New at CofC: An MFA in creative writing — “The two-year, full-residency program, which begins in the fall of 2016 pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Schools, is designed to sharpen the writing skills of graduate students interested in fiction and poetry. ” Also: Singing Valentine’s, she-crab celebration and a new Charleston County park.
Ahead: Plays, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Valentine’s fun. Check it out.
S.C. Encyclopedia | The spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) became the official state amphibian by a law signed by Governor Jim Hodges on June 11, 1999. The designation resulted from the interest and activity of children in the third-grade class at Woodlands Heights Elementary School, Spartanburg, taught by Lynn K. Burgess. Students conducted research and a letter-writing campaign to get an amphibian adopted, enlisting support from scientists, public officials, and other third-graders in the state.
“Deek” Diedrickson, a builder, designer and advocate for simple living, takes readers into the fascinating world of tiny spaces and the people who inhabit them.
By Caroline Satchell | When you are a nonprofit nature museum that wants to build a name for itself with limited resources, what do you do? Have one of your animals beg a celebrity to come meet you, of course.
That’s what the Virginia Living Museum (VLM) in Newport News, Va., has done with its groundhog, Chesapeake Chuck. Chuck claims to be the Number One fan of one of Charleston’s celebrity residents – comedian and actor Bill Murray. Chuck has launched a national social media campaign to have Murray join him for Groundhog Day on Feb. 2. To date, the museum’s Bill Murray Facebook posts have reached almost 150,000 people, generated over 4,000 likes and almost 2,000 shares. Comments have come from as far away as Australia. Media have picked up on the story and the Newport News Visitor Center is even helping promote the cause.
Tom Kulick: A wonderful tribute to Leo Fishman this week. My wife and I met Leo and Carol when they first moved to Kiawah. He was a kind and gentle person who enjoyed his life with Carol and all of his friends. I know that Wendy and I will miss him. Thanks for the recognition of Leo’s life and contributions to our society.
S.C. Encyclopedia | South Carolina’s multidisciplinary State Museum opened on Oct. 29, 1988, in the renovated Mount Vernon Mill at 301 Gervais Street in Columbia’s Congaree Vista. The development of a museum was initiated in 1973 when the state legislature formed the South Carolina Museum Commission and charged it with “the creation and operation of a State Museum reflecting the history, fine arts and natural history and the scientific and industrial resources of the state.”
Staff reports | With a new mayor comes new staff members who will guide the city. We thought you’d want to learn more about five new senior staff members who will work for Mayor John Tecklenburg to manage the city of Charleston.
Planner Josh Martin and longtime arts executive Rick Jerue will serve as top advisers for Tecklenburg, who reportedly will delegate more projects to them to allow him to keep on top of the big picture and major projects. Martin and Jerue essentially fill roles formerly held in the administration of former Mayor Joe Riley by Lawrence Thompson, who will work through spring in the transition, and Mary Ann Sullivan, who has retired. Rounding out Tecklenburg’s senior team are Jack O’Toole, Mike Whack and Robin Griffith.
The Charleston Parks Conservancy’s Magnolia Community Garden, Elliotborough Community Garden and Medway Community Garden generated 2,039 pounds of produce in 2015 for donation to local food pantries, such as Lowcountry Food Bank, One80 Place and James Island Outreach.
John’s Island resident Deborah Getter sent along this picture of a place in Charleston County for you to identify. Send your best guess to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com — and make sure to include the name of the town in which you live.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina! (2019) by editor and publisher Andy Brack offers incisive commentaries on the American South, politics, the common good and interesting South Carolina leaders. Available exclusively for Kindle for $7.99. A paperback version will be ready soon. Learn more.
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