Photo courtesy of St. James United Methodist Church

Churches in downtown Augusta will open their doors for visitors to take a walk through their sanctuaries and through the past on Sunday, October 25. All of the participating churches are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and their histories represent many firsts for the community and for their denominations. However, the goal of the tour is to highlight the influence that these institutions have had on Augusta for more than 200 years.

The tour is an encore event following the success of last year’s historic church tour.

“It’s not an annual event, but last year we had such a great response. And a lot of people didn’t get to all of the churches,” says Rachel Gregory, the Sacred Heart Cultural Center rental director.

She says about 100 people came to Sacred Heart during last year’s tour, and other participating churches reported similar numbers.

“The churches want someone who hasn’t walked into a church to feel welcome,” Gregory says. “And a lot of the people who came on the tour have a history with a particular church. Maybe their parents got married there.”

Visitors can see historic places such as the oldest surviving Catholic church building in Georgia, and a church that was used as a hospital during the Civil War. They can visit the site where Civil Rights activist Dr. W.E.B. Dubois spoke in 1898 and the meeting place of Augusta’s first English-speaking Lutheran congregation. They can see the nation’s oldest independent African-American Church in continuous existence and likely the oldest religious building of Greek Orthodox design in the Southeast.

Participating churches are:

• Catholic Church of the Most Holy Trinity
• First Presbyterian
• Thankful Baptist
• St. James United Methodist
• Metropolitan Community Church of Our Redeemer
• First Christian
• St. John United Methodist
• Southern Bible Institute and Seminary (The building, an example of the Beaux-Arts architectural style, will not be open for the tour.)
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
• Union Baptist
• Sacred Heart Cultural Center
• Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox
• Springfield Baptist
• St. Paul’s

Docents and written information will be on hand at the churches. Maps for the self-guided tour are available at any of the participating churches or online at historicaugusta.org.

 If You Go:

 What: Historic Downtown Augusta Church Tour

 When: Sunday, October 25; times vary, but most of the churches will be open 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: Telfair, Greene, Walker, Reynolds and 12th streets

How Much: Free

More Info: historicaugusta.org

Bring your appetites — starting this month, concertgoers can reserve a pre-show dinner at the Augusta Amusements concert series.

Local audiences can enjoy two evenings of musical entertainment when Augusta Amusements presents the Broadway Boys and Billy Joel Tribute, The Stranger featuring Mike Santoro, this month. New this year, Augusta Amusements also is offering a limited quantity of pre-show dinners at Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center, where the concerts are held.

The Broadway Boys will appear Thursday, October 15. Reserved seat tickets are $43. The Broadway Boys completely reinvent classic songs by adding elements of pop, funk, gospel, jazz and folk to show tunes and classic pop songs. Performing in groups of six, the Boys explore harmonies rarely presented by Broadway singers.

The group was created in June of 2005 to play a single night at a New York City club. The overwhelming response and a packed bar brought the Boys back again for another sold-out evening.

Performances by the Broadway Boys, a collection of the hottest male voices currently working on the New York stage, have two main objectives. The singers strive to introduce audiences outside the theater community to different music genres by fusing Broadway tunes and pop styles. The group also tries to present the Broadway community and its audiences with new arrangements of familiar songs.

Billy Joel Tribute, The Stranger featuring Mike Santoro, is scheduled for Saturday, October 24. Reserved seat tickets are $35. The six-piece band offers an authentic replication of Joel’s music, which has entertained fans for decades.

Like Joel, founder and front man Santoro, the lead vocalist who also plays piano, was born and raised in Levittown, New York. The performance will feature everything from Joel’s radio hits to his classic B-sides. The singers also will perform songs by other artists such as Elton John and Paul McCartney.

The dinner includes grilled Alaskan salmon with dill sauce, rice and grain medley, kale salad and brownie cake. (Beef carving steak can be substituted for the salmon.) The dinner costs $25, which includes tax and gratuity. A glass of wine can be added for $5. Meals must be reserved at least 48 hours in advance of the show, and dinner guests must arrive between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Both performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at

www.augustaamusements.com or by calling the box office at (706) 726-0366. Dinners can be reserved by calling the box office.

It’s easy to enjoy a day along the Savannah River. But why not enjoy an evening of fun and entertainment along the river as well? Central Savannah River Land Trust will hold its annual Bash on the Banks on Thursday, October 29 at the River Island Clubhouse.

