IN THIS ISSUE of Charleston Currents #10.48 | Oct. 8, 2018
FOCUS: Two harvest festivals set for coming weeks
COMMENTARY, Brack: Doing the right thing for South Carolina
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Titan Termite & Pest Control
MY TURN, Saul: Reject president’s course of not loving thy neighbor
GOOD NEWS: College of Charleston to host discussion on political civility
FEEDBACK: Send us your comments … share your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Big, scary bird
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Gov. Paul Hamilton
CALENDAR: Time again for That Big Book Sale!
FOCUS: Two local harvest festivals set for coming weeks
Photo courtesy of the City of North Charleston.
Staff reports | You know that Halloween is around the corner with the approach of local harvest festivals. Two are on the way — North Charleston’s on Oct. 20, followed by a similar event Nov. 3 by Charleston County Parks at the Johns Island County Park.
North Charleston event set for Oct. 20
North Charleston’s 6th annual Harvest Festival will feature live musical performances, an artist market, costume contests, trick-or-treat on the street, a pop-up pumpkin patch, children’s activities, and more. The fall festivities will take place in the Olde Village of North Charleston, located on East Montague Avenue near Park Circle, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 20. Admission and parking are free. East Montague Avenue will close to vehicular traffic from Jenkins Avenue to Virginia Avenue at 2 p.m. and remain closed for the duration of the event.
The celebration includes live music by ultimate 80s rock band The Spazmatics and singer-songwriter Lindsay Holler. The Kid’s Zone offers a craft activity led by the City’s artist-in-residence Quintin Chaplin, carnival games, face painting, drumming with RBM African Drum and Dance, interactive bubble and hula hoop play with Good Clean Fun, and a variety of inflatables. An artist market featuring local artists, crafters, and makers will line two blocks of East Montague Avenue, along with a few festive treat vendors. In addition, many of the restaurants in the Olde Village will offer food and drink specials.
Other highlights include trick-or-treating on the street with free treat bags for kids age 12 and under; a pop-up pumpkin patch with on-site decorating stations; a mechanical bull, a fall-themed photo op, and costume contests with prizes for children, adults and pets. For information on additional programs and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.
County’s Nov. 3 event offers bluegrass and barbecue
Charleston County Parks will host a traditional Southern fall shindig with its 17th annual Harvest Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 3 at Johns Island County Park.
The Harvest Festival is perhaps known best for its foot-stompin’ showcase of Charleston’s own bluegrass talent. Performing throughout the day will be five bluegrass bands. This year’s lineup will feature entertainment from local performers Roger Bellow and the Drifting Troubadours, Marshgrass Mamas, Gravel Road, Yee Haw Junction and River Boy.
No Harvest Festival is complete without a feast! Plenty of food will be available for purchase, including Southern barbecue, roasted and boiled peanuts, kettle korn and traditional favorite festival fare, plus cold beverages. After feasting and dancing, festival-goers are invited to stop by the festival crafters’ market to get a jump on holiday shopping.
Families will find plenty to keep the kids occupied including hay rides, a stick pony corral, pumpkin decorating, penny diving and more. This year’s Harvest Festival will also feature a youth Archery Turkey Day Shoot! Turkeys will not be harmed in this competition, but the winning archer will take home a frozen turkey. The showdown is open to ages 8-17, and turkeys will be awarded to the male and female competitor with the highest score. Interested competitors can sign up at the event. Or, ages 8-17 can also just try out archery between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the event without competing. All activities are free with the festival admission fee.
Admission is $8 per person. Kids 12 and under and Gold Pass holders are admitted free. Food and beverages available for additional fees. For more information, call 843-795-4386, visit CharlestonCountyParks.com.
- Have a comment? Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com
BRACK: Doing the right thing for South Carolina
Commentary by Andy Brack, editor and publisher | With statewide elections a month away, let’s think seriously about leadership.
