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TODAY'S
FOCUS
MOJA
living up to its mission: building bridges
By JOSEPH P. RILEY JR. and ELLEN DRESSLER MORYL
Mayor of Charleston, and Director of Charleston's Office of Cultural
Affairs
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
SEPT.
21, 2009 -- The 2009 MOJA Festival, Charleston's annual celebration
of African-American and Caribbean arts and culture presented by
the city of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs in collaboration
with the MOJA Festival Planning Committee, will presents its 26th
season Sept. 24 through Oct. 4.
Riley and Dressler-Moryl |
Since
its inception, the mission of MOJA has been to highlight and celebrate
the rich contributions to local, regional, national, and world culture
made by African-American and Caribbean artists, writers and performers.
This year's program is filled with wonderful examples of such contributions,
in addition to many important arts educational outreach activities
that benefit our children and youth. All in all, MOJA once again
lives up to its mission of building bridges of understanding and
friendship through its myriad cultural offerings. MOJA, a Swahili
word meaning "one," inspires all who come to the festival
and allows us to celebrate the strong bonds of our culture, our
heritage and our organic connection as one human family.
This
year's festival highlights include R&B artists the O'Jays; Lalah
Hathaway in "An Evening of Jazz Under the Stars"; Ballethnic
Dance Company of Atlanta, Ga.; Art Forms and Theatre Concepts' production
of "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show"; and "Classical
Encounter," featuring cellist Kenneth Law and pianist Stephen
Buck in the City Gallery at Waterfront Park. Also at the City Gallery,
the exhibit "Jonathan Green and Protégés"
showcases original works by the famed artist from Beaufort along
with four very special rising stars in the visual arts world for
which Green has served as teacher and mentor.
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It
would not be possible to produce MOJA without the dedicated work
of several key individuals. To Saundra W. Purvis, chair of the MOJA
Planning Committee, and to the Office of Cultural Affairs staff,
especially MOJA Program Coordinator Elease Amos-Goodwin, we extend
our heartfelt thanks. We are deeply grateful to the MOJA Advisory
Board, chaired by the Honorable James E. Clyburn, and to members
of Charleston City Council for their ongoing support. These visionary
community leaders help us assemble the necessary resources and serve
as goodwill ambassadors and advocates for the festival year-round.
Finally,
we thank the individual donors, foundations, government agencies
and corporate sponsors who provide funding, grants and in-kind services
to help make the MOJA Festival materialize.
We
invite you to bring your family and friends to enjoy this year's
MOJA Arts Festival. Let the beauty and joy of the arts touch your
minds and hearts through this vibrant and exciting cultural celebration!
For a full schedule of events and ticket information, please visit
http://www.mojafestival.com.
CURRENTS
Don't miss calming beauty at Caw Caw park in Ravenel
By
ANDY BRACK, publisher
CharlestonCurrents.com
SEPT.
21, 2009 - When the great blue heron took to the air Saturday afternoon
at Ravenel
Caw Caw Interpretive Center, its six-foot wingspan was enough
to make two little girls hush.
Brack |
We
saw the great bird by the marsh during a hike on some elevated boardwalks
and through some of the six miles of trails in the county park.
We crept toward it and stopped about 25 yards away. Suddenly it
sprang into flight and soared away. Both girls, one 6 and another
coming up on 3, gasped a quiet, "Wow." Perhaps it is appropriate
that the place on the center's map where we saw the bird is listed
as "Brackish marsh."
You
can see marvels every day at the park, some 650 acres of former
rice fields and habitat managed for water fowl, songbirds, otters,
deer and more. On Saturday, we spotted an immature bald eagle, egrets,
dragonflies with stunning blue wings, lizards, squirrels and what
we thought was a tern.
We
didn't, to the slight despair of the girls, see an alligator. (But
that was OK with their dad.)
It
was all fascinating and relaxing - and in our community backyard
for just $2. There's a great interpretive center and helpful people
on hand to answer questions. And an adjacent classroom offers a
place for activities and educational programs for everyone from
kindergartners to college students.
Bird-watching
is extremely popular at the park with species that are spotted being
listed on the Center's
Web site weekly. Bird walks are held 8:30 a.m. to noon every
Wednesday and Saturday. They yield great results, as highlighted
with what was seen September 5:
"53
species were seen and/or heard on a coolish, partly cloudy, breezy,
turn muggy, hot day. The most interesting were 1 Black-crowned
Night heron, 1 Osprey, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoos,
100 Chimney Swifts, 25 White-eyed Vireos, 8 Red-eyed Vireos, 100
Barn Swallows,6 White-breasted Nuthatches, 10 Northern Parula
Warblers, 2 Yellow Warblers, 5 Pine Warblers, 6 Black-and-white
Warblers, 3 American Redstarts, 1 Prothonotary Warbler, 15 Northern
Waterthrushes, 1 Summer Tanager, 4 Indigo Buntings, 20 Painted
Buntings, and 200 Bobolinks."
