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Issue
1.22 | Monday, Jan. 26, 2009 |
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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 JAN. 26, 2009 -- We are fortunate to live in one of the nation's most historic cities. The museums, the historic homes and the architecture are all celebrated pieces of our city's past. Yet equally important to the city's past, present - and its future - are the many parks and green spaces tucked into every corner of the Holy City.
Preserving the city's rich horticultural history while showcasing and elevating its beauty is the mission of the Charleston Parks Conservancy. Our desire is to give Charleston's parks the same level of attention and respect that we give our historic buildings and cobblestone streets. The nonprofit Charleston Parks Conservancy was publicly launched last year and was founded by prominent businesswoman Darla Moore. The conservancy is committed to working with the city of Charleston to revive, preserve and maintain the city's 120 public parks. Key to the Conservancy's efforts is its volunteer force, known as Park Angels. Last year we selected six lead Park Angels to head up this force and to serve as the public face of the organization. We are currently in need of more Park Angels, and we seek all types of people - those who enjoy planting flowers and spreading mulch, as well as those who can help with fundraising, events or simply spreading the word. Starting this month, volunteers will have several opportunities to assist in garden projects that will establish the Conservancy's long-term commitment to helping care for the parks. Volunteers can join in Garden Clean Up days and help spruce up area parks in time for spring planting. It's a great way to contribute to the community while also learning about gardening and horticulture from our team of experts, who will provide impromptu guidance and education at the events. We're also offering Park U, a free program on the basics of gardening and horticultural history in Charleston, several times a year for Park Angels, with the first session running Feb. 3-28. To assist the city of Charleston Parks & Recreation Department and free its time to focus on other tasks, the Conservancy and Park Angels will take over the maintenance of several gardens areas in Marion Square, Brittlebank Park, Cannon Park and Chapel Street Triangle Park, to name just a few. We are also continuing our work with the Charleston Horticultural Society to beautify the Windermere Boulevard Community Garden. Join us at these upcoming Garden Clean Up days:
Charleston's parks belong to everyone. They are where we walk our dogs, get in shape, play with the kids and simply stop and enjoy the rich plant palette seen growing in our parks all year long. By working together we can preserve Charleston's parks for generations to come. Join us - sign up at ParkAngels.org. For more
information on the Conservancy or Garden Clean Up days, visit CharlestonParksConservancy.org. CURRENTS
Dear Ellie, JAN. 25, 2009 -- One hundred years ago yesterday, your great-grandfather Will Brack was born in rural middle Georgia on a farm. By the time he was in second or third grade, his father had died and he had to quit school to start working to help to support a half dozen younger brothers and sisters. He never finished school.
But he worked hard on the farm, then in a grist mill and then as a bus driver. He raised a family, including your Pop Pop, my father, who was the first in his family ever to graduate from college. By the time I was born in 1961, the world was changing as more people got phones and televisions, cars and homes in communities. More people moved to towns and cities; life on the farm waned. When you were born two years ago, rural areas and inner-cities were struggling in many places as the suburbs and exurbs flourished. But these changes from the time of your great-grandfather to today wrought several societal changes:
In short, it's harder for a little girl to grow up these days because the world has changed from the supportive time of your great-grandfather and Pop Pop. Not all of these changes are bad (there's less hunger, the standard of living far superior and more), but the changes have made it difficult for youngsters to generate a positive values system that can provide lifelong stability. As you read this in years to come, remember these lessons to guide you on your life's quests:
Love,
Dad Andy Brack is publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com. He can be reached at: publisher@charlestoncurrents.com FEEDBACK
SPOTLIGHT
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents to you at no cost. This issue's featured underwriter is Maybank Industries, LLC of Charleston, SC. With broad experience in commercial and government operations, Maybank Industries applies deep-rooted commitment to teamwork, reliability and personal service to provide innovative business solutions for project development, information technology, logistics, vessel design, shipping agency services and marine terminal operations, both locally and internationally. Maybank Industries applies a powerful blend of professional expertise to research, analyze and develop tailored solutions with thorough plans of action, combining a heavy dose of common sense to solve today's needs that can adapt to changing or evolving requirements. More: Maybank Industries and Maybank Systems.
