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Issue
1.19 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009 |
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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 JAN. 15, 2008 -- The city of Charleston is well known as an arts destination, with a vibrant community of contemporary artists. Throughout our 150 year history, the Gibbes Museum of Art has supported contemporary art by collecting and exhibiting local and regional artists during the prime of their careers. However, in 2007 the museum decided to take our commitment to contemporary art one step further through the establishment of the Factor Prize for Southern Art, funded by local philanthropists Elizabeth and Mallory Factor.
Awarded annually, the Factor Prize honors a living artist whose work contributes to a new understanding of the South. The prize is accompanied by a cash award of $10,000, given to the winner with no strings attached. The winner can use the money however he or she sees fit, whether it be purchasing supplies to create new work, renovating studio space or studying abroad. The prize not only serves to honor the accomplishments of living Southern artists, but to support the continued success of their careers. The 2008 prize was awarded to photographer Jeff Whetstone, a Tennessee native who currently resides in North Carolina. Whetstone was selected not only for his technical skill as a photographer but also for his conceptual approach to his work. Influenced by his background in zoology, Whetstone's photographs explore the relationship between man and nature in the Southern landscape. Applications for the 2009 prize are being accepted on the Factor Prize Web site through Jan. 30. A panel of judges will select a short list of finalists in March and the winner will be announced at the museum on May 4.
Unlike any other award, the Factor Prize is also designed to create an archive of information about Southern artists that can be used by curators, collectors, academicians and the public. This is possible through the online application process. Any Southern artist is welcome to apply, and once the artist does so, his or her work appears on the Factor Prize Web site. Users can search by artist name, state, or category of art, to be able to view work by one of the hundreds of artists included on the site. Searching the Prize Web site yields a diverse array of art - from outdoor installations to abstract sculpture to traditional landscape painting. This diversity is what makes the prize, and the selection process, so exciting. The process reinvigorates the Gibbes staff and the prize selection panel by giving us the opportunity to step away from our busy schedules to do what we do best: view and discuss art. We hope that the Factor Prize will do the same for you, and encourage broader interest in contemporary art of the South. To learn more, visit http://www.FactorPrize.org. Work by the 2008 Factor Prize winner will be on view at the Gibbes April 3 through July 19 in the exhibition "Jeff Whetstone: Post-Pleistocene." Visit http://www.gibbesmuseum.org for details. Pam Wall is the associate curator of exhibitions and interpretation at the Gibbes Museum of Art. CURRENTS JAN. 15, 2009 -- Sometimes the good Lord has a way of quietly tapping us on the shoulder, stopping our preoccupation with our own little cares, and refocusing us on the bigger picture. That happened to me a few weeks ago when a frustrating few minutes waiting for a bridge to close became a time to celebrate: I saw a bald eagle.
It was an early-morning drive from Sullivan's Island toward Mount Pleasant, and I had just barely missed making it over the Ben Sawyer Bridge before the traffic arm came down, the red lights flashed and I joined a long line of cars sitting, waiting, while the bridge opened to let a boat pass. "#@^&%!" I thought. "Why does this always happen when I'm running late or in a hurry to get somewhere? Great. Just great." Did I mention that it was early? And cloudy? And that there wasn't a single good song on the radio? If there had been a caricaturist around to draw my picture, he would have scribbled a dark little cloud over the top of my head. By the time the bridge closed and traffic started moving again, I had worked myself into a nice little snit. I was perking along down the causeway trying to make up for lost time when something made me look up. And there, sitting on top of a utility pole, was a bald eagle. I know some other drivers saw it, too, because the cars in front of me started to slow. As I drove past, I glanced up at my rear-view mirror to see if the eagle was still there. It was just taking flight from the pole, and in a heartbeat, it was gone - and I was suddenly thanking the bridge-opening delay for making it possible for my path and the eagle's to cross. Bald eagle sightings used to be rare here, but thankfully that's changing. The eagle I saw a few weeks ago is the second I've caught a glimpse of in the past year; the other was perched in top of a tree on Goat Island near the Isle of Palms. That happened last winter when my husband and I were out fishing. We figure the eagle was fishing, too: I've read that these birds can spot fish from several hundred feet up.
