In April, parents of the Wando High Sailing Club drove to Lake Norman to watch their teenage sailors compete in the South Atlantic Championship Regatta. "Lake Norman is famous for its fickle wind," said Wendy Ando, mother of Wando skipper Austin Ando. "The race committee wanted them to sail for as long as possible that first day. So they had them race for 12 hours. That's a … [Read more...]
Veggie Tales: Heath Farms in Mount Pleasant
Once upon a time, the main thoroughfares of Mount Pleasant were not gateways to the beautiful neighborhoods we recognize today but expanses of fertile land where hardworking farmers grew scores of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other staples of Southern produce. It was, of course, long before I moved to this area – even before I was born – but, as I spoke to Douglas M. Heath … [Read more...]
A Home for Where the Heart Is: Affordable Housing in Mount Pleasant
Depending upon your personal point of view – and where you live in town – the two-word phrase “affordable housing” can be as welcome an expression as “summer breeze” or as off-putting as “tornado warning.” That’s because this seemingly innocuous label says all the wrong things to many people. Calling it “workforce housing” puts a more positive spin on the concept, although … [Read more...]
On Board: Mount Pleasant Residents Spur Skate Park Project
When SK8 Charleston — the Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission’s sprawling new skate park – opens later this year, Mount Pleasant resident Shannon Smith will be there, along with husband Mark and their children, Audrey Indigo 13, and Johnny Otis, 7. When Shannon helped launch the movement to create the Lowcountry’s first full-sized skate park, Johnny was years … [Read more...]
Shrimping on Shem Creek: Sailing into the Sunrise
It’s another steamy, sultry Saturday morning along the Carolina coast. The blazing June sun has not yet shown its glowing face above the horizon, but Captain Wayne Magwood has already been on the water for a few hours, preparing to repeat a ritual that has ruled his life for nearly 60 years. Before long, he and his crew of two will guide his 68-foot boat, “The Winds of … [Read more...]