North Charleston 2012 Magazine

N O RT H C H A R LE S TO N O N LI N E .CO M

One of a kind Birth Place Metanoia CEO, Bill Stanfield

S PR I N G / S U M M ER 2 0 12

NORTH CHARLESTONCOMPANY LEADSCHARGE TO BUY LOCAL

CHARLESTONNORTH

Behere,buyhere

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S PR I N G / S U M M ER 2 0 12

Inside

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4 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M

Living1 1 N O D TO PA R K C I R C L E

This Old House magazine recognizesneighborhood as one of the best.

1 3 LO R DY, LO R DY T H E C IT Y ' S 4 0On June 12, North Charleston will cele-brate its 40th anniversary as a city. NorthCharleston Magazine sat down for a Q&Awith Mayor Keith Summey to reflect onthe city’s past, present and future.

2 4 C IT I Z E N O F T H E Y E A RThe Rev. Bill Stanfield serves the Chico-ra neighborhood as CEO of Metanoia, anonprofit that aims to develop youngleaders and to promote economicdevelopment and decent housing.

2 8 B E H E R E , B U Y H E R EThis edition's cover story takes a closerlook at Lowcountry Local First, a North-Charleston based company focused onkeeping home-grown companies happyand healthy.

Working3 8 B I RT H P L AC E

The Charleston Birth Place, one of theonly centers of its kind in the state,gives expectant mothers a safe andholistic option for childbirth. Nurse-midwives at the center are equippedto handle complications, can write pre-scriptions and have full access to thematernity area at nearby Trident Medi-cal Center so that they can move withthe mother to the hospital if needed.

4 2 FO U N DATI O N FO R TH E FUTU R EAmid dust and din, a cavernous70-year-old warehouse once used bythe Navy is being transformed to play akey role in the nation’s energy future.Sometime this summer, workers willjockey a 150-ton rig designed to test thedrive trains of offshore wind turbinesinto a massive hole in the floor of thetesting facility on the campus of Clem-son University’s Restoration Institute.

Playing4 6 H U N LE Y R I G H T S I D E U P

If you haven’t seen the H.L. Hunley inthe past few months, you really haven’tseen it. Not the way it looked in 1864,when it became the first submarine tosink an enemy ship in combat. Localsand tourists alike have been flocking tothe Warren Lasch Conservation Centerto see the Civil War sub since engineersremoved it from the cradle that’s held itfor more than a decade.

5 2 AT T R AC T I O N SVisitors to North Charleston won’t everrun out of things to see and places togo. The city’s attractions run the gamutfrom a massive coliseum to a top-notchgolf course and a popular water park.

5 5 R E STAU R A N T P R O FI LE SHungry? Then belly up to the bar orgrab a table. North Charleston’s goteverything you need, from fast food totrendy restaurants.

The coverCover photo-graph by DanHale featuringNikki Seibert,(from left)Jamee Haley,Kate Gebler,and Kat Martinof LowcountryLocal First.

14 T R I D E N T H E A LT H W E LC O M E SN E W B O R N S I N M A N Y WAY S

1 5 P U T T I N G YO U R H E A RT I N T H ER I G H T P L AC E

1 8 R O B OT I C S U R G E RY H E LP SP H Y S I C I A N S S AV E LI V E S

Health GuideSpecial section by Trident Health System

6 s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 2 n o r t h c h a r l e s t o n o n l i n e . c o m

Bill HawkinsPu blisherThe Post and Courier843.937. [email protected]

Tom CliffordE xec utive News D irectorThe Post and Courier843.937. [email protected]

sTeve wagenlanderD irector of Audience D evelopmentThe Post and Courier843.937. [email protected]

maTT winTerE ditor, North Charle ston Magaz [email protected]@postandcourier.com

Jay fleTCHerContribut ing D e sig n E ditorjfletcherdesign.com

gayle J. smiTHD irector of AdvertisingThe Post and [email protected]

doug kiferNiche Advertising S ale s [email protected]@postandcourier.com

norTH CHarlesTon magazinei s a s p e c i a l p u b l i c a t i o n o f T h e P o s ta n d C o u r i e r n e w s p a p e r, 1 3 4 C o l u m b u sS t . , C h a r l e s t o n , S . C . 2 9 4 0 3 . C o p y -r i g h t 2 0 1 2 b y T h e P o s t a n d C o u r i e r.N o p o r t i o n o f t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n m a y b er e p r o d u c e d i n w h o l e o r i n p a r t w i t h o u te x p r e s s w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n f r o m T h eP o s t a n d C o u r i e r.

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SCAN with your PHONEuse a QR app to view our

complete event listing

SCAN with your PHONEuse a QR app to view our

complete event listing

Contributorss pr i n g / s u m m er 2 0 12

Rob YoungRob Young, a Lowcountry freelance writer who works in North Charles-

ton, got to know the folks behind Lowcountry Local First for this edition'scover story (p 28). This North Charleston-based organization focuses its ef-forts on two main initiatives, “Buy Local” and “Eat Local,” through affiliationswith hundreds of local businesses, from retail shops and manufacturers torestaurants, farms and food-and-beverage suppliers.

Carol KellyCarol Roach Kelly, a contributing editor for

North Charleston Magazine and former deskeditor with The Post and Courier, has lived inNorth Charleston since 1996. She moved fromAlbany, N.Y., where for 14 years she was an edi-tor with The Times Union.

Dan HaleDan and his wife, Ame-

lia, own Dreamland Im-ages. Both photographershave both been recog-nized for their work asphotojournalists and nowspecialize in wedding andportrait photography. For this edition, Danshot wonderful portraits for our cover story onLowcountry Local First and business profilesof the Charleston Birth Place (p. 38) and DiaperParties (p. 40).

Robert BehreRobert Behre has been a reporter with The

Post and Courier since 1990 and began cover-ing North Charleston last year. For this edi-tion, Robert caught up with the Rev. Bill Stan-field, the city's 2011 Citizen of the Year. (p. 24)

Brian HicksBrian Hicks is a columnist for The Post and

Courier and the author or coauthor of sixbooks, including “Raising the Hunley.” For thisedition, Brian revisits the confederate subma-rine, now housed North Charleston (p. 46).

John StrubelJohn Strubel is a freelance writer and di-

rector of Integrated Marketing at CharlestonSouthern University in North Charleston. Forthis edition, John caught up with Mayor KeithSummey about the city's 40th birthday (p. 13).

Liz RennieLiz Rennie lives and works in North Charles-

ton, writing for several online publications.For this edition, Liz talked with the owners ofCharleston Birth Place (p. 38) and a local clothdiaper business (p. 40).


Copy editing: Jennifer Berry Hawes, Carol Kelly, Allison Nugent and Sandy Schopfer.

You’ve got a friend in the car business!8199 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston

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You’ve got a friend in the car business!8199 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston

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BUY LOCAL. EAT LOCAL. SOUNDS SIMPLE, RIGHT?Before you answer, take an inventory of what you’ve bought this

week and then ask yourself: How many items were made or grown

here in the Lowcountry?

The folks over at Lowcountry Local First hope you see an oppor-

tunity to do more. This North Charleston-based company, headquar-

tered in the Navy Yard at Noisette, is the subject of this edition’s cover

story, “Be Here, Buy Here.” (p. 28)

We were excited to learn more about the buy-local champions

running LLF, and to share their story with our readers. Simply put, we

feel a kinship. After all, North Charleston Magazine is a local company,

too. We write about local subjects, depend on the support of local

companies and hire local writers, photographers and editors. “Local”

is the name of our game — that's where you find the great stories,

that’s how you make connections that matter.

Leaf through this edition and, hopefully, you’ll see what we mean.

You’ll see a story about how the city of North Charleston invested

in green energy by buying and installing wind turbines on the roof

of city hall (p. 12). Where is the company that makes these turbines

headquartered? North Charleston.

You’ll see images of happy revelers from throughout the Lowcoun-

try having a ball in North Charleston, some at a beer festival (p. 22)

and others at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration (p. 23). Who’s behind both

of these great events? Companies in North Charleston.

You’ll find an inspiring Q&A with the Rev. Bill Stanfield, whose local

nonprofit organization, Metanoia, helps develop young leaders and pro-

mote economic development in the city’s Chicora neighborhood (p. 24).

You’ll learn about a unique local birthing center (p. 38) and small-scale

cloth diaper business (p. 40). You’ll read about the dawn of what prom-

ises to be a massive, new local industry (p. 42), and the latest chapter in

the 150-year history of the Lowcountry’s most historic vessel (p. 46).

Want good stuff? As is often the case, you don't have to go far.

MATT WINTERE d i t o r, N o r t h C h a r l e s t o n M a g a z i n e

Photograph by Wade Spees

E D I T O R ’ SL E T T E R

BE HERE, BUY HEREFarmer Frank Simmons packs up pea-

nuts at the farmers market in Park Circle.Lowcountry Local First, a company based

in North Charleston, helps promote localbusinesses, including not only retailers

and manufacturers but also farmers, res-taurants and local farmers markets.

1 0 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M

Photograph by Grace Beahm

L I V I N G

Park Circle Old houses rockTHIS OLD HOUSE MAGAZINE RECOGNIZES NEIGHBORHOOD AS ONE OF THE BEST

Charleston may attract millions of tourists

because of its old houses, but North Charles-

ton’s Park Circle neighborhood has been

named one of this year’s “Best Old-House

Neighborhoods.”

The honor did not surprise many who live

there, including Tradd Gibbs, whose home is

in Oak Terrace Preserve and who runs Cork

Bistro on East Montague Avenue.

“Everybody knows everybody,” Gibbs said

recently while hanging out with two of his

friends.

Gibbs said he persuaded his wife to move

there from Mount Pleasant several years ago,

adding,“We wouldn’t live anywhere else. You

can be anywhere in Charleston in 10 or 15

minutes.”

The editors of This Old House magazine

chose Park Circle as one of 61 great spots,

based on architectural diversity, craftsman-

ship of the homes and the area’s preservation

momentum — plus walkability, safety and a

sense of community.

This Old House praised Park Circle for

its “hundreds of lovingly crafted — albeit

more modest and affordable — old houses

surrounding a 30-plus-acre park filled with

baseball fields, playgrounds, and a weekly

farmer’s market.”

It also praised the shops and restaurants

along East Montague Avenue, new area

schools and easy commutes.

Mayor Keith Summey, a longtime Park

Circle resident who built a new home there

several years ago, said the city is honored to

make the list.

“We consider it validation that Park Circle

and the city of North Charleston are truly a

great place to live, work and play.”

John Hohn, one of Gibbs’ friends, said the

sense of community is what mostly distin-

guishes Park Circle.

“There’s no reason to travel anymore. Any-

where you go you’re going to see someone

you know and have a great time.”

Source: The Post and Courier

N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 1 1

FAMILY TIMEAshley and Shaun Laursen take a walk

with son Cole, 1, and their dog, Rosco, onHatfield Street. The young family has livedin Park Circle for a year.

HOME, SWEET HOMEJerry Lahm kisses his wife, Kyle Lahm,

in front of their O’Hear Avenue home,where they’ve lived since 2008.

They’re actually wind turbines that the

city installed with help from a $57,000 federal

grant, and they promise to lower the build-

ing’s power bill, which currently runs about

$420,000 a year.

However, no one is sure exactly how much

the city might save.

That’s partly because the turbines were

installed recently, so there’s not much data to

date. It’s also because the original plan — to

install the turbines over the building’s heating

and air exhausts — is in limbo.

The air conditioners’ manufacturer said

it wanted to run tests before it would agree

to abide by its warranty if the turbines were

installed close to its units. Placing the turbines

near the exhaust could create back pressure

that could tax the fans.

The city originally projected the turbines

might generate $5,000 in savings a year if pow-

ered by the units’ exhaust, but North Charles-

ton Mayor Keith Summey said that number

will be lower.

“If it will offset the cost in five years, it’s a win

for us,” he said, noting the city has spent about

$13,000 of its own money on the project.

“The big thing is how long will it take to

recoup your investment?”

TAM Energy, a North Charleston business, sold

the units to the city, and the turbines are the first

it has installed in the Lowcountry — other than its

own building, President Jeremy Blackburn said.

Blackburn said the company has done most

of its business overseas and in other states

where utilities offer incentives for wind power.

“South Carolina doesn’t have a lot of incen-

tives. In fact, it doesn’t have any,” he said.

“That’s a deterrent. In New York and New

Jersey, they’re practically free.”



Harnessing wind powerELECTRICITY-SAVING TURBINES INSTALLED ON CITY HALL

THOSE DRIVING UP TO NORTH CHARLESTON CITY HALL THESE DAYS MIGHTWONDER: WHAT’S WITH THE BIG BLACK FANS ON THE ROOF?

The growing number of passengers at

Charleston International Airport will soon

have more places to park.

Work was expected to begin this spring on

the addition of 428 new parking spaces in a

wooded area adjacent to the existing surface

lot, behind the parking deck.

Construction will take a little over five

months on the $1.4 million job, which was

awarded to Sanders Brothers Construction

Co. of North Charleston, airport spokeswom-

an Becky Beaman said.

The surface parking lot extension near

International Boulevard will allow room in

the future for the airport to double the size of

its 1,200-space parking deck into the existing

surface lot.

The airport saw a record 2.5 million people

pass through its gates in 2011, 25 percent

more than the previous year. The number of

passengers is expected to double by 2030,

according to airport officials.

To handle the expected growth, the

expanded parking lot is just one of the many

construction projects people will encounter

at Charleston International over the next

four years as the 27-year-old terminal build-

ing undergoes a major makeover.

Work should begin by summer on expand-

ing the apron near the two concourses so

they can be extended, adding six new gates

to the existing 10.

The estimated $150 million airport expan-

sion project will increase the size of the

324,000-square-foot terminal building by

25 percent, including the addition of a third

baggage carousel.

Expanding the concourse throats and recon-

figuring the mostly unused federal inspection

station will allow more passenger screening

lanes to speed up lines at security checkpoints

and provide more space for workers.


Making roomAIRPORT PLANS FOR MORE PARKING

GOING GREENRyan Johnson

with the city ofNorth Charlestontakes a look at oneof the turbinesatop City Hall.

n o r t h c h a r l e s t o n o n l i n e . c o m s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 2 1 3

In June, north Charleston wIll Celebrate Its 40th annIversary as aCIty. a number of events are being planned, including a performance byearth, wInd and FIre at the north charleston coliseum. tickets are $25and $45. north charleston magazine sat down for a Q&a with summey toreflect on the city’s past, present and future.

Lordy, lordy,City turns 40!A Look bAck with MAyor SuMMey

B Y j o h n S t r u b e l

were you born In northCharleston?

No. I grew up in Cottageville, near Walter-boro. My family moved here in 1962 when Iwas in the 10th grade. We lived in WindsorPlace, which is down by Union Heights. Itwas a divided neighborhood. Windsor was awhite neighborhood and Union Heights wasa black neighborhood. This was all prior tointegration and communities being mixed. Iwent to Chicora High School (which is Mili-tary Magnet today).

where were you In 1972?I was living in Whipper Barony when

North Charleston became a city. My wife andI had been married for three years. It was aneighborhood that was part of the originalcreation (of the city). The city was foundedon the (June) 12th, and on the 26th we weremarried three years.

how do you Compare the CItyas It was In 1972 to what It Is In2012?

Actually, today the city resembles more ofwhat it was in ’72. The migration north, the an-nexation’s north, there was a lot of emphasisplaced on growth and not taking care of theoriginal old downtown. Watching that growthoccur both outwardly and now back inwardly,what I see in the Park Circle area resembleswhat was here when the city was founded. Itwas the lifeblood of the city at that time. It isan area that has come back; it’s an area that isgetting investment by young people giving oftheir time and energy to build a place wherepeople can raise their families.

when dId you FIrst entertaInthe Idea oF runnIng For mayor?

I didn’t think I was ready yet (in 1992). Iwas serving on county council. I had servedthree years on city council. I just didn’t thinkthe timing was right. To be honest with you,whoever took over after John Bourne (firstNorth Charleston mayor) was going to have adifficult task. He had been mayor for 19 years.

In 1994, you ran For the openseat when then-mayor bobbyKInard stepped down. why dIdyou deCIde to FInally run?

I saw a community that was changing. We

were getting a lot of negative press. We werefacing base closures then. I saw myself ina position where I could add back and en-hance the quality of life. I saw a communitythat I didn’t think my children were going towant to live in. It’s one of those things that ifyou don’t get involved in and try and fix it,you can’t complain.

I had to ask myself: “Am I going to get intogovernment full-time or was I going to get outof government?” I made the choice to run formayor, and I think I did it for the right reason, toenhance the quality of life. We’ve been blessed.

how has the CIty Changed overthe nearly two deCades you’vebeen In oFFICe?

I think our reputation as a livable commu-nity has enhanced greatly. We are a com-munity that is offering more quality of lifevenues, whether it’s through our parks, ourshopping adventures, or the recreation andamenities that we offer through the Coli-seum, Convention Center, Fire Museum orRiverfront Park.

We have reached the 40th anniversarymark and we’ve added maturity to who weare and what we are. But we’re still youngenough to be creative and inventive, and thatwill enhance the quality of life for the nextgeneration.

Is there a moment In the CIty’shIstory, a turnIng poInt, thatyou belIeve led to today’ssuCCess?

When we were able not only to decide tobuild a convention center, but to get Charles-ton County government to be a team playerin that and form part of that. That showedthat they felt that we were a community thathad potential to add to the quality of life ofthe community and surrounding areas.

you talK to north CharlestonresIdents and busIness own-ers every day. how do they Feelabout the CIty?

The sense of pride of being part of NorthCharleston because of the success they’vehad in their neighborhoods and in theirbusinesses. There is a sense of pride in NorthCharleston — and they’re willing to stand upand say so. That wasn’t always the case. N

1 4 s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 2 n o r t h c h a r l e s t o n o n l i n e . c o m

WHEN A BABY IS BORN AT TRIDENT MEDICAL CENTER (TMC) AND SUMMERVILLEMEDICAL CENTERS (SMC), A MEMBER OF THE NEWBORN’S FAMILY PRESSES ABUTTON, SENDING THE TENDER NOTES OF “BRAHMS’ LULLABY” THROUGHOUTTHE HOSPITAL FOR 15 SECONDS. THE LULLABY'S MELODY IS ONE OF THE MOSTFAMOUS AND RECOGNIZABLE IN THE WORLD, USED BY COUNTLESS PARENTS TOSING THEIR BABIES TO SLEEP.

Trident HealthWelcomesNewbornsin Many Ways

The new lullaby system, which has been

instantly popular is an unmistakable sign

of larger efforts at both hospitals to give

newborns the warmest welcome and best

care possible.

Because SMC is a favorite choice for

many local families in our growing area, it

recently expanded its nursery by 50 per-

cent. The Level 2 nursery, which is intended

for newborns who are sick or have special

needs, now allows for a “quiet-time area”

and encourages moms to spend more time

there. “They have a more welcoming space

to visit their babies and to engage in their

babies’ care,” says Trident Health neona-

tologist Dr. Arthur Shepard.

Noise-reducing ceilings make for a more

peaceful environment. Also, the SMC nurs-

ery added advanced technology such as

state-of-the-art cardiac monitoring and an

Accuvein © device that reduces the number

of IV and blood draw sticks in newborns.

New Giraffe Beds serve as radiant warmers

or incubators for critically ill patients. Plus,

the patented Baby Susan mattress rotates

360 degrees and can slide out for proce-

dures or to promote parental bonding.

Likewise, TMC looked to the latest re-

search on what its youngest patients really

need when it invested in new Panda Warm-

ers for newborns. The Panda bed bathes a

newborn in soothing warmth, helping to

avoid hypothermia, which may be even

more important to the baby’s outcome than

originally thought. Plus, the warmer has

built-in components for monitoring and

respiratory therapy – including the ability

to deliver blended oxygen rather than 100

percent oxygen.

“These beds represent state-of-the-art

integrated resuscitation stations,” says Dr.

Shepard. “We have everything that we need

essentially at our fingertips.”

In a larger sense, Trident Health will

extend its reach as a leader in neonatal care

as it participates for the first time in the

Vermont Oxford Network, a non-profit vol-

untary collaboration of health care profes-

sionals dedicated to improving the quality

and safety of medical care for infants and

their families.

The network includes more than 900

neonatal intensive care units around the

world, and will provide Trident Health with

a range of quality management tools, re-

search and other opportunities to continu-

ously improve how it cares for babies.

Trident Health has also introduced a

new digital “baby board” on billboards

throughout the Lowcountry. The display

showcases a different Trident and Sum-

merville newborn each day. “This gives

parents the option of sharing the joy of

their new addition with all of Charleston.

It’s pretty neat to see their reaction when

their baby’s face is on a billboard,” said

Bob Behanian, Director of PR and Market-

ing for Trident Health.

Two digital billboards in the regionwelcome babies born at TridentMedical Center and SummervilleMedical Center. Each day, a new

baby is featured.

Special Section by Trident Health

{

n o r t h c h a r l e s t o n o n l i n e . c o m s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 2 1 5Special Section by Trident Health

AT FIRST, GAY PROSSER BLAMED THE VOMITING AND THE PAIN IN THE MIDDLEOF HER CHEST ON A PREVIOUS BACK INJURY. SHE DID NOT CONSIDER HERSELF ACANDIDATE FOR HEART PROBLEMS. IN FACT, PROSSER – A 46-YEAR-OLD MIDDLESCHOOL MOM AT THE TIME – HAD RECENTLY DROPPED TO A SIZE 6.

Putting YourHeart in theRight Place It was the left arm pain that she couldn’t

explain, and when her symptoms persisted

through the night into the morning, she

decided to get checked out. Yet she down-

played her concerns to her husband and

insisted on driving herself 10 minutes to

Trident Medical Center because she didn’t

want to stop him from heading into work

or her son from going to school. She also

was in a state of disbelief. “I honestly never

thought it would happen to me.”

While she made it TMC and received

the lifesaving care she needed, she knows

now that the best choice that day, almost

six years ago, would have been to call 911

as soon as the persistent symptoms sug-

gested a heart attack. That way, she would

have received initial treatment as quickly

as possible from emergency responders

who also would have alerted TMC to pre-

pare for her arrival.

But Prosser says she didn’t want to upset

the apple cart, and the same could be said of

many women. One study of heart attack pa-

tients shows that, on average, women wait

22 minutes longer than men before going to

the hospital after signs of an attack, accord-

ing to “The Heart Truth” campaign by the

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

“Women have the mistaken idea that they

are less prone to have cardiovascular dis-

ease than other diseases, but it is by far the

No. 1 killer of women,” says Dr. Woodfield of

Lowcountry Cardiology Associates.

Dr. Woodfield explains that it is critical

for anyone having a heart attack – whether

they are a man or a woman – to receive

emergency medical assistance quickly and

be taken to a facility such as TMC that has

a heart catheterization team that can clear

the blockage causing the heart attack and

restore blood flow. “We know that every

minute that passes during a heart attack

more permanent damage is happening to

the heart muscle,” he says.

Yet for women, heart attack symptoms

might be harder to pick up on, says Allison

Walters, Assistant Vice President for Cardio-

vascular Services for Trident Health. “It is

not always the classic chest pain,” she says.

Gay Prosser never thought shewould have a heart attack andinitially dismissed her symptoms.

Heart Attack WarningSigns for Women3Pressure, fullness, squeezing pain

in the center of the chest, spread-

ing to the neck, shoulder or jaw.

3Chest discomfort with light-

headedness, fainting, sweating,

nausea or shortness of breath.

3Upper abdominal pressure or

discomfort

3Lower chest discomfort

3Back pain

3Unusual fatigue

3Unusual shortness of breath

3Dizziness

3Nausea

1 6 s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 2 n o r t h c h a r l e s t o n o n l i n e . c o m Special Section by Trident Health

TWO YEARS AGO, TRIDENT HEALTH SAW A LOCAL NEED FOR

MORE SPECIALISTS TO HANDLE STOMACH AND INTESTINAL

ISSUES, AND IT LOOKED WITHIN ITS HCA HEALTHCARE FAM-

ILY TO HCA PHYSICIAN SERVICES (HCAPS) FOR HELP. “WE

FELT LIKE THE BEST THING TO DO AT THAT TIME WAS TO

BRING NEW RECRUITS TO THE COMMUNITY,” SAYS TODD

GALLATI, TRIDENT HEALTH PRESIDENT & CEO.

ExpandingPhysician Services

HCAPs helped attract Dr. Rya Kaplan and Dr. Robbie Taha to

the Trident Medical Center (TMC) campus, establishing Coastal

Carolina Gastroenterology & Hepatology. In addition, HCAPS

manages the practice so the doctors can focus on caring for their

patients without worry about day-to-day office matters. “Thanks

to HCAPS, we know we have hospital coverage for gastroenterol-

ogy that we can count on,” says Gallati.

Nationally, HCAPS operates nearly 600 physician practices,

and the number is expected to grow significantly. Locally,

HCAPS operates 13 practices with almost 30 physicians in North

Charleston, Summerville, Moncks Corner, James Island and

Walterboro.

The local group is a mix of internists, surgeons and other

specialists. For example, the new Charleston Heart Specialists

will feature electrophysiologist Dr. Darren Sidney. The unique

house-calls service Doc at the Door – which serves the elderly,

disabled and homebound from its base at the TMC campus – was

able to add a second physician after joining with HCAPS.

Patient satisfaction scores for HCAPS practices in the Charles-

ton region average 4.45 on a 5-point scale. Coastal Carolina

Bariatric Center, which specializes in weight-loss surgery at

Summerville Medical Center, was one of the top four scorers for

HCAPS practices nationwide in 2011.

“We have great physicians,” says HCAPS Area Practice Man-

ager Debbie Morgenweck. “While some have come here to fulfill

a special need, others were already longstanding members

of the community when they joined with us. Together, we are

delivering high-quality health care to patients across the South

Carolina Lowcountry.”

Dr. Darren Sidney, a cardiologistwho specializes in electrophysiologyis with Charleston Heart Specialists,a Trident medical practice

Dr. Robbie Taha of CarolinaGastroenterology and Hepatologyjoined the Trident team in 2011

Great CareRight Here

Moncks Corner and the sur-

rounding communities have been

off the beaten path when it comes

to specialized medical care, but Tri-

dent Health is helping to change

that with the addition of new doc-

tors to the offices at Moncks Cor-

ner Medical Center.

The offices already offered a

family practice, cardiologist and

allergist. During 2011, two OB-GYN

practices and a pediatrician moved

in. Plus plans have been made to

add an orthopedist (to focus on in-

juries or disorders of the skeletal

system, muscles, joints and liga-

ments) and a gastroenterologist (to

care for stomach and intestinal dif-

ficulties).

“The community loves it,” says

Ann Edlund, Director of Moncks

Corner Medical Center. “A lot of

people here have transportation

problems. This way they can get

needed specialty care without trav-

eling long distances.”

Moncks Corner Medical Center

also has stepped up its commu-

nity outreach programs. These

include its Lunch with the Doctor

series, church health fairs, weight-

loss classes and special events at

Moncks Corner Medical. For exam-

ple, Teddy Bear ER times are set up

so children can bring in their bears

for some TLC and learn that the ER

isn’t such a scary place.

A free CPR class held across the

street at Berkeley Middle School

drew a crowd of 150 and helped

participants as young as age 10

learn what to do when confronted

with a cardiac emergency. “Imme-

diately afterward, we had people

asking when we were going to have

another one,” Edlund says.

n o r t h c h a r l e s t o n o n l i n e . c o m s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 2 1 7Special Section by Trident Health

THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL(DHEC) HAS APPROVED SUMMERVILLE MEDICAL CENTER’S (SMC) EXPANSION PROJECT.IN NOVEMBER OF 2010, SMC APPLIED TO DHEC FOR A CERTIFICATE OF NEED FOR A$26 MILLION FACILITY EXPANSION. THE STATE’S DECISION REINFORCES THE IMMEDI-ATE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HOSPITAL BEDS IN THE SUMMERVILLE AND DORCHESTERCOUNTY COMMUNITY.

ExpandingSummervilleMedical Center

This bed expansion, which the State rec-

ognized and predicted, is crucial to provid-

ing the community the quality health care

they need. SMC was disappointed to learn

that a competing hospital has appealed the

State’s decision, again delaying this neces-

sary expansion. SMC is the only hospital in

all of Dorchester County.

The 30-bed expansion will allow the hos-

pital to attract new specialists to the area

and further develop specialty care at the

hospital. The project will also allow SMC to

complete its goal of eliminating semi-pri-

vate rooms, which will provide all patients

with privacy, care and comfort.

In August, DHEC held a project review for

the expansion project. The review included

allowing a competing to present their opposi-

tion to the expansion project. SMC CEO Louis

Caputo says the State’s approval to build

sends a message that in South Carolina, the

patient comes first. “We are pleased the state

honored its own health plan and look forward

to getting started on this much needed proj-

ect focused on quality health care.”

The construction project will add 30

medical/surgical beds to the 94-bed facility,

convert 18 semi-private rooms to private

rooms, add an eight-bed critical care step

down unit and expand labor and delivery

rooms. Construction will take approximate-

ly 36 months to complete. It is estimated

this expansion will create 50 jobs within the

facility and 250 construction jobs.

The Summerville Medical Centerexpansion will add 30 beds andconvert 18 semi-private rooms toprivate rooms

It is estimated this

expansion will create

50 jobs within the

facility and 250

construction jobs.


FACED WITH AGGRESSIVE PROSTATE CANCER, SUMMERVILLERESIDENT TOM HALL SEARCHED THE EAST COAST FOR THE BESTSURGEON. THAT EXTENSIVE SEARCH BROUGHT TOM HOME,WHERE HE FOUND DR. TED BRISSON AND TRIDENT HEALTH’SSOUTH CAROLINA INSTITUTE FOR ROBOTIC SURGERY. “IT’S AGREAT FEELING TO KNOW THE VERY BEST WAS IN MY OWN BACKYARD ALL ALONG.”

Advanced Robotic SurgeryHelps PhysiciansSave Lives

Dr. Brisson had an excellent reputation, and Tom felt confident

placing his future in the doctor’s hands. “I wanted to go down this

road with someone that I trusted completely.”

Tom chose robotic surgery over traditional surgery after research

showed that robotic surgery requires a smaller incision and typi-

cally involves less pain, scarring and blood loss, while also promising

a quicker recovery. That was important to Tom, whose active life

includes drumming at his church and running – activities that might

have been put on indefinite hold with traditional surgery. Three years

after the surgery, Tom is still cancer free. “Cancer is like a big bad

bully. With the help of Dr. Brisson and robotic surgery, we were able to

land a couple upper cuts to cancer.”

Over the past three years, Trident has emerged as a pioneer in ro-

botic surgery, and in 2011, it performed 662 robotic procedures, twice

as many as any other hospital in the Lowcountry. The South Carolina

Institute for Robotic Surgery includes a team of 14 surgeons and doz-

ens of staff specifically trained to use the da Vinci Surgical System for

a wide range of procedures.

“It’s phenomenal – the volume, the outcomes. They’ve really done a

great job,” says Dr. Brisson, who credits Trident Health for its invest-

ment in state-of-the-art equipment and training. He says the da Vinci

system allows patients to have outcomes on par to a facility such as

Duke University or the Mayo Clinic, but with the personal follow-up

and care of a local hospital.

Tom has no doubt having robotic surgery in his own community

turned out to be the right decision for him. “It’s frightening to be diag-

nosed with cancer, but it’s great to know that there are other options

these days. Robotics was great for me. Now, I’m in a place to share my

story and educate others about the options they have.”

Tom Hall is healthy and activefollowing his robotic surgeryfor prostate cancer.



Trident HealthCELEBRATES AWARD RECIPIENTS

Trident Health recently celebrated the notable work of seven employees,

physicians and volunteers by bestowing the company’s honored Frist Hu-

manitarian Award to six people, and the Trident Award to one.

The Frist Award is presented in honor of Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr., an HCA

founder. The award recognizes one volunteer, one physician, and one

employee at each HCA-affiliated facility who demonstrates extraordinary

concern for the welfare and happiness of patients and their community. It is

considered the highest honor an HCA volunteer, physician, and employee

can receive. Initial nominations by the individuals’ peers are reviewed by a

selection committee. This year’s winners were recognized at special ceremo-

nies held at Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center.

The Trident Award is bestowed upon one individual, nominated by

peers and selected by Todd Gallati, CEO of Trident Health, who embraces

the Trident Health mission and values, and represents the organization’s

vision through action, thought and deed. This year’s Trident Award went to

employee Linda Stone.

This year’s Frist Awards went to employees Angie Wigfall and Jennifer

Schlette, RN; physicians David Castellone, MD, and Neil McDevitt, MD; and

volunteers Dick Prevatte and Caroline Stasikelis.


clockwise from top left:

ANGIE WIGFALLManager of Health InformationManagement, Trident Health,25 years of service

JENNIFER SCHLETTERN, Manager of EmergencyDepartment, SummervilleMedical Center, 10 years of service

DAVID CASTELLONE, MDinternal medicine,Palmetto Primary Care Physicians

CAROLINE STASIKELISvolunteer, Summerville MedicalCenter, 15 years

DICK PREVATTEvolunteer, Trident Medical Centersince 2003, more than3,000 hours served

NEIL MCDEVITT, MDbariatric surgery,Coastal Carolina Bariatric Surgery

FRIST HUMANITARIAN AWARD reCipienTs

TRIDENT AWARDreCipienT

LINDA STONE

Service Coordinator,

Trident Health Engineering.

37 years of service (every day

Trident Medical Center has been open.)

Q+ANorth CharlestoN City CouN-CilwomaN Dorothy KiNg wil-liams says she has dedicated herlife to serving her community.Williams advocates for the city'sdistrict 6 and has been in officesince 1990. a retired coordinatorWith meals on Wheels and life-long resident of north charles-ton, Williams sat doWn to discussher accomplishments .

DorothyKing WilliamsCity CounCilwoman

B Y C h r i s t i n a E l m o r E


you've serveD oN CouNCil formore thaN 20 years. DiD youalways see yourself oN a pathtowarD CommuNity leaDership?

I've always been a role model for the chil-

dren in the community. I started out as the

cheerleading sponsor for the varsity and JV

cheerleaders at North Charleston High School.

… If the parents weren't able to take them or

the football players, basketball players or soc-

cer players to the games, I was always there to

take them.

I've been like the second mama for all the

children in the community. A lot of times, the

parents weren't able to do it, so I took on that

responsibility.

why City CouNCil?Two different sets of citizens came to me

on back-to-back weekends asking me to run.

They said they believed in me and that they

wanted me to do it.

I explained to them that I was not a politi-

cian, I didn't know anything about it, and

to let me study it and let me see what it's

all about. Then when I did, I saw that the

people in the area weren't getting what they

should have been getting. Then I decided,

"Hey, I'll be a voice for the people.”

you've worKeD with meals oNwheels for some time. what at-traCteD you to the program?

One of my goals was to open up a senior

citizens home for people in need. This oppor-

tunity came before me to get this job working

with the American Red Cross Meals on

Wheels. That was another thing that I believe

God put me there to do. It was solely wanting

to work with the senior citizens and helping

them. The city of North Charleston gave me

people that needed community service, and

I had these young people go out giving meals

to the senior citizens and talking to them.

You would not believe how rewarding it was

to these young adults to experience this. It

really helped a lot of them.

you speND a lot of your time lis-teNiNg to the CoNCerNs of yourCoNstitueNts.

24/7 — I make myself available to them.

They can call me 2 in the morning, 3 in the

morning, early in the morning, because

people have problems all day and all night.

I just put myself available to everyone

in my district and the whole city of North

Charleston.

how has beiNg aN afriCaN-ameriCaN womaN affeCteDthe way you relate to yourCoNstitueNts?

Very positive. The majority of my constitu-

ents are African-Americans, and they have

been suffering a lot as far as not getting things

accomplished in the past. They know that I

am a voice for them, and I speak for them. I

make sure that I fight for them. I inherited this

from my mother.

My mother was a role model in the commu-

nity. … She'd go fishing, and whatever fish she

caught we'd have to clean, bag it up and take it

around to the people of the community. … She

passed that on to me, so everything that I do

I do it from the heart. Not because of wanting

to be re-elected or because of politics, it's just

me.

I'm just a down-to-earth person who feels

the need to look out for people. This is why

the citizens came to me way back because

they said, “Ms. Williams, you protect our

children in school. You don't let anybody

take advantage of our children, and you

speak up. We need somebody like you to

represent us.”

what are you most prouD of?That I have been there suffering, and I've

come through it by being a strong female and

not depending on others. I've been on my

lowest, and by the strength that my mother

put in me, and the help of God, I've come

through it. N


N ew C h o ppe rA retired U.S. Army helicopter with a rich history of

wartime flights and rescue missions has found a newresting place on the campus of a North Charleston

school. SPAWAR, which had been using the VietnamWar-era helicopter for a project, received the go-ahead to give it to Military Magnet Academy last

year, and the aircraft will be on permanent displayoutside the school on Carner Avenue. “I'd been pray-

ing for this for two years,” said retired Col. JosephDawson Jr. (right), commandant for the magnet mid-

dle and high school. “These are the kinds of thingswe want to do to show we are a military academy.”

By Tyrone Walker

City Scenespeople, places and events

To SUggeST AN eVeNT oR SUBMIT IMAgeS, SeND AN eMAIlTo [email protected]. FoR oNlINePhoTo gAlleRIeS, go To NorthCharlestoNoNliNe.Com

paC k o f paC hyd e rm sSix elephants that are part of Ringling Bros. and Bar-num & Bailey Circus make their way along Dorches-ter Road en route to the North Charleston Coliseum

earlier this year. North Charleston police blockedstreets as the elephants walked about two milesfrom Bennett Yard Road along Dorchester Road,

Interstate 526 and West Montague Avenue.By Tyrone Walker

Qu e st at ttCFort Dorchester seniorAnn Wylie takes her piz-zas to the oven duringthe culinary arts com-petition of the QuestChallenge at TridentTechnical College inNorth Charleston.By Tyrone Walker


Halle lujaH , b e e r love r sOrganized by Coast Brewing Co. and the Charles-

ton Beer Exchange, the third annual Brewvivalbrought a gaggle of beer aficionados to North

Charleston earlier this year to sample more than80 varieties of brews. And much of it is rare,

ridiculously rare, including unusual barrel-ageversions, sour ales, one-off cask ales and gravity-

tapped beers. Festival organizers cap attendanceat about 2,200, and tickets to the relatively small

event usually sell out quickly. So act fast next year!By Marie Rodriguez

N eW Co m m u N ity C e Nte rAbout 50 residents, city officials and other guestsgathered early this year to celebrate the openingof the Green Grove Community Center (below), asmall white building at 2634 Bennett Yard Road.Green Grove is an old, established North Charles-ton neighborhood behind the CVS at DorchesterRoad and Leeds Avenue. By Dave Munday

martial arti stsRichard Doolittle (below, center) leads Charlie Hol-man and others during Tai Chi, a form of Chinesemartial arts, at Park Circle in North Charleston. "It'sa nice, relaxing place. There are a lot of birds andtrees," said Doolittle, who picks a different spot eachtime he holds an outdoor session on the first Satur-day of the month. By Tyrone Walker

C26-718765

St. Pad dy ’ S dayA seething sea of green filled Montague Avenue

once again this year in the Old Village at ParkCircle. With Madra Rua Irish Pub leading the charge,

thousands of real and would-be Irishmen enjoyed anenormous St. Patrick's Day block party.

By Marie Rodriguez

Rev. Bill StanfieldCitizen of the year

Q+AB Y R o b e R t b e h R e

The Rev. Bill STanfield, 39, gRew up in gReenSBoRo, n.C., and he and hiS wife,evelyn, moved To noRTh ChaRleSTon’S ChiCoRa neighBoRhood 10 yeaRSago To do miSSionaRy woRk. They piCked The SouTheRn noRTh ChaRleSTonCommuniTy wiTh aBouT 2,000 ReSidenTS BeCauSe iT had The STaTe’S higheSTConCenTRaTion of Child poveRTy.

Photograph by Brad Nettles2 4 s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 2 n o r t h c h a r l e s t o n o n l i n e . c o m

Stanfield since has become an assistantpastor at St. Matthew’s Baptist Church onReynolds Avenue, but more people mayknow him for his work as CEO of Metanoia, anonprofit that aims to develop young leadersand to promote economic development anddecent housing.

Not everything has gone according to plan,but Metanoia has grown to see its annualbudget approach $900,000 and has seen itsshare of successes, in the neighborhood andbeyond. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Ber-nanke praised Metanoia in a recent speech,

and Stanfield has been named North Charles-ton’s Citizen of the Year for 2011.

He recently talked to North CharlestonMagazine about his life and work.

How did you and EvElyn startyour work in nortH CHarlEstonin 2002?

We spent a year just listening to folks. Out

of that is what birthed Metanoia. … We hate

to think of ourselves as an agency, even as an

organization. We really want to be thinking


ourselves as a movement, as something that

involves lots of different people in the commu-

nity where they’re real stakeholders — where

they’re given a significant measure of control

over how we do our work. As a result of that,

our work has worked a little better than some

others do that don’t have a really good read of

what’s happening on the ground.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROMLISTENING?

Even in a community like this that has a

stereotype of being high crime and high pov-

erty and that sort of thing, the vast majority of

people are great folks who want what’s best for

their community, who are willing to give back

to their community, who want good opportuni-

ties for their children.

YOUR APPROACH HAS BEEN TO FO-CUS ON CHICORA’S ASSETS RATHERTHAN ITS PROBLEMS. WHAT AREITS ASSETS?

There are a lot of assets. I think the most im-

portant are its people, their skill sets and their

gifts and passions … of the people in the com-

munity that contribute to our own program. In

addition to that, there are hard assets, as well,

like location. I love living in this neighborhood

because I’m 15 minutes from everywhere.

There’s some history here. With a little bit of

imagination, you can drive through the neigh-

borhood and see that it has good bones for a

strong, healthy, vibrant community. What it

lacks is a certain measure of investment. Again,

a lot of it is the pair of glasses you put on in the

morning, so to speak, to look at the community.

We can look at an empty building on Reynolds

Avenue that we’re working on renovating as

an eyesore and a neighborhood problem, or

we could look at it as a place of potential. It is a

choice.

AS YOU APPROACH YOUR 10-YEARANNIVERSARY, WHAT HAS META-NOIA ACCOMPLISHED THAT HASMEANT THE MOST TO YOU? KEEPINGCHICORA ELEMENTARY OPEN? HELP-ING REDUCE THE NEIGHBORHOOD’SCRIME RATE?

Those accomplishment have been very

nice, and the recognition has been very nice,

but the biggest credit to me is when somebody

who lives in the community expresses a sense

of ownership over Metanoia and says, “This is

ours.” When they speak about Metanoia and

ALL SMILESCampers attend-

ing Metanoia’sFreedom Schoolpractice for a per-formance in 2011.

POSITIVE INFLUENCEStefone Smalls has some fun in Meta-

noia’s after-school program as he learnstraditional African dances in 2009.

Photographs by Brad Nettles (top) and Grace Beahm

2 6 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M Photograph by Brad Nettles

they say “we” rather than “they.”

That’s the biggest credit to me because that’s

the moment when I see that we’re trying to do

something pretty different than a lot of other

organizations. Ultimately, we don’t want to

be the heroes. We want the community to be

understood as the heroes, not the agency. If

the agency is the hero, then the community is

never going to be sustainable. It’s always going

to depend on the agency.

HOW DOES YOUR FAITH INFLUENCEYOUR WORK?

It is hard work, and there are days certainly

when you don’t feel that you’re making much

progress and to me that’s where faith actually

comes in. Because, at the end of the day, my

fundamental question isn’t about success. It’s

about faithfulness. Those are two different

things. Our society doesn’t always recognize

that. You can be faithful at something and be a

failure at it. You can also be successful and be

very unfaithful if you give up on your values.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE WORDMETANOIA?

It means to make a positive transfor-

mation. It’s a word that gets translated as

“repent” in our New Testament, which is

not a particularly good word. Most English

speakers who speak of repentance feel guilty

about what they did yesterday. The word

“Metanoia” is more about a turning. It’s more

about leaving behind what you did yesterday

and turning toward something positive in the

future. If you break it down in Greek, “meta”

is “with,” and “noia” is “understanding.” So it’s

change with understanding, not just change

for change’s sake.

WHAT’S IN YOUR FUTURE ONCE YOURWORK HERE IS DONE? DO YOU FORE-SEE YOURSELF REPLICATING META-NOIA IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY?

I think my next incarnation will be work-

ing at a church or teaching somewhere. There

are a lot of things about what I do that I don’t

mind doing — payroll, accounting, all that sort

of stuff. One of the joys of what I do is that I get

a lot of hats, and it’s also one of the burdens of

what I’ve got to do.

WHAT ARE YOUR NEAR- AND LONG-TERM GOALS AS FAR AS WHAT META-NOIA DOES FROM HERE?

Short term, we’d like to continue on the

trajectory what we’re doing now. … Long range,

there’s certainly a desire to work myself out of

a job, to pass things along to the community …

to make the community sustainable, which for

me means trying to create as many of what I’ve

come to call “opportunity points” as possible.

With Metanoia, what we do is not try to do

is not focus on people’s needs and problems

but to create opportunities on a variety levels

for folks, so if they’re ready to move forward,

there’s a point that’s there that meets them that

they can step into, whether it’s job training or

literacy or homeownership.

HOW DO YOU SPEND SPARE TIME?My wife and I adopted two boys in Decem-

ber 2009. Family is very important to me. I also

garden and try to write. I find when I’m able to

plug into those things, work here is a lot better.

WHAT DID YOU FEEL ABOUT BEINGNAMED CITIZEN OF THE YEAR?

I was really humbling because a lot of

people do the work I get credit for. It was

gratifying to have genuine things said in a

positive light. If the city would have let me put

Metanoia’s name on it instead of Bill Stanfield,

I’d be happier. N

BIG PLANSThe Rev. Bill Stanfield explains plans

for the renovation of Metanoia’s ReynoldsAvenue building. The first floor will houseits Youth Entrepreneurship program anda cafe; the second floor will have sleepingquarters for interns.


C O V E RS T O R Y

byPhotograph HaleDan

EATSLOCALBUYS,LOCALGebler,Kateleft),(fromSeibertNikki

teamtheMartin,KatandHaleyJameeFirst.LocalLowcountrybehind

Photograph by Dan Hale2 8 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M

“I can remember to this day driving over

the Cosgrove Bridge five years ago and see-

ing the first Lowcountry Local First bumper

sticker,” says LLF Executive Director Jamee

Haley. “Now you see them all over the place.”

She’s right. The familiar Lowcountry Lo-

cal First logo — the script alternately set in

shades of orange, maroon and gold — seems

about as commonplace as the LLF attitude.

It’s simple, really: Shop local.

“I wish I had the foresight to gauge the

community’s awareness when we started as

compared to now. I think it’s grown tremen-

dously,” Haley says.

Haley and Matt Bauer founded the group

in February 2007. Bauer moved on to San

Francisco, but Haley’s still here, commanding

the nonprofit from LLF’s headquarters at the

Navy Yard at Noisette.

A small staff of four — three full time, one

part time — continues the charge, asking

that folks put just a little bit back into the

community.

“Jamee has done a wonderful job, starting

with and staying with the organization, and

being so enthusiastic,” says co-owner Trey

B Y R O B Y O U N G

H A S I T AC T UA L LY B E E N F I V E Y E A R S ?F I V E Y E A R S S I N C E T H E N AT I O N A L M OV E M E N T T O O K R O O T L O C A L LY.F I V E Y E A R S S I N C E T H E F O R M AT I O N O F L OWC O U N T RY L O C A L F I R S T, AN O R T H C H A R L E S T O N - B A S E D , P U L L - ’ E M - U P - B Y-T H E - B O O T S T R A P S O P -E R AT I O N I F E V E R T H E R E WA S O N E . S O , F I V E Y E A R S ? R E A L LY ?


Behere,buyhere

N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 3 1Photographs by and Dan Hale

LOCAVO RE S

Lowcountry Local First focuses its efforts on twomain initiatives: Buy Local and Eat Local. The latteris a sustainable agricultural initiative designed togrow and support local food systems by connect-ing local farms, producers and apprentices to localrestaurants, institutions and consumers lookingfor farm-fresh food and goods. The organizationis affiliated with hundreds of local restaurants,farms and food-and-beverage suppliers, includingmany businesses in North Charleston that sharetheir commitment to supporting local businesses.Sesame restaurant in Park Circle, for example,uses fresh local produce in its dishes, includingthe salad above being whipped up by chef TaesPenland. Sesame also offers a number of locallybrewed beers on tap.


Strock of Strock Enterprises, a family owned

full-service general contracting company in

North Charleston. “And it’s a hard job. She’s

telling people to do things they ought to be

doing anyway.”

T H E 1 0 P E R C E N T S H I F TIn the long run, LLF isn’t asking for much,

only a 10 percent shift in the way people

spend money. Just take a share of the capital

typically shelled out at non-local businesses,

the group says, and give it instead to locally

owned and operated shops.

It’s modeled after a well-known study con-

ducted in Grand Rapids, Mich. The assess-

ment determined that if the 600,000-person

populace reallocated 10 percent of their

spending from national to local businesses,

the results would be transformative: 1,600

new jobs, $50 million in local wages and an

additional $130 million invested into the lo-

cal economy.

“It’s sort of putting the joy back into your

money again,” Haley says. “Seriously, how

much joy is there in going to Walmart?”

More importantly, such change would help

the community retain its sense of place.

“We want to keep our areas and our homes

special, and if they become ‘Anywhere, USA,’

you won’t recognize one area from the next,”

Haley says. “Then you’ve lost something that

is more valuable than dollars.”

LLF is separated into two segments: Buy

Local and Eat Local. Buy Local seeks to

promote local, independent business owners

and farmers, and encourages consumers to

buy from the very same shops and farms.

Eat Local refers to LLF’s sustainable agri-

cultural movement, which hooks up local

growers and producers with local restaurants

and patrons. The initiative lends its support

through a variety of education, outreach and

apprentice programs.

The group counts 450 local businesses as

affiliates, according to the directory included

on the LLF website. LLF, itself, is a member of

Business Alliance for Local Living Econo-

mies, a national organization that promotes

buying locally produced food, products and

services. BALLE encourages a relationship-

based approach, drawing from more than 80

community networks in 30 U.S. states and

Canadian provinces.

About 22,000 independent businesses

make up its membership. But more than any-

thing, BALLE promotes a genuine, neighborly

business approach.

Photograph by Grace Beam

NORTH CHARLESTON COMPANYJamee Haley, executive director of

Lowcountry Local First, visits the NorthCharleston Farmers Market. Haley's orga-nization plays a leading role organizingand supporting local farmers markets.


“That movement is growing tremendous-

ly,” Haley says.

The same can be said for LLF. It’s high time,

Strock points out.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of buying in to

the LLF philosophy,” Strock says. “I think we

— as a country — bought out, which is unnatu-

ral. I think we bought out of supporting our

neighbors, schools and churches, and those

things that made us great as a community.”

A n u n li k e ly b e n e fAc to rLLF’s greatest growth came from an im-

probable, insufferable source: The recession.

“Our organization really grew when the

economy went down,” Haley says. “The

business and community members started

to understand that we really need to work

within our own place to find an answer.

“Nobody wants taxes to increase. It’s such

a bipartisan plan for economic recovery. It

really resonates with people.”

Also: It’s absurdly easy to participate. For

starters, need groceries?

“Piggly Wiggly is a local grocery store, and

they’re in every community,” Haley says.

Automotive? “Think about your tires,”

Haley says. “Hay Tire, great service. Gerald’s,

same thing.”

Appliances? “Usually, a wholesale appli-

ance seller will match the price of the big-box

stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot,” Haley

continues. “And you’re probably going to get

better service.”

Bottom line: There’s a lot of easy, low-hanging

fruit (literally, as well) to be had. “I think that

people don’t put enough value in the impact

that their dollars have,” Haley says.

Eat Local, for example, offers a gaggle of

opportunities, starting with LLF’s Farm Fresh

Food Guide, which provides a wealth of

information regarding local farmers markets,

community supported agriculture programs,

farms and distributors.

“We’re constantly out there trying to col-

lect more information and update with new

people,” Haley says. “We’re trying to make it

as easy as possible for people.”

Accordingly, the Charleston Growers group

gathers farmers, producers, apprentices and

other supporting members who convene to

talk shop and share techniques. Meetings

involve varied and instructive topics.

Just in February, urban chicken owner

Chuck Hooker offered a primer on raising

backyard chickens, going over laws and

ordinances, and the best ways to select your

birds. Participants even got a chance to order

baby chickens.

During the spring, the docket will include

a beekeeping forum put on by the Charleston

Area Beekeepers Association, as well as a

discussion offered by the National Resources

Conservation Service on pasture-raised

chickens and hogs. The full schedule can be

accessed on the LLF website.

Also notable: LLF’s Growing New Farm-

ers Incubator Program, which has garnered

significant coverage. The program seeks to

train the next generation of farmers, offering

apprenticeships, farm incubation and con-

nections to reasonably priced farmland.

Through LLF, prospective farmers have

apprenticed on area farms since spring 2010.

But the incubator farm offers a different sort

of training, as the acreage includes plots at

the Clemson Experimental Station on U.S.

Highway 17. Five or so apprentices will be of-

fered the opportunity, beginning this fall.

“It’s going to be like a business incubator,

operating with shared resources and men-

tors who will help them develop the market-

place,” Haley says.

Once more, the initiative speaks to the

R24-724814

LOCO FO R LOCALK.C. Rennie of Charleston Mattress, a LowcountryLocal First supported business with the motto“Built here, sold here.”

agricultural stewardship championed by LLF,

as the organization aims to harness human

and natural resources, and meet the needs of

today and the future.

“People have just become more aware of

where their food is coming from,” Haley says.

“And I think that people realize there’s truly a

sense of urgency in making sure we support

our existing farmers, and that we cultivate

our future generation of farmers as our cur-

rent generation ages.”

B U I L D I N G B U S I N E S S ,O N E M AT T R E S S AT A T I M E

But as easy as it sounds, buying local

requires a new — or perhaps forgotten — way

of thinking or conducting business.

Example: the Charleston Mattress store

and factory. Its logo — “Built here, sold here”

— sums up the LLF mantra. So does its story.

Justin H. Weil founded the factory in

1914, making mattresses and box springs

on Anson Street. The operation moved to

Meeting Street in the 1970s, then moved to a

65,000-square-foot facility in North Charles-

ton. Still family owned, the fourth-generation

company continues under the watch of

brothers Ritchie and Steve Weil and several

workers who have been with the company

for decades.

Husband and wife K.C. and Liz Rennie

(a contributor to North Charleston Maga-

zine), in conjunction with the Weil brothers,

operate the Charleston Mattress showroom,

which opened in August at 10 Storehouse

Row on the old Navy base.

The Rennies got on board with Lowcoun-

try Local First about the same time. For the

couple and owners of similar, small busi-

nesses, simple math shows the advantage of

buying local.

“When somebody purchases a mattress

from us, it’s built to order in three business

days,” K.C. Rennie says. “It’s created in the

factory by 12 people on the line. We have

managers, a delivery company and our truck

drivers. So if one person makes an order, it

affects 15 to 20 people.

“The same thing may happen elsewhere,

but our 15 to 20 people live here in Charles-

ton.”

The owners live in the community, as well,

meaning they have to stand by their product,

no small conceit when it’s as subjective as a

3 4 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M Photograph by Dan Hale

mattress. The business model, in fact, might

be better built for today’s economy, and

accordingly, more resilient to the highs and

lows of Wall Street.

“Those big-box stores can monopolize

the prices and mattresses. We’re in a unique

situation where we can offer a comparable

product at a better price,” K.C. Rennie says.

“We can cut out the middle man, the shipping

and the big ad campaigns. And if you have

a significant problem with the product, it’s

pretty easy to speak to the decision maker.”

W h at o n c e Wa s , W h at c o u l d b eRennie’s is a position echoed by Strock,

one of the principals at Strock Enterprises.

“Everything about us is pretty local,”

Strock says. “If I’m downtown and need

material, I’ll call Hughes Lumber, and they’ll

have it to me in an hour. That saves me time

and money by them bringing it to me. You

could get that service from a big box, but the

delivery would take a week.”

