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TODAY'S
FOCUS
Does your company have a policy on use of social media?
By LYN METTLER
Step Ahead Inc.
Reprinted with permission
Editor's
note: Lyn Mettler, founder of Step Ahead Inc., a Lowcountry public
relations and social media campaign firm, recently wrote a blog
post on a topic of interest to employers and employees alike:
Does your company - should your company - have a policy on the
use of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter? We thank
Lyn for letting us reprint it today.
FEB.
25, 2010 -- As we develop social media campaigns for our clients,
we often ask them to encourage their employees to support the campaign
by sharing it with their friends, adding comments and just generally
getting involved.

Mettler
|
But
sometimes that brings up a hairy question: Do we want our employees
on social media saying they work for us? What if Sally's wild night
out reflects badly on the company? What if she publicly says something
negative about a client on Facebook or Twitter?
So
we sometimes help companies draft an internal social media policy.
But before I go into the meat of those policies, let me first and
foremost say I am a big proponent of the more people participating
in social media on your behalf, the better. I believe in openness
in social media, and that means taking a risk sometimes that someone
will do or say something negative. And believe me, they will! But
to me, the positives of being on social media and the goodwill and
customer service and awareness it fosters are way worth the couple
of negatives.
Now,
that being said, I still can't convince some companies of my views,
soooo
we help them craft a policy to help them feel more
secure that they're protected in the event that negative post happens.
What
should you put in an employee social media policy?
What
information shouldn't an employee share on social media? Company
financial data, trade information, internal documents?
Can
your employees mention that they are employed by you? If they do
mention that, do they need to share that account with you?
If
they do mention an affiliation, provide some guidelines for good
social media etiquette. They might include:
-
Remember that whatever you do or say is in some way representing
your company for good or bad.
- Never
post any information about the company unless you have seen it
released publicly by the PR/marketing department or on the company
Twitter account or company blog.
-
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Post
the following disclaimer: "The opinions listed here don't
reflect those of my employer."
-
Speak in first person to indicate you are speaking your opinions
and not those of the company.
- Avoid
insults or inappropriate language.
- Remember
that everything you post is publicly indexed online; don't post
anything you wouldn't want the world, including your boss, your
clients and your mom, to see.
- Contribute
intelligent, thoughtful material and be professional!
- Be
authentic, transparent and truthful.
- Social
media, unless it is furthering your work, should not interfere
with your work time and should be done on personal time.
I
think we can find a happy medium here to satisfy employers without
majorly restricting employees, and then you can give your employees
the chance to support the company's social media efforts. And if
they support you, by gosh, reward them!
Lyn
Mettler is the mother of two young boys, a self-described "social
media nerd" and the founder of Step
Ahead Inc., a company which combines traditional public relations
with social media campaigns to maximize visibility for clients both
online and off. She is the social media-featured blogger for TwitterMoms.com
and also blogs regularly on her company Web site. Follow her on
Twitter at @webprgirl.
CURRENTS
Spring
fever? Feed it with programs that get you outdoors
By
ANN THRASH, editor
FEB.
25, 2010 -- This past Monday was the second Monday in a row that
the previous weekend's weather was a main topic of conversation.
Last Monday it was the rare snowfall that had people talking.

Thrash
|
But
on Monday this week, everyone seemed to have his or her sights fully
set on spring. Everywhere we went, we heard people saying, "Wasn't
the weather great over the weekend," usually followed by details
on how they'd gotten outside for some yard work, made a trip to
a local park or just enjoyed rolling down the car windows for a
breath of fresh not-too-cold air.
We've
got spring fever, too, and it has us interested in a couple of interesting
programs that offer a chance to learn something more about Lowcountry
wildlife and natural resources. Here are two you might want to check
out.
Coastal
Explorations Series: The S.C. Department of Natural Resources
offers the Coastal Exploration Series each spring, and it's great
- and free - way to learn more about issues involving our marine
resources and the importance of conservation in the Lowcountry.
