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Issue
1.34 | Monday, March 9, 2009 |
Walk, don't run
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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 MARCH 9, 2009 -- You've decided to start your own business. You need to rent a space and buy inventory and at least one truck. Plus, if things go like you plan, you'll need some working capital to cover wages, overhead, advertising, etc. Where do you get the money?
Over the
barbecue, you talk with your neighbor and the first thing he says is that
"the government" has grants. All you'll have to do is send in
an application and the check will be in the mail. It's the best of all
worlds -- free money! Grants are jobs -- whether the money is coming from the federal or state government, a foundation or a corporation. All of them have a task they want completed, and only if you can prove to them that you can do that job better than all the other applicants will you receive a grant. The main thing to remember is that the job or task to complete is up to them, not you. Even with the most common education grants you get to go to college, the "job" is that you have to go to college. You might get to pick your degree, but you only get the grant if you stay in school and maintain your grades - so, once again, you have to do it their way.
Wait! What about those Web sites, the radio ads for seminars, that commercial where the guy in the suit with question marks on it says, "Buy this and you'll get a grant"? Their claim is that there are thousands of grants "on the books" just waiting for you. What they don't tell you is that every grant that has ever been written is "on the books." Here's an example: A child-care program needs a new building. Since the program's clients are the underserved, they go to their local congressman and he agrees to help. He helps get them a grant to build the specific building they need (and almost all grants require you to have matching funds). Once the building is built, that grant is still on the books - but since that child-care program will never need that building built again, the grant won't ever be funded again. And that's how they can sell you a list of grants you can "qualify for" -- but never get. If you want to do some research, all federal grants can be viewed online. For a list of foundations registered in South Carolina, you can download a PDF here. Otherwise, check out South Carolina Business One Stop for links to programs and agencies throughout the state that are designed to help South Carolina entrepreneurs succeed (many at no cost) or, locally, you can go to SmallBusinessCharleston.org. Mary Dickerson is director of FastTracSC, a coalition that promotes entrepreneurship and small business in South Carolina. CURRENTS MARCH 9, 2009 - Perception always has an impact on behavior. And that's where the old saw of looking at a glass at being either half-empty or half-full comes into play.
With today's consumers having a nagging confidence crisis, the national economy is in turmoil. It's hard for many to do anything but see a glass as half empty -- or more, based on what the stock market has been doing to 401K plans. But for people who live in the Charleston area, we have great reasons to look at the glass as better than half full. First, there's the unemployment rate. Across the state, the rate is expected to be around 10 percent when the new January figures for the state come out. (Adjusted December numbers dropped the state from 9.5 percent to 8.8 percent, but we still have the third highest jobless rate in the country.) The Charleston metropolitan area, however, has a 7.4 percent jobless rate -- the lowest of the state's metropolitan areas. In fact, Charleston County had a 6.9 percent rate before the adjustment, which suggests our rate actually was slightly lower (data not available). The folks at the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, the organization that "sells" the Charleston area to businesses around the world, certainly looks at our proverbial glass as more than half full. Here's why:
"We are very competitive," said David Ginn,the CRDA's president and CEO who travels across the world to tell Charleston's story. "Although the [new jobs] pie has clearly gotten smaller, you can position yourself and be ready for the upturn." He says there's great value for being positive about the region, and to not have a defensive position about the local economy. "This is the time to get your community infrastructure needs ready for when things get better." And we
should. Let's be positive. Be ready to move forward. Go team. Andy Brack is publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com. He can be reached at: publisher@charlestoncurrents.com FEEDBACK
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 Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce will begin offering chamber members more extensive health-care benefits through the FlexMED program and a new partnership with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. Uninsured or underinsured workers are often more likely to skip pills, postpone medical care or cut back on the care they need because of the costs; as a result, they can miss work and become less productive.
BasicPlus Insurance Services has created a Chamber-member-only limited benefit health-care solution called Chamber FlexMED, which offers a lower-cost alternative to comprehensive major medical insurance provided by Companion Life Insurance Co. Chamber FlexMED is an option employers can use to help employees who do not have health coverage, who need relief from the high cost of health coverage, or have experienced a reduction in benefits. Another health care benefit is with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, which has created new group and individual health plans available only to chamber members. The plans provide flexible, affordable health care coverage priced 15 percent to 30 percent below BlueCross' True Blue Partnership products. The group plans -- Business True Blue and Business True Blue Value Plans - are designed to let employers to choose a fixed plan or design a custom plan with optional benefits such as a drug card, office co-pays, etc. The individual product, Personal True Blue, is available for members who are not eligible for a group plan. "Our research indicates nearly one-third of Chamber members currently do not offer their employees health care benefits," said Charles Van Rysselberge, president and CEO of the chamber. "We are pleased to provide these services to chamber members because it means helping them with their bottom line and a huge savings which everyone can benefit from in these economic times."
