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Issue
4.51 | Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 TODAY'S
FOCUS CURRENTS CHARLESTON
GREEN GOOD
NEWS HISTORY
ALSO INSIDE :: FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts :: SPOTLIGHT: SCIWAY :: BROADUS: What a sunset! :: CALENDAR: This week ... and next :: THE LIST: Best in the world :: QUOTE: Change is slow |
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OCT. 22, 2012 -- During tough economic times, funds for arts education in schools are often the first to be cut. After all, it's just the arts, no harm done...
Well, the trouble is that although many mistakenly believe that art is an excessive, isolated subject, it is critical that students are provided the opportunities to be creative. A study by the National Endowment for the Arts that followed socially and economically disadvantaged students from kindergarten into their early 20s shows that those students who actively participated in the arts tended to score better in science and writing, and were more likely to aspire to college. Early exposure to visual art, music or drama promotes activity in the brain. Children who are encouraged to participate in art activities gain the tools necessary for understanding the human experience and communicating thoughts and ideas in a variety of ways. Engagement in the arts nurtures the development of self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation and self-motivation as well as strengthens students problem solving and critical thinking skills which makes them better students, better employees and better citizens.
According to Charleston County Fine Arts Learning Specialist James Braureuther arts funding has been reduced in the past two years at the national and state levels. "Our own governor has been on a campaign to eliminate the South Carolina Arts Commission, a group that provides funding, resources, and leadership to the arts community across the state. During this same period of time the Charleston Fine Arts Dealers Association (CFADA) has continued to be one of the major supporters of our high school visual arts programs. In fact, CFADA has donated over $250,000 to visual art programs at local high schools since 2004." CFADA made investing in arts education its mission and priority. "Research shows that students have different ways and styles of learning. We need to teach students not in the ways that we teach best, but in the ways that they learn best. For "visual learners" learning in and through the visual arts is essential to helping them reach their full potential. If our students are truly going to be able to excel in a global market they will need to be more creative and innovative than their competition," continues Braunreuther. The arts naturally foster creativity and imagination and CFADA plays a major role in providing the necessary resources to equip our high school teachers and students to develop their artistic skills. With the donations provided by CFADA, art teachers at public high schools are able to provide all students, especially those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, with high-quality materials for creating art. On November 2, everyone will get a chance to support CFADA's mission when the organization kicks off its 14th Charleston Fine Art Annual Weekend.
OCT. 22, 2012 -- With Charleston having the same mayor for 37 years, the community has a big job to do in picking a new one.
But those things have nothing on what will soon start being a continuing topic of discussion in the world's best city: who will be elected in November 2015 to replace Joe Riley, who says he won't run again. Prediction: The list of candidates who will run will be mind-boggling. With the contest set to be non-partisan, it is likely that a lot of people with good political backgrounds will run, as well as folks who figure it is worth a shot, regardless of their background. It would not be surprising to find more than a dozen folks on the ballot.
Two names keep rising to the top when people talk about potential candidates: State Reps. Leon Stavrinakis, a West Ashley Democrat, and Chip Limehouse, a downtown Republican. Both have seniority in the Statehouse, but might be tired of the two-hour drive to Columbia every week from January to June. Staying home for a job that pays more than $100,000 a year might be more fun -- if they can slug it out with all of the other candidates. Of course, you can't forget current city council members as potential candidates. They, many will tell you, have a lot of experience with how the city is run on a day-to-day basis, which gives them a notch up in building continuity between the current and a future administration. Among those who might make a run of it are Keith Waring, Bill Moody, Mike Seekings and Aubry Alexander. Possible, but maybe less likely, are Kathleen Wilson and Dean Riegel. Whether William Dudley Gregorie will make a third consecutive bid for mayor is anybody's guess. Other possibilities are two former council members who now travel to Columbia: State Rep. Wendell Gilliard and Sen. Robert Ford, both Democrats. Although the black vote in Charleston has far less power than a few years ago because of its decrease in size, it is a powerful constituency if one candidate could get its broad support. Other potential candidates we're heard mentioned include former city hall aide David Agnew, who now works in the White House; Paul Tinkler or Paul Thurmond (whichever loses in the Senate race) and commercial Realtor John Tecklenburg.
HATS
OFF TO THE FOLKS at Holy
City Brewery. Its Pluff Mud Porter won the gold medal last week out
of 44 entries in the brown porter category at the 2012 Great American
Beer Festival in Boulder, Colo.
More than 250 medals were awarded overall by the festival, which is presented by the Brewers Association to the best commercial breweries in the country. There were 84 beer categories for 134 styles of beer. Some 49,000 people attended the festival where 666 breweries competed.
What's on your mind? Drop us a line and tell us what's on your mind or what's bothering you? Or send us other thoughts. We love getting input from you.
OCT. 22, 2012 -- So what does it mean financially that Charleston keeps winning awards as "best town" and the like?
So, what of the uneducated and under-educated population? Like much of the country, we are growing a wealthier class with many jobs, while our education system lags way behind. Our social service network has significant holes and literacy -- even with many people involved in helping others learn to read -- is at an abysmal level. When I look out at the next 10 years, I hope we see the leadership that helps Charleston be the 'best town' for all the residents here, and not just the visitors and well-educated.
With electioneering
reaching peak levels nationally, South Carolina's voters are among those
preparing to head to the polls on Nov. 6. From local school board to the
president, there are a lot of things on the ballot.
Again:
Voting will go on like it has before. Voters will be required, as usual,
to show some form of identification -- everything from a voter's registration
card to a recent bill to a driver's license -- but they are not required
to show a photo I.D. this year. "In
order to participate in our great democracy and have a say on what happens
to our families and communities, voters must understand voting rules,"
says Mount Pleasant resident Barbara Zia, co-president of the state League
of Women Voters. Here is
important voting information: First,
to vote in person, voters must show one of the identification forms that
voters have used for decades: a blue non-photo S.C. voter registration
card; or a valid driver's license or photo ID card issued by the S.C.
Department of Motor Vehicles. If you don't have your ID when you go to
vote, ask to vote a provisional ballot. If you
registered to vote by mail and didn't submit proof of identity with your
registration application, you'll need to show additional ID when you vote
for the first time. This ID may include a driver's license or current
utility bill, paycheck or bank statement that shows your name and address
in the county where you are registered.
Charleston
Promise Neighborhood wins two big grants Charleston
Promise Neighborhood, which seeks to transform a 5.6 mile area of
Charleston County known as "The Neck," has won two grants worth
$275,000 to support its education, health and community engagement work.
Halloween brings some frightening events Magnolia Plantation and Gardens will hold a Family Fright Night at 6 p.m. Oct. 27.
The Halloween event will feature games, prizes, a costume contest, haunted train rides, a critter corner, a magician and more for all ages to enjoy. Food and beverages will be sold. Advance tickets are $10 per person and $40 for a car of up to six souls. Tickets at the gate will be $10 per person or $40 for a car of up to five people. More: www.magnoliaplantation.com Also on tap:
Eastside
community's heritage celebrated this week Trident
Technical College's Palmer Campus this week will celebrate the heritage
of the Eastside community and the 50th anniversary of the former C.A.
Brown High School as part of Spirit Week. Highlighting the week will be
a Thursday parade and special presentation from the Preservation Society
of Charleston to the former C.A. Brown High School on the campus's Eastside
Day.
The other appellate court is the South Carolina Court of Appeals. This entity was established in 1983 to take some of the workload off the state supreme court. It consists of a chief judge and eight associate judges who are elected to staggered six-year terms by the General Assembly. The court usually decides cases in panels of three judges each, but it may meet collectively (en banc) to adjudicate extremely important matters. Since its
creation, the S.C. Court of Appeals has become the appellate court workhorse
in the state. It reviews about 2,500 cases each year, and issues full
opinions in about one-third of those disputes. Virtually any matter may
be appealed to the court from the trial courts, including many procedural
questions concerning the selection of jurors, the impartiality of judges,
and the competence of legal counsel provided to indigent defendants.