The series runs from March through May, with events up and down
the coast ranging from seminars and lectures to field trips. You
can see a full, detailed
list here -- but here are two going on in our backyard.
- "Building
a Rain Garden in Your Own Backyard": This hands-on program,
led by David Joyner of Clemson Extension, takes place from 4 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m. March 25 at DNR's Fort Johnson Marine Center on James
Island. The focus is on full-sun rain gardens that serve as habitats
for butterflies and other wildlife while also improving local
water quality by decreasing runoff into nearby waterways. The
gardens this program will emphasize are attractively crafted with
native plants that can survive both very dry and very wet conditions.
After two indoor presentations - one on rain garden construction
and the other on planting for butterflies - the group will head
outdoors for a hands-on demonstration of the building process.
By the end of the event, the group will have built a rain garden
for the Fort Johnson DNR campus. You'll go home with your own
rain garden manual from Clemson Extension, as well as plenty of
good ideas. Class participants should bring gloves and wear appropriate
clothes and shoes for working outdoors.
- "Birding
in The Beidler, Headwaters of the ACE Basin": Jeff Mollenhauer
of the South Carolina Audubon Society will lead this walk along
the boardwalk at Four Holes Swamp. It's from 9 a.m. to noon April
26 at the Francis Beidler National Forest (registration won't
begin until 30 days before the event). The forest is really an
extraordinary setting where you'll get a chance to see some of
the oldest, biggest cypress trees in the South. Audubon experts
will look at some of the misconceptions about swampy areas as
well as the benefits these areas have for the Lowcountry. Birds
that you might see along the boardwalk include prothonotary warblers,
yellow crowned night herons, barred owls, and pileated woodpeckers,
to name just a few. You can also learn about a new citizen-science
project, Project PROTHO, which takes a closer look at the use
of forested wetlands by prothonotary warblers.
Become
a Master Naturalist: The Charleston County Park and Recreation
Commission is offering the Certified South Carolina Master Naturalist
Program beginning in March. A weekly course involves meetings that
last all day on consecutive Tuesdays, but there is also a one-Saturday-a-month
version of the course.
The
program's goal is to create "volunteer citizen scientists"
who can positively affect the state's natural resources. "Master
Naturalists strive to improve the quality of our native ecosystems
through 'reading' the landscape: understanding its underlying geology,
specific inhabitants (i.e., plants, animals), ecology and the impacts
of humans on the landscape," according to the PRC.
Becoming
a Master Naturalist involves extensive field training and, similar
to the popular Master Gardener program, requires that participants
give back to the community by volunteering for a certain number
of service hours after certification. For Master Naturalists, the
30 service hours can include assisting in nature outreach programs
at parks, museums or schools, assisting scientists with data collection,
and a variety of other options.
The
Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel is home to the course, and
field trips will take participants to sites such as Congaree National
Park, Francis Marion National Forest, Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve
and undeveloped marsh islands near the Ashepoo River.
The
program is a serious commitment, but a worthwhile one. Since 2008,
about 65 people have taken the course locally, recording 2,161 hours
of volunteer service - an estimated $43,760 value based on a popular
calculator of the worth of volunteer work. The program costs $600
for Charleston County residents, $625 for nonresidents. Call 889-8898
or visit www.ccprc.com
to learn more or register.
Ann
Thrash, editor of CharlestonCurrents.com, can be reached at: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
You can follow her on Twitter @annmthrash.
FEEDBACK
Send
us your letters, opinions
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
West
Of
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents
to you at no cost. In this issue, we turn the spotlight on West
Of newspaper, the West Ashley's community newspaper that highlights
community news, opinions, schools, dining, arts and more for the
62,000+ people who live west of Charleston's Ashley River. West
Of also publishes the James
Island Messenger for people who live on James Island. Visit
West Of online or via Twitter.