What kind of leaders do we want in the Palmetto State? Do we want leaders who will continue to do what they’ve been doing for years? If so, how’s that working out? South Carolina continues to be at the wrong end of too many lists.
Or do we want leaders with vision who will take chances and try new things — leaders who will work collaboratively to develop policies and strategies that will, ahem, make South Carolina great?
Two men from the trenches of state government who have written books on leadership have lessons for those who want to make a difference.
Jason Kander, who narrowly lost a U.S. Senate race in MIssouri in 2016, is a former secretary of state who served in Afghanistan as an intelligence officer. Earlier this month, Kander bowed out of a bid for Kansas City mayor to deal with post-traumatic stress syndrome.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that this generation is selfish,” he wrote in November 2016. “This is a generation that cares more about ideas than ideology and measures patriotism not by a politician’s eagerness to go to war but by their willingness to do what’s right no matter the political cost.”
In a recent podcast with CBS News, Kander described how he thought most people got into politics to make a change in the world. To be successful, they have to focus on the change, not get caught up in politics of the system, as he explained in his book, Outside the Wire: 10 Lessons I’ve Learned in Everyday Courage.
“The secret to adulthood is that 99 percent of the time when we’re facing a so-called really hard decision, the truth is we’re just trying to decide whether to do the right thing,” Kander said. “And when you recognize that, you realize just do the right thing and have enough game – be good enough at this – to defend that decision.”
Gunn
But the system can reshape elected officials and make them forget why they ran in the first place, as former S.C. Rep. Anton Gunn knows.
Gunn, now an executive at MUSC in Charleston, represented Kershaw and Richland counties before he left to work on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and, later, as a top administration official in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This week, Gunn recalled how he became frustrated when good ideas got shot down for political reasons or because he was a freshman, a Democrat or black.
“I only stayed in the legislature two years because I didn’t feel like there was enough service happening,” he said, defining service as working to improve everyone’s lives and helping people’s dreams come true. “There were a lot of things happening, some of them good and many of them bad, but there wasn’t enough service.”
State lawmakers should realize they represent more than their district, he said. They make decisions for the whole state.
“The political expediency of focusing on right now is what has most of America paralyzed,” said Gunn, author of the new book, The Presidential Principles: How to Inspire Action and Create Lasting Impact. “We love to do what’s easy instead of doing what’s hard.”
Real leaders, he said, focus on the long term, such as how the late Gov. Carroll Campbell prioritized economic development that led to the state’s currently strong automotive culture. Or how former Gov. Jim Hodges prioritized early childhood education to help children get a leg up on the world.
“Every lawmaker should get together and think about 30 years from now and how they won’t be in the legislature and how do you focus on making a decision today that will ensure that South Carolina is much better 30 years from now than it could ever today….
“It ain’t rocket science. There’s nothing new under the sun. The question is do you have the intestinal fortitude or the altruism to believe that I should do more for my brother or sister. How do we close the gaps?”
Courage. Intestinal fortitude. It’s all the same — being willing to put the job on the line to make a difference. That’s what South Carolina needs now.
- Have a comment? Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com
SPOTLIGHT: Titan Termite & Pest Control
Titan Termite & Pest Control, headquartered in Charleston, is a full service residential, commercial and industrial pest control company serving South Carolina. It is a third-generation, family-owned company known for outstanding customer service. Each associate is dedicated to the customer and exhibits integrity and respect. Titan’s pest professionals can assist your commercial or residential location with general pest control, termite inspections, termite control, flea control, bed bug extermination, ant control and more. Titan Termite and Pest Control continues to set high standards so that its customers receive the best possible service. Titan’s technicians are knowledgeable of the latest in pest control techniques, which enables the company to customize effective treatment plans for every situation.
- Free estimate: 888-794-5603.
- Contact Titan online.
MY TURN, Saul: Reject president’s course of not loving thy neighbor
By Dr. Robert A. Saul, special to Charleston Currents | “Love thy neighbor.”
This quote from Matthew 22:39 is explicit in its instruction. After the primary commandment to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” the second commandment states “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
This is quite clear yet I do not see anything close to adherence to this commandment from our current president who touts himself as a true believer and carrier of the Christian evangelical torch. Love thy neighbor obviously means certain things to certain people as it is perverted to less than noble purposes.
But I know what it doesn’t mean:
Fear thy neighbor. The scripture is clear. The constant fear-mongering tactics that are used to label people that are different than us are not consistent with a loving-thy-neighbor philosophy. When a broad brush is used to label a group of people or a race of people as rapists or murderers, that is exactly the opposite of what the scripture intends. We all know that evil occurs and we must be careful of certain people. But that doesn’t mean that we should be applying labels to a whole group of people by asking others to fear them.
Ridicule thy neighbor. Using demeaning terms to belittle others is not proper conduct and certainly beneath the dignity of the presidency. Mocking disabled individuals, calling people “low IQ, crooked or lyin’” or using ethnic slurs to describe political opponents runs counter to the instruction to love thy neighbor. How can we condone such behavior when we would not accept such behavior in our children? It is OK (and actually proper) to address aberrant behavior as wrong even for members of one’s own political party.
Disrespect thy neighbor. Folks who have come before you in public service and served honorably should be respected. Previous public servants, even from the other side of the aisle, should be honored and thanked for their service. Public servants, including military members who have returned from their tour of duty or suffered imprisonment with the enemy or died in the line of service, deserve our undying devotion. Being disrespectful is totally unacceptable.
Lie to thy neighbor. One should never lie to anyone. Not being truthful is wrong. When one lies often, we can never trust anything they say. Truth is not a single fact. Truth is an accumulation of facts. These facts are the bricks that are laid together to build a house. If the bricks crumble because they are not solid, the house will fall. Only by following the way of the truth can integrity be demonstrated and persist going forward.
Falsely accuse thy neighbor. One should only accuse one’s neighbor of a misdeed when there is substantial evidence to that effect. To accuse someone of a misdeed just to deflect attention away from oneself is as bad as committing the misdeed oneself. To accuse someone of not being born in the United States without any shred of evidence is xenophobic (exhibiting hatred for foreigners). Accusing a group of young men of rape in Central Park without any shred of evidence is racist.
Be uncivil to thy neighbor. Loving your neighbor means being able to listen respectfully to one’s neighbor and being able to respond without mockery. These are the hallmarks of civil discourse and define true love for your neighbor.
Blame thy neighbor. At times of natural disasters (like Hurricane Maria in 2017 or Hurricane Florence in 2018), neighbors take care of each other—and those in higher positions do not assign blame for problem.
Love for thy neighbor is really tough for all of us, if we are honest with ourselves. Yet total disregard for this holy instruction makes a mockery of the office of President and tears at the moral fabric of the country when it is allowed to continue and accepted as the new norm. I reject this current course.
Dr. Robert A. Saul is a Greenville pediatrician and the author of “My Children’s Children: Raising Young Citizens in the Age of Columbine” and “All About Children.” In 2015, he offered this Statehouse Report commentary on the toxic effect of poverty.
College of Charleston to host discussion on political civility
Staff reports | The College of Charleston will host a political discussion entitled The Great Divide: Political Civility Past and Present at 6 p.m. Oct. 9 in the Sottile Theatre.
Political veterans from across the Carolinas will share stories of controversy and collaboration in policymaking as well as their experiences in working across the aisle for the good of the country. The discussion will allow for reflection on how politics has changed over time, from an era of cooperation to an era of conflict.
The panel will feature former S.C. Gov. James Hodges, former N.C. Gov. James Martin, former S.C. Congressmen Tommy Hartnett and John Napier, and former College of Charleston President Alex Sanders.
A joint effort of the College of Charleston’s Office of the Provost and the Bully Pulpit Series, this event is part of non-partisan programming that encourages and facilitates civic participation throughout the campus community by providing a platform for dialogue with our nation’s leaders.
The program is free and open to the public.
In other Good News:
SEWE’s new featured artist. Lou Pasqua has been named the 2019 event’s Featured Artist. His painting, Little Havoc, has been selected as the Featured Painting and subject of the official SEWE 2019 poster.
An avid sportsman, Lou Pasqua’s lifelong passion for the outdoors and wildlife translates to his artwork. Coupled with his twenty plus years in the graphic design industry, his ability to capture emotion and movement has made him one of the most sought-after sporting and wildlife artists in the country. Residing in Etna, Pennsylvania, Pasqua’s work can be found in collections and galleries across the nation, as well as on the covers of numerous publications.
“I feel privileged to be selected as Featured Artist for the 2019 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition,” said Pasqua. “To be chosen as the Featured Artist among so many talented individuals confirms to me that people appreciate my efforts and the body of work I have created. This recognition is encouragement to keep painting and improving.”
Little Havoc depicts a Boykin Spaniel and gives the viewer a front row seat to the thrill of flushing a covey of quail.
“At its core, SEWE desires to present the finest wildlife art available. With that in mind, Lou Pasqua was an obvious choice for the 2019 Featured Artist. Lou’s sporting paintings are unmatched, and it is a privilege to showcase his work,” says SEWE Art Curator Natalie Henderson.
What women want. Sister publication correspondent Lindsey Street wrote a compelling piece about what women want from society in this look at four leaders in the public sphere. In light of how the nation roiled during the recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings, you might find it interesting.
Send us your thoughts or what you love
We’d love to get your impact in one or more ways:
Send us a letter: We love hearing from readers. Comments are limited to 250 words or less. Please include your name and contact information. Send your letters to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com. | Read our feedback policy.
Tell us what you love about the Lowcountry. Send a short comment – 100 words to 150 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.
MYSTERY PHOTO: Big, scary bird?
This might not be a good bird to encounter at any time. But what — and where — is it? Hint: It’s in South Carolina, not not a leisurely drive from Charleston. Send your guess to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.
Our previous Mystery Photo
Our Oct. 1 mystery proved to be tough. It wasn’t the tops of buildings along Colonial Lake or the Battery in Charleston. But it did show the top of buildings along King Street at the corner of Society Street. (The photo at the right is the uncropped version that shows more of the street.)
Hats off to three keen sleuths: MIchael T. Cooper of Charleston; Marnie Huger of Richmond, Va.; and George Graf of Palmyra, Va.
- 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.
HISTORY: Gov. Paul Hamilton
S.C. Encyclopedia | Paul Hamilton was born in St. Paul’s Parish on October 16, 1762, the son of Archibald Hamilton and Rebecca Branford. He received instruction from a private tutor in Charleston until 1778, when he left the city to join a local militia company. During the Revolutionary War, Hamilton served in militia units commanded by Francis Marion and William Harden. He participated in several significant actions, including the siege of Savannah (1779), the Battle of Camden (1780), and the capture of Fort Balfour (1781). After the war Hamilton took up planting rice and indigo in St. Paul’s and St. Bartholomew’s Parishes. By 1788 he owned at least thirty-eight slaves and 1,602 acres of land. On October 10, 1782, he married Mary Wilkinson, and the couple eventually had at least six children.
Hamilton
Well positioned by his military service and family connections, Hamilton turned to politics in the postwar years. He served one term in the General Assembly as a representative from St. Paul’s Parish from 1787 to 1789. As a delegate to the South Carolina ratification convention in 1788, Hamilton voted in favor of the federal Constitution. He then represented St. Bartholomew’s Parish for three terms in the state Senate during the 1790s, during which time he became a Democratic-Republican in contrast to the Federalist leanings of many of his lowcountry contemporaries. He was an elector for Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 presidential election. While serving as state comptroller of finance, Hamilton was elected governor of South Carolina by the General Assembly on December 10, 1804.
