Articles by: Andy Brack

An opera singer at a recent Charleston event.  Photo via Charleston Opera Theater

CALENDAR: Free outdoor opera set for Saturday

Opera on the Waterfront is a free outdoor, socially-distanced concert presented by Charleston Opera Theater and the Town of Mount Pleasant on the lawn at Memorial Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant at 7 p.m. Saturday.

by · 09/28/2020 · Comments are Disabled · calendar
BRACK: Parasite ad may backfire to help Graham

BRACK: Parasite ad may backfire to help Graham

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher  |  It’s gotten so bad in the caldron of American politics that  you wonder whether people are itching to argue about the color of the sky.

“It’s blue,” one might say. “No,” says another.  “It’s orange.  I saw it on TV in Oregon.”

“You’re both wrong, it’s black.”

In truth (real truth, not fake truth), all three are correct. 

by · 09/21/2020 · 1 comment · Andy Brack, Views
Ava.  Photo courtesy of Jeanne Taylor Photography.

BRACK: Fall for kindness, not coarseness, in days ahead

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher  |  America is coarser these days thanks, in part, to the politics of vitriol, greed to make a fast buck and the often self-absorbed bubble of the internet.

But have you noticed an increase in kindness, too?  Especially since the coronavirus pandemic upended lives across the world?

by · 09/14/2020 · 2 comments · Andy Brack, Views
BRACK: A 2020 guide for protecting democracy

BRACK: A 2020 guide for protecting democracy

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher  |  The founders of America’s experiment in democracy rebelled against monarchical rule from England because they wanted to do things their own way.  They set up a map on how to govern, the U.S. Constitution, that’s become the envy of the world.

Now there’s a president in the White House who seems to view the constitution as a guideline, at best, that can be bent to his personal preferences.  And an entire political party has changed, part in fear of retribution and part in the craving need to keep power, to enable the rusting of our democracy’s foundation.  

by · 09/07/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views
Sanford

BRACK: Sanford is on target about debt, deficit

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher  |  Mark Sanford is onto something:  If the United States doesn’t get control of the exploding national debt and deficit, the country will fade away.

As of Friday, the national debt was $26.6 trillion dollars.  That’s 266 followed by 11 zeros.  This number is mind-numbing. 

by · 08/31/2020 · 1 comment · Andy Brack, Views
CALENDAR: Lowcountry Listens back for round 3 of virtual music

CALENDAR: Lowcountry Listens back for round 3 of virtual music

Staff reports  |  The Gaillard Center will offer its third round of free music performances with the continuation of Lowcountry Listens starting Sept. 2.  The virtual music series will air online on consecutive Wednesdays at 6 p.m. for five more weeks. Performers include: Little Bird | Sept. 2:  This indieR&B/Soul outfit reflects the sonic alchemy of a broad range of […]

by · 08/31/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Uncategorized
This Greenway bin along Canterbury Road overflowed with trash, obviously neglected for awhile compared to other similar locations.  Photos by Andy Brack.

PHOTO ESSAY: West Ashley Greenway needs a little tender loving care

Staff reports  |  If there’s one thing that the coronavirus pandemic has done, it’s made people get outside more often.  The perfect testament is the West Ashley Greenway, which seems busier than ever.  

But the upside of more use also means there’s more trash and wear on what essentially is a walking park that stretches for miles. 

This photo essay shows conditions along the greenway at various West Ashley intersections with city streets.

If you want to let the city know what you think about its parks, the city is undertaking an update to its comprehensive plan (see news briefs), which includes seeking input about parks and recreation. 

You can have your say by clicking on this link: 

Take the One Charleston park survey.

These photos follow the greenway from Folly Road to Arrington Drive.

by · 08/24/2020 · 1 comment · Focus, Photo Essay, Photos
BRACK: Don’t get conned on postal service, election process

BRACK: Don’t get conned on postal service, election process

By Andy Brack, editor an publisher  |  Don’t let yourself be conned by the Con Man in Chief:  Postal workers will deliver your mailed-in ballot just fine, thank you very much.

In fact, President Donald Trump, who unpatriotically has been denigrating the U.S. Postal Service, believes in mail-in voting so much that he’s going to vote (wait for it) by mail.  

by · 08/24/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views
Floyd Breeland.  Photo by Leslie McKellar/College of Charleston. Used with permission.

BRACK: Remembering Floyd Breeland’s life of exemplary service

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher  |  They called him Big Thunder. His rich baritone soared when he talked and resonated even more when he sang.

Former state Rep. Floyd Breeland, who passed away Tuesday at 87, loved public service, first as a teacher, then as a high school administrator and finally in the Statehouse.  After representing the Charleston peninsula from 1993 to 2007, he continued to serve by running a College of Charleston program to encourage young Black men to be teachers and role models for kids.

by · 08/17/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views
BRACK: Sales tax holiday was lipstick on policy pig

BRACK: Sales tax holiday was lipstick on policy pig

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher  |   Let’s see how excited we got about the sales tax holiday put on by the state over the past weekend: Whoop.  Nope.  Hooray.  Nah.  Yahoo.  Not quite.

South Carolina’s annual sales tax holiday is not only very bad public policy, it isn’t pandemic-friendly.  In normal circumstances, the tax-free weekend is a bad idea because of the multiple inequities it creates.  But during the coronavirus pandemic, it is extra risky because it encourages people to get out to shop when they’d be smarter by staying at home.  

by · 08/10/2020 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views