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| Issue 1.11 | Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008 | Forward to your friends! |
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FEEDBACK THE
LIST GOOD
NEWS ALSO INSIDE ___::
CALENDAR: Coming events |
ABOUT US CharlestonCurrents.com is a new online twice-weekly publication that offers insightful community comment and good news on events. It cuts through the information clutter to offer insight and news on the best of what's happening locally. More. |
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TODAY'S
FOCUS DEC. 11, 2008 -- The homogenization of the consumer experience as exemplified by the “big box” strip center has been widely shown to have a detrimental impact on local businesses and, by extension, the local economy.
A recent report from the Chicago Chamber of Commerce illustrated that almost 60 percent of each dollar spent at a national chain store or restaurant leaves the community. The efforts of groups like North-Charleston-based Lowcountry Local First have gained traction in the face of this financial flight, as concerned businesses work to re-establish farm-to-table food distribution channels and promote regional producers of consumer goods. Even in difficult economic times, many shoppers are finding ways to “go local.” Not so in the investment world. Despite the branch-on-every-corner approach of some firms, investors are hard pressed to find ways to channel their dollars into offerings that have a similar local impact. Within the financial services industry, the promotion of managed money programs, mutual funds and structured products such as annuities has become widespread, akin to the “big box” approach, with equally detrimental results. Not only do those dollars leave the community as investments in nationally-based or internationally-based companies, the structure of the financial products themselves often leaves investors with little control over the management of those funds, reducing or eliminating their shareholder rights. This is particularly apparent with investors who have less than $200,000 in assets, lost in the shuffle as financial firms rally around their top clients and preoccupy themselves with mergers and acquisitions. Rather than fulfill their fiduciary role in providing advice and education to all of their clientele, these firms instead focus on a small portion of their book of business and look only to weather the storm.
It’s high time investors took back the control of their portfolios and realized the potential of directing their finances toward opportunities in their own backyard. More than 50 publicly traded companies have their corporate headquarters or significant branches of their operations within a 100-mile radius of our fair city. These companies have an impact on the local economy, employing friends and neighbors, supporting charitable programs, and investing in our community. Entrepreneurs looking for capital as banks curtail lending are eager to work with investors in private ventures, often with a securitized return. Consider how much more successful you would be as an investor if you could attend annual shareholder meetings, read stories in the paper or in an online journal about the companies you keep, or walk down the street to check on the progress of a business you helped to finance. How much better would you feel about the direction of your retirement plan if you were able to see the impact of your dollars in your own community? While your annual return should always be competitive, there is a much greater dividend to be gained by going local when you invest. Josh Silverman is the managing partner of Silverman Strategies, a Registered Investment Advisor. Silverman Strategies’ mission is to discover opportunities for its clients to do well by doing good, aligning principles with portfolios for successful growth, including fee-only responsible investment advice, comprehensive small-business consulting, and investment capital for sustainable real estate projects and local business development. ANN
THRASH DEC. 11, 2008 -- Mention the word “ambrosia” in most parts of the country and people will think you’re talking about the legendary food that bestowed immortality on the Greek gods. Mention “ambrosia” in the South and the first thing many people think of – especially this time of year – is a delicious fruit dessert that’s a favorite on many of holiday tables.
We can probably all agree that at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day dinners, ambrosia has a place of honor. It’s a nice, lighter alternative to the syrupy pecan pies, rich coconut cakes and decadent red velvet cakes that, after a heavy meal, can be the breaking point for the old belt buckle. But the disagreement starts when talk turns to exactly what kinds of fruit belong in the bowl. Ask your beloved if he or she grew up having ambrosia at holiday meals. Then ask what Mom or Grandma put in it. A warning here: Passions may run high. Oranges? Certainly. Coconut? But of course. Bananas and maraschino cherries? Please – at that point, it’s just another fruit salad. Nuts? Yes, sweetie, you and your family are if you put those in there, too. Like that other local favorite, shrimp and grits, ambrosia started out humble and simple but has somehow gotten “updated” over the years with all manner of additions – some of them quite perplexing. The basic dish, a little research tells us, dates back to at least 1872, when “Mrs. Hill’s New Cookbook” provided a recipe with just three ingredients: oranges, coconut and pineapple. Many of the “bible” cookbooks in Lowcountry kitchens today stick with that formula or a close variation of it.
