Mt. Pleasant SC’s, Pinckney Elementary School, was turned into a highly competitive racing arena this weekend. It was the Cub Scouts annual Pinewood Derby race. One of the Scouts largest events every year. Moms and Dads, mostly Dads lets face it, work very hard along side their scout every year to build the fasted derby car with the best design or paint job.
This event was started in 1953 by Don Murphy. Murphy’s son was to young to participate in the Soap Box Derby, so he came up with the idea of racing miniature wood cars. The cars had the same gravity-powered concept as the Box cars, but were smaller and were not raced by the scout. By 1955 the pinewood derby was part of the official Cub Scouting program and, while always optional, has become a key part of many Cub Scout packs’ annual programs.

It is easy to see why the event has become so popular.
Flash ahead fifty-seven years to Charleston, SC and you will see the same principles and excitement of yesteryears. The Cub Scouts in pack 505 range from six to ten years old and are categorized by Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Weblo Scouts. Each group races against each other and then the winners advance to the final round. It is a lot harder done than said. Each scout receives the same block of wood, axel, and four wheels. The most difficult challenge after the actual car design, which takes some intense carving and shaving, is to find the exact balance of weight without butchering the cars. Cars can’t weigh over 5.0 ounces and those weighing under that don’t have much of a chance. The scouts have to be very creative as well with securing axels and gloss finishes, sticker placement, and unique names. Some of the favorites this year were Blue Thunder, Orange Crush, The dragon Claw, & Shake and Bake.

A casual observer might pick up on a few details in the all day event. One is the camaraderie among the scouts. They genuinely encourage each other and have fun no matter who is winning. Also, the scouts seem to always use their events to serve the community or those in need. This year a bake sale was added to the Derby to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Publix manager, James Bongalis, the 1971 winner of Pinewood Derby, was there serving ice cream to help in those efforts, along with donations from Joey Bag of Donuts and Pizza Hut.

Many parents have their children in sporting events year round and as that is a great advantage for children to build self esteem and even achieve scholarships, there is something very pure about the Cub Scouts. The purpose of the Pinewood Derby event is to help the Cub Scout build a team relationship with their parent or helper, experience the sense of accomplishment and the excitement of competition, learn good sportsmanship, and to have fun

One of the 3 top goals set for the Derby race is “Family Understanding.”
Building a pinewood derby car puts the boy and his mom, dad, or other adult partner into a close and sometimes intense learning experience over, potentially, many hours.
Second, “Personal Achievement,” which comes to any boy who picks up a woodworking tool and shapes raw wood into a sleek design. 
And of course “Sportsmanship and good citizenship” is high priority and is taught by following the derby rules and cheering on friends and den partners as they race against others in the pack.
Congratulations to this years winners. Evan Myers, a Tiger Scout, took home first place. Daniel Reinhart, a wolf Scout placed second. Remington Hough, a Webelo, received third place. Riely turcotte, another Wolf Scout, placed fourth.


To find out more about the Scouts in Charleston, SC visit the Coastal Carolina Council http://www.coastalcarolinabsa.org/openrosters/view_homepage.asp?orgkey=1991

Voted Best use of weight. The middle coin is a Homeland Security coin.

Video Wrap up of the Day's Events.