GOOD
NEWS
Local business,
education execs visit Fla. career academies
Fifty
business leaders and educators from the Charleston area took a field
trip last week to St. Johns County, Fla., to see how career academies
are successfully implemented and to learn how National
Career Academy Coalition standards are used to create quality
and consistency in the schools. The Education Foundation, an initiative
of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, organized the trip.
The
Lowcountry group learned how the Florida school district uses an
evaluation rubric for career academies, and how it engages the business
community and creates partnerships and return on investment for
businesses. Many businesses not only get positive community exposure
for their involvement but can also educate their future workforce
about the jobs available and skill sets needed.
In
St. Johns County, Lowcountry leaders saw four career academies,
including aerospace, future teacher, biotechnology and medical research,
and international business and marketing, and learned how the business
community plays a part. In a visit to St. Augustine High School,
for example, executives learned that the school is graduating its
first aerospace class, with many students going on to college already
having 10-20 college credits from the program. Northrop Grumman
is a business partner for the Aerospace Academy and loans an executive
to teach aviation maintenance. Students learn firsthand about the
equipment and training by building model planes and flight simulators,
learning air traffic control and conducting a mock engineering symposium.
They are then prepared to start a high-skills job with an average
annual salary of $46,000.
"With so many career academies burgeoning in our tri-county
school districts, this trip was an important step as we seek to
strengthen what is already in place and gain new ideas and colleagues
to help us advance career academies in Berkeley, Charleston and
Dorchester Counties," said Allen Wutzdorff, executive director
of the Education Foundation.
"The
fact that 25 business executives gave up a day to make this trip
and fully funded the costs is strong testimony to the degree of
business support for education in this region," said Deb Campeau,
the foundation's chairperson.
Since
2007, the Education Foundation has worked closely with the Ford
Motor Company Fund as one of 14 communities across the nation to
develop career academy networks that meet national standards. Career
academies are "schools within schools" that draw on career
themes to bring real-world relevance to academic learning.
Trident
United Way names Community Builders of the Year
A
local insurance company and an executive from AstenJohnson have
been named Community Builders of the Year by Trident United Way,
the agency announced this week.
Johnson
& Johnson, a Charleston-based insurance company, is the United
Way's Corporate Community Builder of the Year. The company's 130
employees contributed $190,000 to Trident United Way and participated
in large numbers in the Day of Caring in September. They also donate
to the Ride for Hope, Darkness to Light, the Dee Norton Lowcountry
Children's Center and Families Helping Families. Company employees
participate in the Race for the Cure, do blood drives for the Red
Cross and help with the Lowcountry Food Bank's Backpack Buddies
program.
"Johnson
& Johnson may not be a global giant or even widely known by
the general public, but they are a giant of philanthropy,"
said David Dunlap, CEO of Roper St. Francis Healthcare and board
chairman at Trident United Way.
The
individual honored as Community Builder of the Year was Bill Finn,
chairman of the board at AstenJohnson, a Charleston-based manufacturer
of paper machine clothing, specialty fabrics, filaments and drainage
equipment. Finn has served in a variety of volunteer leadership
capacity at Trident United Way, including board chairman and campaign
chairman, and he and his wife are longtime members of the national
Tocqueville Society for annual United Way contributions of $10,000
or more. He has served on the board of the Charleston Regional Development
Alliance, Santee Cooper and the College of Charleston School of
Business.
"Every
time Bill chaired something at Trident United Way, we had record
results," said Chris Kerrigan, the agency's president and CEO.
"Bill's business acumen, dedication to our community and personal
warmth have made him indispensible to our work, and to the work
of numerous other organizations in the Lowcountry."
Family Circle Cup,
Wholly Cow launch ice cream contest
The
Family Circle Cup and Charleston-based Wholly Cow Ice Cream have
whipped up an ice cream flavor design contest that promises some
neat prizes and offers local ice cream buffs a chance to have their
flavor ideas judged by some of the top female tennis players in
the world.
