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TODAY'S
FOCUS
Mission's goal:
Helping families get 'Homes for Christmas'
By CHRIS BROOKS
Director of program development, Rural Mission Inc.
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
DEC.
14, 2009 -- Some unexpected Christmas joy has come to two rural
Sea Island families thanks to the compassion of several people who
saw a compelling need and quickly responded. The families of Mrs.
Henrietta Mack on Wadmalaw Island and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Smiley
on Old Dixie Plantation Road near Hollywood are simply overwhelmed
and appreciative beyond words.
Brooks |
Both
families live in very old, dilapidated trailer homes that have little
heat and, when it rains, leak badly from one end to the other. Floors,
beds and furniture get wet, and they have endured this for some
time. A visit inside these homes leaves lasting memories of the
difficulties these families face every day. Despite what they don't
have, they are very thankful for family and friends.
Early
in 2009, the Rural Mission and its donors and volunteers responded
to build them new homes. Hundreds of volunteers from many states
have helped. The small, two-bedroom, 800-square-foot Mack home is
nearly completed. The three-bedroom home for the Smileys has much
interior work still to complete. The recession economy has slowed
progress greatly, but it has not diminished the dream - Home for
Christmas!
Three
generous and caring individuals have joined with the Mission in
pledging that these families will be in their new warm homes by
Christmas or as soon afterwards as possible. The first to become
aware of their desperate situations was Carol Etheridge of Charleston
Place Hotel. She recruited Mickey Bakst of Charleston Grill and
Burrow Hill of Hill Construction Co. Their enthusiasm has made us
believe anything is possible! They are fully dedicated to this dream.
An old trailer |
An
additional $30,000 is required to complete both houses and have
everything ready for these families to finally move into their safe
and warm homes. Donations are coming in, but much more is needed.
We are also seeking good used furniture and household items as well
as good appliances. These donations are being accepted at a POD
storage unit that has been donated for this use. The POD is located
in front of Seacoast Community Christian Church at 2049 Savannah
Highway. Please call the Rural Mission at 768-1720 for times of
access to the POD.
To
learn more about Homes for Christmas, please go to http://www.ruralmission.org.
You can also follow the progress being made in completing these
homes through articles in the Post and Courier. Donations can be
made payable to Rural Mission, Inc. - Homes for Christmas. Mail
them to Rural Mission, P.O. Box 235, Johns Island, SC, 29457. Donations
can also be made online
through Network for Good. All are tax deductible.
Our
special request goes out to all area contractors. Burrow Hill of
Hill Construction (814-9933) is asking contractors to get involved
to complete the electrical, plumbing, Sheetrock, and heating and
air-conditioning work for the Smiley home. Given the few days left
before Christmas, their time and generosity are needed to make this
dream come true. Anderson Mack Jr. of the Rural Mission can also
assist with these inquiries. Thank you for helping these families!
Rural
Mission Inc. is a nonprofit partner of CharlestonCurrents.com.
CURRENTS
Sanford
mess ain't over 'til it is over
By
ANDY BRACK, publisher
DEC.
14, 2009 -- Anybody who thinks the potential impeachment of Gov.
Mark Sanford is over isn’t recalling the words of Yogi Berra.
Brack |
“It
ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” Berra said in 1973
when the come-from-behind New York Mets nabbed the pennant on the
final day of the baseball season.
For
South Carolina, the state obsession with Sanford’s peccadilloes
is far from over, despite some sloppy and misleading reporting by
some news outlets. While Sanford certainly dodged a hurdle this
week, consider:
Process.
Last week, the House impeachment subcommittee voted 6-1 to not recommend
impeachment to the full House Judiciary Committee. But just because
a subcommittee says one thing, a full committee can say another.
The full committee on Wednesday will take up whether to impeach
the governor. It’s not often a full committee goes against
the recommendation of a subcommittee, but it’s been known to
happen. And whenever 25 politicians get in a room over a hot political
issue where they’re on the hot seat, well, you can fill in
the blank.
House
floor. Even if the House Judiciary Committee doesn’t send
an impeachment resolution to all 170 members of the House for consideration,
something could happen on the floor during the 2010 session to bring
the issue up for a vote. (It probably won’t happen, but could.)
S.C.