Circuit
courts are divided into two divisions, General Sessions for criminal cases,
and the Court of Common Pleas for civil litigation. South Carolina is
divided into sixteen judicial circuits consisting of between two and four
counties. Circuit court judges are elected by the General Assembly to
six-year terms. Each circuit has one or more resident judges, and the
remaining judges are subject to rotation among the other circuits depending
on workload demands. Two types of specialized courts complement the work of the circuit judges. The family court system consists of fifty-two judges who are elected by the General Assembly to six-year terms. There is one family court per judicial circuit. These are the sole forum for cases pertaining to marriage, divorce, separation, child custody, visitation, termination of parental rights, alimony, and name changes. They also have jurisdiction over juveniles who are charged with crimes, except for most traffic and hunting offenses. Probate
courts, in contrast, are organized differently. Instead of being arranged
by circuit and elected by the General Assembly, probate judges are popularly
elected within each county to four-year terms. Thus, there are forty-six
probate judges (equal to the number of counties), as well as a number
of associate probate judges who are appointed in populous counties to
help with the case burden. These courts resolve all cases involving wills,
estates, and trusts. Probate judges also supervise the estates of incapacitated
individuals and rule on involuntary commitments of citizens to various
forms of supervision (alcohol dependency, mental incapacity). The final two judicial bodies in South Carolina are called limited jurisdiction courts due to the relatively insignificant nature of the cases they resolve. Magistrate courts exercise jurisdiction over criminal offenses involving penalties or fines not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment of thirty days or less. Their civil jurisdiction extends to cases involving up to $7,500. As the most numerous courts in the state, there are more than three hundred magistrates. Magistrates
are appointed by the governor on the advice and consent of the state Senate
and they need not be attorneys. Magistrates collectively resolve nearly
one million cases per year, about fifty percent of which relate to traffic
offenses and twenty-five percent civil disputes. Much of their business
is resolved simply by bond forfeitures, in that citizens charged with
minor offenses (traffic infractions, leash law violations) often pay their
fines without appearing in court. Because they play such important roles
in the judicial system-hearing so many disputes, and also holding pretrial
and preliminary hearings in cases involving individuals charged with serious
offenses-magistrates have increasingly been required to obtain specialized
training. Recent changes in state law have also added educational qualifications.
By 2005, persons lacking a college degree will be ineligible for an appointment
as magistrate. A comparable judicial organization exists in the approximately two hundred locations in which municipal courts have been created by the local governing bodies. Judges in these courts have no civil jurisdiction, and are solely intended to hear violations of state statutes and municipal ordinances subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding thirty days.
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In great company
"The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."
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Free notary public training: 6 p.m., Oct. 22, Building 920 Campus Center, Trident Technical College, 7000 Rivers Ave., North Charleston. The Secretary of State's office will offer a free regional seminar for anyone interested in being a notary. This seminar will address state laws governing the duties and responsibilities of notaries. The unauthorized practice of law will also be addressed in a joint session with a representative from the South Carolina Bar. To register in advance, contact Renee Daggerhart online. Benefit concert: 6 p.m., Oct. 23, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, 90 Hasell Street, Charleston. The Charleston Academy of Music will showcase its young stars with music by Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky and Lalo. Performing will be the unique Kidzsymphony Orchestra as well as pianist Micah McLaurin and violinists Rachael Dawson, Shannon Fitzhenry and Ashley Yoon. More. Italian Chiavari Day: 4:30 p.m., Oct. 25, Physicians Auditorium area, College of Charleston. The college will host this day of cultural celebration of the northern Italian Riviera with vintage cars, a performance by Grammy award-winning percussionist Glen Velez and clarinetist Nina Stern, food by Italian chefs and a couple of art workshops. The event is free. (NEW) Jazz on the Stage: 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Oct. 27, Charleston Music Hall, 37 John Street. The Charleston Jazz Orchestra will present two shows featuring world premiere arrangements of classic jazz standards from it musicals. It's the group's final performance of its fourth season. Tickets: $30 to $40. More. Fiber artist exhibit: Open daily Tuesday through Sunday through Oct. 28, City Gallery at Waterfront Park, Charleston. Curator Cookie Washington has curated "Mermaids and Merwomen in Black Folklore: A Fiber Arts Exhibition." It features the works of more than 50 of the country's premiere African-American fiber artists including internationally-known artists Donna Chambers, Marion Coleman, Arianne King Comer, Michael Cummings, Dr. Deborah Grayson, Dr. Kim Hall and Patricia Montgomery. CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON (NEW)
