January 7, 2020:
The Mayor of Charleston and former president of the Rotary Club of Charleston continued the tradition of beginning the new year with a “state of the city’ presentation to our club. Fresh of his re-election victory in November, presented a broad set of initiatives to continue to make Charleston a great city to live and visit.
The Mayor started his presentation by pointing out that the City of Charleston recites the Pledge of Allegiance without any pause between the words, One Nation Under God, and asked us to recite it that way, to emphasize who is the true leader of our nation.
He shared that this presentation is more his vision for 2020, as the State of the City formal address is not yet complete. He noted there are major anniversaries this year – 100th for Rotary, 250th for the College of Charleston, and 350th for the City of Charleston.
The following are issues to Mayor will be on the agenda for 2020:
Consultants AE Comm have finished the vulnerability assessment which will inform how to prioritize future spending/projects in the city.
The Mayor shared that these projects should be examined not only from a cost-benefit analysis but also from overall impact.
The City has formed a partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers to address the perimeter of Charleston and Sea Level Rise. Extreme weather in 2019 resulted in 89 high tide flooding events. Predictions are that by 2050 these could be every other day.
Restoration of the Church Creek Basin will be addressed – part of recommendations from the Dutch Dialogues
The City will be bringing Storm water Manual Updates to City Council for review and approval soon. The goal is to make sure we are not harming drainage basins. They will recommend reasonable, effective changes to storm water regulations.
Archway Tunnel System
o In the 1850’s Mayor Pinckney started construction of Archway tunnels under downtown Charleston streets, to provide drainage and sewer. 100 years ago the City added an independent sewer system, and the Archway tunnels became clogged. These can be cleaned out to provide additional storm water storage.
Traffic and Transportation Congestion
o Quality of Life Issue
o Will partner with Charleston County
o Goal to increase mobility
o SC DOT and US DOT receive funds to build roads and bridges, not the City of
Charleston
o Most streets in Charleston are under the purview of SC DOT
o (Transportation issues very complex)
o City was awarded $18 million grant to build pedestrian/bike lane on Ashley River Bridge (the City and County are providing matching funds). This was the 3rd grant attempt for these funds.
o 526 project is alive and well
Highway Dept is redoing studies
o Intersection at Maybank and River Road will be improved in March 2020
(Charleston County is a partner in this)
o Shortly will be starting the North Pitchfork on River Road
Pedestrian improvements will be addressed on Orange Grove Road, Sam
Rittenberg, and Old Towne Road
o Redevelopment of the old Piggly Wiggly at 171 is anticipated
o Project to improve Calhoun and Courtney, where the James Island Connector
exits to downtown, which is a requirement to prepare for 526 expansion
o Improvements to Clements Ferry Road (Berkeley County is a partner)
Affordable Housing
o Recovered $19.3 million from LDC which will be used for affordable housing
o Partnership with 180 Place – 85 units of transitional housing for those coming out of homelessness. The City has committed $6 million.
o 65 units of workforce housing being creased at Cooper and Nassau Street. For those earning low to moderate median income.
o Private developer – another 65 units workforce housing
o City purchased 48 units of housing on James Island to retain affordable housing
o Set up lowcountry land trust – legal covenants to extend affordable housing – units will remain affordable after sold, as City will still own the land
International African American Museum – opening 2021
Limiting future development of hotel in the city
Limited short-term rental in the City
Opening new Recreation Center on Daniel Island
Opened the Cannon Street Cultural Center (thanks Patterson Smith)
Broke ground on Technology Corridor and 22 West Edge Incubator for Life Sciences
Don’t want to build additional apartments or hotels, but DO want to expand businesses, strategic economic development
Continued development of Lowcountry Rapid Transit – currently under design, and first leg will be from Summerville to downtown Charleston – anticipate 4-5 years from completion
He has hired a Chief Innovation Officer to focus on creative new ways to improve our City
The Mayor is very excited about the coming year and encourages us all to reach out to him and his staff with questions and suggestions.
Submitted by Lisa Van Bergen, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Robert Sullivan gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Amy Chico welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Sandy Morckel presented Health and Happiness.
- President Sandy introduced our guest speaker, Past President of our Club and Mayor of Charleston, John Tecklenburg, who gave us a “State of the City”.
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MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
January 14, 2019 | Issue 4952 | President: Sandy Morckel
COMING EVENTS
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- Jan. 14 – Ed Marinaro, Football & Acting / Board Meeting @ 10:45am
- Jan. 14 – New Member Meeting, 6pm @ Charleston Public Library
- Jan. 21 – Mac Hodgson, GEL & the Low Country
- Jan. 28 – No Meeting
- Feb. 4 – Darrin Goss, Coastal Community Foundation
NEWS BRIEFS
Rotary Club of Charleston History Moment
At each meeting, President Sandy plans to share some of the snippets of our club’s amazing 100 year history and our impact on Charleston and around the world. It will be a fun trip down memory lane and will also be shared in the Keyway.
