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Issue
4.32 | Monday, June 11, 2012 TODAY'S
FOCUS CURRENTS GOOD
NEWS HISTORY
ALSO INSIDE :: FEEDBACK: On flag, unions, work :: SPOTLIGHT: Kaynard Photography :: CALENDAR: This week ... and next :: THE LIST: On okra :: QUOTE: "Silicon harbor" :: POEM: "The Right Touch" :: BROADUS: Waking up |
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 WHERE IS IT?
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JUNE 11, 2012 -- The economic engine of our nation has shifted. Metro regions are supplanting state and national economies as the driving force in assuring America's future economic prosperity. The good news for the Charleston region is that our ability to manage our area's resources and assets will be a significant determinant of our future economic well-being. This job of growing the region is coming to depend more and more on what we do daily versus relying on outside forces.
The ingredients that were significant growth catalysts in the 20th century -- infrastructure, tax and regulatory setting, pro-business business climate, technology availability, business financing and start-up seed capital, receptive and supportive elective officials -- will continue to play major roles in determining how and to what degree our Charleston metro area will grow. There is a new 21st century factor -- our area's ability to develop, attract and maintain skilled and well-educated young professionals -- that will match or supersede some of these more traditional economic drivers in the years ahead. The world of work today is placing a premium on people who can think creatively, pro-actively problem solve, have skills to meet today's workplace needs, and develop systems and processes that lead to immediate and long-term business profitability and heightened productivity. It takes talent to drive up business productivity and today there is an international battle to secure this critical intellectual capital. The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce is looking at the opportunity of building our region's intellectual capital in a way that starts at the heart of this opportunity -- by asking young professionals what factors make our community a top choice for talent. Our Charleston Young Professionals initiative will be working with Rebecca Ryan and Next Generation Consulting to visit with hundreds of regional young professionals over the next six months to gain their opinions in seven critical areas: Vitality, Earning, Learning, Social Capital, Cost of Lifestyle, After Hours and Around Town.
The result of this broad-based young professional engagement effort, tagged Next Gen Charleston, will be a community handprint which shares where we as a region are doing well in attracting, developing and maintaining young professionals and where we have areas that need improvement. A quick example of one of the factors this assessment will uncover is our community's PROS profile. PROS stands for parks, recreation and open space. Young professionals are attracted to communities that are vital and vibrant in offering running trails, bike paths, hiking, parks, beaches and other outdoor recreation venues and opportunities. So we will evaluate our three county area to determine how we are perceived by young professionals in this vein. "Cities
should be thinking of their growth efforts as a relay race, making sure
you have current leaders and future leaders at the strategy and decision-making
table today for easy hand-off tomorrow," as explained by Rebecca
Ryan. "There's urgency nationwide in taking such steps, as 23 million
Baby Boomers retire while only 10 million Gen Xs (those born between 1963
and 1978) and Gen Ys (those born after 1978) enter the workforce." All of
this will provide the data and insight needed to proceed with creating
recommendations that Charleston can implement to help attract and retain
talent to the region. Next Generation Consulting's community research
will look at young professionals from the ages of 22-45 in each of the
five "comparable and aspirational" cities where, as in Charleston,
visioning initiatives are at work - Austin, , Charlotte, Atlanta, Raleigh
and Nashville. We plan to be a winner in the talent wars and the Community
Handprint and follow-up strategic plan will be our marching orders.
JUNE 11, 2012 -- Mention the word "Kennedy" in South Carolina, and a lot of people will stop reading or jump to preconceived conclusions. So bear with me.
Forty-four years ago this month, a gunman shot and killed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy after a speech to supporters on his impressive win in the California primary. A U.S. senator, former attorney general and brother to a slain president, Bobby Kennedy was 42 years old. In the years since his death, politics has become a real mess in America as political parties grasp for relevance among an increasingly skeptical populace. Many wonder whether Democrats and Republicans are really all that different as well-funded interests and media pandering have hijacked the political process from the rough-and-tumble machine politics of the past. People feel more and more irrelevant in what should be their government. What Bobby Kennedy did for America in his time of turbulence was to allow Americans to dream, as his brother, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy remembered in a eulogy: "My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. ... As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought him: 'Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.'" Bobby Kennedy inspired my father-in-law, the late Owen Neff, when he served as a federal prosecutor of mob bosses under Kennedy was attorney general. Whenever you mentioned Kennedy's name to Owen, he'd pause, reflect and soon wonder what America lost in 1968.
