From the sophisticated seared diver scallop, porcini mushroom risotto at The Dining Room at Woodlands Inn to the savory seafood platter at the family-owned Starfish Grille, participating restaurants range from elegant dining rooms to more casual establishments. Tickets are not required; however, reservations are strongly advised. Menus vary at every restaurant.

Restaurants offering three courses for $20 include Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Charleston Crab House, Daniel Island Grille, FISH, Folly Beach Crab Shack, Hyman’s Seafood Company, J.Paul’z, Gilligan’s, Locklear’s Lowcountry Grill, Noisy Oyster Seafood Restaurant, North Towne Grill and Seafood, Old Towne Grill and Seafood, Palmetto Ale House, Queen Anne’s Revenge, Social Restaurant +Wine Bar, Southend Brewery & Smokehouse, Starfish Grille, Sunfire Grill, T-Bonz on North Market Street, T-Bonz on Old Towne Road, Tabbuli Grill, Toast of Charleston, Vespa Pizza, Wild Wing Café Downtown, Wild Wing Café Market at Oakland, Wild Wing Café North Charleston, Wild Wing Café on Coleman and Zeus Grill.

Restaurants offering three courses for $30 include 82 Queen, Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar, Atlanticville, Bambu, Bocci’s Italian Restaurant, Blossom, Blu Restaurant & Bar, Boathouse at Breach Inlet,Carolina’s, Charleston Grill, Circa 1886, Cypress, Eurasia Café & Wine Bar, Firewater Grille, Fleet Landing, Grill 225, Hall’s Chophouse,High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill, Hucks Lowcountry Table, Husk,Iacofano’s, Il Cortile del Re, La Fourchette, Lana, Liberty Tap Room,Magnolia’s Uptown Down South, McCrady’s Restaurant, Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar, Oak Steakhouse, Oscar’s of Summerville, O-Ku, Old Village Post House, Palm Tree Grille at the Embassy Suites Airport Convention Center, Pearlz on East Bay Street, Pearlz on Magnolia Road, Red Drum Gastropub, Red’s Ice House Bohicket Marina, Red’s Ice House Shem Creek, Rice Market, Rita’s Seaside Grille, Saffire at the Charleston Marriott, Slightly North of Broad, Swamp Fox Restaurant & Bar, The Atlantic Room at the Ocean Course, The Dining Room at Woodlands Inn, The Jasmine Porch at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, The Library at Vendue Inn, The Ocean Room at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Tristan and Wentworth Grill.

To continue whetting appetites, the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association’s annual Oyster Festival is slated for January 30, 2011, a wonderful epilogue for Restaurant Week. For more information please visit www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com.

Share on Facebook

Challenge yourself with the youth climbing club at James Island County Park!

provided by Charleston County Parks and Recreation

It’s thrilling, it’s rewarding, and it makes those day-to-day challenges seem easy to scale in comparison. Rock climbing takes concentration, determination and a can-do attitude, but it gives back tenfold. This fall, the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) is encouraging young climbers to reach great heights with the Wall’s two new youth programs: the Climbing Club and the Climbing Team.

From seasoned rock climbers to absolute beginners who enjoys scaling a tree or two, all young climbers are invited to harness up and try their hand at the sport of climbing. Youth ages 7-17 can enjoy a more hands-on experience with climbing in a controlled environment while gaining skills that transfer into real life. The goal of CCPRC’s youth climbing programs is not only to raise strong climbers, but to enable kids to become strong leaders in everything they pursue.

The Climbing Club

Newcomers to rock climbing will find their place in the new CCPRC Climbing Club, offered for ages 7-17. With practices held each Saturday morning from September 11 – October 30, youth climbers will enjoy eight weeks of fun, excitement and challenge while learning to belay and climb through fun and interesting games and activities. The Climbing Club aims to teach the skills needed to become members of the CCPRC Climbing Team.

The Climbing Team: Team Charleston

Team Charleston is the official name of the competitive CCPRC Youth Climbing Team, offered for ages 10-17. Youth with climbing experience are invited to take their climbing to the next level through this physically-challenging and fun program. Young climbers on the team have gained skills and ambition that have served them well at USA Climbing competitions. The team is always accepting new members.

