FOCUS, E. Brack: The mouth waters at Rodney Scott’s BBQ
COMMENTARY, Brack: How we pick lieutenant governors is going off the rails
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston International Airport
WHAT WE LOVE: Tell us about something you love
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
GOOD NEWS: Library, schools partner for summer reading
MYSTERY PHOTO: A mystery inside a mystery
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Carolina I-house
BROADUS: Peeking out
CALENDAR, May 14+: From an author discussion to farmers markets
FOCUSFOCUS, E. Brack: The mouth waters at Rodney Scott’s BBQ
Scott in his Charleston restaurant. Photo via RodneyScottsBBQ.com. Credit: Andrew Cebulka.
EDITOR’S NOTE: My father, longtime Georgia journalist Elliott Brack, recently wrote this ode to Rodney Scott’s barbecue before learning Scott had just won a prestigious James Beard Foundation award as best chef in the Southeast. Enjoy.
By Elliott Brack | The first thing that hits you when stepping into Rodney Scott’s Barbecue at 1011 King Street here is how very clean the place is. It pristinely sparkles and shines with neatness, everything in place, while the floor appears clean enough to eat on. It’s a far cry from most barbecue joints, often in rundown shacks with sawdust on the floor. Even his outdoor seating area, if you don’t mind the Charleston humidity, is clean and neat, with wood for the cooking in half-cord stacks of oak, pecan and hickory.
His headliner, the barbecue, itself is beautifully pulled, just as neat and clean itself, with no untidy pieces of scrap meat or fat, included. Sprinkle of Rodney’s various sauces, and start to salivate in anticipation!
Everything at Rodney Scott’s is simple and direct, from the menu to the counter. His menu also includes several vegetables including collards, and a mac and cheese. People rave about his cornbread. And each staff greets you easily with a smile and without an attitude.
You feel you have arrived at a home when you visit his barbecue palace. Then you must get down to business of figuring out what to eat among the smoke-fired whole-hog barbecue, or ribs, or chicken cooked over coals or perhaps you just want to have a southern-fried catfish dinner. Either way, you are at the right place, your palate will soon tell you.
Once you have eaten your meal here, you feel you have eaten the best in the area, maybe as good as it gets anywhere. It is a wonderful experience.
Many laud the Holy City of Charleston for its fine food, often upscale, and often many varied items of seafood from the Atlantic Ocean. But anyone who loves southern barbecue will happily find Rodney’s a place they can return to time and time again, knowing the quality and taste will be the same, and the satisfaction enormous.
Taking newcomers who appreciate barbecue to Rodney Scott’s will make them friends for life, often thanking you for pointing out this special place.
We talked to Rodney himself, 46, who grew up from age 11 around cooking whole-hog barbecue at his parents’ grocery store, know later for its food, in Hemingway, S.C. Early on, people started raving about the flavor and expertness the family put into its barbecuing. People would drive from miles around (Charleston was 90 miles away, but low-country barbecue lovers came), and so did the media. Rodney has been even written up in the New York Times. The other day, his picture was on the front of the food section of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.
Yet Rodney remains the genial person he has always been, making sure all is done right every single day, whether it’s having the right wood, the firing of the barbecue pit, the preparing of the food, and the care in taking care of his customers.
Elliott Brack, a veteran Georgia newspaperman, publishes GwinnettForum in Gwinnett County, Ga.
- To learn more, and perhaps to find your mouth watering seeing the various menu items, visit http://www.rodneyscottsbbq.com.
- Have a comment? Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com
BRACK: How we pick lieutenant governors is going off the rails
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | The new way South Carolina picks its lieutenant governor has gone off the rails.
For years, the governor and lieutenant governor campaigned for office separately, which occasionally led to the odd situation of different parties holding the offices, instead of the lieutenant governor being a junior governor and part of the governor’s team.
In the 2012 general election, 56 percent of voters approved a constitutional referendum to allow the lieutenant governor to be elected on the same ticket as the governor. More than five years later in March, legislators finally enacted legislation to make it happen.
