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TODAY'S
FOCUS
Scoring
school supplies for needy kids through camp
By JAMES LEE
President, Hoopster's Heaven
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
JULY
9, 2009 -- Hoopster’s Heaven has partnered with Velocity Sports
Performance and will conduct the first “Back to School”
Basketball Camp and School Supply Drive this month. The entry fee
to the basketball camp will be school supplies, and all supplies
collected will go to benefit Charleston County schools. Unfortunately,
there are families here in Charleston that cannot afford the necessary
supplies their child or children need to start the school year.
This is where, as a community, we need to step up and make a difference.
No child should be without the school supplies necessary to gain
an education.
Lee |
The
basketball camp will be the week of July 27 through July 31 and
will be held at Velocity Sports Performance, located at 411 Wando
Park Blvd. in Mount Pleasant. Velocity Sports has a wonderful state-of-the-art
facility! We are going to have two sessions per day and a week filled
with fun and excitement. The morning session will consist of kindergarten
through third grade and will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The afternoon
session will consist of fourth through seventh grades and will run
from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. We will have guest speakers at 1:30 p.m.,
and everyone is welcome to listen in.
As
I stated earlier, school supplies will be the entry fee for campers.
We need to go beyond that! It is our community’s responsibility
to nurture and help in the education process of our youth. We need
families, businesses and churches to get involved and make a difference
this year.
There
are numerous ways to get involved. The next time you are in Wal-Mart,
pick up a few school supplies that are listed below. Box them up
and e-mail hoopstersheaven@hotmail.com
to arrange a pick-up. It’s that simple! All monetary donations
will go to purchase new computers for area schools. We have had
some businesses donate just because it is easier and it’s a
tax write-off. Hoopster’s Heaven is committed to placing one
new computer in a school for the upcoming school year. We would
love for area businesses to match that!
Some
of the team members working for our cause include the Daniel Island
Networking Group, lead by Mike Morris, Joe Campbell of First Reliance
Bank and Seacoast Church, Walker Jackson Mortgage Group, and Powerhome
Technologies, just to name a few. We need more involved to make
a major impact! There is nothing better than knowing you made a
difference in child’s life.
 |
School
supplies we need donated are No. 2 pencils, pens, paper, markers,
composition books, notebooks, glue sticks, folders, etc. For monetary
donations, e-mail hoopstersheaven@hotmail.com
for instructions. As you can see, Hoopster’s Heaven is committed
to changing the landscape of our youth. The best way to do that
is the combination of academics and education in a supervised, safe
environment. So who is Hoopster’s Heaven? We are a year-round
basketball training and event management company. We are at the
“grass-roots” level of introducing the game to young kids
and also organizing and directing NBA player camps. Josh Howard,
Chris Paul and Brendan Haywood are just a few of the players I have
worked with.
Basketball
is game learned at a young age that you can play your entire life.
With our youth obesity rate at 45 percent, why not introduce a game
that can be loved? We don’t preach that you have to be a great
basketball player, but a great listener. You want to become a skilled
player? Our belief is that the only way to reach full potential
on the basketball court is through comprehensive teaching. Through
the numerous programs we have to offer, any child can improve his
or her game.
Hoopster’s
Heaven feels that although improving your basketball skills is very
important, our ultimate goal is to have fun and convey the important
of listening, social skills, exercising, academics and, most importantly,
having fun. Whether you are a beginner to the game or possess advanced
skills, Hoopster’s Heaven has a program to improve your level
of play and make you a better player and teammate! Please get involved
today.
James
Lee is president of Hoopster’s Heaven, which is based in Charleston.
He played basketball on a four-year scholarship to Campbell University,
where he was part of the 1992 NCAA Tournament team that lost to
the eventual champion Duke Blue Devils. He can be reached at hoopstersheaven@hotmail.com,
814-7775 (mobile) or 849-7149 (office).
CURRENTS
Perhaps
a new way to tithe
locally
By
ANN THRASH, editor
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
JULY
9, 2009 -- If you want to do more than just talk about helping the
local economy and Lowcountry businesses, here’s the chance
to put your money where your mouth is.