The Bash will showcase more than 100 acres of riverbank that have been protected by the Land Trust. However, the natural setting is not the event’s only attraction. The Unmentionables will provide live music, and Bird Dog Grille and T’s Restaurant will cater the meal so that people can enjoy an oyster roast and shrimp and grits. A cash bar will be available as well.

“The Bash is a celebration of our conservation successes,” says Alison Nelson, the CSRLT communications director. “We want people to partner with us and join with us in our mission to continue our efforts of conservation of special areas in the CSRA. Not only is it a time for celebrating our conservation success and joining with our members and supporters that help us to continue our mission. It’s also just an old-fashioned good time.”

A group of Phinizy Swamp Nature Park board members and volunteers founded the Land Trust in 2001, and Deke Copenhaver became its first director. The nationally accredited nonprofit organization is funded entirely by charitable donations and grants, and it has protected more than 6,000 acres of land throughout the Central Savannah River Area. Currently, the Land Trust is working on a number of projects that will preserve thousands of additional acres in the area in the next three to five years. These projects include a piece of property in Harlem, which the Land Trust owns and is working on restoring for public use.

“Since the beginning the Land Trust’s focus has been on the wild, natural, unique and irreplaceable natural areas found throughout our community,” says Hazel Cook, executive director. “Our mission is to preserve these areas that are integral to our community’s character and quality of life – forever.”

The Land Trust started its work in Columbia, Richmond and McDuffie counties. Through the years, however, it has expanded its conservation efforts into Aiken, Edgefield and Barnwell counties in South Carolina and as far upstream as Hart County and as far south as Statesboro in Georgia.

The organization has worked with local governments as well as individual neighborhoods and communities to preserve areas for public recreation and for residents’ recreation in neighborhoods such as River Island. In addition, the Land Trust has joined forces with private landowners, farmers and ranchers to preserve natural resources in the area.

“Folks drive by many of these properties every day without even knowing it,” says Cook. “But I guarantee they’d miss the trees and the fields if they were to disappear.”

The Land Trust focuses its efforts on protecting large areas of natural habitat, the major sources of our drinking water, larger forests that purify the air and grand vistas that offer scenic views.

“Public recreation is just a small part of what we do,” Cook says. “The beautiful headgates and park area near the Savannah Rapids Pavilion is a great example of a property preserved by the Land Trust, which is open to the public for recreation. 

Although the Savannah River runs through a metropolitan area of more than 500,000 people, much of the river remains untouched by development.

“It is the source of our drinking water, the powerhouse behind many local industries, the place where we spend a lazy Saturday with our kids swimming in the lake or fishing or kayaking. The list goes on,” Cook says. “Seriously where else can you find a major metropolis with such a rare and precious – and relatively unspoiled – resource at its doorstep?”

While the region has modernized in many ways, she continues, the local forests, fields, wetlands and greenspaces enhance our quality of life. In addition, because the CSRA is located on the fall line where the Lowcountry’s coastal plains meet the Upstate’s mountainous Piedmont region, the area has a diverse ecology that includes many rare or endangered plants and animals.

“While progress is certainly wonderful, if it comes at the expense of our local environment, we will all be at a loss,” says Cook. “The Land Trust is so important because we are preserving that, for everyone, in all parts of our community. And we are guaranteeing that we will be the guardians of these special places forever.”

If You Go:

What: Bash on the Banks, benefiting Central Savannah River Land Trust

When: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday, October 2 

Where: River Island Clubhouse, Evans

How Much: $50 per individual; $90 per couple. Tickets to the event and drink tickets are available online at csrlt.org/events/ or at the door. Tickets also can be purchased by mailing a check to Central Savannah River Land Trust, Attention Bash Tickets, P.O. Box 148, Augusta, GA 30903.

More Info: csrlt.org

Kicking off the 2015-16 season with a performance by legendary trumpeter Doc Severinsen, Augusta Amusements brings 12 talented acts to Columbia County

Augusta Amusements has a knack for bringing talented entertainers to the area, and this season its lineup of 12 performances will offer showmanship at its finest. While some acts such as the Annie Moses Band and the Glenn Miller Orchestra will make encore performances, others will bring local concertgoers exciting new entertainment.

Doc Severinsen and His Big Band will kick off the 2015-16 season on Saturday, September 12. Tickets are $67.

The Grammy-winning bandleader on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” was as well known for his flamboyant fashion and his quick wit as he was for his trumpet. And he has been sharing his talents with appreciative audiences ever since. Within a week of the late-night show’s final telecast in May of 1992, Severinsen was on the road with his big band.

