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Issue
3.26| Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011 | Celebrating
Black History Month |
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TODAY'S FOCUS :: Family Circle Cup's Ball Crew dreams CURRENTS :: When one tweet leads to another THE
LIST CHARLESTON
GREEN GOOD
NEWS FEEDBACK ALSO INSIDE ___::
CALENDAR: This week ... and next |
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FEB. 3,
2011 - Every young athlete has his or her fantasy. Being a member of Jeff
Gordon's pit crew. Being a flower girl for Tara Lipinski's Olympic gold
medal performance. You know that fantasy - the one you sat in class daydreaming
about while you were supposed to be reading "Old Yeller."
For a 9-year-old
tennis player from Charleston, being on the other side of the net of a
World No. 1's forehand winner was the ultimate dream.
Ball Crew
members at the Cup play an important role at this Women's Tennis Association
Premier event and are essential to the success of the tournament. Because
this year's tournament does not coincide with a school break, Family Circle
Cup has a significant need for daydreamers and tennis fans of all ages
to be on-court with the superstars of women's tennis. This unique volunteer
opportunity offers access to matches, players and promises to turn those
daydreams into memories that will last a lifetime.
Ball Crew
applications are available on-line at FamilyCircleCup.com
or at the Family Circle Tennis Center. "Not
only did I get to miss school, but I got to meet some of the best tennis
players on Tour and had the opportunity to see that they were just normal
people doing their job," Steven said. "It is a neat experience
and I would encourage anyone to do it."
FEB. 3, 2011 - In five minutes, the Yellow Warbler perched two feet to my left will tweet her very own version of a status update. I'm not talking about the Twitter kind of tweeting, either. This is the Real Thing -- well, sort of -- a bird sounding off to let me know that the hour has reached 10 a.m.
I have an Audubon clock ticking away on the wall next to my desk here in my office. Twelve different species -- including the Carolina Wren who built her nest at 7 o'clock -- alert me to the passage of time by singing me into the next hour. Most of the time, the loud call takes me off-guard and I jump out of my skin. This is a good thing, however, because I work at home and I have a tendency to forget the time and give in to the one zillion distractions that a terrific computer with a fast Internet connection can provide. Sometimes it's an email from a friend, sometimes it's cyber-window-shopping at fancy Web sites such as Gilt or HauteLook. (I have two slim daughters who are my grown-up version of Barbie dolls. Fun to dress.) Last night, my distraction ironically turned out to be birds. While setting up an RSS feed so I can quickly peruse news articles pertinent to the varied editing work that keeps a roof over my head, I happened upon the Web site of the American Birding Association. I'm not sure how I managed to get there, since most of my feeds come from sites with back-to-nature names like "Supply Chain Digest" and "Federal Reserve Bank Economic Highlights." But once I was through the door of the American Birding Association, I was off and surfing to dozens of avian roosts on the Web. Working for a living flew right out the window. I love to watch birds, although I am a novice when it comes to real birding. I have a "life list" of birds that includes molting Wood Storks (not that pretty a sight, I might add), the Bald Eagle, the Roseate Spoonbill, even the Tufted Puffin -- a pretty rare find for a girl from South Carolina. So what did I learn from an evening spent bird surfing? I learned that it's great to be distracted every now and then by something you truly love, be it a bird, a pet, or a family member. Birds not only remind me of the passage of time -- they remind me that time is a precious commodity and should include your passions as well as practicality.
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents to you at no cost. In this issue, we highlight the Joye Law Firm. Committed to fighting for the rights of the wrongly injured in South Carolina for more than 40 years, the experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyers of the Joye Law Firm want to help you get every dollar you truly deserve for the injuries you've suffered. Whether you've been injured in an auto accident, by a defective product, in a nursing home, or on the job, we may be able to help you. For more information, contact Joye Law Firm at 843.554.3100 or visit online at: http://www.joyelawfirm.com.