And not only is Strock devoted to the LLF

cause, his support extends to the national level.

He buys New Balance sneakers — a few varieties

are made in the good ’ole US of A — and Red

Wing boots instead of Vasque. So of course, he

tries to shop local as much as possible.

“We’re all still consumers. We have our

needs and wants,” Strock says. “But it’s just

as easy and most times better to buy from

someone who’s your neighbor, and who

appreciates what you’re doing, who you are

and what it took for you to make the money

and take the time to buy something from

him.”

Most conversations with Strock about

manufacturing, or big-box retail strategies,

or about supporting local businesses and

the economy, quickly draw his passion. He

reduces it to a simple act, one perhaps not

morally binding, but, indeed, honorable.

“Our grandparents and great-grandparents

bought local goods,” Strock says. “But here

we are in this generation, and we believe

that if you’re not shopping at Walmart or

Staples or eating at Applebee’s, then you’re

not having a good time. You cannot possibly

be happy.

“Mass marketing and the media have

figured out how to lure people into these

big-box retailers, pony up their money and

leave the front door with a bunch of brightly

colored plastic.”

But he sees the trend slowing, and

people buying back into what once was.

“Things that are important,” Strock says.

“The country had crazy credit problems in

the ’90s and 2000s, and that made people

think they couldn’t be anybody unless they

had material goods. I’ve seen that attitude

wane a little bit, especially among younger

people.”

With any luck, those sentiments will

continue to fade. After all, LLF’s stats show

that for every $100 spent at a local store, $45

re-enters the community, as opposed to $14

from a national chain store.

“I think we’d like to get to the point

where an organization like LLF wouldn’t be

required. That would be the overall goal,”

Strock says. “Until then, you’ve got to keep re-

minding people to shop at Croghan’s, to shop

at Hughes Lumber, to shop at Wulbern-Koval

instead of Staple’s.”

As for now, the responsibilities of indoctri-

nation carry on for LLF and Haley.

“We’re not saying you have to buy 100 per-

cent local,” Haley says. “We’re just asking for

people to make a small shift in their lives. It’s

going to have a multiplier effect, and it will

be financially, emotionally and personally

more rewarding.” N

W O R K I N G

M I DWI FECharleston Birth Placeowner and midwifeLesley Rathbun. Morethan 600 babies havebeen born at the centersince it opened in 2008.


THERE’S BEEN A SHIFT IN THE WAY WOMEN HANDLE THEIR HEALTHOPTIONS, AND NORTH CHARLESTON IS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HOUSEONE OF THE PIONEERS OF THIS MOVEMENT. THE CHARLESTON BIRTH PLACEGIVES EXPECTANT MOTHERS A SAFE AND HOLISTIC OPTION FOR CHILDBIRTH.

A natural fitCHARLESTON BIRTH PLACE

Nurse-midwives at the center are

equipped to handle complications, can

write prescriptions and have full access to

the maternity area at nearby Trident Medi-

cal Center so that they can move with the

mother to the hospital if needed.

Mothers of all socioeconomic back-

grounds, and from as far away as the Up-

state, have made the decision to give birth

at the center, as information about the Birth

Place has spread, mostly by word of mouth

and through social media. Director Lesley

Rathbun (MSN, CNM, FNP) says that many

parents hail from the Park Circle area.

Rathbun says the typical patient is

intent on breastfeeding, interested in cloth

diapers, dedicated to imposing the lowest

impact possible on the environment and

has done her research.

More than 600 babies have been born at

the center since it opened in 2008. Due to

high demand and an ever-growing waiting

list, the 4,000-square-foot facility has plans

to double its space over the next two years.

One of Rathbun’s favorite stories is of a

young mother who realized she was not yet

mature enough to care for her baby, but who

was committed to giving her child the best

start possible. The teen arranged an open

adoption and invited the couple into the

birthing room to hold hands with her as she

labored in a warm bath. According to Rath-

bun, there wasn’t a dry eye in the building

that day. The young mother is now enrolled

in nursing school with hopes of becoming a

registered nurse-midwife. Her child is thriv-

ing in a loving home in the Upstate.

Even closer to home, young families are

growing every day with the help of the

Charleston Birth Place. Jason and Elaine,

residents of Park Circle, had Sarah there in

November.

“I can’t imagine a better birth experience,”

Elaine says. “We got to know all of the mid-

wives and trusted that they cared about our

family. They understood us. They cared for

us. We trusted them. I always felt safe and

nurtured.”

The current space houses two birthing

rooms. These are large, welcoming bed-

rooms with queen four-poster beds and

a private bathroom with a sink, spacious

shower and toilet. A central feature is the

large whirlpool tub where many laboring

mothers find comfort in a warm bath as

they move through the process. Fathers or

birth partners are welcome in the tub to

comfort the mother through her contrac-

tions. Another room that includes a bed

and basic amenities is located off the cozy

waiting area and can be reserved for family

members.

The largest baby born to date at CBP was

11.4 pounds and was born to a mother who

labored for three hours and pushed for only

10 minutes. Rathbun says this is the type of

B Y L I Z R E N N I E

B I RTH I N G ROO MA birthing room atCharleston Birth Place.A central feature is thelarge whirlpool tub.

Go green, babyNORTH CHARLESTON BUSINESSSPECIALIZES IN CLOTH DIAPERS

CLOTH DIAPERING HAS BLOSSOMED INTO MUCH MORE THAN A TREND.THIS OLD-FASHIONED TRADITION HAS BEEN RE-ESTABLISHED AS THE NORM INMANY CIRCLES. IT’S MORE COST EFFICIENT, BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT,SAFER FOR INFANTS AND ENCOURAGES POTTY TRAINING AN AVERAGE OF SIXMONTHS EARLIER THAN DISPOSABLE DIAPERS.

Katherine Lochinger, owner of Diaper

Parties, has two young sons and still finds

time to be available to her many clients. Her

in-home diaper parties are wildly popular

with expectant moms and are often ar-

ranged as baby showers. She also offers an

array of items ranging from organic clothes

and wipes to amber teething rings, carriers,

homeopathic medicines and more.

Lochinger says pocket diapers are the

most popular because of their absorbency

and easy-to-use design. There are no pins

or origami-like folding — simple snaps and

Velcro adjustments have made the world of

cloth diapering more accessible than ever.

The new designs have eliminated many of

the frustrations associated with cloth diaper-

ing. Cloth diapers are no more time consum-

ing than regular laundry, and sun makes the

best bleach for tough stains.

“The momentum for cloth has been grow-

ing steadily for the past 10 years, but it has

B Y L I Z R E N N I E

4 0 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 4 1Photographs by Dan Hale

boomed in the last two,” Lochinger says.

“The economy has been one factor, but also

day cares are now more aware of the bene-

fits and ease of use, and families are acutely

aware of chemical and environmental issues

associated with disposables.”

North Charleston holds a unique place

in the Guinness Book of World Records for

being a major contributor to a successful

bid to break the world record for simultane-

ously changing the most cloth diapers. Held

in honor of Earth Day, last spring’s North

Charleston gathering attracted 94 partici-

pants, the second-largest city attendance in

the United States. The worldwide participa-

tion was 5,026. N

birth that would likely have been encour-

aged to induction (and probably a C-section)

in a hospital setting, but the mother and

baby did beautifully, at their own pace.

If complications arise, and the mother is

unable to have the baby in her private room,

Trident Medical Center is only steps away.

Mothers requiring surgery can be prepped

and ready in 10 minutes.

Research shows that 32 percent of

pregnant women who check into a hospital

facility in the United States have C-sec-

tions. The rate at the Charleston Birth Place

is 3 percent. The World Health Organiza-

tion recommends an ideal national rate

of C-sections between 10 percent and 15

percent.

When Rathbun first moved to Charleston

from Ohio, she scoured the Lowcountry for

a maternity floor that shared her views. Dr.

James Martin at Trident Medical Center had

been steering the maternity ward toward

a more holistic approach for several years.

The Birth Center was a natural fit with

Trident’s vision, and the partnership has

grown.

The health benefits associated with natu-

ral birth are well-documented. Some people

argue that a more relaxed and empowered

mother makes for a less complicated birth.

The subjective threshold of pain tolerance

and the benefits of natural preventative

care are sometimes murky, but are becom-

ing clearer each year.

But what about the financial bottom line?

Childbirth is the No. 1 reason for hospital ad-

mittance, and cesareans are the most-often

performed surgery in America. The billable

costs performed in hospitals today related

to childbirth total roughly $84 billion.

Giving birth at The Charleston Birth

Place is, on average, one-third the expense

of giving birth in a hospital setting. In fact,

a federal program called the Strong Start

initiative is encouraging mothers to seek

counsel from midwives and birth centers

to reduce preterm births and to save on un-

necessary costs.

As the area’s population continues to

grow and new families move to town, there

likely will be an increasing number of Low-

country residents who will be able to claim

that their start began at the Charleston Birth

Place. N

Th e n at u ra l wayTen-month-old Thadd Loichinger wears

cloth diapers while playing in clover atRiverfront Park in North Charleston.

C26-720484

A M I D D U ST A N D D I N , A C AV E R N O U S 70 -Y E A R - O LD WA R E H O U S E O N C EU S E D BY T H E N AV Y I S B E I N G T R A N S FO R M E D TO P L AY A K E Y R O LE I NT H E N AT I O N ’ S E N E R GY F U T U R E .

Buildingthe futureWIND TURBINE TESTING CENTER

Sometime this summer, workers will

jockey a 150-ton rig designed to test the drive

trains of offshore wind turbines into a mas-

sive hole in the floor of the testing facility on

the campus of Clemson University’s Restora-

tion Institute in North Charleston.

The unit, capable of testing turbines that

can produce 7.5 megawatts of power, will be

tested and online by year’s end. A second,

larger testing unit, one weighing 400 tons

and capable of testing turbines that can gen-

erate up to 15 megawatts will also be installed

— even though turbines that size have yet to

be built.

A 15-megawatt turbine could provide

power to about 6,000 homes. Using larger

turbines offshore would mean the same

power could be generated with fewer units

needing maintenance and repair.

The test facility also is being retrofitted to

withstand earthquakes and hurricanes.

Small earthquakes are not unusual in the

Charleston area. The turbine testing facility

is not far from a fault that caused the devas-

tating 1886 quake that killed more than 100

people. It’s been more than 20 years since the

B Y B R U C E S M I T H

LAYI N G TH E FOU N DATIO NWork continued early this year inside the foun-

dation for a turbine testing rig at the ClemsonUniversity center under construction in North

Charleston (right). Sometime this summer a 150-ton wind-turbine test rig, similar to the one de-

picted below, will be installed on the foundation.

4 2 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M Photograph (top) by Bruce Smith/AP

Photograph by Bruce Smith/AP (top) and Gareth Fuller/AP N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 4 3

last major hurricane hit the South Carolina

coast — Hurricane Hugo in 1989, a Category 4

storm that packed 135 mph winds.

When completed, the nearly $100 mil-

lion facility will be the world’s largest wind

turbine testing center and employ about 80

people. There are two other testing facilities,

one in Spain and one in Colorado, but the

Clemson test site will handle far larger units.

"We think there is an enormous potential

here," said John Kelly, executive director of

the Restoration Institute.

While there are no wind turbines in U.S.

waters yet, that’s the way the nation is mov-

ing, he said.

"As wind farms build offshore there will be

deployment sites. They are going to create

jobs and lots of jobs," he said. The Depart-

TH E FUTU RE FO R U. S . EA ST COA ST?A small boat passes through the windmills ofthe Thanet Offshore Wind Farm off the coast

of Kent, England. The UK's onshore and off-shore wind turbines produce enough energy

to power all the homes in Scotland.


ment of Energy estimates that the industry

could create as many as 20,000 jobs.

Earlier this year, the national Bureau of

Ocean Energy Management announced that

an assessment found there would be no

significant environmental impacts from issu-

ing wind energy leases in federal waters off

the mid-Atlantic coast. That clears the way

for energy lease sales off Maryland, Virginia,

New Jersey and Delaware.

Already there are two partnerships of

companies in Virginia looking to develop

wind farms in federal waters off the Atlantic

coast.

South Carolina is in a unique position to

help the industry. The deep water in Charles-

ton Harbor allows companies to bring their

turbines easily to the Clemson lab for testing,

and South Carolina could easily serve the

needs of East Coast wind farms through the

state’s shipping port.

Testing is key because it’s far more ex-

pensive to have something go wrong with

a turbine offshore and have to fix it at sea.

A 15-megawatt turbine would likely have

blades reaching 100 yards above the ocean

surface.

"We basically break them," Kelly said. "Our

job is to find the failure points so companies

can fix the failure points, which means when

the turbine is going offshore there is less

maintenance."

The U.S. Department of Energy gave Clem-

son $45 million in federal stimulus money for

the test facility, with state and private donors

providing another $53 million.

Clemson also plans a graduate center on

its 26-acre campus, meaning there will be

experts in wind technology, an attraction

that could draw manufacturers. Once it is

established, the industry will mean jobs in

manufacturing, deploying and installing the

wind turbines, and in logistics.

"There will be manufacturing near a port.

I hope it’s here. I would do everything in my

power to make sure it’s here. This is an ideal

location," Kelly said. N

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C33-725595


IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE H.L. HUNLEY IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, YOUREALLY HAVEN’T SEEN IT. NOT THE WAY IT LOOKED IN 1863, WHEN IT ARRIVED INTHE LOWCOUNTRY BY TRAIN TO BREAK THE UNION BLOCKADE OF CHARLESTONHARBOR. NOT THE WAY IT LOOKED WHEN IT LEFT SULLIVAN’S ISLAND ON FEB. 17,1864, WHEN IT BECAME THE FIRST SUBMARINE TO SINK AN ENEMY SHIP IN COMBAT.NOT THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE SEEN.

Locals and tourists alike have been flock-

ing to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center

to see the Civil War sub since engineers from

Parker Rigging removed it from the cradle

that’s held it for more than a decade. Even

Hunley scientists are raving about this new

perspective of the Lost Cause’s most fascinat-

ing relic.

“When it was lying on its side, it looked

squat and compact,” says Maria Jacobsen,

senior archaeologist on the Hunley project.

“Now we can see it as it should be seen. It’s

amazing how slender and menacing it is. It

means business.”

Sitting the Hunley upright is a major

step in restoring the 149-year-old subma-

rine, preserving it for future generations —

and perhaps unraveling the lingering

mystery surrounding the South’s secret

weapon.

P L A Y I N G

Right side upSCIENTISTS ROTATE HUNLEY SUB

B Y B R I A N H I C K S

Photographs by Grace Beahm (top and left)

T H E H U N L E Y ’ S STO RYFor the Hunley, necessity was certainly

the mother of invention. The South had gone

to war in 1861 without a Navy and no way to

catch up. The Union exploited this weakness,

blockading every major port in the South. In

Charleston, supplies became scarce as most

ships were unable to slip past the line of war-

ships guarding the harbor entrance.

With no way to build its own full-fledged

Navy, the Confederacy had to find new ways

to combat the U.S. Navy. First they created

the ironclad, converting the Merrimack into

the CSS Virginia — the ship that fought the

Monitor to a standstill off Hampton Roads in

1862.

As that historic battle was under way, a

couple of men in New Orleans were invent-


TH E VI EW I N 1 86 3This image, provided by the Museum of theConfederacy in Richmond, Va., shows theConrad Wise Chapman painting of the Hunleyin Charleston in 1863.

ing a new technology.

The Hunley was named for Horace Lawson

Hunley, a Louisiana planter, lawmaker and

idea man. He may have gotten the idea for

a sub-marine boat from a newspaper article

written during the first year of the war, a

piece that suggested the only way to combat

the U.S. Navy was through stealth.

Hunley enlisted an engineer named

James McClintock to bring his idea to life.

McClintock built a small boat that carried

three men — one to steer, two to turn a crank

to drive the ship’s propeller. They called this

ship the Pioneer, and it had a short lifespan.

Soon after it was completed, the Union took

New Orleans and the Pioneer was aban-

doned in a canal.

Regrouping in Mobile, Ala., Hunley and Mc-

Clintock built a second submarine, learning

from the mistakes of Pioneer. The American

Diver carried a crew of five, doubling the

number of men powering the sub. On just

its second outing, the Diver broke free of its

towline and sank.

The Hunley, as investors in the project

named it, benefited from nearly two years of

research and development. McClintock built

this new submarine longer, faster and more

advanced than its predecessor. It was 40 feet

long, nearly 5 feet tall but a mere 42 inches

wide. It was sleek, and cut through the water

with a tapered bow. Water piped into two bal-

last tanks allowed it to sink; pumps expelled

the water for it to surface.

The submarine carried a crew of eight,

seven men devoted to propulsion and ballast

tank duties. It was launched in the summer

of 1863, probably July, and performed admi-

rably in tests on Mobile Bay.

Word spread fast, and the Confederacy

requested the boat be sent to Charleston.

The sub began its wartime service as a

privateer project, funded by men who hoped

to win bounties that rich Southerners offered

to anyone who could sink blockade ships.

Some of these men accompanied McClintock

and the sub to Charleston but were soon

disappointed.

McClintock understood the submarine

was a delicate machine, and it took a deft

hand to keep it afloat. He spent two weeks

testing it, much to the chagrin of local mili-

tary officials. The Hunley’s arrival coincided

with the beginning of the siege of Charles-

ton, when Union troops turned their guns

on the city, and there was little time to lose.

The Confederates seized the Hunley and ap-

pointed a military crew.

That crew, led by Lt. John Payne, was

doomed from the start. On Aug. 29, Payne

had his crew board the Hunley at the Fort

Johnson dock. Just before Payne climbed

through the forward conning tower — only 17

inches wide — a passing ship threw a wake

that flooded the sub’s crew compartment,

sending it plunging to the harbor floor. Payne

and two others escape. Five men died.

The Hunley was recovered by Confederate

officials in order to bury the dead. By that

time, Horace Hunley himself arrived and

asked to be given his sub. He brought in a

crew from Mobile, men who had been among

its builders, and decided to make himself

captain. On Oct. 15, 1863, Hunley set out from

Adgers Wharf. When the Hunley submerged,

it did not resurface. Hunley failed to close

TH E VI EW TO DAYThis is the new, less-obstructed view of theCivil War submarine H.L. Hunley after the trussthat used to house it was removed. The trusswas made to lift the Hunley from the seafloorin 2000, and had provided the housing for the149-year-old submarine until this year.

Photographs by Alan Hawes (top) and Tyrone Walker

Photograph by Brad Nettles

4 8 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 0 N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N M A G . C O M

the ballast tank valve, and the sub filled with

water, killing all eight men aboard.

As far as the Confederacy was concerned,

the Hunley was a failure.

After it was retrieved a second time, it

was due to be scrapped. But then Lt. George

E. Dixon arrived with one final plea to Gen.

P.G.T. Beauregard.

Dixon and an engineer named William Al-

exander had been intimately involved in the

sub’s construction and promised Beauregard

the right men could make it work.

Beauregard had a great deal of respect for

Dixon, who fought under him at Shiloh, and

allowed him to raise a new crew. The sub was

refurbished in Mount Pleasant and eventu-

ally moored at Sullivan’s Island. And there,

the third crew of the H.L. Hunley trained

for more than a month, taking the ship out

into the water behind the island, learning its

quirks, limitations and amazing abilities.

Finally, on Feb. 17, 1864, conditions were

right. Dixon set sail on an outgoing tide in

calm seas and within two hours was four

miles offshore, within striking distance of the

USS Housatonic. The submarine approached

the warship on the surface and rammed it

with a spar armed with a 90-pound charge

of explosives. A barb on the charge embed-

ded in the Housatonic’s hull and the Hunley

backed away, under fire from Union sailors

on the ship’s deck. When it was nearly 100

feet away, the charge exploded.

Five men were killed on the Housatonic,

and the ship sank within minutes. An hour

later, one of the Housatonic sailors spotted

the Hunley a short distance away, apparently

signaling Confederate troops onshore. No

one saw it again for more than a century.

FI N A L J O U R N E YTO N O RT H C H A R LE STO N

The Hunley was found in 1995 by a dive

team hired by novelist Clive Cussler. It

would be five years after that day before

a team of engineers and scientists pulled

the submarine from the ocean floor on

Aug. 8, 2000.

Since that day, the Hunley has called North

Charleston home. The scientists who run the

project, now administered by Clemson Uni-

versity, recovered the bodies of all eight crew

members and about 2,000 artifacts — every-

thing from used matchsticks to the gold coin

Dixon carried in his pocket. Many of those

relics are now on display at the Lasch.

TH E VI EW I N 2000The Hunley breaks the surface off Charlestonduring its recovery operation in 2000.

PROUDLY SERVING THENORTH CHARLESTON AREA

SINCE 1962

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When engineers removed that lifting truss

in January, it set into motion the last phase of

the Hunley’s excavation. More than a century

of hardened shell and sand cover its hull

now and will have to be removed before the

iron hull is put into a chemical bath meant to

extract 140 years of corrosive saltwater from

its skin.

But even that concretion can tell a little

bit more about what really happened to the

Hunley.

“We cannot expect to see the fingerprints

of the night it sank — the environment it sat

in was too dynamic,” Jacobsen says.

As proof of that, you only have to look at

the sub’s bow. It is curved, like an icebreaker

ship, and scientists initially thought it was

part of the sub’s decidedly modern design.

As it turns out, the bow was straight in the

1860s, and has been sanded down by years

of whirling sand around it. Jacobsen said that

removing the truss that cradled the sub has

made this even more clear.

The two biggest holes in the sub’s hull are

on its starboard side and were obscured by

the cradle until January. Now, Jacobsen said,

it looks as if those holes also were made by

scouring, rather than any battle damage the

Hunley might have suffered in 1864.

That fact could go a long way toward

dispelling some of the myths that have fol-

lowed the submarine on its journey through

history and put scientists on the right course

to discover exactly what did happen on the

night the Hunley made history.

And all it took was a better view. N

HUNLEY TOURS

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; noon to 5p.m. Sundays

Where: 1250 Supply St., at the old Navy basein North Charleston

Cost: $12. Call 1-877-448-6539 or purchase atat etix.com.

For more information, go to hunley.org

TH E H U N LEY ’ S H I D D E N S I D EThe two biggest holes in the sub’s hull are on itsstarboard side and were obscured by a truss un-til January. Scientists say those holes were madeby scouring sand, rather than any battle damagethe Hunley might have suffered in 1864.

Photograph by Grace Beahm


Bill HawkinsPu blisherThe Post and Courier843.937. [email protected]

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maTT winTerE ditor, North Charle ston Magaz [email protected]@postandcourier.com

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norTH CHarlesTon magazinei s a s p e c i a l p u b l i c a t i o n o f T h e P o s ta n d C o u r i e r n e w s p a p e r, 1 3 4 C o l u m b u sS t . , C h a r l e s t o n , S . C . 2 9 4 0 3 . C o p y -r i g h t 2 0 1 2 b y T h e P o s t a n d C o u r i e r.N o p o r t i o n o f t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n m a y b er e p r o d u c e d i n w h o l e o r i n p a r t w i t h o u te x p r e s s w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n f r o m T h eP o s t a n d C o u r i e r.

visiTors To norTH CHarlesTonwon’T ever run ouT of THings Tosee and PlaCes To go. THE CITY’SATTRACTIONS RUN THE GAMUT FROM ACIVIL WAR SUBMARINE TO A TOP-NOTCHGOLF COURSE AND A WILDLY POPULARWATER PARK. NOT ENOUGH? HEAD OVERTO THE COLISEUM FOR WORLD-CLASSCONCERTS — NORTH CHARLESTON ISWHERE THE BIG NAMES COME TO PLAY.

AttractionsIN NORTH CHARLESTON

norTH CHarlesTon Coliseumand Performing arTs CenTer

5001 COLISEUM DRIVENorth Charleston’s premier event destina-

tion opened more than 18 years ago. This

state-of-the-art facility attracts top-name

concerts, sporting extravaganzas, skating

events and hockey games.

The Coliseum is home to the South Caro-

lina Stingrays, three-time defending Kelly

Cup Champions. As part of the ECHL, the

Stingrays were founded in 1994 and have

dazzled crowds with awesome displays of

Bigger and BeTTerImprovements at the North CharlestonColisuem and Convention Center includenew luxury boxes in the Coliseum.


Photograph by Brad Nettles

skating and stick-handling prowess ever

since.

The 3,000-seat North Charleston Perform-

ing Arts Center was added to the coliseum-

convention center complex in 1999. The

city recently completed a massive renova-

tion of the Coliseum, which included new

luxury suites, high-tech scoreboard and

7,400-square foot addition called the Mon-

tague Terrace.

For show times and more information, go to

coliseumpac.com.

WANNAMAKER COUNTY PARK8888 UNIVERSITY BLVD.

Wannamaker Park offers visitors the

chance to explore more than 1,000 acres

of beautiful woodlands and wetlands and,

in the summer months, enjoy a wildly

popular water park. Amenities include miles

of paved trails, picnic sites with grills, two

playgrounds, an off-leash dog park, a park

center with snack bar and rest rooms, a sand

volleyball court and horseshoe pits. Wan-

namaker also is home to Whirlin’ Waters

Adventure Waterpark, a seasonal attraction

that features slides, kiddie pools and wave

pools. For park fees and hours, which vary by

season, visit ccprc.com.

CIVIL WAR SUBMARINE HUNLEY1250 SUPPLY ST.

The wreck of the Civil War submarine

Hunley was lifted from the Atlantic Ocean

floor in 2000. The storied vessel had rested

there since 1863, when it sank with its crew

of eight men soon after participating in what

is widely referred to as the first sinking of

a naval vessel by a submarine. Now, this

unique piece of history is preserved in North

Charleston at the Warren Lasch Conserva-

tion Center.

Hunley tours are available every Saturday

from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon

to 5 p.m. The last tour begins at 4:40 p.m.

Tours are not available on weekdays — that’s

when scientists continue their preservation

work on the Hunley.

Tickets are $12 and can be bought onsite

or by calling 877-448-6539 or at etix.com.

Children under 5 are admitted free. For more

information, go to hunley.org.

FIRE MUSEUM4975 CENTRE POINTE DRIVE

The North Charleston and American

LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational

Center is next to the Tanger Outlet Mall, about

2 miles from Charleston International Airport.

This museum houses the largest collection of

professionally restored American LaFrance

firefighting equipment in the country. The

26,000-square-foot museum opened in 2007

and houses 18 fire trucks and priceless one-of-

a-kind firefighting artifacts.

Admission is $6; children 12 and under

get in free when accompanied by an adult.

Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday

through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. For

more information, go to legacyofheroes.org.

RIVERFRONT PARKOLD NAVY BASEMCMILLAN AVENUE TO HOBSON AVENUE

The rejuvenation of the former Navy base

and nearby Olde Village and Park Circle

POOC H PARKA visiting dog jumps to meet Bella, a shihtzu, and Raven, an Irish setter, who werevisting at Wannamaker County Park withBarbara Aler.

CharlestonScene.comNightlife galleries at


My CharlestonMyCharlestonOnline.com

Explore the nation’s top tourist destination*

*Conde Nast Traveler, 2011

neighborhoods represent one of the most

sweeping changes to the city of North Charles-

ton in recent years. The development of

Riverfront Park has been a key aspect of this

revitalization.

The park is open to the public year-round

and has become a favorite destination for

residents and visitors. Set on the banks of the

Cooper River, the park features a large board-

walk, fishing sites, charcoal grills, a covered

pavilion and dozens of picnic tables next to a

modern playground.

Public park hours are daylight to dark un-

less otherwise scheduled. For more informa-

tion, go to northcharleston.org.

THE GOLF CLUBAT WESCOTT PLANTATION

5000 WESCOTT CLUB DRIVENorth Charleston’s premier golf facility

was developed with the richest traditions of

Lowcountry golf in mind. The 27-hole course,

designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, captures

traditional flavor through low-flowing earth-

works, classic bunkering and native vegeta-

tion. The course also offers five tees per hole

for all levels of golfers.

Wescott’s antebellum-style clubhouse

can accommodate up to 300 guests and

ranks as one of the Lowcountry’s top event

venues.

The golf course is open daily 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

during winter months and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. dur-

ing summer months. Greens fees start at $31.

For more information, go to wescottgolf.com.

CITY ART GALLERY5001 COLISEUM DRIVE

The North Charleston City Gallery fea-

tures two-dimensional works by interna-

tional, national and local artists in a variety

of subjects and media. Exhibits are rotated

on a monthly basis and may feature two

or more artists in the gallery space each

month. Visitors can purchase prints, note

cards, jewelry and gift items made by local

artists.

The gallery is located in the common areas

of the Charleston Area Convention Center and

is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

DISC GOLFPARK CIRCLE

The Park Circle Disc Golf course is located

on the outer eight islands of the historic site

and runs around the entire perimeter of “The

Circle.” While technically nine holes, the

course can be played in two directions, offer-

ing a true “18-hole” experience.

Natural beauty combines with proximity

to the revitalized Olde Village district on East

Montague Avenue, allowing golfers to play

a round or two and then retire to the “19th

hole” at any of East Montague Avenue’s many

restaurants and bars.

Open play is Monday to Sunday, daylight-

dark. If interested in playing doubles, meet

at the No. 1 tee, Tuesdays at 5 p.m., for play

beginning at 6 p.m.

OLDE NORTH CHARLESTONPICTURE HOUSE

4820 JENKINS AVE.Managed by the Greater Park Circle Film

Society, the Olde North Charleston Picture

House presents films and shorts not gener-

ally shown in local commercial theaters.

With the mission to screen high-quality films,

educate the public and engage in community

development, the film society continues to

be an anchor for film and community in the

Lowcountry.

For show times and ticket information, go

to parkcirclefilms.org.

N O R T H C H A R L E S T O N O N L I N E . C O M S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 5 5Photograph by Wade Spees

D I N I N G

HUNGRY? THEN BELLY UP TO THE BAR OR GRAB A TABLE. NORTH CHARLESTON’SGOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED, FROM FAST FOOD TO TRENDY RESTAURANTS.GOT ANOTHER LISTING YOU’D LIKE TO SEE IN OUR NEXT EDITION? SEND AN E-MAILTO [email protected].

DiningIN NORTH CHARLESTON

ANNA BELL’S10 STOREHOUSE ROW, 843-554-5333Situated in the Navy Yard at Noisette, Anna

Bell’s is cut from familiar cloth. The same folks

behind the Locklear’s restaurants in Folly

Beach and Mount Pleasant own the breakfast

and lunch bistro. Anna Bell’s accordingly

sticks to the tried-and-true, serving comfort

food in cozy environs. One could make a

pretty good meal just from the appetizers.

For your consideration: fried green tomatoes

with dill shallot mayo, tasty corn fritters and

baskets of hush puppies and corn bread with

honey butter. Other options include home-

made meatloaf, fried fish, buttermilk fried

chicken and oven-roasted pork loin dressed

in red-eye gravy.

THE BARBECUE JOINT1083-A EAST MONTAGUE AVE.,843-747-4567The Barbeque Joint keeps it simple over at

Park Circle, from its six wooden picnic tables

decked out with checkerboard tablecloths

to a chalkboard menu and one wall made of

corrugated steel sheet metal. The menu sticks

to the same, unfussy as can be, with barbecue,

chicken or a combo platter. The pulled pork

GOODBYE, AUNT BEA’SAunt Bea’s restaurant, a main-stay on East Montague Avenuefor 14 years, closed earlier thisyear. An Italian restaurant isslated to open in its location.

tastes dense and meaty, benefiting from the

three sauces available — vinegar, red and gold.

Mac and cheese, baked beans, red rice and

potato salad help spike the platters, along

with cool, crisp coleslaw and collard greens

touched up with smoky pieces of sausage.

Specials change up daily, and don’t forget

breakfast. The Joint serves up Southern-style

breakfasts to a cadre of loyal locals.

BIG BILLY’S BURGER JOINT5070 INTERNATIONAL BLVD.,843-747-4949At first blush, it’s an odd perch. But there it

is: a Bahamian-influenced burger joint in a

retail center with Quizno’s, La Hacienda and

Starbucks. At Big Billy’s, burgers made from

hormone- and antibiotic-free beef are topped

with lettuce, tomatoes and onions that were

raised in the state and cushioned by pillowy

buns from the Normandy Farm Artisan Bak-

ery. Plus, the mustard, ketchup, garlic mayo

and chipotle mayo are made in-house.

BIGHORN’S SPORTS GRILL7832 RIVERS AVE., 843-302-0963Bighorn’s Sports Grill embraces wild Western

ideals, corralling diners into a wide expanse

with promises of steaks, burgers, seafood,

chicken, ribs and barbecue. Bighorn’s, done

up with a mounted steer, other cowboy relics

and 50 high-definition and big-screen TVs.

The place counts 120 items — that’s right, 120 —

on its menu. Diners can flip through page after

page of popcorn shrimp, skillet cheese fries,

wing sampler platters, cowboy nachos, fried


green tomato BLTs, Texas toast patty melts

and smoked chile butter grilled shrimp. Every

cowboy or cowgirl in your family will prob-

ably find a dish to satisfy their tastes.

CORK NEIGHBORHOOD BISTRO1067 EAST MONTAGUE AVE.,843-225-2675Cork comes courtesy of proprietor Tradd

Ashley Gibbs, a third-generation North

Charlestonian. He chose the bistro’s name to

recognize the sustainability of cork materi-

als, appropriate considering the restaurant’s

usage of refurbished or repurposed fixtures.

On whole, the exposed beams, raised ceiling

and chandeliers create a stylish backdrop.

A seasonal menu occasionally fixes on lo-

cal items, such as oyster mushrooms from

Mepkin Abbey, but also stretches to include

PEI mussels, North Atlantic wild salmon

and beef from the Painted Hills Ranch in

Wheeler County, Ore. An additional pair of

winners: the Croque Monsieur sandwich,

rich with gruyere cheese, black forest ham

and smooth béchamel sauce; and the roast-

ed pork loin sandwich, smeared with double

cream brie, a sweet onion marmalade and

grain mustard.

DIG IN THE PARK1049 E. MONTAGUE AVE., 843-225-5201The name for this new restaurant in the Olde

Village indicates it’s one of the sister restau-

rants of the successful Daniel Island Grille.

The menu mirrors that of its namesake, with

appetizers, sandwiches, salads and wraps

named for athletes, stadiums, coaches and

clubs. Clever descriptions, including the

prophetic “Tom Brady no ring this year” onion

rings, make for entertaining reading. The

sports bar ethos is expressed in wings, dips,

chips, nachos and poppers. Daily specials

allow the kitchen staff to express their cre-

ativity and trick out basics such as meatloaf,

grilled chicken and pasta.

DOE’S PITA5134 N. RHETT AVE., 843-745-0026Doe’s Pita is an enigma stuffed into a single-

family house on North Rhett Avenue. Two ladies

use a variety of slowcookers and other house-

hold kitchen gear to produce very tasty salads,

soups and sandwiches perfect for a picnic or

lunch at the office. Grab a quick bite at a tiny

table indoors, or picnic at the tables in the front

yard. The baba ganoush alone is worth a stop.

EVO1075 E. MONTAGUE AVE., 843-225-1796If you had an “Extra Virgin Oven” (“EVO”) pizza

in their early days, it was from the only place

you could get it: the trailer-based wood oven

that owners Ricky Hacker and Matt McIntosh

set up at farmers markets and street corners.

Now they have a slick, bright restaurant

producing the same crisp, well-dressed pies.

Ingredients are obsessively sourced locally,

and fresh and bright flavors are the results,

whether pizza, salad, soup or panini.

FLY BY PIZZA7013 DORCHESTER ROAD, 843-767-1515Fly By Pizza, named so because of its proxim-

ity to Charleston Air Force Base, carries a

cargo load of pizza pies, sandwiches and

salads. Its menu plays off the aviation theme

with items such as Air Force One, JAG, Phila-

delphia Freedom and Aviano (after the NATO

air base in Italy.)

GENNARO’S ITALIAN RISTORANTE8500 DORCHESTER ROAD,843-760-9875This is old-school American Italian at its best.

The decor hasn’t changed much in the 28

years Gennaro’s has been open, and the menu

hasn’t either. Think red sauce and meatballs,

veal and eggplant Parmesan, iceberg lettuce

salads and spumoni, and you’ve got a timeless

recipe for an Italian restaurant. A few newer

items are miniature “gourmet pizzas,” steak

and fish dishes and New York style pizza, but

the piccatas and marsalas and Bolognese are

all there, too. Prices are relatively gentle, and

the traditional dishes satisfy thoroughly. Get

a glass of the house red, a bowl of red and

spaghetti, and let the evening unfold.

GRINGO’S FRESH SOUTHWEST3032 W. MONTAGUE AVE., 843-718-2225Gringo’s, a self-styled “Kinda sorta Mexican-

ish” place, dishes up a familiar bill of tacos,

overstuffed burritos, quesadillas, fajitas,

nachos and taco salads inside crispy tortilla

shells. The restaurant fills up tortillas with

your choice of chicken, steak, ground beef

and tofu, along with rice and beans. These are

generously sized portions, straight up Ameri-

canized or “Gringo-ized” tacos and burritos.

JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q4964 CENTRE POINT DRIVE,843-747-3800Jim ’N Nick’s bills itself as a Southern kitchen,

blessing diners with such down-home

provisions as pulled pork barbecue, hickory-

smoked beef brisket, spare ribs and those

teeny-weeny, oh-so-cute and oh-so-addictive

cheese muffins. The restaurant has managed

to pull off a rare double feat, inspiring loyal

devotees and critical praise. The restaurant

cleaves to the ole grilling mantra of “low ’n’

slow,” cooking its pork shoulders for 20 hours.

The result: fine, tender, smoky bites, served as

a sandwich or as a meal with a pair of sides.

LA NORTENA TAQUERIA GRILL6275 RIVERS AVE., 843-225-7055By now, La Nortena might as well be consid-

ered el abuela of Charleston-area Mexican

restaurants. La Nortena provides traditional

Photograph by Teresa Taylor

HIDDEN GEMCheck out authentic Vietnamese food atPho No. 1, a restaurant tucked inside a gro-cery store on Rivers Avenue.

dishes such as al pastor, lengua (beef tongue)

and bistec (grilled beef steak) burritos, tacos

and platters. A quartet of free sauces served

tableside guarantee a strong first impres-

sion. One of the restaurant’s signature dishes,

carnitas La Nortena (seasoned chunks

of pork set with rice and refried beans)

provides confirmation. Be sure to check out

the restaurant’s carniceria, including these

considerations: chorizo, carnitas, carne seca

(dried beef), palomila (top sirloin) and ar-

rachera (skirt steak).

madra rua1034 eAst MoNtAgue Ave.,843-554-2522Much respect is given to Madra Rua, a pub

faithful to its Irish pedigree. The carefully

designed bar and restaurant features dark

wooden furniture, low ceilings, several

alcoves and, naturally, Guinness on tap.

Patrons take seats at the bar or settle into

snug booths to look over a menu containing

selections of Irish extract. The pub serves

such traditional Gaelic fare as shepherd’s

pie, corn beef and cabbage, and fisherman’s

pie, a dish of white fish and shrimp set with

mashed potatoes, cheese and a creamy

sauce.

manny’s mediTerranean Cafe3032 w. MoNtAgue Ave. 843-789-4350Manny’s Mediterranean Cafe focuses on pita

sandwiches, hand-tossed pizzas, authentic

Greek specialties and platters and, of course,

gyros. Long the restaurant’s top seller, Man-

ny’s roasts its gyro meat in a tall, vertical spit,

carving out the strips for inclusion on pita

bread, along with lettuce, tomatoes, onions

and tzatziki sauce.

marie’s diner5646 rivers Ave., 843-554-1250At first glance it may seem like most other

hole-in-the-wall “meat-n-three” restaurants,

but, trust me, this is a good thing. Order your

meat and sides, and the wait staff will pile

up your plate from the buffet line. Can’t

decide on one meat? Too many sides to

choose from? No problem. Marie’s is all you

can eat! Finished with your fried chicken?

Order up some pork chops! Polish off your

mac-n-cheese before the green beans? Just

hop up and get some more! Wash it all down

with sweet tea, loosen your belt a notch, and

consider a nap instead of heading back to

work.

markeT sTreeT saloon7690 Northwoods Blvd.,843-576-4116How do you prefer your barbecue? Smoked

over hickory? Splashed with vinegar sauce?

The Market Street Saloon Smokehouse and

Grill serves up its ‘cue with a side of show-

manship. The restaurant’s staff performs a

number of choreographed, boot-stompin’

dances each evening to complement the

joint’s blue-ribbon barbecue, beef brisket,

burgers and wings. The saloon draws from

all reaches of the barbecue landscape,

concocting sauces provincial to Orange-

burg, eastern North Carolina, Memphis and

Kansas City. No matter your taste, Market

Street makes for an ideal honky-tonk head-

quarters.


mad ra ruathis irish pub in Park

Circle hosts themedparties through the

year, including a Biglebowski shin-dig.

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez

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Mei Thai7685 A Northwoods Blvd.,843-824-8887Mei Thai draws from the East, capturing

Vietnamese, Cantonese, Thai and other

Asian flavors. The restaurant has won steady

business and standing from North Charleston

diners. At Mei Thai, the 101-item menu rustles

up a multitude of noodle-and-rice dishes, run-

ning the gamut of typical Thai tastes: peppery,

sour, salty and sweet.

Mikasa RooM aT TRidenT Tech7000 rivers Ave., 843-820-5097If you’re feeling a little down in the wallet

but crave a fine-dining experience, Trident

Technical College culinary students can help.

These students run a full food-service opera-

tion on campus in a sophisticated new facility,

and the public can dine most weekdays of the

fall school year. The two teaching kitchens

are visible from the dining room, and the

menus reflect students’ willingness to please.

Less sophisticated menus are a mere $8, and

the more complex a mere $12. Mikasa opens

and closes with the ebb and flow of college se-

mesters, so call ahead before making the trip.

nigel’s good Food3760 Ashley PhosPhAte roAd,843-552-0079Nigel’s Good Food aims to offer “just what your

soul needs.” The chopped Ol’ Skool Steak has

onions, bell peppers and gravy, and two sides,

while the Big Country Rib-eye is enough for

two. The appetizers mix in familiar Lowcountry

mainstays: fried okra; deviled crab cakes, pan

fried and accompanied with corn relish; and

fried green tomatoes crowned with creamy

grits, corn relish and roasted red pepper coulis.