Thrash |
Lowcountry
Local First, an organization that advocates “a local living
economy” by encouraging community support for independent,
locally owned businesses, is having a party tomorrow night to launch
its 10 Percent Shift campaign. The goal of the 10 Percent
Shift is to get everyone in the Lowcountry – individuals, governments,
businesses and nonprofits – to take a good look at their spending
habits and commit to shifting 10 percent of their annual budget
to local independent businesses. As project organizers put it in
a recent press release, “We all know that our local independent
businesses are the heart of our community. They are our friends
and neighbors. The 10 Percent Shift gives us the tools we need
to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”
Lowcountry
Local First Executive Director Jamee Haley says the 10 Percent Shift
Launch Party will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday (tomorrow)
at 10 Storehouse Row in North Charleston. Admission is only 10 cents
– that’s right, just one thin dine. There will be food
and drink for sale from great vendors such as the BBQ Joint, Taco
Boy, Monza, Street Food, Firefly Vodka and more, and the local band
Part-Time Heroes will provide the music.
 |
Haley
says party-goers will be able to pick up a coupon good for 10 percent
off at participating local businesses, and there will be a paint-by-number
area to show different options for making that 10 percent shift
in your own business or home. “We’ve had a tremendous
response (since the campaign was announced) from the local business
community, local governments, the media – it’s been great,”
Haley tells us. With the economy still dragging, “people are
really looking at spending their money closer to home, and I think
they’re ready to come back to that,” she says.
You
might have heard the old saying (from a U.S. congressman, actually)
that “a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it all adds
up to real money.” The same holds true even on a smaller scale:
If you think your individual 10 percent shift won’t amount
to much, just think about the impact if everyone in your family,
everyone in your office, everyone at your church, everyone on the
street where you live, all made that same shift. Pretty soon it
adds up to real money, which means real jobs and real cash cycling
back through the Lowcountry.
Need
more concrete proof of how you can make a difference? How about
this: An organization called Civic Economics did a study of Grand
Rapids, Mich., which is similar in size to the tri-county area,
and the study found that a commitment to a 10 percent shift could
create 1,600 jobs, generate $50 million in new wages and create
$140 million in new economic activity for the region – in just
one year.
Lowcountry
Local First’s goal is to shift 10 percent of the local market
share to independent, locally owned businesses by 2012. Think what
kind of impact that could have on all of us.
If
you want to know which businesses are on board for the 10 Percent
Shift campaign, go to http://www.10percentshift.org/sc.
To learn more about Lowcountry Local First and how you or your business
can get involved, go to http://www.lowcountrylocalfirst.org.
FEEDBACK
Send
your comments
Got
something to say about leadership in South Carolina, the state of
baseball today, good barbecue or something about your community's
government, drop us a line to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
Please send no more than 200 words and include contact information
(phone number, hometown) so we can get in touch with you.
SPOTLIGHT
Lowcountry
Food Bank
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 Lowcountry Food Bank, which
was founded in 1983 as a clearinghouse for donated food items. The
Food Bank, which receives more than 10 million pounds of donated
food annually, seeks to feed the poor and hungry of the ten coastal
counties of South Carolina by soliciting and distributing healthy
food and grocery products to nonprofit agencies serving the poor,
and to educate the public about the problems of and solutions to
domestic hunger. For more, visit the Food Bank online at: http://www.lowcountryfoodbank.org/.
- To learn
more about all of our underwriters and nonprofit partners, click
here.
GOOD
NEWS
Health
club awards scholarships to local students
Three
local students who have shown dedication to health and fitness –
their own as well as others’ – have won scholarships from
PrimeTime Fitness on Sullivan’s Island.
PrimeTime
annually awards three scholarships of $500 each to college
and/or high school seniors, says owner Meredith Nelson. Applicants
for the awards are scored on several criteria, including their GPA,
involvement in fitness activities, fitness goals, and a personal
essay on the impact that fitness has made on their lives.
This
year’s winners are Terry Chandler of Mount Pleasant (Wingate
University), Caroline Warren of James Island (College of Charleston)
and Laura Jean Varadi of Isle of Palms (USC-Columbia).
Nelson
established PrimeTime in 2000. For more information, go to http://www.primetimefit.net.
New
club promotes social media's uses, more
A new local club has been established to bring together those who
are interested in learning more about social media and how to maximize
its potential. Social Media Club Charleston held its first meeting
last month at the College of Charleston, with more than 50 people
attending. The event was a panel discussion on the impact of social
media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) on journalism.
