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TODAY'S
FOCUS
Young Professionals start fifth year with plans to grow
By ALLISON COX McCUTCHEON
Chair, Charleston Young Professionals
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
JUNE
3, 2010 -- Do you have young professional employees that are looking
to get more involved in the community? Charleston Young Professionals
(CYP) is driving to five years.
McCutcheon |
With
a new mission to empower and engage emerging talent in the Charleston
region and a vision to be the primary resource for emerging talent
by building relationships, cultivating leaders and positively impacting
the quality of life in the Charleston region, CYP has become the
resource for young professionals in Charleston.
Established
in 2006 as an initiative of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce,
CYP helps Charleston's next generation of talent get connected and
make an impact on the Charleston region. Created for young professionals,
by young professionals, CYP is composed of a quality group of members,
ages 22-39, from a variety of industries in the community. Overall,
Charleston young professionals are:
- Well-educated
(91% have a four-year degree or higher).
- Registered
voters (96%).
- Married
or living with a significant other (48%) or single (47%).
- Mobile
(80% do not have children).
- Home-owners
(57%), with an average home value of approximately $250,000.
- Working
in management, professional, and related occupations (57%).
- Earning
a median individual income of approximately $47,500, and a median
household income of approximately $87,500.
- Between
25 and 34 years old (70%).
- Engaged
in volunteerism (64%).
- Donate
to charity (68%).
CYP
MEMBERSHIPS
Charleston
Young Professionals is having a membership drive through
Aug. 5 with special deals for those who join. The organization
is open to young professionals ages 22-39. Membership packages
include:
$50
-- CYP Membership. Includes a one-year CYP membership.
$125
-- Membership Plus 10 (value: $170). Includes a one-year
CYP membership and entrance to 10 CYP events (YP Wednesdays
or professional development luncheons).
$200
-- All-Inclusive Membership (value: $255). Includes a one-year
CYP membership, entrance to 15 CYP events (all YP Wednesdays
and professional development luncheons), and entrance to
the annual event in August.
For
more information or to join, visit
online.
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CYP
is addressing many of the needs of young professionals by providing
opportunities for constructive networking and professional development
as well as access to community leaders. Working together to showcase
Charleston as a cool place to live, learn, work and play, CYP's
Steering Committee works hard to ensure that the organization is
the primary resource for young talent living in, or moving to, the
Charleston area.
Here
are five reasons to be a member:
1)
We connect young professionals with accomplished leaders in the
community through our mentor program. Nearly 130 young professionals
have participated to date.
2)
We are working for change in Lowcountry workplaces by addressing
differences between generations. Through our efforts, we want
to create more cohesive workplaces with flexible schedules, training
opportunities, and benefit packages desired by YPs.
3)
We've doubled the number of young professionals we bring together
each month at YP Wednesday - reaching up to 100 attendees - where
we provide access to jobs and new business opportunities.
4)
We have enhanced our professional development series to focus
on four events a year that address issues that directly affect
young professionals in the Charleston community.
5)
We are connecting young professionals with opportunities in the
community by launching a new nonprofit board training program
to put more YPs in leadership roles, connecting YPs with community
volunteer opportunities, and giving YPs a voice on nonprofit boards.
Take
a fresh look at CYP and join between June 2 and August 5. New members
get a buddy pass to bring a friend to an event for free. You can
also take advantage of new membership packages designed to provide
more value. For more information or to join, visit http://www.charleston-yp.com.
Allison
Cox McCutcheon is chairperson of the Charleston Young Professionals.
CURRENTS
It's not
'Dancing with the Stars,' but it will still be a show
By ANN THRASH, editor
JUNE
3, 2010 -- If you see a woman wearing big white wings and dancing
in Marion Square in the next day or two, don't think it's just the
heat getting to you. It will be Ginny Deerin, founder and CEO of
WINGS, dancing her shoes off and dialing her fingers off to try
to raise $120,000 for the organization.
Thrash |
Starting
today (June 3) at 7 a.m. in Marion Square, Deerin will be dialing
for dollars and dancing to try to meet WINGS's fundraising goal.
According to a video
posted at YouTube to promote the event, a number of local businesses
have heard about the event and have made pledges -- including one
person who's promised to donate $1,000 if Charleston Mayor Joseph
P. Riley Jr. will go down to the square and kick up his heels for
the cause.
WINGS
is Deerin's brainchild. She founded it in 1996 with the goal of
helping kids who are growing up in poverty learn some of the life
lessons that many of us take for granted, such as how to make good
decisions and build relationships that are healthy.
