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Good-bye West Of … Hello West Of Free Press
This issue marks the 652nd weekly edition of West Of. Every Wednesday since February 2005, we have covered the good, the bad, and the ugly that has taken place in West Ashley. But this edition marks...
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Greening of West Ashley
All Harry Lesesne sees is opportunities as he walks down the newly finished parts of the city’s renovation of the West Ashley Bikeway. “Over there could be a community garden, over there could be...
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Home Team BBQ Rocks The Block
Ever since Home Team BBQ opened its first restaurant along Ashley River Road more than 10 years ago, the owners of the West Ashley restaurant have worked hard to give back. As they continued to grow,...
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What the Heck Happened to West Of
If you went to your favorite West Ashley restaurant, shop, or grocery store sometime over the last two weeks and tried to grab the latest and greatest copy of West Of, you may have found an old copy...
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2018 Westie Awards
When discussing West Ashley, the term “revitalization” gets bandied about quite frequently. But our beloved parish is in the midst of something much greater than a revitalization. It’s going through a...
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A Transformative Experience
A West African chef, a historian who sleeps where the enslaved slept, and a global connector who invites strangers to dinner create The Transformation Experience at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens on...
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West Ashley Flashback
The hooray moment came 75 years ago. On Feb. 23, 1943 the contract was signed with the Charleston Constructors. The March 13, 1943 edition of The Charleston Evening Post reported that: “The Charleston...
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An Enduring Legacy
Throughout the life of Brian Moody, he tried to follow what he called his “grand plan.” That plan was to leave his community better than he found it. He accomplished that before his untimely passing in...
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The Power of Soup
The story of Stone Soup is an old folktale that’s common in many different cultures, but the story is essentially the same everywhere. It goes something like this: Hungry strangers convince the people...
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Rolling Up Their Sleeves
The West Ashley-James Island Business Association (WAJIBA) is only a quarter of a way into its eighth year of existence and there seems to be a renewed infusion of energy this year. With an almost...
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Welcome to the Boobie Bazaar
West Ashley resident Valerie Trindle has a voluptuous personality. The former hair stylist-turned-realtor is certainly not known for her subtly. Even she admits she has a big mouth. But that’s not the...
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A Birds-Eye View
Technology has changed just about every industry imaginable. Art is no different. It has changed the way we receive and consume art, but it has also changed how it’s made in some cases. Nowhere is this...
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West Ashley Flashback — Showtime at the St. Andrew’s
The 1950 issue of “The Pelican”, the yearbook for St. Andrew’s Parish High School, featured a one page “Write-Up” about the Dramatic Club. “The Dramatic Club, the oldest active club in St. Andrew’s...
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A Family Tradition
There’s no less than a dozen places in West Ashley to get Mexican food these days, not counting the numerous non-Mexican restaurants that have a taco or quesadilla option on their menu. But long before...
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The Myths of Avondale
For years, City Hall has touted the Avondale area of shops and restaurants as the “model” for future development in West Ashley. But should they, considering it’s not even a perfect fit for its own...
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Priest Builds Future to Heal the Past
Father JohnBosco Ikemeh discovered you can go home again. In 2010, the MUSC chaplain traveled to his West African homeland. There, he had an epiphany that led him to his true life’s mission — building...
View ArticleBabes on a Halfshell
Oyster Babe artist Lauren Jane Gift exhibits her whimsical work at The Schoolhouse Raised in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, local painter Lauren Jane Gift developed a love for art as far back as she can recal....
View ArticleFor Want of Gnocchi
Fluffy pillows of pasta were the building blocks to the Avondale we know Much of West Ashley’s revitalization can be traced back to a tiny, delicious Italian dumpling. And that includes big-time,...
View ArticleWAHS Says Goodbye to the Class of 2018
More than 350 students recieve their diploma and move on to the next phase of their lives High school is full of many significant memories like your first home football game, senior prom, and hearing...
View ArticleStroll Down Copley Street
Boston-based duo Copley Street brings traditional Irish music to West Ashley on June 12 Boston-based Uilleann piper Joey Abarta and fiddler Nathan Gourley are two of America’s great young trad...
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