Team participation requires a nine-month commitment throughout the school year. Participants will spend four hours a week training in order to become stronger, more skilled climbers. Criteria for team members include determination, commitment and a willing attitude. Practices are held twice a week beginning September 4, and fall and winter practices are spent preparing for the competitive spring season. Through USA Climbing, Team Charleston will travel to competitions throughout the Southeast in the spring.

Both the CCPRC Climbing Club and Team Charleston meet at The Climbing Wall at James Island County Park. Fees range from $96-$300 for the fall session. Anyone interested in participating in the club or team can register online at www.ccprc.com or at any point during the season by calling CCPRC’s Park and Program Services at 795-4386. For more information, contact Robert Lavarnway at rlavarnway@ccprc.com or call 762-2172.

Share on Facebook

Charleston Market House

By David Farrow

Megan Trumpy smiled as the people gathered around her. A Charleston city guide since July, the 23-year old NYU graduate with a degree in drama had found her niche. Embellishing stories that were already utter balderdash, Megan cared nothing for the veracity of the tales, only their effect as she watched the children clutch a little closer to their parent’s hemlines, the young girls grasping the biceps of their boyfriends.

She embraced the angst as a personal gift. It was not about the story, it was about her; her long silky blonde hair, her body perfectly sculptured by her T-shirt and jeans, her perfect faux London accent. She reveled in the looks of horror on the faces young and old as she described the mass grave the group was standing over. A harvest moon cast a cold shadow and caused a shiver to tremble through the hearts of children and grandparents as she described the mass murderer who abducted scores of hapless sailors from ships and ladies of ill repute from Six Mile, tortured and buried them right on this spot.

“You might want to tell them that you are standing on what was once a creek bed — Kinda hard to form a mass grave out of a creek, dear.”

The pronouncement came from a man older than her father with a superior attitude and a funny accent to top things off. He was scruffy and disheveled, but elegant at the same time; dressed in what she could only describe as an un-pressed version of “the uniform”: wrinkled khakis and a broadcloth shirt with button down collars. He had slightly longer gray hair and a beard. What impressed her, though, were his eyes; eyes that burned through her like a laser. This man took her psyche to a place hitherto yet fathomed – a place that echoed with the demented laughter of a soul devoid of hope. The name “John Domingo” reverberated through her head. It was a name fraught with evil, although she’d be hard pressed to explain why.

Just as quickly she realized where she was; standing by the graveyard, her tourists laughing because they thought it part of the show. She recovered with aplomb, giving the rest of the tour with her usual wit and charm. Walking back to her car parked on Concord Street, she walked by the north side of the Customs House.

And there was the man, again.

He seemed a bit more disheveled in the light; somewhat … decayed. Megan quickened her step, the slap of her sneakers against the sidewalk growing louder in her ear. The previously busy streets now echoed with the solitary sound of her movement.

In moments, the world around her began to shift and another market building began to take shape. It was no longer 10 at night, but late dawn. The sights, sounds and smells that began to assault her senses were entirely foreign. She had slipped 100 years into the past.

She noticed the man closer now, his face a leer.

Just as the market was transformed, the man’s face began to shape-shift into an ageless black man. John Domingo! She knew it as well as she knew her own name. His head twisted grotesquely towards her, and she screamed silently as the ancient root doctor’s spirit took over her body.

For all intents and purposes, Megan Trumpey no longer existed. John Domingo, the most powerful root doctor to ever live in Charleston, admired his new fine body and flaxen hair. The average person would see no difference save for the eyes. Her eyes were dead.

As the possessed body of Megan walked back towards the market, a high pitched laughter began to reverberate through the bars and restaurants. On Anson Street, dogs howled and cats hissed.

Evil was now in session. Order in the court.

To be continued…

Share on Facebook

Charleston County has yet to make a significant impact in their declaration to increase recycling rates from 10% to 40% since giving themselves a five year timeline nearly a year and half ago. Folly Beach is discussing ways to increase their ability to handle recycling on the island according to Mayor Carl Beckmann.