The new law makes sense. If something ever happens to the governor – such as being named an ambassador or presidential cabinet secretary – then the governor-to-be automatically will be from the same party as the just-departed governor that the people elected.
More than likely, most folks who pay attention to this stuff probably assumed gubernatorial candidates would pick running mates after the primary election determined each party’s nominee. That’s how it works in federal politics as presidential candidates name running mates after primaries and generally at party conventions. With much hullaballoo.
In South Carolina, a different paradigm has emerged, even though candidates aren’t required to name running mates until August. The reality finds running mates being announced by some candidates before primaries as a way to appeal to a wider swath of voters. Incumbent GOP Gov. Henry McMaster, a longtime politico trying to survive in the Age of the Upstart, named his running mate, Upstate newcomer Pamela Evette, early so she could get to know voters and he could try to thwart a voter climate that distrusts insiders.
Then came Democratic candidate Marguerite Willis of Florence, a seasoned lawyer who named state Sen. John Scott, D-Richland, as her running mate. She got insider kudos for having a ticket of diversity – a white woman outsider balanced by a respected veteran black politician.
And now comes the two other Democrats seeing to be governor — Rep. James Smith of Columbia and Phil Noble of Charleston. Smith has picked Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell, a prominent Lancaster Democrat who practices law. Noble chose Grand Strand resident Gloria Tinubu, a two-time congressional candidate and former member of the Georgia legislature.
None of the other Republican candidates – Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant of Anderson, former Lt. Gov. Yancey McGill of Kingstree, Mount Pleasant lawyer Catherine Templeton or Greenville businessman John Warren – have announced a running mate.
But what the other four candidates have done is troubling because they’ve taken away their opportunity to pick a running mate from the very people who have been racing across the state talking with people before primaries – their gubernatorial challengers.
If Smith wins, for example, he can’t now pick Willis or Noble. The same goes for the other two. And if McMaster wins his primary, he now can’t keep Bryant, who is growing into his job as lieutenant governor.
Lawmakers privately say that when they changed the law, they envisioned a process like what happens in presidential contests – that the first big decision by the nominee would be to name a running mate. For Barack Obama, who picked former presidential aspirant Joe Biden, the choice worked out. For Sen. John McCain, who picked relatively unknown Gov. Sarah Palin, the choice didn’t work out at all.
Some now say what’s happened with lieutenant governor picks in South Carolina actually might be good because it provides transparency before the primary so voters can know that first big decision early.
But others worry it diverts voters’ attentions away from the gubernatorial candidate who will be the top elected official in the state.
“I’ve been robbed,” one political insider complained.
We agree and note that some people who are working really hard won’t be able to be a running mate because of the way things have played out. While the announced running mates all seem to be good folks, not having current candidates have the chance to be picked for the number two job could be a loss for South Carolina.
- Have a comment? Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com
SPOTLIGHT: Charleston International Airport
Today we shine a spotlight on Charleston International Airport, which provides a first impression of the Charleston metropolitan area to over 4 million passengers a year who visit for business and leisure activities. One of three public airports operated by the Charleston County Aviation Authority, Charleston International Airport is committed to providing an unparalleled passenger experience while continuing efforts to support economic development for the Lowcountry and State of South Carolina.
Eight airlines currently serve Charleston International Airport, which have jobs that create more than $200 million in income for workers in the region. Visiting passengers also spend about $450 million a year directly in area businesses, which sustains an estimated 6,000 jobs locally. The total economic impact of the Charleston International Airport is over $1 billion dollars to the Lowcountry and State of South Carolina.
- To learn more about Charleston International Airport, please visit com.
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WHAT WE LOVE: Tell us what you live about the Lowcountry
Tell us what you love. Send a short comment – 50 words to 100 words – that describes something you really enjoy about the Lowcountry. It can be big or small. It can be a place, a thing or something you see. It might the bakery where you get a morning croissant or a business or government entity doing a good job. We’ll highlight your entry in a coming issue of Charleston Currents. We look forward to hearing from you.
