RAISIN IN THE SUN. Tickets will go on sale Friday for the Footlight Players Theatre production of "Raisin in the Sun," Lorraine Hansberry's classic play about the lives of an African-American family living on Chicago's South Side. When it premiered in 1959, the play was the first written by an African-American female playwright to be produced on Broadway and the first directed by a black director. In Charleston, the play will be directed by Henry Clay Middleton and will be sponsored by The Hat Ladies. For information on performance dates and times and to purchase tickets, call the Footlight Players Box office at (843) 722-4487 or online at www.etix.com.

THE LIST
:: Keeping your skin at its best

BUSINESS INDIGO
:: Making sense of health care reform

GOOD NEWS
:: Trident Tech, sustainable food, author

FEEDBACK
:: Got a beef? Send a letter

ALSO INSIDE

___:: CALENDAR: This week ... and next

___:: RECOMMENDED: Send us your reviews

___:: HISTORY: Sallie F. Chapin

___:: SPOTLIGHT: Meet an underwriter

___:: QUOTE: Getting even

UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS

ABOUT US

CharlestonCurrents.com offers insightful community comment and good news on events twice each week. It cuts through the information clutter to offer insight and news on the best of what's happening locally. What readers say

What does our community need?
By CHRISTINE DURANT
Special to Charleston Currents

JAN. 13, 2011 - All too often this question is asked in small circles or organized group meetings convened in order to address a pressing issue. But how often does your county government ask this question?

DuRant

It is being asked now, and the decision you make whether or not to answer the question could influence the spending of nearly $15 million over the next five years that this community is scheduled to receive!

Charleston County is one of a few communities in the state that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Spending of this money is largely based on the input that area citizens give about the greatest needs in their community. The funding is designed to allow communities to strengthen themselves through a variety of means ranging from improved housing conditions including affordable (or workforce) housing, to expanding economic opportunities, to improving water infrastructure. It allows your government to partner with private and nonprofit entities to create the most efficient and effective programs in the community without any duplication of services. This means savings to you as the taxpayer.

Now you have a choice to make. Will you take time to give the input that is needed to develop a spending plan that is truly reflective of the needs of the community? Or will you wait until the decisions are made and then decide that your government isn't doing what you want it to be doing?

County staff is in the early stages of developing Charleston County's Consolidated Plan that will assist in the annual process of awarding HUD grant funds. The public can provide input until Feb. 7 through the county's online survey.

All public meetings and hearings will be posted on the county's Web site. Anyone with questions on the survey may call Charleston County's Community Services Department at 843-202-6968.

Christine DuRant is the community services director for Charleston County.

'Dry-Erase Board of Shame' is a ghost of January's past
By ANN THRASH, contributing editor

JAN. 13, 2011 - January "women's magazines"- are we still allowed to call them that? -- are my least favorite issues of the year.

Every single January, these magazines' covers proclaim that they have the secret of how we can get organized down to the last garbage-bag twist-tie around the house. "Cool, Calm, and Decluttered: 25 Ways to Pare Down and Get Organized for a Fresh New Year," promises Better Homes and Gardens. "A Clean House with Less Hassle," says Real Simple enticingly. "Organize Your Life in an Hour, a Day, a Weekend: 70+ Clever Clutter Busters, Simple Solutions for Every Room," Good Housekeeping says with that come-hither look.

What gets me is that these kinds of magazines run get-organized stories every January -- but obviously their ideas either A) don't work, or B) are unappealing or impractical to follow. Think about it: If people were following the advice and finding it workable and maintainable, the magazines wouldn't need to do those stories annually, would they?

Well, perhaps there could also be an option C at work. Maybe we're TRYING to get organized but are failing -- hence the recycled advice at the start of every new year. Being organized around the house seems to be like losing weight or exercising regularly: It's not the starting that's hard; it's the maintenance. That's something I'm reminded of every time I look at the freezer in our laundry room -- which happens several times a day.

A couple of years ago, in a fit of post-holiday, January longing for order and organization, I bought a neat-looking dry-erase board, about 2 feet square in size, and attached it to the freezer door. My idea was to take everything out of the freezer, throw away the UFOs (unidentified frozen objects), make a list of what the still-usable contents were, and write them all neatly on the dry-erase board after I put them back in the freezer. Then I could cross things off the list as I used them, write down new items as I added them to the freezer, and check the list before I went shopping, as a way to save money and time.