By Paul Robinson

“When you recycle one aluminum can, you save 95% of the energy that was used to originally make it. That 95% is enough energy to run a household television for three hours,” says Jenny Bloom, Charleston’s Recycling Educator.

The Garden Club of Isle of Palms, founded in 1948, recently gathered at The IOP Exchange Building for an evening with guest speaker Jenny Bloom. Bloom’s enthusiasm resonated throughout the room as she explained Charleston County’s current recycling programs, the importance of teaching young people about the impact of recycling and what everyone can do to help.

“When a plastic bottle goes in to the normal trash can and not the recycling blue bin, that plastic bottle will sit for 400 to 1000 years and never fully break down,” explained Bloom. “Plastic bottles are not bio-degradable, they are photo-degradable, meaning they only break down into smaller pieces. You are looking, at best, at seven life generations until that one plastic bottle deteriorates, but only into smaller pieces.”

According to Bloom, only one out of every ten plastic/glass bottles in Charleston County find their way to the downtown Recycling Center located at 13 Romney Street. “We have buyers for all of the plastic and glass labeled 1 and 2. Anheuser Busch buys all of the beer bottles,” said Bloom. “If the item in question has a category of 3 – 7, we still accept them and want them,” she said. “If you are in doubt and are wondering if the item in question can be recycled, put it in the bin. Separate glass bottles with plastic bottles and paper with paper. Let us worry about sorting the rest,” Bloom urged.

On the docket for the Charleston County Environmental Managing Department is an initiative to increase the current 10% recycling rate to an aggressive 40% recycling rate. The County Council asked for the initiative roughly one and a half years ago and with three and a half years to four years left go to, there is yet to be a significant increase in recycling. Part of the reason lies with the long wait between recycling bin pick-ups. With the residential blue bin collection trucks coming through once every two weeks, commercial businesses and residents are often accumulating more recyclable materials than they can handle and throwing the run-over into the regular trash. However, Jennie Davis, Public Information Officer for Charleston County, stated that, “The Charleston County Environmental Management Department is currently working on the best way to meet County Council’s new recycling goal of 40%.”

The push for more widespread and efficient means of recycling in Charleston County is becoming more and more necessary as the County’s population expands and more events are being held in the area. The 7th Annual Ballpark Festival of Beers held at Joe Riley Stadium on October 3, did not offer recycling to the 20 of the 40 vendors serving out of bottles only. With roughly 2,000 tickets sold for the event, an estimated 6,250 bottles of beer never made it to the recycling center. However, smaller initiatives, such as Mayor Joe Riley’s unveiling of the first recycling bin at a Charleston City park on Monday, October 5, are beginning to take place. Unfortunately, change needs to happen a little faster than that.

On December 31, 2009, the garbage incinerator on Spruill Ave in North Charleston will be shut down. According to The Lowcountry Chapter of the Sierra Club, the incinerator burns 70% of household trash accumulated in Charleston County. Incinerators across the Nation are being dismantled due to the out of date technology and the harmful/deadly emissions, but that leaves just the Bees Ferry Landfill to pick up the slack. Currently, the Bees Ferry Landfill only brings in 30% of Charleston County’s trash. After the incinerator closes, the landfill will be taking on 100% of Charleston County’s trash and the life expectancy of the landfill will be cut in half from 25 years to 12 years. “If we are able to increase the 10% recycling rate to 40%, this will become much less of an issue,” said Bloom.

According to Folly Beach’s Mayor Carl Beckmann, “County Council is embarking on a quest to have more recycling options for local businesses and the guests of Folly Beach. We are pushing to have a stationary recycling station on Folly and for the summer of 2010, we could implement this with the guests of Folly Beach and increase the amount of recycling options to them. When guests are leaving Folly Beach, they could easily drop off their cans and bottles in the public bin.”

