Santa looks a lot like Mickey. Or Mickey looks a lot like him. Believe it or not, Mickey, an award-winning photographer in West Columbia, has been dressing up like “The Big Guy” for 30 years. As Old Kris Kringle, he’s surprised children at birthday parties, schools, parades, and during photo shoot sessions for other photographers and at his own studio, G Studios in Cayce. Mickey’s costume is authentic; his dark crimson velvet suit was tailor-made and, a few years ago, his beard miraculously lightened and is as white as snow. “Kids’ eyes get so big when they see me,” he says. “Whether I’m dressed up or not, they think I’m Santa.” And is he? “It’s as you believe,” he says.

What he likes about reading skirt!: “The graphics.”

And wearing a skirt: “It’s just fun!”
 

ONLINE EXTRAS:

1. There was an 8 mm camera running at every family event when Mickey was a young boy.

2. Mickey, a music major, wants to learn to play the bagpipes "before he's too old."

3. Though Mickey has been decorated with many awards, he says that the best thing he has accomplished is 40 years of marriage.

The Kritzas Brothers were “raised” in Acropolis, their family’s Greek restaurant in Aiken. Yianne, the oldest, says he and Demitri once fought like “cats and dogs.” Now, the twenty-five and twenty-year-old sons of native Greek parents are peacefully living and dancing together. The brothers learned Greek Folk Dancing at age 12 and view the celebratory group dances as a form of expression. “It’s tradition for Greeks to dance at weddings and on holidays,” Demitri says. Yianne is an Environmental Health Manager for SC DHEC and an aspiring dentist, and Demitri is a finance student at USC Aiken and a future stockbroker. But both help out in the kitchen. “It’s a family business…literally,” Yianne says. Don’t miss the brothers cooking and dancing in skirts at The Greek Festival in Augusta October 9-11.

What they liked about wearing skirts: “Our costume is traditional military garb; it relates to our culture and past.”

Like all GreenJackets, Scott sports the bling. Even though he didn’t make a home run or a catch all season to help Augusta’s Minor League Baseball team win the South Atlantic Championship and those giant championship rings. He was there play-by-play announcing, entertaining, and cheering from the press box. Scott is “The Voice of the GreenJackets” and arguably the most overqualified PA Announcer in Minor League Baseball. Scott has a communications degree from the State University of New York and throughout his career managed a number of professional teams. “I was an assistant GM and a GM,” he says, “but I got the mic every chance I got.” Now an Account Executive and Marketing Specialist with News Channel 6, Scott announces part-time because it keeps him close to the game.


What he likes about reading skirt!: “If there’s an issue affecting women, skirt! is right there to cover it.” 

What he liked about wearing a skirt: “Showing off my tan legs!”
 

ONLINE EXTRAS:
1. Scott also announces for Evans High School's football games.

2. Growing up, whatever sport was in season was Scott's favorite. He played baseball, soccer, hockey, handball, basketball and volleyball.

When Todd throws a party, people show up. Maybe it’s his laid-back style, his zest for life, or the fact that he spends 50% of his day doing charity work. There’s just something about Todd and his main objective, “to raise money and have fun,” that philanthropies and party-goers love. Todd is a landscape contractor and “Mr. Mom,” raising four kids by himself; he also helps market 302 Polo, serves on the board of Aiken Equine Charities, and he and two friends started the Lobster Races 25 years ago. Todd says, what started as a sort of “fourth leg of the Triple Crown,” turned into “Aiken’s spoof of the Kentucky Derby” and the oldest street festival in the city. Thanks be to Todd, the first Friday in May is a day where kids, lobsters and adults play in the street to benefit the physically and mentally handicapped in Aiken.

What he likes about reading skirt!: “It covers people doing things for their communities.”

And wearing a skirt: “I’ve worn a skirt (or dress) three times to help charitable events.”

Bryan and the Exchange Club of Richmond County are cooking up an event to benefit abused, neglected and abandoned children in the CSRA. Since the Exchange Club partnered with Child Enrichment Inc. five years ago, they’ve helped raise more than $100,000 with the Cookin’ For Kids event. “Cookin’ For Kids is a wild game cook-off,” Bryan says. “And The Exchange Club is the backbone, the manpower for the event.” Bryan, a Project Accountant at CH2MHILL, served as president of the Exchange Club and helped establish their partnership with Child Enrichment. “It was a sure fit with our national focus,” he says. Join Bryan March 27 and 28 at Daniel Field and sample the best large and small game, fish and barbecue in town.

