2019 WESTIE AWARDS
To The Future and Beyond ... Honoring 10 members of our community who are helping make tomorrow better Every year for more than a decade, the West Of Free Press has recognized people within the community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help...
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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 renaissance! This is a cultural rebirth, people. And you can’t have...
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 dated Feb. 14 or even an empty rack looking back at you. You might...
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 of a town to each share a small amount of their food in order to...
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 Constructors have ordered materials for construction of a water...
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 Friday, March 2. The veranda of Magnolia’s main house will be the...
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 2016. It will be two years this month since Moody succumbed to...
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 completely new board at the helm, the business group seems to be...
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 planted with ornamentals, maybe a playground there, or a community...
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 the end of an era and the dawning of a new one for West Of. One that...
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, opening other locations on Sullivan’s Island, in downtown...






