 |
|
|
|
|
|
Issue
4.08 | Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 TODAY'S
FOCUS CURRENTS THE
LIST CHARLESTON
GREEN GOOD
NEWS HISTORY
ALSO INSIDE :: FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts :: SPOTLIGHT: Twenty Six Divine :: CALENDAR: This week ... and next :: QUOTE: On resolutions |
ABOUT US CharlestonCurrents.com offers insightful community comment and good news on events each week. It cuts through the information clutter to offer the best of what's happening locally. What readers say |
|
DEC. 27,
2011 -- Regardless of how you feel about President Obama, he is making
good on a promise to withdraw troops from Iraq. Since he took office,
nearly 150,000 U.S. troops have been removed from Iraq and hundreds of
bases have closed. By the end of the year, no U.S. troops will be preparing
to deploy to Iraq and the war in that country will be over.
By the
same token, regardless of your opinion of former President Bush, the Middle
East, America and the world are better off without Saddam Hussein being
in power. As an Iraq war veteran, I believe that my service and the service
of many others made it possible for Iraq to be a sovereign country. Without
countless successful missions and making necessary adjustments along the
way, this would not have been feasible. In war,
casualties occur. This is something that cannot be prevented, irrespective
of what measures are put in place. Nearly 4,500 Americans made the ultimate
sacrifice in Iraq. Thousands more were wounded. At such a high cost, we
should never forget their selfless service and do our part as citizens
to sacrifice and fight for a cause greater than ourselves. This country
has battled its way through many wars and conflicts in the past; wars
and conflicts lie ahead as long as life exists. Problems, false intelligence,
questionable decisions and mistakes were revealed during the past nine
years in Iraq. The aftereffects of this war along with the strain on our
service members, the armed forces, families and communities have been
severe. People are still struggling to recover and only time will expose
other effects. The debate
over how many uniformed and civilian personnel will remain in Iraq to
support the embassy and provide training and support to the Iraqi government
will continue to be discussed in a responsible manner. To prevent us from
going back in a full-blown war decades down the road, a presence is needed
to ensure that a form of stability will exist well into the future as
it has in Kuwait and Korea. With the
2012 presidential elections in full blast, the GOP will poke holes at
the president's steady strategy in Iraq and improvements being made in
Afghanistan. What they cannot take away from him is the fact that during
his watch, the Iraq war ended and Osama Bin Laden and many more within
his regime no longer exist. Our country
is better positioned to have a laser-like focus on nation-building at
home. The unfunded war in Iraq cost one trillion dollars. Imagine what
that kind of investment could do for our infrastructure, schools, technology,
medical advancement, debt payment and other progress at home, such as
our port. It would have been funded and dredged years ago. Creating jobs,
bringing more people into a stronger middle class and sustaining the growth
that supports our prosperity and leadership in the world must be priority
number 1. In doing this, we cannot take any shortcuts in providing the
benefits and excellent care our service members and their families deserve.
They have and continue to perform well in defense of this country to deserve
nothing less than our best and what is owed to them. When we
invaded Iraq, an exit strategy did not exist, resources were grossly wasted,
proper provisions were not made regarding courses of action taken and
identifying the enemy was not as clear as one imagined. Through the highs
and lows of international support with other countries and public opinion
here at home, the end has come. We ought to be proud of how this war has ended and by the work contributed by those in and out of uniform who made this a reality. We are leaving a stable Iraq that can stand on its own. This mission has truly been accomplished.
 Make shur u know yur grammer and chek yur speling By ANDY BRACK, publisher DEC. 27, 2011 -- We've all seen crazy, funny signs caused by misspelling and horrible punctuation -- grammatical blunders where people wrote "your" instead of "you are" or put an apostrophe in a place that would cause your English teacher to have a hissy fit.
Charleston resident Sharon Eliza Nichols saw so many of these bloopers that she started a Facebook group that blossomed into two books, the latest of which is just out -- "More Badder Grammar!" She says she got started thinking about the grammatically challenged when walking along King Street as a College of Charleston student and noticing how a restaurant was "now excepting applications." "It made me think, 'Who would want to work there?' Especially in the business world, every communication with the public counts. People make judgments about the competency of the establishment based on what they read and see. "Why should I have confidence that this business is going to be around a year from now if they make mistakes that Microsoft Word (or a high school freshman) would catch?"