I had such high hopes. No more bringing home a bunch of boneless, skinless chicken breasts from the grocery store only to find that I already had a package -- or three or four -- in the freezer waiting to be used.

The idea lasted about 10 days, maybe less. I think I've written on the board twice -- seriously. Don't ask me where the dry-erase pens are; couldn't tell ya. Now, every day when I walk into the laundry room to get food for the dog or put something in the recycling bins, I see the Dry-Erase Board of Shame on the freezer, staring me in the face: "4 chix thighs" ("chix" is short for "chickens"). "Turkey carcass" (how many Thanksgivings ago was that?). "Gnocchi" (Really?). "Cranberries." "Smoked ham hocks." And on it goes.

And the thing is, despite seeing the words "Cranberries" and "Smoked ham hocks" several times a day, I still ended up buying, yes, cranberries and smoked ham hocks for Thanksgiving dinner and New Year's hoppin' John, respectively. Clearly I've repressed the whole misbegotten idea of knowing what's in my freezer.

Of course, this being January, I'm getting the urge to make another stab at it -- to take everything out the freezer again, toss the UFOs, load the thing back up and make a fresh, new list on the dry-erase board.

Which brings me back to the January magazines. Next year, don't tell me how to GET organized. I can do that on my own. Next year, tell me how to stay that way.

Contributing editor and Mount Pleasant native Ann Thrash can be reached at ann@charlestoncurrents.com.

Got a beef? Let us know

• Send us your letters. We love getting input from you. If you have an opinion you'd like to share (150 words or less), send your letters to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Twenty Six Devine and ChefEnan.com

The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents to you at no cost. In this issue, we shine the spotlight on two chefs who offer high-quality desserts and restaurant-quality meals. Pastry Chef Jennifer Meintel Parezo of Twenty Six Devine bakes, decorates, builds and arranges specialty desserts, cakes and savory baked goods that are inventive, delicious and beautiful. Executive Chef Enan Parezo is the head of ChefEnan.com, an innovative new type of personal chef service specializing in gourmet healthy meals at reasonable prices. ChefEnan.com offers personal chef service without the personal chef price! Each week, ChefEnan.com will prepare a customized menu for your family and fill your refrigerator with freshly-cooked, easy-to-serve meals. Visit www.ChefEnan.com and www.TwentySixDevine.com today.

Making sense of health care reform for business
By PETER LUCASH, contributing editor

JAN. 13, 2011 -- Charleston-based David M. Gilston Insurance Agency offers this advice to help businesses sort through how the new health reform law affects both their employees and their bottom line.

Here are five items for businesses to consider to ensure they're meeting health care reform mandates:

• Have you provided your Medicare-eligible members a written notice indicating whether their drug benefits under the group health plan are "creditable"? This means that the coverage is expected to pay on average as much as the standard Medicare prescription drug coverage. This notice needs to go out by Nov. 15 of each year.
  
  
• Have you provided your employees with a written notice of their rights under the Children Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA)?
  
  
• If your plan is grandfathered, have you let your employees know in written form? This affects plans in place prior to March 23, 2010.
  
  
• Did you know there is now additional information required on employees' W?2 forms, including listing the cost of their health insurance? While it is optional for employers in 2011, it will be mandatory in 2012.
  
  
• Are you eligible for the new small group tax credit for the 2010 tax year? If so, do you know if it's more cost effective for your business to use insurance as a tax deduction rather than taking the credit?

Now is a good time to review your policy with your insurance broker. An annual review of all insurance is a good management practice every year.

Tech After 5: The next Charleston gathering is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at Southend Brewery. Go online to register. It's free and the first beer is on the house!

Charleston Digital Corridor: The next Friday @ the Corridor will begin at 8:30 a.m. Jan 21, and will focus on the growth of the local defense industry. In a one-hour presentation, Wave Sciences Corporation President Keith McElveen and Mike Resler, the immediate past president of the Charleston Defense Contractor Association, will discuss Charleston's transition from warships to electronics, computers and communication related to the war effort and the innovation that is driving this growing industry.