The 60s (1968-19707)
Mayor Palmer Gaillard spoke to the Club on “The Illness of our City.” Jim Platt scolded Rotarians for staying away from voting booths on elections days. Mrs. Cora Hamlin become our first executive secretary for the Club because of the Club’s growth and correspondence. This and the increase of meals by the Hotel, demanded an increase in dues and we ended the year of 1968 with a loss of $843. Our Club, along with the St. Andrews Club and North Charleston Club, hosted District Governor Charlie Palmer’s District Conference here. The Club committed $3000 to help build a hospital in Malaysia. The first African-American to be invited to speak to the Club was Rev. Henry Grant. We ended the 1960’s with 164 members.
50/50 Raffle
The 50/50 Raffle continues at our weekly meeting. This Tuesday members will have a 1 in 8 chance to win. The pot will start at $280. Bring your cash and let’s grow the pot. You do need to be present to win. Tickets are available at meetings – 1 for $5 or 3 for $10.
New Member Orientation …. Calling all New Members
The Membership Committee is kicking off the year with our first New Member Orientation this Tuesday, January 14th at 6:00PM. We will be holding the meeting at The Charleston Public Library Main Branch, 68 Calhoun Street. There is parking on the ground floor of the library. Bring a couple dollars cash for the parking. We have reserved Meeting Room B upstairs.
This class is open to ALL Rotarians! We will be talking a little history, club projects, how to make the most of your membership and networking. We will also show you how to use the Club Website and District Database, so bring your laptop as we want to make sure everyone has access to the Rotary databases.
We do encourage all new Rotarians who have joined since July to attend this meeting. It is a Red Badge requirement. Please email Heidi Finniff or Digit Matheny if you plan to attend.
Get Involved …. Committee Meetings Scheduled
Both the International Committee (chaired by Karl Riner) and the Community Service Committee (chaired by Kerby Teller) will meet immediately following Rotary this coming Tuesday, Jan. 14th. If you are already involved or would like to be involved in one of these service areas, please plan to attend. If you are unable to attend, please reach out to Karl or Kerby.
Get Your Rotary 100 Anniversary Apparel
This past Tuesday we kicked off the sales of official Rotary 100th Anniversary Commemorative gear! Don Oswalt and our PR Team showcased a golf shirt and tee-shirt in varying colors and sizes, along with a baseball cap, all with our 100th anniversary logo. We encourage every Rotarian to purchase one or more of the special merchandise and wear it proudly at every Rotary function or volunteer activity in which we participate. Golf shirts will be available for $45, tee-shirts for $20 and hats for $20. You can purchase these items online here or at the Rotary Meetings over the next 2 weeks. We will place the group order for all items at the beginning of February.
January Dues Statements
January dues statements were distributed via email to all members the second week of December. Payment is due 30 days from receipt. We realize the holidays are a busy time, so if you have misplaced your statement or don’t remember receiving one, please contact Carroll.
Boat Raffle tickets now on sale
The annual Boat Raffle has begun! Tickets are now available for all Rotarians to help with our major fundraiser of the year. The prize is once again a beautiful Sea Fox boat valued at $40,000. And a cash equivalent prize of $15,000 is also an option for the winner. Tickets are $100 and no more than 1,000 will be sold – great odds!
Please get out there and sell tickets to family, friends and colleagues. This is the primary source of revenue for us to fund all the great work we do all year long. This year its even easier to sell tickets. In addition to the traditional printed tickets, which you can get from Doug Holmes, you can direct people to buy tickets in other ways.
By Text: simply text BOATRAFFLE to 44-321 and tickets can be purchased through a mobile device.
By web site: Log on to the Rotary web site at www.charleston-rotary.org and click on the link at the top left of the page to go to a secure web page to buy tickets
In person: at one of several Rotarian businesses selling tickets including
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- ERA Wilder Realty, 122 Coleman Blvd. Mt Pleasant.
- State Farm Insurance: 3750 Savannah Highway, John’s Island
- NV Realty, 91 Broad, St. Charleston
The winning ticket will be drawn at our 100th Anniversary Gala Event on February 29, 2020.
Become a sponsor of the Rotary 100th Year Anniversary
As we gear up for our 100th Anniversary celebration there are are some great sponsorship opportunities to give businesses visibility and the excellent PR that come along with being associated with Rotary. Sponsorship packages range from $250 to $10,000 and include participation and visibility at our 100th Anniversary Gale Event on February 29. Go here to see the sponsorship options and you can pay for the package you chose right on the web site. And share this with other businesses or potential sponsor you think would benefit from this great marketing and community support opportunity. Remember, this is part of our fund raising effort and most of the funds will go directly back into the projects and organizations we support throughout the year.