"I accidentally hit on something that a lot of people were passionate about," she recalls. Among Nichols' favorite mistakes are those involving quote markes and apostrophes, such as a restaurant that described an entree like this: Local "Shrimp" and Grits. "So what are we supposed to infer from that?" Nichols asks. "Are they really serving shrimp? It reminds me of the episode of 'Friends'when Joey first learned how to use air quotations. Look it up if you haven't seen it."
The new book (St. Martin's Griffin, $9.99) includes 150 photos of spelling and grammar bloopers that will have you laughing out loud. Some of our favorites:
Nichols offers a good rule of thumb so you won't show up on one of her books: "If you're writing something for public consumption, two people -- at the very least -- should proofread it before it goes out. And pay attention to the little red and green squiggly lines that MS Word (and Gmail, and a host of other programs) uses. They're there to warn you that something's not right." Good advice. Now, let me send this off to my proofreader to make sure I haven't embarrassed myself in this column! In Statehouse
Report: You might check out my Friday commentary on how it feels like
the economy is getting a little better and take a look at a story by Bill
Davis that offers a look at what will drive state lawmakers next year.
More: www.StatehouseReport.com.
You also can drop by for lunch at their upper King Street location. The chefs offer individual quiches of the day, two different soups of the week, and a broad array of cakes and tarts. Take a look at their online cafe menu and you'll see an array of seasonal eats that will delight your taste buds. Visit TwentySixDivine.com today.
DEC. 27, 2011 -- Several of SCE&G's plants are much more toxic with coal ash than earlier believed, according to news reports. A state record review has shown that the coal-fired plants are producing more than 2 billion pounds that are winding up in our ponds and landfills.
Green fair ahead. The Green Business Fair has announced Feb. 8 is the 2012 'BIG and Local' event, to be held at the North Charleston Coliseum, details to follow in January. Save the date! More info. Gold
or disaster? A Canadian company, Romarco Minerals, has been quietly
working to re-open the Haile mine near Kershaw in the Midlands. This is
not the 'old days' of mining, but rather finely-tuned work that pulls
out minuscule amounts of gold from the stone. Environmentalists are raising
concerns, principally around the 162 acres of wetlands to be destroyed,
as well as that an older part of the mining area is now an EPA Superfund
clean-up project that we, as taxpayers, are paying for. Keep your eyes
on this as a 2012 issue for us all. More: Post
and Courier.
MeadWestvaco and its local employees raised $706,000 through its 2011 fundraising campaign for Trident United Way, the largest for the year for the nonprofit. Some 330 MeadWestvaco employees raised personal donations of more than $350,000, which were matched by the company, according to a press release. Employees also donated more than 700 hours to the nonprofit over the last year.
"Our
company culture at MeadWestvaco has always been rooted in the spirit of
giving," said Ed Rose, president of the company's Specialty Chemicals
Division. "Trident United Way has been an organization we've remained
committed to for more than 40 years, and I've never been more proud to
see our current salaried and hourly employees band together, and with
support from our four unions, again show tremendous generosity and solidarity
to help improve the lives of residents living in the tri-county area." Central
to the mission at Trident United Way is to support those organizations
in the community that deliver opportunities for continued education, financial
stability and health. Funds generated by MeadWestvaco will benefit area
organizations that include Metanoia, Communities in Schools, and Susan
G. Komen Race for the Cure. Specifically, the company has a strong partnership
with Metanoia, a United Way-funded agency, where employees volunteer their
time at Trident United Way's annual Day of Caring. And MeadWestvaco funds
have helped to refurbish the organization's youth entrepreneurship and
volunteer community center-a $150,000 project. "MeadWestvaco
continues to be a leader in its support of the community, and this year
is no exception. We applaud and appreciate the remarkable generosity of
the employees and the company," said Christopher Kerrigan, president
and CEO of Trident United Way. Roper St. Francis is part
of new study to help save limbs Patients
with Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI), who were once unable to receive treatment
to unblock obstructed blood vessels due to medical risks or previous failed
attempts at revascularization, now have at better chance at saving a limb
and at reducing the pain associated with this often deadly disease.
