Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) in James Island, SC

|Updated: Oct. 1, 2024 at 7:47 PM EDT

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The Mark Clark Extension Project has sparked conversation and debate among the Lowcountry for years, but an area less discussed in the plan would take away land from a county park.

The proposed extension on Interstate 526 would destroy 46.72 acres of the James Island County Park, including areas residents and visitors use. It would leave approximately 600 acres of the park would remain.

The Mark Clark Extension project would construct around 9.5 miles of new roadway starting from West Ashley through Johns and James Islands.

A large part of the I-526 project funding is dependent on the approval of a half-cent sales tax referendum that voters will see on the ballot next month.

If passed, the extension would take away James Island County Park’s current climbing wall, challenge, disc golf and archery courses, park headquarters building, public access to a creek, parts of the group camping area and over three acres of park wetlands.

“The James Island County Park is one of the gems of James Island,” Coastal Conservation League Communities and Transportation Project Manager Emma Berry says. “Those things will still be available with the construction of 526, but they will still be impacted. When you’re thinking about putting a four-lane interstate through part of the county park, even on the outskirts, we’re still going to have noise pollution and air pollution from that.”

Charleston Parks Director of Planning and Development Patty Newshutz says the recreation areas that would be taken away would simply be moved or replaced, except for the headquarters office and wetlands.

“We’ve known that there’s going to be some right-of-way acquisition since the inception and building of this original park; so we kind of stayed clear of that area and didn’t put any real major things into it,” Newshutz says. “We feel like the park will still look and feel the same. We’ve requested a very wide vegetative buffer between our remaining park land and the roadway. I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of visual impact.”

On top of the park’s land, the Mark Clark Extension Project would remove almost 40 acres of wetlands throughout Charleston County.

Residents would be taxed a half-cent sales tax for 25 years or until $5.4 billion is reached to be used towards road projects and improvements in the county with the top priority project being the extension of the Mark Clark Expressway.

“The viewshed is going to be impacted, and the things that are in that area of the county park are going to have to either move or just disappear completely,” Berry says. “In essence, it would be shrinking this amazing amount of green space that we have.”

Charleston County Council Vice Chairman Jenny Honeycutt says when discussing the James Island County Park losing land, it comes down to three important things: not having to relocate anyone by using the property, using a buffer area and connectivity.

“This is in the buffer area. This is not part of the park property that the public actually uses,” Honeycutt says. “So this part of the property, while it is part of the park, is really just the buffer, and it’s not going to impact park operations as much as I think people may think it will.”

The West Ashley Greenway, which would be a multi-use path for people to access, would also go through the park.

“One of the things that we feel is a benefit to us is that they will improve bicycle and pedestrian access for us,” Newshutz says. “There’s going to be all that included along the roadway, and then there’s going to be improvements that ripple down to our park.”

Despite varying opinions on the project, Charleston County residents will be voting on the half-cent sales tax referendum on Nov. 5.

Click here to read the ordinance and the ballot question.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Get your quarters ready. Aldi is opening its newest Lowcountry store Oct. 2.

The discount grocery chain, which requires a 25-cent deposit for shopping carts, will replace a former Bi-Lo supermarket at 865 Folly Road on James Island.

Customers can get a sneak peek of the store Oct. 2 and shop the complete store for their favorite items. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held the next morning at 9 a.m., 30 minutes before the store opens.

The first 100 customers on Oct. 3 will receive a Golden Ticket that could be worth up to $100 and a free bag of Aldi products. Throughout the day, Aldi employees will also be giving away tote bags.

Business

Founded by the Albrecht family in Germany in 1961, Aldi now operates 2,356 locations in the U.S. as of February, including stores in North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Goose Creek and two in Summerville. The company, headquartered in Illinois, plans to add 800 more shops by 2028.

Krysta Cearley, divisional vice president, told The Post and Courier earlier this summer the goal was to open the Folly Road location by the end of the year.

“Bottom line, we look for convenient locations for our customers that can support high traffic volume daily,” she said.

Aldi has leased 22,000 square feet — a little more than half of the 40,000 square feet the Bi-Lo previously occupied, according to Mark Hoffman, director of development for New Jersey-based Garden Communities, which has owned the 4.5-acre retail center since 1994.

Closing time

PizzaVola Express on James Island announced on Facebook it will close its doors Sept. 29. But the storefront at 1041 Folly Road won't stay empty for long.

Kevin Ray, the restaurant's general manager and head chef, will be opening Ray's Pizza in its place Oct. 1.

Two more area restaurants have also closed recently, including The Fillin' Station Diner, which shared on Facebook Sept. 17 "with a heavy heart" it would shutter its Hollywood eatery.

Colectivo at 2901 Maybank Highway also announced its closing on social media.

"Maintaining the quality of food and service that you deserve has become unsustainable for our staff and families," the post said. "We are incredibly grateful for the support you have shown us over the past year."

