GREAT TIME FOR BIRDING. Take a look below at contributing photographer Rob Byko’s beautiful photos of nesting herons taken at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. It’s also a great time to see all sorts of species of birds as the Lowcountry is in the midst of the annual bird migration period. Thousands of migratory birds fly at night from wintering spots in the south to cooler summer climates up north. You can learn about migration via this outstanding Cornell University website, Birdcast.info. In particular, look at the migration forecast in real time. .
FOCUS, Gunn: Learn how to avoid enemies of change to realize success
COMMENTARY, Brack: While I breathe, I hope and I wish
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: SCIWAY
PHOTO ESSAY: Nesting birds at Magnolia Plantation
GOOD NEWS: CofC offers new digital writing program
FEEDBACK: Guests and new permanent residents
MYSTERY PHOTO: Green art
S.C. ENCYCLOPEDIA: Fort Prince George
CALENDAR: From shows to tea rooms … and more
EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week was a digital nightmare as our site was down due to unexpected computer problems. But we’re back and running now and appreciate your patience.
FOCUS: Learn how to avoid enemies of change to realize success
By Anton Gunn, republished with permission | Recently, I have been focused on success. Particularly, I am focused on the changes you need to make to achieve success in your life. Change is the operative word today. Change is a constant in our lives. Nothing in our lives stays the same. Everything changes. Some changes happen on their own. Other changes happen when we decide to make them happen.
Gunn
I want you to be aware of the enemies of change. Yes, that’s right. I want you to be aware of the nemeses of the improvements you want to make in your life. You must avoid them at all cost because they can stifle your success. You must learn how to defend and defeat them. Here they are.
The Five Enemies of Change
- Don’t be apprehensive or afraid of making the change. A change will always happen. It will happen for you or to you. Leaders don’t let change happen to them, they make it happen for them.
- It’s very important to plan the changes that you want to make. However, don’t over plan and over analyze the plan so much that you never get to the execution phase. Too many people suffer from paralysis by analysis. Leaders always take decisive action.
- Indecision, vacillation and reluctance are direct impediments to your success. Hesitation indicates a lack of confidence in what you want to change. Lasting change requires you to have confidence. Confidence is a product of your belief system. Raise your belief system and you won’t fall victim to hesitation.
- Procrastination. This is the war between your mindset and your willpower. You mentally know what you need to do but your will tells you that tomorrow is a better day to change. Then tomorrow never comes. Again, leaders always take decisive action…. TODAY. Not tomorrow but today.
- Quitting is the biggest enemy of change. You can’t create change if you quit. If you don’t quit, change will eventually come. Don’t quit on yourself. Don’t quit on the change. Don’t let the enemy win.
Keep your eyes open for these enemies as you work towards your desired change. When you can see these enemies, they are much easier to defeat. They are easier to defeat because you now have a plan to defeat them.
You can do it. Let’s do it together!
Anton Gunn, a former S.C. state representative, is chief diversity officer at the Medical University of South Carolina Health System. A former senior official in the Obama administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, he is a nationally-recognized leadership development and health care reform expert.
BRACK: While I breathe, I wish and I hope
By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | I wish there were ways to scare the living daylights drivers riding on my tail without them causing problems for or harm to other drivers.
I wish one could gain the benefits of exercise without actually having to exercise.
I wish it were possible to eat a lot of chocolate without ingesting any calories, fat or sugar.
I wish state and federal lawmakers could focus on real issues and get work done instead of punting, kernoodling, obfuscating, delaying and generally fiddling around.
I wish we had a president who respected and honored the U.S. Constitution.
I wish male legislators would stop making decisions impacting women’s bodies.
I wish there were a way to send a big electronic raspberry to anyone in tech support.
In fact, I wish there were a way to send a bigger electronic raspberry to anyone who is a cause of dysfunctional government.
I wish regular people and our leaders understood how taxes aren’t inherently evil and can fuel long-term investments that can do great good for a lot of people.
I wish I would win the lottery — just a small one on the first day after a big winner won hundreds of millions of dollars.
I wish I could talk with my grandparents again and learn about how they made it through the Depression.
I wish today’s Americans would emulate the country’s Greatest Generation and set aside the greed that has infected the nation’s soul.
I wish today’s Americans would respect the common good and shared sacrifice to make a better society.
I wish our presidential candidates would lead and plan for a future that includes economic opportunity for all and real health care that’s affordable and accessible for all.
I wish America could move beyond its continuing, divisive obsession with race and honor fellow citizens of all creeds and colors.
I wish Americans would remember we’re all immigrants, one way or another, and stop vilifying dreamers who want to live here.
I wish the American League didn’t have the designated hitter rule in baseball.
I wish people would remember that mobile phones are actually phones, not devices only for texting.
I wish all Americans eligible to vote actually went to the polls and participated more fully in our democracy.
I wish for a world without cul-de-sacs and more alleyways.
I wish climate change Luddites would wake up and understand how humans are ruining the earth.
I wish more people would read, smell the roses and listen to early morning calls of birds.
And I hope …
I hope rural South Carolina won’t be forgotten. It’s the soul of our state.
I hope my children and their children have a decent world in which to live.
I hope more people start dreaming big.
I hope more people will conserve precious resources, such as South Carolina’s special places, oceans, air and quality of life
I hope the U.S. House resists the trap of impeachment and that Americans vote out Donald Trump in 2020.
I hope that once he’s gone, he’ll be quiet like other past presidents. (I don’t, however, count on it.)
I hope Democrats can start listening to Republicans and that Republicans can do the same for Democrats. Bridging the partisan divide and discouraging tribalism are the only real ways for the country to grow.
I hope our intelligence and technology communities will be able to break the backs of Russian and Chinese interference in our elections and economy.
I hope South Carolina legislators can really start fixing on priorities such as eradicating generational poverty, reforming education so people can get better jobs, broadening access to health care, making communities safer and growing economic opportunity. I’m tired of our leaders kicking the can on continually persistent issues.
I wish somebody would grant my wishes and hope South Carolina will open her eyes to our possibilities.
SPOTLIGHT: SCIWAY
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring Charleston Currents to you at no cost. Today we shine our spotlight on SCIWAY. Pronounced “sky-way,” SCIWAY is South Carolina’s Information Superhighway — the largest and most comprehensive directory of South Carolina information on the Internet. It includes thousands of links to other South Carolina Web sites, including Charleston Currents, as well as an amazing collection of maps, charts, articles, photos and other resources.
- To learn more about this extraordinary information hub that 7 million people visit a year, go to: http://www.SCIWAY.com.
Magnolia Plantation’s nesting birds
Contributing photographer Rob Byko recently has been prowling the woods around Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in search of nesting birds. Below are some photos of nesting juvenile blue herons and great egrets. Thanks, Rob! Great photos.
Local photographer Rob Byko is a Realtor with ERA Wilder Realty Inc. Learn more here.
CofC offers new digital writing program
Staff reports | The College of Charleston’s English department recently introduced a new minor and concentration in Writing, Rhetoric and Publication (WRP) to guide students on how to write in the digital age.
“Writing is at the center of professional, public and everyday life,” said English professor Jacob Craig, who directs the new program. “We use our phones to write for our own purposes and audiences. And in doing so, we produce writing in alphabetic text, yes, but we also make and share texts that include visuals, sound and moving images, too. And we share those texts publicly and even globally with networked audiences. That’s why today’s writers must be both practiced and flexible, able to adapt to the demands of different writing media, different writing environments and the expectations of different audiences.”
Courses included in the WRP minor and concentration address three areas of study: writing and rhetorical studies; digital and technical writing; and editing, style, and production. Through these areas of study, WRP students will gain experience doing everything from document design to editing to writing to designing for the web to search engine optimization to sound, image and video editing, and much more.
“Regardless of the field a student anticipates working in, clear, persuasive written communication is a tremendously valuable skill, and depending on your particular field, persuasive written communication can look and function differently than the writing people normally do for school or at home,” Craig said in a press release. “That’s why WRP focuses on the study and practice of writing to give students the knowledge and skills they need to write in unfamiliar or even unrealized contexts.”
Craig cited studies indicating that 75 percent of employers report looking for employees with strong written communication skills. Those same studies say that employers rank writing as the third most desirable skill behind leadership and collaboration.
“Our program will help students develop engaging content for audiences,” Craig said, “including audio, video and photographic elements as well as text. In addition, they’ll learn to work fluently in data visualization, creating infographics, diagrams, flow charts and more. One of the most desirable skills in the workplace at the moment is designing for the user interface, which includes knowing the most effective ways to display information on devices and in print.”
To help raise awareness about this new program, Craig maintains a blog and social media accounts for the program. Additional information and details about the kinds of jobs and internships that the WRP minor and concentration prepare students to compete for can be found on the blog page and the WRP program web page.
