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Have Your Say Archive 1 January 2014 Through 31 December 2015   1,143 comments

Posted at 12:10 am in

This page is where you can leave general comments about the site, mention closings that I have missed, ask questions and generally 'have your say'.

Simple HTML constructs should work if you want to leave a link. However, having more than one link will get your comment placed in the moderation queue (since comment spam often has many links).

I always enjoy hearing from you (though I may not always respond, or implement your suggestion).

Ted

Have Your Say archive pages are here:

Have Your Say Archive 9 November 2008 through 3 September 2010

Have Your Say Archive 4 September 2010 through 31 December 2011

Have Your Say Archive 1 Jan 2012 to 31 December 2013

Written by ted on January 7th, 2014

1,143 Responses to 'Have Your Say Archive 1 January 2014 Through 31 December 2015'

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  1. Happy New Year to all!!!!!!!!!

    Homer

    1 Jan 14 at 12:31 am

  2. Seconding Ken's comment, WIS just ran a story stating that New Life Fitness has already closed it doors.

    Justin

    1 Jan 14 at 11:11 pm

  3. @Andy & James - I'm going to miss the lowfat Red Velvet Yogurt from Yumilicious. I made special trips just for that - apparently not enough to keep them in business. Darn!

    Beth

    2 Jan 14 at 1:03 pm

  4. Pie-Tanza on Polo Road has closed. The landlord said it was possible that it might reopen.

    Mike

    3 Jan 14 at 12:24 pm

  5. I live out near Pie-Tanza and really liked it. We called right before Christmas, got someone on the phone, and were told it was going to re-open on January 2. Went by tonight and it was completely dark. Sure hope it re-opens.

    Beth

    3 Jan 14 at 7:20 pm

  6. I noticed this evening that the New China Restaurant in High Point Centre on Lake Murray Blvd. has closed. Not sure when it happened.

    Homer

    3 Jan 14 at 9:13 pm

  7. Always felt like Pie-Tanza was too off the beaten path for anyone who didn't live in Wildewood. I really liked the food there, but they kind of suffered from out-of-sight-out-of-mind where they were located.

    Jason

    4 Jan 14 at 2:53 pm

  8. I went by New China this afternoon and took a few pictures. The furnishings and everything else inside are still in place. There is nothing posted anywhere concerning closure or anything of the sort.

    But, as you can tell the signage is no longer on the building and the business name has been painted over on the reserved parking spots. The business name has also been removed from the sign along Lake Murray Blvd.

    I asked a clerk in both Groucho's and Papa John's and neither had any idea that anything was going on with New China.

    If anyone has heard anything, feel free to post.

    Anyways - here are the pics I shot this afternoon.

    Interior shot here.

    Interior shot here.

    Exterior shot here.

    Homer

    4 Jan 14 at 7:44 pm

  9. Homer, I think this is the one that you've referenced before you enjoy eating from although it's apparent to you that it was operated by a husband/wife duo with their daughter working the counter (she'd often translate orders into Chinese).

    It isn't a place I'd be inclined to go because Asian Food smells unappetizing but the arrangement you described lead me to think that it would have challenges over the long term and I think it just got the better of them.

    This does make me wonder about the long-term vitality of High Pointe Centere in Irmo...a lot of it hinging on if they are able to land something for space Piggly Wiggly vacated nearly 6 years ago now following a ≈14 year run there...

    Andrew

    5 Jan 14 at 1:38 am

  10. @Andrew - you are absolutely right. This is the one I referenced from time to time. I'll be the first one to admit that the setup was challenging but the food was great!!

    With the passing of New China there are only four businesses left in High Pointe: a dry cleaner, Groucho's, Papa John's and a cupcake shop (can't fathom how they are still in business). And it looks like Lacy's cosmetology school has not (or may never) come to fruition.

    I don't have any 'warm fuzzies' about the future of High Pointe. As it has been stated on here numerous times before; this place is handicapped by the one way in, one way out access to Columbiana Dr.

    I hope that something can be done to revive High Pointe as real estate is getting pretty slim along this stretch of Lake Murray Blvd.

    Homer

    5 Jan 14 at 3:53 am

  11. Hi,
    I was out at Harbison yesterday and saw that the Barns and Noble has closed. I could not see in very well but it looks like mostly all that is left is fixtures. I do not recall seeing a going out of business sale for the store.

    William

    6 Jan 14 at 6:12 pm

  12. I did a B&N pre-closing here. I was there a couple of times in December, and don't think I ever saw any sale, or indeed, any notice that they were leaving.

    ted

    6 Jan 14 at 7:47 pm

  13. When I was in B&N at Harbison a few days before the closed, they guy in the music department said they would ship all merchandise back to the warehouse. That's why there wasn't a store closing sale.

    He also mentioned the store at Richland Mall wouldn't be closing because they have free rent. I am sure that significantly lowers their overhead. Not sure why they would have free rent, but I would probably stay in business with that kind of incentive.

    James

    6 Jan 14 at 9:15 pm

  14. Folks, I have rotated the "Have Your Say" page to archive last years comments and start fresh. If you want to check out the archives, use the link at the top of this page.

    ted

    7 Jan 14 at 1:05 am

  15. Update to my post on Dec 5th concerning Tony's Party Shop on St Andrews Rd (Seven Oaks Shopping Center). I noticed this afternoon that the building is for sale.

    Homer

    7 Jan 14 at 6:46 pm

  16. @James - at this point Richland Mall will probably do anything to keep a tenant.

    Homer

    7 Jan 14 at 11:24 pm

  17. I think someone else mentioned here that B&N owns the spot at Richland Mall vs. leasing it. If so, that is likely what is keeping them going at this point. I also recall the same mentioned for Macy's at Columbia Place Mall.

    Richland Mall's best hopes for new life would be to land something like Macy's, Crate & Barrel or JC Penney.

    As for Tony's at Seven Oaks Shopping Center, I could see an opportunity for someone there...between where Big Lots #5123 is and where Tony's was is a 13,198 square foot vacancy and someone could easily knock out the wall, demolish the Tony's building and build something in the 20-35K square foot range...

    Andrew

    8 Jan 14 at 3:18 am

  18. @ Andrew, given the sad shape of JC Penny right now, I doubt that they would move into Richland Mall or any other mall. In fact, one retail website predicted that the chain will fold in 2014.

    Tom

    8 Jan 14 at 8:35 am

  19. In addition to what Tom said about JC Penney not being in the greatest of shape, I also feel that them having two established locations in the Columbia area makes them unlikely to be exploring Richland Mall. I also think they are headed in the direction of a single floor store and Richland Mall being two floors would likely be a turnoff to them.

    Andrew

    9 Jan 14 at 1:08 am

  20. The National Mail Service on St. Andrews Rd. located next to where Fred's was closed on 12/27 after 20+ years.

    Tom

    9 Jan 14 at 6:18 am

  21. Tom, National Mail must have been the last of the independent UPS/FedEx stores in Columbia. Did you transact much business there or know the owner?

    Terry

    9 Jan 14 at 6:46 am

  22. That's too bad about National Mail. I used to go there quite a bit when I lived off of Jamil. Very nice people and good service.

    Justin

    9 Jan 14 at 3:35 pm

  23. Also, WLTX is reporting that the Sears store and auto center on Harbison will be closing in early March.

    Justin

    9 Jan 14 at 3:36 pm

  24. Ted, you can add the Lexington location (105 Northpoint Drive) of Carolina Wings and Rib House to the closings.

    Beth

    9 Jan 14 at 5:34 pm

  25. @Terry, used it once or twice. I only noticed it because the place I get my coin collecting supplies is located near it.
    BTW WIS is also reporting Sears closing.

    Tom

    9 Jan 14 at 7:21 pm

  26. That sux about Sears not renewing their lease. I always figured Columbia Mall would be the first to go.....

    Homer

    10 Jan 14 at 12:17 am

  27. Much like DDR has been able to fill stores for Harbison Court fairly well GGP has managed to do the same for Columbiana Centre. There have been too many examples for me to keep track of them all but the most notable for me was when JC Penney opened in the former Parisian in 2006 (the vacancy lasted less than 6 months). I'm inclined to think they'll be able to find someone for Sears's old space soon. The most likely possibilities that strike me as possibilities are Macy's or Crate & Barrel.

    About 2-3 years ago Sears closed their Sumter Mall location. They then opened a new location at 1298 Broad Street in a Food lion-anchored shopping center there. It has me thinking that Sears may do something like that here. The most likely open space would be the former Gold's Gym at Harbsion Center (though I'm not 100% sure what size they'd be seeking). There is also space next to Big Lots #5123 at Seven Oaks Shopping Center but I don't know how it'd fit in size-wise.

    If Sears leaves Columbia Place Mall it'd be another gargantuan blow to said mall...especially from the persepctive of those that feel as if that mall is on the brink of extinction.

    Andrew

    10 Jan 14 at 2:45 am

  28. I doubt it will be Macy's. They seem to be in trouble. I believe they just axed 2500 jobs.

    I don't think Sears and Kmart are long for the world.

    tonkatoy

    10 Jan 14 at 7:34 am

  29. I wish Macys would move to Columbiana...I really like Macys as a whole and think they would do better -at least in this area- if they moved over there. Columbia Place mall has gotten way too desolate for me to feel safe going over there to shop without my husband being with me. I'm not a little old lady by any means, but it just doesn't feel safe anymore.

    TahoeChic

    10 Jan 14 at 10:47 am

  30. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Sears depart Columbia Mall....

    tonkatoy

    10 Jan 14 at 11:36 am

  31. Macy's is doing just fine. Those layoffs came along with the closure of some underperforming locations, but they're opening a few new stores elsewhere, and hiring as many people as they laid off.

    Wouldn't surprise me at all to see them move, unless the rent is so cheap where they're at that it makes up for the decrease in traffic that being in Columbia Place would imply.

    Jason

    10 Jan 14 at 2:13 pm

  32. I saw a facebook posting that mentioned the Lexington Wild Hare was closed. I called the number and it said it's out of service. Not a good sign.

    badger

    10 Jan 14 at 3:21 pm

  33. Ok, I know I'm reaching here, but there used to be a German restaurant at the Columbia Place mall on the second floor called Mr. Dunderbaks. I didn't see it listed on your alphabetical listing and I'm wondering when they closed. They had a lot of cuckoo clocks in the entry. I thought of it this evening going through some old high school memories.

    Miz Terry

    10 Jan 14 at 7:36 pm

  34. @Miz T -- I don't have a post on Mr. Dunderbak's/Hofbrauhaus, but there are two reminisces touching on it here and here.

    ted

    11 Jan 14 at 12:19 am

  35. @Miz T - the Hofbrauhaus was a stop I would make every time I would shop at Columbia Mall. The Black Forest ham on rye was awesome! And towash it down with one of their ice cold beers was just icing on the cake. If I'm not mistaken, didn't they have a huge mural on the back wall of the restaurant or am I thinking of some place else???

    Homer

    11 Jan 14 at 2:59 am

  36. Well, the spam gates have opened again and we're flooded...

    Homer

    12 Jan 14 at 12:28 am

  37. Pie-Tanza at the corner of Polo & Mallet Hill is temporarily closed; supposed to be in the process of reviewing their menu and making the place more family friendly.

    J.P.

    13 Jan 14 at 10:14 am

  38. @Homer, YES, they DID have a mural on the back wall of a German girl carrying two handfuls of beer.

    Miz T

    13 Jan 14 at 2:01 pm

  39. BTW, thank you Ted, that helped a lot. I used to know the owners of Dunderbaks way back when I was in high school and worked at Sears. Nice people, but I lost touch, unfortunately. I mostly hung out there and at Aladdins Castle blowing oodles of money on pinball.

    Miz Terry

    13 Jan 14 at 2:14 pm

  40. @Miz T - I shudder to think how much money I dropped into arcade machines all over Columbia in the day....:^)

    Homer

    13 Jan 14 at 8:24 pm

  41. Just saw a headline that Charter offered to buy out Time Warner Cable for $130 / share or roughly $61 Billion dollars. Is TWC soon to be highlighted on Columbia Closings? Maybe.

    James

    14 Jan 14 at 12:10 am

  42. @James - we can only hope. I hate TWC with a passion but I doubt if Charter is much better. Ever since TWC installed cable in our house in the 80's the reception has never been right. And no one can seem to figure out why. When our neighbor had cable installed, instead of TWC tapping into the pole closest to them, they tapped into ours and snaked the cable through our magnolia tree to get the the neighbor's building. I mean the cable is simply draped over the limbs of the tree!! I'm still waiting for AT&T to get Uverse in my area so I can bundle ALL of my services together. But I may end up regretting that as well.....

    Homer

    14 Jan 14 at 1:50 am

  43. I don't think Uverse is much better AND you have to sign a contract.

    Go back to over the air TV. I'm looking at it real hard.

    tonkatoy

    14 Jan 14 at 7:38 am

  44. Charter's no better or worse than TWC. Cable providers seems to be universally awful. I've considered U-Verse, contract and all, but I get some ridiculous internet speed with TWC that AT&T can't touch, and I've seen the picture quality isn't nearly as good. Still, for what they're charging vs. what I'm paying TWC...

    Jason

    14 Jan 14 at 3:28 pm

  45. @Jason - I'm willing to bear with the contract and such just to get away from TWC. I don't need the ridiculous internet speeds, just something fast enough to drive two TV's, one DVR and one internet connection. And even though you stated that the picture quality isn't as good, remember I've been living with crappy reception from TWC for 30+ years.

    Homer

    15 Jan 14 at 1:01 am

  46. @Tonkatoy - I am contemplating converting the TV's in my spare bedrooms to over the air. I bought a couple of converters back during the digital conversion but have just been holding on to them until the time was right.

    Homer

    15 Jan 14 at 1:04 am

  47. Over-the-air is an attractive option right now. With digital, if you get the signal at above marginal strength, the picture quality (and audio) will be excellent + you get all kinds of add on channels. It's almost to the point of basic cable.

    Roku internet boxes are also very cheap now.

    OTOH, I haven't had TV at all for 3 or 4 years now, and find I don't miss it.

    ted

    15 Jan 14 at 1:31 am

  48. I also have a vintage circa 1956 GE television in the attic that I am dying to get out to see if I can get it working again. The first problem is how to get it down (not sure how my Dad got it up there in the first place). It's missing the speaker but when I plugged it in about a year ago the tubes all it up and the picture tube came on. That would be a perfect set-up for and over the air set (especially since some of the sub channels are broadcasting old shows).

    Homer

    15 Jan 14 at 2:20 am

  49. We have over the air on the flatscreen in the kitchen, and I agree with Ted on the quality of the pic and programming.

    What's a Roku internet box?

    tonkatoy

    15 Jan 14 at 7:41 am

  50. Oh, nevermind...I thought it was something that acted as an ISP.

    tonkatoy

    15 Jan 14 at 7:42 am

  51. @Ted - Pepper's Pizza Bistro bears watching.....

    Being originally from Pittsburgh, I'm always on the lookout for a good independent Pizza place. On my way to the Southeast Lowes on Garner's Ferry, I noticed Pepper's Bistro. Here is their facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/PeppersBistro

    I went there just before Noon and found they weren't open. (Though their hours say 11am to 10pm) Looking at some of the comments on their facebook page, I see they're out of items and another comment on poor service.

    1) Not open during operating hours
    2) Not having items listed on the menu
    3) Poor service.

    Don't think this place is long for this world.......

    MrBO

    15 Jan 14 at 3:08 pm

  52. Well, apparently this is the third offer from Charter to TWC in just over six months. So my guess is something will happen and it will be soon. With the competition from streaming video and all that, I do think the cable industry needs a shake up. I have never had to deal with Charter. When I had TW in the early 1990s in Indianapolis, it was ok. I will do without TV before Comcast ever gets a penny from me. We currently have DirecTV. Wish Verizon FIOS was available where I live in Lexington, but it isn't.

    James

    15 Jan 14 at 8:57 pm

  53. Does anyone remember when Milk used to be delivered to their houses back in the early to mid 60s? We used to have Coble Milk delivered in the old amber bottles, but I don't remember if it had a specific name to it or not because of the brown bottle. Are there those on here old enough other than me to remember these? Also, wasn't there a Coble plant or something here in Columbia back then? Seems I remember seeing and old sign near Atlas Rd towards the other end of the Sumter Hiway. Anyone??

    CayceKid

    19 Jan 14 at 5:32 pm

  54. @CK, take a look here for some Edisto memories.

    ted

    19 Jan 14 at 7:06 pm

  55. @CayceKid - that question has come up several times in the past. I remember, as a kid, having milk delivered by Edisto dairy. Those were the days before homogenization so the cream would eventually come to the top in the bottle. My Grandmother used to give me home made biscuits with the cream and molasses.

    Homer

    19 Jan 14 at 8:39 pm

  56. Yes, we got Coble milk delivered to our home. They would also deliver orange juice. It would be delivered really early because when you woke up and it was still dark outside the delivery would be there. At Christmas time you could even order Christmas cards. I remember when Pringles chips used to deliver potato chips in the can, but my parents wouldn't go for that one.

    Eleanor

    19 Jan 14 at 8:53 pm

  57. We had Coble milk delivered in the amber half gallon bottles with the paper/cardboard labels from around 1960 through 1968 til we moved to Whitehall. Did the Coble milk that came in the Amber bottles have a particular name to it? My Dad seems to think so, but it's been 50 years ago, and I don't remember that far back all that well.

    CayceKid

    19 Jan 14 at 9:43 pm

  58. I'm not sure about Coble. As I recall, Edisto was all delivered in clear bottles. I have a couple of the bottle caps hanging on my bulletin board right now. I don't Edisto doing anything like Xmas cards and such. Toward the end we would have to watch for the milkman to come by because some of the neighborhood kids started stealing the milk off of the porch.

    Homer

    19 Jan 14 at 9:56 pm

  59. And yes, there used to be a dairy plant somewhere down either Atlas or Bluff. I think it's still there in some capacity.

    Homer

    19 Jan 14 at 9:57 pm

  60. @Eleanor, that was Charles Chips, which as I recall, we continued to have delivered into the early 80s.

    @Homer, there is a Borden facility at the industrial park on Bluff just south of I-77. They appear to have trucks in and out to grocery stores.

    ted

    20 Jan 14 at 12:32 am

  61. http://www.wltx.com/news/article/261799/2/New-Downtown-Columbia-IHOP-Opens-Tuesday

    Jay

    20 Jan 14 at 6:39 pm

  62. Pet delivered out in Hopkins until 1973 or so. There was a Pet dairy just off Bluff, somewhere near the National Guard building IIRC.

    When I was in kindergarten, we'd make a yearly pilgrimage to the dairy and get ice cream in a cardboard bowl with wooden spoons.

    tonkatoy

    21 Jan 14 at 7:56 am

  63. Midlands Orthopedics announced their merger with Charleston-based Arcis Health on Friday. This is apparently the merger that forced Phyiscal Rehab Group to close / relocate their downtown (Blanding Street) and Irmo offices that were in with the Midlands offices. Originally, I had been told by my physical therapist at PRG that the Midlands merger was with Blue Cross / Blue Shield.

    Anyway, internal changes (billing mostly) will take affect in February. I suspect that the Midlands Ortho name and signs will be replaced shortly thereafter.

    James

    21 Jan 14 at 9:09 am

  64. @ Ted - The old Dunn Electric building at 2238 Sumter St would make an interesting post. It has some sad looking trophies still up on the wall. In fact, that whole block of Sumter St north of Elmwood has a bunch of old buildings that I'm sure were many things in past lives.

    Justin

    21 Jan 14 at 7:55 pm

  65. Hi Ted: Just reached out to you on LinkedIn, but wanted to also follow up here. We were interested in getting permission from you to use some of your "before" images of the Brennen Building. Would be more than happy to include a photo credit. Feel free to email me and we can discuss the details. Thanks!

    Julie

    22 Jan 14 at 8:57 am

  66. Daddy Mac's opening up in the old Carolina Wings - Lexington location. Anyone have the scoop on this place?

    Beth

    22 Jan 14 at 9:34 pm

  67. Ole Towne Antique Mall on Broad River Rd has finally sold its building and they appeared to have cleaned out. I haven't looked closely but I know they've cleanedout the parking lot and had several sales, as well as an auction.

    Amanda

    22 Jan 14 at 10:57 pm

  68. What was this Antique Store building originally? I know its been there a really long time, but have forgotten what it was.

    CayceKid

    22 Jan 14 at 11:58 pm

  69. I believe it was a "brown sign with the sewing machine in the corner" Factory Outlet, though I have never gotten around to verifying that to add it to that post.

    ted

    23 Jan 14 at 12:06 am

  70. My mom and I made it there several times and it seemed like they were constantly packed with stuff the times we went. It seems like they have a tall task to unload everything but then again, any store of that size can't sell out overnight...

