SCIWAY News No. 44 – June 2007

In This Issue

South Carolina Blog Star
Notable SC Websites
$500 SCIway Logo Design Contest
SC Photo of the Month
Upcoming SC Festivals & Events
Greenville: The Most Happening Downtown in SC

1. South Carolina Blog Star

Well, we've said it before, and hopefully we'll say it again, but of all the good things about working on SCIway, not working on SCIway is the best!

Enter our new blog project. Um, that is, our future new blog project. As in forthcoming. Eventually.

You see, we noticed these blog things were getting pretty popular, and we decided we should make a directory of them. We thought we'd gather up all the ones about South Carolina and organize them in one place so they'd be easier for you to find. It was a noble idea, and we still intend to do it, but we got distracted early on.

Perhaps distracted is too mild a word. Ambushed might be more accurate. That's because right out of the gate, we discovered a blog that is so incredible, so interesting and special, we've hardly been able to do a lick of work since.

We just can't stop looking at the thing!

Now that you've been warned, we'd like to introduce to you a true South Carolina Blog Star. Walk This Way is the wonderful, whimsical work of Joan Perry, who chronicles her adventures around town and around the state in what she describes as her "online scrapbook" of South Carolina.

Based in Charleston, Joan takes you down the streets of the Holy City and the backroads of SC, visiting churches, cemeteries, cotton fields, and more. A self-professed "Sidewalk Graffiti Curator," Joan finds beauty in both large and small reminders of our state's charm. With camera in hand, she documents her discoveries for all of us to share.

Joan's blog is lighthearted, humorous, irreverent, and magical. Her collection of photos and their descriptions are a gift to South Carolina. Every day she is out and about recording pieces of our history and culture. She captures images of old shacks and signs, images that exist nowhere else on the Internet, and with them she captures our collective memories. We are lucky to have her!

Read our interview with Joan, then visit her blog for yourself. But remember to finish all your work first ... because this site is way too much fun!

Editor's note: Sadly, the blogging platform that hosted "Walk This Way" crashed in December 2008. It was a huge loss for South Carolina. Joan is carrying on, however, with her new blog, Charleston Daily Photo.

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2. Notable SC Websites

Benjamin E. Mays Historic Site - Greenwood County birthplace of Civil Rights leader Benjamin Mays

Blue Sky - learn about the Columbia artist who created Tunnelvision and much more

Certified South Carolina - brands and promotes food grown in SC

County Registers of Deeds - property searches, forms, more

Picturetown - Nikon camera promotion in Georgetown - site no longer exists

Recycling A-Z - where to recycle in Greenville and beyond - an especially useful resource! - site no longer exists<

SCHousingsearch.com - free service to list and locate low-income rental housing

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3. $500 SCIway Logo Design Contest

When you read this newsletter next month, SCIway should look a lot different than it does now! The time has come for us to update our look, and we've been hard at work doing just that. The format will still be clean and easy-to-follow, but we are adding some features to make our site more useful than ever.

As part of our redesign, SCIway is hosting a statewide Logo Design Contest. The winning designer will receive $500. For more information, as well as for a sneak peak at the new look, see our SCIway Logo Design Contest rules.

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4. SC Photo of the Month

For the month of June, we decided to bring you a summertime shot taken on our beautiful coast. This scene is surely one that evokes memories for many of us and reminds us of the fishing industry and its importance in our state.

The photograph of the Four Girls shrimp boat was taken by Tammy Watson of Aiken while she was visiting Ladys Island in Beaufort County. Thank you Tammy for sharing this great picture with us! Thank you also for sharing your thoughtful description of the scene and all that it stands for.

— Four Girls Shrimp Boat —

Click here to learn more about the SC Picture Project.

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5. Upcoming SC Festivals & Events

For a complete calendar of South Carolina festivals and events, visit https://www.sciway.net/calendar.html. Here are just a few of June's highlights:

Scottish Games & Highland Festival - June 8-9 - Greenville

Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival - June 8-9 - Mount Pleasant - site no longer exists

Columbia Midlands Soap Box Derby - June 9 - site no longer exists

Mighty Moo Festival & Reunion - June 13-16 - Cowpens - site no longer exists

Hampton County Watermelon Festival - June 16-24

South Carolina Festival of Flowers - June 22-24 - Greenwood

Round the Fourth - June 23 - Conway - site no longer exists

Carolina Low Country Tomato Festival - June 28-30 - Edisto Island - site no longer exists

Island Heritage Festival - June 28-July 2 - James Island - site no longer exists

Red, White & Blue - July 4 - Greenville - site no longer exists

South Carolina Festival of Discovery - July 12-14 - Greenwood

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6. Greenville: The Most Happening Downtown in SC

Click to see our photo gallery of downtown Greenville.

It was Thursday evening a little after 5:00, and I was looking for something to do. From my hotel room window I saw a large Greek festival just getting started. Tempting, but then ...

I looked in the paper and saw that Hootie and the Blowfish would be playing three blocks away in a few hours. Cool, but then ...

I decided to begin the night by dining at an outdoor restaurant which overlooks the river. But then ...

as I was walking down Main Street toward the river, I passed a large plaza stuffed with friendly people and a good band. Detour. But then ...

after a couple of beers and some good conversation, I continued my walk to the river, where I enjoyed a delicious salmon steak. But then ...

night fell and it was time to go see Hootie. But then ...

as I walked back across the bridge, I saw a crowd of people on the riverbank, and I heard an unmistakable sound that made me smile.

Five minutes later I was sitting on a low brick wall enjoying a lively performance by The Tams.

Much later, as I was walking back to my hotel, it occurred to me that there was a LOT going on in downtown Greenville. And Friday night was even more happening!

By day Greenville's Main Street is also busy – yet at the same time relaxing. North Main is a two-lane avenue designed for people rather than cars. The sidewalks are extra wide and are covered by a cooling canopy of shade trees.

South Main features the Peace Center (one of South Carolina's finest performing arts centers) and the Reedy River Falls Park. This new urban treasure flanks both banks of the Reedy and its falls, and it extends downstream past the Liberty Bridge, an impressive curved suspension walkway that overlooks the falls.

Besides Falls Park, what I like most about downtown Greenville is its many sidewalk cafes and the shaded benches, swings, and tables and chairs you find almost everywhere. Then there's the flowers, fountains, flowing water, and brass statues. It's like a slice of Europe transplanted in South Carolina.

In short, downtown Greenville offers the best of two worlds. There's lots going on ... but plenty of cool, quiet places where you can talk, read a book, or simply do nothing.

Downtown Greenville is a perfect place to spend a long weekend. But here's a tip. Perhaps because it's cooler and less humid than most other places in South Carolina, many events are held in outdoor amphitheaters and plazas. So bring a folding chair. You'll see locals with them every night.

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SCIWAY, pronounced "sky-way," is an acronym for South Carolina Information Highway.