SCIWAY News, No. 28 – September 2000

This issue is sponsored by Hooked on Phonics, a well known program for helping children learn to read. Almost two million families have purchased Hooked on Phonics for their children or grandchildren. Four out of five parents see improvement in their child's reading within 30 days ... and 92 percent say they would buy Hooked on Phonics again. For more information and an online order form, please go to https://www.sciway.net/phonics.html. - page no longer exists

In This Issue

1. New South Carolina "Consumer Help Desk" Can Help You
2. New and Notable South Carolina Web Sites
3. 55 State Candidates Have Campaign Web Sites
4. Lottery Pros and Cons
5. Bare Bones 101: Learn How to Search the Web Effectively
6. New SCIway Advertisers
7. PEARS - A Useful Source of SC Employment and Economic Data
8. Upcoming Festivals and Events
9. Surprise of the Month: Who Is South Carolina Named For?

1. New South Carolina "Consumer Help Desk" Can Help You

The good news about the Web is that there is more useful information out there than most of us can imagine.

The bad news is that this information is so scattered and disorganized that most of us don't have time to find it.

This is especially true of consumer information. Lots of South Carolina organizations have done a good job of creating Web pages that can help consumers, but no one has brought these resources together so that they are easy to find and use.

To solve this problem, SCIway has created a South Carolina Consumer Help Desk (https://www.sciway.net/consumer/). This simple page includes quick links to the information you need to

- check and correct your credit reports
- file a complaint against a business or charitable organization
- report a fraud
- get free legal help
- get off email, postal mail, and telephone solicitation lists

As we developed the South Carolina Consumer Help Desk, three state Web sites were especially helpful:

South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation

http://www.llr.state.sc.us

South Carolina Bar

http://www.scbar.org/

South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs

http://www.consumer.sc.gov/

We would also appreciate your letting us know about links we should add to the Help Desk by writing service@sciway.net.

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2. New and Notable South Carolina Web Sites

American Revolution Documents - SC Historical Society

http://207.67.203.80/S90007Staff/OPAC/Index.asp#SCHS_online_catalog - site no longer exists

Charleston Mercury - a new conservative review

http://www.charlestonmercury.com

City of Florence - straightforward, fast, and useful

http://www.cityofflorence.com

CoachHoltz.com - news and answers to questions from USC fans

http://www.coachholtz.com - site no longer exists

High School Sports Report - SC predictions, scores, rankings

https://www.hssr.com

Minority Business Marketplace - 600+ minority-owned SC businesses

http://www.mbmarketplace.com - site no longer exists

SAT Scores for South Carolina High School Seniors - 1999-2000

http://ed.sc.gov/topics/assessment/scores/sat/2000/index.html - page no longer exists

South Carolina Department of Public Safety - new Web address

http://www.scdps.gov

South Carolina Department of Revenue - new Web address

http://www.sctax.org

Thoroughbred Country - Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell counties

http://www.tbredcountry.org/

USA.gov - searchable directory of 20,000+ US Government websites

http://www.usa.gov/

York Place - The Episcopal Church Home for Children

http://www.thompsoncff.org/york-place - page no longer exists

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3. 55 State Candidates Have Campaign Web Sites

This year's general election is about five weeks away, and the number of South Carolina candidates who have websites continues to increase. So far, at least 55 state candidates have websites, and you can find them all at https://www.sciway.net/gov/election2000.html - site no longer exists

Republican candidates lead in websites with 26. Democrats have 19 and Libertarians 7. Greenville County has the most websites for local races.

The last day to register to vote this year is next Saturday, October 7. For more information, please see https://scvotes.gov/voters/register-to-vote/.

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4. Lottery Pros and Cons

For me at least, the toughest choice on this year's ballot is the lottery referendum. There are good arguments on both sides of this question, and you can learn more about them by visiting these websites:

South Carolina Education Lottery Coalition - for

http://www.sclottery2000.com - site no longer exists

NO Lottery 2000 - against

http://www.nolottery2000.com - site no longer exists

Task Force Against Legalized Gambling - United Methodists - against

http://www.methodistsagainstlottery.com - site no longer exists

Bipartisan Lottery Opposition Committee - against

http://www.jimmiles.net - site no longer available

Friends for South Carolina - against

http://www.friendsforsc.org - site no longer exists

Legacy Alliance - against

http://www.legacyalliance.org - site no longer exists

Economic and Social Impact of a South Carolina Lottery - against

http://www.scpolicycouncil.com/Going%20for%20Broke.htm - site no longer exists

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5. Bare Bones 101: Learn How to Search the Web Effectively

One of the frustrations of using Internet search engines such as AltaVista, Excite, and HotBot is that you often get a zillion hits–and the ones listed at the top aren't even remotely relevant to the information you're looking for.

Part of this problem is due to the inherent limitation of using computer software programs to search millions (soon billions) of Web pages. But another cause is that many of us have not spent any time learning how to use search engines effectively.

Fortunately Ellen Chamberlain, the head librarian at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, has developed an online tutorial that can help you learn a lot about Internet searching in a small amount of time. It's called "Bare Bones 101," and you can find it at http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml.

I can guarantee you that Bare Bones 101 will save you far more time than it takes to read Ellen's short searching lessons.