GOOD NEWS: Library, schools partner for summer reading program
Staff reports | Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) and Charleston County School District (CCSD) this summer are working together to help students and children read more than ever. A new joint initiative is part of the library’s annual Summer Reading programs, which provide incentives for reading during the summer months.
The programs for children, teens and adults run between June 1 and July 31 and feature hundreds of free events and fun prizes provided by our generous community sponsors. This summer for the first time, the school district and public library system have partnered to implement the programs. As part of the collaboration, every student has been automatically registered for the program that corresponds to their age. Students who choose to participate can begin logging their reading on June 1. It is as simple as this: Read. Log. Win.
“The school district and CCPL are determined to keep children engaged in reading through the summer. It only made sense for us to team up on our efforts in fighting the summer slide, which can diminish students’ literacy levels during their time away from the classroom,” said CCPL Executive Director Nicolle Davies. “By registering every student, we hope to remove any barriers that may exist and make it easier for them to participate.”
Studies show that students who don’t read during the summer will be less prepared when school resumes.
“Our district is extremely grateful for the energy and planning CCPL is putting into the Summer Reading Program,” said Cindy Ambrose, CCSD’s Deputy Superintendent of Learning Services. “Reading comprehension, as well as the joy of reading, is critical to the overall success of our students. I believe this partnership will benefit our children, and our families, immensely.”
Children: Kids ages 11 and younger earn prizes for reading or listening to stories. Rewards are distributed to kids who complete five, 15 and 30 hours of reading, and prizes include the S.C. Reading Medal, a RiverDogs game pass, vouchers for local attractions, and more. Click here to download the children’s Summer Reading program, which lists all of the fun events throughout the summer.
Teens: Students entering grades 6 to 12 win cool prizes for reading whatever they like. Teens are rewarded for reaching a reading goal through weekly prize drawings and branch grand prize drawings. Prizes include free food, passes to local attractions and gift cards.
Adults: Participants ages 18 and older are eligible for bi-monthly gift card prizes and a grand prize drawing.
In other Good News:
Best high schools. Charleston County School of the Arts was named the best high school in South Carolina in the new 2018 rankings by U.S. News and World Report. The annual survey said it was the only school in the state to win its gold medal. The school, which has a 97 percent graduation rate, ranked 292 in national rankings of more than 6,000 schools. Other top South Carolina high schools from the area:
- #2: Palmetto Scholars Academy, North Charleston
- #7: Wando High School, Mount Pleasant
- #20: Charleston Charter School for Math and Science.
It’s unclear why Academic Magnet High School, traditionally the top ranked school in the state, wasn’t ranked this year in the U.S. News survey.
New art festival. The popular Mount Pleasant shopping district will transform into an art-lover’s paradise May 26 to May 27 during the Charleston – Mount Pleasant Art Festival. In addition to local artists, 100 artists from across the nation are set to display works encompassing fine jewelry, works of art, and hand-crafted apparel and decor. The festival also includes a full craft market with handmade organic soaps, live plants, tasty edibles, affordable and practical artisan-created works and more. The free, two day artistic affair, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, will be at 1218 Belk Drive in Mount Pleasant. Offered by Howard Alan Events of Florida, it is online at artfestival.com.
Bill and Debi. WCSC Live 5 anchors Bill Sharpe and Debi Chard will become the first television anchors inducted into the Silver Circle as a team in the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony is set for Sept. 7 in Atlanta. Both have been with the station more than 40 years. Congrats!
Big grant. The Charleston Animal Society received a $10,000 grant for veterinary medical equipment from the Banfield Foundation. According to a release, the grant will “modernize the surgery department’s surgical table lighting and improve life on ‘the beach’ for post-surgery dogs and cats, where pets are taken to recover after receiving a spay or neuter. Banfield Foundation’s grant will also enable the purchase of warming beds—replacing the heated rice socks and blankets volunteers currently use to warm pets coming out of anesthesia.”
- Have a comment? Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
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MYSTERYMYSTERY PHOTO: A mystery inside a mystery
What better than a mystery photo that is already labelled “mystery?” What is this and where is it? Send your guess to editor@charlestoncurrents.com with “Mystery Photo” in the subject line. Please make sure to include your name and contact information.
Last issue’s mystery
In the May 7 Mystery Photo, we showcased an “extreme close-up” that turns out to be part of the marquee at the American Theater, which opened as Charleston’s premier theater in 1942. Located on King Street north of Marion Square, it is an event facility these days.
The theater isn’t a mystery to several readers who identified the close-up: George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Marnie Huger of Richmond, Va.; Paul Hedden, Archie Burkel and Freida McDuffie, all of James Island; Stephen Yetman of North Charleston; Chris Brooks of Mount Pleasant; Bud Ferillo of Columbia; and David Brown of Daniel Island.
Ferillo, a Charleston native, remembered, “I was there at the age of five by myself and paid a nickel to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
Graf reminded us that the theater recently completed a contest in which people were encouraged to take a photo in front of the theater for a free marquee message. Neat!
Send us a mystery: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send it along to editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIAHISTORY: Carolina I-house
Cohasett, a Carolina I-house in rural Hampton County.
S.C. Encyclopedia | The I-house is a relatively new architectural term. Fred Kniffen first coined it in 1936, when he used it “in the absence of any common term, either folk or architectural,” to describe the house type he identified initially in the “I” states of Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa.
More a description of a house form or shape than a distinct style, “I-house” was not a term used by eighteenth and nineteenth century architects and builders. The distinguishing characteristics are a full two-story height, a one-room depth, and a length of two or more rooms. The I-house conveys a tall, narrow appearance. It is constructed of wood, brick, stone, or log with its entrance on the long side.
Kniffen traced the origins of this house form evolving from the English, single room, end chimney house to full-blown examples in the Middle Atlantic region of Delaware and the Chesapeake by the late seventeenth century. It was carried southward as part of the great mid-eighteenth-century migration along the Appalachian Mountains into the backcountry of the Carolinas. From there it was carried into the Deep South and by way of the Ohio River into the Midwest.
The ubiquitous I-house had become the symbol of economic success in the rural landscape of South Carolina’s upcountry by the middle of the nineteenth century and remained so well into the early twentieth century.
The early I-house had two rooms on the ground floor. One room, the hall, functioned as the kitchen, workroom, or dining room; the other, the parlor, was used for more formal activities. By the nineteenth century and with increased attention to symmetry, a center hall containing the stairway was present in most floor plans. Examples in Carolina typically have three to five windows across the front on the second story; a chimney on either gable end; a front porch; a back porch, which is often enclosed as a lean-to; and/or a kitchen ell added to the rear.
As an occupant’s wealth increased, a simpler house form such as a single-story dogtrot could evolve into an I-house with the addition of a second story, conversion of the breezeway into the hall, and covering the whole with weatherboards. Its tall, shallow form with short spans was easy to construct, provided excellent ventilation through the main rooms, and presented an impressive public face to signal the economic status of the owner.
The architectural historian Michael Southern has argued that the durability of this form through time may in part be attributed to its adaptability to receive detailing and ornamentation from the various popular styles of the nineteenth century, such as the Federal, Greek- revival, Italianate, and even Gothic styles. While retaining a traditional floor plan, the occupants were able to dress up their homes outwardly to indicate that they were attuned to the latest architectural trends. Thus, the Carolina I-house established itself as the signature house form of the upland part of the state throughout the nineteenth century.
— Excerpted from an entry by John C. Larson. To read more about this or 2,000 other entries about South Carolina, check out The South Carolina Encyclopedia, published in 2006 by USC Press. (Information used by permission.)
BROADUSPeeking out
Here’s a tiny frog getting some shade inside a head of romaine lettuce growing in a Lowcountry garden.
Editor’s Note: “Broadus” is a Gullah-Geechee word from the Carolina and Georgia coast that means “something given as a bonus.”