Populations of bald eagles are on the rise in South Carolina, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' 2008 Midwinter Eagle Survey. During the survey, whose results were announced in mid-December, participants recorded 601 bald eagles, up from 564 in 2007. About 94 percent of the adult eagles counted in the survey were nesting pairs, meaning they're "resident breeders" in South Carolina, DNR reports. The nesting population in the state has been increasing at a rate of 8.5 percent per year. This is particularly good news considering that new emerging diseases continue to threaten bald eagles, and an older issue - managing coastal development - remains an ongoing challenge. DNR's experts suggest the following ways for private citizens to help protect bald eagles and encourage their presence here:
Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled when you're around our marshes and waterways, and you might just catch sight of one of these noble birds when you least expect it. As DNR puts it, the bald eagle "is now a conspicuous component of the state's bird life." That's very good news if you've been lucky enough to see one - and even better news if you haven't. Ann Thrash is editor of CharlestonCurrents.com. She can be reached at: editor@charlestoncurrents.com FEEDBACK I am not a letter writer, but Alene Shafnisky's overwrought vitriol regarding the nascent animal law program at Charleston School of Law merits response for at least two reasons. First, it insults the intellect and judgment of the students. Those in their mid-20s (or older), who have bachelor's degrees under their belts, have mastered the LSATs, and have juggled the rigors of the 1L experience can hardly be termed "impressionable young students." They are mature adults who have indentified an important ethical and policy issue worthy of deeper examination. Second, it misstates the goal of a legal education and, indeed, denigrates the role education can play in creating an informed, engaged public. Ms. Shafnisky apparently believes that "[t]rue animal law programs are not about 'enacting legislation.' They are about studying how animals are treated within existing legal framework." Shall we presume, then, that circa 1960 and thereafter, true civil rights programs were not about enacting legislation, but rather "studying" how minorities were treated "within the existing legal framework"? I think not. Perhaps the students of Charleston School of Law are willing to think critically about a complex topic, step up to the plate, and engage on issues that motivate and inspire them, rather than memorize their outlines, check footnotes for Law Review, collect their JDs, and move on to associatedom. I applaud the SALDF [Student Animal Legal Defense Fund] in its obviously challenging efforts to educate and enlighten.
SPOTLIGHT
The public spiritedness of our underwriters and nonprofit partners allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents.com to you at no cost. This issue's featured nonprofit partner is the Center for Women, the only comprehensive women's development center in South Carolina. The Center for Women is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to make personal and professional success an everyday event for Lowcountry women. The Center, honored in 2006 by Oprah's Angel Network with a $25,000 grant, has reached more than 70,000 women since it started in 1990. Not only has it connected thousands of women to professional sources for practical help, support, counseling and referrals, but it continues to provide outstanding educational programs to help women in their careers and businesses. Learn more: http://www.c4women.org.
GOOD
NEWS The town of Mount Pleasant will hold four public meetings over two nights this month to solicit residents' input on the town's Comprehensive Plan. The first two meetings will be held Jan. 27 at the Park West Recreation Complex and the Mount Pleasant Waterworks Building. On Jan. 28, two more meetings are planned, one at the G.M. Darby Building and the other at the Mount Pleasant Senior Center. All the meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are location-specific. To find your neighborhood on a map and see which meeting you should attend, go to this Web page or call 884-1229. State law requires that towns review their comprehensive plans at least every five years and update the plan at least once every 10 years. The plan serves as a long-range policy statement and guides elected officials and staff in making decisions. The town's most recent Comprehensive Plan was developed in 2003. The goal of the current effort is update the plan to address today's issues and needs. By law, the plan must include nine elements: population, economic development, natural resources, cultural resources, community facilities, housing, land use, transportation and priority investment. Each element must include an inventory of existing conditions, a statement of needs and goals, and implementation strategies with time frames.
Penguins coming to Charleston for new aquarium exhibit Magellanic penguins on loan from SeaWorld will be landing in the Lowcountry soon to be featured in a new exhibit called Penguin Planet at the South Carolina Aquarium. The facility announced Tuesday that the exhibit will open sometime in March.
Penguin Planet will feature a habitat for the birds and 550 square feet of exhibit space. Aquarium visitors will be able to see the penguins close up through a 10-foot-wide window that allows for underwater viewing. Interactive learning games, educational exhibits on climate change effects in South Carolina and daily programs will be part of the exhibit. Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) are a near-threatened species distinguished by two brown stripes on their chests. The small, flightless birds range from 24 inches to 28 inches tall and average 8 pounds to 11 pounds in weight. Magellanic penguins are typically found in the Falkland Islands and on the coasts of Chile and Argentina, where they feed on small fish and invertebrates. Their natural predators include Southern sea lions, leopard seals and Patagonian foxes.
Get the blues, in a good way, at 19th Lowcountry Blues Bash Forty-four acts. Eleven days. Nineteen venues. That's the plan for the 19th Annual Southern Comfort Lowcountry Blues Bash, scheduled for Feb. 6 through Feb. 16 at locations around the Charleston area.
Among the highlights for this year's festival will be performances by Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones, Beverly Guitar Watkins and Donald Ray Johnson with Maurice John Vaughn and the B.J. Emery Band. Home-grown favorites scheduled to play the festival are Whitt Algar and John Picard, Drew Baldwin, Davis Coen, Stone Cold Sarah Cole, Cotton Blue, Juke Joint Johnny, Nature Boy Nik, Pete Ledbetter, Ed Porkchop Meyer, Robert Paige and the Holy City Sinners, Skye Paige and the Original Recipe, Hugh Price, Shrimp City Slim, Steve and the Stilettos, and Tommy Thunderfoot. All shows are pay-as-you-go, with cover charges ranging from $3 to $15. More than half of the shows are free. To see a brochure with a detailed schedule, click here. Innovation Summit to showcase region's creative industries Relationships between the business community and creative industries will be the focus of the ninth annual ThinkTEC Innovation Summit, planned for Feb. 11 at the College Center at the Complex for Economic Development, Trident Technical College. ThinkTEC, an initiative of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's Innovation Division, is an ongoing effort to accelerate technological growth to create and sustain a perpetual innovation economy for the Charleston tri-county region and state. "Creativity: The Root of Innovation" is the summit's theme. "The summit is not about art, but about the commerce stimulating innovation and business growth," says a statement from the chamber. "Creativity establishes the landscape in which businesses can operate and flourish in the Charleston region. A tangible creative environment creates a foundation for attracting and retaining business." Summit speakers include Amy Holloway of Avalanche Consulting, who will discuss the progress of the creative cluster in the region, strategies for improvement and an overview of what is happening nationally; Gordon Knox of the Stanford Humanities Lab, who will how commerce and art can work together for profits; Rick Throckmorton will discuss how the nationwide financial crisis is affecting creative industries. Breakout-session topics will include local resources for creativity/business help; South Carolina's publishing industry; the restoration economy; South Carolina's film and media industry; cultivating a creative workforce; and the path from idea to commerce. The summit will run from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The cost is $125 for chamber members or $225 for nonmembers. For details, click here or call Jill Galmarini at 805-3015. REVIEW
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT
More complex than street railways yet smaller than interstate railroads, interurbans occupied a brief position in South Carolina's transportation history. Powered by electricity rather than steam, interurbans facilitated commuter traffic in South Carolina's upcountry and nationally until the coming of the automobile. Running trains by electric power in this country did not receive serious consideration until the end of the nineteenth century. Frank Sprague developed a method of mounting the electric motor in a way that would not subject it to undue shocks. He demonstrated it in 1888 in Virginia, and the invention was an immediate success. The electric-powered railway was clearly technologically superior to previous means of transportation, the horse-drawn streetcar and the cable car. In 1890 seventy percent of American street railways were powered by animals; by 1902 only three percent of street railways were not powered by electricity. By 1895 people had begun to recognize the utility of electric railways for traffic between cities. Few of these lines operated in the South, but one of the most significant lines in the country was South Carolina's Piedmont and Northern. Developed between 1910 and 1916, eighty-nine miles of track connected Spartanburg, Greenville, and Greenwood, with a spur to Anderson. In addition to the more successful Piedmont and Northern, South Carolina had two other interurban lines. The Augusta-Aiken Railway ran for twenty-six miles between those two cities. The road was operated by the Georgia-Carolina Power Company and opened for business on September 8, 1902, under the name of the Augusta and Columbia Railway Company. Its name changed to Augusta-Aiken after 1911, and the line was abandoned in 1929. The other line was in the Lowcountry: the Charleston-Isle of Palms Traction Company, which began operation in August 1898. A ferry took passengers from Charleston to Mount Pleasant, where they boarded the train for a ten-mile ride to the Isle of Palms. The road was originally operated by the Charleston Consolidated Railway, Gas, and Electric Company. The railway entered receivership in 1924 and was abandoned the following year. Although the Piedmont and Northern remained in operation until 1969, the decline of the Augusta-Aiken and Charleston-Isle of Palms Traction Company mirrored national events. The automobile became affordable and popular in the 1910s, and trucks began to eat away at freight business done by interurban lines. By the 1920s it was clear that automobiles were not a passing fad, and interurbans were abandoned across the country.