Some area businesses and municipalities are taking matters into their own hands and hiring privately owned companies to handle their recycling. Aaron Siegel, owner of Home Team BBQ, has a business size recycling container at each of his locations on Sullivan’s Island and West Ashley. With the help of a private hauling service, Home Team BBQ has a weekly pick-up to meet their recycling needs. “We try as much as we can to recycle and have less of an environmental impact on the local area. Making the effort to have a private recycling service and having your employees commit to is our way of doing our part,” said Siegel. Home Team BBQ also utilizes a private sustainable composting business that transfers their food waste to a pig farm in the Charleston area.

Kiawah Island has also taken the initiative to hire an outside company for their recycling needs. According to Rusty Lameo, Chief of Code Enforcement for Kiawah, “We have seen an increase in recycling each year at Kiawah. In 2009 we recycled 23.5 tons for the month of July, which is up from 21.72 tons in 2008. Seeing those numbers rise means progress. With Kiawah implementing a 35 gallon roll out recycling trash can to the residents with weekly pickups, we can educate and provide convenience to our residents and do our part.”

For more information on how to recycle and help Charleston County reach their goal of 40%, visit www.CharlestonCounty.org. For more info on receiving recycling bins for your home or business, please call 720-7111. Contact Pat Johnson at or Susan Wallace at 442-6450 for information on The Isle of Palms Garden Club.

Share on Facebook

The Plainfield Project, voted best local band of 2009 by Charleston City Paper readers (whatever that’s worth), has the title track. Skye Paige & the Original Recipe puts in a great piece of old rock called (INSERT) that would have Joan Jett playing air guitar and Folly Beach favorite, The Graham Whorley Band, puts down their signature alt-rock style with UFO. That’s just the three of the first four songs. You still have to get through Dangermuffin, Milhouse, Part-Time Heroes and Mac Leaphart to name a few of the talented musicians you’ve probably seen around town.

The project is the brainchild of studio owner and chief engineer Jeff Hodges.

“It’s exciting because for many of these artists, this is the first radio-ready cut they have had the opportunity to record,” Hodges says. “The project has been really gratifying for us because of what it means to these musicians. They play their hearts out every night around Charleston and this was a great way to appreciate and support them.”

The CD is available online, through independent local retailers, and at Piggly Wiggly locations across the Lowcountry. Sales will benefit the artists and a portion of the proceeds will go to Lowcountry Local First, an advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening the local economy.

Share on Facebook

The September 22 meeting of the Folly Beach City Council had to be a record as the shortest meeting of any municipal Council in the area. Lasting less than 45 minutes, the Council’s huge task of quelling the trash problem was put on hold as they had previously agreed to re-approach the issue at their October work session. A public hearing on the traffic plan proposals was scheduled for two days later, so there was no discussion on that issue. A scheduled appearance by Marta Borinsky was cancelled because she did not show up, and any debate on the Public Safety expansion has been postponed because bids on the project were not due until October 1. However, there was still about 45 minutes of business.

Yahoo!

Mayor Beckmann noted that the City has been having issues with e-mails not being received or being processed properly. The main issue, he said, was with anyone using a Yahoo! address. If you have tried to contact the City through e-mail and have not received a response, it would not be a bad idea to confirm with the City that your communication was received.

In the same vein, Administrator Toni Connor-Rooks recently obtained a $51,000 grant for the City to update and improve the computer systems used for Court purposes. Currently, the City is still using a 14 year-old DOS operating system, which is now inefficient and limiting.

It’s not for dogs

The Town passed second reading of an ordinance that will ban dogs from the north end of the island, also known as the Old Coast Guard Base. The reason for the ban was explained by a DNR representative at a previous meeting who stated that Folly Beach, especially the northern end of the island which is owned by the Charleston County Park system, has become increasingly important to endangered migratory shorebirds for nesting and resting. Dogs running through the area prevent the birds from being able to rest and can crush the eggs of some birds who nest in the sand. However, Mayor Beckmann stressed the fact that this is not a “dog ordinance”, but an ordinance for dog owners.

“If people would control their dogs we wouldn’t have to do this,” he said. He added that all of Folly Beach is actually designated as a bird sanctuary.

Not ready to go green

If it had not been for two ordinances establishing the Sewer Utility and Water Utility budgets, all of the Town’s business would have been conducted without any real discussion whatsoever. However, included in the two budgets was the purchase of a $12,000 “green vehicle”, the price of which had been split between the Water and Sewer budgets. The vehicle was going to be used for reading meters, among other tasks.

Council member Tim Goodwin raised the issue by asking why the City needed to spend $12,000 when a battery operated golf cart, equally green, could be purchased for around $3,000. Mayor Beckmann pointed out that the $12,000 vehicle could carry more things and was “street legal”. He added that the Water Department tested the vehicle for the week and that “it made meter reading very easy”. Currently the Town uses a gasoline powered pick up truck for the task. Council member Tom Scruggs suggested using the truck until it mechanically fails after Goodwin expressed displeasure with the City for accruing more and more vehicles. However, Goodwin did suggest that the City look into purchasing a Toyota Prius’ for the Public Safety Department in the future in order to have a better impact on the environment.

The Council unanimously agreed to remove the item from the Water and Sewer budgets.

Bridge replacement

You may recall in a previous edition of The Folly Current that plans were underway to replace the two aging bridges the span the Folly River and Creek. Mayor Beckmann announced that a final review of the bridge plans would take place in November and that the bridges would be replaced sometime next year. The City was presented with four alternatives for the bridge replacement, each with different traffic and environmental impacts.

Share on Facebook

2009 National Solar Tour

The non-profit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and the South Carolina Solar Council have announced that this year’s National Solar Tour will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2009. This annual event allows home owners, businesses and non-profits to showcase how they are using solar power to slash energy costs, improve property values and reap rich new government incentives, while also helping the environment. Last year, the National Solar Tour hosted 140,000 people in 49 states; Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico participated. This year, over 150,000 in all 50 states are anticipated to participate.

“With a perfect storm of national leadership that recognizes the importance of renewable energy, a menu of enticing new government incentives, rising energy costs and a groundswell of public support for clean energy alternatives, interest in the benefits of solar is off the charts,” said ASES National Solar Tour Manager Richard Burns.

While the tour traditionally showcases residential solar projects, the explosive growth of solar incentives for energy-intensive businesses and schools helped drive the decision to expand the scope of the tour to include solar solutions implemented in these sectors as well. The U.S. Department of Energy provides funding for the tour to help extend its reach to people in all 50 states.

This year, four solar powered structures will be on display in Charleston: 1316 Briiarfield Avenue, Charleston James Island; 738 Old Plantation Rd., Charleston, James Island; 611 North Shore Dr., Charleston, James Island and 3655 Rivers Ave., North Charleston. These houses and stores will be open between 1 and 5pm. You are welcome to visit and discuss the advantages, the costs and problems encountered with the hosts at each site.  Registration or advanced booking are not needed; just come, see and learn.

For more information about the solar tour or solar workshops you are invited to visit www.scsolarcouncil.or or contact Erika Myers at (803) 737-7951.

Share on Facebook

Shuttle Hogs Owners Jason McGehee and Mick Jewell

By‭ ‬Paul Robinson

How often have you debated over driving to see a great band or‭ ‬going out for some excellent local food,‭ ‬only to decide on staying home because you didn‭’‬t want to deal with bar scene traffic and terrible parking‭? ‬Home Team Barbeque understands your dilemma and‭ ‬is offering a unique solution to bringing the‭ ‬want-to-be‭ ‬music/barbeque patron‭ ‬back to the night scene.

Mick Jewell and Jason McGehee of Home Team BBQ have recently seized the opportunity to provide‭ ‬guests of the Sullivan’s Island Home Team BBQ‭ ‬with the option of using a late night shuttle service called‭ ‬“Shuttle Hogs‭”‬,‭ ‬which travels the broad range of Charleston County.‭ “‬The weekend shuttle travels from West Ashley‭ ‬to the Isle‭ ‬of Palms,‭ ‬Sullivan‭’‬s Island,‭ ‬and back over the Ravenel Bridge to‭ ‬West Ashley,‭” ‬says Jewell.‭ “‬We‭’‬ve seen too many guests of our Sullivan’s Island restaurant up the creek without a paddle at two o’clock‭ ‬on‭ ‬Saturday morning.‭ ‬We are providing a shuttle route that is safe and reliable,‭” ‬says Jewell.‭ ‬In partnership with Charleston Green Taxi,‭ ‬the local hybrid taxi company,‭ ‬this new shuttle service not only takes the hassle out of finding parking in busy commercial districts,‭ ‬they help to keep the roads safe by providing your own on-call designated driver.‭

The shutter service is simple.‭ ‬If it‭’‬s just you or if you‭’‬re with a group,‭ ‬Shuttle Hogs can pick you up from your house and take you straight to your‭ ‬Home Team‭ ‬destination.‭ ‬When you‭’‬re ready to go home,‭ ‬just give them a call and you‭’‬re on your way.‭ “‬If you need more room than our‭ ‬12‭ ‬passenger van,‭ ‬we‭ ‬can‭ ‬call Charleston Green Taxi and we will accommodate you,‭” ‬says Jewell.‭

Shuttle Hogs also provides‭ ‬private‭ ‬transportation and‭ ‬package football trips which‭ ‬include barbecue catering to South Carolina Gamecock Football Games.‭ ‬For‭ ‬$75‭ ‬you can ride to the football game,‭ ‬eat barbecue,‭ ‬and have a ride home.‭ ‬Bring your own alcohol,‭ ‬but‭ ‬Shuttle Hogs will provide sodas,‭ ‬mixers,‭ ‬ice and cups.‭

“We want our customers of Home Team BBQ to receive safe‭ ‬transportation and the best‭ ‬possible service we can provide,‭”‬ says Jewell.

Rates start at‭ ‬$10.‭ ‬Additionally,‭ ‬Shuttle Hogs is available for private service including and not limited to airport pickups,‭ ‬wedding parties,‭ ‬sporting events and concerts.‭ ‬Call‭ ‬424-1323‭ ‬for pricing or booking information.‭

Share on Facebook

Tri-county residents can get involved by sending photographs that highlight the good, bad, and ugly of our local waterways. Additionally, individuals, businesses and organizations are encouraged to join Charleston Waterkeeper by becoming a member.

The goal of the WTF campaign is to inspire activism, promote community involvement and empower the individual to make a change while raising awareness about the true state of Charleston’s waterways. Using sustainable and creative marketing practices, the WTF message will be spread throughout the City. Using light projectors, pressure washing techniques, viral videos and social networking sites, Charleston Waterkeeper hopes to reach the thousands of individuals in our great community who otherwise might not be aware of the issues degrading the quality of our waterways. The campaign will remind people of the three ways in which they can get involved.

“The past 12 months have been a soft introduction to the organization and while we have made a great deal of progress, there is still so much that needs to be done, so many people we need to reach,” explains Cyrus Buffum, Executive Director of Charleston Waterkeeper, “When you find out that 100% of our waterways are considered impaired by various forms of pollution, it makes you think ‘WTF Charleston’?”

The WTF campaign will conclude with the official Charleston Waterkeeper launch party on Friday, October 23, 2009. If you have a photograph that displays the beauty, destruction, or pollution of our local waterways, send it to info@luckydognews.com with the term “WTF Campaign” in the subject line.

Charleston Waterkeeper is a citizen-based, environmental organization committed to defending our waterways against pollution while protecting the public’s right to clean water.  Part investigator, scientist, lawyer, educator and community organizer, Charleston Waterkeeper strives to improve the quality of Charleston’s waterways.  Our waterways have been given to us in trust that we, the public, will watch over and protect these natural resources.  By involving the community and empowering individual citizens, we will return our waterways back to the public and assure that our rights to clean water are honored.  As a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, Charleston Waterkeeper is one of nearly 200 Waterkeeper programs around the world dedicated to building strong communities and protecting clean water. For more information, please visit www.charlestonwaterkeeper.org.

Share on Facebook