The FDA
has approved the next phase of this randomized, double-blind trial for
another 210 patients nationally, and Roper St. Francis Healthcare patients
will be eligible. Roper Hospital was the first medical facility in the
country to participate in the first phase of this national trial to treat
patients with CLI. "Using
the patient's own bone marrow stem cells to grow new blood vessels in
the legs is the next advance in saving limbs in patients with diabetes
and peripheral arterial disease," said Dr. Jeb Hallett, medical director
of Roper St. Francis Heart and Vascular Center. "About one third
of patients with critical limb ischemia are no longer candidates for stent
angioplasty or bypass surgery. Bone marrow stem cell therapy provides
another option in saving limbs." The procedure,
which takes less than an hour, calls for the removal of bone marrow from
patients' hips. Those cells are then placed in a centrifuge that separates
blood cells from pure stem cells, which are then immediately injected
back into the patient's leg. "I
owe Roper St. Francis and Dr. Hallet a great deal of gratitude,"
said CLI trial participant Louis Tanenbaum. "After months of trying
a strict exercise program to battle my CLI, Dr. Hallet recommended participating
in this clinical trial. He saved my right leg." The first
publication from this study appears in this month's edition of the Journal
of Vascular Surgery, the official publication of the Society for Vascular
Surgery. Hallett and Dr. George Geils, also of Roper St. Francis, contributed
to this study. Magnolia offers special admission gift Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is offering a special holiday gift -- if you buy one $15 garden admission, you get another for free. The special admission price will be available until Jan. 31, 2012, and can't be combined with other discounts. This offer comes at the perfect time to enjoy Magnolia's special daily garden walks led by camellia experts Tom Johnson and Miles Beach. As early camellia varieties spread color through the garden, you can join the daily walks through the gardens at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. The walks, limited to groups of up to 25 people, are an added feature to Magnolia's daily schedule until mid-March. To get the free second garden ticket, you'll need to go to Magnolia's Web site -- www.magnoliaplantation.com -- and print the ticket that is redeemable at the Magnolia ticket booth. For more information, call 843-571-1266. Musical tribute for King set for Jan. 14 The CSO
Gospel Choir and CSO
Spiritual Ensemble will offer a free musical tribute to Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at Royal Missionary Baptist Church in
North Charleston.
Co-directed
by CSO Gospel Choir Director Sandra Barnhardt and CSO Spiritual Ensemble
Director Nathan L. Nelson two choirs will commemorate Dr. King's legacy
in advancing civil rights in a moving musical portrait featuring gospel,
spirituals and actual sound footage from many of Dr. King's major civil
rights speeches. "Sandra
Barnhart and I so look forward to returning to North Charleston to share
this inspirational evening with the tri-county community," says Nathan
L. Nelson, CSO Spiritual Ensemble Director. Added event
executive producer Lee Pringle, "The event will be the perfect way
for our community to remind ourselves of Dr. King's wisdom, sacrifice
and hope." The performance, titled "His Light Still Shines: A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," is free, but you'll need entry tickets. Four per request are available in person at the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department in North Charleston City Hall or at the church. You can also request tickets by mail from the arts department. More. Royal Missionary
Baptist Church is located at 4761 Luella Avenue in North Charleston. The
annual King holiday will be observed across the nation on Jan. 16.
Defending Charleston from
fire and Yankees Robert E. Lee, sent by Jefferson Davis to South Carolina to prepare the Confederate defenses, understood that the battle at Port Royal was only a prelude to later attacks on Charleston and Savannah. The loss of Charleston and Savannah would leave the Confederacy without a major port south of Wilmington. While the immediate coastline from Tybee to South Edisto was under Federal control, Lee was focusing on the defense of the Charleston Savannah Railroad, a vital supply line that extended into the Deep South. On Dec. 11, 1861, Lee and his staff traveled from Coosawhatchie to Charleston. As they crossed the Ashley River, they could see a fire burning in the city. Fires were not uncommon and assuming the fire companies would get it under control, they proceeded to the Mills House Hotel on Meeting Street for dinner. The fire started in the early evening near Hassell Street and East Bay in a refuse pile from the sash and blind factory. A wind blowing from the northeast assisted in its advance from building to building as the fire raged beyond the control of the city's firemen. It engulfed the Circular Congregational Church on Meeting Street. The South Carolina Institute, site of the signing ceremony for the Secession Ordinance in December 1860, was lost, as was the St. Andrews Hall where the secession vote was taken.