For example, “Hoppin’ John’s Lowcountry Cooking,” by John Martin Taylor (Houghton Mifflin), has oranges, pineapple, coconut and grapefruit. “Two Hundred Years of Charleston Cooking” (University of South Carolina Press) has oranges, pineapple, coconut and powdered sugar. Virtually all the recipes agree that oranges and coconut are defining ingredients. But far afield from the Holy City, ambrosia becomes things that bear little resemblance to Mrs. Hill’s simple dish. “Merry Christmas from Kentucky” has a Chilled Citrus Ambrosia (isn’t that redundant?) with oranges, pineapple chunks, canned fruit cocktail, apples, bananas, coconut and pecans. “The Texas Holiday Cookbook” has a recipe with a Texas-sized list of ingredients: oranges, grapefruit, red pears, green pears, red grapes, green grapes, pineapple, pomegranate (say what?), coconut, pecans, bananas and mini-marshmallows. Online, the Web site AllRecipes.com has Red, White and Blue Ambrosia (strawberries, coconut, mini-marshmallows, pineapple and blueberries) and a Melon Ambrosia based around watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew. Then there’s the vegan Web site that has a recipe with the imposing name of Nearly Raw Chocolate Ambrosia Tart With Nut Crust. It’s got Medjool dates, raw agave syrup, avocadoes (!) and cocoa powder. No oranges. No coconut. No pineapple. Hate to bring this up, but if you’d stuck with Mrs. Hill’s recipe, you wouldn’t have to settle for “nearly” raw, would you? Perhaps
the surprise in the whole ambrosia analysis is that two of Charleston’s
best-known cookbooks, the Junior League classics “Charleston Receipts”
and “Charleston Receipts Repeats,” don’t have an ambrosia
recipe at all. Then again, maybe those smart ladies at the League were
on to something: Like Nearly Raw Chocolate Ambrosia Tart With Nut Crust,
some things are just better off staying within the family. Ann Thrash is editor of CharlestonCurrents.com. You can reach her by email at: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
SPOTLIGHT
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents to you at no cost. This issue's featured underwriter BB&T, a regional bank that has built on a tradition of excellence in community banking since 1872. BB&T is a mission-driven organization with a clearly defined set of business principals and values. It encourages employees to have a strong sense of purpose, a high level of self-esteem and the capacity to think clearly and logically. BB&T offers clients a complete range of financial services including banking, lending, insurance, trust and wealth management solutions. To learn more, visit BB&T online or drop in to talk with its professionals at the main branch office at 151 Meeting Street, Charleston. Phone: (843)720-5168.
GOOD
NEWS Three college teams from the Charleston area have been named finalists in the Juicy Ideas Contest for creating a new use for throwaway items while conveying a message of being good stewards of the environment.
The contest, sponsored nationally by Google, challenged 12 student teams from Charleston Southern University, The Citadel, the College of Charleston and Trident Technical College to tap their imaginations, collaborate and create value out of trash. Teams had 10 days to work on their ideas. They chronicled their experiences on video, which they uploaded to YouTube for judging. Ideas were judged on five criteria: originality and creativity; entrepreneurship and innovation; environmental responsibility; critical-thinking skills; and team building and leadership. The finalists include:
All areas of the country with a Google data center were eligible to compete in the contest. The local sponsor was the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. The Charleston teams will face the winners from North Carolina, Oklahoma, Iowa and Oregon, and a national winner will be announced in mid-December. The grand-prize-winning team will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. For more information on the contest, visit Creative Juice Competition. Free compost to Christmas tree recyclers
Charleston County Solid Waste and Recycling will give a free bag of compost to anyone who brings a Christmas tree to the Bee’s Ferry Landfill Compost Facility after the holidays. Just “undecorate” the tree and bring it to the landfill the week of Jan. 3-Jan. 10 for recycling. Your tree will be composted at the facility, and you’ll get a free bag of compost in return. For more information, call Charleston County Solid Waste and Recycling at 720-7111 or 571-0929.
Charleston Stage has received a challenge grant through the Dorothy and Gaylord Donnelley Foundation and Dr. Fred Pittman that could bring in $100,000 for the financially struggling theater group.
Any donations the company receives before Dec. 31 will be matched one-to-one by challenge grants. “We must raise the full $50,000 by Dec. 31 to receive these matching funds,” said a Charleston Stage press release. Charleston
Stage is the state’s largest professional theater company and offers
among the most comprehensive arts education and outreach programs in the
state, reaching about 20,000 Lowcountry youngsters every year. For more
information, or to make a donation, go to http://www.charlestonstage.com.
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT The lettered olive (Oliva sayana) was declared the official state shell in legislation approved by Governor Richard Riley on May 8, 1984. In the act, legislators described the South Carolina coast as “one of the most widely promoted areas … for recreation and tourism” and noted that shelling along the state’s beaches had become “increasingly popular among residents as well as with the tourist trade.”
The lettered olive is prolific on the South Carolina coast. Dr. Edmund Ravenel, a Charleston physician who attained international renown as a pioneer conchologist, first recognized the lettered olive in 1834. He assembled a famous collection of mollusks from the waters and wetlands of the Charleston area and published the catalog of this collection in 1834. That work contained descriptions of several new mollusks, including the lettered olive. Oliva sayana is a predatory snail that lives in sandy environments from the intertidal zone down to twenty feet. It spends most of its time burrowing through the sand in search of prey. The shells are two to two and one-half inches in length and are colored grayish tan with brownish-purple zigzag bands. Their supposed resemblance to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs gave rise to the name “lettered.” The shell, much prized by collectors, is highly polished because the mollusk’s mantle, or shell building tissue, is large and envelops the entire shell while the creature is burrowing, protecting it from corrosive sand. Lettered olives are sometimes seen on the surface of the sand at night, and it is believed that they can flap their mantle lobes and swim through the shallow water, increasing their predatory range.