Social
Media Club Charleston was founded by local residents with an interest
in connecting with others in the Charleston community who share
an interest in social media. Organizers include Jeff Webster of
Rawle Murdy, Heather Solos of Home-Ec101.com, Jared Smith of the
College of Charleston, Nick Tompkins of Patriots Point, Chad Norman
of Blackbaud, and Lyn Mettler of Step Ahead, Inc.
The
local group is part of the international Social Media Club, an organization
whose aim is to share best practices, establish ethics and standards,
and promote media literacy. Membership is free. There are currently
65 active chapters around the world.
Social
Media Club Charleston’s next meeting will be from 6 p.m. to
8 p.m. July 14 at Taco Boy, 217 Huger St., downtown. The meeting
is free and open to anyone interested. For more information, follow
the #SMCCHS hashtag on Twitter or visit the group’s Facebook
page here.
Library
plans free showings of Jackson's ‘The Wiz’
The
Charleston County Public Library is doing its part to help the community
remember the late entertainer Michael Jackson by offering two free
showings of the movie “The Wiz.”
The
1978 film, based on L. Frank Baum’s classic book “The
Wizard of Oz,” stars Diana Ross as Dorothy, Jackson as the
Scarecrow, Ted Ross as the Lion, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man and
Richard Pryor as the Wiz. It also features the music of composer
Quincy Jones.
Before
and after each screening, music videos highlighting Jackson’s
career will be shown.
The
film will be shown at 1 p.m. July 10 and 6 p.m. July 15 in the auditorium
at the Main Library, 68 Calhoun St. For more information, go to
http://www.ccpl.org
or call 805-6930.
REVIEW
“Harry
Truman’s Excellent Adventure”
The
title got me on this one. I’ve always enjoyed the Bill
and Ted adventure movies and wondered how one of my political heroes,
Harry Truman, could have a big adventure. Radio reporter Matthew
Algeo does a great job in weaving a fun tale about a 2,500-mile
trip taken by Harry and Bess Truman without special security about
five months after he became an ex-president. The trip, in a 1953
Chrysler New Yorker, stretched from Independence, Mo., to Washington,
Philadelphia and New York. Along the way, Truman connected
with lots of regular people who still remember his visit 56 years
ago. And readers will get a refreshing portrait of this "Buck
Stops Here" president who called it like he saw it.
–
Andy Brack, publisher, CharlestonCurrents.com
HAVE
A REVIEW? If you have a review of a book, movie, restaurant
or local arts endeavor, please send no more than 150 words to
editor Ann Thrash.
Make sure to include your name and full contact information.
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT
Charles Cotesworth
Pinckney
(Second of two parts)
Following
the Revolutionary War, Pinckney devoted his efforts toward rebuilding
his law practice and his rice plantations. In 1787 he served as
a delegate to the constitutional convention, where he ardently and
ably defended the exporting and slaveholding interests of southern
planters. A staunch Federalist, Pinckney was important in South
Carolina’s ratification of the federal Constitution in 1788.
He later helped draft the state’s 1790 constitution.
Pinckney |
Over
the next several years Pinckney rejected President Washington’s
numerous offers to serve in federal office — as commander of
the army, as associate justice of the Supreme Court, as secretary
of war, and as secretary of state — explaining that he needed
to remain at home to restore his fortune. However, in 1796 Pinckney
accepted Washington’s offer to serve as minister to France.
The next year President John Adams appointed him as one of three
commissioners to negotiate a treaty with the French government.
When French diplomats demanded a bribe from their American counterparts
to facilitate discussions, Pinckney is credited as having exclaimed,
“No! No! Not a sixpence,” and urged his government to
raise “millions for defence but not one cent for tribute.”
In
1798 President Adams, anticipating war with France, appointed Pinckney
commander of the southern department of the United States Army.
He was discharged from military service in 1800.
Pinckney
returned to politics in the election of 1800 as the Federalist Party’s
vice-presidential candidate. In 1804 and 1808 he was the Federalist
candidate for president, but realizing that he had little chance
of winning, he never actively campaigned. Instead, Pinckney devoted
the remainder of his life to agricultural experiments (he was a
member of the South Carolina Agricultural Society) and civic service.
He helped establish South Carolina College in 1801 and served on
its first board of trustees. ... He died in Charleston on August
16, 1825, and was buried in the cemetery of St. Michael’s Church.
-- Excerpted
from the entry by Keith Krawczynski. To read more about this or
2,000 other entries about South Carolina, check out The
South Carolina Encyclopedia by USC Press. (Information used
by permission.)
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CREDITS
CharlestonCurrents.com
is provided to you twice a week by:
Address:
P.O. Box. 22261 | Charleston, SC 29413
©
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.
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 THE
LIST
Five
stay-cool tips
The folks at
Santee Cooper
recently passed along the following five U.S. Department of Energy
tips for avoiding heat buildup in your home during these steamy
summer months.
- Take advantage
of daylight, but avoid direct sunlight.
- Install
efficient lighting that runs cooler, such as compact fluorescent
light bulbs.
- Wash only
full loads of dishes and clothes.
- Take short
showers instead of baths.
- Use spot
ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom to remove the heat and
humidity from your home.
QUOTE
On
conversation
Nevill |
“The real
art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right
place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
–
Travel and memoir writer Dorothy Nevill (1826-1913)
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
Bike
Path Meeting: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 9, St. Andrews Elementary
School, 30 Chadwick Drive, West Ashley. Charleston County officials
are holding a public meeting to gather input on a proposed project
for a new bicycle and pedestrian path from Albemarle Road to the
Ashley River Bridge. The project would be funded with the Transportation
Sales Tax. Those who attend the meeting will be able to register
their comments, ask questions, review conceptual designs and vote
on alternative alignments for the path.
People
of the Land Exhibit: Through July 15, Charleston County
Main Library, 68 Calhoun St. The work of Lowcountry native and documentary
photographer Vennie Deas Moore will be featured. Moore has devoted
much of her career to exploring the vanishing traditions along the
S.C. coast, and her photographs show the connections between cultures,
the value of work and the symbiotic relationship between the black
and white communities. On June 28 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Moore
will discuss her photographs and her new book, "Home: Portraits
from the Carolina Coast." More info: 805-6930.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
Wine
Dinner: 6:30 p.m. July 13, Crave Kitchen & Cocktails,
1968 Riviera Drive, Unit O, Mount Pleasant. Summer fare paired with
California wines in a five-course dinner, with local wine experts
offering tasting notes. Cost: $54 plus tax and service charge. Reservations
(required) or more info: 884-1177 or online.
Preparing
Your Nonprofit for a Crisis: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 16,
Charleston County Library Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St. Learn from
experts how to prepare your organization for a crisis and how to
handle the potential of a media and public firestorm. More info:
805-6930.
Networking
Night for Entrepreneurs: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 16, Charleston
County Library Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St. Bring your business cards
and meet other entrepreneurs at this event, which is held monthly.
More info: 805-6930.
Palette
and Palate Stroll: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 17, downtown
Charleston. The Charleston Fine Art Dealers Association's Fourth
Annual Palette and Palate Stroll features art and food "pairings"
at 13 downtown galleries. Tickets: $30 per person; reservations
required. Call 819-8006 or go
online.
(NEW)
Reggae
Nights: 8:30 p.m. July 18, James Island County Park.
Join the Eclectic Roots Ensemble at the Charleston County Park and
Recreation Commission’s Reggae Nights Summer Concert Series.
In addition to the music, there will be Caribbean fare, pizza, Lowcountry
favorites and crafts. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $8 or 5 books
of Greenbax; free for children 12 and under. Annual Gold Passes
will be honored. More
info online.
(NEW)
Free
Skin Cancer Screenings: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 18, Isle
of Palms County Park, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 8, Splash Zone
at James Island County Park. Dermatologists from MUSC will bring
the MUSC Mobile Health Unit – a fully equipped doctor’s
office on wheels – to the county parks to offer free skin cancer
screenings. More info: MUSC Health Connection, 792-1414.
Flip
Flop Ball: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. July 18, Gold Bug Island,
foot of the Ben Sawyer Bridge (Mount Pleasant side). The Fourth
Annual Flip Flop Ball will benefit Wings for Kids, a program that
helps children who grow up in poverty learn the skills needed to
succeed in life. Charleston Bay Gourmet will serving barbecue, and
Two 3 Ways will provide music. Open bar and beer kegs available.
Tickets: $35 in advance, $40 at the gate. More info/tickets: http://www.wingsforkids.com.