Boy,
how great it would be to see the colorful tanagers and buntings.
We'll be back to enjoy the park's relaxing beauty - and in different
seasons to experience how it changes throughout the year.
Andy
Brack, publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com, can be reached at: publisher@charlestoncurrents.com.
FEEDBACK
Send
us a letter
Have
a comment or want to vent? If you have 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
Charleston
Green Commercial
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents
to you at no cost. In this issue, we welcome Charleston
Green Commercial, a full-service commercial property management
company that pays attention to detail, provides exceptional personal
service and is committed to adding value to buildings. Offering
professional property management, consulting and other services,
the company strives to improve clients' bottom lines with superior
service, accessibility, reliability and a wealth of knowledge of
the Charleston real estate market. By blending use of proven contractors
and contacts with environmentally-conscious practices, the company
helps clients stay on the leading edge of commercial real estate
practices. More.
GOOD
NEWS
Free
creativity/technology event coming to N. Charleston
The
Lowcountry will experience its first "un-conference" next
month when BarCamp Charleston comes to the Lowcountry Innovation
Center at 1535 Hobby St. in North Charleston. Local volunteers,
all of whom have been active in multiple creative and tech-based
groups, announced last week that they had secured the location for
the Oct. 24 event.
"BarCamps
have become wildly popular events in cities around the world over
the past four years, but one common complaint is that the venues
often aren't ideal," said event co-organizer Calvin Webster.
"Getting the Lowcountry Innovation Center for our first event
is a tremendous stroke of good fortune. We really couldn't have
asked for a better event host." The LIC was established to
provide the digital infrastructure and business incubator office
space required by the region's expanding "knowledge-based industries"
sector.
The
BarCamp movement
began in 2005 in response to an annual invitation-only technology
conference called FooCamp. The name BarCamp refers to FooCamp as
a play on the hacker term "fubar." As "un-conferences,"
participants pick the topics and lead the sessions.
Though
often associated with its tech-industry roots, the focus at hundreds
of affiliated BarCamps around the world has broadened to whatever
topics interest participants. "The Lowcountry loves good food,
so I suppose it really shouldn't be a surprise that the most popular
session topic in the early voting has been a butcher talking about
bacon," said Webster. "So, yes, there's still a strong
technology component. We want to help people acquire the skills
to do the things they want to do. But we also want to put on an
event that anyone could enjoy."
BarCampCHS
is planned for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 24. Registration is free and
open to anyone, but will be capped at the first 200 who sign up
at http://www.barcampchs.org.
Aquarium
honors diver for 5,000 hours of volunteer service
The
South Carolina Aquarium recently honored Ted Churchill for giving
5,000 hours of volunteer service to the facility. Churchill, a Johns
Island resident, began volunteering at the aquarium in December
2000 as a diver in the Great Ocean Tank, and has since given 5,366.77
hours of service to the aquarium, of which 1,286 hours have been
spent underwater. He holds the record at the aquarium or the most
hours of volunteer service.
Aquarium
officials said Churchill's service is equivalent to working at a
paying job for 134 forty-hour work weeks, or two-and-a-half years.
Churchill
typically dives three times a week and leads a team of up to five
aquarium volunteers every Friday as they clean exhibits, feed animals
and provide guests with educational shows and entertainment.
Churchill has lived in the Charleston area for more than 43 years.
He served in the Navy for 10 years and retired from the civil service
in 1993. He and his wife, Linda, an artist, own the frame studio
Artworks.
Take a kid
fishing Huck Finn style at city festival
The
annual Huck Finn Children's Fishing Festival, hosted by the city
of Charleston's Department of Recreation, is a chance to get kids
ages 4-12 to fall hook, line and sinker for one of the Lowcountry's
favorite pastimes: fishing. The festival is planned for Sept. 26
at Colonial Lake downtown, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.
"This
is a great opportunity for kids to experience the fun of fishing
and spend quality outdoor time with their families," Department
of Recreation Environment Education Coordinator Matt Olson said.
"Fishing opportunities are abundant in Charleston, and parents
can use the Huck Finn event to introduce the sport to their kids."
More
than 100 youngsters took part last year.
Fishing
will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participants must bring
their own fishing equipment. The cost is $3 per child. Awards will
go to the top finishers in each age group (4-6, 7-9 and 10-12).
A raffle for other prizes will be held at the festival's conclusion.
For
more information, call 965-4002 or go to http://www.charlestoncity.info.
REVIEW
Send
us your opinion
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
Earthquake
rods
Earthquake
rods are long pieces of iron several inches in diameter that are
inserted through the walls of buildings to reinforce them. These
rods are screwed into turnbuckles or toggles and are secured at
the outside ends with large washers and nuts. Repairmen ran these
rods through the walls of hundreds of buildings injured by the great
Charleston earthquake of 1886 to guard them from further injury.
Many of the buildings fitted with this hardware after the earthquake
are located in the Charleston region, although buildings as far
away as Savannah, Georgia, display them as well.
Often
called "earthquake bolts," these iron reinforcement rods
commonly were incorporated into buildings in Charleston and elsewhere
before the great earthquake. Their initial purpose, however, usually
was to safeguard against gales and hurricanes rather than to protect
from the rending and wrenching of earthquakes.
Owners
who objected to seeing unadorned rod ends on the exteriors of their
buildings covered them with stucco or capped them with cast-iron
decorations depicting such objects as stars, concentric circles,
long rectangular bars, lion heads, butterflies, diamonds, and crosses.
While the rod portions of earthquake rods are seldom visible, in
some buildings no effort has been made to conceal them, such as
in St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Summerville.
Tourists
often are fascinated with earthquake rod caps, and they have become
a standard decorative element in much of Charleston's architecture.
Tour guides point them out, and some hotels and bed and breakfasts
that have them advertise the fact in their promotional literature.
Some modern buildings, such as the Omni Hotel at Charleston Place,
even feature faux earthquake rod caps on their exterior walls.
--
Excerpted from the entry by Kenneth E. Peters. 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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 THE
LIST
One word:
Hugo
As you've probably
seen on TV or in the newspaper, today is the 20th anniversary of
Hurricane Hugo. The National Weather Service Charleston has a Q&A
with Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley and some interesting facts
and stats about the storm at its Web
site. Here are five that caught our attention.
- The S.C.
Emergency Management Division estimates that if a storm with a
similar track and intensity to Hugo's struck today, there would
be $8 billion in damage in the state and more than 21,000 homes
destroyed.
- Logging
operations in the Francis Marion National Forest were permanently
ended because of the storm, which brought down more than 1 billion
board-feet of lumber (approximately 70 percent of the lumber-quality
trees in the forest).
- Wind gusts
hit 137 mph at the Naval Station and 108 mph downtown at the Customhouse.
- Storm tides
were 19.8 feet at Bulls Bay, 15 feet at the Isle of Palms and
13 feet on Sullivan's Island.
- Hugo produced
the highest storm tide heights ever recorded along the U.S. East
Coast.
QUOTE
On
courage
Aesop |
"It is
easy to be brave from a safe distance."
-- Aesop,
Greek slave and author of fables (620 B.C. - 560 B.C.)
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
ABWA
Meeting: 6 p.m. Sept. 21, Wescott Country Club at Wescott
Plantation, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, Summerville. Meeting of the
Jessamine Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association.
All local business women are welcome. Meeting lasts about two hours
and includes dinner; the guest speaker is Sue Mac Ridgeway of Divine
Creations, speaking on interior design. Networking starts at 6 p.m.;
meeting and dinner are at 6:30 p.m. Optional dinner cost: $15 (includes
tax and gratuity) payable at the door by cash or check; cash bar
will also be available during the networking time. Reservations
(required): Send an email
to Shirlie Taylor, 873-6769.
ECMOW
Golf Tournament: Sept. 22, RiverTowne Country Club, Mount
Pleasant. The 11th Annual Outback Steakhouse Charity Golf Classic
to benefit East Cooper Meals on Wheels will feature a daylong tournament
and banquet. More info: 881-9350 or visit here
online .
'Quick
Connect' Webinar: 8:30 a.m. Sept. 23. Pluff Mud Connect
will host a free online webinar detailing five reasons that successful
for-profit businesses benefit from nonprofit customers. Laura Deaton,
a nationally renowned nonprofit expert and founder of Pluff Mud
Connect, will lead the webinar, which will last less than 20 minutes.
To join the discussion, register
in advance online. Pluff Mud Connect is an underwriter for CharlestonCurrents.com.
MOJA
Festival:
Sept. 24 through Oct. 4, various locations. Tickets are now
on sale for the annual arts festival, which highlights black artists'
contributions to dance, music, literary arts, visual arts, theater
and the overall cultural community in Charleston. Schedules, tickets,
more info: http://www.mojafestival.com.
(NEW)
See
a Wish, Make a Wish: 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24, Plum
Elements, 161-1/2 King St. Closing reception for mixed-media and
assemblage artist Tina Hirsig and the interactive exhibition "Wish"
(exhibit closes Sept. 26). Art reviewer Nick Smith has written,
"Hirsig's wish for open-minded teachers and administrators
won't always be fulfilled. At best, she'll encourage others to dream
and question the status quo of our school system." More info:
727-3747 or info@plumelements.com.
