GOOD NEWS: Hispanic Heritage Month lasts through Oct. 15

Staff reports  | You can connect with and learn more about Hispanic culture during National Hispanic Heritage month, which lasts from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Several gatherings and fun events are planned for the Lowcountry.

“What began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon B. Johnson grew to National Hispanic Heritage Month since 1988,” Charleston School of Law professor Debra Gammons tells us.   The significance of this month is tied to the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua on September 15; Mexico on September 16; and Chile on October 15.  Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day) is on October 12.”

Here are two events where you can learn more about Hispanic culture and celebrate:

Hispanic Heritage Month Networking Summit:  5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sept. 18, Buyer Auditorium, Mark Clark Hall, The Citadel, Charleston.  The event is designed to give some of the organizations from the local community an opportunity to meet some cadets and area college students.  While many of the organizations that will be represented are bilingual, the event itself will be in English and students from all colleges, majors and walks in life are welcome. Register here.  http://bit.ly/HHMNetworkingSummit2010Reg

Latin American Festival:  Oct. 13, Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston.  The 28th annual festival will allow friends and family members to relish authentic Latin American music, art, food and children’s activities, all inspired by cultures from around the globe.

Non-stop music will include everything from the beats of merengue, to reggaeton, bachata and salsa. All ages are invited to salsa to Latin rhythms by six-piece band Furia Tropikal from 1 – 2 p.m. Dance along with the Charlotte-based 12-piece band Orquesta Mayor from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., and end the day with the Dominican merengue phenomenon El Rey Tulile from 4:30 – 6 p.m.

The lively festival will also feature high-energy dance performances and demonstrations.  Event admission to the Latin American Festival is $10. College students receive a discounted rate of $5 with a valid ID. Gold Pass holders and children ages 12 and under are free! No outside food, alcohol or coolers permitted. No dogs allowed. For more information, call (843) 795-4386 or visit CharlestonCountyParks.com. 

Other recent news stories of note:

Remembering Will.  Friends of insightful local writer Will Moredock, who passed away earlier this month, will have a celebration of his life from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21 at Pure Theatre, 134 Cannon St., Charleston.  If you knew Will or appreciated his sometimes sardonic writing and observations, you should join with fellow fans at this event.

Sanford on the trail.  Former Gov. and Congressman Mark Sanford will meet with folks from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. today (Sept. 16) on the sidewalk at Alhambra Hall, 131 Middle, St., Mount Pleasant.  On tap: A discussion of the state Republican Party’s decision to hold no presidential primary, which will hurt Sanford, a recently-announced GOP candidate.

New chairman.  Hats off to retired MeadWestvaco Senior Vice President R. Scott Wallinger of James Island who has assumed chairmanship of the board of the Lowcountry Land Trust. After his retirement from a 40-year career in forestry and forest products industries, Wallinger has remained with organizations that focus on natural resources conservation and sustainability. Read more.

Legislators surprised: Several South Carolina lawmakers told sister publication Statehouse Report that the recent decision to hold no 2020 Republican presidential preference primary was never in their hands.  But some said they were still shocked that the party decided to forgo a challenge to President Donald Trump, particularly since the announcement by former Gov. and Congressman Mark Sanford to jump into the presidential race.  Since publication of the story, we’re learned Sanford is to be making the rounds of the state this week to talk about the decision.  

Relief update. Check out this update to last week’s story on flights of relief supplies by Bluffton GOP Rep. Bill Herbkersman.

Messy cleanup.  Three legislators from the Lowcountry say the state needs to crackdown on problematic private recyclers after two have cost taxpayers $7.8 million in the last year.  Read the story in a recent issue of Statehouse Report. 

Cunningham, Duncan differ on energy plans. S.C. congressmen on opposite sides of the aisle have proposed competing energy plans over offshore drilling in the U.S. House. U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, a Democrat of the Lowcountry, proposed a bill that would ban drilling offshore in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The bill passed last week on a 238-189 vote; it now heads to the U.S. Senate where it is not expected to get enough votes to pass into law. U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, a Republican of the Upstate, proposed a bill Sept. 11  that will allow states to decide whether to allow offshore drilling. No vote has been made on Duncan’s bill.

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