Are you still paying for your Xbox 360 games? Well I think its time you joined the rest of the pack and began downloading your games off the internet for absolutely free. Forget about those raucously high retail prices, what I’m about to tell you will make sure you never have to pay for an Xbox 360 game ever again. There are plenty of places on the internet were you can download free Xbox 360 games from, however not all of them are legit and some are illegal, so if you wish to learn how you can easily download all your games for free in the future then continue reading.  Firstly let me tell you something, searching for free Xbox 360 game sites on Google isn’t a very good idea, as most of the sites are full of spyware, viruses and adware that can seriously damage your computers health, there aim is to try and get you to download their phony files that are full of viruses, in an attempt to obtain your valuable personal and financial information. Searching for download sites on Google is a big NO NO and if you wish to keep your computer and your personal details safe then please do yourself a favor and steer clear of those phony free download sites.  There are also plenty of other sites available that claim to offer you free downloads, but in reality they are actually scams and do not deliver on what they promise, they will offer you access to their databases but expect you to pay a separate fee for every time you download something. These sites are pretty much useless and unless you are willing to fork out a fortune for your downloads, don’t get scammed into becoming a member of one of these sites.  Anyhow amongst all these worthless sites there are a few gems and legitimate places where you can download all your favorite Xbox 360 games for free. One particular site that comes to mind is Everything for Xbox 360, it is a great site that offers you unlimited lifetime access to their huge databases of files, which contains games movies music and much more, all for a one time small membership fee of around $34.95 (less than the price of a single game). Everything for Xbox 360 heavily monitors the quality of their files and their databases are updated on a regular basis, therefore you are ensured that your files will contain no viruses or spyware and that you will actually receive the game you downloaded. It is considered pretty much Free because the benefits far outweigh the costs, i.e the benefits of gaining lifetime access to downloading safe regulated files that assure the safety of your computer and save you a huge amount of money in the future because you never have to buy a game again, easily outweigh the small one time cost to join the site. Remember nothing in this life is absolutely free; everything comes at a cost, so which would you rather pay, the cost of having your computer infested with viruses from unsafe free sites, or a small onetime fee which allows you to download safe regulated files for a lifetime?  Also Everything For Xbox 360 is not just a site that offers game downloads, they will show you exactly how to modify your Xbox to begin downloading games for free immediately. As a member you will learn how to safely & easily flash your Xbox 360 console with the newest iXtreme firmware. Using their detailed step by step video instructions, tutorials & expert 24/7 support & guidance, stealth patched and playable on live Xbox 360 games are easily within your grasp!  Lastly, rest assured that Everything For XBox 360 is the real deal, and that you will never have to buy a single Xbox 360 game ever again, as they offer 24/7 live customer support and also offer a 60 day no questions asked full money back guarantee if for some reason your are unsatisfied with their services. So if you wish to download Free Xbox 360 games then make sure you do your research and find a legitimate source that allows you lifetime access to their huge database of files for a one time small fee, and also offers a full money back guarantee.  *P.S* If you have ever encountered the dreaded Xbox 360 Red Ring Of Death, then worry no more as this site will also show you how to fix and repair the red ring of death**  So If you never want to have to pay Retail Prices again then stick to the basics I have covered above and you shall be able to find a trustable source that you can use for a lifetime. Everything For Xbox 360  is one particular site which offers access to over 95 million files and provides 24 hour technical support. Check out this Review Everything For Xbox 360  and find out how you can save Hundreds Of Dollars By downloading Free Video Games Online.


About the AuthorHead Over To http://www.squidoo.com/freeconsolegames to Find out how to download all the latest Xbox 360 Games

"Live music." That common saying may contain some truth, but these
days the word "live" is having less and less to do with music. For many
people, a dj is their form of live music. Despite what dj's would like
to have you believe, musicians make excellent entertainment.

In the first place, people enjoy human performance. Many musicians
like great athletes are multi-talented. They will croon on the tenor
saxophone right to your soul, then turn around and chunk out a funky
rhythm on a Fender Stratocaster. Can a dj play a turntable behind his
head or with his teeth? Professional musicians love to sing and groove
on just about any style of music from a Frank Sinatra to Outkast. They
especially enjoy playing when the audience is responding to their
performance.

In the second place, musicians are students of the arts. Musicians
do not merely "push buttons." They've had years of practice in their
homes, and they do their thing on stage. Unlike dj's musicians do not
try to sing over or add other loud or strange noises to program music.
Once a song starts it flows to the end and in the unfortunate event of
a power shortage musicians can continue to entertain acoustically until
power is restored. Even non-professional musicians usually understand
"the show must go on" concept.

Lastly, one of the most attractive features of bands as
entertainment is the affinity between them and their audience. Watching
a great drummer is never boring because they're constantly
moving...feeling. An animated solo violinist playing an old wooden
Stradivarius violin has a much greater chance of reaching into your
soul and stirring your emotions than a dj with an array of magnetic
speakers and digital amplifiers no matter how great his system sounds.
It's an apple trying to be an orange. It's the difference between human
blood and electricity.

Contrary to popular opinion, bands can be affordable. Just like with
a dj, finding a band well in advance and securing them with a low down
payment, the price can be negotiated to avoid costly or inadequate
entertainment. Bands will even throw in a free cocktail hour or an
extra half hour at the end to secure a date! Many bands are now
offering "dj time." This is when the musician hat comes off and the dj
hat is put on to play the Techno, House, Hip-Hop, etc...Genres of
today. People who have small parties should appreciate these
characteristics of bands. However, many people who have large parties
opt to have bands because they love the musician personality. In many
ways, musicians are the ideal entertainers.

