Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Earth, Wind and Fire to Bring Guiding Lights Tour to the North Charleston Coliseum, June 26


North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey announced today that legendary musical group EARTH, WIND AND FIRE will bring their “Guiding Lights Tour” to the North Charleston Coliseum on June 26 at 7:30 PM. The concert is part of the City of North Charleston’s 40th anniversary celebration.

Earth, Wind and Fire will perform with the North Charleston Pops Orchestra. Opening the show will be the Charleston’s own The Explorer’s Club.

“After 40 years, North Charleston has grown into a thriving city, bustling with business and prime for young families and professionals. To mark the advancements we have made, we are going first class in our 40th anniversary celebration. Both born of the 70s, the City of North Charleston and Earth, Wind, and Fire, we will be celebrating together with an exciting evening of shear entertainment combined with exceptional musicianship,” said City of North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey.



“With over 90 million albums sold, 20 Grammy Award nominations and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Earth, Wind and Fire are one of the most successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music. We are honored to have them play the North Charleston Coliseum as part of the City of North Charleston’s 40th anniversary celebration. This is going to be a very special night,” said Dave Holscher, North Charleston Coliseum General Manager.

Reserved seat tickets for the show go on sale Friday, March 30th at 10:00 AM at the Coliseum Advance Ticket Office, Ticketmaster outlets (including select Publix stores), online at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are priced at $45 and $25 (plus applicable fees). A limited number of Gold Circle seats will be available.

For more information on the concert, visit www.NorthCharlestonColiseumPAC.com. For more information on Earth, Wind and Fire, visit www.EarthWindandFire.com. For more information on The Explorer’s Club visit www.ExplorersClubMusic.com. For more information on the City of North Charleston’s 40th anniversary celebration, visit www.NorthCharleston.org.

Works by Lyn Calahorrano at City Gallery in April


Works by Lyn Calahorrano will be on display at the North Charleston City Gallery during the month of April. The exhibition is on loan from the South Carolina State Museum’s Traveling Exhibitions Program.

The artist's work will be on display April 2-30, 2012. A free opening reception will be held at the gallery on Thursday, April 5, from 5:00-7:00 pm. The artists will be present and the public is invited to attend.

Inspirations: Photographs of the Lowcountry presents places and faces of South Carolina’s Lowcountry as seen through the lens of photographer Lyn Calahorrano.  Through thirty-seven wood framed photographs, this exhibition demonstrates the creative juxtapositions, skillful camera angles, and artistic views of Calahorrano’s artistic process. With photographs taken from Myrtle Beach to Hunting Island, Inspirations provides the viewer with familiar as well as out-of-the-way and unexpected images of the Lowcountry of South Carolina. 

Lyn Calahorrano is a fine arts instructor and substitute teacher for pre-school and elementary school children, specializing in music, art, and Spanish. She holds a number of awards in photography, as well as painting, and lives and works in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

The North Charleston City Gallery is located in the Charleston Area Convention Center with free parking and admission during regular Convention Center operating hours 9:00AM – 5:00PM, daily.  The Gallery is staffed on Friday, Saturday, and Monday only.   Inquiries regarding artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Wescott Golf Club Spring Open House with local vendors, prizes, and giveaways

Update:

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our Spring Open House this Sunday March 25th, from Noon-2:00.  Click here to register for our $25 golf special.  Please be sure to register on Sunday for your chance to win a 3-month golf pass.
 Callaway Demo 11-2 
DON'T MISS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO HIT CALLAWAY'S NEW
 RAZR FIT DRIVER
 FAIRWAY WOODS
 RAZR X IRONS
 AND
 X SERIES JAWS WEDGES 
Callaway RAZR Fit
Open House Vendors
12:00-2:00

Prescription 4 Beauty
Cheerwine
Mary Kay
Miche Bags
Ginger's Wearable Art
Lia Sophia
Agent Owned Realty-Lisa Thompson
Shop.com, A Market America Company
Stella & Dot
A. Wilcox Photograpy
Avon
"New Thing"
My Thirty-One
Zumba Fitness with Valisa
The Pampered Chef
Cutesie Doodles
Wescott Wine and Spirits
Jump Indoors Charleston
Lowcountry Party Animals
North Charleston Fire and Police

FREE FAMILY FUN

MUSIC BY DJ FREDDIE JOE MIDNIGHT
FREE HAMBURGERS AND HOT DOGS-COURTESY OF U.S. FOODSERVICE
VIDEO SWING ANALYSIS BY PGA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL-PERRY GREEN
3 JUMP CASTLES-COURTESY JUMP INDOORS CHARLESTON
FACE PAINTING
BALLOON ANIMALS 
FREE PRIZES

The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation staff and the City of North Charleston invite you to our Spring Open House Event.

