|
|
SCIway News No. 56 – June 2008
 Previous Issues of SCIway News
In This Issue
- Pearl Fryar
- June's Top Ten – Notable SC Websites
- Nicknames
- SC Picture of the Month
- Upcoming SC Festivals & Events
- State Song
1. Pearl Fryar
Return to Table of Contents
2. June's Top Ten – Notable SC Websites
First Fridays - 29 Greenville art galleries open from 6-9 on the first Friday of each month to showcase local, regional, and national artists - the website lists participating galleries and links to their sites
One Laptop Per Child / South Carolina - pilot project with a long-term goal of providing all elementary school children in SC with low-cost, child-friendly laptops for educational purposes
Palmetto Center for Advocacy - community outreach programs to lessen the impact of obesity in SC
Smart Business Recycling Program - help for businesses to reduce waste and recycle
South Carolina Soybean Board -
South Carolina Watermelon Board -
Sumter County Gallery of Art -
Town of Turbeville - includes a town scrapbook, helpful info for newcomers, and "News, Views, and Howdy-Do's," Turbeville's newsletter
Wit's End Poetry - Upstate group sponsors poetry events and an Upstate Slam Team
Return to Table of Contents
3. Nicknames
From Chucktown to Sparkle City, passing by Sodatown, South Carolina cities and towns certainly have their share of popular monikers. While some are obscure, others historical, SC city nicknames are sure to either make you smile or confuse you. That's why – with your help – we are compiling a guide to city and town nicknames in South Carolina.
This follows in our quest to learn more about our history and culture through the names we give ourselves. We've covered the origins of the term Sandlapper, and delved into the meaning of SC as the Iodine State. Starting last summer, we also assembled the SC Place Name Pronunciations Guide, a guide that we couldn't have made without the amazing response we got from you – our readers.
Here are a few of our more well-known city nicknames:
- Chucktown: As Charleston was named after King Charles of Britain (Charles Town), "Chuck" substituted for "Charles". The rest is history.
- Sparkle City: We're not sure where this Spartanburg moniker came from, other than sharing the first three letters with its namesake. It sounds cool though. Any ideas? Email us.
- Sodatown: Columbia is often shortened to Cola, and is also known as Colatown. Cola is a form of soda, so the name sticks.
We may be from here, but we still learn new things about our state every day, so we need your help in writing this guide to SC city nicknames. Email us at service@sciway.net with your favorite town nickname and any theory behind its origin. Now, of course, we'll do our best not to divulge this guide to outsiders, lest we lose the satisfaction of confusing visitors with names they won't find in the guidebooks.
Return to Table of Contents
4. SC Picture of the Month
Water tumbles over mossy rocks at Yellow Branch Falls.
Yellow Branch Falls in Oconee County invites hikers with its cool mist and greenery. Jason Furda was visiting the Upstate when he took this shot in June 2004. Thanks to Jason for sharing this shot with us! You can discover more of his photos at deviantART.
Contribute your shot to the SC Picture Project or see our most recent photo submissions.
Return to Table of Contents
5. Upcoming SC Festivals & Events
For a complete calendar of South Carolina festivals and events, visit http://www.sciway.net/calendar.html. Here are just a few of June and early July's highlights:
Boogaloo Folk Life Productions - Union - plays based on true stories from Union County - June 5-8 & 12-15
Sun Fun Festival - Myrtle Beach - entertainment, air shows, parade, pageants, sporting events, kids fair - Jun 5-9
Hampton County Watermelon Festival - contests, music, parade, food, family fun - Jun 14-22
South Carolina Festival of Flowers - Greenwood - garden tours, music, children's activities - Jun 20-22
Island Heritage Festival - James Island - honoring the Gullah culture - Jun 27-29
Return to Table of Contents
6. State Song
Can you name our state bird? State flower? State dance? If you said Carolina wren, yellow jessamine, and shag, you're right of course. Now quick – hum a line of our state song ....
Sorry, that was a trick question, we actually have two state songs. But if you find yourself hard-pressed to sing along to either, read on.
We have the lyrics to both state songs on SCIway, along with details on when they were written and officially became the state song. We know the tune to the first, "Carolina," written about 100 years ago by poet Henry Timrod. However, until recently we knew very little about "South Carolina on My Mind," which became our second state song in 1984.
For years we have received queries from readers about where they cound find this song. Many people were like us and just curious, and we also heard from teachers who wanted their students to hear it. We even received one call from a Canadian who was preparing to host a South Carolinian and wanted to play the state song for them ... we were sorry we couldn't oblige.
Finally our curiousity got the better of us, and last month we set out to find Hank Martin, who wrote the song and first sang it with Buzz Arledge a quarter of a century ago. He's originally from Bishopville, South Carolina, but he's been "hiding out" in Nashville for awhile. His long musical career took him from South Carolina, where he was an original member of the band "Second Nature," to Nashville in '78, then to Las Vegas on a brief stint as a backup singer for Dolly Parton, and finally to New York.
In New York, Hank recorded numerous national commercials; jingles became his bread and butter, but he was also interested in writing music. When contacted to write a song for a political campaign in SC, he was happy to oblige. Using a poem his father-in-law wrote, "A Carolina Love Song," as inspiration, he wrote a longing ballad about the reminiscence of an adult who has moved away but can't forget the "sunshine summertimes" or "beauty of the autumns" in SC.
But as will happen with political campaigns, this one sizzled out. Hank was left with a song and nowhere to sing it until the SC Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department asked him to get it recorded. Hank turned to his long-time singing partner to do a duet, and 500 copies were sent out to radio stations. The two were soon asked to perform for governor's conferences and Gamecock football fans and everyone in between; the song fit its new role to a "t."
And so it was that the South Carolina legislature found it prudent to make this our second state song, "to help inspire pride ... and promote the image of South Carolina beyond our borders." Well, we figure it can't completely fulfill this duty if no one can hear it, so if you were not fortunate enough to hear it back in the 80's, today's your lucky day!
Editor's Note:
Our many thanks to Hank Martin, who graciously allowed us to provide a venue for his song to be heard. These days he's back in Nashville, continuing his multi-faceted musical career and enjoying life with his equally-talented wife Linda. Together they have 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and often perform shows together. Buzz Arledge now resides in Nashville as well, not far from Hank and Linda.
Return to Table of Contents
© 2008 SCIway.net, LLC. "SCIway News"™ is written by the team at SCIway.net – with a lot of help from people throughout South Carolina. ISSN: 1527-3903.
You are welcome to distribute complete, unaltered copies of this issue to anyone in any format ... or to include parts of it in printed publications. But please indicate the source (SCIway News, June 2008) and include our web address (www.sciway.net). Thanks!
Our mailing address is PO Box 13318, James Island, South Carolina 29422.
Subscribe or unsubscribe from SCIway News.
The SCIway News mailing list is not loaned or sold to anyone.
Comments and questions about this newsletter should be sent to news@sciway.net.
Back issues of SCIway News can be found here.
SCIway, pronounced "sky-way," is an acronym for South Carolina Information Highway.
|
NEW SC WEBSITES