Members
of the public can submit personally designed ice cream flavors for
consideration via the tournament's
Web site. The top three entries will receive prizes including
tickets to the tournament, with the winner performing an on-court
pre-match coin toss in Family Circle Stadium. Family Circle Cup
fans and players will judge submissions, with player votes constituting
a large portion of the winning decision.
Fans
21 and older are eligible. Each entry should include the flavor's
name, base flavor of ice cream and up to two additional ingredients
(for example, "Bananarama" might be banana ice cream with
chocolate chips and marshmallows). Specific ingredient proportions
or assembly instructions are not required, and multiple entries
per person will be accepted.
The
deadline to submit an idea is midnight March 12. There will be two
rounds of judging. In the first, Wholly Cow will review the submitted
flavors and a panel of judges will select three finalists based
on the ice cream's look (10 percent) and taste (90 percent). The
three finalists will be notified March 31 and given two tickets
to the Family Circle Cup matches at 7 p.m. April 13.
In
the second round of judging, Wholly Cow will offer the three finalists'
flavors as free samples April 10-12 at the Wholly Cow booth at the
tennis tournament. Fans and players will vote on their favorite.
The grand-prize winner will be announced on stadium court on April
13, and the winning flavor will be sold by Wholly Cow Ice Cream
for the duration of the tournament. The grand prize winner will
have the opportunity to toss the coin prior to that night's match
and will receive one pint of their ice cream creation.
County
offers free one-day Citizens' Academy to residents
Charleston
County government is inviting residents into the classroom, and
the subject is local government and where our tax dollars go.
The
Charleston County Citizens' Academy will offer free quarterly sessions
beginning March 9 to offer residents insight on how county government
works. The one-day sessions will feature topics such as the county
budgeting process, garbage and recycling, law enforcement, the court
system, emergency services, planning and zoning, and more.
The
March 9 program will have morning and afternoon sessions, and residents
may attend one or both. Sessions will meet in Charleston County
Council chambers in the Lonnie Hamilton III Public Services Building,
4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston. County Council Chairman
Teddie Pryor and County Administrator Allen O'Neal will introduce
the program, and participants will be able to meet several elected
officials.
The
9 a.m. to noon session, titled "Charleston County 101,"
includes "Intro to Home Rule," "Who's Who in County
Government," "The Board of Elections and Voter Registration
Office" and "Navigating the County's Web Site." The
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. session, "County Finance, Follow the Money,"
will look at the county budget, property assessment, taxes, and
the roles of the register of mesne conveyance (RMC), assessor and
treasurer.
Previously, the Citizens' Academy was a series of 12 classes taught
by county officials. "Funding for the program was cut due to
a declining county budget. However, officials wanted to make sure
the popular program continued in some format, so it's been modified,"
said Evelyn DeLaine-Hart, who is overseeing the program.
Formal
registration isn't required, but county officials would like to
have a general idea of how many people to expect, so those who are
interested are asked to contact Mai Green at maigreen@charlestoncounty.org
or 958-4000.
RECOMMENDED
Send
us your reviews
HAVE
A REVIEW?
If you have a review or recommendation 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.
SC
ENCYCLOPEDIA
Punches
Punches
have been prominent at South Carolina social gatherings from the
state's beginnings. When Eliza Lucas Pinckney recorded her favorite
recipes in 1756 at her plantation north of Charleston, she included
one for the Duke of Norfolk Punch, made with twelve pounds of sugar,
thirty oranges plus five and one-half quarts of juice, thirty lemons
plus three and one-half quarts of juice, and a gallon of rum.
Though
men often drank rum, "slings," "flipps," "toddies,"
beer, and claret at home, they also enjoyed drinking in the rowdy
atmosphere of the city's many taverns. Women also drank socially
at the parties and balls that were frequent in Charleston town houses,
on the neighboring plantations, and in the elegant buildings that
were built by the numerous private "societies." Women
drank imported wines, including fortified sherry, Madeira, and port,
but they also made their own liqueurs, such as ratafia from peach
kernels, brandy, and sugar.