    Andrew

    23 Jan 14 at 12:24 am

  71. @ted - now that's a slogan I haven't heard in a LONG time!! I think Gene McKay used to do the radio spots for them YEARS ago!!!!

    Homer

    23 Jan 14 at 2:52 am

  72. I don't know if this one has been mentioned yet, but as I drove down Columbiana today, I noticed the Marriott TownePlace Suites was no more. Marriott recently opened the Residence Inn at the corner of Columbiana and Lake Murray and probably decided this property was no longer worth maintaining. The old signs have banners over them saying the hotel is now Home Towne Suites. Home Towne Suites is a small chain of hotels in six states. They have another location in Anderson, SC.

    James

    24 Jan 14 at 1:10 pm

  73. That TownePlace Suites was home sweet home for the first couple of months I lived in Columbia while I waited for a house sale to go through so I could buy a new one up here. The rooms were all remodeled right in the middle of my stay, which would have been around July 2006. Nice enough place, but had I known I was going to be there that long I might not have opted for a studio.

    Jason

    25 Jan 14 at 11:04 pm

  74. Hey Ted - I have a question for you regarding posts. I tried to post an entry tonight and it didn't take. When I tried to enter it again WordPress said it was a duplicate post. The same thing happened last night and I thought maybe the post was too large so I attempted to break it up tonight and got the same results. Any ideas??

    Homer

    28 Jan 14 at 1:47 am

  75. @Homer,

    There's no size limit on comments. I don't know -- it does funny things to me sometimes too, and gets real slow sometimes. I suspect that it has to do with sharing the machine on the hosting side.

    ted

    28 Jan 14 at 9:29 pm

  76. What brand was that old gas station on N Main across from the old Coke bottling plant?

    tonkatoy

    31 Jan 14 at 10:55 am

  77. I have a 'heads up' that Books a Million at Trenholm Plaza is closing on March 14th. The book store closings are a disturbing trend. I personally love going into a good bookstore and perusing the books with a good cup of store coffee. Maybe I will even buy one or two of them.

    joelc

    2 Feb 14 at 2:34 am

  78. With the Forest Acres BAM going that will leave the BAM in Pontiac and Lexington and the B &N in Forest Acres as the only new book stores in Columbia. This sucks!

    Tom

    2 Feb 14 at 4:44 pm

  79. BAM has a store in Sandhills.

    ken holler

    3 Feb 14 at 2:52 am

  80. I believe that is what @Tom means by "Pontiac"...

    ted

    3 Feb 14 at 2:57 am

  81. I noticed this morning that the sign next to the road at Tony's Party Shop (St. Andrews Shopping Center) now says 'For Sale' and the neon has been removed from the building. I guess Tony's family won't keep it going.

    Homer

    3 Feb 14 at 12:03 pm

  82. Question for Andrew, IrmoJeff, Homer and all the other contributers that are familiar with the Irmo/ Lake Murray Blvd area. Ok, on one side of Lake Murray Blvd we have Smash burgers, Dunkin Donuts and all that. On the other side Zoes Kitchen is about to open. Am I the only one worried about the traffic congestion about to happen? Or are they somehow going to make a road where Zoes Kitchen patrons can somehow exit and enter using that light at the CVS? How many accidents will have to happen before people take notice of the congestion all this has brought.

    Steve

    3 Feb 14 at 10:45 pm

  83. I think people tend to get the type of anxiety Steve mentions about any type of new development.

    As Columbiana on Park was taking shape at Harbison Blvd. and Park Terrace Drive, people were thinking the traffic would lead Harbison Blvd. to absolute gridlock. I've found that it hasn't had that big of an impact.

    I can remember reading a forum (before this blog came around) of people feeling like Bush River would be a bottleneck as Walmart #4379 (1326 Bush River Road) was under construction. So far nothing like that has come to fruition. In fact, it hasn't had the 'far out' reaching effects for Bush River Road that people were expecting it to have (after all, Dutch Square has lost at least 15 stores since Walmart opened and not very many of them have gotten replacements).

    My suspicion is that something like this will develop for Lake Murray Blvd. I do like Steve's idea of having something where Zoë's customers can work their way to College Street to trip that signal and turn left (especially for those that eat at Zoë's while on the road to get back to I-26).

    Andrew

    4 Feb 14 at 1:55 pm

  84. I heard the yogurt place beside Barnes & Noble (in Harbison) closed. Not sure why.

    Ellen

    4 Feb 14 at 4:48 pm

  85. I know it is a little out of the way (far side of Lexington), so you may not be interested in posting on it, but I noticed today the Aaron's-Rent-To-Own on Hwy 378 in Lexington has closed and the signs have been removed.

    James

    4 Feb 14 at 6:52 pm

  86. New Delhi Palace on Bush River Road is closed. It caught fire tonight.

    James

    4 Feb 14 at 11:30 pm

  87. Actually, I think the name is Punjabi Dhaba, not New Delhi. Got my Indian restaurants mixed up.

    James

    4 Feb 14 at 11:36 pm

  88. The one in the old Howard Johnson..

    Too bad, I liked that one!

    ted

    4 Feb 14 at 11:37 pm

  89. @Steve and Andrew - I haven't really paid that much attention to the ingress/egress issues around Zoe's and the new hotel. While the construction was going on I assumed that the developers would find a way to wind back to College St. via the lot left open when ReMax left on the corner.

    I did go to Smashburger Friday night a week ago and the traffic would have been totally off the chain if it weren't for the fact that you can access all of those businesses by cutting through the bank parking lot off of College St.

    On an unrelated note, I need to check out the progress of the new Irmo Park. I am still curious how they are going to handle the traffic situation when it opens to the public.

    Homer

    4 Feb 14 at 11:55 pm

  90. Hey Ted - I'm going to try to get some pictures of Tony's Party Shop to post on here. It may be Saturday before I can get by there.

    Homer

    5 Feb 14 at 12:21 am

  91. Does anyone have any info about Granby's restaurant which was on College St in the building now occupied by the SC Beer Wholesalers Association? I believe it opened in the late 60s or early 70s but I'm not sure when it closed. I beieve the owner and manager's first names were Charlie and Joe. Not sure of their last names. They moved here from Boston to open Granby's. It's Granby's with a b not Grandy's with a d. It was named after Granby's Landing the original settlement that was across the Congaree river from what is now Columbia.

    Paul

    5 Feb 14 at 5:04 pm

  92. It opened in the early '70s. Charlie and Joe were amazing to watch. They were the true definition of a "short order cook". Their choreography at the grill was a show of its own.
    At one time they were going to open another Granby's somewhere near Trenholm Plaza but that never happened.
    As I understand it one or both of them decided to retire and so they closed and sold the property to the Beer Wholesalers.
    I miss their cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream sundaes.
    For several years when they opened they also hand-mixed soft drinks from syrup and carbonated water.

    Mike

    5 Feb 14 at 5:14 pm

  93. My brother and sisters worked their for Charlie and Joe. They had great clam chowder and Boston-style ice cream frappes.

    Paul

    5 Feb 14 at 5:17 pm

  94. Do you know when they closed? Anyone have a picture of the restaurant or sign?

    Paul

    5 Feb 14 at 5:18 pm

  95. Ted,

    RE: Punjabi Dhaba

    WIS reported the fire at an "Indian restaurant across from Wal-mart" on Bush River Road. Punjabi is the only one I know of, but if there is another, then I could be wrong. Just going by the news report. Don't know if they were in the old Howard Johnson or not. Someone posted a comment on Punjabi's Facebook page that seems to confirm that was the name of the restaurant.

    James

    5 Feb 14 at 11:15 pm

  96. I received word today that CSC is planning to shut down most of its Blythewood operation. A relative works at the DMV and was told of the impending move and how it will affect the remaining buildings including the cafeteria and gym. This came from the DMV executives, so it appears to be more than a passing rumor.

    joelc

    6 Feb 14 at 12:16 am

  97. I guess this means that I'll probably be seeing the names of some old PMSC co-workers (what few are left) show up in the BCBSSC e-mail directory at work soon......

    Homer

    6 Feb 14 at 1:19 am

  98. An article from Fish Wrap about Moe Levy's closing.

    http://www.thestate.com/2014/02/06/3249806/moe-levys-iconic-sign-comes-down.html

    tonkatoy

    7 Feb 14 at 8:30 am

  99. @joelc, you're on top of things. Just read the BAM closing in the state this morning; http://www.thestate.com/2014/02/07/3251235/books-a-million-in-trenholm-plaza.html

    I was going to say I'll miss the place, but I've only been going there once per year for a wall-calendar, and this year, I got a nifty Pawley's Island calendar from this site.

    The CSC site closing doesn't surprise me. They RIFFed me last August. The place has a huge capacity that they're barely using a fraction of.

    I was in the government contractors section and was permitted to work from home. (But only because I worked west coast hours.) Those folks could likely do the same.

    Wonder whats to become of the original PMSc employees?

    MrBO

    8 Feb 14 at 9:09 am

  100. @MrBO - they'll probably end up at BCBSSC like all the ones that have been RIFFed before!!

    Homer

    8 Feb 14 at 6:53 pm

  101. Here are some pics I took today of Tony's Party Shop (Seven Oaks Shopping Center).

    Picture #1 here.
    Picture #2 here.
    Picture #3 here.
    Picture #4 here.
    Picture #5 here.
    Picture #6 here.

    Homer

    8 Feb 14 at 6:54 pm

  102. The CSC closing or scaling back thing may be a rumor. I hate to perpetuate them but the source of the news was fairly convincing. The reality with CSC is that they have not been committed to the Blythewood location as evidenced by the numerous layoffs over the years. I can see more RIF's occurring in the future but the company will probably keep a presence in Blythewood.

    joelc

    8 Feb 14 at 9:33 pm

  103. Having worked at Digital Systems/UMS/SCT/Indus/Ventyx since 1980, I've seen LOTS of folks (Good and bad) ping-pong between us, PMS/CSC, BCBS, and Scana. The non-DSI companies have no interest in developing those with any talent but instead want folks that would drop right in with the exact and current experience they want with absolutely no training.

    Its a sad town for DP folks now-a-days.......

    MrBO

    8 Feb 14 at 9:59 pm

  104. I think we are living in an era where people don't keep jobs as long as they used to. Many of the WWII generation had only one job for 20-30 years and that's a rarity. Some companies people are currently work for may not exist in that time frame...

    Andrew

    8 Feb 14 at 11:38 pm

  105. We have one person at work that has been there since 1955!! I cannot imagine working for one company for 59 years!! If I make it till 2017 I'll have 20 years and I'm calling it quits unless the market tanks again.....

    Homer

    9 Feb 14 at 1:50 am

  106. 1955...that's longer than most of the folks reading this blog have been around...

    Andrew

    9 Feb 14 at 5:30 pm

  107. The Lunch Box in Jefferson Square on Main Street has changed names to Palmetto Grille. From the sign on the door, the ownership and management remains the same.

    Justin

    9 Feb 14 at 7:21 pm

  108. Back to the mid-January conversation. Just heard on WLTX that Comcast is merging with Time Warner Cable. Wonder what will happen now??

    Homer

    12 Feb 14 at 11:29 pm

  109. For all the fearmongering going on in the media, probably nothing different. TWC had a monopoly here, now Comcast will. I can't see Comcast abusing that position any more than TWC has.

    Jason

    13 Feb 14 at 3:04 pm

  110. Hey everyone,

    I was wondering if anyone had any information on two different restaurants that used to be located around the 1900 block of Augusta Road in West Columbia, around the 1940's - 60's. One of them was called Peaches, and was located where Leonard Buildings is now. The other was a barbecue place that was across the street, where the gas station in the LownTown shopping center is now. I have heard some stories about the barbecue place, but was looking for more information to try to confirm those stories before sharing. Anyone know anything about these establishments?

    Cameron

    15 Feb 14 at 10:12 pm

  111. This is for anyone that's 55 years old or older. Does anyone remember WHO was the Christmas Parade Marshal back in 1965 here in Columbia? I know James Drury "The Virginian" was the one for Christmas of 1964, but my Dad took some pictures of the parades back then, and have one of the 1965 Parade, but don't remember WHO was the Guest of Honor. Anyone remember?

    CayceKid

    16 Feb 14 at 12:22 am

  112. Can anyone tell me (who's old enough to remember) who was/is Stanley The Clown? from Channel 25 back in the late 60's? Someone told me years ago, but don't remember now.

    CayceKid

    16 Feb 14 at 12:27 am

  113. OOPS 'scuze" me..meant to say from Channel 19.

    CayceKid

    16 Feb 14 at 12:28 am

  114. Is there anyone on here that's old enough (like me) or older that remembers a place on Knox Abbott Drive in the very early 60's to maybe the mid 60's where there was a "Trampoline" attraction/place where you could pay however much it was to jump on these small/medium sized Trampoline "Pits" ? There were several of them, but don't remember how many and don't EVEN remember the name of the place. I don't think it lasted too long though.

    CayceKid

    16 Feb 14 at 12:34 am

  115. @CayceKid - I have no clue about Stanley the Clown. I remember Mr. Knozit (of course), Jolly Jim, Princess Pat and Cactus Quave, but no Stanley. Does anyone remember (and I'm probably not spelling this right) Abusa-ya-ya? I think he was a magician and was on channel 25.

    Homer

    16 Feb 14 at 1:10 am

  116. @CayceKid - No clue about the '65 grand marshal but I do have a picture of William Shatner from the '68 Xmas parade. Don't know if he was grand marshal or not.

    Homer

    16 Feb 14 at 1:12 am

  117. @Homer--Yes he was Abusa-ya-ya. We'd just gotten cable TV in Hartsville and ABC/Channel 25 was new to us. What we didn't know was that WOLO used robot cameras "driven" by the show's director. I guess it was to save money.

    @CayceKid--there was a Stanley the Clown on WOLO. I googled "Stanley the Clown Columbia SC" and got several hits including an Instagram picture of him.

    Mike

    16 Feb 14 at 8:08 am

  118. @CayceKid--Can't help you with the location of the trampolines in Cayce--however I do remember that there was probably the exact same attraction down at Ocean Drive Beach just north across the street from the OD Pavillion/rides. I believe they had 16-20 trampolines built over shallow pits.

    Mike

    16 Feb 14 at 8:14 am

  119. @Ted - The Roll Call Deli at 1202 Main Street, former site of Fever, is permanently closed. Its had s sign on it for a while saying closed for maintenance but now there's for lease sign up and their facebook page says permanently closed.

    Justin

    16 Feb 14 at 4:41 pm

  120. Orange Leaf(fro yo), urban thread ( women's clothes), and the pet food store pup cakes on harden all closed for good

    Mike d

    17 Feb 14 at 7:50 am

  121. Stopped for lunch at the Garden Bistro today and they were gone. Apparently they moved sometime in December from their location at 923 Gervais to 1303B Assembly. The old location is currently under renovation and looks to be part of the Luxe Vista Studio Day Spa which is at 929 Gervais.

    James

    17 Feb 14 at 4:39 pm

  122. CayceKid, according to some commentary on the Columbia facebook group, the first Stanley the Clown was Proctor Davis, and then Donald Devet. I also saw a comment that Donald Devet might have been one of the later J.P. Sidewinders. Looking at the pictures, I can see a resemblance--but so far nothing on Stanley the Clown.

    badger

    18 Feb 14 at 10:58 pm

  123. @badger - OK, J.P. Sidewinders, wasn't he one of the characters from the Jolly Jim show?? I was trying to remember that name when I did my last post about this! Am I mistaken or did the lady that played Princess Pat commit suicide? What's the link to the Columbia Facebook group. I'd like to join it.

    Homer

    19 Feb 14 at 1:50 am

  124. Man, I just thought of something else.... Does anyone remember the Deputy Billy PSA's that used to air on channel 19? This was back in the 70's. These spots used to show when 19 was running the original Star Trek series in the afternoons (which I watched religiously after school). What was the name of the Richland County Sheriff's Dept. guy that did those? God, they were laughable!!!!!

    Homer

    19 Feb 14 at 1:58 am

  125. Right about JP Sidewinder. He was started by Dean Poucher with Mackie Quave. Another person who later played him was Dave Davison (or Davidson). I'd never heard of Princess Pat committing suicide, but newslady Lynn Nevius did. That was in the early 1970s. Captain Billy Fallaw (pronounced 'fuh-LAW') was the white-haired chap who did the public safety PSAs in the 1970s, different from WNOK's Deputy Billy, who had the kiddie show (althought for all I know he might have done PSAs, too). This is the Columbia facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/202691216450710/

    badger

    19 Feb 14 at 7:13 am

  126. Anyone remember a radio show that was called MQ? It was back in the 70's and came on Friday or Saturday nights on WNOK, if memory serves me. I seem to remember at 9:00pm one could here the sound change on the radio, as if the transmission wattage went up, or was increased at the station, the host was really mellow, he would announce the program, Welcome, you are listening to MQ. He would have some words of wisdom and then played rock, progressive rock and cuts from artist like Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa and other bands/Artist rarely heard on FM stations at the time (In Columbia anyway). We would get our buzz on and listen to some of the greatest music on FM back then. We always thought it was, and it always sounded like, Mackie Quave.
    Anyone remember the WNOK jingle from the 60's that went "WNOK... Going all the way"? I find that amusing now, that they went "All the way."

    Rick

    19 Feb 14 at 5:22 pm

  127. @badger - wasn't Jolly Jim played by Jim O'Shea? And who was the guy that played Cheif Silly Horse. His name is on the tip of my tongue but I can't remember it. Wasn't he into local theater later on in life? I do recall Billy Fallaw. Poor guy should never have been placed in front of a camera. He bungled his lines in almost every PSA. I'm pretty sure that Deputy Billy was in some of the PSA's with him. Do you have any clue who played Abusa-Ya-Ya on WOLO?

    Homer

    19 Feb 14 at 11:44 pm

  128. @Rick - I must be a bit young for that. I don't recall WNOK-FM ever playing prog rock. Guess I was still locked onto WNOK and WCOS-AM. I never got into AOR and such till WZLD hit the airwaves. That's when my album collection really started to grow!!!!!

    Homer

    19 Feb 14 at 11:46 pm

  129. RIght about Jim O'Shea. Silly Horse was Jim Quick, who did lots of local theater, and even had a few bit roles in some locally filmed movies. No clue on Abusa Ya Ya. We didn't get a TV with UHF until 1973 or so, so the "higher channels" were Never-Never Land to me.

    And for as long as Billy Fallaw was doing PSAs, I only remember one of them. He was showing cartoon drawins of three types of reckless drivers. One was The Monkey (showing a monkey driving), who drives around with his arm out the window. Another was the The Goose (showing a goos behind the wheel), who is constantly honking his horn. And the last was the Road Hog, who just drives all over the road.

    badger

    19 Feb 14 at 11:59 pm

  130. Jim Quick - dang, told you it was right on the tip of my tongue!!

    Even though we had sets with UHF capability, the stations didn't come in worth a crap. Sometimes we could pick up channels 6 and 12 out of Augusta clearer that the local UHF stations. Heck, I've still got a '56 TV up in the attic that I'm dying to connect to a converter box and see what comes in.

    Homer

    20 Feb 14 at 12:39 am

  131. Probably just 50s shows.

    But different...

    The Picture Tube of Dorian Gray

    There's a Twilight Zone plot there somewhere.

    ted

    20 Feb 14 at 12:47 am

  132. Don't freak me out like that, Ted...hahaha!!!

    Homer

    20 Feb 14 at 1:16 am

  133. Sort of like Pet Sematary. They come back, but different.....

    Homer

    20 Feb 14 at 2:00 am

  134. badger, I was talking with my dad about those drawings Fillaw showed, and the only one I could remember was the monkey holding the roof on his car.

    I also remember he was careful to say words to the effect of "I'm not saying anyone looks like this but..."

    tonkatoy

    20 Feb 14 at 7:57 am

  135. Wow! I just noticed yesterday that Monkey Joes in Northeast Columbia is now a church of some sort. When did they close?

    Miz Terry

    20 Feb 14 at 9:05 am

  136. Monkey Joe's at Sandhills closed last summer (2013).

    badger

    20 Feb 14 at 11:37 am

  137. @Homer- Maybe I used the wrong word when I said "progressive" I should have left that out and just said songs that where rarely heard at the time on FM. Also, as I stated, I believe it was WNOK, but even now, thinking about it I still believe it was WNOK. I can say for sure the program was called MQ. I also believe during those days, radio stations were able to boost their wattage after a certain hour at night. Any thoughts on that subject?

    Rick

    21 Feb 14 at 7:42 pm

  138. @Rick - I don't know about FM stations boosting their wattage but it was common practice of either raising or lowering power at dusk. I could never hear the No.1 on Casey Kasem's Top 40 show because WCOS would lower their signal ight before 6:00pm. That's why you could pick up stations like WSM and WOWO here at night. BTW, WOWO was the first station where I heard lots of non Top 40 music. Whoda thunk it about Fort Wayne, IN???