(NEW)
Solving
Business Challenges: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 21, Center
for Women, 129 Cannon St., Charleston. The Center for Women’’s
Entrepreneurial Woman Series will feature a workshop called “Solving
Your Five Biggest Business Challenges.” What are the make-or-break
issues you need to identify to keep your business successful? How
can you best adjust to a failing economy and still thrive? Find
out what resources are available to businesses through the federal
stimulus plan and other resources to help entrepreneurs stay afloat
during the economic downturn. Cost: $20 CFW members, $40 nonmembers.
Registration
(required).
Shagging
on the Cooper: 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. July 25, Mount Pleasant
Pier at Memorial Park, foot of the Ravenel Bridge in Mount Pleasant.
Shag under the stars at the new pier. Music provided by The Sneakers
(four-piece party band playing beach music, jazz, funk and blues).
Beverages available for purchase on-site. Tickets: $8; only 800
tickets will be sold and must be purchased at the event (no advance
sales). More info: 795-4386.
(NEW)
Hurricane
Preparedness for Businesses: 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. July
30, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 2750 Speissegger Drive,
North Charleston. The chamber’s Business Continuity Planning
Council will host the workshop, which features experts from local
governments and utility companies explaining how to write a business
continuity plan that works before, during and after a storm. Cost:
$25 chamber members, $35 nonmembers. Registration
(required).
ON
THE BOOKSHELF
In this section,
we offer a list of good reads that you might want to consider reading:
- A
Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson
- The
Book of Marie, Terry Kay
- Charleston
Jazz, Jack McCray
- I'll
Be Sober in the Morning: Great Comebacks, Putdowns, and Ripostes,
Chris Lamb (List)
- Plain
Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman, Merle Miller
- Suggest
a book to us
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
10/15:
Bender:
Special Olympics
10/12: Baron:
Breast Center
10/8: Ginn:
Growing prosperity
10/5: Buffum:
Waterkeeping
10/1: Personal
branding
9/28: Acker:
Designer fashion
9/24: Spencer:
Art galleries
9/21: Riley,
Moryl: MOJA
9/17: Gaither:
Green Room
9/14: Chesson:
Museum Mile
9/10: Barnette:
Chas. Ballet
9/3: Deaton:
Thrive Prize
8/31: Rawl:
Charting courses
8/27: Jurcova-Spencer:
Creatives
8/24: Brooks:
Rural Mission
8/20: Yarian:
New local music CD
8/17: Fisher:
Uses of social media
8/13: Hall:
Time for renovations
8/10: Morris:
Dog days at Drayton
8/6: Lindbergh:
Gifted school
8/3: Jackson:
Insurance tips
THRASH
ARCHIVES
10/15:
Bob's
new food show
10/8: Robot
ice cream
10/5: Costumes,
snarks
9/24: Must-see
TV
9/17: Fall
leaves
9/3: Cold
comfort, more
8/27: Being
a fan
8/20: Good,
bad, spineless
8/13: Locals
on Runway
8/6: Cookie
contest
7/30: Vote
on car tags
7/23: True
confessions
7/16: New
way of tithing?
7/9: Lookout
for manatees
BRACK
ARCHIVES
10/12:
Renovated
Gaillard?
10/1: Napa
wine trip
9/28: Anti-crime
measures
9/21: Caw
Caw park
9/14: Debris
policy
9/10: Mystery
solved
8/31: This
and that
8/24: SC's
treasures
8/17: RIP
to old clunker
8/10: Lots
to squeeze in
8/3: On
flying Delta
7/27: Conspiracy
theories
7/20: Protect
carriage animals
7/13: Economic
thaw here?
LIST
ARCHIVES
10/15:
Giving
blood
10/12: Top
ratings
10/8: Major
league
10/5: Book
sale
10/1: Citadel
football
9/28: Taste
of Charleston
9/24: Feeding
the need
9/21: Hugo
9/17: History
for sale
9/14: Shrimp
baiting
9/10: Day
of Caring
9/3: Free
legal clinics
8/31: CofC
Class of 2013
8/27: Citadel
Class of 2013
8/24: 7
stores, 7 days
8/20: You
know you're from...
8/17: On
the school menu
8/13: Wines
for grilling
8/10: First
Day Fest facts
8/6: Sales
tax holiday
8/3: Twittering
tips
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