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6. New SCIway Advertisers

Boomer's Books & Collectibles - Charleston - used books, low prices

http://home.earthlink.net/~boomersbooks/ - site no longer exists

Buf's - Beaufort - SC's online source for scouting supplies

http://www.bufs.com

RWH Designs - Lexington - T-shirts, art with a focus on SC wildlife

http://www.designsbyrwh.com - site no longer exists

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7. PEARS - A Useful Source of SC Employment and Economic Data

UPDATE: In 2011, the SC Department of Employment and Workforce, formerly the South Carolina Employment Security Commission, introduced a new website. Although PEARS is no longer available, a collection of data can be found on the Labor Market Information page https://jobs.scworks.org/vosnet/dashboards/defaultana.aspx?menuid=MENU_START_PAGE_DASHBOARD_ANA. We have retained the article below for archival purposes.


Last month the South Carolina Employment Security Commission unveiled PEARS (http://www.sces.org/pears/ - resource no longer available), an impressive new Web resource where you can find up-to-date state population, income, labor force, employment, and related economic data.

The first step in using PEARS is to select the geographic area you want to learn more about: a South Carolina county ... one of our six Metropolitan Statistical Areas or 12 Workforce Investment Areas ... or the state as a whole.

PEARS is an acronym for Palmetto Economic Analysis and Research System. It was developed by the Employment Security Commission's Labor Market Information Department (https://jobs.scworks.org/vosnet/dashboards/defaultana.aspx?menuid=MENU_START_PAGE_DASHBOARD_ANA). If you have a question about PEARS or need assistance, please call 803-737-2660 (Columbia) or 1-800-205-9290.

8. Upcoming Festivals and Events

For the latest information on upcoming South Carolina events, please see https://www.sciway.net/calendar.html.

Fall Candlelight Tours of Homes and Gardens - Charleston - Oct 1-28

Belton Standpipe Festival - Oct 5-7

Jazz! Carolina 2000 - Coker University - Hartsville - Oct 5-7

South Carolina State Fair - Columbia - Oct 5-15

Moonshiner's Reunion and Mt. Music Festival - Campobello - Oct 6-7

Charlie Glasgow Memorial Golf Tournament - Blythewood - Oct 9

South Carolina History Day 2000 - Columbia - Oct 11

Vivace: A Celebration of the Arts - Horry County - Oct 13-29

Wavefest 2000 - Charleston - Brittlebank Park - Oct 13-14

Atomic City Gospel Fest - New Ellenton - Oct 13

Atomic City Festival Car & Motorcycle Show - New Ellenton - Oct 14

Air Expo 2000 - Charleston Air Force Base - Oct 14

Pee Dee International Festival - Florence - Oct 14

Pumpkin Festival - Pumpkintown - Pickens County - Oct 14

A Day to Remember - Reenactment - North Augusta - Oct 14-15

Oktoberfest - Walhalla - Oct 20-22

Georgetown Wooden Boat Exhibit + boat-building contest - Oct 21

Shawfest 2000 - featuring The Thunderbirds - Sumter - Oct 21

Race for the Cure - Charleston - 5K charity run/walk - Oct 28

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9. Surprise of the Month: Who Is South Carolina Named For?

When I was a child, I heard a joke that asked, how do you pronounce the capital of Kentucky: "Lewis-ville" or "Looie-ville"? The correct answer, of course, is that Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky ... and Louisville is pronounced "Lu-a-vul."

Now ... who is South Carolina named for?

If you're thinking King Charles, you're right – Carolinius is Latin for Charles.

But which King Charles?

So far, England has had two kings named Charles. In 1629 Charles I granted a vast area he called "Carolana" to Sir Robert Heath, his attorney general. However, Heath did little to develop his new domain, which encompassed present-day South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Charles I was beheaded in the Puritan Revolution in 1649, but his son, Charles II, was restored to the English throne in 1660. In 1663 the new king changed the name "Carolana" to "Carolina" and awarded the territory to eight of his most faithful supporters, who were thence called the Lords Proprietors.

Six years later the Proprietors sent three ships of colonists to establish a settlement at Port Royal (just south of Beaufort). In early April 1670, after a stormy, roundabout voyage, one of these ships –the Carolina– sailed into Charleston Harbor and landed its passengers on the western shore of what we now call the Ashley River. The colonists called their new town Albemarle Point in honor of the eldest of the Lords Proprietors. But the Proprietors soon changed its name to Charles Town to honor the king.

So, it seems reasonable to say that South Carolina was originally named for Charles I of England and that Charleston was named for his son, Charles II.

And now, for the Frankfort part of the story ...

While the English eventually dominated Carolina, the Spanish and French arrived much earlier. A Spanish ship anchored in Winyah Bay (Georgetown) in 1521, and a short-lived French Huguenot colony was established on Parris Island (just south of Port Royal) in 1562 – well over 100 years before the English landed at Charles Town.

The French called their Parris Island settlement Charlesfort in honor of their king, Charles IX. And several historical sources claim that the surrounding region was called, also in his honor ... Carolina!

If you have information that supports or contradicts this French claim, please send it to me at rod.welch@sciway.net, and I will publish what I learn in the next issue of SCIWAY News.

In the meantime I have no clue as to why North Carolina was allowed to secede from the real Carolina ... or why it was permitted to use our name. :)

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