GOOD NEWS:  Great sunset plus accolades for restaurants, groundskeeper, more

Charleston sunset, by Missy Hanahan.

Staff reports  |  Here’s one of the best Lowcountry sunset photos we’ve seen in a while.  Taken last week by Missy Hanahan of Charleston, it’s hard to tell whether the sky or reflection is at the top of the picture of a still pond near Ashley River Road.  (Answer: Sky is at the top.)  Thanks, Missy, for the photo.

Also in Good News:

Bertha’s, The Grocery:  Hats off to these two Charleston area eateries for making Eater’s annual list of America’s Essential Restaurants.  They’re two of 38 restaurants across the U.S. that made the list.  On Bertha’s in North Charleston, the site noted, “Albertha Grant founded the restaurant in the early 1980s, and many of her specialties — meaty okra stew, tomato-stained red rice, creamy lima beans, and turkey prioleau (a sustaining rice dish available only on Tuesdays) — originate from the culinary traditions of the Gullah, former slaves who established themselves in Lowcountry hamlets and the nearby islands.”  On The Grocery, Eater says, “he Grocery has steadily bloomed into one of the city’s most remarkable and welcoming restaurants. This is the circa-right-now modern American menu, Lowcountry edition: delicata squash with pomegranate and herbed tahini-yogurt sauce; smoked mackerel flanked by crackers with everything-bagel seasoning; triggerfish over cornbread puree, bacon, and pickled mushrooms.”

Williams

RiverDogs’ winner.  Congratulations to Mike Williams, head groundskeeper for the Charleston RiverDogs, who has been named the Sports Turf Manager of the Year for Single A minor league baseball. Williams, a professional groundskeeper since 1993, has worked for the Charleston RiverDogs since 2006. Accolades include ‘1994 Eastern League Groundskeeper of the Year,’ ‘1994-95 Beam Clay Professional Field of the Year’ and ‘South Atlantic League Sports Turf Manager of the Year’ (2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2017). The RiverDogs’ playing surface, Riley Park, has been named ‘South Atlantic League Best Playing Field of the Year’ each year Williams was honored as ‘Sports Turf Manager of the Year.’

Textile artists wanted.  The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is seeking entries from African American textile artists from across the nation for a special exhibition presented as a component of the 2018 North Charleston Arts Fest, which will take place May 2 to May 6.  African American artists, ages 18 and up, living in the United States and working in the medium of fiber are invited to participate in the 12th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, titled I’m NOT Every Woman, I’m a PHENOMENAL Woman!  A $30 entry fee applies and allows artists to submit up to four entries. A maximum of two entries per artist may be selected. The application is available online here. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2018.

Ink Meets Paper, a pop-up market: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nov. 25, 4411 Spruill Ave., North Charleston. As part of the nationwide Small Business Saturday campaign, Itinerant Literate Books (Charleston’s mobile bookstore) and INK MEETS PAPER, a local letterpress greeting card business, will host a local maker’s pop-up market for holiday shopping. There will be lots of cool vendors.  Learn more.

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