FEB. 3, 2011 -- Proterra, an electric bus company in the Upstate, had a visit last week from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood as he promoted a goal of having one million electric vehicles on our highways by 2015. Proterra is another part of the Clemson International Center for Automotive Research, and an example of how Clemson continues to lead us here in South Carolina into a greener future. Slow
Decadence: Slow Food/Charleston announces its green approach to Valentine's
Day: Slow Decadence Valentine's Celebration at the Methane methodology: Biogas = Animal waste produces methane gas, which can then be used as a fuel for electricity. In Costa Rica a few years ago, we spent some time on a 2-acre organic commercial farm powered only by cow methane gases. Santee Cooper and Clemson are working with Burrows Hall Farm to use their hog waste to produce fuel, and it is expected that by this summer at least 90 homes will be powered using hog waste. The excess fluids from the process will either be used as fertilizer -- organic, of course -- or returned to the hogs. Talk about a sustainable green cycle!
One of the nation's leading critics of intelligent design theory will speak Feb. 10 as part of The Citadel's observance of Darwin Week.
Robert T. Pennock, a professor of science and philosophy at Michigan State University, will speak at 6:30 p.m. in Grimsley Hall's Graham Copeland Auditorium. Pennock is best known for his expert testimony in the landmark Dover, Del., school board case testing the constitutionality of teaching in public schools the theory of intelligent design, which argues that the universe is so complex it must have been created by an intelligent being. Pennock
testified that intelligent design is not science but religion.
Parks
Conservancy offers classes for home gardeners
Jim Martin,
gardener and horticulturist, will lead the classes along with guest gardeners.
Participants will have hands-on opportunities for learning.
Participants should register online. Students can register for each class individually or register for the entire four-class series for a reduced cost of $110. Space is limited. Public
meeting set to cover IOP Connector improvements The meeting
will be held in the cafeteria of Whiteside Elementary, 1565 Rifle Range
Road, Mount Pleasant. Parking will be available in the rear of the school
by using the driveway closest to the Mount Pleasant Waterworks facility. South Carolinians can save big this month at Aquarium
Through the month of February, South Carolina residents can save on admission to Charleston's most popular attraction. The South Carolina Aquarium is letting adult residents in for the child's admission rate, just $10.95, a savings of more than $7. The promotion started on the same day the South Carolina Aquarium opened a new exhibit, Toddler Cove. The exhibit, just for the Aquarium's youngest visitors, features life-sized play structures in the shape of sea life, brightly colored fish in the Great Barrier Reef room, games and interactives on the walls. The offer is only available to South Carolina residents with a valid proof of residency and may not be combined with any other offer. The promotion expires on Feb. 28. For more information, visit www.scaquarium.org or call (843) 577-FISH. Charleston County Library offers free computer classes The Charleston County Public Library offers a wide variety of free computer classes each month at its Main Branch and four other locations. In addition to the Main Library at 68 Calhoun St., computer classes are taught at St. Andrews branch, 1735 Woodmere Drive; Otranto branch, 2261 Otranto Road; Johns Island branch, 3531 Maybank Highway; and Dorchester Road branch, 6325 Dorchester Road. A full listing of February classes and all the library's activities can be found online. Here is a partial list of classes at the Main library. Call 843-805-6930 to register.
Physician Catherine Mae McKee McCottry was born on Feb. 3, 1921, in Charlotte, N.C. McCottry attended Barber Scotia Junior College at Concord, N.C., before enrolling at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. She later became that school's first alumna to earn a medical degree. After completing a biology bachelor's degree in 1941, McCottry was accepted at the Howard University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. Dr. Charles Drew, who developed blood banks, was one of her professors and influenced her surgical skills.
McCottry graduated in 1945 and trained in several residencies, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology at New York's Harlem Hospital, Charlotte's Good Samaritan Hospital, and Chicago's Providence Hospital. In 1946 McCottry began practicing medicine in her hometown and was the first black woman physician there. She received her professional license in 1950. She married Turner McDonald McCottry, a Charleston native and graduate of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. They had two children. Moving to Charleston in 1952, McCottry joined her husband, who established a general practice with obstetrics and gynecology services. He became chief of staff at the McClennan-Banks Memorial Hospital. The couple were Charleston's first African American team of physicians, and she was the city's first black woman to practice gynecology and obstetrics. Catherine McCottry became noted for her direct patient care services and was a leader in the drive to integrate hospitals in Charleston in the 1960s. She retired from practicing medicine in the early 1970s but continued her medical service in other forums. Her husband died in 1996. Throughout her career McCottry emphasized public health education, especially for sickle-cell anemia, which affects primarily blacks. She served as chairperson for the health committee of the African American sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. Many of her educational initiatives addressed young women. McCottry implemented prenatal-care counseling programs for pregnant teenagers. She lectured about prevention, symptoms, and treatments for the American Cancer Society. McCottry also taught young adults about hypertension and stress reduction. McCottry received numerous awards and accolades for her volunteer and professional work. National politicians including President Bill Clinton, Senators Ernest Hollings and Strom Thurmond, and Congressman James Clyburn wrote commendation letters accompanying the Women Who Make a Difference Award. In 2000 Charleston mayor Joseph P. Riley proclaimed that May 23 was Dr. Catherine McCottry Day. McCottry also was featured in that year's BellSouth Corporation's African American History Calendar.