What Bryan likes about reading skirt!? Understanding women’s point of views.

And wearing a skirt? It was freedom on several different aspects. 

ONLINE EXTRAS:

1. CH2MHILL, Bryan’s employer, rebuilt Enterprise Mill and now has offices there.

2. Augusta’s Child Advocacy Center, which provides forensic interviews for kids suspected of being sexually abused, has been around since 1986 and was the first in Georgia. 

­The 27-year-old Puerto Rican native has taken dancing a step further in Augusta. As owner of A&E Dance Studio and Tropicabana, he offers a unique, hybrid locale where people can learn ballroom, swing and Latin dance in his studio by day, and show off their moves and mingle in the adjoining club at night. Mostly, Eduardo enjoys bringing people out of their shells, “building confidence in my students and giving them the tools to feel comfortable on the dance floor and with themselves.” He recently opened another studio in Aiken. When Eduardo’s not working, you can find him using his fancy footwork on the soccer field, giving free salsa lessons to Richmond County teachers, and playing with his dog, Jackson.

What Eduardo likes about reading skirt!: “Its creativeness in ad design.”

And wearing a skirt? “It makes my legs look sexy when I’m dancing.”

Andrew’s always dreamed of opening a restaurant. But his dad said he had to go to college. So, he did. Andrew went to Augusta College and then New England Culinary Institute. There he learned French skills and culinary techniques that he incorporated into his vast knowledge from years of experience in commercial kitchens. Beginning at age 15, Andrew made salads and desserts at the Partridge Inn. He’s sold groceries for PYA Monarch, worked as a line cook at the Four Seasons, Harvest and Spice, was a banquet chef at Pullman Hall, and General Manager of Wild Wing and Tako Sushi. Andrew says owning Crums on Central is similar to running someone else’s restaurant. “Except you write more checks,” he jokes.

What he liked about wearing a skirt: “It was liberating!”

What he likes about reading skirt!: “The color pictures.” 

3 ONLINE EXTRAS ABOUT ANDREW:

1. Andrew says Crums menu is Provencal, a fusion of his classic French teachings and his Southern roots.

2. Andrew chose the old Cafe Du Teau building as the site for Crums because he used to have so much fun in the place and it was a shame that such a cool building was unoccupied.

Kenny and Bobby celebrated the millennium with a Y2K Bash and the party still hasn’t ended. On New Years Eve 1999, the brothers and two friends opened the doors to downtown’s Metro Coffeehouse and Pub. Augusta embraced the coffeehouse/bar idea and it’s become one of the area’s day and nighttime hotspots. There’s a five and a half year age difference between these two, and most people wrongly assume Kenny’s the younger brother. “Maybe because his hair’s screaming up,” Bobby says.

I’m A Feminist Because...

 “…I’ve had the honor of participating in hundreds of births, and have seen first hand the strength and courage of women. Their strength is not in their muscles (although many are), but in their hearts and minds. If men birthed babies, we would have been extinct centuries ago!”

Dr. Ron Eaker lives in a world of estrogen; he’s a “female doctor,” a husband, and a father to two girls and three female pets.

I’m A Feminist Because... 

“…I don’t stand on a street corner and wave a banner, but I believe women should be treated fairly. Truth be told, I wish my wife could be the primary bread-winner and I could stay home with the kids!”

Mark Thrailkill is a Learjet mechanic and a coach at The First Tee. He cooks, cleans, sews, and takes his daughter to Hannah Montana concerts.

Jonathan put on his first baseball glove at age five and hasn’t missed a season since. Now, he’s one of the starting pitchers for the USC Aiken Pacers baseball team. The team recently finished tenth in the nation and was just one win away from the NCAA Division Two College World Series. Jonathan has a six in one record, a backup plan of being a high school history teacher and baseball coach, and a big dream of playing for the Atlanta Braves. “My mom sacrificed a lot and worked two jobs to allow me to follow my dream,” he says.

Corey insists his paintings are white and black, not black and white. “To the white canvas,” he explains, “I add as little black as possible to convey the essence of the subject.” Corey uses only black and charcoal acrylic paint to create portraits of intimate, close-up faces. Corey never signs his larger-than-life sized masterpieces. Instead, on a CSF original, you’ll find Corey’s thumbprint in a flurry of strokes or on the side of the frame. Corey’s ability to capture facial features in as few brush strokes as possible is earning him acclaim throughout the US.