 7 will conjure up a bag of tricks in the literal sense in Symphonies of Illusion with Michael Grandinetti. Tickets range from $36 – $100.

Grandinetti combines cutting-edge magic and illusions with music and suspense. One of the stars of the hit CW television series “Masters of Illusion,” he has entertained with symphonies nationwide as well as at NFL halftime shows and the White House. During the National Independence Day Parade in Washington D.C., Grandinetti levitated a girl high above one of the floats as it moved down Constitution Avenue.

In a benefit concert on Saturday, March 16, the symphony will perform with Little River Band, which set a record for having Top 10 hits for six consecutive years. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the symphony’s education projects and Community Chords, a music therapy program in partnership with the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.

Orchestra members have played regularly at the uptown and downtown VA throughout the season, participating in music therapy sessions with veterans who are working to reduce symptoms of stress, PTSD, pain and depression. Concert tickets range from $45 – $95, and patrons will have an opportunity to sponsor a ticket for a veteran when they purchase their tickets.

A Saturday, March 23 performance, Tragedy & Triumph, will feature Augusta Symphony concertmaster Anastasia Petrunina. The concert will include Strauss’ Death & Transfiguration, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

Petrunina has played around the globe in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. She has toured extensively in Russia, the United States, Brazil, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Sweden and China. She also took part in recording music for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Walk-up tickets will be available for purchase for $10 for students and military at the box office beginning an hour before the concert. A student is anyone under age 16 or older than 16 with a valid student ID. Tickets range from $22 – $67.

These three performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Miller Theater.

As part of its Family Concerts at Columbia County Series, Augusta Symphony returns to Evans Sunday, March 24. The audience will hear Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale, “Peter and the Wolf,” in which each character is depicted by different instruments and musical themes, and Ravel’s musical illustration of the Mother Goose Suite. The performance begins at 4 p.m. at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for students.

On the Ballot

LIFE + STYLE

Photos courtesy of the Columbia County Board of Education

A special election this month will bring Columbia County residents to the polls to vote on an ESPLOST referendum.

Voting is the lifeblood of democracy, and Columbia County residents will have a chance to exercise their right to vote in a special election on March 19. A referendum calling for authorization to issue $160 million in general obligation bonds and a 1-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for educational purposes, or ESPLOST, will be on the ballot.

The 2022-2027 ESPLOST would be a continuation of the current 1-cent sales tax that voters previously approved, not an additional 1-cent tax. However, David Dekle, chairman of the Columbia County Board of Education, says, “This is different than past ESPLOSTs. We’re coming to voters a year earlier than normal to ask permission to issue general obligation bonds. Our growth has outpaced our ESPLOST revenue. If the voters approve the referendum, we will be able to issue bonds and start building new schools to meet that growth.”

The tax is shared by all residents as well as anyone who shops in Columbia County, and Columbia County voters continuously have approved the 1-cent sales tax since 1997. The Georgia Legislature established ESPLOST in 1996 to allow voters in a school district to approve a 1-cent sales tax on consumer goods to generate funds for capital projects such as construction of new schools, renovation of existing facilities, technology, purchasing buses or retiring existing debt.

The tax also can be used for facility improvements such as replacing HVAC systems, renovating science labs, repairing parking lots, adding lights, replacing roofs, upgrading auditoriums, resurfacing gym floors and adding new bleachers. The funds cannot be used for instructional supplies or salaries.

Anticipated capital outlay projects include a new high school campus in a centralized location, up to three new elementary schools, two new middle schools, athletic field renovations, bus purchases and technology upgrades.

Construction of the high school campus and an elementary school are the school district’s top priorities. If the referendum passes, then construction of the high school could begin in a year. The school likely would open in three years. Students from all five of the county’s high schools would be eligible to attend the central campus, which would offer classes in areas such as cyber, engineering and energy.

“Students would be at their home school for a portion of the day, then go to this campus,” says Sandra Carraway, superintendent of schools. “By building this campus, we would not be rezoning. We could take advantage of great career preparation opportunities, and it would be cost efficient. We wouldn’t be duplicating courses at our traditional high schools.”

Through block scheduling with 800 students in each of two blocks, the school could serve 1,600 students. They would attend by choice, and upperclassmen potentially could pursue an internship in their career pathway.

“The goal is to respond to the needs of the work force and create a campus in which we can meet our growth needs without building a new high school,” Dekle says. “Education is the number one driver of our economy in Columbia County. It’s the reason people move to Columbia County.”

From 2010-11 to 2017-18, student enrollment in Columbia County grew by about 14 percent, resulting in overcrowded schools. The student population for 2019-2020 is projected to climb by 579 students for a total enrollment of 28,099.

“Our projections are based on historical growth,” Carraway says. “This year we projected our growth at 470 students, but we grew by 580 students.”

The school board expects student enrollment to keep increasing as the county population continues to rise, largely due to anticipated growth at the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, which is home to the U.S. Army Cyber Command, the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and the National Security Agency.

Since 2000, 16 schools have been constructed and paid in full with ESPLOST monies – Lewiston, River Ridge, Baker Place, Cedar Ridge, Evans, Martinez, Parkway, Grovetown and North Harlem elementary schools; Greenbrier, Columbia, Evans, Grovetown, Stallings Island, and Harlem middle schools and Grovetown High School.

Additions also have been built and paid in full with ESPLOST funds at Blue Ridge, Cedar Ridge, Lewiston, River Ridge and Baker Place elementary schools; Grovetown and Evans middle schools and Evans, Greenbrier and Lakeside high schools.

“I think it’s a great investment in the future of Columbia County,” Dekle says of ESPLOST. “If we maintain a great school system, we’ll maintain a great county.”

Should the referendum fall short, Carraway says the school district would have to resort to “more portables, serious rezoning and double sessions” to accommodate growth. “If we have to wait another year, then it would halt planning for a year,” she says.

Early voting is underway. To see a sample ballot with the ESPLOST referendum question before voting, registered voters in Columbia County can visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s website at mvp.sos.ga.gov.

By Betsy Gilliland