Charleston Currents #12.45 | Sept. 28, 2020
COMBING THE BEACH. This young woman is searching for shark teeth during a Sunday trip by Coastal Expeditions to Morris Island. She and a friend found more than a dozen, including a one-inch tooth that may have been from a mako shark. Photo by Philia Walker.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Five Lowcountry Senate races to keep an eye on
COMMENTARY, Brack: It’s time for Trump to go
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Charleston RiverDogs
NEWS BRIEFS: Ports see upswing since drops caused by pandemic
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Reader sent this week’s tough photo to ID
CALENDAR: Free outdoor opera set for Saturday
NEW BOOK: Get your copy of new history book today
Five Lowcountry Senate races to keep an eye on
By Lindsay Street, Statehouse Report | Political observers are watching five Lowcountry state Senate seats as being ripe for plucking by Democrats in the November elections. But Republicans aren’t worried about losing control of the Senate because they’ve targeted Democratic seats across the state that may flip, too. Read the full story in Statehouse Report.
“Democrats could pick up four races in Charleston County, and if Democrats win four races in Charleston County, they would be looking at a tie (in the Senate),” Democratic strategist Tyler Jones of Charleston said, adding that a tie could benefit Democrats since not all Republicans vote along party lines. He said a tie would have big consequences in 2021, a redistricting year.
But S.C. Republican Party Chair Drew McKissick isn’t worried: “No fear at all about losing the Senate at all,” he said. “There are seats that are ripe for Republicans to win in this cycle in the Senate.”
1: Senate District 37 (Moncks Corner)
Republican Sen. Larry Grooms was first elected in a 1997 special election. Democratic challenger and communications professional Kathryn Whitaker is seeking to flip the seat.
Grooms was unopposed in the general elections in 2016 and 2012. Much of the district lies in Republican-territory of Berkeley County, which voted for Republican congressional candidate Katie Arrington over Democratic candidate Joe Cunningham in 2018.
Still, Grooms only has a slight edge with individual campaign contributions as of July 10 with $189,144.20. Whitaker reported $115,051.31.
2: Senate District 38 (Summerville)
Republican Sen. Sean Bennett won his Summerville seat and has maintained it since 2012 without a general election challenger. That will change in November with a Democratic bid from John Lowe, a Navy veteran who retired from Charleston County School District in 2019.
Like Berkeley County, Dorchester County — the majority of the district — also remains red despite the growing population outside Charleston. Financial planner Bennett has raised nearly $108 for every dollar Lowe has raised. According to July 10 campaign finance reports, Bennett reported $86,788.20 in contributions and Lowe reported $805 in contributions.
3: Senate District 41 (Charleston)
This race is one of the most talked about among senators and political observers. Even Republican Sen. Sandy Senn talked about her reelection chances on the Senate floor this month.
Senn, a lawyer, is being challenged by Democratic candidate Sam Skardon for this Charleston seat that helped give Cunningham his surprise 2018 win to Congress. Skardon, a former aide to the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta, has a background in community development financing organizations.
Individual contributions as of July 10 showed a tight race with Senn reporting $189,637.32, and Skardon reporting $174,167.
4: Senate District 43 (Charleston)
Republican Sen. Chip Campsen is seeking a fifth term for this seat that he has represented since 2004 when he defeated his Democratic opponent by nearly 9,000 votes. He hasn’t faced a Democratic challenger since. In November, he will face Mount Pleasant attorney Richard Hricik.
Attorney and businessman Campsen has championed conservation measures, which have earned him his tenure in the Charleston seat. But Hricik has countered Campsen’s long record in the Senate by saying voters deserve a candidate focused on many issues, such as education and health care — not just conservation.
According to the July 10 campaign reports, Hricik has received $138,414.20 in individual contributions, and Campsen has received $187,011.70 for this election.
5: Senate District 44 (Charleston)
With Republican Sen. Paul Campbell retiring this year, this Charleston-area Berkeley County seat is up for grabs. Campbell has held the seat since 2008 and never faced a general election challenger. But now, Democrats feel confident for a flip in a district that Cunningham won in 2018.