GOOD
NEWS
The U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Concert Band will give a free concert at 5 p.m. Feb. 8 at North Charleston's Cultural and Civic Center Auditorium (previously known as Sterett Hall on the former Charleston Air Force Base site). The 38-member concert band from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, has performed all over the world. While the concert is free, tickets are required, and ticket holders must be seated 15 minutes before the concert. Any unclaimed seats will be released to non-ticket-holders at that time. For tickets (limit of six), call 745-1087 or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your request to Tickets, City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, P.O. Box 190016, North Charleston, SC, 29419-9016. More info. RiverDogs, Citadel host banquet, auction for local causes The Charleston RiverDogs and The Citadel are getting local residents ready for baseball season and raising money for the Storm Eye Institute, all at the same time, by sponsoring the Fifth Annual Hot Stove Banquet & Silent Auction this Friday (Jan. 30) at Mark Clark Hall on The Citadel campus.
Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry will be the featured speaker, and current Atlanta Brave and former RiverDogs pitcher Jeff Ridgway is expected to attend. The evening includes an open-bar cocktail hour, silent auction, plated dinner, meet-and-greet with Perry and Ridgway, and more. Proceeds from a silent auction will go to The Citadel Foundation and to MUSC's Storm Eye Institute, the RiverDogs' primary charity. The auction includes some one-of-a-kind opportunities and items, including tickets in the Yankees' owners box at the new Yankee Stadium, Valentine's dinners and hotel packages, sports memorabilia and more. The reception and auction begin at 6 p.m., and the dinner starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $65 per person, and tables that seat eight are available for $500. Get tickets online at or call 723-7241. Town's senior center to offer safe-driving class for adults The town of Mount Pleasant's new Senior Services Center will offer a driver safety program for adults and seniors in February. This program is open to anyone age 50 or older. The two-day American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Safe Driving Class will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 23 and Feb. 25 at the Senior Services Center's Thomasena Stokes-Marshall Building. The goal of the classes is to help drivers become aware of and counteract changes that begin to occur after the age of 50, and adjust their driving habits accordingly. Completing the course, which requires no driving, frequently qualifies participants for discounts on auto insurance. The cost
of the course is $14 per person, or $12 for AARP members. To register,
call 856-2166 or go by the Thomasena Stokes-Marshall Building at 840 Von
Kolnitz Road, near the intersection of Von Kolnitz and Mathis Ferry roads. REVIEW
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT (Second of two parts) Rutledge played a prominent role in writing the federal Constitution. He advocated a national government of greatly increased but still limited powers and entrusted to an executive and a Congress designed to consist of gentlemen made relatively independent of public opinion.
As chairman of the committee of detail, he had a major role in the enumeration of congressional powers, the provision forbidding taxation of exports, and the ban on national prohibition of slave imports until 1808. Rutledge also promoted the constitution's adoption as a member of the South Carolina ratifying convention. In 1789 Rutledge reluctantly accepted appointment as one of the first justices of the United States Supreme Court. He resigned from that position in 1791 to become chief justice of South Carolina, an office he held until 1795. Since the Supreme Court was just getting organized during his tenure, he made no important rulings on the federal bench. In the early 1790s John Rutledge became an emotionally troubled man. Large debts threatened the loss of all of his property. A serious illness in 1781, coupled with gout, had severely damaged his health. His wife's sudden death in 1792 was the final blow, plunging him into deep depression. Apparently unaware of Rutledge's problems, President George Washington appointed him chief justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1795. However, before learning of his nomination, Rutledge made a speech denouncing the recently negotiated Jay Treaty with Britain. This speech outraged Federalists and, combined with reports of his "derangement" and financial problems, caused the Federalist-dominated Senate to reject his nomination. Probably before hearing of the rejection, a despondent Rutledge attempted suicide and then resigned from the South Carolina Supreme Court for reasons of health. Except for one term in the South Carolina House of Representatives, Rutledge remained in retirement until his death on July 18, 1800.