Back in business

The North Charleston Walmart Supercenter is the latest in the chain's Lowcountry locations to get a makeover.

The store at 4920 Centre Pointe Drive at Tanger Outlets, which received a fresh coat of paint inside and out, has updated floors throughout, an upgraded bakery and deli areas, a new dollar section, a "Grab & Go" at the front with lunch and deli items and expanded online, pickup and delivery services.

Walmart also added more manned registers, digital menu boards and expanded self-checkout options.

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“This remodel is not only an investment in the store but also in our customers and city,” Kyle Lovely, store manager, said.

At the ribbon cutting, Lovely presented $10,000 in grant money to local nonprofits, including $2,500 each to the City of North Charleston, My Sister's House, MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital and the South Carolina chapter of Honor and Remember.

Like the previously renovated Walmart Supercenters on James Island and in Moncks Corner, the Tanger store now has a mural reflecting the local community. Charleston artist Sang Oh painted the image.

News

Face it

A skincare clinic has entered the Charleston market and chosen to put down roots at The Morrison Yard building on the peninsula.

Skin Pharm Charleston is a modern beauty brand that offers aesthetic skin care clinics and medical-grade skin care lines. The Charleston clinic is its 10th location, with others in Nashville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas and other Texas cities. It's open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 pm. weekdays only, and patients can book appointments online.

Business

Suit up

Global custom apparel company Indochino has added five new showrooms to its portfolio, including one in Charleston.

The Holy City outpost is open at 206 King St., joining other locations in Texas, New York, Utah and California.

Indochino offers custom suits, shirts and casual wear, with each showroom tailored to the style of the local community.

"Each location represents a unique opportunity to connect with the community they serve, offering local customers a perfect fit, and process to build a one-of-a-kind suit, shirt, and more — whether preparing for a special occasion or simply wanting to elevate their everyday wardrobe," CEO Drew Green, said in written statement.

Business

Far-flung lease

The owners of the Mexican restaurant Azul Cantina worked with a local real estate firm to help launch a new location — but not in the Lowcountry.

North Charleston-based Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented Azul Cantina Inc. in the lease of 4,680 square feet of retail space more than 1,000 miles away in Sterling, Ill., the self-proclaimed "Hardware Capital of the World."

Azul Cantina owns and operates more than 35 restaurants in the U.S., including local establishments: Azul Park Circle, Azul James Island and Azul Summerville.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A science teacher at James Island Charter High School hopes you’ll help her provide her students with the tools to collect and analyze scientific data, specifically how sea level rise is changing our local environment.

Eve Kendrick believes her students could be the key to solving serious environmental problems in the Lowcountry.

“My students are very enthusiastic and passionate, and they’re full of life,” she says. “I want to capture and harvest that energy and maybe direct it toward some environmental stewardship through learning about different aspects of sea level rise in environmental science.”

Kendrick plans to encourage this stewardship through a real-world research project in the field looking into coastal freshwater streams. The project aims to document how sea level rise and saltwater moving further inland are transforming these freshwater environments.

“We’re going to be looking at insects, and using these insects as an indicator of how our streams are changing,” she says. “They’ll be able to process these samples on the streambed outside, and they’re really going to get a personal connection with these ecosystems that maybe wasn’t on their radar before as something really critical to monitor.”

Kendrick hopes to provide her students with the tools to carry out this monitoring through her project on Donors Choose is called "Too Salty! Sea Level Rise & Freshwater Environments."

She plans to buy nets, waders, sieves and other testing equipment to track how these delicate coastal environments are being affected.

“I’m going to partner with the Adopt-a-Stream organization in South Carolina, and so this data that my students will collect through my ‘Too Salty’ Donors Choose project, that’s actually going to go into a state database,” Kendrick says. “Scientists will be able to access it, and it’s going to allow my students to take ownership of the research that’s currently happening in our state.”

With your donation, you’ll be able to not only make an impact on students but also your local environment now and into the future, Kendrick says.

“We’re going to take all of our skills and take them outside so [my students] can actually get their hands dirty and wet and actually collect insects and process their own data,” she says. “I think that going outside and having a personal connection with the environment helps to encourage students to become lifelong learners. It also might encourage them to have some environmental stewardship as they move forward as adults and citizens in South Carolina.”

Kendrick also has a second Donors Choose project called "Interactive Biology and Data Analysis" that is designed to bring biology concepts to life through collaboration, realistic case studies and interactive labs. She plans to use basic resources funded through the project, including calculators and clipboards, to create a notebook documenting her students' problem-solving and analyses.

You can become a Live 5 Classroom Champion for these students by helping to fund these projects. All donations are tax-deductible. The Donors Choose organization collects the money, purchases the items and sends them to the teacher. That way you know your donation is used appropriately.

If you’re a teacher who would like their Donors Choose project featured on Classroom Champions, please email classchamp@live5news.com.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.