In more recent Good News:
Big gift. Hats off to Nucor Corp. for its $2.5 million pledge – half in cash and half as an in-kind donation of steel – to go toward construction of the new International African American Museum in Charleston. “We are proud to play a role in creating the International African American Museum, which will bring people together and forge compassion, empathy and understanding across people of all races and ethnicities,” said John Ferriola, Nucor’s chairman, CEO and president. “With this gift, we hope to help the museum build a bridge between the past and the future by presenting critical chapters of American history.”
Homestead exemption campaign. The office of County Auditor Peter Tecklenburg is contacting citizens who are eligible for a homestead tax exemption who don’t appear to be enrolled. Some 4,000 county residents may not be taking advantage of the tax-saving opportunity. “We believe we are one of the first counties in the state to take on this challenge,” Tecklenburg said. “I often speak with citizens who don’t know what tax saving potential is available to them and we decide it’s time to contact people directly.” To learn more, check out the homestead exemption form here.
Hat tip to Fisher. Congratulations to Holly Fisher, CEO and founder of Fisher Creative, for being named 2019 Marketer of the Year at the American Marketing Association’s Charleston Spark Awards earlier this month. “I’ve been so fortunate to work with incredible clients and colleagues over the years. I’m grateful to AMA Charleston for recognizing my efforts with this amazing award,” she said.
Offshore drilling halted indefinitely. The Trump Administration is backing off its plan to open Atlantic waters to offshore oil and gas testing after facing a setback in court over opening drilling in the Arctic. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told The Wall Street Journal this week that the plans are sidelined indefinitely. The move earned praise from Republicans and Democrats alike in South Carolina — but U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-Charleston, tweeted that the “fight is far from over.” He is pushing for a law to enforce a ban in exploring and drilling for oil in the Atlantic. Read more. Coastal Conservation League Executive Director Laura Cantral said Thursday: “Let’s settle this debate once and for all. Congress should move quickly to pass Representative Joe Cunningham’s permanent ban on dangerous offshore drilling in Atlantic waters and off South Carolina’s coast.”
WHAT WE LOVE: Guests and new permanent residents
Longtime reader Chris Brooks of Mount Pleasant recently sent in this to share with readers:
“I love the fact that Charleston and the Lowcountry attract, both as guests and new permanent residents, people from other parts of the country and the world . They enrich and broaden our culture and perspectives. They make us less provincial and more diverse as we leave the old isolated South behind, becoming better while still retaining what makes us special from our past.”
Hear, hear!
Send us your thoughts
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: [email protected]. | 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.
Green art
This creative topiary had a guest photographer laughing so hard that he forgot to write down the location. We now know where it is. Do you? Send your guess to mailto:[email protected]. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.
Our previous Mystery Photo
Our April 15 mystery, “What is this photo all about?” was a photo from the 1954 election campaign of Charleston’s Ernest F. Hollings when he won the seat to be South Carolina’s lieutenant governor.
Hats off to those who correctly identified Hollings, who died earlier this month: Chris Brooks of Mount Pleasant; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Bill Segars of Hartsville; Bud Ferillo of Columbia; and Marnie Huger of Richmond, 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 [email protected].
HISTORY: Fort Prince George
Lake Keowee in the state’s northwest corner now covers the location of Fort Prince George.
S.C. Encyclopedia | Fort Prince George was constructed in the fall of 1753 under the supervision of royal governor James Glen. The South Carolina Provincial Assembly considered a fortification amid the lower towns of the Cherokee vital to stabilize conditions on the frontier of the province. The fort lay on the east bank of the Keowee River near the Cherokee village of the same name. It was a one-hundred-foot square ditched fortification, surrounded by palisade-topped earthen walls and with a bastion in each of its corners. The interior sheltered a guardhouse, a storehouse, a kitchen, a magazine, a barracks, and the commandant’s residence. Completely rebuilt in 1756, Fort Prince George was garrisoned by a detachment from one of three British Independent Companies.
Since 1758 relations between the Cherokees and the crown had been deteriorating. A peace delegation of Cherokee chiefs was seized in Charleston and then sent to Fort Prince George as hostages. By January 1760 relations between the Cherokees and the crown had become strained to the point of war. Preparations were made inside the stronghold for an attack. On February 16, 1760, the commander of Fort Prince George, Lieutenant Richard Coytmore, was lured outside the walls for a parley and mortally wounded. His outraged men retaliated by executing several hostages confined in the fort. The fortification was besieged sporadically for the next four months, until a relief force under Colonel Archibald Montgomery arrived in June. The fort served as the starting point for the 1762 campaign against the Cherokee middle towns. In 1764 elements of the Sixtieth Regiment of Foot, also known as the Royal American Regiment, assumed garrison duty. Mounting tensions between Great Britain and her North American colonies, however, led to the abandonment of the outpost in 1768.
In the early 1960s Duke Power Company planned construction of a large nuclear power facility in the area of Fort Prince George. In late 1966 assistant state archaeologist John D. Combes began excavating the site until it was flooded by the waters of Lake Keowee in 1968.
— Excerpted from an entry Samuel K. Fore. This entry may not have 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: Lots to do this spring
New at Whirlin’ Waters
The Agitators: May 3 to May 18, PURE Theatre, Cannon Street Arts Center, Charleston. The play tells the long but sometimes tempestuous friendship of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Tickets are $10 to $35. Performance times and more: PURETheatre.org.
Water parks open: Starting Saturday, May 4, Charleston County Parks will open its three water parks on weekends – including a new 60-foot-tall water ride called “The Washout” at Whirlin’ Waters in North Charleston. The other two parks are Splash Zone in James Island and Splash Island in Mount Pleasant. More: CharlestonCountyParks.com.
The City Luminous exhibition: Through May 5, City Gallery, 34 Prioleau Street, Joe Riley Waterfront Park, Charleston. The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs will present The City Luminous: Architectures of Hope in an Age of Fear. Curated by the two College of Charleston professors, the exhibition assembles architectural installations and images designed to suggest a hopeful way forward for the world’s fractured communities.
Hops and Vines: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., May 9, McLeod Plantation Historic Site, James Island. Wine, beer and live music as you experience the beauty of this historic county park. Roving interpreters will be on-site to illustrate McLeod’s storied history. Admission is $15 in advance and includes 2 drink tickets. More info.
Surfing penguins: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., May 10, Magnolia Community Garden and Park, 720 Magnolia Road, West Ashley. The Charleston Parks Conservancy will offer a free family movie night with the animated feature “Surf’s Up.” More.
Events at the Gaillard. Check out these awesome coming events at the Charleston Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St., Charleston:
Songs of America: Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw: 7:30 p.m., June 11. Join Grammy Award-winning Tim McGraw and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham as they explore American history through music. Tickets are $65 to $350. More.
TheSkimm Night Out. 7:30 p.m., June 25. The founders of theSkimm are coming to your city for a fun night out, full of empowering conversation, networking, cheersing, and more to celebrate their new book, How to Skimm Your Life. Tickets are $48 to $150. More.
Charleston Beer Fest: Noon to 7 p.m., May 18, Riverfront Park, North Charleston. A dozen musical acts are scheduled to perform on two stages during an afternoon of music and beer featuring more than 40 breweries from the Carolinas. They’ll have upwards of 80 craft brews on tap during the 8th festival. Tickets are $25 each. More: ChsBeerFest.org.
Tea Rooms: Here’s a list of tea rooms that will be in full swing during Spoleto season:
Second Presbyterian Church: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 24-26, Fellowship Hall. Lunch, cake and tea. 324 Meeting St., Charleston.
Grace Church Cathedral: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 27 to June 8 (except June 2). Lunch and a gift shop. See menu here. 98 Wentworth St., Charleston.
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 MARKETS
WEDNESDAYS. The West Ashley Farmers Market is every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Ackerman Park off Sycamore Avenue in West Ashley. The last week of the market will be the first week of October. More.
FRIDAYS/SATURDAYS: Night Market. Every Friday and Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. for the rest of the year, you can shop with 108 vendors, including artists and craftsmen, at the night market on Market Street between East Bay and Church streets. It’s more than four blocks of local shopping and fun. Free.
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 Charleston Farmers Market is opens 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Marion Square each Saturday through Nov. 30. More info.
- If you have an event to list on our calendar, please send it to [email protected] for consideration. The calendar is updated weekly on Mondays.
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Book highlights how S.C. can do better
We Can Do Better, South Carolina! offers incisive commentaries by editor and publisher Andy Brack on the American South, the common good and interesting South Carolina leaders, such as former U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, civil rights advocate Septima Clark, former S.C. Gov. David Beasley and more. There also are discussions on civil rights struggles with which the Palmetto State continues to grapple. as well as commentaries on politics, governments, the hangovers of South Carolina’s past and her future opportunities.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina! is available exclusively as a Kindle book for $7.99. Click here to purchase a Kindle copy. A paperback version will be ready for order soon.
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