Rep. James Smith, a Richland Democrat on the House subcommittee,
voted against impeaching Sanford but said he believed the full House
needed to settle the issue. “I’ve always felt this was
not a decision for seven members of the House,” he said in
a phone interview. “Impeachment is a constitutional prerogative
of the full House.”
Ethics
Commission. Last week in a statement, Sanford said the Judiciary
subcommittee dismissed 32 of 37 ethics allegations against him.
In the large scheme of things, that’s a little misleading because
it makes it look like those charges are gone. In fact, the governor
still faces action by the state Ethics Commission on all 37 violations
of state ethics law. What the Judiciary subcommittee did had no
impact on those allegations.
Attorney
General. The jury still is out also whether Attorney General
Henry McMaster will file criminal charges against the governor in
relation to the civil ethics violations. While McMaster, a gubernatorial
candidate, may have been waiting on the House before sticking his
finger in the wind to determine what to do, there is the possibility
that the Sanford saga could hit the criminal courts. (With the House
moving forward on a censure resolution, this also isn’t likely.)
Rep.
Greg Delleney, the Chester Republican who is pushing hard for Sanford’s
impeachment, said he’s not giving up.
“I’m
not quitting until it’s over,” he said. “As long
as I have a breath, I’m going to proceed.” When asked
why, he said, “Because it’s the right thing to do.”
| "Removal
by address" is another -- albeit unlikely -- way that Gov.
Mark Sanford could be removed from office. |
On
Wednesday, Delleney introduced a legal opinion into the record that
another option existed for legislators who wanted to remove Sanford.
It’s a little-known constitutional measure called “removal
by address.” It probably has never been used.
According
to the opinion by Rutgers University Professor G. Alan Tarr, who
runs the Center for State Constitutional Studies, South Carolina
is one of the few states that offers “removal by address.”
Article XV, Section 3 of the state constitution allows the governor
to remove “any executive or judicial officer” for “any
willful neglect of duty, or other reasonable cause.” [Download
Tarr's opinion]
As
Tarr contemplates, it’s unlikely Sanford would remove himself.
But if the House and Senate passed a non-impeachment resolution
to suspend Sanford from office and replace him with a temporary
governor, the temporary governor could, in fact, send Sanford packing
through the “removal of address” option.
Yes,
this complicated option is as likely as snow in July at Myrtle Beach,
but to suggest the whole messy Sanford imbroglio is over just ain’t
so.
More
than likely Sanford will be around until January 2011 when a new
governor takes office. Until then, lawmakers need to deal with Sanford’s
embarrassment to the state quickly, start concentrating on South
Carolina’s big problems and push the increasingly irrelevant
Sanford aside.
Andy
Brack is publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com. You can reach him
by email here.
FEEDBACK
Send
us your thoughts
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
Rural
Mission
 |
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents
to you at no cost. This issue's featured nonprofit partner is Rural
Mission on John's Island. The organization is many things to
man people: a hand up in times of crisis and need … a mission,
service and faith volunteer experience for the young and older …
a caregiver and advocate for young migrant children and a support
system for migrant families … a provider of a warm, comfortable
home in winter and … a greatly appreciated giver of desperately
needed home repairs to make low income homes safe, healthy and decent.
For all, Rural Mission is a source of hope for low- and very low-income
residents, the elderly and families living in the rural underserved
Sea Islands of Charleston County, from Johns Island to Wadmalaw
to Edisto and Yonges Islands. To learn more about this extraordinary
organization, visit
Rural Mission online. To talk to someone about giving your time
or money to help, phone: 843.768-1720.
GOOD
NEWS
CSO,
aquarium to offer 'Sounds at the Sea' for families
Two
of Charleston's largest nonprofits - the South Carolina Aquarium
and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra - are teaming up to present
an educational event called Sounds at the Sea that will give families
a chance to enjoy music amidst the tranquil setting of the aquarium.
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Sounds
at the Sea will be held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the
aquarium. Seven CSO ensembles will offer aquatic melodies at points
throughout the aquarium. Attendees will be able to wander through
the exhibits of the aquarium, interact with the musicians, learn
more about the symphony and savor light hors d'oeuvres and nonalcoholic
beverages.
