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TODAY'S
FOCUS
Best
resolution for addiction is resolving to get help
By JENNIE DAVIS FLINN
Charleston County Public Information Officer
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
JAN.
4, 2010 -- There is a myth that alcoholism and drug addiction treatment
centers are extremely busy during the holidays because there are
numerous parties and people tend to overindulge. But this does not
equate to an increase in admissions for most addiction treatment
centers, according to staff members of Charleston County's Department
of Alcohol and Other Drug Services. In fact, the impact of the holidays
has yet to hit.
Flinn |
"There
are probably more hospital emergency room visits (this time of year)
from accidents related to drinking or using drugs," says Dr.
Jack Emmel, Medical Director of Charleston County's Department of
Alcohol and Other Drug Services, also known as the Charleston Center.
"But the busy time for us actually starts in February."
Dr.
Emmel has a theory about why this is true. He has learned that people
usually make New Year's resolutions to improve their lives, with
the most common resolutions being to lose weight, stop drinking
or stop using drugs. "After a month or so, people's failure
to maintain their resolution hits them in the face and some of them
seek help. There's a reason for this," Dr. Emmel says.
"Among
the symptoms (of addiction) is the obsession to drink or use,"
Dr. Emmel says. "This is important to remember. Obsession means
that the person is repeatedly thinking about getting high."
Addiction,
particularly addiction to alcohol and drugs, was defined as a medical
illness by the American Medical Association in 1965. In the 45 years
following this, research has produced a wide body of evidence about
addiction's causes, symptoms, diagnoses and treatment. It is now
further understood as a chronic illness like diabetes, but it affects
the brain rather than the blood sugar.
Some
people think they just need more willpower to fight an addiction,
and this myth is often encouraged by friends and family members.
An alcoholic says phrases such as, "I can always stop if it
gets that bad," and on New Year's Eve, resolutions are numerous.
Charleston Center |
"Resolving
not to do something is destined to fail when obsession is part of
the problem," says Dr. Emmel. "Constantly thinking about
not drinking still keeps the mind focused on the alcohol. Although
the person is trying to refrain, it is still a reminder or a trigger.
Almost everyone loses this mind game."
Mark
Cowell, director of Charleston Center, compares the "Just Say
No" approach with fighting a heavyweight boxing champion. "Every
time you get in the boxing ring to use willpower against drinking,
you get knocked down. The key is to stop getting in the ring at
all. Stop fighting," he says. "It sounds strange when
I tell people they can win if they stop fighting, but experience
has shown that directing willpower to something positive works."
According
to Cowell, a New Year's resolution that has a much better chance
of succeeding is to resolve to get help. "There are many great
resources in Charleston County," he says. "Charleston
Center has inpatient and outpatient programs. We have a 24-hour
helpline, 722-0100. There are many other resources such as Alcoholics
Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Many churches also offer self-help
groups such as Celebrate Recovery."
According
to Cowell, just saying no to addiction is like trying to just say
no to a heart attack. "Take a positive action instead,"
he says. "The rewards can be incredible, and 2010 can be the
best year you ever had."
For
more information, contact Charleston County's Department of Alcohol
and Other Drug Abuse Services at 958-3300 or visit
this Web site.
Jennie
Davis Flinn is the public information officer for Charleston County
government.
CURRENTS
Piggly
Wiggly center offers info-packed field trip
By
ANDY BRACK, publisher
JAN.
4, 2010 - A sure sign that you're back home from a long road trip
is when you see the big Piggly Wiggly distribution warehouse near
Jedburg. The white 650,000-square-foot facility with the red horizontal
line around it makes you breathe a sigh of relief because you know
your home is nearby.
Brack |
We
visited the center recently and found it a beehive of activity where
about 200 workers sort, stack, load and unload tens of thousands
of items daily for distribution to the grocery chain's 105 stores
across South Carolina and eastern Georgia.
Forklifts
are linked wirelessly to a computer that displays instructions to
the 25 forklift drivers who each move 600-pound pallets from one
location to another about 20 times an hour.
Nearby
are long-time workers who sort "eaches" - individual items
from cases of goods. When a store needs only four bottles of hot
sauce or three cans of red cherries, these pickers use a computer-generated
list to grab items from opened boxes and put them in special crates
for the store. A good picker might average putting an item in the
special box every 4 seconds; a great one might grab 1,200 per hour
-- one every three seconds, according to Woody Arsenault, the company's
director of warehousing and distribution.
Also
impressive at the big warehouse is the chilled section where there
are three "cold rooms." The cold loading dock area is
kept around freezing (warmer than this morning). Regular frozen
goods -- pizzas, frozen dinners and the like -- are kept in a room
that's (-)10 degrees. Ice cream is kept in a smaller room that hovers
at (-)20 degrees. It's so cold in there that you can feel your forehead
burn.