Candido Bretto
PartyBands.com

Partybands.com is home to over 200+ bands from all around the USA.

Today I had a small window of opportunity  to pick up a few groceries before I had to pick my son up at school…what does this have to do with NASCAR?, you may be asking. Stay with me and listen to my precious RACE FAN encounter today!

I was zooming through the isles of the store hearing the clock ticking in my mind, when I rounded the corner. Who knew I would have an encounter with the coolest lady. She was in one of those drivable grocery carts and she was stopped. This lady was dressed to the hilt. Fur vest over a coral turtle neck sweater, hair in a very fashionable bun and make up on to perfection. I was taken back by her presence.  As I was about to go by her, she pressed her GO button and the next thing I knew we were side by side. I jokingly said to her “you wanna race”?  And much to my surprise she said “Maybe I do”!!!  I laughed and said she could probably take me with all the groceries I had in my cart!! She said “I like that  NASCAR racing, do you?” and I told her that I was a HUGE race fan. She asked me who my driver was that I “pulled for”…In the moment, I was chuckling to myself thinking this lady is pulling my leg, right?! I said, “Carl Edwards is my man. Isn’t he a cutie pie”?  “He does the back flip, right?” was her reply. She told me she “pulled for” Tony Stewart. The lady knew her stuff and I was impressed! At that moment, I realized I have stumbled across a jewel in Harris Teeter!!!! She proceeded to tell me she had already watched the race twice since Sunday…”that’s how big of a fan I am” she said.


Now that I am reflecting on this and realizing I am in Charleston SC, I wonder does her family have a place in NASCAR history or maybe they are linked to NACAR now?  Kyle and Patty Petty have a home on Isle of Palms, which is only a few minutes from where I had met her. Steve Burns has a place there, too.  Who else lives down here in the Charleston area that has roots in NASCAR???  My mind is still spinning!!! She told me her husband had raced at Bristol back in the 50’s~ when Bristol was still dirt!!! Her whole family loves racing and I am sure there was more to find out, but I had to go pick up my 3yr old baby boy from pre school. When she said, “yes, my baby is 57 now”  that gave me a small peek into her age…but she followed up with “but I adopted her when she was already 24!” This lady had spunk!!!!!!  I told her what a pleasure it was to meet her and that I had a blog about NASCAR on HobnobCharleston.com and invited her to look me up sometime.

So this blog is dedicated to the precious Tony Stewart fan, that almost took me on in isle 8 in Harris Teeter, and taught me you are never to old to share your passion….especially if it is NASCAR!!!!!

We get a lot of questions about schools in Charleston, SC – especially from home buyers relocating to Charleston.  When clients tell us they want to be in a good public school district, we give them some of the resources we’ve collected over the years.  Most of these are school district websites along with various sites devoted to school rankings for the Charleston area and for the state.

The cities of Mt. Pleasant and Summerville have the highest ranked public schools in Charleston.  Summerville is divided into several districts.  But, if you look at the rankings, you’ll see that Dorchester District 2 receives the highest marks.   

When people find out they have two options for places to live in Charleston with such good public schools, they usually want to narrow their search even more.  So, the main differences between these two areas are price and location.  Mt. Pleasant is more expensive than Summerville, since most areas in Mt. Pleasant are about 10 minutes from the beaches and about 15-20 minutes from downtown Charleston.  So, Mt. Pleasant has a much better location than Summerville.  Also, Mt. Pleasant has more of an upscale feel to it.  There is plenty to do in Mt. Pleasant – it has a nice outdoor shopping mall (Towne Center), along with a lot of restaurants and a movie theater.

If you’re looking to spend less than $250K for a single family home, I would recommend looking in Summerville.  The homes in Summerville are more affordable compared to some of the other Charleston areas.  Summerville is about 40 to 45 minutes from downtown Charleston and a good hour's drive from the closest beach.  Summerville has a small-town feel to it, but there are still quite a few restaurants and stores in the area.  So, Summerville residents don’t have to leave town for entertainment.  But, if they want to go downtown Charleston or to the beach, it’s just a short drive away.