The event will be at the Flagship, 475 East Bay St., and parking is available at the Gaillard garage on Alexander Street. Email Amy Lawrence if you are interested in attending or call 843.579.7508

Social Media Club of Charleston "re-launch": Join the Social Media Club of Charleston from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Liberty Tap Room in Mt. P. as they re-launch the chapter. The Club is hosting an informal Meet 'n Greet where locals interested in social media can gather. All are welcome to attend - from business owners and professionals to social media ninjas and newbies. This event is free to attend. However, to help our club continue to provide entertaining and educational events for the Charleston community, we will accept $1 donations at our January meeting. Register online (it's free).

Peter Lucash is a Charleston-based businessman who runs Digital CPE, a training, consulting and information media company that works to improve the business management of organizations. You can read and subscribe to the full edition of the Business Indigo blog here.

Trident Tech offers parent-child fitness course, certification

Get your family started on a fitness regimen with Trident Technical College's Wellness Warriors course.

This parent-child continuing education course will be offered Feb 5, March 5 and April 2 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Palmetto Fitness Center, 7671 Northwoods Blvd., North Charleston. Cost is $45 per participant.

A personal fitness trainer will teach lifelong basic exercises and nutrition facts to inspire interest and discipline for weight and health management. Children ages 8 to 16 must be accompanied by a participating parent. Workout clothing is suggested.

TTC also offers a Personal Trainer Certification course, which provides the necessary skills to begin a career in fitness. Offered in conjunction with World Instructor Training School, this five-week course covers anatomy, exercise physiology, nutrition and health screening. Hands-on practical training at Palmetto Fitness Center prepares students to work with clients one-on-one.

The certification course is offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Feb. 19-March 26. Cost is $549, which does not include books and lab fees. Students are eligible to take the national certification exam after completing the course.

To register, call 843-574-6152 or go online. For more information, contact Steve Price at 843-574-6683.

Time to dine on sustainable seafood, wine

Kick off the New Year by taking part in a truly wild dining experience at the water's edge. Join the South Carolina Aquarium and The Boathouse at Breach Inlet at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24 for a special evening featuring sustainable seafood paired with sustainable wine.

Charles M. Arena Jr., executive chef at The Boathouse at Breach Inlet, will tantalize your taste buds with five delectable courses. They include: local clam ravioli with yuzu truffle broth paired with Ecco Domani pinot grigio, Italy 2009; monk fish à l'Américaine paired with MacMurray Ranch pinot noir, Sonoma 2008; ginger-poached Floridian golden tilefish with rice noodles, vegetables and a white soy butter paired with Don Miguel Gascon "Reserve" malbec, Mendoza 2009; prosciutto-wrapped amberjack with polenta, grilled fennel and a smoked tomato fondue paired with Rancho Zabaco "Heritage Vines" zinfandel, Sonoma 2008; and an Italian cheese sampler paired with Polka Dot "Dry" riesling, Pfalz 2008.

The South Carolina Aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Initiative coordinator Megan Westmeyer will also be on hand to talk to guests between courses about fisheries, seafood sustainability, and tips on buying and serving fresh fish.

The five-course meal is $55 (plus tax and gratuity) per guest. Reservations can be made with the restaurant by calling 886-8000 by Jan. 23. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to the South Carolina Aquarium in support of the Sustainable Seafood Initiative.

Best-selling author is visiting professor at The Citadel

Robert Dallek, one of America's most respected authorities on the presidency and modern American history, has been named the Gen. Mark. Clark Chair of History for the spring semester at The Citadel.

Dallek

As a visiting professor, Dallek will teach courses on the American presidency. He also will address the South Carolina Corps of Cadets and the public at 6:50 p.m. Jan. 18 in McAlister Field House. The lecture is free.

The Mark Clark Chair of History was established in 1982 in honor of the 11th president of the military college and a war hero whose service in the U.S. Army spanned 40 years. During World War II, Clark was commander of Allied troops that liberated Rome in 1944.

Professor Dallek is the best-selling author of 18 books, including the New York Times No. 1 bestseller, "John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life," which Publishers Weekly called "a riveting tour de force." His 2007 book, "Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power," was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and his biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt won the Bancroft Prize.

