Q&A on the News
Q: I heard on a recent Sunday in the Hall County area, three men disrupted a church service with strange gestures and bowing. There are a lot of rumors going on about that. Can you check out this wild story?
—Elmer K. Miller, Cumming
A: Two men who were bowing and raising their hands above their heads disrupted a service at New Haven Church in Gainesville on Aug. 17. Church members spoke with the men, who left the service.
County Sheriff Gerald Couch told AccessNorthGa.com that church members were concerned about their safety during and after the incident. “I think that people perceived that the bowing was outside the ordinary and with all the news from the Middle East, everybody is hypersensitive and people assumed a great deal. Luckily, we found out it was not more than that,” Couch told the news agency.
Q: With the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra lockout, I was curious about the musicians’ salaries. What does one get to be first violin, etc.?
—Mike O’Neill, Alpharetta
A: The base pay for an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra musician is $76,000 a year. Musicians in first positions or who have certain levels of seniority receive higher salaries, a symphony spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email.
Musicians play with the symphony for 42 weeks a year, leaving time for many to teach, coach or play with other orchestra groups or in various festivals throughout the country. Talks have stalled between Atlanta Symphony Orchestra management and the musicians regarding a new collective bargaining agreement. The start of the 2014-15 season, scheduled for Sept. 25, might be delayed or canceled.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