    Homer

    21 Feb 14 at 11:54 pm

  139. Meant to say common practice for AM stations.......

    Homer

    21 Feb 14 at 11:54 pm

  140. @Homer- Seems like I remember AM stations, by law, were able to boost their power after a certain time at night. I believe that is why, was It Wolfman Jack? That could be heard all over the south west back in the 50's. I listen to WVOC on the way into work in the mornings and around 6:00am the station blanks out for a few seconds when they are required to lower the wattage. I could be totally wrong but this is what I believe I have heard mentioned in the past. I am interested in maybe getting a short wave radio just to listen to stations far away, is it called "Skip" because the signal bounces off of the clouds or lower atmosphere, not sure? I think I will investigate. I still have an old TV antenna tower, about 40 feet high at my house used for TV reception from back in the 60's and 70's. I have thought about taking it down but, I think again and maybe I could use it for other purposes. Such as short wave radio reception or maybe use it for high tech applications such as Drones. If anyone has heard, Amazon wants to deliver packages by Drones. I think Drones have a very good future. This could be a good business to get into. Drones will be used in many different functions, good, bad and indifferent. Comments, thoughts please.

    Rick

    22 Feb 14 at 11:47 am

  141. @Rick - it is called 'skip' or 'skywave' propagation that allows AM and SW signals to bounce off of the ionosphere whereas FM is more or less 'line of sight' from the transmitter.

    Funny you should mention SW radio. I've been toying around with purchasing a portable multiband radio for some time now. I don't know a lot about the brands that are available and their quality. I don't want to spend a lot because it's just going to be a 'toy' to me.

    I had one as a kid and was fascinated by all of the 'strange' things you could pick up. I remember on SW station that was linked to what was, I think, the atomic clock in the UK that did nothing but state the current GMT every minute with the intervening space filled by a strange bass line of thumps. Plus, this was the radio that I used to pull in all of the AM stations from the eastern half of the US.

    I think the idea of using the tower for an antenna would be perfect.

    The jury is still out for me on the drone thing. I like the idea but the whole privacy issue is a sore spot for me.

    Homer

    23 Feb 14 at 1:46 am

  142. @Rick - Here's how the FCC explains AM power reductions.

    http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/why-am-radio-stations-must-reduce-power-change-operations-or-cease-broadcasting-night

    Homer

    23 Feb 14 at 2:30 am

  143. @Homer- I have the same concerns about the privacy issue with drones. Think for a moment about stationary cameras and their impact on privacy, now think about a MOBILE camera mounted to a platform no larger than a dinner plate. When I think about getting into the drone business , I think about something a little further out than anything I have heard to date. A business to counteract drones. Using drones to neutralize the effects of drones that might be spying on the general public. How could this be accomplished? I think first about UHF, VHF, Ultra High frequencies and radio frequencies that could be used to transmit the video and audio signals from a drone, and how to detect such signals, much like a radar detector. Then I think about how to disrupt the signal once it is detected. Maybe with our own fleet of drones just hovering around designed for that purpose. My 23 year old Son is STILL trying to decide what he wants to do in life, then again I do not remember having a great plan at 23 either. He just knows he wants to go into some sort of business for himself. I have been pushing him to consider what I said above. Imagine... DCI, Drone Countermeasures Inc. Providing privacy and piece of mind when it counts. Hmmm.. I like it.
    Time to start doing a little research.

    rick

    23 Feb 14 at 10:07 am

  144. Having fun with an AM radio....If you find yourself out under the stars during a meteor shower one night try tuning your AM receiver to a frequency with no station signal, just hiss. When a meteor enters the atmosphere they sometimes can be picked up by the receiver and heard through the speakers. I have heard some before seeing them. They produce a crackling sound.

    Drone Countermeasures, Inc. I like that.

    Terry

    23 Feb 14 at 3:46 pm

  145. @Rick - I can see it now. Everyone's property will either be covered by a Faraday cage or people will all have drone jammers or interceptors.

    @Terry - that sounds cool. If I just had a portable AM radio receiver to try it with....:^)

    Homer

    23 Feb 14 at 9:10 pm

  146. Focused EMP weapons, FTW!

    tonkatoy

    24 Feb 14 at 7:39 am

  147. @Homer- Yes, interceptors. I like it. Send out a half dozen of our own drones to engage the invaders. I can also envision my own tiny little missile battery, made out of left over fireworks from July 4th. Aimed at the sky, just waiting to take out those pesky, invasive drones. 3..2..1..

    rick

    24 Feb 14 at 12:08 pm

  148. @Tonkatoy- I believe our Government may have more powerful EMP weapons than we are aware of, and will be unaware of until the time is right. Remember when we showed our hand in Desert Storm. Weapons not seen before. Of course we could get a bunch of Microwave ovens and wire them together to create our own.

    rick

    24 Feb 14 at 12:16 pm

  149. @Rick - I like the fireworks battery idea. Set up a surveillance perimeter, find a way to track the drones and launch when they violate the area. You would have to find a way to make sure you don't shoot down and birds and such....

    Homer

    24 Feb 14 at 9:53 pm

  150. Does anyone know if "Sammychezes" or whatever it's called, has closed? I drove by there yesterday and saw quite a few cars/trucks, but came back by there 30 mins later and noticed all the cars were gone, and so were the letters on the marquee and no lights on inside. Anyone know?

    CayceKid

    26 Feb 14 at 7:06 pm

  151. meant to say the place on Ft. Jackson Blvd

    CayceKid

    26 Feb 14 at 7:06 pm

  152. Does anyone recall the St. Andrews Youth Center on Broad River Road from the late '60s/early '70s? Traveling away from town you would pass Rush's on the right (which I think was the first location for them) and the youth center was further down on the left.

    Terry

    27 Feb 14 at 2:54 am

  153. The only thing I remember and know of "youth" wise is the "Kiddie" Prison for troubled and juvenile delinquents.. other than that I don't remember.

    CayceKid

    27 Feb 14 at 3:28 pm

  154. A few closings, Miss Matties Heirloom Cakes in Lexington seems closed the last few months. Her red velvet cupcakes were the best I ever had. The last time I went by there was a sign in the door that said "Closed", and a call to their # said they were closed temporarily. But it's been months now.

    Also, drove by Moe Levy's the other day downtown, and couldn't believe they were closing. That place is a Columbia monument.

    LOVE your site.

    Brian

    28 Feb 14 at 3:48 pm

  155. @Terry - Are you talking about the building that that was on the corner of St. Andrews and Broad River? Across St. Andrews from the old Herb's Bar & Grill?

    If so, YES, I remember it totally. Back in the 60's my Dad and uncle did some construction work on the building and I tagged along with them several times.

    As I recall, there was a library in the building (not sure if it was affiliated with Richland County or not). I would always scan the shelves looking for anything that caught my fancy.

    There was also an auditorium on one end of the building. I would snoop around the stage area and check out the little back rooms and such.

    I'm not sure but I think they had some pool tables in something like a rec room. If this is a valid memory then it's the first time I ever saw a pool table.

    I do remember clearly a little back room that had an OLD refrigerator loaded with ice cold Cokes and Pepsi's. It was one of the fridges that had the compressor on top of the unit. The bottles that came out of there were so cold they were coated with ice!!

    The St. Andrews community swimming pool was next door. You could see it from the windows in the back of the building.

    In the buildings later years is was a magistrates office and then it was razed to plant another drug store.

    Thanks for helping me bring back some fond memories!!!!!!!

    Homer

    2 Mar 14 at 4:17 am

  156. Homer, that was it, and you are right about those ice cold Cokes. I was in a 4 piece rock band back then and we would play in the auditorium for $50 a night on Saturdays. We always had to keep an eye on the equipment during breaks because someone seemed to want it as much as us. Probably the same guys that hung out in the parking lot smoking cigarettes and stealing hubcaps.

    Terry

    3 Mar 14 at 1:02 am

  157. @Terry - was I right about my other memories? I was just a kid so some are kind of fuzzy. I spent most of my time snooping around, looking behind every door, just to see what I could find. I was thinking, after the last post, that there were two doors that faced St. Andrews. One led into the library and the other led into the rec room. There was one door that faced Broad River that went into the auditorium. Am I correct on this?

    What time frame are you talking about with the band you were in and what was the name of it?

    I'd love to find some pictures of the old building as well as some of Herb's. Lord knows, in the 80's I snarfed down plenty of fried chicken and COLD draft beer in that place!!!!

    Homer

    3 Mar 14 at 2:20 am

  158. Homer, I wish I could help you out but I don't think I ever saw the place in daylight. We backed up to the door, unloaded gear, played, and left. I do not remember a library or pool next door. This was 1970 or 71 and I think the band name and personnel changed monthly.

    Terry

    3 Mar 14 at 5:47 am

  159. I noticed this afternoon that the Precision Tune on Lake Murray Blvd. has one of the infamous 'closed for remodeling' signs on the entrance. Not sure how long it's been there. I just happened to see it while stuck in traffic.

    Homer

    4 Mar 14 at 12:36 am

  160. @Terry - my recollections are from the 60's. My Dad got out of the contracting business in the early 70's so I was probably around 10 to 12 at the time. Thanks for bringing up the topis though!!!!

    Homer

    4 Mar 14 at 12:38 am

  161. Radio Shack announced today that it was closing 1100 stores nationwide. For the record, they had my favorite Super Bowl ad this year.

    Tom

    4 Mar 14 at 1:51 pm

  162. Saigon Moon in the Publix plaza on 378 in Lexington has closed. It has reopened as the Asian Grill. I don't remember was the name was before Saigon Moon, but it was also an Asian eatery. Probably all the same owner just trying to find something that works.

    James

    5 Mar 14 at 7:52 am

  163. I haven't verified this myself, so I'm going against my own rules about spreading gossip, but. . . I saw a facebook posting about Bluestein's in the Vista having a 'closing' sale, but a subsequent phone call to them said that they were not actually closing, but going 'wholesale only.' I think the concept of 'dry goods' (fabric, notions, and anything else related to clothing) is a little oudated. I might try the next time I'm in a Wally World to ask where their 'dry goods' area is. They have one--I just doubt that the employees call it that.

    badger

    5 Mar 14 at 9:00 pm

  164. @Tom -- I believe this classic Onion piece is the last word on Radio Shack.

    ted

    6 Mar 14 at 12:37 am

  165. @Tom & Ted - the last time I was in a Radio Shack was about a year ago. I had to jury rig an A/V connection between my DVD player and my computer and I knew I would find the adapters and patch cords I needed there. Sure enough, there they were.

    I used to love to browse and shop at Radio Shack. They were always a stop I made when I'd visit Dutch Square back in the day. I still have a set of Mach Two speakers that, aside from re-foaming the woofers about 10 years ago, have been indestructible and kicking out the jams for around 30 years. They used to build some great equipment (especially their vacuum tube amps) but, like so many other brick and mortar stores, their days are numbered.

    There are some things I want to examine before purchase instead of relying on one or two pictures on Amazon or eBay.

    Homer

    6 Mar 14 at 2:04 am

  166. I used to like to browse in RS, but at some point it stopped being fun when the minute you stepped through the door, the sales staff was all over you like white on rice.

    ted

    6 Mar 14 at 2:24 am

  167. @Ted - I never had that problem at RS but that's what turned me off about Circuit City. You couldn't walk in the door before there was someone dogging you about 'Can I help you find something' or 'What are you looking for today?'. That's the kind of crap that I can't stand about stores that pay their salespeople on commission....

    Homer

    6 Mar 14 at 3:05 am

  168. @Homer & Ted - As I have stated before, I was in the electronic business for many years. In the 70's and even early 80's I was a regular patron of RS. It was a place I could go to find all the high tech stuff that could not be found anywhere else at the time. Over the next few years, RS changed, and I did not find them as interesting as in earlier years. The changes they made did not keep them on my "Place to go" list for "Stuff I could not find" elsewhere. The electronic component area of the store was reduced by 40 to 50 percent. Their "Realistic" brand of audio equipment, from speakers to electronics appeared to be "farmed" out to the Chinese and in my humble opinion the sound quality was not as pronounced. I will still stumble in from time to time, but I am not interested in the sales people pressuring me to buy a new cell phone.

    Rick

    6 Mar 14 at 6:45 pm

  169. And now according to The State Staples is closing 225 stores.

    ted

    6 Mar 14 at 10:57 pm

  170. @Rick - I agree with the status of RS. Even though I was able to find the parts I needed for my jury rigging project, the selection was a far cry from the old days. I know you remember the days when you could buy any kind of electronics parts there.

    When I was a kid I always wanted one of their electronic lab kits. The ones where you could build various electronic projects from the items supplied in the kit. But, alas, it never came to be.

    As a side note, when my Dad retired from Columbia Lumber they had their entire inventory system on a set of the first TRS-80's, cassette tapes and all. How things have changed.....:^)

    Homer

    7 Mar 14 at 2:03 am

  171. Not exactly a closing, but Hampton Automotive on Fernandina is 'under new ownership.'

    badger

    7 Mar 14 at 1:15 pm

  172. The fact that RadioShack is still in business has been the subject of Jay Leno jokes...one in particular made mentioned of something totalyl crazy (I forgot the details) and Jay was like "I don't if it's more amazing that this happened or if RadioShack is still in business." I've occasionally used RadioShack and was able to find a backup battery charger for my iPhone there recently but if a CEO isn't able to see how it's still in business, something is up...

    As for Staples, I hope they don't close the 4464 Devine Street store as that's the one I've enjoyed shopping in the most...though if it were to close, my inclination is to think that the revitalization of the area within walking distance in recent years would likely make it conducive to something new coming in. I don't think any locations have been officially announced just yet but it does diminish the chances of my vision of a Staples opening in the West Columbia/Lexington area...

    Andrew

    7 Mar 14 at 2:57 pm

  173. @Andrew- I go to the Devine Street Staples quite often. It seems there are items that I need from time to time that I just can not find elsewhere. Forget Wal-Mart. Even at Staples I am unable to find all I need. One item that I can't even find on the 'net is a good solid clipboard calculator. There are many out there and I have purchased many, but what I'm looking for is one that has a quality calculator with a light weight board, NO storage compartment. I found one in the past that I liked made by Saunders. It is called a Compuboard, however it appears this model is no longer available. I also like a good quality mechanical pencil with #7 lead. The best one I have found to date is a Japanese Pencil made by Pentel, model #P207C that I can only find at Staples or online. I also purchase toner cartridges for a Dell printer from Staples. So, I would also not like to see this location close. Anyway, that's my two cents.

    Rick

    7 Mar 14 at 5:51 pm

  174. @Homer - I also wanted an electronic lab kit as well as a science kit with all the chemicals, you know the one I'm talking about. It just was not in the cards for me as my parents did not have the money to spend on such "Frivolous" items. So we made our own science projects. One I remember was, we would take a couple of tablespoons of lye, put it in a glass coke bottle, then fill the bottle half way full with water, drop in a good piece of aluminum foil and the result made hydrogen gas. We would then take a balloon and stretch it over the mouth of the bottle, the expanding gas would fill the balloon up, with hydrogen. We would remove the balloon, tie it, and the balloon would float out of sight. We then started to tape several balloons together, attach a long fuse to them that we would purchase out of the back of comic books, light the fuse and send the balloons aloft. Instant Hindenburg. It was so cool for a 13 year old.

    Rick

    7 Mar 14 at 6:10 pm

  175. @Rick - at the same time I was in the workshop with batteries, switches, wire, lamps and small electronic parts, teaching myself basic wiring and circuits. You make do with what you have...:^)

    Homer

    7 Mar 14 at 11:41 pm

  176. @Homer - In my opinion your last comment is correct. Make do with what you have. As you well know we did not have all the cool electronic stuff one's parents can purchase now for their kids. Back then TV was only good at certain times of the week, we only had one. Saturday mornings were good for watching cartoons. The Walt Disney show on Sunday nights, etc. No computers, no electronic games. We had G.I. Joe, played army games outside with the kids in the neighborhood, rode our bikes 'til mom called us to come in. Built forts in the woods. Camped out on the weekends. Went on hikes. Boy Scouts. Kids now do not have the same imagination we had then to make our own fun.

    Rick

    8 Mar 14 at 1:33 pm

  177. It is easy to accumulate parts. Whenever an item quits working you disassemble it to see what is inside.

    My first electronics repair occurred when I was 10 and my transistor radio quit working. Naturally the first thing you do is crank up the volume control. I removed the screws from the back and saw that green and silver shiny circuitboard and I was hooked. It was also the first time I had seen a speaker! Holy day! It was like a brand new world had opened before me. That was when I noticed that only one wire was attached to the speaker terminal and another wire was dangling next to where it looked like it should be connected. I touched the bare end of the wire to the terminal and jumped about 2 feet high when the radio started blasting to life. Possibly my first 'Eureka' moment. circa 1964.

    Terry

    8 Mar 14 at 2:52 pm

  178. @Rick

    ted

    8 Mar 14 at 5:18 pm

  179. I went crazy for a time building speaker enclosures. I found a book at RS years ago that diagrammed the different types of enclosures and supplied plans to build them. Since my Dad was in construction at the time there was always tons of lumber around the house so I never worried about having to buy anything but the speakers, wire, jacks and such. Once I made a bottom firing subwoofer out of an old 15" bass guitar speaker I picked up at a yard sale. It worked like a charm. Of course, since it was 1976, I painted it red, white and blue....

    Homer

    8 Mar 14 at 5:58 pm

  180. Casa Linda in the outparcel to the Target shopping center in Lexington has changed names. I don't recall noticing that Casa Linda ever actually closed, but today there was a temporary sign up for Panchos, I think it was. According to the Casa Linda Facebook page it seems they sold the business.

    TahoeChic

    8 Mar 14 at 7:23 pm

  181. @Ted - Thanks. @Terry - Fun read on your first electronic repair.

    Rick

    8 Mar 14 at 7:38 pm

  182. @TahoeChic - The Casa Linda next to Wal-Mart on Garners Ferry Road has also changed names. It is now called Taco Time. I ate there a couple of weeks ago thinking I was going to Casa Linda's. My wife and I noticed the name change before we went in but decided to give it a try anyway. I will not post particulars here now, I will wait until another gives it a try and compare notes. I do not want to give any preconceived notions. I will say it was different than Casa Lindas.

    Rick

    8 Mar 14 at 7:46 pm

  183. Well, I'll tell ya one big difference with the one near Wally World: If you order potato burritos (and probably any other mashed potato product), they use powdered potatoes. Not just a suspicion. They told me in as many words (not that there was much doubt to begin with.)

    badger

    8 Mar 14 at 8:53 pm

  184. Homer, I must have had that same book on speaker enclosures. It was fun to experiment with different designs. Radio Shack also had other cool books such as schematics and parts lists for simple IC circuits. RS was a breadboarders dream store back then.
    Horlacher's (later named HESCO) was another parts supplier I liked a lot.
    If you enjoyed building whiz-bang circuits and read magazines like Popular Electronics these stores were essential.

    Terry

    9 Mar 14 at 4:42 am

  185. @Badger - Check, powdered potatoes should only be used in a survival situation, hiking or camping. Whole potatoes are inexpensive, not difficult to prepare and taste much better.
    Strike one for Taco Time.

    Rick

    9 Mar 14 at 4:21 pm

  186. @Terry - if I recall correctly it was a small, orange paperback. It covered open, acoustic suspension and bass reflex designs. I can't recall anything else but I'm sure it covered crossovers, impedance and such.

    Homer

    9 Mar 14 at 7:29 pm

  187. @Badger & all - powdered potatoes have no place in a restaurant setting, be it fast food or not. The only time I use them is for thickening soups (I like them better than corn starch and such) or if I'm just too lazy to cook them from scratch. Wonder what else is 'pre-fab'?

    Homer

    9 Mar 14 at 8:28 pm

  188. @Rick - your comment about the fuse made me think about all of the stuff they used to sell in comic books. Toy soldiers, sea monkeys, fake dog poop and the infamous x-ray specs. Plus, remember all of the Charles Atlas ads?

    Homer

    9 Mar 14 at 8:40 pm

  189. Man, this place has been awfully quiet today!!!!!!!!

    Homer

    12 Mar 14 at 12:02 am

  190. I could complain about Columbia, 5 Points and The Vista and how much of a "Circus Side show " they really are if you would like me to since I have a reputation to keep up.

    CayceKid

    12 Mar 14 at 12:09 am

  191. Go for it - time to stir things up around here...:^)

    I'll probably agree with you for the most part.....

    Homer

    12 Mar 14 at 12:24 am

  192. I do not live in the city limits so I cannot vote for council members, but there certainly is enough blame to go around. Then again I certainly would not want to be in that bee hive.

    Terry

    12 Mar 14 at 3:09 am

  193. Did you know that South Carolina is # 1 in the Nation for the worst drivers? Columbia has torn down more old houses and historical old buildings in the past 50 years than what Sherman and his army destroyed in 1865.