James Island also has good schools – from their elementary schools up to their Charter high school.  Also, Academic Magnet High School in North Charleston was ranked 7th in the country for public schools.  Students have to apply to get into Academic Magnet, and it is quite competitive.  But, the good news is that home buyers have plenty of options for good public schools in Charleston.

Charleston also has excellent private schools.  Bishop England High School, Ashley Hall, and Porter-Gaud are just a handful of options for private schools in Charleston.

Home buyers will find a lot of good information available on schools, so it’s important for buyers to not just rely on what we say – but to also look for themselves.  If schools are a deciding factor in your home purchase, be sure to confirm any information that you get.  Most buyers are pleased to see for themselves the many options available for schools in Charleston.



About the Author: You’ll find some of our resources on the Schools page of our website.  Buyers can also view all Charleston homes for sale on the MLS using our website!  Whether you’re looking for Mt. Pleasant, SC homes or Summerville real estate, you’ll find all the listings on our site!

Rich with history, dense with beauty, and brimming with beach-themed activities, Charleston, South Carolina and its surrounding area is a worthwhile destination for anyone in the mood for a sunny, southern-tinged, and relaxing vacation. Whether you settle down in the city or on the beach, you'll be happy to call this blessed bit of land your temporary home.
The weather is fine and dandy year-round and there is much to do that will allow you to take advantage of this. Most people do end up coming for the summer, though, when the beach is at its best and it feels most appropriate to let responsibilities fade into the background for a few precious days. Follow the city folk to a place where swimming, shopping, and eating seafood take first priority and forget all about less important things.
You've heard it's historic, but what exactly will you see in Charleston? Homes that are hundreds of years old, preserved plantations, churches, museums and a general atmosphere of charm and hospitality will greet you around every corner of your downtown adventure. Take a guided tour of a rice field, the crop responsible for making this city successful, and keep your eyes open for the wildlife that inhabits the abandoned gardens today.
Also on dry land you'll find tons of tennis courts, golf courses, and bike paths. Rent a cycle and cross the longest cable-stayed bridge on the continent (don't worry, it's easier than it sounds) or hop on a horse and take a trail ride through a picturesque park. If these activities tire you out, book a spa treatment and get pampered, or burn off some steam by going for a walk or a run along the beach. Mother Nature is a friendly figure in Charleston, so get out and enjoy her riches.
On the water, there's perhaps even more to keep you busy and to reconnect you to the natural world. No experience is necessary to rent a kayak and head out for a one-of-a-kind tour of the Carolina coastline, where you'll likely encounter dolphins, osprey, and river otter. Whether guided or not, as you explore the waters of the barrier islands you'll learn something about where you are while forgetting about where you're not (the cubicle, the office, the dry cleaner's...). Birds and alligators have a way of taking you to a whole new level of consciousness, and that'll be a very good thing.
If you like to fish, there are plenty of places to charter a boat for a day of reeling in a few great catches. Head out into the open sea or stick to shore in a canoe; either way you'll feel happy to be alive. Catch a whopper, watch the experts do their thing, learn to sail, or even choose to step onboard a dinner cruise where you'll be treated to a fresh meal while you watch the sun go down. Boating is a way of living here, so be sure to bring your sea legs.
A sillier water activity involves heading to the area water park for some slipping and sliding, and there's always time for some old-fashioned playing around on the beach. Build a sand castle or roll up your shorts and go for a wade, as long as you take advantage of this time on the ocean you'll feel that your vacation has been complete. Sand and surf aren't available every day, remember.
Charleston is known for much more than all of this, including dining options, culinary classes, and special events and festivals. Shop for souvenirs, look at local art, catch a movie or a show, or take a day trip to a nearby resort area. You and your traveling companions will be as busy as you want, or more importantly, as busy as you don't want.
A smart option in this region would be to rent a vacation home to ensure your days and nights are cozy and comfortable, making it easy to fit in a nap or a game of cards without dreading a return to your boxy hotel room.  Charleston SC Vacation Rentals  come in all shapes and sizes, so you're sure to find the ultimate complement to your planned trip somewhere along the coast or in the city area. Go online to start looking today, and prepare to enjoy your upcoming vacation.



About the AuthorVisit CyberRentals.com to check out all the vacation rental listings that have the potential to maximize the possibilities during your next trip.