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 AT THE GATE: The intricacies of the St. Philip's Episcopal Church steeple are offset by the artistry of its fence. Photo by Elizabeth Wheat. |
TODAY'S FOCUS :: CARTA's ridership increases CURRENTS :: Honoring givers, adventurers, more THE
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MARCH 10, 2011 - The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) entered 2010 with goals of increasing ridership overall while providing convenient and affordable public transportation service to the Charleston area.
We can proudly say, in 2010, CARTA achieved a notable 3.23 percent ridership increase from 2009. Although we have achieved ridership increases for the past six consecutive years, this increase stands out as it came despite severe economic challenges and budget constrictions. In one of the toughest economic years in history, CARTA made a total of 4,170,207 trips. Comparatively, from 2008 to 2009, ridership increased 0.23 percent. Last year's increase was more than fourteen times greater than that. The number of CARTA riders has steadily increased over the past six years; a trend we hope will continue in the years to come. As for many other companies, 2010 was not an easy year for CARTA. The overall budget was reduced by $1.4 million due to a reduction in half-cent sales tax funding. During economic downturns, when consumers are not buying as much, the funds available to CARTA are reduced as a result. These budget constraints forced us to make some tough business decisions - including increased fares and service reductions - in order to stay financially viable. These strategic and forward-looking decisions will allow us to continue to provide the Charleston area with a stable public transportation system well into the future. For 2011, CARTA will continue to listen and consider the communities' needs and make necessary changes in order to improve CARTA services. Our decisions are ultimately determined by how to best serve the Charleston area as a whole. Other exciting public transportation projects for 2011 include continued progress on the new North Charleston Regional Intermodal Center, which will serve as a transportation hub where Amtrak, Greyhound, airport taxis and CARTA interconnect. The Center will provide a safe and convenient way to travel outside the Charleston area. Federal, state, and local funding, including a competitive $6.02 million grant through the State of Good Repair Program, will fund the project. We appreciate the support our riders showed us in 2010 and are working hard to continue to provide convenient, affordable, and reliable transportation in the Charleston area for years to come. Howard Chapman has served as CARTA's executive director for 14 years, and was director of Charleston's Department of Traffic and Transportation from 1971 to 1999.
MARCH 10, 2011 - A potpourri of good news and great events in Charleston: Publix should sneak into its bakery department and break out a cake to celebrate being named the 2010 Corporate Community Builder of the year by the Trident United Way. Publix has 1,200 employees at its 11 Lowcountry locations, and 85 percent of them donate to the United Way. They raised $281,000 - an amazing $235 per employee. The chain's charities arm donated a corporate gift of $215,000. There's a story about Publix founder, George Jenkins: He was asked how much he'd be worth if he hadn't given away so many millions of dollars. "Probably nothing," he responded. The United Way also named two individuals as their 2010 Community Builders of the Year. Bill Watson, general manager of Comcast Cable, and community volunteer Gretchen Penney led the United Way's effort to streamline its work in the area of clients' financial stability, developing a series of steps that begin with basic needs, followed by increasing basic skills, then increasing income, increasing savings, and finally, gaining and sustaining assets. Sip a Red Bull, Enjoy Action Photos: Red Bull Illume, a global action and adventure sports photography contest and exhibition, will light up Marion Square in Charleston. Illume will turn on the lights from 7 to 11 nightly March 18 to 27.
The surfer shot (above) is by Nathan Smith of Australia, who said, "I'm dizzy from the whole experience. I'm humbled to be here and happy to have made the top 50 let alone win two awards that in my book are very prestigious. I'm in a room full of photographers who I look up to."
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.
MARCH 10, 2011 -- Blogs are an inexpensive, relatively simple way to give your small business or nonprofit an active web presence. Learn basic blog setup and best practices for promoting your organization in this session led by the Charleston County Public Library's own business librarian blogger.
Tech After 5: On Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Southend Brewery in Charleston. First beer on the house - come and meet some of the best of tech Charleston. Always an interesting - and changing - mix of people. More. You can
be a nice guy in business: Willis Cantey of Mount Pleasant-based Cantey
Technology wrote this
piece for CBS Interactive/BNET. He argues that "nice guys don't
have to finish last", that honest, ethical behavior in your business
life makes a successful business.
The South Carolina State Ports Authority new cruise ship terminal construction project will have an estimated economic impact of $43 million on the region's economy, while creating 336 jobs for the region during the 12-month construction period, according to the Charleston Metro Chamber's Center for Business Research.