Punches,
which were favored throughout the colonies, were made to serve a
crowd, and individual recipes were named for particular social clubs,
such as the St. Cecilia Society or the Cotillion Club. The tradition
continued for three hundred years. When the Junior League of Charleston
published its fund-raiser cookbook Charleston Receipts in 1950,
it began with sixteen pages of recipes for beverages, many of them
for punches that serve hundreds. The book has been the most successful
of its kind and has remained in print after more than fifty years.
Some of the recipes begin with a base of tea, long a favorite in
the Lowcountry, and most include tropical fruit such as citrus or
pineapple. Some are variations of eggnog, such as "Flip,"
which was popular in seventeenth-century England. With changes in
both social structure and liquor laws in South Carolina, punches
have fallen out of favor.
--
Excerpted from the entry by John Martin Taylor. 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
RiverDogs
auction
The Charleston
RiverDogs always come up with great stuff for their auctions, and
the new season-long online auction to benefit MUSC's Storm Eye Institute
is no exception. New items will be posted each Friday through the
end of September. Here are four cool items to look for -- the
first two can be bid on now online -- and the others will go
on the auction block in the weeks to come, so keep checking back.
- Dale
Murphy Autographed Baseball -- Bidding ends at 11 a.m. Feb.
26. Murphy, a former outfielder and first baseman, most notably
with the Atlanta Braves, won two consecutive Most Valuable Player
Awards, the National League's Silver Slugger Award four straight
years, and the National League's Golden Glove Award five consecutive
years.
- Be in
a RiverDogs TV Commercial
-- Bidding ends at 11 a.m. March 5. Get ready for your closeup:
Here's your chance for some lights, cameras, action. The winner
will be featured in a commercial for the RiverDogs.
- Reggie
Jackson Autographed Baseball
-- Throughout his career, Jackson played for the Oakland Athletics,
Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and California Angels. The
outfielder won three consecutive World Series titles as a member
of the Oakland A's and two consecutive titles with the New York
Yankees. Nicknamed "Mr. October," he was inducted into
the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.
- Dale
Murphy Autographed Jersey -- If you're the winning bidder
on the Dale Murphy autographed baseball, this would be a nice
companion piece, wouldn't it? Then again, if you don't win the
baseball, this would be another chance to own some great Dale
Murphy memorabilia.
QUOTE
On
getting better
"Attempt
the impossible in order to improve your work."
-- Bette
Davis, American actress (1908-1989)
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
Amuse
Bouche: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 26, Halsey Institute
of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston, 161 Calhoun St. The
event, the unofficial kickoff of the BB&T Charleston Wine +
Food Festival, benefits the Lowcountry Food Bank's Kids Café
and Backpack Buddies Programs and the Halsey Institute. Jim 'N Nick's
Bar-B-Q will "Pork from Around the World" tastings, and
Whole Foods will offer an open wine bar. Cost: $20 per person at
the door; RSVP no later than Feb. 24 to 747-8146 or mcoombes@lcfbank.org.
Park
Angel Get-Together: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28, grassy
area near Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside St., downtown. The Charleston
Parks Conservancy will host a social for old and new members to
get acquainted and learn more about the group. Food, games and prizes
along with opportunity to learn about upcoming events and volunteer
needs. The organization works to support local public parks by planting
and maintaining green spaces and promoting the history and beauty
of local gardens. For more info or to register as a Park Angel (it's
free), visit
this Web site.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
(NEW)
"Lowcountry
Boil": Various dates and times, March 4 through
March 27, PURE Theatre, Upper Lance Hall, 150 Meeting St.,
downtown (on the grounds of the Circular Congregational Church).
Writer/director R.W. Smith describes "Lowcountry Boil"
as "part 'Pulp Fiction,' part 'Clerks' and all Charleston."
It's a sequel to "Horse Tranqs & Carriage People,"
but PURE says you don't have to have seen that show to enjoy this
one. The March 4 show is a Pay What You Can Preview; March 5 show
includes a complimentary beer tasting with Charleston Beer Exchange.
