Charleston, S.C.: As part of its ongoing transparency initiative, Monday morning the City of Charleston launched a newly designed and significantly more accessible website. The site can be viewed at www.charleston-sc.gov, and with a mobile-friendly design, it is now more useful for citizens using tablets, smartphones and other electronic devices.
Mayor John Tecklenburg said, “With the launch of the redesigned, mobile-friendly website this morning, we are continuing our commitment to communicate more effectively with our citizens. The new website, new Citizen Services Desk, new city app and more new technologies on the way also provide citizens more efficient and responsive access to city services and representatives.”City Chief Information Officer Wes Ratterree said, “With any redesign and reorganization of this scope, there are always ongoing edits and improvements, so we encourage citizens to reach out to the Citizen Services Desk at 843-724-7311 or citizenservices@charleston-sc.gov with any comments or concerns.”
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Longtime Charleston producers and entertainers
Brad and Jennifer Moranz have gathered a talented cast of musicians,
singers and dancers for an all-new show this summer. The Charleston
Variety runs for three performances July 20-21 at the Charleston Music
Hall in downtown Charleston.
Featuring pop, rock and country
favorites mixed with dancing and comedy skits, the Charleston Variety
Show welcomes new performers and audience favorites.
Returning
to the show are baritone Matthew Billman and Kindred Moore, who will
perform “Rewrite the Stars” from “The Greatest Showman.” Crystal Garrett
will perform “Never Enough,” another song from the popular movie.
Another
musical favorite from the movie “A Star is Born” will be part of this
year’s show. Jenna Flaherty will sing “Shallow,” the award-winning song
by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper and she’ll showcase her operatic talents
singing “Think of Me” from “The Phantom of the Opera.” A staple in each
Moranz Entertainment production is Tiffany Parker, who will perform
“She Used to Be Mine” from the Broadway musical “Waitress.”
Gospel singer Rodney Archie returns to this Moranz Entertainment production for a rendition of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Fantasy.”
Two new
performers are sure to delight audiences. Michelle Rogers “sounds like
she walked in here straight from Nashville,” Brad Moranz said. She will
sing country classics “Why Haven’t I Heard from You?” by Reba McEntire
and “Last Name” by Carrie Underwood. Kyle Lacy is a Brian Setzer-style
rockabilly singer sure to have everyone grooving in their seats.
Plus,
there will be a medley of Elton John classics, and violinist James
Anderson will delight the audience with the Charlie Daniels version of
“Orange Blossom Special.” Of course, no Moranz Entertainment show is
complete without comedy sketches and dance numbers featuring Brad and
Jennifer Moranz. “We have so much talent on stage, it’s
remarkable,” Moranz said. “There’s no other show like this in
Charleston. And even if you’ve been to our shows before, this one is
entirely new and unlike anything you’ve seen before.”
Shows
are 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20 and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July
21. Tickets are $39 for adults; $36 for seniors (age 62 and up) and
military; $22 for students 21 and under; $19 for children 12 and under.
For groups of 15 or more, tickets are $34 each. Tickets are on sale at www.CharlestonMusicHall.com or by calling 843-853-2252 (Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday).
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8th Annual Charleston Beer Fest, Riverfront Park, North Charleston, SC
Charleston Beer Fest Has Biggest Event Yet Annual beer festival draws more than 4,000 to new venue at Riverfront Park
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – About 4,100 people filled Riverfront Park in North Charleston on May 18 to sample more than 80 beers from around the Carolinas, making it the largest event in the festival’s eight-year history. People came from all over the region and well beyond, with ticket buyers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Michigan, California, New York, Texas and more.
The 2019 Charleston Beer Fest presented by Tabor Mortgage Group moved to Riverfront Park this year to accommodate the growing event and the region’s growing beer scene. More than 40 breweries participated in this year’s event, including more than 20 breweries from the Charleston area. Festival-goers consumed 2,356 gallons of beer while also enjoying games, a dozen musical acts and entertainment, craft vendors, food trucks and a Homebrewers’ Village.
All proceeds from the Charleston Beer Fest benefit Palmetto Community Care in its work providing complete compassionate HIV care and prevention education awareness across the tri-county area. This year’s festival generated more than $140,000 for the nonprofit organization.