"The symphony is more focused than ever on serving the community
through our educational outreach programs," said CSO Interim
Executive Director Kathleen Wilson. "This partnership with
such a professional organization, the South Carolina Aquarium, is
critical to our ability to strengthen our outreach to ensure the
entire community has the opportunity to experience the joy of music.
We are getting more and more creative in partnering with local organizations
to benefit the entire community."
Aquarium President and CEO Kevin Mills said, "We are proud
to partner with the symphony to provide our community with a fun
and unforgettable evening of musical performance and wildlife education.
With Sounds at the Sea, children and adults alike will be able to
see wildlife up close and hear the symphony's remarkable interpretations
of our amazing animals."
Tickets
are $10 for aquarium and CSO members and $20 for nonmembers. To
purchase tickets, call 577-FISH (3474) or go to http://www.scaquarium.org
or http://www.charlestonsymphony.com.
Trident Literacy seeking
volunteers to help in offices
Trident
Literacy Association is seeking volunteers to assist with office
work starting Jan. 4. Because of budget cuts, the agency is losing
its college interns at all six office locations after the holidays.
The sites need help greeting students, handling paperwork and answering
telephones. Computer knowledge is helpful but not required.
Volunteers
who can donate a few hours once or more a week are asked to contact
Mary Ann Olwig (molwig@tridentlit.org
or 747-2223) before Dec. 18 or after Jan. 4.
Summerville
author Davis releases new children's book
Summerville
resident Cindy Davis's new children's book, "Sammy's Great
Adventures," was recently published by Tate Publishing and
Enterprises. The book is a collection of stories that focus on Sammy,
Tiffy and their friends as they explore the mysteries of elementary
school. Led by Sammy's imagination, the crew learns some fast-paced
lessons about life.
A
certified preschool teacher and Sunday school teacher, Davis is
involved with her church and several local ministries and organizations.
The
book is available through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher
at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore,
or through online sites. Each copy contains a code redeemable for
a free audio version from TatePublishing.com.
REVIEW
Send
us a review
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
Christian-Jewish
Congress of South Carolina
The
Christian-Jewish Congress of South Carolina was formed in 1976 as
the state's first organization to foster dialogue and cooperation
between Christians and Jews. It emerged out of conversations between
the South Carolina Christian Action Council and the Jewish Welfare
Federations in Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville.
 |
The
organization's motto was "conversation, not conversion,"
and its objectives focused on education and cooperation. It sought
to correct misunderstandings between the faith communities, especially
forms of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism that occasionally surfaced
in communities across the state. Chapters were established in Columbia,
Charleston, and Greenville and met for regular meetings in living
rooms or houses of worship. An annual meeting was held in Columbia
from 1976 to 1988. Prominent national speakers addressed topics
such as the plight of Soviet Jewry, prospects for peace in the Middle
East, prayer in the public schools, and black-Jewish relations.
The organization was instrumental in co-hosting the Eleventh National
Workshop on Christian-Jewish Relations, held in Charleston in March
1989. One of the major sessions of the national meeting included
a Muslim leader, anticipating the more inclusive interfaith dialogues
formed in the years following.
After
the demise of the statewide organization in the late 1980s, local
Jewish-Christian dialogue groups continued to meet in Charleston,
Columbia, and other communities. During the 1990s leaders of interfaith
dialogue established more inclusive dialogue groups to reflect the
growing religious diversity of South Carolina.
-
Excerpted from the entry by Carl D. Evans. 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.) 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
Holiday
green
'Tis the season
for creating more trash than usual, thanks to holiday get-togethers,
gift wrapping and all those packages, boxes and bags.
Martin
|
Theresa Martin,
a marketing specialist for Charleston County's Environmental Management
Department, says there are lots of opportunities to be environmentally
friendly this time of year. Here are five of her top tips:
- Give your
gifts in reusable bags instead of using wrapping paper. Wrapping
paper is not recyclable, while most bags can be reused (particularly
for holiday shopping).
- If you have
a real Christmas tree, compost it after the holidays. Bring it
to the Bees Ferry Landfill (1344 Bees Ferry Road, West Ashley)
between Jan. 2 and Jan. 9 and you'll get a free bag of compost
in return for your tree. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
- Many people
give electronics, such as TVs and computers, as gifts over the
holidays. If you are replacing old equipment, remember that you
can recycle used electronics with Charleston County Recycling.