The noisy oysTeR7842 rivers Ave., 843-824-1000One of several Lowcountry locations, The

Noisy Oyster is a place that has the look and

feel of a beachy seafood shack, no matter

how far it is from saltwater. Thatched roofs

and surfboards adorn the ceilings, tropical

ceiling fans spin lazily, and fishing imagery is

everywhere. The menu is, of course, mostly

about seafood and is served up in myriad

ways. Coconut shrimp, calamari, grilled tuna,

whole fried flounder, shrimp and grits, and

the favorite steam pot are but a few options.

Family-friendly, The Noisy Oyster offers food

and fun for everyone.

PaRk Pizza co.1028 e. MoNtAgue Ave., 843-225-7275Evo gets a lot of press for pizza in Park Circle,

but Park Pizza has made it to its first anni-

versary in the neighborhood making mighty

fine pizza, too, plus calzones, sandwiches

and salads. The shop is tiny, and in summer

heats up with the red-hot ovens running full-

blast. But there is sidewalk seating, a take-out

option … and Park Pizza delivers, too. Locals

(and the employees, surely) look forward to

cooler weather when Park Pizza might lose

their self-awarded title, “Hottest Restaurant

in Town!” Regardless, the casual yet profes-

sional attitude and fine pies make this a “hot

spot” no matter the season.

Pho #1 h&l asian MaRkeT5300-1 rivers Ave., 843-745-9623A restaurant inside a grocery store, Pho #1

serves pho: Big bowls of tasty broth packed

with noodles, meats and veggies. They only

take cash, so be sure to have some on hand,

and order as you begin your shopping. While

the noodles heat, peruse the wide array of

Asian produce, seafood and staple items. By

the time you’re done, your noodles will be

waiting for you. Eat in the dining area or have

it packed up to go; either way, by the time

you’ve squeezed your limes and topped the

bowl with Thai basil and chilis, you’ll know

why you see so many Asian folks eating here.

Pollo TRoPical chaRcoal gRill5335 dorChester roAd, 843-552-0015The smoke makes an undeniable first impres-

sion, drifting from the kitchen of Pollo Tropi-

cal Charcoal Grill, a small restaurant situated

in an old Dorchester Road strip mall. The

restaurant serves a terrific spread: full slabs

of pork and beef ribs, skirt steak, and half

and whole chickens. The key description is al

carbon, which relates to the choice technique

of cooking meat over coals. They’ve mas-

tered the method at Pollo Tropical, allowing

the smoke to provide real flavor. Beyond the

staples, the oversize platters also contain yel-

low rice, slaw, pinto beans, tortillas, bread, or

for an extra fee, fried yuca, plantains and fries.

Raising cane’s chicken FingeRs7225 rivers Ave., 843-573-7995There are few things in this world more uni-

versally loved than chicken fingers. Breaded,

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’em? Raising Cane’s chicken fingers are made

from fresh, premium chicken tenderloins.

Their fries are crinkle-cut from Grade-A, extra-

long potatoes, and the coleslaw is mixed fresh

daily. A thick slice of Texas toast brushed

with butter and garlic and grilled on a flat top

brings it all home. Dig in.

RAUL’S TAQUERIA & MEXICAN GRILL5634 RIVERS AVE., 843- 554-5433Raul’s cuts a flashy figure, decked out with red-

dish-orange walls, red booths and purple plas-

tic tablecloths. Several murals and an S-shaped

bar cut from light wood ring, distinguishing the

place from a run-of-the-mill Mexican eatery.

Another distinguishing characteristic? Raul’s

arsenal of authentic tacos, set with onions

and cilantro, red or green salsa, and wrapped

in corn tortillas. Choose from steak, chicken,

marinated pork or beef, beef tongue or fish.

SESAME BURGERS AND BEERS4726 SPRUILL AVE., 843-554-4903For burger devotees, Sesame holds uncom-

mon appeal. The restaurant builds everything

from scratch, including its half-pound, house-

ground burgers along with salad dressings,

pickles and, yup, the condiments, too. Choose

from the Italian burger, capped with fresh ba-

sil and bleu cheese; the Park Circle with sharp

cheddar cheese, coleslaw, barbecue sauce

and tomato; the South Carolina, slathered

in homemade pimiento cheese; or even the

Memphis, an Elvis-aided creation made with

homemade peanut butter, bacon and banana

slices. Of course, other selections deserve

mentioning, such as the buttermilk fried

chicken sandwich and char-grilled corn on

the cob. Ditto for the beer, a strong collection

of 60-plus varieties.

TEPPANYAKI GRILL5900 RIVERS AVE., 843-746-9882Teppanyaki describes a Japanese style of

cooking that uses a steel-top grill to prepare

food. But in North Charleston, they aren’t just

grilling. They’re frying and fricasseeing, stew-

ing and steaming, smothering and covering,

simmering and searing. The Teppanyaki Grill

and Supreme Buffet lives up to its promise,

cranking out a mountain of cuisine: sushi and

deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese and egg

drop soup, stuffed crabs and lo mein, Peking-

style spare ribs and pizza. The sheer expanse

is remarkable, counting upward of 200 items,

including the cook-to-order hibachi service.

WESCOTT BAR & GRILL5000 WESCOTT CLUB DRIVE,843-871-2135The 27-hole Golf Club at Wescott Plantation

provides an easy introduction to the Wescott

Bar and Grill, a well-appointed gathering spot

on the course grounds. A spacious clubhouse

houses the bar/restaurant, along with meeting

spaces and a pro shop. The menu is limited

but chocked with favorites: burgers, wings,

chicken fingers, quesadillas, pizza and grilled

flatbread sandwiches. Order the “Eagle,” an

appropriately titled half-pound Angus burger,

which is cooked to temperature, outfitted

with your choice of toppings and served on

a ciabatta bun. No worries, either. It’s a public

course, so everyone’s welcome. N

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Farmers Market: Open Thursdays mid-

April through mid-October, from noon until 7

p.m. at Park Circle’s Felix C. Davis Community

Center. The market features locally grown

produce and herbs, cooking demonstrations,

nutrition classes and activities for children.

Maker's Market at Mixson: First Sunday

of every month at the neighborhood within

Park Circle. Artwork and unique, local crafts

and products. For more information, go to

mixson.com.

Village Antiques & Collectibles Show:

April 29, June 24-24, Aug. 25-26. Shows, held

11 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Felix Davis Community

Center, 4800 Park Circle, feature home de-

cor, fine antiques, furniture, collectibles, an-

tique guns, art, jewelry, rugs, crafts, vintage

toys and games, silver, pottery, china, silver,

salvage items, outdoor decor, vintage instru-

ments and more. Admission is $2, which

benefits The Spay Not Slay Endowment.

Free parking. For more information, contact

Lisa Reynolds at 843-740-2531 or lreynolds@

northcharleston.org.

North Charleston Arts Festival:

May 4-12 throughout the city. This nine-

day celebration of the arts, centered at the

Charleston Area Convention Center, is one

of the most comprehensive arts festivals

in the Lowcountry. The Main Event, held

May 5-6 at the North Charleston Performing

Arts Center and Charleston Area Conven-

tion Center, offers free admission and

parking for more than 40 performances. The

festival concludes with the Grand Finale at

NORTH CHARLESTON HAS IT ALL. VISITORS AND RESIDENTS CAN CHOOSE FROMCONCERTS AND SPORTING EVENTS AT THE COLISEUM, HOLIDAY FESTIVALS, LEAGUESPORTS AND EVEN LOCAL THEATER AND INDEPENDENT FILM VIEWING. TO SUBMIT ANEVENT FOR THE NEXT EDITION, EMAIL [email protected].

EventsIN NORTH CHARLESTON

D E S I G N WI N N E RElena Barna’s acrylicpainting “My Muse”has won the statewide2012 North CharlestonArts Festival DesignCompetition.

ARTS FESTIVALThe city’ nine-day celebration of the arts,held May 4-12 and centered at the Charles-ton Area Convention Center, ranks as oneof the most comprehensive arts festivalsin the Lowcountry, with multiple art ven-ues, live music and other entertainment.


Photograph by Brad Nettles n o r t h c h a r l e s t o n o n l i n e . c o m s p r i n g / s u m m e r 2 0 1 2 6 1

North Charleston Riverfront Park featur-

ing performances, children’s activities and

fireworks over the Cooper River. For more

information, go to northcharleston.org.

City's 40th anniversary: A number of

events are being planned, including a June

26 performance by Earth, Wind and Fire at

the North Charleston Coliseum. Tickets are

$25 and $45. Go to northcharleston.org for

updates on anniversary events.

Fourth of July Festival: The City of North

Charleston will host a July 4 celebration at

Riverfront Park. Entertainment includes a

fireworks display at dark, plus live music.

Attendance is free, and guests can bring lawn

chairs and blankets. No alcohol is permissible

within the park, but a variety of food vendors

will be available. Free children’s activities

include inflatable jump castles, games, play

area, giant sandbox and the water fountain.

EDUCTION, ARTS & CULTURENew Edition 20th Reunion: May 3 at the

North Charleston Coliseum. For ticket prices

and other information, go to coliseumpac.com.

Trace Adkins: May 3 at the North

Charleston Performing Arts Center. For

ticket prices and other information, go to

coliseumpac.com.

Straight No Chaser: May 4 at the North

Charleston Performing Arts Center. A cap-

pella superstars. For ticket prices and other

information, go to coliseumpac.com.

Anthony Hamilton: May 11 at the North

Charleston Performing Arts Center. For

ticket prices and other information, go to

FOU RTH OF J U LYChildren attend-ing Fourth of Julyfestivities at NorthCharleston RiverfrontPark cool down in thepark’s fountain.

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coliseumpac.com.

Imagination Movers: May 16 at the North

Charleston Performing Arts Center. For ticket

prices and other information, go to coli-

seumpac.com.

Fiber/Quilt Workshop: May 29 at The

Meeting Place, 1077 East Montague Ave.

This fun-filled workshop explores several

techniques to create fabric collage. For more

information, go to northcharleston.org.

2011 Summer Children’s Theatre Series:

June 8, 10 a.m. at the Northwoods Park and

Recreation Cetner, 8348 Greenridge Road,

and 2 p.m. at the Felix C. Davis Community

Center, 4800 Park Circle. Adande Dance

Company presents African dance and drum-

ming. Reserve by calling the City of North

Charleston Cultural Arts Department office

at 843-740-5854.

Glenn Beck’s Unelectable tour II: June

9 at the North Charleston Performing Arts

Center. For ticket prices and other informa-

tion, go to coliseumpac.com.

alice Cooper’s No More Mr. Nice Guy

tour: June 11 at the North Charleston Per-

forming Arts Center. For ticket prices and

other information, go to coliseumpac.com.

2011 Summer Children’s Theatre Series:

June 29, 2 p.m. at the Felix C. Davis Communi-

ty Center, 4800 Park Circle. JAT’s Production

presents “Men of the Mountain.” Reserve by

calling the City of North Charleston Cultural

Arts Department office at 843-740-5854.

Intuitive Acrylic Painting: June 26 at The

Meeting Place, 1077 East Montague Ave. For

more information, go to northcharleston.org.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan: Aug. 9 at the

North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

For ticket prices and other information, go to

coliseumpac.com.

Lowcountry Jazz Festival Brunch:

Sept. 2 at the North Charleston Performing

Arts Center. For ticket prices and other infor-

mation, go to coliseumpac.com.

SPORtS aNd FItNESSAdult Basketball: Games played on

Saturdays at the Danny Jones Gymnasium

beginning at 2 p.m. The league includes nine

company teams. For more information con-

tact Mike Gillison at 843-745-1033.

Adult Softball: Spring/Summer and

Fall Leagues are based at MeadWestvaco

Kapstone Park Complex. Fall League meeting

is Aug. 15 at Park Circle. For more informa-

tion call 843-740-5801 or email cdambaugh@


Disc Golf: Disc golf is played on the outer

eight islands around Park Circle Monday-

Sunday from dusk to dawn, continuously.

Tuesday night doubles are played beginning

at 6 p.m. Registration takes place at the No. 1

tee box at 5 p.m. For more information, call

843-740-5801 or email Jonas Card at CDGC@

bellsouth.net.

Flag Football: The North Charleston

Recreation Department along with the S.C.

Flag Football Association sponsor Men’s

Flag Football. The league is played at

MeadWestvaco/Kapstone Park. The league

includes spring-summer and fall seasons.

For more information on the league, con-

tact Cindy Dambaugh at 843-740-5801 or

email [email protected].

Tennis Leagues: Teams represent the

North Charleston Recreation Department and

participate on several different playing levels.

Teams play home matches and travel to other

local tennis facilities to compete. For more in-

formation, call Mark Manuel at 843-552-9446

(after 5 p.m.) or 843-767-0638.

Youth sports: The athletic programs

offered by the North Charleston Recreation

Department include football, baseball, soft-

ball, basketball and soccer. For registration,

schedules and cost, go to northcharleston.org.

Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Tourna-

ment: May 19 at The Golf Club at Wescott

Plantation. Pvt. John S. Bird is hosting a char-

ity golf tournament benefitting the Wounded

Warrior Project. For more information, go to


MUNICIPaL MEEtINGSMost municipal meetings are held at North

Charleston City Hall, Buist Conference Room,

2500 City Hall Lane. For more information, ad-

ditional committee meetings and to check on

updated schedules, go to northcharleston.org.

Arts Advisory Committee: May 8, June 12,

July 10, Aug. 14.

Citizens Advisory Council: May 3, June 7,

July 5, Aug. 2.

City Council: May 10, May 24, June 14,

June 28, July 12, Aug. 9, Aug. 23.

Planning Commission: May 14, June 11,

July 9, Aug. 13.

Finance, Grant and public safety com-

mittees: May 17, June 21, July 19, July 26,

Aug. 16.

Recreation Advisory Board: May 23,

June 27, July 25, Aug. 22.

Zoning Board of Appeals: May 7, June 4,

July 2, Aug. 6.

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Documents

North Charleston 2012 Magazine