In addition to touring regularly with his band during his 60-year career, Severinsen performs with symphony orchestras all across the country. He has made more than 30 albums in genres ranging from big band to jazz-fusion to classical. The Very Best of Doc Severinsen reprises 15 of his signature pieces. He received a Grammy for “Best Jazz Instrumental Performance – Big Band” for his recording of Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band-Volume I.

Other performances this season include The Broadway Boys, The Stranger – Billy Joel Tribute Experience, Collin Raye, Live from Nashville, Johnny Peers & Muttville Comix, Band on the Run – The McCartney Years, Evening in the Round, Henry Gross and futurist Adam Trent.

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center in Evans. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit augustaamusements.com or call (706) 726-0366. Season tickets are available as well.

State and regional brew masters will showcase their talents at the second annual Augusta Beerfest

Break out your beer steins because it’s time once again to celebrate Augusta’s growing beer craft culture. The second annual Augusta Beerfest will be held at the Bell Auditorium Saturday, August 15. More than 100 beers, crafted by brew masters and brewers from all across the state and region, will be available for tasting. Tickets include a souvenir tasting cup and all the beer you can sample.

The event is open to people age 21 and older. If you get hungry, local food trucks will provide food for purchase. If you’re a connoisseur or even just a lover of the lager, VIP tickets also are being offered. This package includes exclusive beers, paired hors d’oeuvres, a VIP area on the Bell Auditorium stage, a T-shirt and one-hour early access to whichever session you choose.

Participating breweries include Sam Adams, Jekyll, Eagle Creek, Three Taverns, 21st Amendment, Highland Brewing, Anderson Valley, Founders Brewing, Victory, Great Divide, Bells and Dogfish Head.

– Caitlin Conger

A former Evans High School baseball star is selected by the San Diego Padres in the 29th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Evans native Tyler Moore burned up the base paths during his three-year baseball career at the University of South Carolina-Aiken. Now he is on a path to pursue his lifelong dream of playing in the major leagues. The San Diego Padres drafted him in the 29th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in June.

“Once I got drafted, everything started going really fast,” says Moore, who was the 867th overall pick.

Two days after he was drafted, he flew to Arizona to play Rookie League baseball through September 1. He says he didn’t care which team drafted him, but the Padres showed the most interest in him. “They called me a lot, and I had two workouts with them,” he says.

The 5-foot-8-inch Moore, who calls his arm and his speed his greatest strengths, played in the outfield for the Pacers. However, he says the Padres want to put him at second base.

“I’ll try my best to play second base. I played that position on a few travel teams when I was growing up, and I played shortstop in high school,” he says.

Moore played baseball and basketball at Evans High School. In his senior year, he was the baseball team MVP and won the basketball team’s award for the best defensive player. His classmates also selected him as Most Athletic and Homecoming King.

At USC-Aiken, Moore started 41 games as a junior and had a .362 batting average. He had 16 stolen bases, the second-highest number on the team, and four outfield assists. He also drove in 32 runs, scored 48 times and tallied 10 extra-base hits. In his sophomore season, he hit a school-record 10 triples while batting .377. He led the team with 24 steals and posted 84 hits in 52 games. As a freshman, he batted .384, had nine multi-hit games and stole 13 bases.

Moore was the second Pacer picked in the draft this season after four were selected a year ago. He is grateful for the chance to play on the next level.

“It means a lot to be able to pursue my dream and play professional ball. Some people don’t get the opportunity to play after college,” he says.

New Military Memorial Wall honors armed forces members

To honor its fallen soldiers, Columbia County has completed construction of a new Military Memorial Wall behind Columbia County Library in Evans.

The dedication ceremony for the wall has not yet been scheduled, says John Paul Stout, the county Facility Services special projects manager, but it will be held on a date that has military significance.

The wall will include three plaques to honor those who have served in the armed forces. Two of the plaques will list conflicts dating back to the Civil War, and the names of the Columbia County residents who died in action will be listed under each war. The names will include any fallen soldiers who, according to Department of Defense records, listed Columbia County as their home of residence at the start of their service 

“People will be surprised at the staggering number of Columbia County residents that gave their lives in the Civil War,” Stout says. “The vast majority of fallen soldiers from Columbia County served in the Civil War. 

Local historian David Butler was the primary researcher for the project, and sources included the National Archives and the Georgia Historical Society. The county provided assistance as well 

“We took the task of researching the names and getting the information correct very seriously,” says Stout. “We’re happy to give our service members the respect they deserve.”