Literacy agency offering chance for vacation at Edisto How would you like to have the use of a four-bedroom beach house at Edisto Beach for four days and three nights -- for only $100? And the deal includes a large deck, bicycles and beach chairs - with the sun, sand and ocean breezes just across the street.
That's what the Trident Literacy Association is offering in a drawing during their first charity motorcycle Ride-a-Thon on March 28. You don't have to be present to win. Only 100 tickets will be sold, and the cost is $100 per ticket. For more information on the Ride-a-Thon or the beach house prize, go here. The ride is mostly in Goose Creek and Summerville. Seabrook Plantation tour added to Art & Antiques Forum A rare glimpse at Edisto Island's historic William Seabrook Plantation house and grounds has been added to the schedule for the Charleston Art & Antiques Forum. The March 22 tour replaces a previously announced outing to Georgetown on that date.
The tour marks the first time the house and extensive grounds have been opened by the current owners, Mr. and Mrs. T. Hunter McEaddy of Charleston. Forum chairperson Jean Y. Helms says, "The McEaddys are being most generous in opening their beautiful home, and we are especially excited to see Mr. McEaddy's professional landscape designs realized in his own garden and grounds." (McEaddy is a distinguished landscape architect.) The National Historic Landmark house on Edisto's Steamboat Creek was built circa 1810 by William Seabrook, one of the first planters to successfully cultivate the famed Edisto Sea Island cotton. The house has a two-tiered Federal portico and is noted for its ornate exterior and interior detailing. On his 1825 tour of South Carolina, Gen. Lafayette was a guest at the home, and during the Civil War, the house was used by federal troops as their staff headquarters; in fact, graffiti from their stay is still visible today. The McEaddys have owned the home since 2000. The Preservation Society of Charleston and the Lowcountry Open Land Trust both hold easements on the plantation to preserve it in perpetuity. Tickets for the tour, which also includes lunch and bus transportation, are $95. Buy tickets or learn more here or by calling 722-2706, ext. 22. Hotel to provide pool access to local residents using spa Here's a "staycation" idea: Local residents, for the first time, can have access to Charleston Place hotel's private rooftop swimming pool if they spend $250 or more on same-day treatments at The Spa at Charleston Place.
This is the first time that the glass-encased saltwater pool and outdoor sundeck will be available to clients who are not staying overnight at the hotel. "What our clients need most these days is a healthy dose of rest and relaxation, but we know that for many of them a peaceful retreat to the mountains or a trip to the Caribbean just isn't an option right now," said spa director Annette Sandford-Lopez. "We decided to open our swimming pool so they can enjoy an attainable, peaceful escape from life's daily stresses right here in their own backyards." Because the pool uses a saltwater system, swimmers won't have to deal with the red eyes, damaged hair and dry skin that often come from using a chlorine pool, which relies on chemical cleaning systems. In addition, the pool deck features a retractable roof, making it a getaway option for year-round swimming. A menu of spa cuisine and cocktails is available for poolside orders.
REVIEW
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT Grave-site decorations in many of South Carolina's African American cemeteries originate from African traditions. West Africans transported to South Carolina as slaves had their own belief system regarding death, burial, and the power of the living and the dead.
West African tradition does not view death in isolation from life or birth, but as complementary to them. The Yoruba believe that death is not the end of life, but a means whereby the earthly existence is transformed to another state of being. In the Akan doctrine, the death of a loved one is only considered a tragedy for the person who adheres to an individualistic philosophy. The Akan recognize that the death of a family member is ripe with opportunities for ancestral intervention. These concepts are key to understanding the ritual of decorating or preparing the grave site. Care and preparation of the grave site was seen as an obligatory respectful veneration to the dead as well as a precaution for the living. While full of positive possibilities, the recognition of the wrath of an unhappy, vindictive, or unsettled spirit released into the world of the living was always a concern. The grave site was considered to be a base of power activated by substance and ritual. Shiny or reflective materials like mirrors, silver painted objects, and tin foil were commonly placed on grave sites. The shiny reflective materials may have represented the desire to steer the spirit on a smooth passage over a body of water, or a means for the living to catch a reflective glimpse of the spirit. Medicine bottles, dishes, and eating utensils placed on the graves, sometimes turned upside down and broken to possibly free the spirit and break the chain of death, were probably items used by the deceased during the last stages of illness. Kerosene lanterns and lamps were sometimes placed to light the way of the spirit back home. Messages written in bold, bright colors placed on and around the grave site were considered very potent protective forces. Seashells, very often seen on West African burial sites, were widely utilized on South Carolina's coastal burial sites, and often outlined the grave in a variety of patterns, possibly to confuse malevolent spirits. African American burial traditions have undergone a tremendous evolution. Modern grave sites, synthesizing African and European practices, utilize more and larger headstones, potted plants, silk flowers, and Styrofoam decorations. But there remains a subtle manifestation of the African heritage in African American burial, mourning, and grave-site practices.