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© 2008-2009, Statehouse Report LLC. All rights reserved. CharlestonCurrents.com is published every Monday and Thursday by Statehouse Report LLC, PO Box 22261, Charleston, SC 29413. |
Independent film producer Peter Wentworth recommends these five moving-image gems about South Carolina that you probably haven't seen. East India Expo (1902) -- The first motion pictures shot of Charleston by the Thomas Edison Company are available on the Library of Congress Web site. The Expo took place in what is today Hampton Park. Pied Piper Malone (1924) -- Few films from the silent era have survived, and of the dozen that were shot in Charleston prior to 1929 -- at one point Thomas Edison had a studio on upper King Street where four films were produced in 1914 -- the only survivor is "Pied Piper Malone." The print was rediscovered by local film historians Mark Tiedje and John Coles in a Soviet film archive. It was screened in Georgetown in 2007. The Jenkins Orphanage (1928), Fox Movietone collection, University of South Carolina -- The clip features an agile flapper performing the Charleston. This newsreel was selected by the American Film Institute for permanent preservation in 2006. Reap the Wild Wind (1942) -- This Cecil B. Demille film is the first talking picture shot in the Lowcountry. It features John Wayne, Paulette Goddard and Robert Preston. It's available at the library. Look for scene shot in front of the Dock Street Theatre. Untitled BBC footage of an atomic bomb accidentally falling on Mars Bluff (1958) -- Fortunately the bomb didn't detonate when it landed in this community near Florence, but it did leave a significant crater and provoke the ire of a farmer, who wasn't impressed with having a crater of his own. See the video at various sites online.
"A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices."
City Leaders' Talks: 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Jan. 28, Doubletree Guest Suites Historic Charleston, 181 Church St., downtown. Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley will speak to the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's Charleston Area Business Council about what's happening in the city and what to look for in the year ahead. Part of the chamber's Mayor's Month series. Cost: $15 chamber members, $30 nonmembers. More info online or through Diane Owens, 805-3094. 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. (NEW) Spoleto Festival Auction: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30, Memminger Auditorium, 56 Beaufain St., Charleston. "La Dolce Vita," the festival's 29th annual silent and live auction, begins with a silent auction, hors d'oeuvres and cocktails at 6:30 p.m.; seated live auction with champagne and sweets begins at 8:30 p.m. Bid on wine, antiques, private dinners, exotic travel packages, jewelry, fashion and more. All proceeds benefit the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra. Tickets: $100 per person. More info on tickets, auction preview and absentee bidding. (NEW) Teacher Appreciation at Gibbes: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 31 and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 1, Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St., Charleston. Teachers in the tri-county area, from pre-kindergarten to college level, can get free admission to the Gibbes and free cell phone tours of the museum. To receive a pass, e-mail Gibbes Education and Outreach Coordinator Rebecca Williams at rcwilliams@gibbesmuseum.org. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON 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. CSO, CBT Collaboration: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, Sottile Theatre, 44 George St., Charleston. The Charleston Ballet Theatre and Charleston Symphony Orchestra will offer a joint performance of three ballet masterworks underscored by works from a trio of celebrated composers. Tickets: $35-$45, available only through the CBT box office, 477 King St., by calling 723-7334 or ordering online. 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. An Evening in the Orient: 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 21, Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St., Charleston. Annual fundraiser sponsored by Friends and Needed Supporters (FANS) of the Charleston Museum. Far East food, culture and items from the museum's Asian collections are showcased. George Read of Sotheby's will preside at an auction, with items including vacations, jewelry, Charleston silver, a 100-person oyster roast, a quail hunt, and artwork by local artists. Tickets: $60 members, $70 nonmembers. To register: 722-2996, ext. 264, or http://www.CharlestonMuseum.org. Chefs' Feast for Food Bank: 6:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 22, Embassy Suites Charleston Area Convention Center, North Charleston. 10th annual Chefs' Feast fundraiser for the Lowcountry Food Bank features approximately two dozen chefs from the area's top restaurants serving samples of their best dishes. More than 95 percent of proceeds support programs that fight childhood hunger, and all money raised stays in the community. Tickets: $150 per person, available online. Corporate and event sponsorships: Miriam Coombes, 747-8146, ext. 104, or mcoombes@lcfbank.org. 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:
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