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.
Staff reports | Two of the Lowcountry’s most popular sports mascots will be the grand marshals July 21 during the fifth annual ladybug release at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
More than 200,000 ladybugs will be released after a parade of two red Volkswagen Beetles, resembling giant ladybugs, brings mascots Charlie T. RiverDog of the Charleston RiverDogs and Cool Ray of the Charleston Stingrays to the lawn in front of Magnolia’s Main House.
Staff reports | Want to explore local history and meet the people who promote and preserve it? If so, come to the 6thannual History Fair on July 7 at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
The free fair is features well-known organizations in education, religion, social services, the arts and tourism, including the planned International African American Museum at Gadsden’s Wharf where nearly 40 percent of the captured West Africans brought to Charleston first stepped on American soil.
Staff reports | Owlbert, the mascot for Charleston County Public Library, will unveil a new book, “Owlbert Finds a Home” during a special storytime event 10:30 a.m. June 14 in the Main Library’s children’s area.
The fun story, which was written and illustrated by library staff members, explains how Owlbert ended up living at the library and becoming its mascot. On Thursday it will be read aloud by the story’s illustrator, Liz Wuestefeld.
Staff reports | Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) and Charleston County School District (CCSD) this summer are working together to help students and children read more than ever. A new joint initiative is part of the library’s annual Summer Reading programs, which provide incentives for reading during the summer months.
Staff reports | The Charleston Forum, a community project that strives to provide a dialogue that moves the conversation forward with no pre-set agenda, has announced its full list of speakers for its 2018 two-hour discussion, which will start at 7:30 p.m. June 21 at the Charleston Music Hall. (More) Tickets are free.
More than 900 people attended last year’s event. In June, the forum will focus on overcoming racial disparities in education and economics in two panel discussions. Speakers will include …
Staff reports | The Pearlstine Family Fund has donated $250,000 to help pay for the $1 million West Ashley Theatre Center performance and education facility being built in Ashley Landing on Sam Rittenberg Blvd.
The facility’s 127-seat performance venue will be known as the Pearlstine Theatre and is nicknamed “The Pearl,” according to Charleston Stage Founder and Producing Director Julian Wiles.
Staff reports | The Port of Charleston on March 1 welcomed two new ship-to-shore cranes at the Wando Welch Terminal to further enhance the handling of neo-Panamax vessels. The next day, the S.C. Ports Authority (SCPA) celebrated the beginning of Charleston Harbor Deepening Project construction.
“It is fitting to welcome the arrival of two new cranes as we begin construction on the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. “The cranes are an integral part of the Port’s plans to modernize existing terminals in order to more efficiently handle big ships. Along with the Wando Terminal wharf strengthening project, bigger cranes enable the Port to continue to meet the needs of our customers and deliver the operational reliability and productivity we are known for in the U.S. port industry.”
Staff reports | Local businesswoman and philanthropist Linda Ketner will be presented with the inaugural Homeless to Hope Award at March 11 Homeless to Hope Benefit Concert. Sponsored by the Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing, the concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Gaillard Center Performance Hall.
Ketner
The Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing (MCHAH), led by Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie and Summerville Mayor Wiley Johnson, established the award to recognize community members’ enduring contributions to alleviating homelessness.
Staff reports | The Slave Dwelling Project will host a March 4 discussion of recidivism during a at the Old Charleston Jail. Following the discussion will be a chance for listeners to spend the night in the building.
The Slave Dwelling Project uses antebellum historic buildings as classrooms to interpret African American history. The jail was built in 1802 using slave labor and slave-made bricks. Members of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry were held captive there after they were captured during the Assault on Battery Wagner on Morris Island on July 18, 1863.
During the March 4 event, Charleston County Public Library historian Nic Butler will discuss the history of law enforcement in Charleston County. Charleston Interim Chief of Police Jerome Taylor will address the audience on programs that the Charleston Police Department has in place to address the recidivism rate of African Americans. African Americans represent a disproportionate rate of inmates in the American prison system.
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