If you want an electronic file of the sponsorship packages to email around or print out, contact Lisa Van Bergen [email protected]
Gala Event Tickets on sale now!
Mark you calendars and get your ticket now for the event of the year: The Rotary Club of Charleston 100th Anniversary Gala Dinner event. The event will be held February 29, 2020 at the Francis Marion Hotel.
Tickets are $100 and there will only be 300 sold, so act now.
To purchase tickets, go here
Featured keynote speaker is Past Rotary International President John Germ, Moderator/Host PJ Browning, Publisher of The Post and Courier, along with highlights of our 100 years of impact in Charleston. Black tie optional.
6 pm: Cocktail Reception with live music
7 pm: Dinner and program
8 pm: Dancing and entertainment with Zandrina Dunning Experience
You won’t want to miss this fantastic celebration of Rotary’s 100 years of Service Above Self in Charleston.
Outbound Youth Exchange Students Needed for 2020-2021
Our District’s Youth Exchange Program needs your support. The District would like to be able to send between 15 and 19 Outbound students a year on Exchange and receive the same number of Inbounds coming into our District. To do that, the District needs clubs, members and local schools to get involved that have not previously been involved. Children of Rotarians are eligible for this wonderful opportunity.
Preliminary Outbound applications are now being accepted for the 2020-21 year. Everyone’s help is needed to keep this program strong and change the lives of young people. Please contact Karl Riner, Karen Clark or Richard Sidebottom of our International Committee, if you have any questions or know of someone interested in participating.
Corporate/Family Membership

As we strive to expand our membership, the Board has discussed and approved a new membership category. We are now able to offer Corporate/Family Memberships for members of the same business, organization or family. The primary member will pay full club dues of $550 every 6 months. Associate members can also join at a fee of $225 every 6 months including a one-time $100 initiation fee. Associate members will be responsible for paying the $25 meal fee for lunches attended unless the primary member is not in attendance then there is no charge for their meal. Associate members will have all of the benefits of being a Rotarian as the primary member. If you have a co-worker or immediate family member who would like to be a part of Rotary and join as an Associate member, please contact one of our membership chairs – Digit Matheny [email protected] or Heidi Finniff [email protected] to see how they can join.
Our Club is on Social Media
Members are encourage to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us picture of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc. We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be send to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].
Member News
Welcome to new member, Harry Staley! Harry was inducted into our club this past Tuesday. He was sponsored and introduced by Madeleine Frume and will hold the classification of Business Advisory/IT Cyber Security Consultant.
International Chair, Karl Riner, had the pleasure this past Tuesday of recognizing several of our members with multiple Paul Harris Fellows. Congratulations to the following members! Your continued support of the Rotary Foundation is much appreciated.
- Past President Paul Stoney – PHF+1
- Health Beam – PHF + 1
- Steve Coe – PHF + 2
- Steve Dopp – PHF + 2
- Madeliene Frume – PHF + 2
- Kerby Teller – PHF + 2
Charlie Patrick is a new dad! He and his wife welcomed their first son, Charles William Patrick IV, into the world on 12/17. He was 8lbs,1oz. Congrats to the new parents!
We were glad to see both Rob Dewey and Owen Clary at our luncheon this past Tuesday! Both Rotarians have had health related issues over the holidays and spent time in the hospital. We wish them well as they continue in their recovery.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Anthony Weston
Birthdays
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- 1/14 – Karen Clark
- 1/15 – Karl Riner & Tom Giovanniello
- 1/19 – Anita Zucker
- 1/20 – Mike Sottak
By the numbers
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- Attendance on January 7, 2020: 74
- Not in attendance: Allen, Altman, Barry, Baus, Berry, Burgreen, Carico, Clark, Coghill, Cohen, Cole, Crouch, Davenport, Drafts, Fink, Goxhaj, Husser, Jones, Catherine, Jones, Zac, Kaynard, Lucy, Minson, Mitchell, Morse, Patrick, Peters, Plotner, Rust, Smith, H., Sottak, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, P., Triantafyllidis, Wieters, Willey, Woodell
- Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Get your full eight hours.
Just as a healthy diet and regular exercise are necessary and important for good health, so is sleep. Cutting back on snooze-time can lead to an out-of-control appetite (some studies show that people who sleep less are more likely to be overweight), a greater risk for coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. So try to get the recommended eight hours of sleep needed for good health, safety, and optimum performance.
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
- Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
- North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
- Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
- East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
- Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
- Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Wednesdays
- Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
- St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
- Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
- Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
- North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
- Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
- St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
- Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m., Friday, Harbour Club, 35 Prioleau St., Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.
- We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
- We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
- We’re on Instagram. You can follow us @ChasRotaryClub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
- President: Sandy Morckel
- Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
- Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
- Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029 ,Charleston, SC 29413-1029
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved