GOOD NEWS: New Charleston Waterfront Pass debuts

Image provided by the S.C. Aquarium.

Staff reports  |  The South Carolina Aquarium, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, and the Charleston Water Taxi have announced a new, joint promotion: the Charleston Waterfront Pass. For the first time, the three organizations have partnered to create a special pass that is perfect for families and visitors who want to see two of the top Charleston-area attractions and enjoy a boat ride across the harbor.

Passholders can choose to begin their waterfront adventure at the aquarium or museum and then take in breathtaking views of the Charleston harbor while riding the water taxi to the other attraction. Visitors may show each attraction’s ticket staff their pass, and it will be redeemed for one standard admission ticket. Visits to each attraction are not required to take place on the same day, but must be used before the expiration date noted on the pass.

The Charleston Waterfront Pass is available exclusively through the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and can be purchased at its four staffed visitor centers:

• Downtown Charleston at 375 Meeting St.
• Kiawah Island at 4475 Betsy Kerrison Pkwy.
• Mount Pleasant at 99 Harry M. Hallman, Jr. Blvd.
• North Charleston at 4975-B Centre Pointe Dr.

The combined price of the pass allows visitors to save nearly $15 off the price of visiting each participating attraction on its own. Pricing for people 13 and over is $52.95 with lower prices for children.  More information:  Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum  |  S.C. Aquarium

Also in Good News:

Port continues to grow.  The South Carolina Ports Authority (SC)A) handled a record 2.2 million containers in the 2018 fiscal year, a 3 percent growth over the previous year, according to a  news release.  “SCPA had an ambitious growth plan for the 2018 fiscal year, and our progress across all business segments is a true accomplishment,” said SCPA president and CEO Jim Newsome. “Growth of 3 percent in FY2018 on the heels of 10 percent growth last fiscal year reflects broad-based expansion of the port’s cargo base as well as strong operational performance of our port. Our container volume growth is further driven by the upsizing of vessels, with 18 of SCPA’s 26 weekly container services utilizing neo-Panamax ships.”  SCPA handled 2.2 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) in FY2018, a peak in fiscal year container volume for the port. March through June marked the highest months of container volume in the Port’s history.

In Spanish.  Congratulations to the Charleston County Democratic Party that today is unveiling a new web page that shares its local candidates on a new Spanish language page:  Click here to see. Chair Brady Quirk-Garvan says the page, the party’s newest outreach tool, is offered because “we believe that voters should be able to be informed about the candidates running for office as well as upcoming meetings and events regardless of what language they speak.”

New music director.  Jazz impresario Charlton Singleton recently announced he’s stepping down after 10 years as music director and band leader of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra to focus on his career as a performer and educator.  He’ll continue with the CJO until its holiday concert on Dec. 1.  Stepping into his shoes will be longtime CJO musician, saxophonist and educator Robert Lewis, currently the director of jazz studies at the College of Charleston.  Thank you, Charlton.  Welcome, Robert!  More.

New crime lab.  The state’s top crime lab will get a complete overhaul after years of using 21st century technologies in a building built before DNA testing became a standard of law enforcement. Struggles to process evidence promptly have led to backlogs while local agencies wait for thousands of evidence reports, delaying trials, insurance claims and, ultimately, justice. According to a story by Statehouse Report correspondent Lindsay Street, state lawmakers last month approved a 2018-19 budget proviso that puts $54 million toward a new State Law Enforcement Division laboratory near its headquarters on Broad River Road in Columbia.  The one-time money was taken from unallocated money in a fund that is normally used to pay down state debt. The building is slated to open by Spring 2021.  More:  Statehouse Report.