On December 12, the Mercury reported, "The energy and firmness displayed by General Ripley during the fearful scenes of Wednesday night, have justly won for him the gratitude and respect of our whole community." Several buildings were finally blown up to stop the advance of the fire, saving the orphan asylum and Roper Hospital. Before it was under control, one-third of the peninsula city was lost to an old enemy much more formidable than the Union army. Later in the month, Lee wrote to the Confederate capital regarding his inspections of the defenses around Charleston:
SISTER PUBLICATIONS We encourage you to check out our sister publications:
CREDITS Charleston Currents is provided to you twice a week by:
UNSUBSCRIBE We hope you'll keep receiving the great news and information from CharlestonCurrents.com, but if you need to unsubscribe, click here. © 2008-2011, Statehouse Report LLC. All rights reserved. Charleston Currents is published every Monday and Thursday by Statehouse Report LLC, PO Box 22261, Charleston, SC 29413. |
5 kinds of Civil War ammo
Quinlivan shot: This rare shot was designed to penetrate federal ironclads. Two-chambered incendiary shell: A new shell likely intended for Charleston's defense. James shell (Pattern 1) with slotted fuse plug: The soft metal ribs at the base of this shell expanded upon discharge and engaged the cannon's rifling. While not a widely used shell during the Civil War, James shells did not require a unique gun to fire them. Case shot with timed fuse plug: First developed in the early 18th century, case shot remained a widely used artillery implement during the Civil War. Used for anti-personnel purposes, case shot was an exploding shell filled with small iron balls. Schenkl Shell: Prior to loading, artillerymen enclosed this shell's rear conical section in a paper maché cylinder to create a tighter fit inside the cannon's barrel. Once fired, the cylinder disintegrated leaving the shell with a more streamlined shape, which allowed for increased distance and accuracy.
"A resolution to avoid an evil is seldom framed till the evil is so far advanced as to make avoidance impossible."
(NEW) County council. The next meeting for Charleston County Council is Thursday. No other information is available at www.CharlestonCounty.org. Happy New Year, Charleston: 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Dec. 31, Marion Square, Charleston. This non-alcoholic event will feature family-oriented concerts and presentations to ring in the new year. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON. Dognapping comedy: Starts Jan. 4 and runs through Jan. 7 at Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84 1/2 Society Street, Charleston. Theatre veteran Kyle Barnette will star in Lee Blessing's one-man comedy, "Chesapeake," in its regional premier at What If's new performance location. More: WhatIfProductions.org. (NEW) Slow Food potluck: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Jan. 8, Glass Onion, 1219 Savannah Highway, Charleston. Slow Food Charleston will hold its annual membership meeting and potluck. Event is BYOB and guests are asked to bring a dish to share. More. Museum oyster roast: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Jan. 14, at the Dill Sanctuary, James Island. The Charleston Museum will celebrate its 239th birthday at an event that will feature oysters by Ben Moise, a curator-led history walk, live bluegrass and spectacular views of the Stono River. Tickets are $30 for members, $40 for non members. More info: www.CharlestonMuseum.org. (NEW)
Complexions Contemporary
Ballet: 7 p.m., Jan. 14, Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston.
Charleston Concert Association will start the second half of its season
with this "imaginative mash-up of classical technique with Alvin
Ailey roots and 'So You Think You Can Dance' accessibility." More. (NEW) "The Last Flapper:" 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 and 21; 3 p.m., Jan. 22, 1080 East Montague Ave., North Charleston. The South of Broadway Theatre Company will present this one-woman show starring Leslie Vicary that's based on the writings of Zelda Fitzgerald. Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for students. More: 745.0317. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
FOCUS ARCHIVES
1/9: Greene:
Black male depression DOUG
BOSTICK: 12/27: Defending
Charleston ANDY BRACK 1/9:
Visits
for candidates MARSHA GUERARD 9/1:
Bill
Regan, more ANN
THRASH: 1/2:
Using
leftover bubbly GREG
GARVAN: 12/27: Coal
ash, more LIST ARCHIVES 1/9:
Herrick's
5 winter foods IN OUR SISTER PUBLICATION
Twitter
feeds via TweetsWind:
a Twitter widget
|
Given
the coal ash contains some of the most harmful chemicals -- arsenic, lead
and mercury -- and millions of dollars have been spent in "remediation,"
this is a huge and growing public health and costly problem. More: 
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: 
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.
The