Tickets range in price from $20-$30 and are available
online or by calling 811-4111.
Southern
Politics: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. March 3 and 1:45 p.m.
to 3:30 p.m. March 5, The Citadel. Author and former Alabama
congressman Glen Browder will speak on race and Southern politics.
The March 3 event is an author presentation and book signing; Browder
is the author of "Stealth Reconstruction: An Untold Story of
Racial Politics in Recent Southern History" and "The South's
New Racial Politics." The March 5 event is a panel discussion
during the Symposium on Southern Politics, an examination of the
2008 elections. More
info.
(NEW)
Yuriy
Bekker and Friends: 7 p.m. March 5, Christ Episcopal
Church, Mount Pleasant, and 4 p.m. March 7, St. John the
Beloved, Summerville. "Orchestral Section Highlights"
is an intimate, musician-led performance that takes the audience
through each section of the orchestra. The program will showcase
the wind, brass and string sections individually, as the entire
orchestra as well. Tickets: $15 adults, $5 students. Purchase
online, at the Gaillard Auditorium Box Office, or any Ticketmaster
outlet.
Dogmore
Stew Festival: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 7, Magnolia Plantation
and Gardens. Lowcountry Animal Rescue sponsors the festival, which
includes a silent auction, prizes, a pet fashion show, dog training
and grooming demos and more. Tickets include hors d'oeuvres, Frogmore
stew and desserts along with admission to the plantation and gardens.
Cost: adults $17 ($20 at the gate); $10 for ages 6-12; $5 for ages
3-5; free for age 3 and under. Well-behaved, leashed pets get in
free. Buy tickets at local All is Well locations (Summerville, Mount
Pleasant, West Ashley, James Island) or by calling 343-8063.
(NEW)
Lee
Brothers Book Signing: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 7, Blue
Bicycle Books, 420 King St., downtown. Celebrated Southern food
pros Matt and Ted Lee will sign copies of their latest book, "Simple
Fresh Southern," which features recipes with Deep South flavor
and healthy, everyday ingredients (easy ambrosia; cherry tomato
and soybean salad; Caesar salad with catfish "croutons,"
etc.). Peanuts will be boiled and beer will be served. Free and
open to the public. More info: 722-2666.
"Whistler's
Women": 3 p.m. March 7, Gibbes Museum of Art, 135
Meeting St., downtown. The Charleston Chamber Opera and the Gibbes
will present an afternoon of opera in the rotunda, the setting for
the "Whistler's Travels" special exhibition. Soprano Patrice
Tiedemann, mezzo soprano Lara Wilson and baritone Paul Soper will
explore the life and loves of artist James McNeill Whistler (who
was married but had several lovers, one of whom bore him several
children and another of whom raised his son by yet another woman).
The clever mix of art song, opera and theatrical flair will include
the music of Debussy, Saint-Saens, Mahler, Gilbert & Sullivan
and others. Tickets: $10 museum members and students; $20 nonmembers.
Buy
online, at the museum store or by calling 722-2706, ext. 18.
Stiletto
Stampede: 10 a.m. March 13, Houston Northcutt Boulevard,
Mount Pleasant. An offbeat 100-yard dash in which contestants must
wear 3-inch heels (both male and female). The top male and female
finishers get $5,000 from Gwynn's of Mount Pleasant, and Charleston
Magazine will give $1,000 to the runner with the best costume. Post-race
food and entertainment offered in the Whole Foods parking lot. Proceeds
from the run benefit MUSC Children's Hospital. Race fee: $30. Entry
form/more info.