Bobby Kennedy inspired millions, black and white, rich and poor, with his platform of economic and racial justice, improving society, decentralizing power and ending the war in Vietnam. Over the last 44 years, perhaps no one, save Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, has inspired a nation as much as Bobby Kennedy. Had Kennedy been elected president in 1968, despite the odds against him getting the Democratic nomination because of entering the race so late, America would have been a different place. "We could have done some things," former U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings said this week. "We wouldn't be bogged down like we are now." Historian Jack Bass remembered that the 1968 winner, Republican Richard Nixon, changed the country significantly over time by changing the Supreme Court with four appointees. "If Kennedy had gotten elected, the whole thing would have been different. I think he would have been able to bring the whole country with him." The late author Warren Rogers, who was with Kennedy when he was shot in a crowded hotel kitchen, wrote in 1993's "When I Think of Bobby," that no one knows what kind of president he would have been, but that he would have challenged Americans -- frightening some and encouraging millions. "Yet, we do know there would have been no continuation of the Vietnam debacle because he would have ended the war in March of 1969, as he pledged, saving 35,000 Americans from death, and no Watergate scandal because he and not Richard M. Nixon would have been in the White House in 1972, and there would have been much, much more progress on civil rights and tolerance of racial diversity in America. Surely, we would be living in a different and perhaps a better world." And that's what politics -- particularly American politics -- is supposed to be about: making things better for ordinary Americans. In the
months ahead as Republicans and Democrats defame each other in new and
nastier ways, let's keep our eyes on the ball and, like Bobby Kennedy,
think about what's best for the country, not just what's best for the
individual. Goodness knows, the country can use a little help in healing
its wounds. Maybe RFK's kind of pragmatic, political grace is just what
the doctor ordered.
To the editor:
I am extremely proud of my heritage and what our forefathers created ... our great nation. However, I am sorely disappointed by the denigration of one of our country's great symbols ... the Gadsden Flag. Thank you again.
Insulting article on unions To the editor: Your article in West of [5/30: Unions shouldn't be bogeymen for SC] was nothing but a simple history lesson and insulting to modern South Carolinians. The unions of old that sprang out of the early abuses of the industrial age have transformed into self-promoting organizations that are destructive to workers and business alike. The restrictive work rules, every increasing wages with no corresponding increase in productivity, abusive strong arm tactics, and more, is the reason so many honest and productive companies have been forced to flee areas were unions have been mandated. Union organizations are not inherently altruistic as you believe. In areas were the balance of power was shifted too far in the favor of unions, they have abused the power and destroyed business and therefore destroyed jobs. If you truly wish to help workers, figure out a way to help create jobs, encourage cooperation between workers and business, and give individuals protections not unions.
Keep up the good work To the editor: I just wanted to let you know that I'm really enjoying reading your articles in your Charleston Currents newsletter. You are one heck of a journalist!
Kaynard Photography grew from Michael's love of walking the streets of the Charleston's historic district. It developed into a passion for capturing everything Charleston through a camera lens. Kaynard can be seen walking the streets of Charleston many days from dawn to darkness. He calls his work "At Street Level". His photos are available for viewing and sale at kaynardphotography.webs.com.
If you
are planning a summer landscape project or other outdoor building project,
such as installing a new mailbox post, fence, deck, basketball goal or
sprinkler system, it is important to remember to call before you dig.
The 2012
South Carolina Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act requires that
diggers give three full working days notice (not including the day of
the call and excluding weekends and holidays) for the locators to get
out to mark the area. Failure to phone 8-1-1 prior to beginning an excavation
project can result in fines of up to $1,000. "By
calling 8-1-1, you can register your project so that SCE&G and other
utilities can send a representative out to mark the location of utility
lines so that you or your contractor can stay safe and easily avoid them
while working on your outdoor project, said Gus Chapman, SCE&G operations
manager. "Line marking is free of charge and is good for 15 working
days after it has been processed by SC811," he said. Once locators
mark the area, the new law says diggers must stay two feet away from the
lines on either side, rather than 30 inches, when using motorized digging
equipment. After a notice has been processed, diggers will know when they
are legally free to proceed with the digging work. Gas lines
are marked in yellow. Underground power lines are marked in red. Cable
TV and telephone companies mark in orange, water companies mark in blue
and sewer companies mark in green.
Magnolia to feature Civil
War cooking demonstration
Picnics
became a regular summertime activity at Magnolia beginning in the 1870s
after the Rev. John Grimke Drayton opened Magnolia and its gardens to
the public.
Play
with a surgical robot Up to 150
people can test their surgical skills June 23 by reserving a spot to control
Trident Health's da Vinci robot. Everyone
who attends the event by the hospital's Institute for Robotic Surgery
will be able to move the unit's arms, play with the instruments and experience
what surgeons see and feel when they use the robot to operate, according
to a press release. Individuals will have the opportunity to perform a
simulated one-minute surgery. Prizes will be given to the highest scorers,
with the grand prize winner receiving an iPad. A team of robotic surgeons
and medical staff will be on hand to answer questions and help guide you
through your simulated robotic surgery.
Juneteenth to be celebrated June 23 The 15th annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival in honor of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation will start 11 a.m. June 23 at the Jenkins Orphanage, 3923 Azalea Drive, North Charleston.
"We have all kind of activities for children and adults with free admission," said Ethel Taylor, the association's president. "Our festivals of past years have been very successful." South Carolina is the 28th of 42 states that have permanently adopted recognition of Juneteenth, which is formally recognized on June 19 of every year. On that date in 1865 in Galveston, Texas, a Union general read an based on the Emancipation Proclamation (Sept. 22, 1862) that proclaimed slaves to be free.
Roper Hospital wins top stroke award Roper Hospital's stroke team won the top award in the country for the second year in a row for exceeding quality measures set by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.
The "Get With The Guidelines Stoke Gold Plus Quality Achievement" award helps to ensure patients are treated and discharged appropriately with the proper medications and instructions for recovery, which improves patient outcomes, according to the hospital. To get the top award, a hospital must receive an 85 percent or higher adherence to all indicators for two or more consecutive years. Pictured at right are the American Heart Association's Maggie Bobo, from left, with the stroke team from Roper Hospital.
During the Civil War, the iron and textile industries operated to capacity, supplying war materials such as ammunition and uniforms. Although much of the machinery was worn-out by war's end due to overuse, the factories largely escaped destruction. As a result, many factory owners and managers were able to recover quickly from the Confederacy's defeat and find new opportunities in a changed economy. Northern investment, the end of slavery, and an increasing shift to cotton by small farmers all ensured that textile factories became the dominant industry for the remainder of the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth century. Key to the expansion of this industry was rail lines, which drastically reduced transportation costs and fostered town growth. By the early twentieth century, South Carolina was the second largest cotton-textile-producing state, and mill villages dotted the landscape of the Piedmont and upcountry. Although boosters championed the textile industry for bringing progress and jobs to South Carolina, the factories introduced some of the ambiguous effects of industrialization as well. Mill owners employed white labor, often women and children, to work sixty or more hours per week. Company towns controlled much of the workers' lives and wages remained low compared to factory workers in the North. No significant labor conflict occurred, however, until the Great Depression when management's increased demands on workers led to the General Textile Strike of 1934-up to that point the largest strike in American labor history. At the same time that the Great Depression brought hardship for mill owners and workers, it also contributed to a critical advance in South Carolina's industrial future. As part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal recovery program, the state General Assembly created the South Carolina Public Service Authority in 1934. Tasked with building dams along the Santee and Cooper Rivers for hydroelectric power, the South Carolina Public Service Authority became known as the Santee Cooper project. By 1942 Santee Cooper had constructed a hydroelectric plant at Pinopolis which would be essential in powering new industries both during and after World War II. World War II revived the struggling textile industry. War-time production demands led many mills to operate continuously using three shifts. Workers at the Charleston Navy Yard produced destroyers and naval weaponry. Employment at the yard skyrocketed from 6,000 in 1941 to 28,000 in 1943. The demand for workers at defense industries, combined with the loss of men to the armed forces, left farmers seriously shorthanded.
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What can you do with okra
On Charleston's flourishing tech community "We've gotten to a point where [the tech scene] is able to sustain itself, and we don't get the question of people who relocate to the area, 'What happens if I move here and lose my job?' We have senior executives now moving between the software companies, which is a really interesting dynamic to see. [It] validates for me that there is a really healthy, vibrant technology community. It's not just seeds in the ground that we're trying to get to sprout."
The right touch The finger and its
nail Silky black hair
licked A silvery black shine
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(NEW) Budget hearing: 5:30 p.m., June 12, County Council chambers, 4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston. County Council will hold a public hearing to discuss its proposed 2012-13 budget. YEScarolina finals:
6 p.m., June 13, College of Charleston Business School, 5 Liberty
St. The YESCarolina board of directors will host the annual Mark Motley
Statewide Business Plan Competition finals for youths who are working
with the organization to develop entrepreneurship skills. A reception
will follow. More
online. Free hats: Noon, June 14, Marion Square. The Hat Ladies are giving away free hats as part of the National Hat Day in the Sun which promotes wearing them for sun protection. More. www.hatladies.org. Shots with a Spin: 9 a.m. June 16, Citadel. MUSC's Physical Therapy Class of 2013 is hosting this wheelchair basketball tournament to raise money. More. Father's Day at the Aquarium: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 17, S.C. Aquarium, downtown. Dads get free admission on Father's Day and can check out the new Madagascar exhibit, albino alligator, the renovated saltmarsh aviary and more. Learn more online or by calling (843) 577-FISH (3474). Potluck dinner: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., June 17, Crosby's Dock, 2223 Folly Road, James Island. Slow Food Charleston will host a "bring-your-own-dish-to-share potluck dinner" to celebrate local food traditions and bring people together. There is no charge but, umm, bring a fresh, seasonal dish to share. More online. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON (NEW) Third Thursday: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., June 21, downtown Summerville. The monthly excursion will feature live performances on Hutchinson Square, an art walk and classical guitar music. The Vintage Actors Ensemble will offer a dramatic reading. Special deals at local restaurants and shops. More. Homegrown Concert: Aug. 17-18, Family Circle Magazine Stadium, Daniel Island. Hootie & The Blowfish will host the 10th annual HomeGrown Concert to raise back-to-school supplies for the Charleston County School District. Tickets ($31) are on sale at Ticketmaster outlets. More online. "Remembering
'Her' Time:"
Through Aug. 17, Avery Research Center, 125 Bull Street, College
of Charleston. This three-month exhibit of the art of Bernice Mitchell
Tate is a material culture, historic, fine craft, and art installation
exhibition honoring the collective spirit of female identity and African-American
womanhood. The exhibit serves as a personal tribute, a "herstory",
recognizing the life and times of Tate's mother, the late Veronica Robinson-Mitchell
of Sheldon, South Carolina. Furthermore, it is a celebration of Lowcountry
culture and authentic African-American Gullah-Geechee heritage. More info:
843-953-7609. Bird walks: 8:30 a.m. to noon, every Wednesday and Saturday. This is the time of year that a great variety of migrating birds fly through the Lowcountry so what better time to take part in one of the regular early morning bird walks at Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel. Pre-registration is suggested. Cost is $5. Learn more online. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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BOSTICK: 8/27: Second
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Raise
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The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring Charleston
Currents to you at no cost. Today we shine our spotlight on a brand new
underwriter: Kaynard Photography, a business run by contributing
photographer Michael Kaynard of West Ashley.
A
new South Carolina law went into effect June 7 that increases the notice
time property owners and professional excavators need to give to locators
before moving forward with outdoor digging projects. 
Presented
by the Lowcountry Juneteenth Association, the family cultural event will
offer music, fashion, art, storytellers, dance, poetry, jump castles,
African drummer, face painting and more. Also on hand will be fashion,
legal, medical and educational professionals to provide information about
their services. 
Fry
it.