    CayceKid

    12 Mar 14 at 10:20 am

  194. @Homer - I ordered the Sea Monkeys one time. The were like dehydrated or something from what I can remember, then when put into water the came to life. Very, very tiny from what I remember. And the X-Ray Glasses, I think I was afraid to order them. Not afraid to order the fuse and blow something up though.

    rick

    12 Mar 14 at 10:53 am

  195. Piggly Wiggly at 2000 Clemson Road (corner of Clermson and Hardscrabble) is closing.
    I work at the Publix down the street an we have heard April 20 is the last day of business.
    So far no signage out front but plenty of signs advertising "20% store wide inventory reduction sale."
    Who ever heard of a store doing such a sale except when going out of business.
    I'll follow up if there is more news.

    ken holler

    12 Mar 14 at 12:09 pm

  196. I saw the same sign this afternoon and figured it meant the end of the line. Always wondered how that store stayed open, with a much nicer Publix and Food Lion just up the road.

    Jason

    12 Mar 14 at 6:42 pm

  197. I swear, I am seeing more and more truth to former Piggly Wiggly employee Terry on the closing profiling the Irmo Piggly Wiggly stating, "simply put, Piggly Wiggly is a dying grocery chain."

    Case in point:

    Last fall, several Piggly Wiggly locations become Bi-Lo (US 76 in Prosperity, US 601 in St. Matthews, US 378 in Lexington (Lake Murray Shopping Center), Forest Park). Some smaller towns still have their Piggly Wiggly but I find myself wondering how much longer they can hold on.

    The 7451 Garners Ferry Road Piggly Wiggly closed last summer. A comparable Piggly Wiggly at 4350 St. Andrews Road closed on June 5, 2004.

    A Piggly Wiggly in Polo Plaza on Two Notch Road closed ca. 2004 as well.

    There have been several different people that have shared several different reasons as to why the Irmo Piggly Wiggly closed.

    The 4360 Augusta Road Piggly Wiggly closed on October 11, 2013 (but hasn't featured here yet).

    Many other older Piggly Wiggly locations are also listed here (some closed before my time) but some of them were from a time when grocery stores were smaller than they are. Two examples I remember are at 2001 Rosewood Drive and 3724 Covenant Road.

    I don't know who owns Magnolia Pointe (2000 Clemson Road) but they have a tall task on their hands to try to backfill the Piggly Wiggly departure. My wildest dream would be to see Harris Teeter there but I know that isn't the most likely possibility (though if it were to happen, I'd likely be there the day it opens). I remember wanting Little Caesars back and Magnolia Pointe was where the first Little Caesars opened when they found their way back into Columbia so who knows...

    My inclination is to think that the way Northeast Richland is growing (especially when I see the strength of Lake Carolina, The Summit, Longcreek Plantation and Elders Pond) would lend itself to something coming in but it won't happen overnight.

    Currently Columbia has 4 Piggly Wiggly locations:

    1) 4033 West Beltline Blvd. (Edens Plaza)...this one has an eatery of some sort that I've been eying for several years but haven't made it to just yet
    2) 3818 Devine Street
    3) 1123 South Lake Drive (Red Bank)
    4) 3040 Charleston Hwy. (Cayce Crossing)...this one seemed dirty to me for some reason last time I was in it

    only time will tell what becomes of these 3 remaining ones and the others that around in other small towns...

    Andrew

    12 Mar 14 at 9:01 pm

  198. @Rick - the sea monkeys are some kind of brine shrimp that hatch when you put the eggs and hatching liquid in the water.

    I did buy the x-ray specs. If I recall correctly they had cardboard in the frames with something like a feather across the field of vision. All they did was blur you vision to the point that you were practically seeing double. It made you think you were seeing the bones in your hand at the point where the two images overlapped.

    Homer

    12 Mar 14 at 9:47 pm

  199. CayceKid reminded me of a historic house in Newberry that people tried to preserve (this was in late 2002). Eckerd had plans to build on the site of said house and even they contributed some to the funds to relocate the house to the campus of Newberry College but the money was insufficient and the house got demolished in favor of the Eckerd and now the times I've been in Newberry, what the site went through has me hesitant to set food in the Rite Aid (Eckerd folded into Rite Aid in 2007)...

    Andrew

    12 Mar 14 at 10:06 pm

  200. @CayceKid - I am so glad I live in Lexington County. It has its share of problems for sure, but it doesn't hold a candle next to the hot mess that is Richland County and the city of Columbia.

    Homer

    12 Mar 14 at 10:57 pm

  201. 99% of the problems Columbia has is due to certain people on the City Council, Gangs, Benedict and Allen Universities. Columbia has never been that smart or hip, but it's gotten worse in the past 20 or so years. Columbia is Columbia does.

    CayceKid

    13 Mar 14 at 6:25 pm

  202. meant to say "Columbia IS as Columbia DOES".

    CayceKid

    13 Mar 14 at 6:26 pm

  203. What's everyone's take on Santiago resigning? Is he just ticked off for not being considered for the chief position or is he afraid that something is going to surface with the whole 'black ops' thing? I can't really decide since the entire CPD has been a train wreck for years.

    I also have mixed feelings about Lott's comments about merging the RCSD and the CPD. He claims that since he is an elected official he would support the public and not the politicians. I'm calling BS on that one. First, the sheriff is an elected position (which never made any sense to me), so Lott is, in fact, a politician. Plus, if he were to take over the CPD, it would be a mad power play for him, since he would control the vast majority of law enforcement in the entire county.

    How many other incorporated towns, besides Forest Acres, have their own police force? I'm asking this because I don't know.

    Homer

    14 Mar 14 at 12:30 am

  204. The reason I posed the question in my previous comment is, because I live in Lexington County I know that every little two bit town has a police force that is centered around making an easy buck off of traffic stops to put money in the town coffers (or someone's pocket).

    In my past experiences, highway patrolmen have always been courteous to me and have given me a break. LCSD is a bunch of little pricks that think that a badge and gun make them better than everyone else. I have never been stopped by an RCSD cop even when I know I should have been. It seems like they are more concerned with patrolling for actual crimes than harassing the public with trivial BS.

    Homer

    14 Mar 14 at 12:47 am

  205. Electronic billboard at Clemson & Earth Road has an advertisement that the Jewelry Warehouse on Two Notch Rd (between Petsmart & Bed Bath and Beyond) is closing and has a 20% discount. Their websites appear to be down but I found this (although the discount hasn't been updated):
    http://blog.jewelrywarehouse.com/2014/03/04/our-northeast-jewelry-warehouse-store-is-closing/
    I would assume the Garnet and Black store would stay open but have not driven by to check.

    Enjoy your website. Keep up the good work!

    J Brown

    14 Mar 14 at 10:20 am

  206. I checked a little further and found the following:

    Piggly Wiggly at Magnolia Pointe (2000 Clemson Road) has signage for an inventory reduction sale...but it looked like some bread and meat stuff was thinning out a litle and plus they looked like they had some Christmas & Valentines stuff they were trying to sell as well...The Contract Postal Unit was closed citing 'technical difficulties' (I don't understand why it made sense to have a CPU so close to the Sandhills Post Office anyway). It appears to be closing soon so stay tuned as the events progress. The biggest challenge is to see how the other tenants can continue to operate without an anchor tenant.

    As for Jewlery Warehouse at Sparkelberry Square, signage is up that said store is closing (as noted by J Brown) and the Garnet & Black Traditions as well as Tiger Paw Traditions will be closing with it. Garnet & Black Traditions and Tiger Paw Traditions opened up in the former S&K after the whole company liquidated several years ago. The thing of it is, you have to get through Jewelry Warehouse to get to Garnet & Black/Tiger Paw Traditions so both will be closing at the same time. At the same time, I wouldn't put it past Jewlery Warehouse to try to find a new Northeast Richland location (as they have sought to upgrade their other area locations in recent years) but I don't know exactly where it'd go. Between that and a former Hibbett Sports (which hasn't featured here yet), Equity One has some opportunities to try to bring some new merchants to Sparkelberry Square but we will have to wait and see how it all pans out.

    Andrew

    14 Mar 14 at 3:43 pm

  207. Isn't there already a Jewelry Warehouse on Two Notch next to Bed, Bath & Beyond? Seems to me that's not the kind of store that needs that many locations.

    Jason

    14 Mar 14 at 10:36 pm

  208. Eh, scratch that. It's late and I can't read.

    Jason

    14 Mar 14 at 10:36 pm

  209. Quiznos has filed for bankruptcy. http://www.aol.com/article/2014/03/14/quiznos-files-for-bankruptcy/20850446/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D454147

    Tom

    15 Mar 14 at 6:03 am

  210. I heard through the grapevine that Manigault-Hurley Funeral Home will be closing it's doors soon. Might want to watch for that in the news. It was founded in 1923.

    Sidney

    16 Mar 14 at 11:45 am

  211. Dang, I was sure CayceKid would have jumped on my CPD comments....lol

    Homer

    17 Mar 14 at 11:54 pm

  212. The full service car wash (Clear View or something like that) on Harbison Blvd. has closed. The owners have retired.

    Homer

    18 Mar 14 at 10:25 pm

  213. @ Homer.. about the CPD and the LPD and ALL small town cops.. they're all full of themselves, smug and over step their bounds. Some but not all are ok for the most part, but the worst comes from the coppers in the small towns in this State..and the small town of NORTH is one of the worst, and so is Turbeville. You gotta watch them all. I wouldn't give any of them a chance to stop me.. I don't trust any of them.

    CayceKid

    19 Mar 14 at 9:16 am

  214. Just saw a "Store Closing" sign at Bluestein's on Gervais Street. It's been on that corner forever and has had the Vista develop around it!

    Mary Douglass

    20 Mar 14 at 7:20 am

  215. The Piggly Wiggly on Clemson road is going bye-bye. So much for that once mighty chain.

    Tom

    24 Mar 14 at 7:03 pm

  216. In addition to the small white note on Bluestein's door saying "Store Closing," there are now larger signs beside the doors saying the building is available for lease.

    badger

    27 Mar 14 at 9:06 am

  217. It appears the Rec Warehouse at 2814 Augusta Road (next to Carolina Pottery) has closed. It must have been a while because ReStore has opened in that location. Rec Warehouse was a pool, spa, and billards retailer. Their website (http://www.recwarehouse.com/) shows three GA locations and a FL store, but nothing on the West Columbia Store anymore.

    James

    27 Mar 14 at 4:53 pm

  218. That store closed down a while ago. The whole chain took a pretty severe hit in the last recession, since apparently some of the first things people cut back on are pools, spas, and pool tables. I'm surprised there isn't an entry on this closing. I sort of assumed there was.

    What I keep remembering from their heyday was their commercials where their tagline was just a guy yelling "RECREATIONAL FACTORY WAREHOUSE" at you three times with differing severity. I'm sure that didn't help.

    Jason

    27 Mar 14 at 9:12 pm

  219. My husband and I went into that Rec Warehouse looking at pools a while back. We were really impressed with their customer service and product knowledge. We got some quotes and literature, went back two weeks later and they were gone without a trace.

    TahoeChic

    28 Mar 14 at 5:22 am

  220. There's not much left in the Piggly Wiggly store. And I assume after this weekend, there won't be much more left. The manager told me that they will probably go to 30% this weekend. The only meat they had left was a bunch of boneless skinless chicken breast, about 2 dozen turkeys, ham hocks, etc. No steaks or any beef for that matter. They did have a lot of Ball Park hot dogs left. I just didn't think the prices, even after the 20% off, were still comparable to places like Bi-lo and Sam's. They also had some IPA's (beer) left. And looked to be stocked on the Lime-A-Rita's. They also had a ton of eggs left. 12 eggs ($1.89), which after the 20% off is just a few cents cheaper than Bi-lo and Sam's.

    Sidney

    28 Mar 14 at 6:00 am

  221. You also must have a Pig Card to get the 20% off. But of course if you don't, just ask the cashier, she/he will be glad to swipe their own for you.

    Sidney

    28 Mar 14 at 6:02 am

  222. @ Jason - I thought it had been a while, but like you, I didn't see a posting here, so I mentioned it. When I saw ReStore had opened in the location, I knew for sure it had closed.

    @ TahoeChic - Do you remember how long ago that was?

    James

    29 Mar 14 at 9:48 am

  223. The bulk of their store closings happened in fall 2011, which sounds right for this location. I had started a job in West Columbia in early 2011 and remember that store being open briefly after that time, but it was gone before I got around to stopping by.

    Jason

    29 Mar 14 at 7:08 pm

  224. Is that ancient Piggly Wiggly on North Main still open?

    Redneck from Cayce

    29 Mar 14 at 9:17 pm

  225. Happened to be on Rivermont Drive by the Riverbanks Zoo yesterday and noticed the Office Furniture USA has closed. Well, more than closed, they have already demolished the building.

    James

    31 Mar 14 at 11:23 am

  226. How can we send you a question that is not published ?

    Rebecca Norris

    31 Mar 14 at 8:04 pm

  227. @James - it was maybe a year and a half or so ago

    TahoeChic

    31 Mar 14 at 9:14 pm

  228. @Rebecca -- closings at columbia closings dto com

    ted

    1 Apr 14 at 12:06 am

  229. @ TahoeChic - Really, because I shopped there for my office furniture and I don't think it has been that long ago. I didn't buy from them because most of what they had was used or low quality Chinese imports. I haven't had my office furniture that long.

    James

    1 Apr 14 at 1:05 am

  230. @TahoeChic - Please disregard that last comment. I just realized you were responding to my REC Warehouse comment when you said about a year and a half. I thought you were referring to my Office Furniture USA post.

    James

    1 Apr 14 at 1:08 am

  231. @James- no worries- I should've been more specific. I didn't see your other comment until I posted mine. It might've been closer to a year since we went to Rec Warehouse....we've only been in our new house a little over two years and I can't remember exactly when we went. We had also looked at above ground pools at the now defunct place on the frontage road by Piney Grove. It went out of business shorty fate as well, so maybe that's a sign from the universe that we need an in-ground pool! LOL

    TahoeChic

    1 Apr 14 at 9:33 am

  232. While getting my car repaired today at Complete Car Care at the corner of Gervais and Henderson, I learned the Back Porch Cafe at 1616 Gervais has closed.

    James

    1 Apr 14 at 1:28 pm

  233. WISTV is reporting that a new shopping development slated for the current site of Capitol City Stadium is likely to be anchored by a Kroger (which beats having another Walmart by a longshot IMO).

    If it works out as planned, Capitol City Stadium will be demolished in early 2015 to make way for this project...

    Andrew

    1 Apr 14 at 4:06 pm

  234. @Andrew - WLTX reported the same thing

    Homer

    1 Apr 14 at 11:56 pm

  235. I'm really glad they're trying to get more businesses into downtown Columbia, I'd love to see it back to its former glory. Unfortunately, I think all the chaos within the city government down there is really going to hamper their efforts. I see that the new Economic Development Director has now been arrested and subsequently fired. In my opinion, they need to concentrate more on cleaning up the city and making it feel safer, then the businesses will come. When he owner of Mast poke publicly a while back about how the crime was affecting his customers and his business, I wondered how much longer he is going to stick around. Not trying to get all political here, just my two cents.

    TahoeChic

    2 Apr 14 at 2:28 pm

  236. Noticed today that Photo Graphix at 1401 Sumter Street has closed or moved. Not sure when, but it looked like it has been a while.

    James

    2 Apr 14 at 7:33 pm

  237. It moved out of the parking garage around 2000 to Cedar Terrace Shopping Center. It clung to life there until around 2005 or so.

    badger

    2 Apr 14 at 7:58 pm

  238. @TahoeChic
    Do you happen to work on Forest Drive? I see this female sitting in her Tahoe at lunch time every day and I always think, "That's TahoeChic". Is that you?

    Sidney

    2 Apr 14 at 9:57 pm

  239. @Sidney....nope, that's not me. I did pick this screen name because I used to have a Tahoe though. Now I have an Escalade so I guess I'm technically CaddyChic. LOL

    TahoeChic

    3 Apr 14 at 6:00 am

  240. I hope that after the tear down Capital City Stadium and put in the Kroger or whatever there, someone will erect a plaque or historic marker to commemorate the old ball park and the great players who played there.

    Tom

    3 Apr 14 at 6:54 am

  241. I read this site everyday and would love to speak with the founder and creator of this site. I have a few questions.

    Rashaad

    3 Apr 14 at 12:47 pm

  242. Noticed a closing today that seemed interesting after I started trying to research it. CSP Distributors at 206 Industrial Drive in Lexington has closed by the sight of the locked gates and Security Realty signs posted on the property (corner of Industrial Blvd. and Industrial Drive).

    The company appears to have been a Wholesale Grocer and I wonder if it's closing has anything to do with all of the Piggly Wiggly closings. On the company's website (http://www.cspdistributor.com/) there is an order form that lists Shiven Enterprise 138-B Old Barnwell Road, West Columbia as the namesake. Google street view could not display this address because it is behind another building the actually on the road, but it may have gone out of business as well.

    James

    3 Apr 14 at 1:19 pm

  243. closings at columbiaclosings dto com

    ted

    4 Apr 14 at 12:47 am

  244. Piggly Wiggly at Clemson Rd and Hardscrabble is now officially closed.

    ken holler

    4 Apr 14 at 8:28 am

  245. What year did the A&P Grocery Store open at Dutch Square? Was it 1970 or later? and what year did they close? I don't remember, and my roommate and I disagree on the year it closed. Anyone?

    CayceKid

    4 Apr 14 at 6:27 pm

  246. Two somewhat related clsoings / relocations on Main Street in Lexington. Regions Bank at 216 East Main Street has closed. BB&T at 126 East Main Street has closed and relocated to the old Regions Bank location. The sign on the BB&T Drive Thru (which is a separate building behind the main bank) states that the location closed February 1, 2014. It looks like the old Regions / new BB&T location may be slightly bigger and from passing on Main Street, the drive thru appears connected to the main building. These two features might be the reason BB&T moved, because otherwise the exterior of the Regions building does not appear that the location was much of an upgrade for BB&T. You can see the location as Regions Bank if you use Google Street view for the 216 East Main Street address.

    James

    4 Apr 14 at 8:48 pm

  247. CayceKid, I recommend you read Dutch Square A&P post as many of the details you seek will be covered on that post (some of it based on research I did on it several years ago)...

    Andrew

    4 Apr 14 at 9:06 pm

  248. Hey,

    Not sure if you missed it, but the Express (clothing store) in Columbia Place Mall has been closed since February. It was right across from the Lady Foot Locker. The only store in Columbia is now in Columbiana Mall

    Richard

    5 Apr 14 at 1:07 pm

  249. Hey,

    Not sure if you missed it, but the Express (clothing store) in Columbia Place Mall has been closed since February. It was right across from the Lady Foot Locker. The only store in Columbia is now in Columbiana Mall

    Richard

    5 Apr 14 at 1:07 pm

  250. Noticed today the Xtreme Dance, Cheer & Tumble at 2026 Augusta Road in Lexington had closed. When I started researching it, I found out they had moved. Their new location is 116 South Lake Court in Lexington. The old building on Augusta road still shows the markings of the sign from a previous tenant. Some sort of "supply" company.

    James

    5 Apr 14 at 4:34 pm

  251. The Xtreme Dance website indicates they moved March 3, 2014. Sorry I forgot to post that in the earlier comment.

    James

    5 Apr 14 at 4:36 pm

  252. I think the Xtreme Dance was in the old Depot Building Supply building. It was a True Value store and was open until just a few years ago, went in there a few times always great service. I remember reading a news story about the closing and apparently it had been around a long time. It had that old small town hardware store look and feel to it which was very nice.

    TahoeChic

    5 Apr 14 at 6:02 pm

  253. Driving down Gervais Street this weekend, I noticed another (possible) closing - Tsunami. I didn't see the sign on the building and it looked pretty dark at dinner time. With all the sushi restaurants around that area (SakiTumi, Camon, Takosushi, M Vista), I guess it's not a surprise that one would fold eventually.

    Mary Douglass

    7 Apr 14 at 10:06 am

  254. Bluestein's in the Vista is closed :(

    steve

    7 Apr 14 at 10:30 am

  255. Tsunami's moved next door where Club Ra used to be.

    Sidney

    7 Apr 14 at 11:59 am

  256. Oh, thanks @Sidney!

    Mary Douglass

    7 Apr 14 at 1:11 pm

  257. @Sidney - what's in the rest of that building? Where Headliners and the other club (name escapes me) used to be...

    Homer

    7 Apr 14 at 10:52 pm

  258. JET Nightlife (urban night club) is still on the side of the building where the Las Vegas style club was located. Before the Las Vegas style club, it was Banana Joe's. And I heard that a Tequila bar was going in the space Tsunami's formally occupied. It is said that this tequila bar will have over 100 different tequilas/flavors.