Democratic candidate Debbie Bryant, a former dean of nursing, is competing against retired North Charleston police officer Brian Adams, a Republican, for the seat.
One political observer noted Bryant having a fundraising advantage over Adams, who previously ran for Berkeley County Sheriff and won an election to Berkeley County School Board only to resign weeks later. In July, Adams reported $5,685 in contributions, while Bryant reported $56,709.44 in contributions.
Lindsay Street is Statehouse correspondent for Statehouse Report, our sister legislative publication.
It’s time for Trump to go
A Trump balloon in London. Via Unsplash.
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | Donald Trump is not a Boy Scout. In fact, he represents just about everything scouts are not supposed to be.
While the reputation of the scouting movement has been tarnished by scandal in recent years — far less scandal than that in Trump’s Washington — scouts are taught to aspire to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. These values are the tenets of the Boy Scout Law. More than 40 years after being a scout, these teachings remain ingrained.
It’s clear these scouting concepts of honor and respect are mostly foreign to the current president. About the best we can say of the president in relation to this list is that he appears to be clean hygienically, although his mouth may need some soap. (Mine too.)
Trustworthy. The president has told more than 20,000 false or misleading claims during his presidency. A scout doesn’t lie.
Loyal. Trump seems to be loyal to underlings, as long as they play his game. Once they say or do something he doesn’t like, he drops them like a hot potato. Examples: Former FBI Director James Comey, former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, former Chief of Staff John Kelly. Note the word “former.”
Helpful. Nope. Trump is a narcissist interested in only helping himself. Look to recent reactions after hurricanes and wildfires. He has no empathy for others and little sense of wanting to help others. Just ask Dreamers, minorities, immigrants, farmers saddled with tariffs and lots more.
Courteous. He walks off planes first, leaving his wife in his wake. Enough said.
Kind. Help me with an example of this. When has Trump, the great business “deal-maker” who loves to fire people, ever been truly kind? Mostly, he seems to scowl or bully.
Obedient. Not only does he not obey Boy Scout Law, but he’s loose on following American law. Just look at the scores of lawsuits he faced before being president and during his term on everything from sexual misconduct and assault to financial manipulation, illegal campaigning, collusion and more.
Cheerful. Right — if you consider a bully to be cheerful.
Thrifty. Under Trump, who favors gold bathroom fixtures, the national debt increased $5.2 trillion in his first three years of office — an astronomical amount that was unimaginable just a few years ago.
Brave. He’s a draft-dodger. Trump received four education deferments for being in college during the Vietnam War and another after graduation for medical reasons — bone spurs on his heels, reportedly as a favor by a doctor to Trump’s father.
Clean. He’s squeaky here — on everything but morals and ethics.
Reverent. Trump fumbled with a Bible as a prop in a much-criticized June photo op in front of St. John’s Church across from the White House. He rarely attends church. But he does go to the golf course a lot.
In today’s globally-connected, fractious world, none of our leaders can be expected to be Boy Scouts every day, but President Trump’s blatant disregard for societal norms of decency make him ill-suited to be leader of the free world and commander-in-chief. Since he took office in January 2017, he’s shown time and again how he is not a role model for current scouts or our nation. It’s time for a change.
Enough is enough.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Charleston Currents. Have a comment? Have a comment? Send to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
Charleston RiverDogs
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring Charleston Currents to you at no cost. This issue’s featured underwriter is the Charleston RiverDogs.
In 2019, the team finished in second place in its league with a 73-66 record and had, as Club President Dave Echols explained in March, a great year. While the 2020 season has been compromised by COVID-19, check out what the RiverDogs are doing now — reopening the Segra Club and an October bobblehead election.
The Lowcountry’s leader in sports entertainment, Charleston RiverDogs baseball is an attractive, affordable medium for your group or business. The RiverDogs develop the next major league stars for the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees at one of the finest ballparks in Minor League Baseball — Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
Three short words sum up the everyday approach taken by the Charleston RiverDogs front office. The brainchild of club President Emeritus Mike Veeck, the nine-letter phrase “Fun Is Good” is meant to be a guideline and daily reminder of how employees should approach their jobs and in turn capture the imagination of the fans to turn them into repeat customers.
- Visit the ‘Dogs online at: RiverDogs.com
- To meet all of our underwriters, click here.
Upswing at Ports since drops caused by pandemic
In what is believed to be a sign of positive maritime activity to come, Charleston’s port last week welcomed the largest ship ever to dock on the East Coast — the 15,072-TEU CMA CGM Brazil. (Photo SCPA/English Purcell).
Staff reports | The South Carolina Ports Authority saw some positive cargo trends in August, pointing to a slow but emerging recovery during the ongoing global pandemic.
SC Ports handled 208,837 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) at the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in August, down about 10 percent year-over-year, according to a press release. When compared to recent months however, volumes are trending positively, with TEUs up 18 percent since July and up 33 percent since June. Furthermore, the ports moved 116,248 pier containers, down 12 percent year-over-year, but up 17 percent from July and up 31 percent from June.
“Our August volumes surpassed expectations, reflecting the best year-over-year month since the pandemic began impacting global supply chains in March,” SC Ports President and CEO Jim Newsome said. “We are encouraged by a steady rebound in containers, vehicles and inland port rail moves.”
August also marked the second highest month ever for imports to the Port of Charleston, Newsome said.
“Our imports are returning to — and at times surpassing — pre-pandemic levels as consumers invest in more goods for their homes and families,” he said. “SC Ports is well-known for expertly moving goods just-in-time for global companies. Our efficient operations and big-ship capabilities perfectly suit the needs of global retailers who require reliability and adaptability in their supply chains.”
SC Ports also recently celebrated a big win in the retailer and e-commerce space with Walmart investing in a 3-million-square-foot distribution center in Dorchester County, S.C. The facility, set to break ground in March 2021, will eventually boost port volumes by 5 percent.
Also in recent news:
Women to be honored Oct. 1: YWCA Greater Charleston will honor 12 women leaders Oct. 1 at its What Women Bring virtual event that will include discussions on topics from the gender wage gap and the glass ceiling to succeeding as a woman of color. Honorees include:
- Kenya Dunn, founder and chief executive officer of The Power-Filled Woman;
- Roslin Fields, founder and executive director of Youth Empowerment Services;
- Treva Williams, lead organizer of the Charleston Area Justice Ministry;
- Adrienne Troy-Frazier, executive director of Berkeley County First Steps;
- Sharon Middleton McGhee, minority and women SBA coordinator at the Charleston County Aviation Authority;
- Dr. Paula Orr, physician and owner of Charleston Women’s Wellness Center;
- Pat Jones, general manager of Carowinds;
- Jennie Stephens, chief executive officer of the Center for Heirs Property Preservation;
- Rita Littles Scott, retired vice president and general manager of WCSC Live 5 TV;
- Camela Guevera, independent artist and art director for the Carolina Youth Action Project;
- Shannon Williams, vice president of sales and marketing at BoomTown;
- Romaine Heyward, operations and booking manager for the Dock Street Theatre.
Zile
MUSC researcher wins top award. Dr. Michael Robert Zile, an MUSC cardiologist, has received the 2020 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Science, the state’s highest honor for research, according to a press release. Zile, who serves as the Charles Ezra Daniel Professor of Medicine at MUSC and chief of the Division of Cardiology at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, is recognized internationally as a heart failure clinician and scientist and renowned for his seminal contributions to heart failure basic, translational and clinical research and heart failure clinical practice. Said Gov. Henry McMaster, “This kind of study and achievement and research is particularly relevant today, when we think of the COVID virus and all of the things that entails. So, I want to thank you. I want to congratulate you today. Your work is truly making South Carolina ‘Brain Power USA.’ We’re getting stronger and stronger, and I urge you to keep it up.”
