President Obama on March 10 nominated Charleston native and resident Kathryn “Kit” Matthew to be director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the federal agency that supports the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums to advance lifelong learning and promote cultural and civic engagement.
IN THIS EDITION | APRIL 28, 2015 | Number 7.25 BRACK: Trip to Paris enthralls, inspires and enchants IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Morris Financial Concepts, Inc. GOOD NEWS: Lowcountry Giving Day is May 5, more FEEDBACK: Send your letters CALENDAR: April 28+ — Swedish ship, street party REVIEW: The Martian PHOTO ESSAY: Monet’s gardens S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Redcliffe COMMENTARY Trip to Paris […]
By Andy Brack | For all of last week, my wife and I walked and walked along the streets of Paris, thrilling one day to an especially wonderful museum and basking on another in the colored light of centuries-old stained glass in a church older than our country.
This surprise anniversary trip recharged our batteries and gave us a chance to enjoy each other’s company over fine meals, casual lunches and a country bike ride to explore Monet’s gardens. Yes, we missed children, dogs and Charleston, but it was refreshing to be away too.
We’ll let the pictures below highlight some of our journey. But we also offer some insights to help those who may travel to France … and perhaps inspire others to take a trip to a place where the language and different culture offer pleasant but daily surprises.
Dozens of charities around town are looking forward to Lowcountry Giving Day on May 5, a day in which nonprofits in local communities join to try to raise as much money as possible in 24 hours as part of a national challenge across the country.
Last year, 7,166 people gave more than $4 million to 93 participating nonprofits in a 24-hour period, according to the Coastal Community Foundation, which coordinates and host the event. This year, more than 180 nonprofit organizations are participating.
For the next week, some cool things: A Swedish tall ship in town; a great Gibbes street party, more.
Constructed between 1857 and 1859, Redcliffe was the homeplace of South Carolina Governor James Henry Hammond and three generations of his descendants. Located in western Aiken County near Beech Island, Redcliffe served as an architectural and horticultural showplace, as well as the center of domestic life for the Hammond family. By 1860 it functioned primarily as a headquarters for Hammond’s extensive cotton plantations, which were sustained by more than three hundred slaves.
The Martian: A novel by Andy Weir. Mark Watney is pretty much the perfect man: a problem-solver with a wry sense of humor, he thinks on his feet and is cool under pressure. Unfortunately, he’s an astronaut stranded on Mars and left for dead with literally the entire Universe working against him. Fortunately, he’s Spaceman MacGyver and can build a new spaceship out of canvas, duct tape and potatoes. Ok, I exaggerate, but not by much.
You might not believe the bountiful color found in gardens open at the Giverny, France, home where Impressionist Claude Monet painted many of his most famous paintings.
This tulip, flanked by tiny violet forget-me-nots, is just one of hundreds of flowering species at the gardens, about 50 kilometers northwest of Paris. Click on this link to see other photos taken April 21 in Monet’s gardens. Photos by Andy Brack.
Student Painters gives college students the tools and training to successfully run a painting business during the spring and summer. Students get this position through a series of interviews with the hopes of becoming a branch manager, each of whom are responsible for the marketing, sales, hiring and production of their own business.
The company offers a variety of services, focusing mainly on exterior painting, pressure washing and deck staining.
Although this experience looks good on a resume and can be financially rewarding, those are not the only two reasons that we decided to embark on this once in a lifetime journey.
By Andy Brack | North Charleston, the state’s third largest city, has never been an easy place in which to live. With large pockets of poverty and schools that face inner-city conflicts not found in suburbs, daily life — even today — can be a struggle.
Back in the late 1980s as a police reporter, I headed to North Charleston often to find out what was happening. The police culture was insular, tough and tight-lipped. There was a particular way of doing things in North Charleston and often, it seemed, it involved knocking heads.
In 2006 and 2007, a total of 54 people were murdered or killed in North Charleston, which led to the city being named one of the nation’s most dangerous.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina! (2019) by editor and publisher Andy Brack offers incisive commentaries on the American South, politics, the common good and interesting South Carolina leaders. Available exclusively for Kindle for $7.99. A paperback version will be ready soon. Learn more.
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