SEWE
Fall Party: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 25, Charleston Visitor
Center, 375 Meeting St. Casual event to unveil featured artist Luke
Frazier's official poster for the 2010 Southeastern Wildlife Expo.
Includes oysters, barbecue and side from Buck Ridge Plantation,
plus live music by Triple Lindy, an open bar, and a silent auction
and raffles to benefit Ducks Unlimited. Attendees must be 21 or
over. Tickets: $40 in advance through http://www.sewe.com
or by calling 723-1748; at the door, if available, tickets are $50.
(NEW)
Gibbes'
Community Day: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 26, Gibbes Museum
of Art, 135 Meeting St. The Gibbes, with support from the Junior
League of Charleston, will offer free admission and family activities
for Folk Art Community Day. Events include art-making activities
for children, a ballet performance by Once Upon a Ballet, and beverages
from Rising High Cafe. More
info online.
Benefit
Fashion Show: Noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 26, Jasmine Porch
restaurant, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island. Fashion show and luncheon
will benefit the Center For Women. Models will wear fashions from
Eden Boheme and Cose Belle, and jewelry designers will display their
work. Three-course lunch includes champagne. Cost: $45 plus tax
and gratuity; portion of the proceeds go to the Center for Women.
Lunch guests also get complimentary beach access at The Sanctuary
for the day. More info/reservations: 768-6253. The Center For Women
is a nonprofit partner of CharlestonCurrents.com.
Concert
in the Park: 6 p.m. Sept. 26, Mayflower Court park, next
to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, 30 Race St., Charleston.
The concert is part of the church's year-long centennial celebration.
Program will feature Holy Trinity's Centennial Choir performing
liturgical music as well as secular selections in both Greek and
English; in addition, Ann Caldwell and the Magnolia Singers will
perform spirituals. Cost: $15 for adults; $3 ages 17 and under.
Tickets available at the Hellenic Center, 30 Race St., or by calling
577-2063 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays before Sept. 25).
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
Entertaining
Charleston Style: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 30
through Nov. 18, Culinary Institute of Charleston's Palmer Campus,
66 Columbus St., Charleston. A series of short courses celebrating
the many facets of entertaining with a focus on Charleston style
and traditions. Guest presenters include hosts, event professionals,
authors, collectors, stylists and other specialists known for their
distinctive contributions to local hospitality and tourism. Light
beverage and cocktail samplings will be provided. Cost: $149. More
info/registration.
(NEW)
Solar
Energy Workshop: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 30, Quadrangle
Shopping Center (Weight Watchers building), Highway 17 west of the
Ashley. Free program sponsored by the S.C. Solar Council and the
Sustainability Institute. SCSC Chairman Bruce Wood will lead the
program, and local solar vendors will be on hand to offer information.
Registration not required. More
info online.
Pork
and Politics in the Park: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1,
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park. Mix and mingle with candidates
for Mount Pleasant mayor and Town Council at this event sponsored
by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. Cost: $30; includes
food and beverages. Registration.
(NEW)
Fashion
4 Paws: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 1, The Landing on Shem
Creek (former site of The Trawler). Fashion show featuring local
retailers to benefit the Charleston Animal Society. The finale will
be a pet parade featuring animals for adoption. Door prizes, freebies,
food and cash bar. Go
online to see a list of items that the animal society is requesting
as donations. Admission: $5 at the door; tickets also available
in advance from Lowcountry Plastic Surgery Center at 971-2860.
(NEW)
Solar
Tour: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 3. As part of the National
Solar Tour organized by the American Solar Energy Society, the S.C.
Solar Council is organizing a solar tour in Charleston to showcase
local homes and businesses that have decided to use solar energy.
For more information about the sites and locations, learn
more online.
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
11/19:
Barnette:
Nutcracker
11/16: Franklin:
Reverse mortgages
11/12: Wutzdorff:
Be a principal
11/9: Haley:
Buying local
11/5: McCutcheon:
Work gap
11/2: Ohl:
On carpooling
10/29: Wiedman:
Women at Gibbes
10/26: Matouchev:
Bear markets
10/22: Conover:
BarCamp buzz
10/19: Wilson:
Symphony update
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
THRASH
ARCHIVES
11/19:
LowCANtry
holiday
11/12: Hawks
vs. doves
11/5: Improving
turnout
10/29: Celebrating
a year
10/22: Good,
bad signs
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
11/16:
Alliance's
good news
11/9: SC's
hidden gems
11/2: Boeing
highlights needs
10/26: No
place for prejudice
10/19: Have
fun at Halloween
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
11/19:
Being
a tourist here
11/16: Growing
your business
11/12: Electronics
recycling
11/9: Beyond
the lights
11/5: Weather
watching
11/2: 5
cooking classes
10/29: Best
lists of year
10/26: Oyster
recycling
10/22: Howl-o-ween
fun
10/19: Literacy
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
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