Dallek also is a regular contributor to major newspapers and magazines. He has advised documentary filmmakers on topics ranging from the Vietnam War to the presidency of Ronald Reagan, and his television and radio credits include appearances on PBS's "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," The Comedy Channel's "The Daily Show," and on CNN and the CBS Evening News.

Cru Café to close for renovations beginning Sunday

To make the Cru Café dining experience even more memorable, the restaurant will close and Chef John Zucker will spruce up the restaurant from Jan. 16 to Jan. 24.

The restaurant, located at 18 Pinckney St., will reopen on Jan. 25, 2011 for lunch at 11 a.m. Diners enjoy indoor and outdoor porch seating, gourmet comfort food, a wine list tailored to the menu and rich, satisfying desserts.
For more information visit the Web site or call 843-534-2433.

East Cooper Med volunteers will give $10K to local charities

The Volunteer Services Organization at East Cooper Medical Center will present ten $1,000 checks to local charities on Jan. 28.

The local organizations that will be benefit and be present to accept their donation are Crisis Ministries, Christian Medical Clinic at St. Andrew's Church, My Sister's House, East Cooper Community Outreach, Darkness to Light, Windwood Farm Home for Children, Lowcountry Orphan Relief, Meals on Wheels, Eagle Harbor Home for Boys and the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy.

The 121 volunteers voted at their annual banquet to donate this money to these organizations. The Volunteer Services Organization is a nonprofit that runs the hospital's Gift Shop. All money made from the sale of items in the gift shop goes to fund scholarships for students going into the medical field, to fund medications for patients in need and to deserving charities.

Send us your recommendations from around town

• 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 Marsha Guerard. Make sure to include your name and full contact information.

Temperance leader demonstrated women's leadership

Temperance leader and social reformer Sarah Flournoy Moore Chapin was born in 1830 in Charleston, the eldest child of George Washington Moore, an itinerant Methodist minister, and Elizabeth Martha Vigneron Simons. She married Leonard Chapin, a prosperous Charleston businessman, on August 12, 1847. The couple had no children.

Known as Sallie F. Chapin, she became one of South Carolina's most visible nineteenth-century women leaders. Chapin's path to leadership began with home-front activities in Charleston during the Civil War. While her husband served in the Confederate cavalry, Chapin organized and served as president of the Soldiers Relief Society and the Ladies Auxiliary Christian Association. After the war she became an active member of the Charleston Ladies Memorial Association and led the Ladies Christian Association. She authored "Fitz-Hugh St. Clair, the South Carolina Rebel Boy" (1872), a commentary on southern life that went through two published editions.

Widowed in 1879, Chapin attended a temperance convention in 1880 in Ocean Grove, N.J., where she reportedly made an impromptu address that galvanized her commitment to the emerging national women's temperance movement. She drew the attention of Frances Willard, the leader of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, an organization that soon became the largest and most influential women's group in the nineteenth century. In June 1880 Chapin organized the first local chapter of the WCTU in South Carolina in Charleston. Six months later she presented the Charleston City Council with a petition, which was "thirty yards long bound in silk and signed by 5,000 ladies," to ban the sale of alcohol.

Chapin immediately launched efforts to organize women throughout South Carolina in the temperance cause. By 1882 local chapters had been established in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Spartanburg, Blackville, Orangeburg, Union, and Abbeville. She spearheaded the formation of the South Carolina Women's Temperance Union in 1883, and it became the first state chapter of the national organization in the South. Chapin would serve as president of the state WCTU until her death in 1896. At Frances Willard's request, Chapin served as national superintendent of the WCTU's Southern Department, a position she held from 1883 to 1889.

In the 1880s Chapin was the most prominent woman reformer in South Carolina. She visited communities around the state to meet with women and to enlist their active involvement in temperance advocacy. Her activities were widely covered in local newspapers. A powerful lecturer, she drew the attention of women and men, and her lectures became the first exposure to women's public leadership for many of her audiences and followers.