    Sidney

    8 Apr 14 at 6:38 am

  259. I'm not sure what is in the location where Headliners was located.

    Sidney

    8 Apr 14 at 6:39 am

  260. I just saw where the Wendy's on Beltline Blvd. next to Richland Fashion Mall was closed! The sign is gone, the pictures of food items they offer are gone fromthe windows and the dining area is empty of all chairs and tables!

    Also Coullom's Auto, Inc. on Two Notch Road is closed! They had been in business for many years most of their customer's were referred to them from Donahue's also up on Two Notch Rd.

    Commercial Marketing Corp. ak.a. Cmark on the north side of Columbia on Two Notch is also gone and there is a ceramic store in there now!

    Dr. Eric Marler whose office was next to Commercial Marekting Corp. a.k.a. Cmark is also closed!

    Patricia R. Lewis`

    8 Apr 14 at 2:31 pm

  261. In response to CayaceKid's question about the A&P at Dutch Sqaure Blvd. it has been closed since the mid 90's! I used to shop there when my hubby and I were living togther before tying the knot! It was convienent to where we lived and was the closest store to our apartment. Now there is a Bi-Lo at Widewater Square and a new KJ's IGA where the old Food Lion at Richardson Plaza used to be!

    Patricia R. Lewis`

    8 Apr 14 at 2:35 pm

  262. @Sidney - At one time Banana Joe's, Headliner's, Club Ra and Tsunami all occupied the same building....

    Homer

    8 Apr 14 at 6:52 pm

  263. I avoid the Broad River Rd BI-LO and that entire area like the black plague. Broad River Rd used to be somewhat ok, but like everything else, it's gone downhill. Have you heard about the Columbia City Council or whomever approving I think to build a MINOR LEAGUE Baseball Stadium on Bull Street where the old Insane Asylum is? Does that mean they're gonna tear everything down? Only in Columbia can things like this happen. I wonder if they've considered the traffic from HELL it's gonna cause especially during the 5:00 traffic? But then again...it's Columbia.

    CayceKid

    8 Apr 14 at 11:01 pm

  264. @CayceKid - supposedly they can't tear down the buildings that are on the historic register. But if Columbia can find a way I'm sure they will. I'm still in shock that they stepped in to save the old Columbia Compress building. But we'll see what happens to that in the long run.....

    Homer

    9 Apr 14 at 12:02 am

  265. @CayceKid - About 15 years ago I lived at St. Andrews Commons. I used to walk from my apartment to the Opening Break when it was in the old skating rink and back at 2:00am. Now there's no way in hell I'd even think of doing that. It was kind of sketchy back then but now.....

    Homer

    9 Apr 14 at 12:06 am

  266. I agree 100% It aint what it used to be...at all. What was the name of the video store that used to be across the street on the corner next to Arnolds Dry Cleaning..? As far as NOT tearing things downs.. Gibbs VW wasn't supposed to be, but USC must have talked the Gibbs brother or whomever was holding out from selling the land/building, must have offered one BIG LOAD of $$$$$. The dummies that run Columbia now have NO interest in saving the old houses or buildings. Columbia has always been "Historically Challenged"..unlike Charleston that's the complete opposite. At one time the entire area from the old G E X store on up to Dutch Square and Boozer Shopping Center used to be a really jumpin' place and had some really good places to shop and eat..but that was back in the late 60's to the mid 70's or late 70's.

    CayceKid

    9 Apr 14 at 9:02 am

  267. The Old Compress building was "saved" because it had/has something to do with the black community that was there at that time (I think), but wait and see...nothing will be done with it, and USC will eventually buy it, tear it down and build MORE USC Condo's for the Rich USC Kids with their Millionaire Parents..just like they built "Frat" Row. USC will eventually take over that ENTIRE Side of town..because Columbia IS a College Town..and 5 Point and The Vista are known as "Party Zones".

    CayceKid

    9 Apr 14 at 9:09 am

  268. @CayceKid I think the video store you are referring to is Pic-A-Flick Video. I used to manage the one on Decker and our 2 stores were always the #1 and #2 stores for Most Sales in our district. At least they were between '94-'97.

    Sidney

    9 Apr 14 at 9:21 am

  269. Thanks..I couldn't remember the name.

    CayceKid

    9 Apr 14 at 3:31 pm

  270. Family Dollar announced today it was closing over 300 stores nationwide as its profits and sales have slipped.

    Tom

    10 Apr 14 at 10:07 am

  271. Not sure if you do State office / University closings and moves, but the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business (including the Springs Library) will be moving at the end of the semester (by first of June) from the H. William Close - Francis M. Hipp Building, 1705 College Street, Columbia. The School of Business is moving to a new building on Assembly Street between the Coliseum and the Koger Center. Apparently, the School of Music is also moving to this new building, but I am not sure what building the music school is moving from.

    As for the H. William Close - Francis M. Hipp building once the Business School moves out, it will be leased to the Department of Justice similar to how the University leases the building next to Close-Hipp to the National Advocacy Center.

    James

    11 Apr 14 at 10:26 am

  272. James- There are recital halls for the music school in the building connected to the Koger Center (on the right side of the building). I do not know if they have classes in there or not. There also used to be a music school building right up South Main Street from California Dreaming between the restaurant and Blossom Street. It looked like an old warehouse or something, but it had musical notes painted on the side of the building.

    Cam

    11 Apr 14 at 10:42 am

  273. The building on the 500 block of Main St. housed the Marching Band. The University built a new building on Sumter St. near the railroad trestle for the band.
    I believe the music school classes are in the building next to the Koger Center. If you look carefully the railing on the building is made up of the notes of the University Alma Mater.

    Mike

    11 Apr 14 at 3:11 pm

  274. Cam and Mike - I was just passing on what the librarian at the Springs (Business) Library told me today. She said the Business School and the Music school were moving. I am in the History Department, so I don't know much about either the Music department or the Business Department.

    James

    11 Apr 14 at 3:51 pm

  275. The Close-Hipp building was designed by the same man who designed the New Orleans Superdome.

    Tom

    13 Apr 14 at 5:50 am

  276. CompuStation located on Augusta Road (approximately 4274 Augusta Road, Oak Grove according to Google Maps) has moved. They opened in 1997 and as of the Google maps image were still on Augusta Road in August 2011. Sometime since, they have moved to 1223 South Lake Drive, Suite E in Lexington. The phone number on the Augusta Road sign is the same as the phone number on the company's website (www.compustation.com) with the South Lake Drive address.

    I had never heard of Oak Grove as a separate town. I assumed this was either Lexington or West Columbia.

    James

    13 Apr 14 at 11:14 pm

  277. WLTX is reporting that Coldwater Creek is bankrupt and closing all stores nationwide by early summer. They have a store at Columbiana and a store at Village at Sandhill

    http://www.wltx.com/story/money/2014/04/15/coldwater-creek-files-for-bankruptcy-closing-stores/7732495/

    Redneck from Cayce

    15 Apr 14 at 10:01 am

  278. What was the last year that "E-Z Mart" was still around? I know there were quite a few in the late 60's and early to mid 70's along with Magik Mart's and Zippy Marts, but don't remember when E Z Mart went under.??

    CayceKid

    17 Apr 14 at 12:22 am

  279. Speaking of things that aren't around anymore, or have changed over the years, I have an original vintage Post Card of The Down Towner when it was in it's hey day. Looks like it could be from the early to mid 60's. It's very "retro".

    CayceKid

    17 Apr 14 at 12:24 am

  280. meant to say The Downtowner Hotel/Motel on Main Street.

    CayceKid

    17 Apr 14 at 12:26 am

  281. I like my SPAM fried to a crisp and then grilled between two sliced of bread with tomato and sharp cheddar cheese.

    Homer

    19 Apr 14 at 12:00 am

  282. Saw a sign by Heroes and Dragons announcing the place was for sale or lease. Surprising since Saturday was free comic book day.

    Tom

    5 May 14 at 4:11 pm

  283. Office Depot announced today it was closing 400 stores.

    Tom

    6 May 14 at 8:45 am

  284. Office Depot and OfficeMax are in the process of merging and I wonder if these closings pertain to said merger.

    As to Heroes and Dragons, I can't place where it is.

    Andrew

    6 May 14 at 12:01 pm

  285. I find the Office Depot / OfficeMax merger interesting. I used to work for a family-owned wholesale / contract office supply and furniture company. They were bought out by Boise Cascade around 1996. After I left a few years later, Boise Cascade bought OfficeMax to have the retail business, but kept the OfficeMax name because it was more widely recognized. All of the Boise Cascade locations became OfficeMax Contract Distribution centers. One of the biggest competitors in the contract business was Corporate Express. I have been out of that industry for so long though, I don't know if I would recognize any of the big players anymore. I know my former bosses got back into the business once their 5 year non-compete clause expired. From what I can tell the industry overall still seems to have a strong family-owned component to it. They generally provide better service than the corporate players IMHO.

    Anyway, I always liked OfficeMax better than Office Depot. It would be nice to see an OfficeMax open in Columbia.

    James

    7 May 14 at 1:05 pm

  286. Noticed a Living Social for Casa Linda's on Beltline today. Given the recent closing of Casa Linda's in Lexington I wonder if this is a sign of more troubles for the restaurant.

    James

    7 May 14 at 1:09 pm

  287. @James regarding Casa Linda. I doubt it. Every time I go in there, they are very busy.

    Sidney

    7 May 14 at 3:24 pm

  288. @ Sidney - The Casa Linda in Lexington was always very busy as well. I was surprised when I heard they had closed that location. I am not sure that's a good marker because even if they are busy, they could be having financial problems. They've also closed their Garner's Ferry location recently. I don't know that side of town to know how busy Garner's Ferry was before it closed.

    James

    7 May 14 at 9:32 pm

  289. While it wouldn't hurt my feelings to see OfficeMax in Columbia, from what I've read, the OfficeMax brand will fade off into the sunset as part of the Office Depot merger.

    I don't know what the issue is with Casa Linda. Sometimes business is steady but there is a cost structure issue or the owner is ready to do something else with their life and there simply isn't anyone suitable to turn the ownership over to.

    Andrew

    8 May 14 at 1:55 pm

  290. Here's an interesting piece on the decline of shopping malls. According to it no new mega mall has been built since 2006 and that half of all US malls will close with in the next decade.

    http://irmo.patch.com/groups/trending-in-america/p/dead-malls-blight-on-suburban-landscape13708502

    Tom

    12 May 14 at 11:45 am

  291. I ran across deadmalls.com several years ago. They have some interesting information and some sad pictures of many malls and their decline.

    Homer

    12 May 14 at 3:49 pm

  292. Kovachi's on South Lake Drive in Lexington is closed.
    Not sure of the whole story, but a co-worker who lives nearby said that the chef left, and started the Allstar Pizza Company (?) in Lexington, and took the recipes with him. Kovachi's then closed. Well, the sign on Kovachi's outside says they're moving. Not sure.
    Some people loved this place... we liked their pizza pretty good. The pasta was delivered by the pound or so it seemed. The alfredo sauce could be used to hang wallpaper. If you liked quantity, this was a great place. Good atmosphere. The quality was so-so. We had issues with service on occassion.... the garlic knots were ok.. sometimes REALLY dry.

    Anyway, this location is closed. Not sure if they're moving as the sign says, closed, or what..

    Brian

    13 May 14 at 9:46 am

  293. Casa Linda in Lexington, is now Pancho's. Pancho's is actually just another name for a branch of the San Jose chain.... I think it's a brother or something of the San Jose's owner...

    If you eat there, and use a credit card, it will come back as being charged to San Jose's.

    Brian

    13 May 14 at 10:03 am

  294. Upcoming move: The McAlister's on Sparkleberry has a real estate sign in front of it, saying it will be available, as the tenant is moving. I inquired within and they told me they are moving to the new shopping center further down Two Notch, the one with the Hobby Lobby, next door to the pizza place (there is currently an empty storefront there). Looks like a better location in terms of traffic, although the new store will be smaller.

    Bobby

    13 May 14 at 10:52 am

  295. Yandle's roadside market is a produce stand on South Assembly right next to the baseball stadium. Their website is up, but they have not been open the last several times that I have driven by during work hours.
    Their facebook page has been deleted and their sign has been moved away from the street. This place opened as a result of the state farmers market moving out to Cayce.

    Matt

    14 May 14 at 9:10 pm

  296. The Bangkok (Thai) restaurant has moved across the street on Garners Ferry. It was in the Southeastern Salvage shopping center, but has moved to the space formerly occupied by the Japan Grill. The Japan Grill had been in that location for several years, but before that it was a sub shop of some sort.

    badger

    15 May 14 at 10:07 am

  297. Hi Ted! Love your site. I am looking for mr knozit episodes from 1984/1985. My brother and I were on one of these - just remember pink panther cartoons being played during the show. ANY ideas or suggestions on how to look further? any help would be sooo appreciated. with sincere thanks, linda

    Linda

    19 May 14 at 1:01 am

  298. Well, I'm afraid I have only the obvious suggestion that you check with WIS. (And any friends or family who might have taped you at the time and forgotten about it years ago..)

    You're in luck with The Pink Panther -- all of his shorts are available on DVD. (They work best viewed one or two at a time).

    ted

    19 May 14 at 1:15 am

  299. @Linda - you may try doing some creative searches on Youtube. There are some video clips on there under the simple search for 'mr knozit'. The USC video archives may have some; just guessing. Like Ted said, your best bet would be contacting WIS directly. When Joe Pinner had his 50th anniversary show they pulled out a bunch of clips from the past. I have it recorded somewhere on one of my hard drives. Good Luck!!!!

    Homer

    19 May 14 at 1:59 am

  300. @Linda - you may also try doing a Youtube search on variants of WIS or WIS-TV. I have found some obscure stuff out there in the past.

    Homer

    19 May 14 at 2:02 am

  301. @ Brian - I find it interesting that the chef leaving Kovachi's to start All-Star Pizza is the explanation for the closing. All-Star has been open for quite a while (almost 2 years maybe) and Kovachi's remained open long after All-Star opened. I'm not saying the chef didn't leave Kovachi's and go start All-Star (All-Star's website confirms that he did), but I doubt that's the real reason for its closing.

    For what it's worth, if you've ever tasted All-Star's pizza, Kovachi's is better off without him as a chef. All-Star is one step above convenience store pizza.

    James

    19 May 14 at 9:58 pm

  302. Ted, The State has a story about a photograph collection that the library has received. The collection is a historic record of businesses in Columbia. There are some interesting things including a detailed look at Main St prior to all the newer buildings being built.

    https://www.richlandlibrary.com/inform/russell-maxey-photograph-collection

    Matt

    20 May 14 at 9:23 am

  303. Marpie Antiques and Collectibles (a.k.a. Marpie's Thrift and Antiques) at 2040 Augusta Road, West Columbia has closed. I first learned of this place in March and had planned to stop there once the semester was over. Apparently they couldn't wait for me.

    Their Linked In profile (found by Googling the business) says they opened in August 2011. The owner had been a teacher in the Lexington 1 School District.

    Merchant Circle shows them at 910 Meeting Street. Not sure if they have moved there or if the 910 Meeting Street was an old address prior to 2040 Augusta Road.

    Their Facebook page has been removed. And their ebay store has been closed. Their website is http://marpiesantiquesandcollectibles.webstarts.com/index.html.

    James

    20 May 14 at 1:14 pm

  304. @Matt-Thanks for the link. I can not stop looking at all the pictures. RCPL made a good move purchasing these photos.

    Rick

    20 May 14 at 4:06 pm

  305. Today I saw a sign at the office building across from the walmart on Bush River Rd that it will be coming an Auto Zone store and Warehouse. I am not sure if they will be tearing down the building or renovating it. They are cleaning the inside of asbestos right now. This building has been vacant for years now. I am glad something is going to be going in there.

    William

    20 May 14 at 7:03 pm

  306. @Matt - great link. The pictures of downtown Columbia really bring back a lot of memories!!!! Thanks!!!!!

    Homer

    20 May 14 at 11:40 pm

  307. @ Ted, Homer - Thanks. I contacted Joe Pinner himself and he said that they never saved the shows :( I searched youtube and found a total of 1 episode uploaded but the year was not the one I need. Thanks anyway...

    Linda

    21 May 14 at 1:25 am

  308. @ Ted...do you have a listing for the old st andrew's library (RCPL), that was near the old Kmart and Hardees? I had so many memories there..the old computers with black screen/green type...the video "cards" you used to check out by the door...the window seat in the corner with all the stuffed animals. Please say you do?

    Linda

    21 May 14 at 1:30 am

  309. FYI Cafe Caturra at Trenholm Plaza is closing and will re-open as a Tazza's.

    http://www.tazzakitchen.com/locations

    Dennis

    21 May 14 at 8:19 am

  310. Happened to be on the Northeast side of town today and noticed a couple of interesting closings / relocations.

    The first is on Sparkleberry Lane. There is a vacant church with a large commercial real estate sign out front that says bank owned. I Googled churches on Sparkleberry Lane and it appears to be the Family Outreach Word and Worship at 631 Sparkleberry. This would make an interesting post because it is not often that you see a church closing.

    The second one was a large real estate sign out front of McAllister's Deli advertising space available because the current tenant was relocating. Anyone know anything about this? McAllister's address is 119 Sparkleberry Lane.

    James

    21 May 14 at 5:45 pm

  311. Heard that the Atlanta Bread Company on Lake Murray Blvd. has closed again.

    Tom

    21 May 14 at 6:11 pm

  312. McAlister's is moving up Two Notch, into the space beside Marco's in the new Hobby Lobby plaza. Don't remember if I read that here or on the City-Data forum.

    Jason

    21 May 14 at 6:53 pm

  313. Probably here, commenter Bobby mentioned it the 13th.

    ted

    21 May 14 at 11:39 pm

  314. Momo's restaurant at 2930 Devine Street is closing - was never the same after Sean left. This was a neighborhood restaurant and will be missed.

    mamarose

    22 May 14 at 6:09 am

  315. Reids in Cayce was bought by Bi Lo and is closing end of May. Went today and its a dying skeleton. It was a good store for working people. Good, bulk meats and plenty of affordable fresh and bakery items. Great staff too.

    michael

    23 May 14 at 12:13 am

  316. Reids in Cayce was bought by Bi Lo and is closing end of May. Went today and its a dying skeleton. It was a good store for working people. Good, bulk meats and plenty of affordable fresh and bakery items. Great staff too.

    michael

    23 May 14 at 12:13 am

  317. Reid's closings are just part of the scaling back of Food Lion. They were a part of the Food Lion 'family'. I thought I had heard at one time that another chain was going to buy them but I guess I was wrong.

    Homer

    23 May 14 at 12:45 am

  318. Ted, I appreciate your site and the time that you put into putting up new content. However, does it really matter to anyone visiting this site of the Better Car Wash, or the Taqueria Mi Pueblito II has closed. I mean, who visiting this site really cares. Where's the relevance? The places you captured when you first started this site like Bell Camp, and the skating rinks, malls, etc. had historical value. It made the readers get involved, because we could relate. The direction the site is on seems like you are trying to hard for content. It would be cool if you could find places that have been closed that have some kind of historical value to the city. Old buildings around downtown that were once something else, or places in Five Points, Shandon, Melrose Heights, Ft. Jackson, What was Yesterdays before it was Yesterday's? What restaurant use to be in the spot before Harper's was built? Things like that. I want to keep coming back to check out the site, but there is a lot of irrelevant closings of late. The question to think about when you pick a random closing is: does/will anyone care?

    palmettopanic

    23 May 14 at 12:32 pm

  319. It is disheartening to see Reid's go like this.

    I admittedly only went twice but felt it brought new life into Cayce Commons...a shopping center that was close to 100% vacant for quite a few years.

    The question now is as follows:

    Can the tenants at Cayce Commons chug along without an anchor tenant?

    Will someone new come to Cayce Commons that will be able to backfill the Reid's?

    This time last year, Food Lion closed at 543 St. Andrews Road and this past February, KJ's Market IGA set up shop and even kept most of the former Food Lion decor. So I wouldn't put it past KJ's Market IGA to try to do something similar but only time will tell. Perhaps it will become a Publix. I think it's too small to become a Kroger (I could be wrong). Either that, or some non-grocery operation (that we are unable to foresee) will happen.

    Andrew

    23 May 14 at 7:08 pm

  320. @palmettopanic. Right, because nobody else could care about a place if you don't care about the place. We like knowing what's closed.

    Ken

    24 May 14 at 2:03 pm

  321. My thing about the historic places palmettopanic mentions is that most of them were before my time meaning I don't connect with them as easily...I've noticed several closings in Dutch Square in the last couple of years (Merrit's Jewlers, Fashions Unlimited, Claire's, Dressbarn) that haven't featured here but at the same time, I don't doubt that there have been a few others I've missed in that time...Columbiana has lost Sbarro (but another Pizza place will be filling that space soon) and Subway...they've lost quite a few others but it's admittedly a challenge to try to keep up with all that comes and goes at said mall (they're lucky that GGP is able to keep a steady stream of tenants to backfill ones that leave).