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If you pay estimated quarterly taxes, today's the day to pay them. THE
LIST
The Charleston RiverDogs are nationally known for dreaming up inventive, unusual promotions that draw big crowds to Riley Park. Here are the RiverDogs' five top promotions from last season. Stay tuned to see what they come up with for '09!
"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."
Power
of Making a Difference: 7 p.m. Jan. 15, Admissions Auditorium,
Robert Scott Small Building, College of Charleston, St. Philip and Calhoun
streets, Charleston. Speaker: Former CNN anchor Daryn Kagan, author of
"What's Possible! 50 Real People Who Dared to Dream They Could Make
a Difference" and founder of the inspirational online community,
DarynKagan.com.
Cost: $20 in advance, $30 at the door. Information/tickets: Center
for Women, Sophia
Institute or 720-8528. Marsalis at Music Hall: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16, Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St., Charleston. Multiple Grammy Award winner Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will perform at a benefit for the Charleston Concert Association. A fundraising gala will follow at the William Aiken House, 456 King St., featuring a black-tie dinner with the musicians and entertainment by local jazz musician Quentin Baxter. Tickets for Marsalis' performance are $35, $55 and $100. Gala/dinner tickets are $250, which includes a ticket to the concert. Call the Charleston Concert Association at 571-7755 or Ticketmaster at 554-6060. Listening to Your Business: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 17, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 2750 Speissegger Drive, North Charleston. Offered by the chamber and the FastTracSC Coalition, the workshop will provide entrepreneurs and business managers with critical tools to help maximize their business' growth and profitability. Topics include setting a three-year vision, taking a snapshot of your business, evaluating where you are in the planning process and translating goals into action steps. Cost: $50. Registration: Online or 805-3027. Digital TV Primer: 11 a.m. Jan. 17, John L. Dart Library, 1067 King St. (722-7550); 6:30 p.m. Jan. 12, Dorchester Road Regional Library, 6325 Dorchester Road (552-6466). The Digital TV conversion happens on Feb. 17. Are you ready? What do you need to know? How will this change your television viewing? Experts from WCSC-TV (Channel 5) will explain the ins and outs and answer questions. Music & Oysters for Wildlife: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 17, Sewee Outpost, 4853 Highway 17 North, Awendaw. Fourth annual fund-raiser for the SEWEE Association, a friends group for the National Wildlife Refuges and Forests of coastal South Carolina. Bulls Bay oysters are on the menu, and the Blue Dogs, Danielle Howle, Doug Jones and Cravin Melon are among the performers. There will also be a live auction. Tickets: $30 for adults; under 12 free. Available at Sewee Outpost, online or its local outlets (Cat's Music on Folly Road and in Summerville and Monster Music across from Citadel Mall). 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. MLK Ecumenical Service: 4 p.m. Jan. 18, Morris Street Baptist Church, 25 Morris St., Charleston. "Remembering the Life and Legacy of Martin & Coretta" is the theme of the 37th annual service. More than 15 churches and congregations are expected to participate. Sponsored by the YWCA of Greater Charleston. More info. MLK Holiday Parade: 11 a.m. Jan. 19, beginning at Johnson Hagood Stadium. The parade route flows through downtown Charleston and will be immediately followed by a "Youth Speak-Out" at Charleston Progressive School. WCBD-TV will air the parade live. More info. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON City Leaders' Talks: 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Jan. 21, Holiday Inn Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant Town Administrator Mac Burdette will speak to the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's East Cooper Area Business Council about what's happening in the town and what to look for in the year ahead. Part of the chamber's Mayor's Month series. Up next: Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Doubletree Guest Suites Historic Charleston, 181 Church St. Cost: $15 chamber members, $30 nonmembers. More info: http://www.charlestonchamber.net or Diane Owens, 805-3094. E-commerce for Small Businesses: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 21, Charleston County Public Library Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St. Free class to help small-business owners learn about choosing e-commerce solutions, including choosing the right software, selecting a cost-effective e-payment system and picking a reliable web hosting service provider. Speaker: Tina McDuffie, WebWoman LLC. More info: Click here or 805-6930. Charleston Home + Design Show: Jan. 23-25, Gaillard Auditorium, 77 Calhoun St., Charleston. More than 100 local vendors of custom home and design products and services. Seminars on Saturday and Sunday include "Planning Your Dream Kitchen," "How to Green Your Home with Solar Energy" and "Picking the Best Window Treatments." There will also be a "speed-dating" style chance to interview groups of architects, builders and interior designers. Tickets: $7 per person (good for two days), 12 and under free; $15 per person for "Kitchens, Baths + All That Jazz" (special Friday night event with beer, wine, food, cash bar and the Frank Duvall Jazz Trio). Hours/details. Camellia Clinic: 1 p.m. Jan. 24, Garden Market and Nursery at Middleton Place, Highway 61. Free seminar on camellia care with Sidney Frazier, Middleton's vice president of horticulture, and nursery manager Matt Jackson. Learn about which varieties work best in local gardens and get advice on when, where and how to plant. In addition, seedlings from some of Middleton's historic, internationally known camellias will be available for purchase. More info: http://www.middletonplace.org. 26th Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 25, Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant. Enjoy oysters, live music, an oyster shucking and eating contest, and a kids corner with pony rides and a jump castle. Sponsored by the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association; money raised goes to Ronald McDonald House, Hollings Cancer Center, and Charleston County Schools Science Materials Resource Center. Tickets: $10 in advance from the GCRA Web site or Applebee's restaurants; $12 at the gate; free for children under 10. Oysters sold by the bucket (3 dozen to 4 dozen for $8). More info: 452-6088. Murray Boulevard Centennial: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28, Charleston County Public Library's Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St., downtown. The most scenic drive on the Charleston peninsula celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009. Using archival documents and images, Dr. Nic Butler of the Charleston Archive will present an illustrated review of the boulevard and how it was developed by the city. Details: 805-6930. Southeastern Wildlife Exposition: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 13 and Feb. 14; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 15, downtown Charleston (eight venues). SEWE features 120 artists, lectures, Busch Wildlife shows, sporting outfitters, and conservation exhibits. In addition, the popular Dock Dogs competitions return, along with retriever demos, free flight shows by the Center for Birds of Prey, and children's activities. Tickets start at $10 & kids 10 and under are free. VIP packages available. More info/tickets: http://www.sewe.com or 723-1748. Winter Golf Classic: Feb. 16, Wild Dunes Resort's Links and Harbor courses, Isle of Palms. Sponsored by Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, with 60 teams and plenty of chances to network. Following the event, there will be a Business After Hours at the Sweetgrass Pavilion. Sponsorships still available. Tournament cost: $650 per team, or $200 per individual. To register or learn more, click here. For sponsorship info: Laura Kate Whitney, 805-3113. In this section, we offer a list of good reads that you might want to consider reading:
FOCUS ARCHIVES 8/20:
Yarian:
New local music CD THRASH ARCHIVES 8/20:
Good,
bad, spineless BRACK ARCHIVES 8/17:
RIP
to old clunker LIST ARCHIVES 8/20:
You
know you're from... SISTER PUBLICATIONS We encourage you to check out our sister publications:
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