The third plaque will have space for people to purchase an individual placard to honor anyone, living or deceased, who has served in the military. “We’re still working on the procedure and verification process for that policy,” Stout says. “We’re also looking at doing something to honor Fort Gordon, but the manner in which we will execute that has yet to be determined.”

In addition to the curved brick wall, the memoriam will include a fountain and seven flagpoles to fly an American flag, a flag representing each of the five branches of the military and a POW-MIA flag. The flags will be raised at the dedication ceremony.

“It will be a site for reflection to remember the people who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” says Stout. “We’re proud of our service history in Columbia County and our link to the armed forces.”

The cost of the project, which was funded by Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax monies, totaled about $170,000.

Charities spar to deliver a knockout blow to hunger in the area

It may not be a food fight of Animal House proportions, but Columbia County Cares and the Salvation Army once again will engage in a little friendly competition in the annual Food 2 Fight Hunger Drive. The community food drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 25 in Columbia County at the Evans Kroger on Washington Road and in Richmond County at the National Hills Kroger on Washington Road.

“This year we are focusing on the Backpack for Kids program to make sure no child goes hungry during the school year,” says Susanne Beeland, the Columbia County food pantry representative. This program sends bags of food home with children during the school year to ensure they will not go hungry on weekends.

In past years, Richmond and Columbia counties also competed to see how tall they could build a food tower. This year, however, they are switching it up with a weight contest. Scales will be on hand at both locations to weigh the food and determine the winner.

The drive will accept any kind of food from any donor – whether purchased at Kroger or brought from home – and cash donations. Local businesses, civic organizations and churches also can collect contributions for the event at their own drives. Both sides will create designs out of the donated canned goods, and the Augusta GreenJackets will be at the Columbia County location. Bring the kids to meet Augie and to support your county in the contest.

– Caitlin Conger

GRU maintenance supervisor Tim Dobbs checks on the observation beehive he built and installed on the Summerville campus in collaboration with biology professor Donna Wear.

New beehive on the GRU Summerville campus highlights the vital role of honeybees

It’s always good to “bee” aware of the world around you, but sometimes the absence of something is just as important as its presence. The United States’ honeybee population has been in steep decline over the last decade or more, but a special addition to Georgia Regents University is teaching students to be part of solution.

An observation beehive in the Shetfall-Cleckley Greenhouse at GRU’s Summerville Campus was installed in April in hopes that students learn and see firsthand how integral the honeybee is to the earth’s ecological system. GRU Facilities Management Maintenance Supervisor Tim Dobbs, an amateur bee enthusiast, built and installed the hive.

Professor Donna Wear’s Evolutionary Biology class was the first group to visit the observation hive this spring.

“Honeybees are fascinating social organisms from both an ecological and evolutionary perspective. Pollinators are crucial to our global production of food. In fact, about one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” Wear says.

The insect’s vital role in food production is why their disappearance is so concerning. Scientists have yet to isolate a single cause of the honeybees’ demise, called colony collapse disorder, but a certain type of pesticide introduced in the 1990s has been known to interfere with a bee’s homing ability.

“The observation hive provides a wonderful teaching and learning opportunity for students of all ages, who need to be reminded of the ecological processes that feed us,” Wear says

Pollinator Friendly Practices

The declining population of honeybees, one of the world’s leading pollinators, is a cause for concern because of the insect’s vital role in food production. However, there are ways that you can help revive the populations of honeybees and other pollinators.

• Use native plants that are adapted to the local climate and soils.
• Plant a variety of flowers to bloom continually from early spring to early fall.
• Provide bare ground or a shallow birdbath filled with soil, sprinkled with sea salt and kept moist to create a source of water and minerals for pollinators.
• Include plants for caterpillars, which require particular host plants. Caterpillars eat the foliage of their host plants, but the average gardener won’t notice the damage until at least 10 percent of the leaves are affected.
• Help pollinators find the plants they need by planting them in clumps rather than singly. Clustering plants also shortens the distance that pollinators need to travel.
• Provide a variety of flower shapes and colors since different pollinators are attracted to different types of flowers.
• Build a bee condo or leave dead trees or limbs to create nesting habitat for bees
• Avoid using pesticides if at all possible. If you want butterflies, then you need caterpillars – and the nibbled leaves that go with them!
• Avoid modern hybrids, especially those with “doubled” flowers, since pollen, nectar and scent can be lost in the cultivation process.