Deerin |
According
to the WINGS
Web site, it's the only organization in the United States that
focuses solely on developing and improving social and emotional
intelligence within an after-school-programming format. The 15-hour-a-week
curriculum has 30 learning objectives that are wrapped into everyday
activities that teach youngsters self-awareness, relationship skills,
social awareness, self-management and responsible decision-making.
For
12 years, Deerin says, WINGS has met or exceeded its fundraising
goal, but for this fiscal year, which ends June 30, the group is
20% ($120,000) shy. But, as Deerin says in the You Tube video, coming
up short is not an option. WINGS is "a very bold and can-do
organization," she says, and won't accept anything but fundraising
success.
Deerin
says she will be dancing, and possibly "wilting," until
the job is done and the $120,000 is raised. Hopefully, with crowds
up downtown during Spoleto, it won't take her long to reach her
goal and she'll be home, with her feet up, long before the farmers
market starts on Saturday morning. If you'd like to help or find
out more about WINGS, go to http://wingsforkids.org/.
RiverDogs
writers have a way with words
Writing
headlines is an art -- especially at a newspaper or magazine where
you have to convey the gist of a story in a limited, defined amount
of space, and in a particular size of type, and do it in a way that's
faithful to the story and also entices people to read it. Having
written headlines for most of my career, I'm always particularly
drawn to good ones, so I've got to give a shout out to whoever writes
the headlines on the RiverDogs' press releases. The writers at The
Joe aren't constrained by having to make their headlines fit into
a particular space on a newspaper page, so maybe that makes their
job easier, but they still get style points in my book.
You
probably don't get to see many (or any) RiverDogs press releases,
but I've been stashing away my favorite headlines from this season
to date so you can enjoy them. Some of these might make you groan,
but they'll probably make you smile, too.
- RiverDogs
Swat Sand Gnats
- RiverDogs
Break In GreenJackets
- GreenJackets
Sting RiverDogs
- RiverDogs
Shred GreenJackets
- Crawdads
Put Clamps on RiverDogs
- Crawdads
Pinch RiverDogs
- RiverDogs
Blackout Power
(that would be a team called the West Virginia Power)
- Power
Surge Past RiverDogs
- Murton's
Walkoff Single Cuts Power, 3-2
- Charleston
Burns Rome Again, 5-0, to Sweep Series
Ann
Thrash, editor of CharlestonCurrents.com, can be reached at: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
FEEDBACK
Send us
your thoughts
- We
love getting input from you. If you have an opinion you'd like
to share, send your letters to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
We look forward to hearing from you!
SPOTLIGHT
Lowcountry
Food Bank
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters and nonprofit partners allows
us to bring CharlestonCurrents.com to you at no cost. This issue's
featured nonprofit partner is the Lowcountry Food Bank, which was
founded in 1983 as a clearinghouse for donated food items. The Food
Bank, which receives more than 10 million pounds of donated food
annually, seeks to feed the poor and hungry of the ten coastal counties
of South Carolina by soliciting and distributing healthy food and
grocery products to nonprofit agencies serving the poor, and to
educate the public about the problems of and solutions to domestic
hunger. For more, visit the Food Bank online at: http://www.lowcountryfoodbank.org/.
GOOD
NEWS
Civic
groups urged to help distribute hurricane guides
Hurricane
season started this week, and the Charleston County Emergency Management
Department marked the occasion by posting its new 2010 Charleston
County Hurricane Guide online. County officials are urging churches
and civic groups to print out a small booklet that's posted at the
site and distribute it to members of the community who don't have
Internet access.
"Charleston
County government is always preparing for a storm and working with
other local and state agencies to do so, but everyone has an individual
responsibility to get prepared and make sure their family has a
plan," said Cathy Haynes with the Emergency Management Department.
"Churches and civic groups can also help by printing the small
booklet guide for those who do not have access to the Internet.
Our entire community needs to help spread the word."
The
Hurricane Preparedness Guide is available in Spanish as well as
English. Also posted at the site is a guide for those with disabilities
or special needs.
County
officials note that while the shelter list has not changed for the
2010 hurricane season, the names of several schools have changed:
Northwoods Middle School (formerly Stall High School); Midland Park
Primary (formerly Midland Park Elementary); and Pinehurst Elementary
(formerly Alice Birney Middle).
Information
on storm readiness will also be broadcast throughout hurricane season
on Comcast channel 60, the education and government channel.
City
sets up online center for questions, service requests
The
city of Charleston has set up a new online resource for citizens
to submit questions and manage service requests. The Citizen
Support Center (CSC) replaces the former Citizen Help Desk feature
and adds new options designed for residents, visitors and city employees.