Friends of the Library to hold special cart sale The Charleston Friends of the Library will be giving you more bang for your buck starting at 2 p.m. March 13. Library discards will be available for sale at the Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St. in downtown Charleston, at the Information Desk from 2 to 5 p.m. Every Second Sunday, volunteers will have carts full of library discards for just $1 each. In order to maintain a vital and current library, books are removed from the collection periodically. These are those books. As always, check the Friends of the Library Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ChasLibraryPals for updates. Women in Defense to hear from 315th Airlift Wing Chief Gigi B. Manning, command chief master sergeant of the 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base will speak to the Palmetto Chapter of Women in Defense on March 25.
The group will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Carrabba's, 2150 Northwoods Blvd. in North Charleston. The 315th Airlift Wing is an associate reserve unit maintaining C-17A aircraft flying around the clock to provide airlift support and aeromedical evacuation. The wing enables its active duty counterparts, the 437 AW and 628 ABW, to participate in military operations involving the air-land and airdrop of troops, equipment and supplies; responds to missions ordered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and supports U.S. sponsored humanitarian relief efforts worldwide. Chief Manning
advises the wing commander on matters influencing the health, morale,
and welfare of over 2,500 reserve members, 20 percent of whom have been
on long-term orders. Fund donates nearly $17,000 to local housing groups The REALTORS® Housing Opportunities Fund has distributed more than $16,500 to local affordable housing organizations including Operation Home, Rural Mission, United Methodist Relief Center, Human Needs Network, The Humanities Foundation as well as Sea Island & Berkeley County Habitats for Humanity.
The REALTORS®
Housing Opportunities Fund was established by the Charleston Trident Association
of REALTORS®. The fund is administered by the Coastal Community Foundation.
Student
faced instructor at Fort Sumter
On March
1, Confederate Secretary of War Leroy P. Walker telegrammed Governor Pickens
that the newly formed Confederate government assumed control of the military
operations at Charleston. President Jefferson Davis appointed P.G.T. Beauregard
to the rank of brigadier general in the Provisional Army of the Confederate
States and dispatched him to Charleston.
Beauregard arrived in Charleston on March 3 to accept command of all Confederate and South Carolina forces. Interestingly, as a student at West Point, Beauregard's favorite professor was Robert Anderson, the major now in charge of the garrison at Fort Sumter. The two men shared a great affection for each other. When Anderson learned that his former student was in command, he wrote to Washington on March 6, noting, "The presence here, as commander, of General Beauregard, recently of the U.S. Engineers, insures, I think, in a great measure the exercise of skill and sound judgment in all operations of the South Carolinians in this harbor." The stage was now set between Beauregard and Anderson -- student and teacher, two experts in artillery, two men with great devotion to honor. The day after Beauregard arrived in Charleston, Lincoln was inaugurated in Washington. On March 13, Captain Gustavus V. Fox, a trusted friend of the president, met with Lincoln to propose a naval expedition to reinforce Fort Sumter. Lincoln did not act immediately, but he did send Fox to Charleston to meet with Anderson. While Anderson did not favor Fox's plan, he did send word to the president that he could not hold out past mid-April. On March 21, Lincoln sent two other close friends, Ward Lamon and Stephen Hurlbut, to Charleston. In a meeting with Governor Pickens, Lamon assured him that there would be no attempt to reinforce Anderson and he believed Fort Sumter would likely be abandoned. Hurlbut reported to Lincoln: "I have no hesitation in reporting as unquestionable, that Separate Nationality is a fixed fact, that there is an unanimity of sentiment which to my mind is astonishing ..." Anderson, tired of being penned up in Fort Sumter, expressed that he felt like he was "a sheep tied, watching the butcher sharpening a knife to cut his throat ... I must say that I think the Government has left me too much to myself -- has not given me instructions, even when I asked for them."
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Five reasons to don a hat Spring is in the air, so it's time to start finding shade in Charleston. We think the best way to do it is to take a tip from The Hat Ladies - those Charleston women who like to look good while they're doing good for their fellow man.
Archie Burkel, a.k.a. the Top Hat, says that hats are a necessity for protection from the sun. But she has five even better reasons not to wait until Easter to wear that fancy hat:
Be sure you don't
miss The Hat Ladies 10th Easter Promenade on Saturday, April 23. They'll
be making their elegant stroll starting on the corner of Meeting and Broad
streets and moving down to White Point Garden. If you'd like more information
on the group, go online to www.hatladies.org.
Student recital: 6 p.m., today, Simons Center Recital Hall at the College of Charleston. Charleston Academy of Music piano, violin/viola, and guitar students will perform. The recital will be free of charge. CAM's Kidzymphony Orchestra will open the recital, and a student string ensemble also will perform. Yoga at The City Gallery: 6 p.m., March 10, 17, 24 and April 14. The Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs presents Yoga at The City Gallery at Waterfront Park. Admission: $10. Yoga mats are available for rent if you do not have one. Greater
Tuna: 7 p.m., March 11, Charleston Area Convention Center Ballroom.
The Flowertown Players present as dinner theater "Greater Tuna."
Set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest"
town in the state, this play is both an affectionate comment and biting
satire on small town Southern life. Tickets: $35 each. Call Pam Smith
at 843-740-5847. Ticket includes dinner, gratuity, and play. Parking is
free. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON (NEW)
Sustainable Seafood Dinner: 6:30 p.m., March 14, S.C. Aquarium.
A fish just being introduced into Charleston's culinary scene - lionfish
- will be part of the South Carolina Aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Dinner
at Fleet Landing. Executive Chef Drew Hedlund is preparing a five-course
dinner paired with international wines. The dinner is $60 (plus tax and
gratuity) per guest. Reservations can be made by calling (843) 722-8100
until Friday March 11. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to
the South Carolina Aquarium in support of the Sustainable Seafood Initiative.
Walk for Water: 9 a.m., March 19, Cannon Park, corner of Calhoun Street and Rutledge Avenue in downtown Charleston. In its fifth year, the Water Missions International 3.5-mile Walk for Water advocates for those affected by the global water crisis while raising funds to provide safe water around the globe. Registration is $15 and includes a free T-shirt; children under 10 years old are free. More info.
Parks customer appreciation day: March 20. Come enjoy all the play with none of the pay during Customer Appreciation Day at Charleston County Parks. Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission offers free gate admission to Ravenel Caw Caw Interpretive Center, North Charleston Wannamaker, Mount Pleasant Palmetto Islands and James Island County Parks. Free parking offered at Kiawah Beachwalker Park, Folly Beach and Isle of Palms County Parks, as well as the Folly Beach Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier, where fishing is free for the day. Mount Pleasant Pier also will offer complimentary fishing, but parking fees still apply.
Writing from memory: 6:30 p.m., March 25, the Sophia Institute, 297 East Bay St. Workshop with author Josephine Humphreys. Fiction and memoir may seem to be opposites, but there's a surprisingly thin line between the two. The essence of both is story. In this workshop participants will talk about the memory-treasury, the writer's principal resource, and how it can be accessed for effective fiction and memoir. Tuition: Friday night lecture, $25 in advance and $35 at the door. Workshop (includes lecture): $195. For more information and to register, go online. Polaridad Complementaria: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tues.-Fri. and noon to 5 p.m. Sat.-Sun., through March 27. Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba, an exhibition that introduces North America to the new generation of influential artists from Cuba, is on view at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park. More than 40 works of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and installation art provide a sense of the serious aesthetic and conceptual concerns that characterizes Cuban art today. Admission free. Cuban Exhibit: Through 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. Landscapes of the Lowcountry: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Through March 31, Charleston Area Convention Center gallery viewing area, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston. Charleston Artist Guild member Barrie Hinson will exhibit plein air landscapes in oil in this exhibit of recent works titled "Landscapes of the Lowcountry." Admission free. (NEW) Summerville photo contest: submissions due by noon, May 5. Summerville D.R.E.A.M. (Downtown Restoration Enhancement and Management) is looking for a few good photographs of the downtown Summerville area. Thirteen photos will be used in the upcoming D.R.E.A.M. 2012 Calendar of Historic Downtown Summerville. This contest is open to amateur and professional photographers. Photographs must be of the historic downtown Summerville area - residential and business areas are both acceptable. Photographs may be black and white or color. For more details contact info@summervilledream.org, call (843) 821-7260 or go online. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
FOCUS ARCHIVES 4/21:
Gilbert:
Uganda trip DOUG BOSTIC: CIVIL WAR HISTORY 3/10: Student vs. instructor2/10: War prep offsets horseracing ANDY BRACK 4/18:
Better
redistricting MARSHA GUERARD 3/10: Honoring givers, adventurers3/3: Watching Charlie, selves 2/24: Oysters, pigs, chickens 2/17: Law student's brief 2/10: Simple act of beauty 1/3: Spoleto plans 12/27: Hunger, homeless 11/11: Veterans Day 10/21: Charleston: good performer 8/19: How many med schools for SC? PETER LUCASH: BUSINESS INDIGO 3/10:
Networking
about blogs GREG GARVAN: CHARLESTON GREEN 3/3:
Recycling
more ANN THRASH: FOOD & DRINK 2/28:
Wine
+ Food LIST ARCHIVES 4/21:
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Fifty
photos will be on display in impressive light boxes that bring stature
and significance to these works of art that capture the exuberant spirit
of sport. The public is welcome to come see the initial flipping of the
switch at 8 p.m. March 18 as these stunning images illume the night sky.
The exhibition honors photographers who've traveled, faced physical dangers,
scaled buildings and navigated waves all to capture magical moments. 
Grammy
Winners in Concert: There will be entertainment fit for a king on
March 15 at the Gaillard Auditorium when the King's Singers return to
Charleston. The six Englishmen, hailing from King's College in Cambridge,
have a knack for catching audiences' attention with their vast repertoire,
showmanship and vocal range. The a cappella group's performance,
under the auspices of the Charleston Concert Association, begins at 7
p.m. Tickets are $16 to $68, and can be purchased at the Gaillard Box
Office or through 
Ballet
in Boots: If you prefer to "Walk the Line," and pick Garth
Brooks over a capella, maybe you should head down to the Charleston Ballet
Theatre's country music extravaganza Nashville. Stunning choreography
has been set to country music's biggest hits including Lady Antebellum,
Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton
and others. Performances at CBT's Black Box Theatre will be at 7:30 p.m.
on March 17, 18, 19, 25 & 26 and at 3 p.m. on March 20. Tickets are
available through the box office at 477 King St. or online at 
Martha
Guerard, editor of Charleston Currents, can be reached at: 
Peter
Lucash is a Charleston-based businessman who runs 
The
new cruise ship terminal will be constructed on the northern end of the
SCSPA's Union Pier property. Building a new terminal at the northern end
of Union Pier will result in relocating 200 cargo ships a year, along
with considerable rail and truck traffic, off that property and opening
up an estimated 35 acres for redevelopment and public access to the waterfront.
The
funds will help the organizations serve their clients - from providing
assistance and repairs to residents living in substandard rural housing
to financial assistance for the prevention of homelessness.
Douglas
W. Bostick grew up on James Island, and his ancestors in South Carolina
date back to colonial America. He is the author of several books and
numerous articles that have appeared in historical journals, magazines
and national newsletters. A graduate of the College of Charleston, Bostick
earned a master's degree from the University of South Carolina. He is
a former staff and faculty member of the University of South Carolina
and the University of Maryland.
Charleston
Art & Antiques Forum: March 16-20. The Charleston Art & Antiques
Forum will feature as its keynote speaker Thomas P. Campbell, director
and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, at 7 p.m. March 16. The 14th
annual forum program, "Made in America" - Century by Century,"
will feature fine and decorative arts from the founding of Jamestown in
1607 to contemporary ceramics. National experts will discuss architecture,
furniture, painting, silver, and ceramics. Visits to significant local
homes will be included. More information and purchase of ticket packages
are 
Bikers4Africa:
10 a.m. (registration) to 2 p.m., March 19. Organizers are trying
to raise $18,000 to send a Water Missions International water treatment
system to Uganda. More than 20 million Ugandans lack clean water. Low
Country Harley-Davidson and Market Street Saloon invite all bikers (regardless
of motorcycle brand) to meet at Low Country Harley-Davidson for the Bikers4Africa
ride. Registration is $20 per rider, $5 per passenger. Kick stands up
at noon for a police-escorted ride through some of the most beautiful
parts of Charleston. The ride returns to the dealership at 2 p.m. for
an after-party. 
Scrabble
Tournament:
2 p.m., March 20, Taco Boy restaurant. New local publishing company
Surcee Press will host a Scrabble Tournament on the outdoor patio at Taco
Boy. Official Scrabble competition rules and dictionary will be enforced
by timers, scorekeepers and judges. The three-round tournament will consist
of 64 competitors. The winner will receive a cash prize, and there will
be rewards for all who participate. Proceeds will go towards the June
2011 publication of "A New Guide to Charleston" by Surcee Press.
To purchase $12 competition and/or $24 board donation tickets, or to learn
more,