In 1892 South Carolina citizens approved a Prohibition referendum to ban the sale of alcohol, only to have Governor Benjamin Tillman orchestrate a state monopoly to regulate its sale. In 1891 the General Assembly, in part due to Chapin's articles and speeches, took over the (all-female) Winthrop Training School in Columbia and created the Winthrop Normal and Industrial College, a forerunner of Winthrop University. The assembly also raised the age of consent for women from 10 to 16 in 1896. Chapin was a reluctant supporter of women's suffrage, initially expressing opposition on the grounds of states' rights and her concerns that the suffrage controversy would cloud the cause of temperance.

Chapin's ultimate contribution to South Carolina was her creation of a voluntary association that enabled elite white women to participate in the public life of their communities in the late nineteenth century. She died of cancer on April 19, 1896, and was buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston.

-- Excerpted from the entry by Belinda F. Gergel. 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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CharlestonCurrents.com is provided to you twice a week by:

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Keeping your skin at its best

Germain

From rushing around town running errands to spending long days at work, stress is part of our everyday lives. It also has an effect on your skin. Dr. Marguerite Germain of Germain Dermatology highlights some easy ways you can keep your skin at its best.

1. Watch what you eat. Eliminate white flour and refined sugars from your diet, they are the worst foods for your skin.

2. Get moving. Exercising 3 to 4 days a week helps decrease tension, boost circulation and keep inflammation in check.

3. Get plenty of sleep. Sleeping less than 7 to 8 hours a night not only affects your mood, but also increases dryness and inflammation in your skin. Aim for those 8 hours when you can.

4. Keep a skin diary. Write down what's happening in your life when your skin acts up and when it improves. This helps you zero in on the emotional issues that are triggering your skin problems.

5. Smile often. When you're stressed, you are more apt to frown, which causes lines and wrinkles. Take a deep breath, relax and smile!

For more, visit Germain Dermatology.

Getting even?

"Retribution often means that we eventually do to ourselves what we have done unto others."

-- Eric Hoffer

THIS WEEK | permalink

How I Started My Business: Noon, Jan. 13, Center for Women. Hear from two successful entrepreneurs how they got started at this free Brown Bag Lunch Series event. Suzanne Allen, Wall Candy Design and production of custom wall finishes with a King Street showroom, and Colleen Troy, Touchpoint Communications, a marketing communications firm specializing in earned media, crisis communications, copy writing, sponsorship activation and media training. Registration required: Call 843-763-7333 or e-mail to register.

(NEW)FRESH, A Food Documentary: 6:30 p.m., Jan. 13, Terrace Theatre. Premier of FRESH, a food documentary that celebrates farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are reinventing the food system. Hosted by Lowcountry Local First and the Coastal Conservation League. $6 per person.

Civil War Lecture: 7 p.m., Jan. 13, Holliday Alumni Center, 69 Hagood Ave. James Lee Conrad, a noted author on Civil War history, will give a free public lecture as part of The Citadel's commemoration of the college's role in the firing upon the federal steamship Star of the West, what many contend were the first hostile shots of the Civil War. Conrad is the author of "The Young Lions: Confederate Cadets at War," "Rebel Reefers: The Organization and Midshipmen of the Confederate States Naval Academy," and is co-author of "Defensor Fortis: The Official History of the U.S. Air Force Security Forces."

Work-Life Balance: 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 15, Center for Women. When personal and professional aspects of our lives are out of balance, stress can take hold. Restoring balance and reducing stress starts with understanding what life balance means for you and identifying personal strategies for taking action to reclaim balance in your life. This workshop is for women ready to begin restoring balance and harmony in their lives. Leize Gaillard, LPC-I, NCC, Licensed Counselor. Registration required: $20, C4W members, $30 non-members.

(NEW)Energy Retrofit Introduction: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Jan. 16 and 18, 75 Calhoun St., 3rd floor conference room. The city of Charleston and The Sustainability Institute are launching a project to help residents reduce their energy costs. This project will offer free energy assessments to 200 Charleston households and will fund the retrofit of 50 of those homes in order to verify the best and most cost effective measures to increase energy efficiency. For more information on this program and to learn how to get involved, attend one of these public forums.

CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON

(NEW)Legislative Reception: 6 to 8 p.m., Jan. 20, at the South Carolina Aquarium. The Charleston Metro Chamber's Legislative Reception offers the opportunity for informal networking with your town council, mayor, state legislators and federal legislators. Cost: $65 non-member, $45, Chamber member. Register.