Education debate: 5 p.m., Oct. 31, Physicians Memorial
Auditorium, College of Charleston. Students who are teaching fellows will
moderate a panel discussion for candidates running for school board seats
in West Ashley, downtown and North Charleston. Submit
questions before the forum here. (NEW) 8th annual Fur Ball: 6:30 p.m., Nov. 2, Charleston Marriott, 170 Lockwood Blvd. Get on your Gatsby glamour and Flapper fab at this annual fundraiser for Pethelpers that features dinner, dancing, and live and silent auctions. Learn more online. Art on Paper Fair: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 3, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 4, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston. The museum has partnered with the Charleston Fine Art Dealers Association to offer the first Art on Paper Fair as part of the association's Fine Arts Weekend. On sale will be prints, pastels, watercolors, photos and drawing. More. (NEW) Harvest Festival: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 3, Mullet Hall Equestrian Center, 2662 Mullet Hall Road, Johns Island. Families can celebrate the season's harvest at this 11th annual event that features a barbecue cook-off by local restaurants and live bluegrass music by local bands. Kids 12 and under are free to enjoy hay rides, pumpkin decorating, lasso demonstrations and more. Online. Golden Nugget Paddle 'n Party: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Nov. 4, Lighthouse on Shem Creek. The Mount Pleasant Land Conservancy will celebrate the natural beauty of Shem Creek during this benefit that will include paddleboard races, good, local beer and live music. Tickets are $25 in advance. More. Fun run and walk: 6:30 p.m., Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, James Island County Park. You can be the first to see the 600+ light displays at the Holiday Festival of Lights during a fun run and walk that will happen twice on successive days. To guarantee a spot, register online and learn more at: www.ccprc.com/funrun Garden workshop: Nov. 10, Cypress Gardens. Clemson Extension and Cypress Gardens will team for a one-day garden-based workshop with several classes and a wreath-making session with Amanda McNulty of "Making It Grow." Cost: $60. Pre-registration is required and ends Nov. 5. Register online. (NEW) Lowcountry Hoedown: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Nov. 10, Charleston Bus Shed, 375 Meeting St., Charleston. This inaugural benefit for Lowcountry Local First will provide guests with moonshine and bourbon cocktails, barbecue and funky bluegrass bands. Tickets: $50 advance. More. 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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12/24: Abrams:
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BOSTICK: 12/17: Charleston
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Looking
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TravelOrMove site More Andy Brack in the archives ANN
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You
may be worn out by all of the yaa-yaaing from the presidential contest
that occurs (thankfully) in two weeks. And you may be tired of seeing
Christmas decorations in some stores before Halloween has even occurred.
At
present, most of the serious potential candidates and their supporters
are quietly talking, assessing the opportunity and trying to figure out
whether they should run. In about a year, most folks will start raising
money and the field will start to shake out. Two years from now, we'll
have a pretty good idea of the top contenders based on money that has
been raised and the professionalism of campaigns.
The
brewery says its porter, which was its second flagship beer, "presents
(and smells) like a classic porter, with subtle chocolate notes and a
silky finish, but the medium body and tame ABV (alcohol by volume) keep
it refreshing at all times."
We
got a number of kind notes from people who enjoyed last week's column
by Andy Brack that remembered the vibrant life of Peatsy Hollings. 
Certainly
if you are in the hospitality business, you have a steady stream of workers,
happy to get into the business. If you have a technical skill, Boeing's
presence has set up an incredible supply stream, and is expected to provide
north of 100,000 jobs in the coming years. 
And
with a lot of rhetoric over the last year about whether people with photo
identification can vote, the League of Women Voters is trumpeting a timely
announcement that nothing has changed this year for voters at the polls.
School
leadership performance. Boeing has provided a $200,000 grant to
boost school leadership performance and improve teacher quality at four
schools in the target area: Mary Ford Elementary, Chicora School of
Communications, James Simons Elementary and Sanders-Clyde Creative Arts
School.
"Heart
beats will return to normal at 10 p.m. each night when the gates are locked
and the goblins are put away," according to a news release. 
Among
the activities planned for the week:
The
remaining courts in the state are all trial courts. The most important
are the circuit courts, which are the trial courts of general jurisdiction.
They hear all civil cases exceeding $7,500 in value, and criminal cases
in which the possible penalties are greater than $1,000 or thirty days
in jail. Consequently, anyone accused of a serious crime, or suing another
person for a significant amount of damages, will appear before a circuit
court judge. Most proceedings in circuit courts are decided by juries.