Don’t miss out on a day full of fun that will include golf, food, kids' activities, demos, games, over 25 local vendors with prizes and giveaways and much more! One lucky winner will receive 144 Callaway Hex Tour Black Golf Balls, so come by for a chance to win many great prizes, gift cards, and products from local businesses.  In addition, we will be running a $25 special rate for 18 hole round of golf!

Saturday, March 25, 2012

The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation
5000 Wescott Club Drive
North Charleston, SC 29485

IT'S FREE

Lunch, Activities, and Giveaways
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm 
To win the 12 dozen (144) Hex Tour Black Golf Balls, go to WescottGolf.com and
use Promo Code: 7210 for your chance to win!

Golf Tee Times
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sign up early for preferred times
RSVP for Golf at WescottGolf.com - Enter code: 5000
Must RSVP 

High school teams showcase design and engineering skills at robotics competition with “Rebound Rumble”


Palmetto Partners announces “Rebound Rumble” as high-school students from six states and Charleston area schools gather to showcase their hard work in the 2012 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition Palmetto Regional.

From Thursday, March 22, 2012 to Saturday, March 24, 2012 at the North Charleston Coliseum, over 1,000 students making up 42 teams, as well as engineering and technical mentors will demonstrate their skill for science, mathematics, and technology. They will compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities. The highly competitive, action-packed contest is described as a rock concert and sporting event rolled into one.

The Opening Ceremonies on Friday, March 23, 2012 at 9:00am will include South Carolina Superintendent of Education, Dr. Mick Zais, North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey, and The Citadel President, Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa. Afterwards, games will begin. A full schedule of events.

Over a six-week timeframe, students work with professional engineering Mentors to design a robot that solves a problem using a Kit of Parts and a standard set of rules. Once these young inventors create the robot, their teams participate in regional competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.

The 2012 “Rebound Rumble” robotics game is played between two Alliances of three teams each. Each Alliance competes by trying to score as many of the basketballs in the hoops as possible during the two minute and 15-second match. Balls scored in higher hoops score teams more points. Team Alliances are awarded bonus points if they are balanced on bridges at the end of the match. Game animation of Rebound Rumble.

Apart from the game itself, teams are judged on design, team spirit, professionalism, and perseverance.

Now in its 21st season, the FIRST Robotics Competition encompasses more than 58,000 high school students participating on approximately 2,343 teams in the United States and worldwide. The regional events will lead to the FRC Championship, an international competition, at the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri 25-28 April, 2012.

FIRST was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, developer of the first portable insulin pump and the first portable kidney dialysis machine, to “create a world where science and technology are celebrated where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.”

“The varsity sport for the mind,” the FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to “real-world engineering” as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

This season, participating FIRST students are eligible to apply for more than $14 million in scholarships from 130 leading universities and colleges.

Students: 
Learn from professional engineers
Build and compete with a robot of their own design
Learn and use sophisticated software and hardware
Compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments
Earn a place in the World Championship in St. Louis, MO in April 2012
Qualify for over $14 million in college scholarships

For more information on the competition, go to the FIRST website at: www.usfirst.org, FIRST Robotics Competition or http://www.palmettopartnersrobotics.com/


A live Webcast will be available throughout the event and can be accessed from Palmetto Regional’s homepage.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Police Community Panel Announces Annual Gun Buy Back Initiative

Update: Postponed until March 31, 10:00am - noon.


The North Charleston Community and Police Panel will hold its 4th annual Gun Buyback Initiative on Saturday, March 24, 2012 Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 10 a.m. until Noon, as part of its commitment to reducing gun violence in the City of North Charleston. The gun buy-back initiative is an opportunity for people to turn in weapons to authorities with no questions asked. Residents must be 18 years or older and must follow state concealed weapons laws when transporting weapons to a buy back site. No identification will be required to participate.

The program is open only to residents of North Charleston and limited to 3 weapons per vehicle. No payments will be made to gun dealers. Only weapons in working order will receive payment.

2012 Site Locations

Schedule of payment
$100 gift card for hand-guns 
$50 gift card for long guns|shot guns

Since 2008, nearly 500 weapons have been collected (handguns, shotguns, rifles and assault weapons) during the annual event.

The collected weapons are processed by the police department before destruction, in accordance with the department’s policies.

Mayor Summey wants to cook you breakfast to support the MDA

North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey is serving up free breakfast to the public at Cork Neighborhood Bistro on Friday, March 16 from 8:00 am - 10:00 am to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Donations will be welcomed. In addition, Mayor Summey will be promoting the City’s annual St. Paddy’s Day Block Party and Parade (Saturday, March 17 from 12 noon to 8:00 pm), the biggest street party in the Lowcountry.