(NEW)South Carolina Premiere of "Blue": 7:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday matinee, Jan. 21-30, at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Charles Randolph-Wright's acclaimed play "Blue" chronicles the life of an affluent and prominent African-American family that runs a funeral home in a rural South Carolina town. The story centers around a relentlessly driven and highly stylish woman, Peggy, who is mesmerized by the music of the great jazz singer Blue Williams. Tickets, $22 to $48, may be purchased online, in person at the theater, or by calling 843-577-7183.

Azalea Society: 6:30 p.m., Jan. 24, Carriage House at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. The Rev. John Drayton Chapter of the Azalea Society of America will focus on hybrid azaleas at this month's meeting. The society meets the fourth Monday of each month. For more information call 571-1266.

Women and Power: 6 to 8 p.m., Jan. 25. Why don't more women embrace power? Women traditionally have had a conflicted relationship with power. Learn how to define power as a personal value and how to use it to serve your community, influence decisions and accomplish much more personally and professionally. Jennet Robinson Alterman, executive director, Center for Women. Registration required: $25 C4W Members/$35 Non Members. Light supper by Dish & Design is included in the fee.

(NEW)Happy Hour: 5 p.m., Jan. 27, at Oak Steakhouse. Lowcountry Local First celebrates Happy Hour.

(NEW) Business After Hours: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Jan. 27, at Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd. Hosted by the Charleston Metro Chamber. Cost: $40 non-member, $20 Chamber member. Register.

Silence, Creativity with Anne LeClaire: 6:30 p.m., Jan. 28, 297 East Bay St. Theologians, poets, artists, writers and philosophers have long known that in order to create anything, including a deeply fulfilling life, the first requirement is that we become quiet. It is in this space of stillness that truths surface, understandings expand, and we discover in the silence of our hearts answers to living authentically. Begin the new year by joining Anne in exploring the possibilities of silence and its connection to creativity and to living not just to survive but to thrive. Tuition: Evening lecture only, $25 in advance and $35 at the door. Weekend workshop (includes lecture): $195 by January 5, $250 after. Register online.

Conscious Evolution: 6:30 p.m., Feb. 4. What does conscious evolution mean? How can we live it in our relationships and spiritual unfolding, and use it to discover our vocations of destiny? How do we follow the compass of joy: the Law of Attraction to What We Want to Give? Futurist and evolutionary pioneer Barbara Marx Hubbard tells her powerful personal journey of transformation, emphasizing the discovery of life purpose, the evolution of motherhood, a vision of our future, the importance of Evolutionary Spirituality, and the discovery of Regenopause in post-menopausal women. Tuition: evening lecture only, $25 in advance and $35 at the door; weekend workshop (includes lecture): $250 by January 4, $295 after. Register online.

Cuban Exhibit: Feb. 4-March 28, City Gallery at Waterfront Park. An opening reception for Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba, an exhibition that introduces North America to the new generation of influential artists from Cuba, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 4. The exhibit offers more than 40 works of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and installation art to provide a sense of the serious aesthetic and conceptual concerns that characterizes Cuban art today. The City Gallery, at 34 Prioleau St., is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Window Exhibit: Through Feb 28, 2011, The Meeting Place, 1077 East Montague Ave. North Charleston. In his exhibit, "Sea and Shore," local artist David Springer will present metal sculpture depictions of Lowcountry birds, plants, and wildlife. Window viewing, free parking.

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FOCUS ARCHIVES

1/27: Howard: Shoes for needy
1/24: Woodul: Real estate up
1/20: Dunlap: Chamber's agenda
1/17: Saboe: Restaurant Week
1/13: Durant: Community's needs?
1/10: Carter: Recycle this year
1/6: Arnoldi: Free geeks
1/3: Guerard: Spoleto plans
12/30: Kiser: Yoga champ
12/27: Guerard: Hunger, homeless
12/20: Emerson: Ordinance
12/16: Meals on Wheels
12/13: Joye: Court system vital
12/9: Barnette: The Nutcracker
12/6: Kaynard: Recycling ideas
12/2: Swayne: Health reform
11/29: Boisseau: Idea harvested
11/22: Hamilton: Operation Home
11/18: Humphreys: Being healthier
11/15: Dittloff: Saltmarsh
11/11: Guerard: Veterans Day
11/8: Stanfield: Metanoia invests
11/4: Hannah: Immunologix
11/1: Clements: Red Cross

• More of Focus in the archives

ANN THRASH ARCHIVES

1/27: Home cooking
1/20: SEWE 2011
1/13: Dry-erase board of shame
1/6: Restaurant Week
12/30: Spiked Ambrosia
12/16: Retooling sports gear
12/9: Looking for perspective
12/2: Experience a gift
11/18: Ticket for downtown
11 /11: Early for Christmas?
11/4: On sharpening knives
10/28: On voting decisions
10/21: Fall color, parties
10/14: Squirrel away some pecans
10/7: New film on Jews, baseball
9/30: Making It Grow
9/23: Diving into the Lowcountry
9/16: Curbing domestic violence
9/9: Shrimp-baiting time
9/2: Tail-wagging and -gating
8/26: Urban gardening
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

• More Ann Thrash in the archives

ANDY BRACK ARCHIVES

1/24: Use more budget tools
1/17: Queensland flood relief
1/10: Jack Alterman
1/3: Palmetto Priorities
12/27: Planning Kansas trip
12/20: Remembering Owen
12/13: Inspiring entrepreneurs
12/6: Be careful what you ask for
11/29: Our linguistic heritage
11/22: Shared sacrifice
11/15: Media responsibility
11/8: No "new era" for SC
11/1: "Invest" isn't dirty word
10/25: Challenges ahead
10/11: Highway problem
10/4: Dupree and Senate
9/27: Haley-Sheheen race
9/20: Political, energy efficiency
9/13: British invasion
9/6: Meet Dave the Potter
8/30: Gulf pix make impact
8/23: Thank a teacher
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

• More Andy Brack in the archives

MARSHA GUERARD ARCHIVES

PETER LUCASH: BUSINESS INDIGO

1/13: Health care reform
12/30: New filing procedure
12/16: CharlestonPharma
12/2: You said what?
11/11: 787 problems for awhile?
10/28: Eggers joins Blackbaud
10/14: Restorative Physiology, ArborGen
9/30: Finance, accounting class
9/9: Busy with meetings
8/26: On biz interruptions
8/12: Pecha Kucha 7 coming
7/29: TwelveSouth again
7/14: Tech After 5 hits Chas
7/1: TwelveSouth scores praise
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

GREG GARVAN: CHARLESTON GREEN

1/6: Green initiative
12/9: Saving water
11/18: Geothermal home
11/4: Dry cleaners' set-aside
10/21: Googling on superhighway
9/23: Shredding together
9/16: Saving money
9/2: Energy standards needed
8/19: Investing can be tied to ideals
8/5: Trident Tech green grant

LIST ARCHIVES

1/27: 6 to get out of house
1/24: Books sales ahead
1/20: 5 for your feet
1/17: 5 books for the 150th
1/13: Skin tips
1/10: Checklist at day's end
1/6: Mentalist tips
1/3: 5 on King Street
12/30: Top lists from 2010
12/27: 5 tech trends for 2011
12/20: 5 holiday party tips
12/16: Holiday recycling
12/13: 5 offbeat SC places
12/9: 5 financial sites
12/6: 12 uses of WD-40
12/2: 5 for Web traffic
11/29: 5 on dehydration
11/22: 5 for going back to school
11/18: 5 on foreclosure
11/15: 5 for exercising
11/11: 5 to rid roadblocks
11/8: 5 for keeping warm
11/4: 5 favorite ballets
11/1: 5 for your face
10/28: 5 parenting tips
10/25: 5 on long-term care
10/21: 5 on childhood obesity
10/18: 5 homeless myths
10/14: 5 on breast cancer
10/11: 5 beef cuts
10/7: 5 back helpers
10/4: 5 for recruiting
9/30: 5 kids' books
9/27: 5 for kayaks
9/23: 5 for pets
9/20: 5 at the Gibbes
9/16: 5 date nights
9/13: 5 fall plants
9/9: 5 wine resources
9/6: 5 magical moments
9/2: 5 great preachers

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