“We’re really thrilled with this year’s Charleston Beer Fest,” said Jason Kirk, director of development & marketing for Palmetto Community Care. “We are already hard at work planning for the 2020 event and looking at ways to make the festival even better. This event is truly Charleston’s premiere beer festival.”
8th Annual Charleston Beer Fest, Riverfront Park, North Charleston, SC
As a part of an environmental awards ceremony put on by
Charleston Community Pride, local 10 year old Trip Ostergard was awarded for
his work cleaning up litter on Johns Island.
This past winter, Trip informed his parents that he was
tired of seeing litter around his home on Johns Island, “Every day I would just
go to school down River Road and I’d see lots of trash,” he said. “I’d see
people throw trash out their car window, and I’d get really mad about it.”. Instead
of waiting for someone else to pick up the trash – Trip took action.
With the help of his dad & mom, Warren and Kate Ostergard, and a few friends, the family and neighbors grabbed a trailer one day and spent four hours on River Road doing a trash clean up. They collected 500 pounds of litter. They have been doing this once a month (and sometimes more) ever since. See more on Trip in his video: https://vimeo.com/314240027
Local conservationist, Carolee Williams was also awarded the
top honor at the awards ceremony presented by Representative Joe Cunningham.
Header Image Caption: Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings with 10-year-old Trip Ostergard and parents receiving the “Johnnie Dodds Education Award” at the 2019 Charleston Community Pride Awards Ceremony. Photo by Shawn Smetana
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – When most people think of boxing, they envision heavyweight hitters battling it out in the boxing ring. But there’s much more to boxing than the “fight.” Learning the skill of boxing equips individuals with focus, discipline, resilience, determination and perseverance. And for individuals battling stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or addiction, boxing can become a powerful healing tool.
Think Boxing by Innerpoint is a new curriculum launched this spring by Mount Pleasant counselor Beth Matenaer and entrepreneur and coach Jason Scalzo. Think Boxing is a non-contact curriculum that uses specific patterns of movement and cognition found in traditional boxing to foster brain regulation.
“In our method, boxing is less about the ‘fight’ and more about helping people learn how to win their inner emotional battles,” Matenaer said. “Think Boxing uses patterned boxing movements to increase concentration, improve emotional regulation, and provide meaningful relief of stress and tension. The curriculum draws on elements of mindfulness as well as various ways that exercise can be beneficial to overall improvements in mental health.”
Matenaer has been working to find creative approaches to helping others with mental health challenges for 25 years. She has a background in animal-assisted therapy and experiential approaches to psychotherapy. She currently has a private practice in Mount Pleasant, treating individuals and families dealing with trauma, attachment, recovery and personal growth
Scalzo has trained and coached both in boxing and Tae Kwon-Do for 30 years and was a member of the U.S. National Tae Kwon-Do team from ages 14 to 16. In 2017, he left a 12-year career in the medical technology industry to pursue his dream of starting a youth boxing program in West Africa for rehabilitated child soldiers and orphans of war. That program is still active today.
“Because boxing is a sport that requires synchronization of one’s body and mind, the physical and mental skills learned while boxing can improve our wellbeing across multiple aspects of our lives,” Scalzo said.
Together, Matenaer and Scalzo are using boxing as a treatment and healing mechanism for children and adults dealing with mental health challenges or recovering from emotionally traumatic events. They are currently using fitness spaces, CrossFit gyms and boxing studios around Charleston. Their goal is to certify additional instructors in their custom curriculum.
While Think Boxing does not involve actual fighting, the training curriculum does allow for the release of tension through the controlled kinetic contact and the added self confidence that comes with the ability to defend oneself.
To learn more about Think Boxing by Innterpoint and how to schedule a session, visit www.ThinkBoxing.co or call 843-696-6127.
Washington, D.C. (June 3, 2019) – National Geographic Traveler is constantly in search of qualities that make for an unforgettable travel experience for its readers. Travel is rooted in hospitality, so for this issue, Traveler partnered with Resonance Research Consultancy to develop a unique, data-backed index of the 28 friendliest neighborhoods in the U.S. From the pale-colored houses of Charleston’s French Quarter to the byways of Back Bay in Boston to the 3 miles of powdery sand of Waikiki, these open-minded and open-hearted neighborhoods make travelers feel at home.
In a survey created just for Traveler, Resonance Research Consultancy combined its proprietary Best Cities analytics with statistics and user-generated data that included walkability, home affordability, public spaces and prevalence of third spaces, such as cafes and restaurants. In addition, it examined social media and perception data from TripAdvisor and Yelp. The combination of this research produced a list of zip codes that National Geographic Traveler editors then correlated with existing neighborhoods to create a list of America’s Friendliest Neighborhoods.
“Friendliness and goodwill go a long way. We want the traveling world to discover destinations that embrace diversity and hospitality when they extend a warm welcome. That’s why we’re excited to share this list of the 28 most welcoming neighborhoods in the U.S. These vibrant, unique enclaves are friendly, surprising and rewarding for locals and visitors alike,” says George Stone, National Geographic Traveler editor in chief. “These destinations offer starting points to experience local city culture through food, people, art, history and outdoor spaces.”
National Geographic Traveler’s Friendliest City Neighborhoods are:
• Historic Oldtown – Albuquerque, New Mexico • Rogers Park – Anchorage, Alaska • “The Block” – Asheville, North Carolina • Second Street – Austin, Texas • Hyde Park – Boise, Idaho • Back Bay – Boston, Massachusetts • French Quarter – Charleston, South Carolina • Wicker Park – Chicago, Illinois • Broadmoor/Stratton Springs – Colorado Springs, Colorado • Chihuahuita and El Segundo Barrio – El Paso, Texas • Waikiki – Honolulu, Hawaii • The Heights – Houston, Texas • The Strip – Las Vegas, Nevada • Downtown LA – Los Angeles, California • University Area – Madison, Wisconsin • Brickell/Hammock – Miami, Florida • Old Naples – Naples, Florida • Times Square & Hell’s Kitchen – New York, New York • West Omaha – Omaha, Nebraska • Thornton Park – Orlando, Florida • Little Italy – San Diego, California • North Beach – San Francisco, California • Japantown – San Jose, California • North Historic District – Savannah, Georgia • Capitol Hill – Seattle, Washington • Downtown – Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Downtown – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina • Logan Circle – Washington, D.C.
The June/July 2019 issue of Traveler magazine is available now on newsstands and online at natgeotravel.com/neighborhoods National Geographic Traveler publishes six issues per year and is the world’s most widely read travel magazine, with 18 international editions. National Geographic Travel shares its inspiring and authoritative digital content, including trip inspiration, travel news, photo galleries and more with its @NatGeoTravel community of more than 50 million people.
About National Geographic Partners LLC National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between Disney and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education.
AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–YETI Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: YETI), a leading premium outdoor brand, today
announced its anticipated Charleston, S.C. retail location will open to
the public on Friday, June 14. The new store will be situated in the
historic district of downtown Charleston at 360 King Street.
“Charleston’s passionate outdoor, fishing, and culinary communities make
it an ideal city for our latest store,” said Matt Reintjes, President &
CEO at YETI. “South Carolinians have long been wonderful supporters of
YETI and we are excited to further share our brand in this unique
coastal city.”
In addition to offering an extensive selection of YETI’s innovative hard and soft coolers, drinkware, and outdoor living accessories, the 5,000-square-foot retail location will inspire visitors to get outside and explore the wild through experiential installations reflective of both the brand and the city of Charleston.
The space also includes a bar that will serve as a local gathering place featuring craft beer, wines, custom coffees, and quick bites. The store will host a variety of live entertainment, including music, film screenings, Ambassador demonstrations and educational workshops. Visitors will also have a place to interact with and customize YETI products to be uniquely their own.
In celebration of the grand opening on June 14, YETI will open its doors to the community for a weekend of events and activations beginning that Friday. Visitors are invited to explore the store, enjoy live music and savor an Austin-meets-Charleston menu that will feature brisket tacos from Austin’s Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, helmed by pit master and YETI Ambassador, Miguel Vidal. The celebration will continue Saturday with additional live music acts and a cookbook signing with YETI Ambassador, James Beard award-winning pit master and restauranteur, Sam Jones. On Sunday, YETI will auction a limited collection of painted coolers designed by celebrated coastal artist, Paul Puckett, with all proceeds benefitting the Charleston Waterkeeper water restoration project. A Father’s Day social will follow that afternoon and dads can get a beer on the house, with any purchase.