During his two-year tenure he advocated military preparedness through improvements to state militia laws and coastal defenses. He also called for a revision of the penal code, requesting that the state’s “old sanguinary provincial system” be replaced with a penitentiary system that would provide inmates “time for reflection and amendment.” He also urged the General Assembly to ban the Atlantic slave trade, which had been reopened in 1803. Legislators resisted Hamilton’s request, however, and the trade remained open until Congress closed it permanently in 1808.
In 1809 President James Madison selected Hamilton to be his secretary of the navy as part of an effort to achieve regional balance in his cabinet appointments. Hamilton proved an inexperienced but competent naval administrator. He advocated fiscal restraint and general military preparedness, including the enlargement of the seventeen-ship U.S. Navy. His one lasting success was in securing congressional support for the creation of a system of naval hospitals in 1811. When war broke out with Britain in 1812, Hamilton, fearing the tiny U.S. Navy would be destroyed, advised Madison to order all vessels to port. He was overruled and Madison implemented a plan to harass British merchant ships. At a presidential ball to celebrate the surrender of HMS Macedonia, Hamilton appeared so drunk that Madison requested his resignation. Hamilton subsequently resigned on December 31, 1812. He died at Beaufort on June 30, 1816, and was buried at a private cemetery in Beaufort District.
— Excerpted from an entry by James Spady. This entry hasn’t been updated since 2006. 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.)
CALENDAR: Time again for That BIG Book Sale this weekend
Staff reports | Love to read? Love cheap books? If you do, then the Omar Shrine Auditorium is the place to be this weekend.
The Charleston Friends of the Library will present its 37th annual That BIG Book Sale event, with its special Preview Sale for members taking place on October 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The free event will be open to the public during these times: at the auditorium in Mount Pleasant, 176 Patriots Point Road:
- Friday, Oct. 12: 9 a.m.- 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 13: 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 14: 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.
This year’s That BIG Book Sale will feature an even larger selection- more than 70,000 books, DVDS, CDs, audio books, sheet music, and maps all available to purchase for prices as low as $.50. Proceeds from That BIG Book Sale support more than 7,000 free community programs offered through the Charleston County Library system.
“Every month we fund hundreds and hundreds of programs that happen in the branches — programs, classes, resume building — activities for the diverse community of Charleston,” explains Brittany Mathis, executive director of the Charleston Friends of the Library.
Items will be half price on Sunday, with the exception of tote bags. A preview sale and special performance by Mayor John J. Tecklenburg for Friends of the Library members will be held during the evening of Thursday, October 11th from 5-8 p.m. Guests can become a member of the Friends of the Library for $20 at the door, and can purchase tickets to the optional event reception here. Checks, cash, and major credit cards accepted.
- For more information visit www.charlestonlibraryfriends.org or call 843-805-6882
Also on the Calendar:
Latin American Festival: Noon to 6 p.m., Oct. 14, Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston. Dive into the vibrant Latin American culture for a day this popular that will feature Latin American music, dance, art, food and children’s activities. Plena Libre will headline this festival followed by various musical performances and demonstrations by Latin America’s best artists. More info.
PSC ratepayer public hearing: 6 p.m., Oct. 15, Lonnie Hamilton III Public Services Building, 4045 Bridgeview Drive, North Charleston. The S.C. Public Service Commission hold a hearing for South Carolina Electric & Gas customers to air grievances over nuclear surcharge rates. More about the meeting.
Georgetown Wooden Boat Show: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oct. 20; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 21, Georgetown, S.C. Celebrate wooden boats and boating at this community-wide festival that features one of the Southeast’s best wooden boat exhibits with more than 140 classic wooden boats displayed on land and water, children’s model boatbuilding, knot tying, maritime art and crafts, food and music. Free. Learn more online.
C4WNEW: Nov. 15-16, Trident Technical College, North Charleston. This event, the Center for Women’s annual conference, will feature author Elizabeth Gilbert as special guest. To learn more or buy tickets, click here.
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.
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.
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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