Here
are some more interesting facts about the distribution center:
Milestone.
The facility, which celebrated its 10th birthday in Jedburg in
May, serves as the company's center for operations. Piggly
Wiggly, which has corporate offices are in West Ashley, also
has a 185,000-square-foot warehouse in North Charleston that handles
perishable foods -- fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs and more.
First
in the area. The company once owned a bunch of land adjacent
to the facility that is now being developed by Hillwood, a Perot
company, into a complex of distribution warehouses. Up to 10 million
square foot of distribution warehouses are planned. That's the
size of 15 more Piggly Wiggly centers. If they have as many jobs
as the Pig's, that would be about 3,000 jobs for the area.
Volume.
The average small Piggly Wiggly grocery store might offer 20,000
items; a larger one might have 35,000 different things for sale.
About 1 million pounds of goods are shipped out daily from the
center to its stores. Trucks making deliveries can visit up to
three stores on a delivery run.
Turnover.
Goods are constantly turning over. Once a case of something like
a can of tomatoes arrives, it generally stays in the warehouse
no more than three weeks. With fresh meats and produce, what comes
in during the morning goes out in the afternoon.
Arsenault |
Docks.
The facility has 64 docks for loading and receiving goods
in the main warehouse. The frozen foods section has an additional
18 docks. Goods are strategically prepositioned prior to loading
of trailers to boost productivity. "Computer software optimizes
the loading of the trucks," Arsenault said.
Shifts.
The day shift starts as early as 5 a.m. for some workers, while
others start at 8 a.m. A smaller night shift starts at 8 p.m.
and continues until work is finished, which is usually around
5:30 a.m.
Pallets.
The pallets on which goods are shipped come from a variety of
sources and in two forms: wooden and plastic. Wooden ones are
cheaper -- about $7 per pallet -- but only last two or three uses.
Plastic ones can cost up to $25 per pallet, but have a life expectancy
of 10 years. Piggly Wiggly has purchased plastic pallets for internal
uses to achieve cost savings.
Green.
The company has invested in automatic fluorescent lighting that
cuts off when people aren't around. It also has a huge recycling
area for plastics and cardboard. Annually, it also donates hundreds
of thousands of pounds of damaged but usable goods -- such as
a cereal box with a mashed corner (the cereal inside is still
good) or a dented can of peas -- to the Lowcountry Food Bank.
Employee-owned.
Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. is 100-percent employee-owned. As an
American-owned company, it tried to buy American as much as it
can, Arsenault said.
In
coming months, look for Piggly Wiggly to announce dynamic and fun
additions to its popular Greenbax program and to offer new branded
products only available at … you guessed it -- your local Piggly
Wiggly.
Andy
Brack is 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
South
Carolina Aquarium
 |
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents
to you at no cost. In this issue, we welcome a new underwriter,
the South Carolina Aquarium, the #1 attraction in Charleston.
The aquarium offers interactive excitement and value for visitors
of all ages. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the South Carolina
Aquarium aims to inspire conservation of the natural world by exhibiting
and caring for animals, by excelling in education and research,
and by providing an exceptional visitor experience. Guests can explore
exhibits such as Penguin Planet with four Magellanic penguins, the
Touch Tank featuring Atlantic stingrays, the 385,000-gallon Great
Ocean Tank featuring sharks and moray eels as well as exclusive
behind-the-scenes looks at the extraordinary care that is provided
to rescued sea turtles in the Sea Turtle Hospital. Starting in March
2010, the Aquarium will feature a rare ghost of the swamp, an albino
alligator, in the renovated Blackwater Swamp exhibit. Check out
the daily educational programs with animal feedings and dive shows.
Start planning a visit to the South Carolina Aquarium today at www.scaquarium.org.
GOOD
NEWS
MarketWatch
ranks Lowcountry a good place to do business
MarketWatch.com,
part of the Wall Street Digital Network, recently ranked Charleston
as one of the top 50 cities in America in which to do business.
The Holy City came in at No. 47. Not too far behind in the list,
which rated the nation's 101 largest metro areas (those with populations
of at least 500,000), were two other Palmetto State locales: Columbia,
ranked at No. 56, and Greenville, at No. 67.
This
is the first time the annual list has included metropolitan areas
with fewer than 1 million people. According to MarketWatch.com,
reducing the population criterion allowed South Carolina and several
other states that had been shut out of past lists to qualify for
inclusion this year.
A
Dow Jones financial markets publisher, MarketWatch.com used 10 criteria
to develop the ratings, including the concentration of companies,
annual payroll and employment, and real GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
BB&T
Wine + Food Festival looking for volunteers
The
fifth annual BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival is not far
off, and organizers are currently looking for volunteers to help
behind the scenes of the four-day event, which will be held March
4 through March 7 around Lowcountry.