Party
for the Parks: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 13, Ashley Avenue
overlooking Colonial Lake, downtown. "Amusement on the Avenue,"
sponsored by the Charleston Parks Conservancy, will feature live
music from the Flatt City bluegrass band, the Plainfield Project
and DJ Trailmix along with roller skaters, breakdancers, jugglers
and hip hop dancers. Food provided by Oak, Muse, the Bagel Shop,
Queen Street Grocery, Taco Boy, Closed for Business and La Fourchette;
there will also be a cappuccino bar by Royal Cup and a tasting for
a new vodka from Firefly. Event is open only to those age 21 or
older. Tickets: $55 in advance, $75 at the event. More
info.
Museum
House Furniture Tours: 4 p.m. March 18 and March 19,
and 10 a.m. March 20, Heyward-Washington House, 87 Church
St. downtown. The Charleston Museum's Heyward-Washington House will
host furniture-focused tours with special information on the significant
18th-century English and Charleston-made furniture collection housed
there. Visitors can learn about Charleston cabinetmakers, locally
harvested and imported wood, and the influence of Thomas Chippendale.
Reservations not required. Admission: $10 adults, $5 children (free
for museum members). More info: 722-2996, ext. 235, or visit
online.
Economic
Outlook Conference: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 24, Charleston
Area Convention Center. The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's
annual Economic Outlook Conference will feature an 18- to 24-month
look ahead at the region's key economic sectors. Keynote speaker
is Matt Martin, senior vice president and Charlotte regional executive
for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Cost: $95 chamber members,
$150 nonmembers. Registration/more
info.
Dock
Street Reopening: 6 p.m. April 1, Dock Street Theatre.
Gala concert planned by Spoleto Festival USA for the reopening of
the theatre after three years of renovations. Performances include
a sneak peek of the Spoleto opera "Flora," which was first
performed at the Dock Street in 1736. Events include champagne reception,
performance and seated dinner. Tickets range from $250 to $1,000.
Call 579-3100 or buy
online.
Hat
Ladies Easter Promenade: 11 a.m. April 3, Meeting Street
between Broad and South Battery, downtown. Members of the Hat Ladies
and their families will take their annual elegant stroll down one
of the city's most recognizable streets in honor of hat-wearing
traditions. Free. More
info online or call 762-6679.
Kiawah
Art and House Tour: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 9, Kiawah
Island. The 10th annual tour, sponsored by the volunteer group Gibbes,
etc., benefits the Gibbes Museum of Art. Tour features six homes
that have distinctive art collections and dramatic views of the
salt marsh, creeks, ocean and woodlands. Tickets: $55 per person
(includes tour, light refreshments throughout the afternoon at the
Cassique clubhouse, and an admission pass to the Gibbes Museum of
Art valid through Dec. 30. Buy at the Gibbes Museum Store, online,
or by calling 722-2706, ext. 21.
(NEW)
House
& Garden Tours: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 9 and April
10, downtown Charleston. The Garden Club of Charleston offers
its 75th annual walking tour of private homes and gardens in the
Historic District. Homes also feature flowers arranged by garden
club members, and refreshments will be served in one of the gardens.
All proceeds benefit the garden club's year-round maintenance of
several public gardens, including those at the Manigault House,
the Heyward-Washington House, the Gateway Walk and the Healing Garden
at MUSC. Tickets: $35. Details: Online
or 530-5164.
(NEW)
Talk
by Christo: 5:30 p.m. April 13, Memminger Auditorium,
56 Beaufain St., downtown. Internationally known artist Christo
will visit talk about his work in a slide presentation and lecture
sponsored by the Gibbes Museum of Art. Christo and his late wife,
Jeanne-Claude, have collaborated throughout the world on large-scale
art projects using fabric, including wrapping the Pont-Neuf bridge
in Paris, the 24½-mile-long Running Fence in Sonoma and Marin
counties in California, and The Gates in New York's Central Park.
Tickets (in advance only): $25 for museum members, $35 for nonmembers,
and $15 for students (with ID); available at the Gibbes Museum Store,
by calling 722-2706, ext. 22, or online
through April 6.
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
BUSINESS
INDIGO
2/4:
Advice
on working with Boeing
1/21: Co-working
group
1/7:
Free
library text questions
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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