WTMA’s host of the Morning Buzz, Richard Todd, will broadcast live from the event and will feature interviews with prominent local figures alongside his normal political punditry.

Cork Neighborhood Bistro is located at 1067 East Montague Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405.

Throughout the month of March, merchants in the Olde Village of North Charleston will be participating in the MDA’s Shamrocks Against Dystrophy campaign, selling shamrocks for $1.00 or $5.00. Shamrocks Against Dystrophy is the nation’s largest charity-related fundraiser associated with St. Patrick’s Day.

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

St. Paddy's Day Block Party & Parade

IMG_1428 IMG_1376-1
Saturday, March 17th in North Charleston on East Montague from 12:00 noon - 8:00 pm

Join the biggest St. Patrick’s Day street party in the Lowcountry on Saturday, March 17th in the Olde Village of North Charleston (located on East Montague Avenue near Park Circle). The 9th Annual “St. Paddy’s Day Block Party & Parade” is from 12:00 noon – 8:00 pm and promises fun for the entire family.
The celebration includes two stages with live music, jump castles, the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department family stage, face painting, bagpipe music, a mechanical bull, the Carolina Studios Mobile Studio, food vendors, corned beef and cabbage, a DJ, Irish trivia, and  much more.

Live music line-up includes:  WADATA, MOONLIGHT ALE, FOLKGRASS TRIO, KARL BYRNE, WHISKEY DIABLO, THE THREE DUDES, LIZZY PITCH, SEAN and AUSTIN LEONARD.

This year’s party will kick off with a parade starting at Park Place East (adjacent to East Montague Avenue and across from Park Circle Community Center) at 12 PM. The parade route will go down East Montague Avenue to the block party location near Virginia Avenue. The parade Grand Marshall will be city of North Charleston Council Member Todd Olds. North Charleston's Mayor Keith Summey will also participate in the parade.

East Montague Avenue will close from Park Place East to O’Hear Avenue at 11:30 am and stay closed for the duration of the parade.  East Montague will close between Virginia Avenue and  Jenkins Avenue at 10:00 am and stay closed for the duration of the block party.

The party, parade and parking are free to the public.

The 9th Annual St. Paddy’s Day Block Party and Parade is sponsored by the Madra Rua Irish Pub, Pearlstine Distributors, Cork Neighborhood Bistro, DIG in the Park, EVO Pizza, Cheerwine, The Sparrow, The Barbecue Joint and Guinness.

Watch the March 8, 2012 City Council Meeting


Download the Agenda

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

North Rhett Avenue to close Thursday for repairs by Norfolk Southern Railroad; Attaway Street to close Friday


View NS Road Closures in a larger map

Norfolk Southern Railroad will be performing rail crossing repairs on Thursday, March 8, 2012 that will result in the road closure to vehicular traffic of North Rhett Avenue near Interstate 526.  North Rhett will close at 9:00 am and remain closed until repairs are completed, which is expected to be at some point in the afternoon.

Attaway Street between Greenbay Drive and East Dolphin Street will be closed for similar repairs on Friday, March 9, 2012 beginning at 9:00 am and remain closed until repairs are completed.

According to Norfolk Southern, repairs are to entail the replacement of rail lines and cross ties.

Motorists are urged to find alternate routes during the road closures.

Charleston City Paper's "Best of Charleston 2012" and its North Charleston highlights


The Charleston City Paper's "Best of Charleston 2012" featured quite a few places, people, and business in North Charleston. Hop over to the City Paper's website to check out each one.

Best Mix of Classes and Races
North Charleston Christmas Parade

Best New Addition to a Coliseum
Montague Terrace

Best Location for a Storm
The Old Village in Park Circle

Best County Council Member
Elliott Summey, District 3

Best Small-Batch Letterpress Outfit
Ink Meets Paper Press

Best Way to Explore Park Circle
Mixson Bike Scavenger Hunt

Best North Charleston Restaurant
EVO

Best North Charleston Bar
Madra Rua Pub

Best Authentic Pub
Madra Rua Pub

Best New Fit for Park Circle
DIG in the Park

Best Pesto Not Paired with Pasta
Pistachio Pesto Pizza at EVO

Best Oddball Pizza
Teriyabi at Park Pizza Co.

Best Local Beer Resembling a Frosty
Holy City Brewing's Collision Stout

Friday, March 2, 2012

Construction Gets Underway for New Roper St. Francis Data Center in North Charleston

Construction Gets Underway for New Roper St. Francis Data Center in North Charleston

North Charleston officials, healthcare executives and project leaders dug shovels into the earth today to mark the beginning of construction on the new Roper St. Francis Healthcare (RSFH) Data Center. The groundbreaking event was held on the center’s 24-acre site located in North Charleston’s Palmetto Commerce Park off Ashley Phosphate Road.

Facts about...
Acreage - 24
Square footage of complete center - 17,227
Primary construction material - tilt wall construction/concrete
Manpower during construction - 31,000 man-hours
Construction phase benefit to local economy - $1,700,00
Number of employees house in center (phase one) - 10
Design-builder - Clayco, Inc.
“With information technology at the forefront of national healthcare discussions the timing of this project is perfect and it is no accident. This data center will provide the muscle behind Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s long-term strategic plan,” said David Dunlap, President and CEO, Roper St. Francis Healthcare. “With electronic medical records becoming fully integrated at our facilities and doctors’ offices, this data center will mean increased capacity for our communications systems which will in turn lead to greater efficiency for the almost 300,000 people we serve annually.”

Speaking at the newly cleared construction site, John Holloway, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Roper St. Francis Foundation and data center project chairman said the facility will serve as a safe harbor for the consolidation of 40 tons of equipment that provide electronic communications to more than 100 RSFH facilities throughout a nine-county area.

“This isn’t just about computer servers and wires, it’s about computerized physician order entry, decision support systems and coding for the administration of medications,” Holloway said. “This is about the work of caring for patients, and in 21st century healthcare that means advanced and highly protected information technology.”

A concrete, tilt-wall construction design, the data center will measure 17,000 square-feet, including the facility’s mechanical yard. Once the center is fully operational RSFH should have unlimited capability to support future growth related to technological needs.

The structure has also been designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane (160 MPH winds) and an above-code seismic event, which RSFH Vice President and Chief Information Officer Mike Taylor says will reduce the risk of catastrophic facility failure.

“We chose the Palmetto Commerce Park site because of the utility services available there, the accessibility and the inland location,” said Taylor. “Our equipment will soon be centralized and with redundant operational capability, we will have an increased margin of safety to protect against information technology process disruptions contributing to the long-term health and viability of our enterprise.”

The design contractor for the project is Clayco, Inc. Subcontracting services are being provided by 16 local companies and eight regional subcontractors from North Carolina and South Carolina.

“Palmetto Commerce Park in North Charleston was determined to be the perfect location for this important Roper St. Francis project,” said North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey. “We are excited to see the construction phase get underway, which is expected to contribute than $1.7 million to North Charleston’s economy over the next year.”

The RSFH data center is expected to be open early summer, 2013, staffed by 10-15 employees.

North Charleston Arts Festival Reveals 2102 Design Competition Winner

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The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce My Muse, an acrylic painting by Elena Barna, as the winner of the 2012 North Charleston Arts Festival Design Competition.  As the winner of the statewide competition, Barna’s original design will be used to promote the 2012 North Charleston Arts Festival, taking place May 4-12.  In addition, the piece will become part of the City of North Charleston’s Public Art Collection.

Barna gathers inspiration from the Impressionism and Post-impressionism art movements, as well as Art Nouveau, and cites Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin, Monet, Degas, and Alphonse Mucha as artists she admires. Preferring to work in acrylic and oil, her work features vivid colors, thick application of paint, distinctive brush strokes, and realistic subject matter, mainly people. Form and color are central to her aesthetic and shimmering surfaces and rich dabs of paint characterize her paintings. Her art is an emotional vision of the world.  She uses color as a means to express feelings about a subject or her memories – a way to express emotion and communicate to the viewer a spiritual message.

Born in 1987 in Volgograd, Russia, Elena Barna began her art education in high school.  She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Art Education from Volgograd State University of Education in Russia.  In 2008, Elena came to Charleston to work for the summer and learn about life in America.  To her surprise, she fell in love with the city, the Carolina Lowcountry, and resident Josh Barna.  After returning home to complete her education and the long process of legal immigration, Elena and Josh were married following her return to Charleston in 2009.  She currently lives and works in North Charleston with Josh and their bull mastiff, Phoenix.

An exhibition of Elena’s work will be on display at the North Charleston City Gallery throughout the month of May. The gallery is located within the Charleston Area Convention Center at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Gallery hours are 9:00am-5:00pm daily and admission and parking are free. The public is invited to meet the artist at the gallery on May 5 and 6 during the Main Event of the North Charleston Arts Festival. T-shirts and posters featuring the winning design will be available for sale.

For more information about the North Charleston Arts Festival, or other competition and exhibition opportunities, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.

Mayor Summey punks Madra Rua owners for Madra Rua Day



Under the guise of complaints from DHEC and questions from a local news station, Mayor Summey sets up a meeting with the owners of Madra Rua Irish Pub. Little do they know that the Mayor will be presenting a proclamation to them, naming March 3, 2012 Madra Rua Day in the City of North Charleston in celebration of their 9th anniversary of operation on East Montague in Park Circle.