Lawmakers complete shakeup of utility overseers. The General Assembly last week elected four new commissioners to the Public Service Commission. The elections have unseated all former commissioners involved on the commission prior to 2017, when rates were OK’d to be increased as a private utility sunk more money into a failed nuclear investment. The new commissioners include: Carolee Williams of Charleston (District 1), Mike Caston of Clemson (District 3), Headen Thomas of Rock Hill (District 5), and Delton Powers of Bennettsville (District 7).
S.C. drops out of top-10 spot in women killed by men. For the first time since the data on the number of women killed by men began in 1996, South Carolina has dropped out of the top 10. The state still ranks 11th. Read more.
Hospitality taxes OK’d for mitigating flooding. The House and Senate have sent McMaster a bill to allow local governments to use hospitality fees to pay for flooding and drainage projects. McMaster’s office has expressed intentions of signing this bill into law. Read more.
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Reader sent this week’s tough photo to ID
A reader sent us this photo of a building somewhere in the Lowcountry that has an interesting former life. We’ve retouched it a little to make it tougher to figure out. What and where is it? Send to editor@charlestoncurrents.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.
Our previous Mystery Photo
Our Sept. 21 photo, “Dog day afternoon,” was pretty easy for longtime Charlestonians. It showed the (fake) Dalmatian outside the oldest fire station in downtown Charleston at the corner of Wentworth and Meeting streets.
Congratulations to these sleuths who correctly identified the photo: Cheryll Woods-Flowers and Chris Brooks, both of Mount Pleasant; Jim McMahan, Joe Mendelsohn and Carol Fishman, all of Charleston; Bill Segars and Don Clark, both of Hartsville; Jay Altman of Columbia; Marnie Huger of Richmond, Va.; Archie Burkel of James Island; Larry Cannon; Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; and Jane Bergen, a Charleston native who now lives in Arlington, Va.
Segars offered this info: “It was one of three stations designed by Daniel G. Wayne and built by Colin M. Grant in 1888 in response to the loss of several fire stations in Charleston as a result of the Earthquake of 1886.”
Huger added that at one time, “it was considered the most important station in the city due to its central location. It housed 4 steam enhance companies. The bays for Station 2 and 3 face Meeting Street, and the 2 bays facing Wentworth Street house antique apparatus.”
Peel shared, “The statue of the Dalmatian guarding (or is it sleeping?) at the front of the firehouse in the mystery photo is a reminder of why most firehouses at the time had a Dalmatian on site. These firehouses were originally equipped with horse-drawn fire engines, and so it became common for each group of firefighters to keep a Dalmatian in the firehouse to guard the firehouse and the horses. Dalmatians were chosen as firehouse dogs because of their natural affinity to and compatibility with horses. When the alarm came in, the Dalmatian led the way for the horse-drawn pumper. The dogs would run alongside the horses keeping them calm in the presence of fire, and use their keen sense of smell to get to the scene as quickly as possible. In this way, the Dalmatian became the firefighters’ companion and a symbol of the fire service. Today, Dalmatians are still found in many firehouses in England, Canada and the United States.”
- 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.
Free outdoor opera set for Saturday
An opera singer at a recent Charleston event. Photo via Charleston Opera Theater
Opera on the Waterfront is a free outdoor, socially-distanced concert presented by Charleston Opera Theater and the Town of Mount Pleasant on the lawn at Memorial Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“The program will feature an ensemble of international and national artists performing some of opera’s most beloved hits that will offer broad appeal to both the seasoned opera lover and the newcomer alike,” according to a press release.
Innovative Event Services and Fox Music House have partnered with Charleston Opera Theater for the event to help revitalize the connection between the audience and artist that has been severed by the fallout from the pandemic.
Also on the calendar:
Lowcountry Listens: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2. The final online show of the Gaillard Center’s Lowcountry Listens features the smooth sounds of Charlton Singleton and Contemporary Flow. The concert, the last of the third series of Lowcountry Listens, features a fundraising challenge by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which will match donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000. More.