The
Citizen Support Center will let users find answers to common questions,
ask questions of city staff, submit requests for city services to
be completed, and set up a "My Support Center" area to
track their own questions and requests. There will also be a list
of the 10 most frequently asked questions. Those currently posted
include "Can I re-schedule a Traffic Court date," "Who
do I contact to answer questions about my business license,"
"Does the Recreation Department offer summer camps," and
"What city parks are available for having private or public
events?"
To
access the CSC, go to http://www.charleston-sc.gov
and click on the Citizen Support Center banner with the yellow hardhat
icon in the middle of the page.
Firefly,
RiverDogs asking ladies: Are you a 'Home TEAm Girl'?
Firefly
Vodka is looking for ladies who are fans of the Palmetto State,
who love the outdoors, and who love to be the life of the party
- and the company has turned to the Charleston RiverDogs to help
find them.
Female
fans of the RiverDogs and Firefly Vodka are invited to Joseph P.
Riley Jr. Park tonight for the chance to become a "Firefly
Home TEAm Girl." To enter the contest, females must be at least
21 years of age and be available for appearances at the park on
July 4 and Aug. 25. Contest participants will have a chance to win
cash and prizes.
The
winning Home TEAm Girl will have her name announced at the RiverDogs'
Independence Day game on July 4 during the World's Largest Sweet
Tea Party.
Ladies
who want to participate in the contest should bring a picture of
themselves to tonight's game, which starts at 7:05 p.m. They'll
also have to buy a ticket to the game to get in. For more information,
visit http://www.riverdogs.com
or call the box office at 577-DOGS. The RiverDogs are an underwriting
partner of CharlestonCurrents.com.
RECOMMENDED
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
The
Battery
The
Battery designates, jointly and separately, the sea wall and park
at the southern tip of the Charleston peninsula. In 1670 the first
Carolina colonists noted an expanse of sand and bleached oyster
shells at the confluence of the Cooper and Ashley Rivers. Their
term "Oyster Point" originally described the peninsula
in general, but after Charleston was relocated to the eastern shore
of the peninsula in 1680, the terms "Oyster Point" and
"White Point" were used to refer specifically to its southernmost
tip.
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Although
it lay outside the walled boundaries of the early city, White Point
represented an important defensive site. Broughton's Battery (later
called Fort Wilkins) was erected on this site in 1737 and served
through the 1780s. In the 1750s an earthwork sea wall was built
along the Cooper River to Broughton's Battery and a short distance
along the Ashley River. The fort was demolished about 1789, but
the sea walls were progressively strengthened. By the time the existing
stone and masonry sea wall was completed in 1820, the wall and promenading
grounds at the tip of the peninsula were commonly known as "the
Battery." The northern and western boundaries of the point
were later enclosed, and in 1837 White Point Garden was designated
a municipal park.
During
the Civil War the park was transformed into two earthwork forts:
Battery Ramsay to the east and the King Street Battery to the west.
After the war, these fortifications were removed and the area was
again configured as a park. Today, White Point Gardens includes
several cannons, memorial tablets, and statues that pay tribute
to significant events and people in local history. A memorial bandstand
erected in 1907 provides a central focus to the grounds. These features,
along with the fine views and promenade afforded by the sea walls,
have long made the Battery a popular destination for both locals
and visitors.
--
Excerpted from the entry by Nicholas Michael Butler. TTo
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
Good reads
Sanchez |
Looking for
a book to drop into your beach bag, tote out to the hammock, or
pack in your carry-on as you wing your way to your vacation destination
this summer? Jonathan Sanchez, owner of Blue
Bicycle Books at 420 King St. downtown, offers this list of
books, old and new, for your reading pleasure.
- "The
Big Sleep," by Raymond Chandler
- "Girls
in Trucks," by Katie Crouch
- "Dear
American Airlines," by Jonathan Miles
- "Tender
is the Night," by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- "SeinLanguage,"
by Jerry Seinfeld
QUOTE
On
true wealth
"A man
is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let
alone."
-- Henry
David Thoreau, American Transcendentalist writer (1817-1862)
THRASH
VS. BRACK CONTEST
QUICK
-- ADOPT A DUCK
To adopt a
duck in the Charleston Duck Race and have a chance to win part of
$30,000 in cash and prizes -- and maybe $1 million -- go
to this Web site. Then complete these steps:
- Click on
the registration link and fill out the online form to adopt a
duck of your own.
- In the drop-down
menu beside "Name of Rotary Club," select "East
Cooper Breakfast" if you want to help editor Ann Thrash's
club or "Rotary Club of Charleston" for publisher Andy
Brack's club.
- Then fill
in Ann's or Andy's name as the "Rotarian to Be Credited."