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Ideas for Valentine's Day
"Real glory
springs from the silent conquest of ourselves."
(NEW)
PTSD lecture: 4:30 p.m., Feb. 3, Duckett Hall Auditorium,
The Citadel. 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. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON 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. Black History Month: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Feb. 9, Trident Technical College Main Campus Student Center. African American Vendor's Day.
(NEW)
Book signing: 4 to 6 p.m., Feb. 12, Blue Bicycle Books,
420 King St. Fans of Nicole Seitz's highly acclaimed novels "Trouble
The Water," "The Spirit of Sweetgrass," "A Hundred
Years Of Happiness" and "Saving Cicadas" will treasure
"The Inheritance of Beauty," a poignant story of Maggie and
George, childhood sweethearts whose 70-year marriage is forged of their
devastating shared secrets from the tragic events of the summer of 1929.
Black History Celebration: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Feb. 23. Trident Technical College's Berkeley Campus in Moncks Corner will hold its celebration of Black History Month in the library. 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. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
FOCUS ARCHIVES 4/21:
Gilbert:
Uganda trip ANN THRASH ARCHIVES 2/7:
Frozen
Frogmore stew ANDY BRACK ARCHIVES 4/18:
Better
redistricting MARSHA GUERARD ARCHIVES 1/3: Spoleto plans12/27: Hunger, homeless 11/11: Veterans Day 10/21: Charleston: good performer 8/19: How many med schools for SC? PETER LUCASH: BUSINESS INDIGO 1/27:
Levelwing
head to speak GREG GARVAN: CHARLESTON GREEN 1/6:
Green
initiative LIST ARCHIVES 4/21:
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on SC Path |
Marsha
Guerard of Mount Pleasant is the editor of Charleston Currents. She
can be reached at: 
Greg
Garvan of James Island is president of Money with a Mission, an 18-year-old,
fee-only financial planning firm that specializes in socially responsible/
'green' asset management. On the Web: 
Looking
for something memorable to do to celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweetie?
These local events cover the spectrum from the special dinner out, to
a night of art, to a day of arts and crafts: 
(NEW)
From class clown to artist: 6:15 p.m., Feb. 9, Dart Branch
Library, 1067 King St. Award-winning artist E.B. Lewis, known for his
rich watercolors and lush detailed illustrations in more than 50 children's
books, is a self-described class clown. But Lewis realized as a sixth
grader that he needed to straighten up if he was going to make something
of himself. He will share his story of inspiration and sacrifice, explaining
how a class clown can turn himself into a serious artist and winner of
both the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for "Talkin' about
Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman" and the Caldecott
Honor Award for "Coming on Home Soon." Free.
(NEW)
A night with Duke Ellington: 7:30 p.m., Feb. 12, Charleston
Music Hall. Charleston Ballet Theatre and the Charleston Jazz Orchestra
join forces for a one night only performance of Duke Ellington's landmark
1966 album "The Far East Suite" in its entirety. Tickets, $25
to $45, can be purchased at the Box Office, 477 King St., by calling 843-723-7334
or online at www.charlestonballet.org. 
(NEW)
Artist demonstration and lecture: 7 p.m., Feb. 15, Bond
Hall room 165, The Citadel. The Citadel School of Humanities and Social
Sciences and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition educational partnership
sponsor a demonstration and lecture by SEWE artist and Citadel alumnus
Larry Seymour. Seymour was voted South Carolina Wildlife Federation Artist
of the Year in 1986, and has participated in SEWE for many years. Free.