ON THE CALENDARCALENDAR, May 14+: From an author discussion to farmers markets
A Frank discussion: Noon, May 15, Halls Signature Events, 5 Faber St., Charleston. Nationally-known and local author Dorothea Benton Frank will launch her new book, By Invitation Only, at a special talk and lunch as part of the Blue Bicycle Books author series. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $62, which includes lunch and a signed book. More.
Free skin check. Dermatologists and certified dermatological providers from Dermatology and Laser Center of Charleston will offer free skin cancer screenings for new patients on May 15. The screening will take place at the offices of Dermatology and Laser Center of Charleston 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 15 at 1364 Ashley River Road, West Ashley. Registration for the event is required and may be made by phoning 843-556-8886, visiting their website www.dermandlaser.com.
Camp for young asthma sufferers: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., May 19, Mary Ford Elementary School, 3180 Thomasina McPherson Blvd., North Charleston. Camp Breathe Easy is a one-day camp for children ages 6 to 13 who have been diagnosed with asthma. Parents are welcome too. It’s free, but registration is required. To apply, call the American Lung Association at 843.556.8451 or visit this website.
(NEW) Run Charlie Run 5K: 4 p.m., May 19. The Charleston RiverDogs will host its Run Charlie Run 5K road race that finishes at home plate. The race benefits the Campaign for the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. More: RileyParkEvents.com.
(NEW) Cybersecurity Summit: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 24, Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston. The S.C. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and S.C. Cyber will host this second annual event with lots of security experts, including ex-CIA chief Michael Hayden. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. for the day-long event. See the agenda. Cost: $75.
(NEW) Moonlight Mixer: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., May 25, Folly Beach Pier. Charleston County Parks resumes its popular event on select Friday nights to give folks the chance to dancer in the ocean breeze. Admission is $8 in advance or $10 at the gate. Other scheduled Moonlight Mixers are June 15, July 6, Aug. 17 and Sept. 14. More.
(NEW) Flags on display: Starting June 1, The Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St., Charleston. “Unfurled: Flags from the Collection of the Charleston Museum” will feature rarely shown flags from the early 19th century to the late 20th century with a variety of functions. More.
(NEW) Music Under the Oaks: 11 a.m. on June 2, July 7 and Aug. 4, Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, 1254 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant. On June 2, NIA Productions will feature African drumming and dance; On July 4, the show will feature singer Ann Caldwell while the Plantation Singers will perform Aug. 4. Bring sunscreen and insect repellant.
Early morning bird walks at Caw Caw: 8:30 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday, Caw Caw Interpretive Center, Ravenel. You can learn about habitats and birds, butterflies and other organisms in this two-hour session. Registration not required, but participants are to be 15 and up. $10 per person or free to Gold Pass holders. More: http://www.CharlestonCountyParks.com.
AREA FARMERS MARKETS
SATURDAYS: The Charleston Farmers Market, is back in action from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday through Nov. 24 at Marion Square. A holiday market will be open Dec. 1, 2, 8. 9, 15 and 16.
(NEW HOURS) SATURDAYS: Johns Island Farmers Market operates each Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. year-round with more than 50 local farmers and vendors, food trucks, music and more. The market is located on the campus of Charleston Collegiate School, 2024 Academy Road, Johns Island.
SATURDAYS: The Town Market on James Island are again open. Open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at the James Island Youth Soccer Club, 871 Fort Johnson Road, James Island.
TUESDAYS: The Town of Mount Pleasant’s Farmers Market is every Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the market pavilion at Moultrie Middle School, 645 Coleman Blvd, in Mount Pleasant.
WEDNESDAYS. The West Ashley Farmers Market, 55 Sycamore Ave., is open every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Ackerman Park. More.
- If you have an event to list on our calendar, please send it to editor@charlestoncurrents.com for consideration. The calendar is updated weekly on Mondays.
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Charleston Currents 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.
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Charleston Currents is provided to you weekly by:
- Editor and publisher: Andy Brack, 843.670.3996
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- Contributing editor, Palmetto Poem: Marjory Wentworth
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