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
Chamber
Annual Meeting: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 3, Charleston
Area Convention Center. The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's
annual meeting will feature a keynote address from Marco Cavazzoni,
vice president/general manager of Boeing Charleston. Updates on
the past year and the presentation of the 1773 Awards and Workplace
Flexibility Awards included as well. Cost: $55 chamber members,
$85 nonmembers. Registration/more
info.
Nighttime
at the Museum: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. June 4, Charleston
Museum, 360 Meeting St. Family-oriented event gives kids a chance
to see all the surprising things that go on at the museum after
dark. The theme is "History A to Z." Kids can enjoy curator
artifact stations, a scavenger hunt, classic cars from the Lowcountry
Model A club, medieval fighting demonstrations, and crafts. A light
pizza supper is included, and there will be an ice cream station
as well. Cost: $10 per member adult, $20 per nonmember adult, $5
per member child, $10 per nonmember child; free for age 3 and younger.
Registration (required). More
info or call 722-2996, ext. 264.
Piccolo
Beach Music Bash: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. June 4, U.S. Customhouse,
corner of Market and Concord streets downtown. Free concert for
all ages featuring beach and Lowcountry-themed music and entertainment
by acts such as the Panjamdrum Steel Drummers, the Explorer's Club,
DJ Mike Hart, and Palmetto Soul. Food and drink will be available
for purchase.
Master
Naturalist Sampler: 9 a.m. to noon June 5, Palmetto Islands
County Park, Mount Pleasant. Enjoy a sample of the Master Naturalist
training program with at look at the hummock islands and salt marshes
of Palmetto Islands County Park. Learn about estuaries, ecotones,
edge biodiversity, and flora and fauna identification. Cost: $10
Charleston County residents, $12 nonresidents. Open to ages 16 and
older. Pre-registration
(required): online.
'Celebration
of a Day': 5 p.m. June 5, Gage Hall, Archdale St. The
Unitarian Church in Charleston's Chancel Choir and accompanying
musicians will take part in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival of Churches
and Synagogues. "Celebration of a Day" is a service of
music, stories, poetry and songs, compiled by church member Susan
Conant. Songs and stories from cultures around the world including
Aztec Myth, Hawaiian chant, spirituals and music for cedar flute.
Open seating; tickets not required. Free-will offering will be taken
at the door to support the restoration of the church. More info:
723-4617 or online.
Afternoon
Tea: Through June 6, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church at
Marion Square. The ninth annual tea benefits the church's Outreach
Learning Center, which provides a food bank and programs for residents
of the neighborhoods near the church. Tea sandwiches, desserts,
and music daily, plus art and a boutique. Hours: noon to 4 p.m.
Monday through Saturday, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. More
info.
Food
and Farming Course: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays for nine weeks,
beginning in June. The Food and Farming Entrepreneurship Course
is offered by FastTracSC and Clemson Extension for those who are
interested in becoming food-system entrepreneurs (urban/rural farmers,
local food artisans, chefs/caterers, bakers, food media, processors,
etc.). Cost: $145. More info: elizabeth@lowcountrylocalfirst.org.
Colonial
Art Tour: 4 p.m. each Thursday, Through June 24, Heyward-Washington
House, 87 Church St., downtown. Explore the art of portraiture and
satirical engravings popular with wealthy colonial Charlestonians.
The Charleston Museum's art collection at the house features portraits
by Jeremiah Theus, Samuel F.B. Morse and Henry Benbridge; later
copies by Johann Stolle and George Whiting Flagg; and original,
irreverent engravings of William Hogarth. Cost: $10 adults, $5 ages
3-12; free for Charleston Museum members. Reservations not required.
More info: 722-2996, ext. 235.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
Community
Night Meal: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 9, Lighthouse Church
JUVO Center, 1177 Gregorie Ferry Road, Mount Pleasant. Healing Farm
Ministries sponsors a community meal on the second Wednesday of
every month to raise awareness about the organization, which provides
a place and activities for members of the community to experience
relationships with those who have disabilities. Participants will
work together to prepare and share a meal. Open to anyone touched
by a disability or anyone who wants to learn more about HFM. More
info/registration: e-mail kat@healingfarm.org
or call 971-9300.
Mobile
Skin Cancer Screening: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 12, Whirlin'
Waters Adventure Waterpark, Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston.
The Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission and MUSC will
man a fully equipped mobile doctor's office to offer free skin cancer
screenings. The mobile unit will also visit the Isle of Palms on
July 10; it will be set up on the front beach from 9 a.m. until
1 p.m. that day. No appointments necessary. More info: 792-1414.