Source: Garden Media Group 2014 Garden Trend Report

The Savannah River Sail and Power Squadron is conducting free vessel safety checks to verify that boats have the required safety equipment and documentation.

A trained specialist that is a member of the U.S. Power Squadrons or the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will examine recreational vessels including yachts, cruisers, pontoons, canoes, kayaks and jet skis.

The inspectors check to make sure vessels are equipped with safety measures such as lifejackets, fire extinguishers, visual distress signals, sound-making devices, navigation lights and regulatory requirements such as registration numbers.

“Lifejackets are extremely important, and they must be in good condition,” says Butch Rachal, past commander of the Savannah River Sail and Power Squadron.

The examiners also make safety recommendations and discuss issues that will improve boating safety for vessel owners. No citations are given as a result of the inspection. However, Rachal says, “If you fail, we’ll tell you why you failed.”

Inspections are good for a year, and watercraft that pass inspection will receive the nationally recognized Vessel Safety Check decal.

The free safety inspections, which take about 20 minutes, are conducted upon request, and examiners will come to the watercraft owners. To schedule an inspection, contact Rachal at (803) 443-1983 or Paulette Harris-Holmes, commander, at (706) 737-8113.

Safe boating classes also are available. Anyone who is interested in taking a class can contact Bernie Pohlman at (706) 294-9929.

Visit usps.org/localusps/savannahriver/vsc for more information.

“Hey, Hey Baby” — beach music fans don’t have to ask, “What Kind of Fool Do Think I Am?” to “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.” They just need to be at Evans Towne Center Park for Summer Beach Blast on Friday, June 12.

That’s when three classic beach bands — The Tams, the Swingin’ Medallions and Hack Bartley and Shuffle — take the stage at the Lady Antebellum Pavilion.

Adult tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate, and children 12 and under are free. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the concert begins at 6 p.m. No coolers are allowed, but food and beverage vendors will be on hand. Bring chairs or blankets, and, of course, your fancy footwork.

 If You Go:

 What: Summer Beach Blast

 When: Friday, June 12

 Where: Evans Towne Center Park

 How Much: $10 and $15

 More Info: evanstownecenterpark.com

Get ready to dance the night away again at the second annual Martinez-Evans Teen Town Community Reunion, set for Saturday, June 20, at the Elks Lodge off Furys Ferry Road.

“This reunion is a chance for those who grew up in Martinez and Evans in the ’50s,’60s and ’70s to get together and have fun,” says reunion committee member Susan Agner. “Back in the ’60s, we were a small community and everyone was like family. It’s fun to reconnect with people you haven’t seen in years.”

And you don’t even need to be a Teen Town alum to attend. “If you lived here then,” says Agner, “you’ll see a whole lot of people you know.”

“Last year we had about 125 people,” she says. “We expect there will be even more this year. Word really spread after last year, and we’ve already gotten checks from people in other states like California, Arizona, Florida and North Carolina.”

The reunion will feature music from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s by a DJ, dancing, hors d’oeuvres, contests (how are your hula hoop skills?) and a cash bar. But it’s the memories that truly matter.

“It’s really about seeing friends and recalling old times,” Agner says. “That’s what’s really important.” All proceeds will benefit the Augusta Warrior Project.

If You Go:

What: Martinez-Evans Teen Town Community Reunion

When: 7 p.m. – midnight Saturday, June 20

Where: Elks Lodge, 205 Elkdom Court, Augusta

How Much: $20

More Info: Call (706) 833-6752 or visit the Martinez Evans Teentown Reunion page on Facebook

If you can’t make it to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 2, then the next-best place to be is the Legends Club for the annual Derby Day party. Horse racing fans or people who just like to have fun can cheer on their favorite horses like they’re at Louisville’s famous racetrack.
Partygoers can nibble on Southern cuisine and sip – what else? – mint juleps while they watch a live broadcast of the Run for the Roses on giant TV screens. The event also features live music, outdoor games, raffles, equestrian fanfare, a ladies hat contest and a gentlemen’s fashion contest. A silent auction also will feature artwork by employees of Augusta Training Shop.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Augusta Training Shop, a nonprofit that was established in 1947. The organization employs mentally and physically challenged adults who have been taught to repair, strip and refinish furniture; re-cane chairs and polish metals.

If You Go:

What: Derby Day

When: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday, May 2

Where: Legends Club

How Much: $75 in advance at any Georgia Bank & Trust location; online at AugustaTrainingShop.com or by calling (706) 738-1358; $100 at the door. Price includes all food and beverages.

More Info: AugustaTrainingShop.com