To learn more about YETI’s retail locations and stay up-to-date on the latest news, visit yeti.com or follow along at @YETIcoolers. About YETI Holdings, Inc.
YETI is a designer, marketer, retailer, and distributor of a variety of innovative, branded, premium products to a wide-ranging customer base. Our mission is to ensure that each YETI product delivers exceptional performance and durability in any environment, whether in the remote wilderness, at the beach, or anywhere else life takes our customers. By consistently delivering high-performing products, we have built a following of engaged brand loyalists throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and elsewhere, ranging from serious outdoor enthusiasts to individuals who simply value products of uncompromising quality and design. Our relationship with customers continues to thrive and deepen as a result of our innovative new product introductions, expansion and enhancement of existing product families, and multifaceted branding activities.
Your Body is a Miracle of Nature –
Wellness and a Holistic Experience
The only home
we ever have is our own body. It is the
ecosystem that drives energy, passion, sadness, strength, kindness, fear,
compassion and beauty. This gift of
body, mind and soul is a miraculous creation that gives meaning to
existence.
That foundation
is the heart of local Charleston business Verdant EcoSpa & Organic Oasis
and what separates them from others in the Lowcountry. We invite you to learn more about their
philosophy, services, products and most importantly, the relationships the
staff builds with their clients.
The Verdant team has procured a highly curated collection of sustainably sourced, largely
organic wellness products that has been thoughtfully assembled to support your
journey to sustainable vibrancy – mind, body, soul & spirit. This
distinguished anthology represents small, American business owners at the
vanguard of the holistic wellness movement who are passionately committed to
providing you solutions that don’t compromise your longevity, your bank account
or degrade the Earth. Every product included has been selected with intention
and respect for every ingredient used. They have collated only the best options
to meet a plethora of diverse needs. The collection continues to be updated
with new innovations in the holistic wellness domain.
Lowcountry Renaissance
The Lowcountry
has witnessed a renaissance in the last decade.
It has become a high-end escape filled with culinary manifestation,
boutique lodging, health and wellness centers and natural wonder. It is a place we call home and one that
millions each year come to escape life.
We welcome family, love, tradition and faith and thrive on the truest
sense of Southern hospitality
Verdant EcoSpa
& Organic Oasis has created an environment rich in positive energy,
eco-friendly solutions and consultants that truly put the client first. Your well-being is what they breathe every
day.
Local area resident Marc Kruza, who resides in Mount Pleasant, has composed and recorded a tribute to the victims of Mother Emanuel AME and a touching tribute to the city of Charleston, South Carolina. Marc is a published graphic novelist and songwriter. His original composition Ghosts of Charleston speaks of the beauty, compassion and love of our Southern home with poignancy and care.
Take a moment to listen to this touching tribute to a tragedy that did not destroy this city, but made it stronger through an unbroken bond of community, faith and love.
Ghosts of Charleston – Original Song and Lyrics by Marc Kruza
Verse 1 Some folks tonight went out and hit the town And gazed west to watch the sky turn red. But I, unarmed, had blue lights chase me down Ran for my life, and the law shot me dead. The living watched the news in disbelief In a stew of anger, pain and grief. Their anguished voices echoed to the sky, But silence is the voice of those who die.
Chorus Oh, Charleston, my bittersweet city, You’ve taken my life and broken my heart. Music and art, and beaches were so pretty, But oh, Charleston, why did this have to be? Remember my city, to please remember me.
Verse 2 Some folks toured the town and drank some wine, A perfect day, they drank iced tea and ate. But we a bible study group of nine Were shot dead by a man of icy hate. The living watched the news and pondered how The devils of the past still haunt us now. Their anguished voices echoed to the sky, But silence is the voice of those who die
Repeat Chorus
Bridge We call from the grave Don’t wait ’till tomorrow. Speak out be brave Don’t marinate in sorrow. Don’t just turn a page Write a new story. Take the stage For there is no glory If just some are free. This must be your call Justice for all, for all, for all.
Final Chorus Oh, Charleston, my bittersweet city, You’ve taken my life and broken my heart. Music and art, and beaches were so pretty, But oh, Charleston, why did this have to be? Remember my city, please remember me. Remember my city, please remember me.
by 