CREDITS CharlestonCurrents.com is provided to you twice a week by:
© 2008, Statehouse Report LLC. All rights reserved. CharlestonCurrents.com is published every Monday and Thursday by Statehouse Report LLC, PO Box 22261, Charleston, SC 29413. |
Five ways to feel younger
Dr. Mickey Barber, chief executive officer of Cenegenics Carolinas in downtown Charleston, offers five ways to feel younger now:
Cenegenics
Carolinas is an age-management medical institute that helps patients try
to prevent disease through diet, exercise, vitamins and hormone optimization.
More info: http://www.cenegenics-carolinas.com.
“The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer (1803-1882) Rural Mission Fund-Raiser: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today, Mad River Bar & Grill, 32 Market St., Charleston. Fun and entertainment to raise money to support local families in need. Donation of $5 provides food and beverages. Chance to win dinner at some of the area's best restaurants. More on Rural Mission. (NEW)
The Messiah: 8
p.m.
today,
Summerall Chapel, The Citadel. The Charleston Symphony Orchestra and its
Chamber Choir perform the holiday classic under the direction of conductor
Scott Terrell. Cost: $15 adults, $5 students (with ID). More
info is online. Fort Johnson Anniversary: 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11, Charleston County Library Main Branch Auditorium, 68 Calhoun St., Charleston. The Charleston Archive and the Mayor's Walled City Task Force sponsor a free, illustrated talk by Dr. Nic Butler, manager of the archive and the historian for the task force, to mark the 300th anniversary of the building of the fort. Archaeologist Carl Steen will discuss his recent investigations at the site. More info: 805-6968 or butlern@ccpl.org. Growing Up Gifted: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 13, Rooms 117 and 118, School of Education, Health and Human Performance at the College of Charleston Alumni Center, 86 Wentworth St. Educational session for parents of gifted children; speakers include local and state experts and advocates for programs for exceptional children. Reservations: Stacey Lindbergh, 437-1751 or slindbergh@homesc.com. Historic Crafts: 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 13, Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St. Family-oriented annual event in which kids can make a cornhusk doll, spin a potter's wheel and construct a gingerbread house. Free for museum members; for nonmembers, program is free with regular museum admission of $10 per adult, $5 per child (free for those younger than 3). More info. (NEW)
Spirituals at Drayton Hall: Dec. 13 and Dec. 14,
Drayton Hall Plantation. Ann Caldwell and the Magnolia Singers perform
at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13, and at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Dec. 14, in the candlelit
great hall. Performances include music that could have been heard centuries
ago in the fields and praise houses that surrounded Drayton Hall. Tickets
include a reception and informal tours of the house led by Drayton Hall
guides. Cost: $35 for adults, $30 for Friends of Drayton Hall. Reservations
(required): 769-2605. More
info can be found online. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON Chanukah in the Square: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 21, Marion Square, downtown Charleston. Citywide celebration of the Festival of Lights, marking the first night of Chanukah. Live music, performance by the Jewish Choral Society, craft tables for kids (make your own dreidel or menorah), face-painting and more. Free and open to the public. 'A Christmas Carol': Dec. 4-21, College of Charleston Sottile Theatre, 44 George St., Charleston. Charleston Stage production of Charles Dickens' classic novel of the season. Tickets: $41-$10. To see showtimes and buy tickets, click here. Holiday Festival of Lights: Through Jan. 4, James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Drive, James Island. Millions of sparkling lights and hundreds of imaginative displays line a 3-mile drive through the park. Also includes marshmallow-roasting and activities for kids, gift shop and walking trail through Winter Wonderland. More info. Also see more here. MLK Concert: 4 p.m. Jan. 18, Mount Moriah Family Living Center, 7396 Rivers Ave., North Charleston. "Perseverance: Where Do We Go From Here: A Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.," presented by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir and the city of North Charleston's Cultural Arts Department, featuring music, historical audio and video footage. Free; donations will be accepted at the door to support the choir's community outreach work. First-come, first-served entry tickets available at the Gaillard Auditorium Box Office in downtown Charleston; Mount Moriah Family Living Center in North Charleston or the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department. In this section, we offer a list of good reads that you might want to consider reading:
FOCUS ARCHIVES 12/8:
Butler:
Fort Johnson's 300th THRASH ARCHIVES 12/4:
Museums
offer holiday insights BRACK ARCHIVES 12/8:
Barbecue
should be state meat LIST ARCHIVES 12/8:
Top
5 requested art works SISTER PUBLICATIONS We encourage you to check out our sister publications:
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