(NEW)
Culinary
Sale: 9 a.m. to noon June 12, The Real Estate Gallery,
214 King St. Vintage cookbooks, silver serviceware, linens, collectible
kitchen pieces and more will be offered at the annual Culinary Tag
Sale sponsored by the Charleston chapter of Les Dames D'Escoffier,
a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women leaders
in the fields of food, fine beverages, and hospitality. Proceeds
benefit Les Dames' scholarship fund. Open to the public. Only cash
will be accepted for purchase.
(NEW)
Sustainable Seafood Dinner: 6:30 p.m. June 18, Fish
Restaurant, 442 King St. Fish and the S.C. Aquarium's Sustainable
Seafood Initiative will sponsor a four-course dinner that highlights
local sustainable seafood. The menu will include local clams, grouper
and porgy, all paired with wine, as well as a dessert course. Cost:
$50 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Fish will donate
10 percent of the proceeds to the aquarium's Sustainable Seafood
Initiative. Reservations (required by June 16): Fish, 722-3474.
Sweetgrass
Class: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 19, Charleston Museum,
360 Meeting St. Learn to make traditional sweetgrass baskets with
basketmaker Sarah Edwards-Hammond, who comes from a long line of
basketmakers and has passed down the tradition to her own children,
grandchildren and others in the community. The instructor will share
a brief history of the art form, then participants will get started
sewing their own basket. Workshop fee includes a starter and all
supplies. No experience required; program is designed for adults.
Cost: $40 museum members, $45 nonmembers. Registration (required):
Online
or call 722-2996, ext. 235.
Scouts
Day at Whirlin' Waters: June 19, Whirlin' Waters Adventure
Waterpark, Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston. Lowcountry
Scouts are invited to the Charleston County PRC's Ninth Annual Scouts
Day. Scouts can enjoy the water park, earn a patch on animal safety,
win prizes, and enjoy a tasty catered picnic at Luau Landing. (Patches
and catered picnic additional cost.) Lunch reservations must be
made by June 16 (on-site registration not available). Cost: $12.99
per Scout and family members. Register
online or call 795-4FUN (4386).
Blogging
Tips: 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. June 24, Charleston County
Main Library, 68 Calhoun St. This month's Small Business & Nonprofit
Networking Lunch looks at the differences between blogging, blogging
professionally and having a professional blog. Presenter Heather
Solos of Home-Ec101.com will cover tips and strategies for using
a blog as part of your small business marketing strategy. Registration
is not required. More info: 805-6930.
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
8/19:
Peters:
Getting lead out
8/16: Frazier:
Magnolia gardeners
8/12: Myers:
Redux art
8/9: Ginn:
Opportunity Next
8/5: Barnette:
Hedwig show
8/2: Deaton:
Lured back
7/29: Hannah:
SCRA center
7/26: Parezo:
Personal chefs
7/22: Bender:
Shark Week
7/19: Witty:
Growth in down market
7/14: Carroll:
Networking
7/7: Blanchard:
Financial planning
7/1: Shaffer:
Picky Eaters Group
THRASH
ARCHIVES
8/19:
Nirvana,
Class of '14
8/12: History
is interesting
8/5: Robert,
Variety Store
7/29: Lazy?
Boiled peanuts
7/22: Purple
Toes book
7/14: Art
opens doors
7/1: Lots
to do on 4th
6/24: Ways
to nab skeeters
6/17: Dump
the Pump, more
6/10: Lots
to do locally
6/3: Dancin'
for dollars
BRACK
ARCHIVES
8/16:
Pharmacy,
juice
8/2: Cherry
juice, Gardner
7/26: Biden
on Hollings
7/19: About
Turkey
7/7: Campaign
trash
6/28: Impatient
electorate
6/21: Haley's
thin record
6/14: Daddy-daughter
trip
6/7: Gulf
spill report
PETER
LUCASH: BUSINESS INDIGO
5/27:
Facebook
on privacy
5/13: Spark
Charleston, more
4/22: Green
Wizard, more
4/1: Encouraging
biz signs
3/18: Biz
fair, CED venture
3/4: Lowcountry
tech hub
2/4: Advice
on working with Boeing
1/21: Co-working
group
1/7: Free
library text questions
LIST
ARCHIVES
8/19:
5
local blogs
8/16: More
plaudits
8/12: 5
local dog romps
8/9: New
heritage sites
8/5: 5
around Chucktown
8/2: Bedside
reading
7/29: Five
for fall
7/26: Hollings
library
7/22: Wine
+ Food fest
7/19: New
Chas app
7/14: Chas
at top
7/7: SC
films
7/1: Keeping
cool
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