- Recycle
all cardboard boxes at one of the more than 30 Charleston County
Recycling cardboard drop sites.
- Make a New
Year's resolution to compost and recycle everything you can.
QUOTE
On
phone calls
"Remember
that as a teenager, you are at the last stage of your life when
you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you."
-- Fran
Lebowitz, American humorist (1950 - )
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
Third
Thursday: Until 9 p.m. Dec. 17, downtown Summerville.
Downtown stores will be open late for holiday shopping, and carolers
and other musical entertainment will be featured along with refreshments.
Sponsored by the Merchants of Summerville and Summerville D.R.E.A.M.
More info: 821-7260 or online.
(NEW)
Grand
Illumination: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 18, Middleton
Place. A new holiday event, the Grand Illumination at Middleton
will give visitors a chance to experience the plantation by torchlight,
candlelight and starlight. Costumed interpreters will lead tours
designed to transport visitors back to Christmas 1782, a joyous
holiday season in Charleston because the British had just evacuated
Charleston at the end of the Revolutionary War in the South. Guests
can walk garden paths, see the house decorated for the holidays,
and enjoy music, fires and seasonal refreshments on the Greensward.
Tickets: $15 adults; $5 ages 7-15; free for ages 6 and under. Buy
online at least 24 hours in advance. Tickets bought at the gate
on the night of the event are $20 adults, $5 children.
(NEW)
"Unsilent
Night": 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Dec. 19, downtown Charleston.
"Boom-box" holiday caroling starts at the City Gallery
at Waterfront Park, 34 Prioleau St., and ends in Marion Square at
King and Calhoun streets. No cost to participate. More
info online.
"Messiah"
Sing-A-Long: 6 p.m. Dec. 20, Citadel Square Baptist Church,
328 Meeting St., downtown. Sing along with the Charleston Symphony
Orchestra as the musicians perform all the favorite "Messiah"
songs. Admission: $15 adults; $5 children. More info: 723-7528 or
visit
online.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
(NEW)
"A
Child's Christmas In Wales": 7 p.m. Dec. 22 and Dec.
23, Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St., downtown.
A dramatic performance of Dylan Thomas' beloved 1950 radio story
about an old-fashioned, picture-book Christmas. Clarence Felder
of the Actors' Theatre of South Carolina portrays the author and
is accompanied by a trio of chamber musicians on flute, cello and
violin. Recommended for ages 10 years and above. Tickets: $17. More
info: 763-4941 or visit
online.
(NEW)
"The
Night Before Christmas": 1 p.m. Dec. 23, Circular
Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St., downtown. A trio of musicians
will perform well-loved Christmas songs as actors bring favorite
Christmas stories to life. Actors Chris Weatherhead and Michael
Easler from the Actors' Theatre of South Carolina join Chamber Music
Charleston flutist Regina Helcher Yost, clarinetist Charlie Messersmith
and bassoonist Sandra Nikolajevs for the family-oriented concert.
Admission: $10 adults, $5 children 3 and above; free for kids under
3. More info: 763-4941, by
e-mail or visit
online.
Happy
New Year, Charleston: 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Dec. 31, Marion
Square and surrounding locales, downtown. A family-oriented, alcohol-free
event with concerts and activities to mark the beginning of the
new year in the Lowcountry. More
info online or at 724-7305.
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
12/23:
Christian:
Mannie's story
12/17: Bender:
Polar Plunge prep
12/14: Brooks:
Homes for Christmas
12/10: Doll:
Enjoy holidays sans lbs.
12/7: Yarian:
Instruments of Hope
12/3: De
Armas: Latin biz expo
11/30: Blevins:
Autism
11/23: Hutchisson:
Giving
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
THRASH
ARCHIVES
12/17:
Cookbook,
shopping
12/10: The
Pig's wines
12/3: Neat
shopping
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
12/23:
Photographer
Meyer
12/14: Ain't
over on Sanford
12/7: Back
off a little
11/30: Sanford
presses on
11/16: Now
is time for courage
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
12/23:
Blackbaud
5
12/17: 4
on holiday lights
12/14: Eco-holiday
12/10: Five
about oysters
12/7: Winter
finds
12/3: Free
parking
11/30: Holiday
parades
11/23: Home
fire stats
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
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