    Andrew

    24 May 14 at 3:35 pm

  322. @palmettopanic - The name of this site says it all, Columbia Closings. Not Columbia Historical Places. You might not care about some of places that Ted features but you can't say EVERYONE on this site does not appreciate knowing that a Mexican restaurant has closed. Whenever Ted does a closing, everyone usually chips in on the comments and we usually find out the history of that building. Although I have never been to most of the places in West Columbia or the Harbison area that has been featured on here, I still find it interesting to read about. I especially enjoy the comments.

    I check this site daily, 2, 3, sometimes 4 times a day. I for one enjoy reading about every closing that is posted.

    What I think would be cool is a ColumbiaOpenings.com. A list of all the new stores that will be opening soon. For example, Sandhills is clearing the land between Starbucks and Regions Bank. There are no signs erected yet, so I have no idea what will be built. ColumbiaOpenings.com would most likely be able to give us that information.

    Sidney

    26 May 14 at 7:25 pm

  323. Cafe caturra 4840 Forest Dr and Momo's bistro 2930 Devine St appear to be closed

    Whisk

    26 May 14 at 9:43 pm

  324. Cafe caturra 4840 Forest Dr and Momo's bistro 2930 Devine St appear to be closed

    Whisk

    26 May 14 at 9:43 pm

  325. Tonight I noticed signage that Family Dollar #3817 at 3979 Platt Springs Rd (near CAE) is closing up shop. Across the street is a Fred's at 2902 Emmanuel Church Road that closed about this time last year (June 2013) that has yet to feature here.

    Andrew

    26 May 14 at 10:05 pm

  326. The owners of Cafe Caturra (which is a franchise of sorts) are switching to a new concept and it will be a Tazza Kitchen. Momo's Bistro's space will open in August or so as an Eggs Up Grill breakfast and lunch place (they started at Litchfield Beach in the '90s).

    Mike

    27 May 14 at 4:34 pm

  327. D & D Beverages in the Lexington Place Plaza (a few doors down from Publix) on 378 in Lexington is in the process of closing. According to the cashier, they will close in mid-June. He said it was due to a significant raise in the rent.

    BTW - Currently EVERYTHING is 50% off. They were about half stocked and still had some good selections as of earlier today (Tuesday, May 27th).

    James

    27 May 14 at 9:33 pm

  328. @PP,

    Certainly I agree with you to some extent. I would love to do more posts like Bell Camp.

    The problem with that is that there are very few places of which I have years of pictures and memories. When I started this blog, Bell Camp was one of the posts I knew I was going to do, despite it taking several years to finally find the pictures and get them scanned. There are simply not a lot of posts I can do like that, and a number of them I have already done.

    One thing I do know about any blog is that if it does not update regularly, people will stop coming. I try to do six posts a week, holidays and vacation excluded, with an extra, usually an image which struck my fancy, thrown in from time to time. Sometimes this does mean I have to go with whatever pictures I have, and what few sentences I can think of to say about a place I never knew before it was gone. That doesn't really bother me though. I'm just one perspective, and just because I didn't know or care about a place doesn't mean my readers don't, and if they care, they will comment, and the information I didn't have will get added. I got almost as many comments about Sesame Inn, a Chinese hole-in-the-wall restaurant I had never heard of as I did about Bell Camp. Apprently a lot of people loved that place!

    Also, remember that current events turn into history more quickly than you might think. This blog is only six years or so old, and already some of the posts are travelogues into a different age..

    ted

    27 May 14 at 11:57 pm

  329. @ Ted. The little round building that used to be on Percival Rd next to the upholstery shop (about a block from Boyden Arbor gate - the 1500 block of Percival Rd) was torn down. Nothing left but the slab.

    Sidney

    28 May 14 at 2:05 pm

  330. It's the building at 1531 Percival Rd. You did a piece on it.

    http://columbiaclosings.com/wordpress/?p=593

    Sidney

    28 May 14 at 2:28 pm

  331. Ted, Dino's Restaurant at 1801 Decker Blvd closed on May 24th.

    Sidney

    31 May 14 at 8:28 am

  332. I Just came across this site and saw a comment in Feb. between Badger and Homer regarding Princess Pat (Pat Bouknight) on WIS TV in the 60's. The comment asked if she had committed suicide and I want to clarify that she died of a rare form of anemia at the age of 46. She was my mother and I would appreciate the clarification be shared with anyone who might have thought it was suicide.

    Laurie Bouknight Carter

    31 May 14 at 9:49 am

  333. @Laurie - thank you for the clarification. My comment was based of of a statement I heard from someone long ago. I am sorry if it caused you any ill feelings or distress.

    Homer

    1 Jun 14 at 1:35 am

  334. Longtime Richland Northeast staple Dino's Restaurant on Decker Blvd closed in late May due to the the current owner retiring. That's a closing that has an impact.

    palmettopanic

    3 Jun 14 at 10:33 am

  335. I drove past Wild Hare on Sunset the other day and realized it was gone... looked here in the comments section, someone mentioned it closed back in January. Funny it was gone so long and I didn't even notice til now.

    Brian

    4 Jun 14 at 2:27 pm

  336. Peppers Bistro at Main and Blossom, next to Yoghut, has closed shop. I enjoyed them while they were here; they made some good burgers.

    Payne

    6 Jun 14 at 9:47 am

  337. Wing Nuts located on Harbison has closed. My husband and I ate there last year. We were not overly impressed with the place.

    Ellen

    8 Jun 14 at 7:11 pm

  338. Does anyone know how long the Al Amir was open in Lexington? I would be stunned if it was open for 6 months!

    Andy

    9 Jun 14 at 9:12 pm

  339. Ted The Toyota Center on Airport Blvd moved last weekend to Hwy 378. The signs went down yesterday.

    Gary

    10 Jun 14 at 6:43 pm

  340. This isn't a closing, but a 'never opened.' At the southwest corner of the intersection of Caughman Road and Hallbrook, there is a sign that says something like "Colonial Landing Family Practics and Dentistry - Coming Soon." The sign has been there for at least ten years, and nothing has ever happened. The sign is still there, but recently came off its posts, so its more or less resting on the ground.

    badger

    15 Jun 14 at 3:38 pm

  341. @Rick - got a question for you. Do you have any ideas as to what would make a good, quality 15" woofer replacement for an old set of Realistic Mach II's? I re-foamed them after the original foam dry rotted out but the new foam is thicker an too stiff compared to the old. They just don't put out the 'punch' that they used to. They might be relics from a bygone era but, dammit, I like them and want to get them back to the window rattling state they used to be in. Personally, I think they were the best speakers Radio Shack ever produced.

    Homer

    17 Jun 14 at 12:59 am

  342. It would be hard for me to point out a particular brand of speaker since I've been out of touch for so long but I will say this. Do not buy woofer for cars, check to see that the woofer you buy will go down to 40 or even 20 hz. Do not buy a poly cone speaker. They are okay for cars but not for home.
    Personally I have always liked the way a paper cone speaker with a cloth surround sounded. This type of setup will give you a solid POW when base notes hit instead of a BOOOOM.

    If it were me trying to do what you are doing, I would try the 15" woofer that mcmelectronics.com sells, #55-2953. They are only about 40 bucks each and that would be worth it to me just to see if they sound like I think they will.

    Rick

    17 Jun 14 at 8:22 am

  343. @Rick - thanks for the info. I'll have to check those out. The original woofers went down to 20 hz which was one of the things I love about them...

    Homer

    17 Jun 14 at 5:45 pm

  344. I noticed today that Bob Andrew's Automotive Repair on St. Andrews Rd. has closed and is up for sale.

    Homer

    17 Jun 14 at 5:48 pm

  345. I think Sulleys,formally D' wings on Beltline line has closed.

    John

    18 Jun 14 at 5:59 am

  346. ^^Their facebook page confirms it.

    badger

    18 Jun 14 at 7:09 am

  347. Not at all surprised about Sulley's. We tried them on two different occasions, and both times the food was not so good and the service even worse.

    Robert S.

    18 Jun 14 at 8:49 am

  348. @ Homer. Try simply speakers as well. They specialize in DYI rebuilding/refoaming vintage speaker parts. Located in Florida, so shipping is quick. I've used them several times, and have been satisfied w/ the results.

    jonathan

    18 Jun 14 at 9:30 am

  349. Andy, the owner of Sulley's is selling everything in the store. He has to be out by 5:00 today. Go by and make him an offer. He has flat screen tv's and obviously restaurant equipment and supplies.

    Sidney

    18 Jun 14 at 11:06 am

  350. Crowson-Stone on Shop Road has closed. The signage is gone, but you can still see the lettering 'shadows.'

    badger

    19 Jun 14 at 8:29 am

  351. @everyone - I wanted to put this out so everyone could see it.

    I posted this as a response to Jonathan on the Steak and Ale thread but I thought more people may see it here....

    @jonathan - I agree with you 100%. When I first stumbled across this site I did nothing but browse for a while before I ran into an article that I just had to post to.

    I know that I have rehashed old stories from time to time, pulled out the 'soap box' a few times and have gone off on some crazy tangents from time to time.

    I do try to visit at least once a day just to see what's going on and I feel that I have made some 'virtual' friends on here. Yourself, Andrew, TahoChic, Badger, CayceKid. MrBO, tonkatoy, and Rick (which I hope to share a shot of tequila with one day). I know I left some folks off and I'm sorry about that.

    The bottom line is, Ted, thanks for all you do on here and keep up the good work!!!!

    Homer

    20 Jun 14 at 1:01 am

  352. @Homer- Awww I'm flattered that you mentioned me! I agree with you wholeheartedly about the virtual friends on here! I love reading this site, I remember when I first found it years ago and was so glad that someone had made a site like this. As I get older, I find myself reminiscing about things the way my parents and grandparents do...this used to be here, that used to be a such-and-such. I have been commenting to my husband a lot lately about all the crime and such in the news at Myrtle Beach and how it saddens me because growing up that was a "safe" place. I spent my childhood vacationing around the Grand Strand area, so I love Ted's posts about it as well! Things change so much, it's nice to have a site where we can go and reminisce about the good ol' days so to speak.

    TahoeChic

    20 Jun 14 at 3:29 pm

  353. @TahoeChic - Besides being the best looking girl to comment on this site, my family also vacationed along the Carolina coast as you did. Every year for one week, we would rent a Beach Cottage, as my parents called it, in Garden City or Surfside Beach. We did this from the time I was one until I was fifteen.
    Those were some of the best years, and vacations, of my life.
    Back then there were no condo's, no hotels, only motor courts or motels.
    At each pier there was a little amusement park with rides, an open air arcade, and it was safe for a 12 year old kid and his little sister to go there alone.
    I have tried recreating those times but, there is no where to go, that I have found, that resembles that time and place.
    The smell, the sounds, the excitement. It is hard to find.
    Plus the fact that I'm not twelve anymore, even though I am able to act like it sometimes, makes it difficult to have fun.
    Oh what the heck, let's all be twelve sometimes. Life is short.

    Rick

    20 Jun 14 at 4:17 pm

  354. @Homer - Your comment 20 June 1:01am, about having a shot, Damn you stay up as late as I do, anyway, a shot? I'm saving a whole bottle just for us. Looking forward to it.

    Rick

    20 Jun 14 at 5:26 pm

  355. @Homer - Maybe Ted could e-mail you or I and give each our e-mail address, if that is possible, and you agree.

    Rick

    20 Jun 14 at 5:29 pm

  356. @Rick- awwww I'm not gonna mention that you've never seen me - I'll take all the compliments I can get LOL! I spent a lot of years at Surfside as well my late granddad's friends had beach houses we always stayed in. That was back when a "beach house" was about 1200 sqft -if that- and only one story unless it had parking underneath. I remember the one motel in Surfside was the Holiday Inn and I think the little bar in there was the only thing open past 9pm even on the weekends. I didn't appreciate that quiet beach as I got older and wanted to go down to Myrtle Beach and cruise. But boy do I miss Surfside and those times now! Last time I rode through a few years ago, I barely recognized it.

    TahoeChic

    20 Jun 14 at 5:29 pm

  357. @TC- It WAS meant as a compliment. And the cottages that we parked underneath is exactly what I'm referring to.
    Yea me too, as I got older we wanted to go to MB and PARTY. Now, geez, I wish I could get the old times back. Seems like Ma and Dad had it figured out back then.
    And I agree, it does not look the same, how sad.

    Rick

    20 Jun 14 at 5:51 pm

  358. Sometimes I enjoy getting to share my knowledge of the Columbia area as a lifelong resident of said area with folks and I enjoy that...other times I get insight from others here that has helped me relate to family/friends about different places that were around before my time.

    I enjoy the regulars here as well...and sometimes things come along that make me think of them (the same way that a something comes along that makes you think of a family/friend at times)...I imagine CayceKid being upset with Magic 98.5's decision to go country as opposed to the 50s/60s hits they used to play...When Blockbuster announced the Irmo location was closing, I remember thinking, "cue Homer's I'm not surprised reaction." I've also concluded that tonkatoy isn't one to do much shopping or dining in Northeast Richland.

    I've never been one to go to the Myrtle Beach area and the biggest thing I know it for is the fact that their air service is extremely seasonal. They support Spirit Airlines though (which no one else in SC can). The thing of it is, following airline service the way I do, I know that Garden City, KS is one of several markets that American has started servicing out of their DFW hub so I have to be careful not to get the two mixed up...same thing happens with Manhattan, KS.

    Andrew

    20 Jun 14 at 6:51 pm

  359. We never went to the beach that much when I was a kid. My Dad much preferred the mountains over the coast (except for several trips to Charleston). Most of our vacations centered around Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Cherokee, etc. Even today, when I feel like I want to get away from it all, I think of those old motels that backed up to the river in Cherokee. Each room had a back door that opened onto a little patio on the river bank. I could sit out there in a lounge chair with a cooler full of beer and just listen to the water go by. I know I'm rehashing that to, but oh well, live with it....:^)

    Homer

    21 Jun 14 at 12:42 am

  360. @Rick - I'd be willing to give you my Yahoo email addy. That's the one that I don't mind giving out freely as I us it mostly for notes to myself. That is if it's ok with Ted.....

    Homer

    21 Jun 14 at 12:44 am

  361. @TahoeChic - referring to your comment on safety. It is a totally different world than what we grew up in. Growing up in the late 60's, early 70's it was nothing for me and my friends to be dropped off at the theater, or Putt-Putt knowing that we would be safe. My aunt and uncle that used to live in Eau Claire would drop me and my cousins off at Earlwood Park knowing that we were safe. Heck, even up to about five years ago I would wander around 5 Points and the Vista by myself, feeling 'relatively' safe.

    I was thinking the other night that the only way mankind will ever make the strides that are possible is for us to put aside all of our petty differences, be it race, religion, social status, etc.

    If you take a group of young children, around kindergarten age, from differing social backgrounds; say a rich white kid raised in a penthouse, a poor black kid from the projects, a kid from communist N. Korea and a kid from one of the middle eastern countries. Put them in a playroom together and, chances are, they will all get along brilliantly. It's not until they get older and start having all of the beliefs, hatred and prejudices of those around them instilled into them that the problems start.

    Well, putting the soap box back under the bed once again. And as always, comments are welcome......

    Homer

    21 Jun 14 at 1:16 am

  362. @Rick - yeah I was up at 1:01. I had a crappy day at work and had to do some vodka shots before I went to bed.... I'm sure you've been there!!!

    Homer

    21 Jun 14 at 1:17 am

  363. @Homer - Been there so many times, I know it is all relative, but I have a very high stress job. I get off in the afternoon and wheew. I need a drink just to take the edge off.

    Rick

    21 Jun 14 at 1:56 pm

  364. Just rode by Gilligans in Lexington and it's closed. The sign says thanks Lexington for 14 years. I'll miss them!

    Beth

    22 Jun 14 at 7:04 pm

  365. @Homer, sure I'll pass it along if you like.

    ted

    23 Jun 14 at 1:08 am

  366. I spoke with a bartender that worked at Gilligans. He said the staff was let go Sunday a week ago. He said this location wasn't making any money & that they lost their original restaurant in John's Island to fire. Their website lists other locations in the lowcountry but makes no mention of the closing.

    John R

    23 Jun 14 at 7:41 am

  367. @ted - I just emailed you my email addy to pass on to Rick. Thanks!!

    Homer

    24 Jun 14 at 12:34 am

  368. The diner in the old building on Sunset Drive, across from the old Sam's Club appears to be closed. The sign names are confusing so I cannot tell if the place is called JS Renee's or Varsity D Jasz, both appear on the sign.

    Justin

    24 Jun 14 at 8:57 am

  369. Ted, looks like the Marpies thread is not accepting comments, although there is a spot for them now, or they're being held for moderation.

    badger

    25 Jun 14 at 8:21 am

  370. Is it just me? Why do people in line at the bank, grocery store or wherever, YELL INTO THEIR CELLPHONE when carrying on a conversation. And is it so important that people make those calls when in line, to talk about where they went last night or what they are doing at the moment. And I see people in Wal-Mart, I pass by them several times in 30 minutes or so and they are still talking on their phone the whole time, If I had that much to say, I'd just go over to the persons house and talk, or if that was not feasible, wait until you're at home to talk.

    And people that are talking on their cell phone and driving in the fast lane on the interstate going below the minimum posted speed limit, that must be the same people that can not chew gum and walk at the same time. GEEEZ. Get out of my way, I have stuff to do, like check out Columbia Closings.

    Okay, I'm stepping down off of my high horse now. I did not want a high horse, people on their cell phones gave me one.

    Rick

    25 Jun 14 at 10:57 am

  371. Oh, and what's up with marble? It's heavy and it cost a lot. What's wrong with Formica? I like Formica.

    And did you hear the one about the southern girl
    (I'm not going to point out any one ethnic group)
    that went to the Gynecologist and said,
    "Dr. I'm having problems with my monthly periods"
    The Dr. said "Okay, I can help, tell me, what type of flow do you have"?
    She said "Linoleum".

    Thank you very much, I'll be checking in all week.

    Rick

    25 Jun 14 at 11:34 am

  372. @Rick - LMAO at you as usual! I was in a shoe store a few weeks ago, and there were two women looked to be mid to late 50s or so, having a very loud conversation about how they reacted when their children came out to them as gay. Apparently one of them had this happen rather recently and she wasn't very happy about it. I thought to myself that there HAD to be a better time/place for that convo. LOL

    TahoeChic

    25 Jun 14 at 12:46 pm

  373. TC- Thanks for the compliment. I know, If a person has to yell into their cell phone for the party on the other end to hear them, and I do not believe that to be the case, they should switch to a different carrier.
    And conversations as you mentioned should be reserved for some reality TV show or at home, or in private.

    I do not have to YELL into my phone, and people hear me just fine.

    By the way, did you get my Linoleum joke?

    Rick

    25 Jun 14 at 1:05 pm

  374. @Rick- LOL yes I did! My husband frequently describes me as "very Southern". He's from FL but his mom is originally from the west coast, and most of my family...well let's just say they'd be all over those two story mobile homes you referenced in the other post. LOL

    TahoeChic

    25 Jun 14 at 1:20 pm

  375. Since you are doing clubs also, JET Nightlife closed up also. This is the club behind Jillians, next to Tsunami's.

    Sidney

    25 Jun 14 at 1:26 pm

  376. I see people already mentioned Gilligan's closing, on 6/15/14.
    The sign in the window says the owners are moving to southern California?

    Also, driving down Main Street today, I noticed that Al Amir is now in the restaurant on the corner that (eons ago) was Lavecchias. Recently it was some little bistro, that I can't remember the name of... I remember driving past it on the way to Cowboy Steakhouse and seeing it empty w/ the wait staff standing around..... I think it was a girl's name? Elizabeth's? I don't know... something like that. Anyway, it's Al Amir now.

    Brian

    25 Jun 14 at 6:12 pm

  377. Is it just me? Why do people tend to get stuck in doorways?
    I can go to any business and people are standing in the doorway, talking with someone who is inside, or outside.
    I am unable to transgress from out to in or in to out.

    I believe it is some sort of a transitional phenomenon.
    People have trouble moving from one environment to another.
    What ever the reason, GET OUT OF THE DOORWAY, and let me pass. I have stuff to do, like checking out Columbiaclosings.com.

    Rick

    26 Jun 14 at 4:00 pm

  378. I'm just having my say, and I have a lot to say.
    Did you hear about the preacher of this little church in the north west. Well, he worked seven days a week at his church and his Parishoners (congregation) were starting to worry about him because he never took time off, they knew he liked to hunt bear and suggested he take a day off and do so.
    So he went out to the woods one day and looked for bear all day. He never saw a single bear, and was starting to think there might not be any bear in the woods. So it was getting late in the day and he was getting pretty thirsty, there was a little creek about 20 yards from his camp site so he set his rifle down and walked over to the creek for a drink. Just about the time he got there, the biggest bear he had ever seen jumped out from behind a bush, just feet in front of him. That bear must have been 10 feet tall and the bear went GRROOOWL. That preacher got so scared he started praying, OH GOD, PLEASE LET THIS BE A CHRISTIAN BEAR, GOD PLEASE LET THIS BE A CHRISTAIN BEAR.
    About that time there was a clap of thunder and a huge bolt of lightning, and then that big a$$ bear stopped right in his tracks, that bear lowered his head, and said "Thank you Father for this meal I am about to receive".
    Be careful what you pray for, you might get it.

    Rick

    26 Jun 14 at 4:52 pm

  379. Hmm.. allow me to change the punch line. I think it would be funnier if the bear said, "Heavenly Father, thank you for this meal I am about to receive."

    Thank you very much. I'll be checking in all week.

    Rick

    26 Jun 14 at 5:05 pm

  380. Hmm.. allow me to change the punch line. I think it would be funnier if the bear said, "Heavenly Father, thank you for this meal I am about to receive."

    Thank you very much. I'll be checking in all week.

    Rick

    26 Jun 14 at 5:05 pm

  381. I should have said that again. My brow sir must be sloooow.

    I should have said that again. My brow sir must be sl000w.

    Speaking of brows, have you ever seen a guy that has one eye brow? You know when it goes all the way across his forehead. Dang, get a pair of tweezzzers.

    Thank you, I'll check in later when the tequilia is working better.

    Rick

    26 Jun 14 at 5:11 pm

  382. Heard today that Rose's is moving into the old Kroger on St. Andrews @ I-26. Haven't been by there to see. May run by tomorrow to check it out....

    Homer

    26 Jun 14 at 5:37 pm

  383. @Rick - Dang, you an Jose seemed to be having a grand time yesterday....LOL

    Homer

    26 Jun 14 at 11:55 pm

  384. @Homer - Yea, I need to stay off the computer when that happens.

    Rick

    27 Jun 14 at 5:43 am

  385. @Ted - Stier Supply Company at 2021 Blanding St has closed, I believe back in 2012. It's a pretty cool old building and would be worth a closings post.

    Justin

    27 Jun 14 at 7:28 am

  386. For the life of me, I can't figure out how the Stier Supply in Irmo stays open. They must cater to contractors or something. You hardly ever see very many cars in the parking lot. And with both Lowe's and Home Depot over on Harbison, I just don't understand it....

    Homer

    28 Jun 14 at 12:45 am

  387. I noticed the Bruester's Ice Cream store on Columbiana Drive is now closed.

    Ellen

    28 Jun 14 at 5:00 pm

  388. I noticed the Bruester's Ice Cream store on Columbiana Drive is now closed.

    Ellen

    28 Jun 14 at 5:00 pm

  389. I noticed the Bruester's Ice Cream store on Columbiana Drive is now closed.

    Ellen

    28 Jun 14 at 5:00 pm

  390. You can say that again!

    badger

    28 Jun 14 at 6:27 pm

  391. @Ellen,

    I noted that one (+Nathan's) here.

    ted

    30 Jun 14 at 1:09 am

  392. @Rick - checking to see if you got my email the other night. Making sure it didn't go into your spam bucket or something.

    Homer

    30 Jun 14 at 11:30 pm

  393. @Homer - Yes I got it, I've been meaning to get back with you. I may have seen you in Five points before. You look familiar.

    Rick

    1 Jul 14 at 7:39 am

  394. @Ted - Chocolate Nirvana at 1531 Richland (near the oldest home in Columbia) has relocated to either Garner's Ferry or Fort Jackson Blvd.

    Justin

    1 Jul 14 at 3:48 pm

  395. @Justin - You may or may not find this interesting. Supposedly, the oldest house in Columbia is the Seibels house at 1601 Richland Street.

    I believe that is the house you were referring to.
    The house I live in now was designed to be a reproduction of the Seibels House.
    Dick Burnside, the owner of Burnside Dodge in Five Points, up until about 1980, Built the house back in 1965 that I live in now. I looked him up after finding out from his cousin he was the builder. Mr. Burnside told me he had five architects work on the design to recreate the Seibels House. I do not think many people know that a house that looks like the Seibels House is located out Garners Ferry Road.
    I will say this, at 6000 sq ft it is probably insulated about as poorly as the original, because it cost a small fortune to heat and cool.

    Rick

    1 Jul 14 at 6:29 pm

  396. @Rick - That is interesting and that was the house I was referring to. I have an older home too (110+ years) but it's about half the size of what you have, I can't imagine what your electricity/nat gas bills is because mine is crazy high.

    Justin

    1 Jul 14 at 9:09 pm

  397. Family Dollar closings 11 stores in SC

    http://www.wltx.com/story/news/local/2014/07/02/family-dollar-to-close-11-stores-in-south-carolina/12106409/

    Jimmy

    2 Jul 14 at 4:30 pm

  398. It doesn't say which of the Family Dollar stores are slated just yet but I know they're about to close one at Platt Springs & Emmanuel Church Road...I don't know if it is for sure closed or not but will advise once it is.

    The thing of it is, most places like Family Dollar see enough turnover that most of the impacted employees that intend to stay at said company for the time being shouldn't have much trouble finding a way to do so.

    Family Dollar is about to open up in the 6100 block of St. Andrews Road in fact (not sure when)...

    Also, it is just me or does Family Dollar's Rosewood location seem dingy??

    Andrew

    2 Jul 14 at 5:31 pm

  399. @Rick - funny, you look kind of familiar as well. And after seeing the post about you being a smoker too, I'll venture to say we have at least seen each other in some dive bar sometime in the past.....

    Homer

    2 Jul 14 at 9:42 pm

  400. @Homer - Probably so. lol. I think I've been to every one in Columbia and the surrounding area at least once in the past thirty five years.

    Rick

    3 Jul 14 at 3:47 pm

  401. Midlands stores set to close include one of the three West Columbia locations, the Batesburg store located on Columbia Ave., and the Prosperity location on North Wheeler Avenue.

    Jimmy

    3 Jul 14 at 5:04 pm

  402. Happy 4th of July to all!!! Grill your hearts out (be you carnivore, herbivore or omnivore), have a plethora of cold beverages (both 'adult' and otherwise), wave the flag, shoot off the fireworks and remember that this is still the best country in the world to live in!!!!!

    Homer

    3 Jul 14 at 11:38 pm

  403. ** praying for a meaningful celebration of the USA's 238th birthday for her citizenry and for the safety of those in the path of Hurricane Arthur. **

    Andrew

    4 Jul 14 at 12:55 am

  404. @Ted - There's a old grocery/market building at 1309 Gregg St that would be a cool closing post. It appears to have been abandoned for some time.

    Justin

    7 Jul 14 at 2:51 pm

  405. The Precision Tune on Lake Murray Blvd. may not be closed for good. They have been 'closed for remodeling' for several months but I have see a little bit of activity around there lately.

    Homer

    12 Jul 14 at 2:23 am

  406. The McDonalds at Hardscrabble and Clemson will be under going renovations in a few weeks. I'm pretty sure they are gonna tear down and rebuild. My son said he will be out of a job for a few weeks.

    Sidney

    12 Jul 14 at 7:48 am

  407. Maybe they'll rebuild it with a *&$% latte machine. Always bugged me how they had all the McCafe drinks up on the menu screen but lacked the ability to actually make anything other than plain drip coffee.

    Jason

    12 Jul 14 at 9:16 am

  408. Tripp's Cleaners in the Kroger Shopping Center in Irmo has closed. Heard that the rent got too high for them......

    Homer

    14 Jul 14 at 5:46 pm

  409. Does anyone know when Hampton Automotive closed. I just noticed this afternoon that the lot was empty.....

    Homer

    15 Jul 14 at 5:38 pm

  410. I posted back in March that it was their website indicated that they were "Under New Management," but at the time it was still open.

    badger

    15 Jul 14 at 6:58 pm

  411. I have been out of town for a few weeks doing research on my doctoral dissertation. When I came home for my wife's birthday today, I noticed that the South Carolina Bank & Trust (SCBT) in Lexington had changed to South State Bank. I didn't see any comments on this. Does anyone know if this is a merger / takeover or simply a name change?

    Not that logos mean anything, but I always liked the blue and red in the SCBT logo. The new yellow S for South State Bank is kind of dull.

    James

    17 Jul 14 at 4:39 pm

  412. Just a name change: http://thetandd.com/business/scbt-makes-change-to-south-state-bank/article_7ba7fc16-00d9-11e4-8806-0019bb2963f4.html

    badger

    17 Jul 14 at 8:22 pm

  413. Noticed today the Good As New Consignments on Sunset Blvd. has a For Lease sign on it. It appears the landlord may have done some exterior renovations and conceivably raised the rent as a result. The consignment shop is currently still in business here, but looks like it will be closing or moving soon.

    I can't say that I will miss this eyesore if it closes. Everyday they line the street front with junk posing as outdoor children's playsets. We stopped in one time to check it out and that's when we discovered how bad the stuff was. Everything was filthy and broken. The stuff inside wasn't any better. Anything but "Good As New."

    James

    18 Jul 14 at 6:50 pm

  414. Millwood coffee is closed? ?!!

    Diane Anderson

    19 Jul 14 at 2:09 pm

  415. Anyone remember the Purple Onion, by the Gondola?

    George

    20 Jul 14 at 9:15 pm

  416. The Taco Cid in West Columbia has closed. I should have recognized the signs when I was there several weeks ago--the air conditioning was off and they had the doors propped open. They also had the lights in the kitchen off. It was the last remnant of a chain of five restaurants that had been open since the mid '70s.

    Mike

    25 Jul 14 at 7:33 pm

  417. Wow, I just tried Taco Cid for the first time a few months ago. Guess I made it just in time. They were doing zero other business when I was there . . .

    Kenneth

    25 Jul 14 at 8:05 pm

  418. Or actually, if you go to their website, they just moved to Platt springs rd. New logo too.

    Kenneth

    26 Jul 14 at 1:49 pm

  419. It would have been nice if they'd left a sign at their old site--I drove through the parking lot and saw nothing. Thanks for the update!!

    Mike

    26 Jul 14 at 2:18 pm

  420. @Jason

    I talked to the McDonalds manager today and she said they will have the ability to make the McCafe's. They are not actually gonna tear it down, they are going to just renovate it. They will have the double drive thru and expanded dining inside. She also said that they just broke ground to build another McDonalds near the new Killian Crossing.

    Sidney

    26 Jul 14 at 8:55 pm

  421. Another McDonald's near Killian Crossing...that, coupled with one inside the nearby Walmart sound like it is prone to oversaturate things. Plus one sign states that a Hardee's plans to build near Killian Crossing...

    McDonald's has had a multi-year plan to remodel most of their 14,000 US restaurants...but I think done details have been tweaked...

    Andrew

    26 Jul 14 at 11:57 pm

  422. New Popeye's going up there too, next to the new liquor store that hasnt started building yet. Supposedly a Rush's as well next to the one that's almost done, but the sign promising that one came down after a couple of days so either that's not happening or Rush's wanted to keep their plans a little more quiet.

    Killian Crossing better have something in it nicer than a new Kroger if it's going to make jacking up my commute this much worth it. Nice fence, anyway.

    Jason

    27 Jul 14 at 6:22 am

  423. Does anyone know of any definite stores going in at Killian Crossing. McDonalds, Hardee's, maybe Rush's. Jason mentioned Popeye's and Kroger. I heard all kind of rumors about Cheesecake Factory, Dave & Busters, PF Changs, Chick-Fil-A. Anyone know of anything concrete?

    Sidney

    27 Jul 14 at 8:34 am

  424. Supposedly a Kroger Marketplace (kind of like a Super Target, just...Kroger) is going in. Heard that as fact from a number of people. But only the Popeye's and Hardee's can really be considered gospel at this point.

    Jason

    27 Jul 14 at 10:58 am

  425. @Ted - Circa 1332 at 1332 Main Street in the top part of the old underground mall is closing and moving its inventory across the street to its parent store, Granger-Owings.

    Justin

    27 Jul 14 at 7:48 pm

  426. I wish there was still a Taco Cid in the St. Andrews/Irmo side of town. Their food was always superior to Taco Bell....

    Homer

    28 Jul 14 at 1:35 am

  427. Answering some of the questinos above: Abusa Ya Ya was a 1960 Hillcrest High School (Sumter) graduate named Dan Miller, who claimed that he was given that name by a Nigerian tribal chieftain, where he was a national television star in the early 1960s. (Yeah, like there even was a television in Nigeria in the early 1960s!)

    badger

    28 Jul 14 at 7:04 am

  428. I went down the stretch of Platt Springs Road where Taco Cid's website said their new location is but couldn't find any sign of it...

    Andrew

    28 Jul 14 at 11:18 am

  429. it's in the small strip of stores behind the Bojangle's next to the TWC offices.

    Mike

    28 Jul 14 at 7:22 pm

  430. Sadly, Pour House in Five Points closed in June. It was bought out by the guy that owned Sharky's. They are supposed to reopen in August after being restyled. Only time will tell if this gem of dive survives and has the same great drink specials.

    If it weren't bad enough that Reid's closed done. Food Lion generic stuff, but they used a better meat and local veggie supplier. Where else can you get Pelion collards and pig necks in bulk for really cheap. 2 dozen chicken legs for only 2 bucks, I'll miss that place. My weight has gone up 20 pounds since they closed and I've had to find a new store with fewer options.

    Wait... their is a slightly more expensive store with similar items for us poor people down the road. The Piggly Wiggly. It's with sad news that the Charleston HWY Pig will close August 7. They've been there, a staple of cute Gaston girls and young perky Airport students with that first job since the 90's.

    Mike J

    29 Jul 14 at 9:33 am

  431. Have to add, it was announced yesterday that Wildcat Hallow or it's sad and decaying former shell will be demolished. It is to be made into a new baseball stadium for the renamed Lexington County Blowfish.

    The Columbia Blowfish play their last regular game at Capital City Stadium on July 31. The stadium is slated for demolition and redevelopment into a Kroger.

    The difference between Richland County and Lexington. Richland spent millions on surveys to say this was a bad idea. Lexington is saving a decaying area for a cool $3 million. Not sure what kind of stadium Columbia is building at Bull Street, but for $50 million they better be getting a major league team.

    Mike J

    29 Jul 14 at 9:39 am

  432. Piggly wiggly in Charleston hwy is closing!

    Megan

    30 Jul 14 at 8:29 pm

  433. Homer, Andrew - I love Taco Cid's food, I can't help myself. I have been eating there since the early 80's. The one on Decker, there was one on Broad River, the one in West Columbia (Still there) and there was one in Pontiac for a while.

    Back when I can't remember the year, there was a sign posted next to the Veterans Hospital that said "Future Home Of Taco Cid" I about had a fit knowing The Cid was going to open a restaurant on my side of town, it never happened.

    I get to where I CRAVE a #1 dinner and will drive all the way to West Columbia to get one. Their homemade taco sauce however is not the same as it once was, there was a restaurant supply place near the Carolina football stadium, their name was something like Peirce, Young and angel or something like that which supplied Taco Cid with the seasoning mix for their taco sauce. This company quit making the seasoning mix and after talking with the people at The Cid, they said they have been trying to recreate the sauce ever since. Cid's taco sauce was nothing more than that seasoning mix and tomato sauce.

    Rick

    31 Jul 14 at 5:17 pm

  434. I always thought Taco Cid beat Taco Bell hands down. When I went I made sure I was HUNGRY!! I would get a Big Red, a Sancho and two tacos....every time.

    Homer

    31 Jul 14 at 9:11 pm

  435. @Homer - You know, funny thing, I have NEVER had a Big Red, I see it advertised, if you will, inside the restaurant but I have never ordered one.

    99% of the time it's a number one dinner for me and an extra taco or tostada. I'm not sure what appeals to me so much about the tostada, it is just a flat shell with refried beans and cheese, but I love it. Speaking of refried beans, I don't think they are fried in the first place much less RE-fried.
    Who can explain that? Just curious.

    Back in the 70's there was a taco restaurant in the Cedar Terrace Shopping Center across from The Veterans Hospital, To long ago to remember the name. My wife and I were young and we enjoyed going there on Sunday mornings just after they opened around 11:00am. We would order one of their dinners and really enjoy. It was a tradition until they closed. I remember it being similar to Taco Cid, in the way that I enjoyed the food.

    Mexican Restaurants have been discussed on this site before. I have received many recommendations concerning good Mexican food in the St. Andrew and Irmo area, It's just that I never get to that side of town much. Even when I do plan to go, something else comes up, or when I must go to that side for something, time constraints do not allow me to have lunch etc. Looking forward to retirement in about 10 years and I will be able to do things like that. Some people say when they retire they want to travel the US or overseas. ME, I just want to be able to take a leisurely trip across town and eat some good Mexican food and maybe a cold beer. I Might even drive out of town one day, Boy, that would be a treat. Sumter is only about 30 minutes away, but hey... that's still out of town.

    Rick

    1 Aug 14 at 9:10 am

  436. Sumter still has The Shrimper if you get a yen for that...

    Andrew

    1 Aug 14 at 10:11 am

  437. @Andrew - In the 80's we ate at the Shrimper in Columbia quite often. I always enjoyed the flounder. I have found that Lizards Thicket has Flounder similar to The Shrimper.

    There was a Shrimper on Two Notch Road just down from the corner of Beltline and Two Notch and another I would visit in West Columbia across from Love Chevrolet.

    The last time I ate at a Shrimper was several years ago at the one in Lake City SC. I believe they are still open.

    Rick

    1 Aug 14 at 11:43 am

  438. There was also a Shrimper on Broad River Road near Dutch Square (very close to where the McDonald's is). I think my dad told me it was a Frank N Furter's before that (in the 1970s).

    59 Ford Wheelman

    1 Aug 14 at 4:06 pm

  439. @59 - HA haaa.. what a funny name, Frank N Furters, about as funny as Fuddruckers. Fuddruckers makes me think of mudfu***. And why I say that is because I had a friend in high school that went out with a girl one night and it happened on the ground in the mud, so we called him a mud... well, you know.

    Rick

    1 Aug 14 at 5:17 pm

  440. @59 - HA haaa.. what a funny name, Frank N Furters, about as funny as Fuddruckers. Fuddruckers makes me think of mudfu****. And why I say that is because I had a friend in high school that went out with a girl one night and it happened on the ground in the mud, so we called him a mud... well, you know.

    Rick

    1 Aug 14 at 5:18 pm

  441. Oops

    Rick

    1 Aug 14 at 5:18 pm

  442. Yeah, Rick, and the movie Idiocracy has a great play on the Fuddruckers name. Also, I remembered the name wrong--it was Frank N Stein, a beer and hot dog place. There was apparently one on Blossom Street also, where the Millennium Buffet is today.

    59 Ford Wheelman

    1 Aug 14 at 5:42 pm

  443. The Dollar General in Lexington has moved and rather abruptly. They had been in the Town Square next to Food Lion, but apparently are now at 202 Hwy 378 in Lexington. According to my neighbor, the moving notice went up at the old location this past Tuesday. That location was closed and the new location open on Wednesday.

    James

    1 Aug 14 at 8:20 pm

  444. I think that Dollar General is moving away from shopping centers and moving into freestanding buildings (like CVS did after buying Revco...and Eckerd did much the same). There have been several locations around that they have done this with (Widewater Square, Richardson Plaza and Chapin Center spring to mind) before they open a new one in a freestanding building within walking distance. Though to me most of them seem cluttered...some have even felt kinda dirty to me.

    Family Dollar seems to be on the same path...they left Woodberry Plaza to build at US#1 across from the end of Methodist Park Road (and they're in the process of doing something similar on Fairfield Road) and it seems as if most of their new stores are on freestanding sites.

    Andrew

    1 Aug 14 at 10:01 pm

  445. @Rick - Taco Bell used to have something that was close to the Sancho and The Big Red, until the decided to start offering multiple variations of the same product. I mean who needs 8-10 variations on a taco? Just like Sonic and their 25 hot dogs. To me there are only 5 kinds of hot dogs. plain, chili, slaw, kraut and Chicago.

    I used to love the Shrimper as well. I ate at the old Dutch Square location and the one on Knox Abbott when I was going to Midlands Tech long ago. I'd love to have a place like that on my side of town....

    Homer

    2 Aug 14 at 1:00 am

  446. @59 - I remember Frank N Stein. They steamed their wieners in beer. I was always curious about this and my folks would never take me there because they thought it was inappropriate to let me, as a young kid at the time, to eat such a thing. Now the thought of it makes my mouth water!!