CREDITS CharlestonCurrents.com is provided to you twice a week by:
© 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. |
Tina Arnoldi, technology officer for the Coastal Community Foundation in Charleston, says these are her five favorite free technology resources for nonprofits.
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."
National Anthem Tryouts: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 10, behind home plate at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Charleston RiverDogs will hold tryouts for vocalists and instrumentalists who want to perform the "Star Spangled Banner" during the upcoming baseball season. More info: Lavon Alls, 723-7241. Film Series on Jim Crow: 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays, March 10-April 4, Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St. In conjunction with the exhibit "From Slave to Sharecropper: African Americans in the Lowcountry after the Civil War," the museum will host a four-part documentary film series, "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow." The Peabody Award-winning documentary, offers a comprehensive look at race relations in America between the Civil War and the civil rights movement. Cost: Free with general museum admission of $10 for adults, $5 for children 3-12. For details on specific shows and schedules, call 722-2996 or go here online. RiverDogs Job Fair: 9 a.m. to noon March 14, Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Apply for game-day working positions, including ushers, ticket-takers and Kidz Zone staff, with the RiverDogs, the Class-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. More info: Jake Terrell, 723-7241. Gibbes Community Day: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14, Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St. Free admission and family activities, including art projects, music and beverages. Sponsored by the Junior League of Charleston. More info. Gospel Choir Fundraising Concert: 5 p.m. March 14, Ashley River Baptist Church, 1101 Savannah Highway. The Charleston Symphony Orchestra's Gospel Choir, featuring new music director Sandra Barnhardt, will present African-American sacred songs. Tickets: $10 per person. Available at the Gaillard Auditorium Box Office (cash only), 77 Calhoun St., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at the church beginning one hour before the performance. Photographing Your Baby: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 15, Charleston Center for Photography, 654 King St., Suite D, Charleston. Portrait photographer Julia Lynn will lead this workshop, giving demonstrations and teaching students how to choose the right location for shooting, properly position the baby and get a great exposure every time. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO and lens selections will be discussed as well. Cost: $125. Register here. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON Nature Photography Workshop: March 18-March 21. Through the Charleston Center for Photography, nature photographer Kenny McKeithan will lead a workshop called "Nature of the Lowcountry." Participants will travel around the greater Charleston area photographing various sites. Sessions include hands-on instruction for each student along with critiques. Cost: $300. Details/registration: http://www.ccforp.org or 577-0647. Human-Resources Workshop: 7:30 a.m. to noon March 19, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 2750 Speissegger Drive, Suite 100, North Charleston. "Tough Economic Times Never Last, Resilient Companies Do!" is a human-resources workshop to teach businesses about organization design, proper and legal employment practices, new labor-related legislation and the impact of changes in government leadership. Cost: $95 for chamber members, $125 for nonmembers. Details/registration. Small Business Fair: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 19, Charleston County Main Library, 68 Calhoun St. For owners of small businesses or those thinking of starting a business, the fair offers free workshops, an exhibition hall with vendors, tours of the library's business resource center, and professional counseling that focuses on low-cost ideas to help businesses run more efficiently and attract more income. More info: http://www.ccpl.org or send an e-mail to askaquestion@ccpl.org. (NEW)
Historic
Charleston Foundation Festival of Houses and Gardens: Ongoing March
19 through April 18, various sites. Tours feature the interiors
and gardens of approximately 150 historic private homes in 10 colonial
and antebellum neighborhoods during the peak of the city's springtime
blooms. Other events include Plantation Picnics at Drayton Hall Plantation,
daily walking tours through the Old and Historic District, "Eat and
Run" luncheons, harbor tours, book signings, etc. Proceeds benefit
the work of the Historic Charleston Foundation. Tickets/more info: 723-1623
or by clicking
here. Penguins 'n' Pajamas Family Sleepover: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. March 20, S.C. Aquarium, 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston. Sleep with the penguins at the aquarium on the night that the new Penguin Planet exhibit opens. Family sleepover will offer special chances to watch the penguins dive underwater, learn about penguin colonies and discover what makes them march. One adult required per two children attending the event. Reservations and advance payment required. Cost: $30 per member child, $40 per member adult; $40 and $50 for nonmember child and adult, respectively. Reservations: 577-3474. More info. Mom to Mom Sale: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. March 21, National Guard Armory, 245 Mathis Ferry Road, Mount Pleasant. Sponsored by three Mount Pleasant MOMS clubs (Moms Offering Moms Support), the sale will offer new and gently used children's, baby and maternity items from 80 different consigners. Ten percent of proceeds will go to Windwood Farms, a local group home for boys ages 5 to 16 who have been removed from their homes because of unstable family situations. Cost: $1 entry fee for sale. Details. Walk for Water: 9 a.m. March 21, Cannon Park, downtown Charleston. Join Water Missions International for an educational, 3.5-mile walk inspired by the experience of women and children who are responsible for fetching water for their families every day. Walkers are encouraged to form teams and recruit as many supporters as possible. After the walk, enjoy refreshments and family-oriented activities and entertainment. More info. Mount Pleasant Arts Festival: Noon to 4 p.m. March 21, Mount Pleasant Towne Centre. Festival is sponsored jointly by the town and Towne Centre to celebrate the arts in Mount Pleasant. Features live entertainment, performing arts, a juried art exhibit, Mount Pleasant Artists Guild entries, roving entertainment, games and activities for kids. Free admission and parking. More info: 884-8517. Economic Outlook Conference: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 26, Charleston Place Hotel. The Charleston Metro Chamber's Annual Economic Outlook Conference and Luncheon includes the 18- to 24-month forecast for the key economic sectors of the region. Keynote speaker Jeffrey M. Lacker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, will present the views of the Federal Reserve on the state of the national recovery and the outlook for future economic conditions. Also speaking will be College of Charleston President P. George Benson, who will speak about the challenges facing South Carolina and our ability to compete in the global economy. Cost: $95 for Chamber members, $125 for nonmembers. Details/registration. (NEW) Garden Club of Charleston House and Garden Tours: 2-5 p.m. March 27 and March 28, various sites downtown. Tours of historic homes and gardens, including the Heyward-Washington House garden, whose parterre is planted only with flowers and shrubs known in the city in 1791. Proceeds benefit ongoing projects of the Garden Club of Charleston, including maintaining the gardens at the Joseph Manigault House, the Heyward-Washington House, the Gateway Walk and the Healing Garden at MUSC. More info: E-mail thegardenclub@aol.com. Pet Fest: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 28 and noon to 4 p.m. March 29, Palmetto Islands County Park, Mount Pleasant. Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission's annual pet event expands to two days this year. Dock diving will be featured for the first time, along with past fest favorites such as Lowcountry Dog magazine's "cover model contest," a dog show, Frisbee dogs, a microchipping clinic and several dog contests. Cost: $5 or three Greenbax for adults, per day; free for kids age 12 or younger, leashed pets and Gold Passholders. More info or 795-4FUN. (NEW) Founders' Day: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 11, Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, 1500 Old Towne Road, west of the Ashley. Celebrate the 339th anniversary of the "Birth of the Carolinas" during Founders' Day. Living-history programs, demonstrations of the firing of black powder cannons and muskets, re-enactments and other activities showing how Charleston's first English settlers lived in 1670. Cost: $5 adults, $3 ages 6-15, $3.25 for S.C. seniors or disabled. Details are online. "Run Forrest Run 5K": 4:15 p.m. April 11, beginning at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Sponsored by the Charleston RiverDogs, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Coburg Dairy, the race is a fundraiser for the Storm Eye Institute at MUSC. The race finishes at home plate, where runners are greeted by the RiverDogs' players before the start of that evening's game against the Rome Braves. Registration: $25 if received by March 27 (includes T-shirt, one ticket to baseball game and post-race party with dinner from Bubba Gump's); $30 after March 27. Registration forms available at the RiverDogs Box Office at Riley Park, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., The Extra Mile Running Shop and online at www.riverdogs.com or www.active.com. 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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