Among
the duties volunteers are needed to help with are event set-up,
vendor relations, wine pouring and seminar set-up, customer service
and ticketing assistance, and serving as a liaison to the media
and VIPs. Among the perks of being a volunteer are an official embroidered
festival apron, access to a volunteers lounge with a free lunch
by Food for the Southern Soul, and an opportunity to meet and interact
with experts in the culinary and wine industries.
If
you're interested, apply
online here. For more details, contact Marla Chalfie at marlachalfie@comcast.net
or 437-9229.
Trident
Literacy launches $50,000 scholarship campaign
Trident
Literacy Association is asking the community for some small donations
that will add up to big things - scholarship money for the 80 percent
of its students who can't afford tuition but are never turned away.
The
agency helps adults learn basic reading, writing and math; earn
a GED or WorkKeys certificate; learn English as a Second Language;
and boost their chances of finding a job. According to the Center
for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, $292,000 is
the average cost to taxpayers over the working life of each high
school dropout in terms of lost earnings, lower taxes paid and higher
spending for social costs, such as incarceration and welfare.
The
agency's annual fee is $25, yet eight out of 10 adult students are
unable to pay. The goal of the scholarship campaign is to raise
$50,000. Donations may be made online at www.tridentlit.org/scholarship.htm
or by mail to Trident Literacy, 5416-B Rivers Ave., North Charleston,
SC 29406. For more information, call 747-2223.
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
Ashley
River Road
The
Ashley River Road is one of the oldest roads in South Carolina.
It began as a Native American trading path, paralleling the Ashley
River, and later served the colonists of the original Charleston
settlement. The Lords Proprietors authorized the road in 1690. The
modern road consists of an approximately fifteen-mile portion of
S.C. Highway 61 up to Bacon's Bridge Road (S.C. Highway 165). During
the colonial era, numerous plantations lined the route, as did St.
Andrew's Episcopal Church (1706). In 1721 a law was passed to protect
the shade trees along its route, a forerunner of modern ordinances
that protect trees and require buffers.
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In
the years after the Civil War, Ashley River Road communities, especially
those of newly emancipated African Americans, established numerous
churches along its routes, including Springfield Baptist, St. Andrew's
Episcopal, St. Philip's African Methodist Episcopal, and Ashley
River Road Missionary Baptist. Since World War II, suburban development
has increasingly moved from Charleston up the Ashley River Road.
Of major significance was the prevention by preservationists of
an exit off Interstate 526 onto the Ashley River Road. Instead traffic
was shifted to a new four-lane highway paralleling the road to the
west.
Scenic
sections of the eleven-mile segment from Church Creek almost to
S.C. Highway 165 are still canopied by forests festooned with Spanish
moss. In 1983 the road was placed in the National Register of Historic
Places. It was designated a State Scenic Byway in 1998 and a National
Scenic Byway in 2000. Historic sites along its route, such as Drayton
Hall, Magnolia Gardens, and Middleton Place, attract hundreds of
thousands of people each year, making the road one of the most popular
historic routes in the state. Increasing suburban sprawl and the
pressures of traffic, however, render the future of this unique
road uncertain.
--
Excerpted from the entry by George McDaniel. 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
Staying warm
2010 got off
to a very cold start in the Lowcountry, and it looks like the first
full week of the year will bring more of the same - so we thank
the folks at SCE&G for these timely tips for staying warm while
keeping costs down. Here are five tips for "managing your thermostat."
For more ideas on weatherizing your home, click
here.
- Make sure
your thermostat is located on an interior wall.
- Keep sources
of heat, like lamps, stereos and televisions, away from the thermostat.
They will interfere with the thermostat's ability to measure the
room temperature accurately.
- To more
closely monitor your thermostat, place an inexpensive thermometer
next to it. Use the thermometer to gauge the accuracy of your
thermostat.
- Clean your
thermostat to keep it accurate. Just remove its cover and blow
away accumulated dust.
- Replace
your old thermostat with one of the newer digital models that
can be set to automatically lower the temperature at bedtime and
raise it in the morning. Some can be programmed to raise the setting
several times a day.
QUOTE
On
being unorganized
"One of
the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making
exciting discoveries."
-- A.A.
Milne, children's-book author (1882-1956)
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
Museum
Oyster Roast: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 9, Dill Sanctuary,
James Island. The Charleston Museum will mark its 237th birthday
with its annual oyster roast and nature walk. Enjoy oysters along
the banks of the Stono River, a natural walk led by local naturalist
Billy McCord (walk starts at 3 p.m.), bluegrass music by Blue Plantation,
and the sights of the sanctuary, including a variety of wildlife
habitats, four earthen Confederate batteries, a six-acre pond with
three nesting islands, and prehistoric, colonial, antebellum and
postbellum archeological sites. Tickets (which include oysters,
barbecue, fixings and full bar) are $25 for museum members, $35
for nonmembers. Advance tickets (recommended): 722-2996 or online
here.
"Spiritual
Journey": 3 p.m. Jan. 10, Gibbes Museum of Art,
135 Meeting St., downtown. The Charleston Symphony Orchestra Spiritual
Ensemble and the Gibbes Museum will present "A Lowcountry Spiritual
Journey II" in the Gibbes Rotunda. Performance will coincide
with the conclusion of the exhibition "Daufuskie Island: Photographs
by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe," wife of tennis legend Arthur Ashe.
Tickets: $7 museum members and students; $15 non-members. Buy
online or by calling 722-2706, ext. 18. Advance purchase advised.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
(NEW)
Small-Business/Nonprofit Lunch: 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Jan.
12, Charleston County Main Library, 68 Calhoun St., downtown.
Casual networking lunch for small businesses and nonprofits. Business
librarian Amanda Holling will share tips and advice for making the
most of one of a business' smallest assets: the business card. Participants
are asked to bring a bag lunch. More info: 805-6930.
Sounds
at the Sea: 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 13, South Carolina
Aquarium, 100 Aquarium Wharf. The Charleston Symphony Orchestra
and the aquarium are teaming up to offer aquatic-themed performances
throughout the aquarium. Attendees can wander through the exhibits,
interact with the musicians, and sample light hors d'oeuvres and
nonalcoholic beverages. Tickets: $10 for aquarium and CSO members;
$20 for nonmembers. Call 577-FISH (3474) or go to http://www.scaquarium.org
or http://www.charlestonsymphony.com.
Legislative
Reception: 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 14, South Carolina
Aquarium. The Charleston Metro Chamber will host the reception to
provide the community a chance for informal networking with local
town councils, mayors, state legislators and federal legislators.
Leaders who helped secure the Boeing facility will offer special
presentations. Cost: $54 for chamber members, $65 nonmembers. More.
New
Park Tour: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 16, Two Pines Park near
McClellanville. A Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission
naturalist and historic specialist will lead a preview tour of the
new Two Pines county park site, an 812-acre covered with pine flatlands
and bottomland hardwoods. Open to ages 12 and up; a registered,
paid chaperone is required for participants younger than 15. Cost:
$12 Charleston County residents, $15 nonresidents. More
info/registration or 795-4FUN (4386).
'The
Art of Dueling': 7 p.m. Jan. 21, Charleston Museum. Museum
Curator of History Grahame Long will give a presentation titled
"Two Pistols, Two Seconds: The Art of Dueling in South Carolina."
Discover why it has been argued that Charlestonians participated
in more duels than any other community in the United States. Free
and open to the public. More
info or 722-2996.
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
7/1:
Shaffer:
Picky Eaters Group
6/28: Bender:
Fishy Fourth
6/24: Belden:
Society 1858
6/21: Stevenson:
Summer reading
6/17: Handel:
On Jim Fisher
6/14: Reeves:
Summer dress
6/10:Martin:
Garden tips
6/7: Dubrofsky:
Green homes
6/3: McCutcheon:
Young pros
5/31: McFaddlin:
Health benefits
5/27: Ledbetter:
Senior riders
5/24: Myers:
Microloan's impact
5/20: Gadson:
Rural Mission's needs
5/17: Bender:
Bocce bashing
5/13: DeMarco:
Homeless help
5/10: Spencer:
Ending violence
5/6: Westmeyer:
Fish to buy
5/3: Maas:
Spoleto tips
THRASH
ARCHIVES
3/4:
Green
mowers
2/25: Get
outdoors
2/18: Local
guide book for kids
2/11: Reviewing
Jenny's book
2/4: MSNBC
looks at success
1/21: Tell
Mt. Pleasant
1/14: Winter
plant tips
1/7: New
books
BRACK
ARCHIVES
3/1:
Cut
all of the cuts
2/22: A
look at summer camps
2/15: School
district Einsteins
2/8: About
mules
2/1: Bauer
should get out
1/28: Gibbs
at White House
1/25: Friend's
new show
1/18: Rockwell
painting
1/11: Palmetto
Priorities
1/4/10: Piggly
Wiggly visit
LIST
ARCHIVES
3/4:
Tickets
still left
3/1: Eat
& Run
2/25: RiverDogs'
auction
2/22: Recycling
bins
2/18: Designer
data
2/15: SC
Olympians
2/11: Prohibition
cocktails
2/8: Tops
for Charleston
2/4: Sweet
treats
2/1: Free
at SEWE
1/28: Artists'
gift
1/25: Sharks
at Aquarium
1/21: Church
turns 100
1/18: 3
helping Haiti
1/14: Civil
War lectures
1/11: 5
for King Day
1/7: New
at SEWE
1/4/10: Staying
warm
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