    Homer

    2 Aug 14 at 1:03 am

  447. To anyone - wasn't the Arby's on Knox Abbott originally a Roy Roger's????

    Homer

    2 Aug 14 at 1:04 am

  448. No--it's always been an Arby's. I remember eating there in the mid '70s. It was a different building with no seating inside--only counter service--no drive-thru--there were a couple of patio tables and benches in front between the building and the Arby's sign. Here's a picture that's pretty close to how it looked
    here.

    Mike

    2 Aug 14 at 6:04 am

  449. Homer--yes, the Shrimper was really good, and I miss them. On the subject of Frank N Stein, I have absolutely no memory of them at all. I remember the Broad River location as the Shrimper and the Blossom Street location as the Stadium Steak House, but I could not picture Frank N Stein on a bet. It does sound like a brilliant concept, though.

    59 Ford Wheelman

    2 Aug 14 at 7:13 am

  450. Mike - You may remember the TV commercials Arby's had back then. There was a Cop in the commercial that sort of reminds me of the way Jackie Gleason was in Smokey and the Bandit. He would say something about Arby's 25 cent potato cakes.

    Rick

    2 Aug 14 at 7:48 am

  451. @Mike - seeing the picture made me recall why I thought it may have been a Roy Rogers. I had forgotten how much more of a western decor they used to have in the old days. Their original signage looked like this.

    Homer

    2 Aug 14 at 11:09 pm

  452. @ Andrew - I heard the other day Family Dollar was bought out by Dollar Tree. The deal is supposed to close sometime in early 2015. I suspect this may be the reason behind the recent Family Dollar closings. It will be interesting to see if the trend toward freestanding buildings continues with the new ownership. Dollar Tree is almost exclusively in strip malls. I think I have only seen two Dollar Tree stores that were freestanding and for the life of me, I can't remember where those were. Baltimore and Pittsburgh maybe?

    James

    2 Aug 14 at 11:53 pm

  453. Well, the Family Dollar on St. Andrews Rd. has opened. Let's see what happens. I think the closest Dollar Tree we have on this side of town is the one at the Walmart complex in Ballentine (relatively new as well).

    Homer

    3 Aug 14 at 1:52 am

  454. I think Homer is forgetting about the Dollar Tree in Harbison Court...they were originally located around where Once Upon a Child is now but moved into the former Shoe Carnival following their move into the former Dressbarn at Columbiana Station.

    East Forest Plaza (5420 Forest Drive), Shoppes at White Knoll in Red Bank and Northpointe Commons in Northeast Richland are all examples of Walmart anchored developments that feature a Dollar Tree in addition to the Dutch Fork Crossing location Homer mentioned. I don't know the name but the 'L' shaped building adjacent to the Garners Ferry Walmart has one as well.

    Dollar tree has a freestanding location at 2001 Rosewood Drive in the former Piggly Wiggly. The thing of it is, it's within walking distance of a Family Dollar that has felt somewhat dingy to me as of late. Another location at 3100 Broad River Road that is the site of a former Eckerd fits the bill as far as freestanding goes.

    Dollar Tree used to have stores in Dutch Square and even Richland Mall (the Richland Mall store was gone before its stint of being known as Midtown at Forest Acres).

    Andrew

    3 Aug 14 at 2:36 am

  455. @Andrew - that just goes to show you how I avoid the Harbison area like the plague. I didn't even know there was a Dollar Tree in Harbison Court. I would not have know about the one in Ballentine if it were not for my Mom. This relates to my Walmart aversion.

    Homer

    4 Aug 14 at 12:14 am

  456. An encyclopedic knowledge of dollar stores is not something I thought anyone would ever have, but this is why the internet is a magical place.

    Jason

    4 Aug 14 at 8:23 am

  457. Arby's on 378 in Lexington in front of Wal-mart will likely be closed temporarily due to a fire this morning. I suspect the closure will be very temporary being that the fire was near the front of the building and did not seem to be related to anything in the kitchen area. When I drove by this morning it appeared the fire might even have been outside the building, but on my return home, they had the parking lot blocked off and a glass / window company taking measurements. It also looked like the media was there taking pictures.

    James

    5 Aug 14 at 11:25 am

  458. @James, I don't know about a fire but a car slammed into the Arby's in Lexington this morning.

    Sidney

    5 Aug 14 at 2:25 pm

  459. I think Utopia on Rosewood, next to Jim Casey's Fireworks, may have closed. I noticed a "For Lease" sign up and no one in the parking lot last weekend.

    Travis

    5 Aug 14 at 5:00 pm

  460. @ Sidney - Well that explains why it didn't look to be in the kitchen area. I didn't see a car this morning. All I saw was the smoke billowing out of the front of the building.

    There were burnt tables and chairs in the parking lot this afternoon. Maybe it will closed longer than I expected.

    James

    5 Aug 14 at 6:08 pm

  461. Utopia is moving to Ft. Jackson Blvd, according to their facebook page.

    badger

    5 Aug 14 at 7:17 pm

  462. Caldwell's Cafeteria on Sumter St. closed sometime in the early '60's after it was bought by Morrison's Cafeteria.
    Foster, Caldwell & Elliott Insurance Agency on Lady St. closed or was bought out in the late '80's

    John

    7 Aug 14 at 1:26 pm

  463. The building at Devine and Sims has been razed.

    Frank

    13 Aug 14 at 6:20 am

  464. As I drove downtown today, I noticed the sign at the poultry processing plant on Sunset Blvd in West Columbia no longer says Columbia Farms. It now says House of Raeford. I know that Columbia Farms was a division of House of Raeford and I heard back in June that worker got trapped in one of the processing machines. I wonder if that incident had anything to do with the name change on the sign and if Columbia Farms still exists. Perhaps the parent company did away with the name to distance themselves from any negative publicity regarding the accident. Does anyone know anything about this?

    James

    13 Aug 14 at 12:40 pm

  465. Did anyone make it to the Crosby, Stills & Nash concert at the Township last night?

    Terry

    14 Aug 14 at 1:46 pm

  466. Okay, I can't help it. I've got to tell you one more thing about my life that hopefully will help to explain why I am as crazy as I am, but this time I'll post it under "Have your say".

    I bought a bottle of vitamin D.
    My Wife asked "Why are you taking vitamin D?"
    I said "Because I do not get out in the sun enough."

    And here you go, get ready, wait for it... She said
    "They make a vitamin that will give you a tan?"
    Dang women, what are you gonna do?

    Rick

    14 Aug 14 at 5:56 pm

  467. Okay, I can't help it. I've got to tell you one more thing about my life that hopefully will help to explain why I am as crazy as I am, but this time I'll post it under "Have your say".

    I bought a bottle of vitamin D.
    My Wife asked "Why are you taking vitamin D?"
    I said "Because I do not get out in the sun enough."

    And here you go, wait for it... She said
    "They make a vitamin that will give you a tan?"
    Dang women, what can a man do? Besides the obvious.

    Rick

    14 Aug 14 at 6:03 pm

  468. Naturally there must be a problem with my ISP, because you know I did not click that comment twice, Even though the time frame is 7 minutes apart.

    Rick

    14 Aug 14 at 7:25 pm

  469. @ Rick - maybe Jose did it while you weren't looking..... :-)

    Homer

    14 Aug 14 at 11:29 pm

  470. @Homer - Naturally it was Jose, he's always causing me trouble, it's just that I enjoy his company so much.
    Maybe if he had a sister.

    Speaking of sisters, in a Speedy Gonzales cartoon, several mice are talking about how to steel some cheese without getting caught by the cat, one of the mice says he can get Speedy Gonzales to help, he knows Speedy because "Speedy is a friend of my Seester" in his Mexican accent.
    One of the other mice says "Speedy Gonzales a friend of everybody's Seester."
    It's hilarious, check it out on Youtube. And who said cartoons are not for adults?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AU7VxAi_gk&feature=player_detailpage#t=23

    Rick

    15 Aug 14 at 12:22 pm

  471. I am distraught, okay maybe I should say more distraught than before, but my favorite Taco Restaurant appears to be closed. My Son and I went to eat there last week and the lights are off, the changeable letter sign has been moved away from the side of the road, and the restaurant looks like no one was taking care of the property.

    Oh Heavenly Father please let them open back up.
    Does anyone know what's going on with Taco Cid?

    Rick

    15 Aug 14 at 12:48 pm

  472. Taco Cid-
    Simple web search shows this site http://www.tacocid.com/
    Web site shows new location as-3313 Platt Springs Road, West Columbia, SC

    ken holler

    15 Aug 14 at 2:05 pm

  473. @ken holler - Thanks. I checked it out on the web after I made my post and saw they had moved, but that would not have been as much fun as allowing others to assist.
    And I do thank you for your assistance but,
    I'm unsure of what you meant by, or it could be I'm trying not to think about what you MAY have meant by, "Simple web search", maybe you could clarify the intent of that statement.

    Rick

    15 Aug 14 at 3:15 pm

  474. Rick, I noted on the Marino's Bistro page that they moved into the former Marino's Bistro but the building signage from Marino's Bistro is still installed on the building...at this point, the only way you can know it's there is to drive up and see the Taco Cid sign in the window...I think that will be problematic until they can update the roadside marquee and building signage (as I noted on that page).

    Andrew

    15 Aug 14 at 3:44 pm

  475. Andrew thanks for the info, also thanks for not implying I am antiquated, even though I understand anyone not knowing me on this site may believe otherwise.

    Rick

    15 Aug 14 at 5:23 pm

  476. Rick, I don't think it's an age issue...if a business installs a window sign but keeps the main exterior signage from a previous occupant of the building, it's likely to confuse people and that's what Taco Cid is doing (unless they're in the construction phase and haven't reached the point of changing the signage on the building)...

    Andrew

    15 Aug 14 at 7:54 pm

  477. Does anyone know why The Retreat on Lake Wateree is closed? There's nothing on their website about closing. Nothing on the recorded message when I called either. I wasn't happy about making the trip from Columbia to discover it wasn't open. Was forced to drive to Camden to find a decent place to eat.

    Travis

    16 Aug 14 at 1:03 pm

  478. @Rick - if you make it over to the new Taco Cid let me know if it as good as the old one. If so, I'll go out of my way to pick some up!!!

    Homer

    17 Aug 14 at 1:20 am

  479. I've been there and it's just like before--the only change is the location.

    Mike

    17 Aug 14 at 6:47 am

  480. Travis and Homer - My Wife and I went there yesterday 8-16-14, They still have the Marino's sign overhead and the big sign out in front of the shopping center still has Marino's showing on it. The dinning area is smaller and they only have about 12 tables compared to the approximately 25 tables they before, but I never saw the dinning area at the old location completely full anyway. They do have a sign in the window approximately 3' x 4' that signifies this is Taco Cid.

    As far as the food taste and quality goes, I believe it to have been about equal to the best experience I can remember in recent years. They are still experimenting with their taco sauce though, since they are unable to purchase the seasoning mix they once bought from Pierce-Young and Angel.

    My opinion of the taco sauce, which was a main stay at Taco Cid for years, was that it is a little better than most recently. I go for the xtra hot sauce and this time I could detect a hint of sweetness. They may have added a little sugar, which is not a bad idea. Sugar seems to cut the acidity of tomato sauce, which is the primary ingredient in their sauce.

    There were 4 groups of customers in the restaurant at the time we arrived around 1:30pm and several came and went for take out while we ate in. The service was very fast. The employees were friendly and the employee that prepares the food even came out to sit at the table next to us and talked for a while.

    I did not question the reason for the move as I felt this was none of my business, and it could have been for reasons they may not have wanted to answer, so I left the topic alone.
    In my opinion I think the move was a smart business decision. I can imagine that if there were a mortgage on the old place, the cost to insure the property as well as additional coverage in case of an accident, the up keep on a relatively old building and a location that was okay but never a great location. This new location requiring only rent and no real upkeep on the building, no property insurance etc. And if they were able to sell the old property and make a profit on the sell, this was very good move for Taco Cid.

    Overall I give the new place a 8 out of 10 rating and the only reason I did not rate them higher is because it is just SO different from the way Taco Cid has been for the past 30 plus years I have been eating there. I WILL go back soon because the food is very good, I need my CID fix often and I'm sure I'll grow accustomed to The Cid being in a strip mall quickly which will raise there rating to a 10 out of 10.

    My recommendation, Go, Eat there, it's good.

    Rick

    17 Aug 14 at 10:35 am

  481. Mike - I agree, it is just like before, maybe better, just the location has changed. And if you look into the kitchen area, they now have an opportunity to make, prepare or improve on additional items that they may not have been able to in the past.
    The new kitchen area has additional equipment that the old location did not have.
    I asked about franchise information but my Wife cut me off and changed the subject before we could get into a good conversation about that, and then she more or less ushered me out the door.
    Could that be where the saying "The old ball and chain" comes from? Because I really do feel I am "Held back" or "Weighted down" at times. I can see her skepticism based on the history of my past three business's.
    Not that they were unprofitable, they were, but according to her, because I was a "WILD MAN" with too much money and she could not control me.
    Hey I was just having fun, why do I need to be controlled.

    I would be interested in opening a Taco Cid on my side of town, and then of course I could eat there anytime I wanted to without having to drive a 30 mile round trip.
    Would that label me as a "Wild man"? I don't think so.
    Of course the reasons for my Wife calling me a wild man in the past would need to be considered, and you guys do not have that information.

    Rick

    17 Aug 14 at 12:04 pm

  482. Cletus' Roadside Grille, 11210 Broad River Road, Irmo, SC 29036, has closed. There's a sign that the building is for sale or lease. This was the site of the former Whales Tail restaurant.

    Ralph Hightower

    17 Aug 14 at 4:08 pm

  483. @Rick--Taco Cid's website (or was it Facebook) said that the reason they moved was that their building was falling apart. I remember going in one time and I was greeted by a bucket catching a drip right in the middle of the entrance area. I think their A/C was also on the fritz.
    As for the taco sauce--it's passable but the sweetness it's acquired is different than before. I think it would be better without it. If I wanted sweetness I'd go with ketchup.

    Mike

    17 Aug 14 at 9:14 pm

  484. Rick's comments on Taco Cid's sauce reminds me of a friend of mine that tried to coax the El Menchaca's green sauce out of Joe. It was a lot more than the ground up Jalepenos that Rick alluded to in the El Menchaca post. Joe told my friend that his wife and kids didn't even know the recipe. He always went in early to make it before anyone else came in. I've got one that consists of tomatillos, jalepenos, cumin, cilantro and several other items but it's nothing like what they had. BTW - I like Taco Bell's green sauce but the one in Irmo does not have it all the time.....

    Homer

    18 Aug 14 at 12:01 am

  485. I noticed that the mixed martial arts studio, on Pine Belt, is no more. I remember seeing the place from the Pine Belt CVS several years ago and wondered what the Chinese writing on the outside of the place meant. A quick look at the internet solved that question.

    Joelc

    18 Aug 14 at 3:07 am

  486. I noticed yesterday where the Columbia King Buffet on Woodland Hills Rd has gone up for sale abruptly!! I live near there and have always been hesitant to eat there because of the low inspection scores that I heard they have gotten over the years.

    Arthur

    21 Aug 14 at 7:22 am

  487. I was driving on Hwy 1 yesterday in Lexington, and noticed that Kotas Sandwich shop looked like it had reopened.

    I recall a closing photo and discussion on here a while back. But I saw lights and an OPEN sign in the doorway

    Brian

    21 Aug 14 at 9:06 am

  488. Is Kildare's Irish Pub on Harden still open? I was driving by yesterday, and it didn't look too promising.

    badger

    21 Aug 14 at 10:18 am

  489. The Barber Shop on Lake Murray Blvd. located between the old Atlanta Bread and Zaxby's has a for sale sign in front of it.

    Tom

    22 Aug 14 at 9:18 am

  490. The man who played Stanley the Clown on WNOK TV (later WLTX) has died.

    http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestate/obituary.aspx?n=r-proctor-davis&pid=172228190&fhid=5678

    Tom

    24 Aug 14 at 3:00 pm

  491. I vaguely remember the name Stanley the Clown but I can't picture him. Red Skelton's Freddie the Freeloader keeps popping into my head!!

    Homer

    24 Aug 14 at 9:50 pm

  492. I don't know what will become of the building where the barber shop is. It sits on a little "2x4" lot with no great value. The story is that when the buying spree was going on along Lake Murray Blvd. the people that owned (and probably still own) this tiny patch of property wanted such an exorbitant amount of money that every surrounding parcel was purchased and left them sitting on a virtually worthless piece of property. Just another case of greed turning on you.....

    Homer

    24 Aug 14 at 9:55 pm

  493. I found a pic of Stanley the Clown.

    badger

    25 Aug 14 at 7:56 am

  494. @badger - have you got a link to the picture??

    Homer

    25 Aug 14 at 3:10 pm

  495. Try this: https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10201863734347888&set=pcb.681420308577796&type=1&theater

    badger

    25 Aug 14 at 4:06 pm

  496. The dollar store off US1 in Lexington, next to Food Lion has gone. I was there a week ago then this week, the place was empty and the sign had gone.

    Zephod Beeblebrox

    25 Aug 14 at 4:48 pm

  497. @badger - now I remember him! And I also recall the puppets in a fuzzy way. Don't ask me their names but the minute I saw them I remembered......

    Homer

    26 Aug 14 at 1:19 am

  498. I remember one puppet was an alligator called Mr. Alligator. There was another that looked like some sort of evil scientist.

    Tom

    26 Aug 14 at 5:12 am

  499. The puppets in the photo look like a cow and a chicken or maybe a goat and a chicken unless the cow has a beard. Also looks like it has some kind of teletubbie thin on it's head, God forbid....

    Homer

    26 Aug 14 at 11:16 pm

  500. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure I saw two possibly closings (or soon to be closings) this morning. Both had commercial real estate signs in front of them and I hope to confirm on my way home from campus.

    The first is Rooster's Racks at 1051/53 Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia.

    The second was Dooley's Sport Shop at 168 Hwy 378 in Lexington.

    Again, I will try to confirm both on the way home this evening.

    James

    27 Aug 14 at 3:54 pm

  501. So when I drove home from campus last night, I did indeed confirm that there were commercial real estate signs in front of both of the previously mentioned businesses.

    It was hard to tell if Rooster's Racks was actually closed because the church across the street was having an event and their overflow parking seems to be all of parking lots on the opposite side of Sunset Blvd. where all the businesses are. There are / were two businesses in the building where Rooster's Racks is / was, so it might be the other business or the both that have gone out.

    As for Dooley's Sport Shop, I saw online that the business has been in operation since the 1940s, so maybe the owner is telling to sell so he can retire.

    James

    28 Aug 14 at 1:26 pm

  502. I know a while back someone commented on all of the Hickory Points being phased out in favor of 7-Elevens. Today I noticed the Sunoco Hickory Point at the US 1, US 378 split in Lexington had removed their Hickory Point sign. Currently that portion of the sign is blank, but a few days ago it still had the Hickory Point name.

    James

    29 Aug 14 at 10:55 am

  503. Asian Grill on 378 in the publix shopping center closed. This location has been Osaka grill, thai wasabi and more. Now they are gone. Also gone 3 doors down is wing nuts. They had good wings but with Buffalo chicken nearby, wings n ale, and more, maybe just wing saturation in Lexington

    brian

    30 Aug 14 at 11:15 am

  504. The switch from Hickory Point to 7-Eleven started almost immediately, with the new name showing up on receipts. Over time, it started to seep in elsewhere, like the screens on the pumps and in-store displays. Figured it was just a matter of time before the signs came down, too.

    Jason

    30 Aug 14 at 2:27 pm

  505. I can think of a few occasions where I filled up at a Hickory Point where 7-11 was on a receipt...so it looks like this is the final step towards 7-11 having locations in the Columbia MSA...

    Andrew

    30 Aug 14 at 2:32 pm

  506. @ Brian - Asian Grill was Saigon Moon after Thai Wasabi and before Asian Grill. Being the restaurant maintained an Asian theme through all the variations, I figured it was the same owner and they just had financial problems or didn't know how to run a business.

    I ate at Wings Nuts once. I had a sandwich and I wasn't that impressed with it. I'm surprised they stayed in business as long as they did. Badger commented on the Harbison closing that his location closed back in March.

    http://columbiaclosings.com/wordpress/?p=9722

    James

    30 Aug 14 at 4:50 pm

  507. Forget all that Hickory Point to 7-Eleven business, at least for the one on Hardscrabble near Rice Creek. I'm not buying gas nearly as much as I used to, so I don't know when this started, but the Hickory Point signage is down there as well and it's been re-branded Spinx. All the 7-Eleven materials are sitting in a dumpster now.

    Jason

    4 Sep 14 at 9:21 am

  508. I had a post, but for some reason I'm having a dickens of a time getting it to publish without "connection reset" errors.

    Tomorrow hopefully.

    ted

    9 Sep 14 at 2:12 am

  509. Uh Oh! