In his first year at the helm of the Wando High School band, Bobby Lambert has done his best to make his own kind of music without changing the direction of the school’s award-winning band program. Lambert arrived at Wando in July 2014, replacing Scott Rush, who held the position for 15 years before moving on to another district. The school’s marching band was already on the … [Read more...]
Southern Hospitality: Willie McRae of Boone Hall Plantation
“The land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for – because it's the only thing that lasts.” – Gerald O'Hara, Gone With The Wind. It could be argued that many years before Willie McRae, proprietor of Boone Hall in Mount Pleasant, moved to the graceful plantation along with his father and mother, he was already destined for growing … [Read more...]
Fifty Years of Shears: A Cause(y) for Celebration
The traditional barbershop as we know it has only been in existence since the early 20th century, and Causey’s at Sea Island Shopping Center in Mount Pleasant has been in business for just about half that time.One of the last remaining barbershops in the Charleston area, Causey’s opened its doors in 1965 after Danny Causey, a electrician’s assistant at the time, went for a … [Read more...]
Local Designs Appear on AMC’s Mad Men
One fine afternoon a few months back, local designer Megan Hewitt received a phone call from a sales representative at her children’s apparel company, Shrimp and Grits Kids. She was amazed at the good news that her rep – an ardent fan of AMC’s television show “Mad Men” – had spotted Megan’s clothing designs in a recent episode. Though Megan was not a regular viewer of the show … [Read more...]
Have Board, Will Travel: Quinn Knight Has Surfed the World Over
Quinn Knight, a Mount Pleasant resident, sipped casually from his Havana Mule (a Moscow Mule with tequila) and began to talk. His words seemed stress-free and comfortable, as if he had not just gotten off a nine-hour shift at the neighborhood Parrot Surf Shop. Comfortable in his own skin could be a classic cliché that would describe Knight. At his core, he’s as free as they … [Read more...]
The Simmons Family Sells Seafood by the Seashore …..And Have for Generations
I met with Billy Simmons, his son, Bubba, and his grandson, Will – They're all named William Simmons, thus the clever array of nicknames – recently for a midday meal on Shem Creek. We ordered sandwiches and Southern sweet tea, then I settled in to hear their interesting stories about East Cooper as it used to be. Billy's grandfather, Yonge Simmons, was mayor of Mount … [Read more...]
Creating a Vision: Lucy Beckham Takes On New Goals
Lucy Beckham looks back on her past with great pride and forward to her future with an equal dose of optimism. During her 17-year tenure as principal of Wando High, the school more than doubled in population, claimed a myriad of state and national honors in academics, sports and numerous other areas and added the Center for Advanced Studies to its bustling North Mount Pleasant … [Read more...]
The Muse is in Mount Pleasant: Local Artists Have a Labor of Love
Our beloved Lowcountry has a reputation of being an artistic city, brimming with poets, painters, writers, actors and other gifted individuals who are not only able to create a thing of beauty but spread the word and share the love with other artists. Here in Mount Pleasant and the surrounding islands, we've been bitten by the muse as well. I had the luxury of talking to just a … [Read more...]
Home Field Advantage: Greg Colebrunn Glad to Be Back in the Lowcountry
On a sunny afternoon in April, the Charleston RiverDogs, the Low A affiliate of the mighty New York Yankees, warmed up for a night game with the Lexington Legends in the batting cages located deep in the bowels of Joe Riley Park. Under normal circumstances, the RiverDogs would have taken batting practice on the field, under a brilliant South Carolina sun, but they were forced … [Read more...]
My Friend Jim Edwards: A Special Tribute
By Thomas F. Hartnett • Former U. S. Congressman The day after Christmas last year, the country lost a great patriot, the state lost a former governor and I lost a dear friend. I visited Jim Edwards one afternoon about two weeks before he passed away. I had spent a wonderful couple of hours with he and his wife, Ann, reminiscing about our years of “fighting the good … [Read more...]