Safe Sounds concerts are back: Saturdays through Oct. 31, Firefly Distillery, North Charleston. The distillery’s socially-distanced concerts are back with its fall Safe Sounds series. This week on Oct. 2: The legendary and Grammy Award-winning Del McCoury Band. Tickets can be purchased in advance at citypapertickets.com.
Fishing rodeo: Oct. 10, James Island Yacht Club. The Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy will hold its second annual Lowcountry Bottom Fishing Rodeo as a benefit to help victims of traumatic loss. Lines will be cast at 6:50 a.m. Weigh-in will be 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is $50. Learn more.
Wine Down Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Oct. 14, Old Towne Creek County Park, West Ashley. Guests will enjoy wine and live music from Mark Jackson, while experiencing the beauty of this natural site. A commemorative wine glass is included with your admission. Food truck fare will be available for purchase on-site from Southern Roots Smokehouse. Masked required. Cost: $15. More.
“Connections” on display: Through Oct. 24, Redux Contemporary Art Center, Charleston. The exhibition of works by Gret Macintosh features looks at physical connections between places, such as waterways, roads, and bridges that the artist has experienced over the last 15 years of living in the Charleston area. The exhibition is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays; and by appointment. More.
From Etchings to Pastels: Through Nov. 29, Lowcountry Image Gallery, The Charleston Museum. The museum has partnered with the Pastel Society of South Carolina to present new interpretations of etchings stemming from the Charleston Renaissance Movement about 100 years ago. Learn more.
Online offerings:
- Gibbes Museum. You can enjoy lots of local art offerings through the website and social media accounts of the Gibbes Museum. At 10 a.m. on weekdays, the museum posts virtual readings and workshops on Facebook. Find more online.
- Avian Conservation Center. Access videos and live streaming presentations online to learn about what’s going on at the Center for Birds of Prey.
- Around the world. You can visit 500 museums across the world online through this Google amalgamation of sites.
If you have any online events, drop us a line (editor@charlestoncurrents.com) and make sure to put “Online event” in the subject line. Similarly, if you’ve got cool ideas for stuff to do while in isolation at home, send them our way.
Get your copy of new history book today
Check out Buxton Books, Blue Bicycle Books, Mr. K’s, the Charleston Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, Firefly Distillery, Charleston Animal Society and Captain’s Comics for copies of a new book of historical facts about Charleston, aptly titled 350 Facts About Charleston, will be in Lowcountry-area bookstores this week, but you can order a copy today. More locations coming.
SCHEDULING NOTE: Lead author Andy Brack will hold a virtual book discussion 6 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom. Click the link to RSVP.
The staff at our sister publication, the Charleston City Paper, pulled together fun and arcane information about the Holy City to illuminate its deep, rich history from its founding in 1670 until this year. (That’s, umm, 350 years!)
Charleston historian and tour guide Damon Fordham got a copy of the book and remarked, “very informative and worth the read.” Charleston disc jockey Richard Todd (105.5 The Bridge) told listeners he thought the book was great and will be popular.
Included in the 224-page book are details on early settlers, the wars (Revolutionary and Civil) and the struggle for civil rights by descendants of enslaved Africans. You’ll learn about food (Charlestonians have loved to drink wine for centuries), books, people, music, culture and much more.
Bonus: Talented South Carolina cartoonist Robert Ariail offers 12 illustrations that should make a great calendar someday.
- Preview the book by visiting CharlestonFacts.com.
As more people stay home to deal with the coronavirus crisis, people are looking for things to do. You can find some fun things to do online in our calendar section below, but let us also encourage you to FORWARD your issue of Charleston Currents to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. It’s got a great price, as you know: Free! We hope they’ll enjoy our coverage.
- DONATE. Now also would be a great time to contribute as we deal with the crisis. In advance, thank you.
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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:
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- Charleston Currents also uses content from the outstanding staff at the Charleston City Paper, a sister publication.
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