Monday, June 20, 2011

4th of July in North Charleston

The City of North Charleston will hold its 4th of July Festival at Riverfront Park on Monday, July 4, 2011, 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm. The event is free of charge and all general admission.


The following is a schedule of events:
3:00 pm
3:30 pm
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
5:15 pm – 6:30 pm
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Festivities begin
Welcoming remarks from Mayor R. Keith Summey
Show of fireworks over the Cooper River

Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, as there will be no seating provided. No alcohol is permissible within the park. A wide variety of food vendors will be on site. Children activities will be available free of charge, including inflatable jump castles, games, the play area, the giant sandbox, and the water fountain.

Riverfront Park is located on the former Charleston Naval Base, easily accessible from I-526 and I-26. Enter the former Charleston Naval Base by the McMillan Avenue or Virginia Avenue gate and turn onto Hobson AvenueRiverfront Park signs are visible for easy to follow directions. All parking is free and shuttles will be available for the convenience of guests.

Open to the public year-round, Riverfront Park has become a favorite destination for residents and visitors. Set on the banks of the beautiful Cooper River, the park is adjacent to the historic homes once occupied by the Charleston Naval Base officers, surrounded by graceful grand oak trees and peaceful river vistas. Bordered by Noisette Creek, the park boasts a magnificent contemporary Performance Pavilion and meadow.

Riverfront Park is home to the Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial, erected in honor of the countless military personnel and civilians that served the United States and the Greater Charleston region while the Charleston Naval Base was operational. The Memorial is the only location in the United States that displays both the Lone Sailor and the Homecoming statues. Riverfront Park is also the location of North Charleston’s Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. A component of the 2011 North Charleston Arts Festival, the Competition and Exhibition features large-scale contemporary sculptures on display throughout the year.

For further information visit the City’s website at http://www.northcharleston.org.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Boosting State Economic Growth: Five roles of Arts, Culture, and Design

Join the South Carolina Arts Commission Wednesday, June 22, for a free webinar to hear how the arts community and its partners can take leading roles in strengthening our state's economy. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices will preview findings of a new report demonstrating how creative industries, creative place-making and arts education can help states address their most pressing economic challenges.

Presenters
Laura Scanlan, director of state and regional partnerships at the National Endowment for the Arts; Mary Jo Waits, director of the economic, human services and workforce division at the NGA Center for Best Practices; and Kelly Barsdate, chief program and planning officer, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.

Who should participate
Arts organizations, artists and their partners; chambers of commerce representatives; city and rural developers; elected officials, city and county staff members; the education community; etc. -- anyone interested in working toward a stronger South Carolina. 

When
Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Time
3:00-4:00 pm  

Where
4800 Park Circle
North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 740-5853

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Boeing’s trial against the NLRB; Mayor Summey & Rep. Scott discuss on FOX Business

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey and Rep. Tim Scott, (R-S.C.), discuss Boeing’s trial against the NLRB with Tracy Byrnes on the Fox Business Channel.


Friday, June 10, 2011

Gadsden flag raised to protest state rail plan

On Thursday, June 9, 2011, North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey was joined by City Council Members in placing the Gadsden Flag atop the South Carolina State Flag in protest of the State’s ongoing plan to place an intermodal rail facility on the former Navy Base with northern rail access.



Mayor Summey discusses the flag on 1250 WTMA with Rocky D.

The historical flag was designed and named after American General Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolina statesman during the American Revolution.  It has a bright yellow field and a depiction of a coiled, ready to strike, rattlesnake with “DONT TREAD ON ME” text beneath.

Gadsden flag raside to protest state rail plan

Benjamin Franklin published an essay in the Pennsylvania Journal in December 1775, in which he stated of the symbolism of the snake:
She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.  As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal.
Mayor Summey explains the decision to switch the flags:
Just as with the American colonist, we are defending ourselves from a larger state, not standing idly by and allowing the quality of life of the citizens of North Charleston to be treaded upon.  The State struck first when it confiscated land on the former navy base through eminent domain and purchased other tracts with the clear intent of dishonoring previous agreements between itself and the City of North Charleston.  
Demagoguery has been used, painting the City as anti-port, anti-rail, and anti-business.  Since incorporating in 1972, North Charleston has been a staunch proponent of each.  We are home to vast and expanding port activities, location of all Lowcountry intermodal rail facilities, and the industrial and manufacturing epicenter of the State of South Carolina. 
For over two years we have shaken our rattles, but at this point we intend to strike back in court.  Our current course will only be altered if the State honors its written commitments.  We will not remain defenseless as our citizens’ rights are trampled.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Shawn Morin's Gabriel's Angel installed at Evanston Estates



The city park at Evanston Estates received an aesthetic upgrade on May 27, 2010 with the installation of Shawn Morin’s sculpture Gabriel’s Angel and two complimentary sculpted seats by Simeon Warren.  The collaborative efforts of the Evanston Estates Neighborhood Association, Councilwoman Phoebe Miller, and city staff made possible the installation.

For more information, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department.

North Charleston adds Associate Municipal Court Judge

On May 12, 2011, North Charleston City Council approved the appointment of Blair C. Jennings as the newest part-time Associate Municipal Court Judge.

Mr. Jennings brings a wealth of legal knowledge and criminal trial experience to the City’s Municipal Court. During his career, he has served under several solicitors throughout South Carolina, practicing extensively in criminal prosecution of public corruption offenses and violent crimes, including death penalty trials.

Currently in private practice, Mr. Jennings specializes in criminal defense in the State and Federal Courts, as well as civil and family court litigation.

Mr. Jennings graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1996. His term of office as a Municipal Court Judge expires in May 2013.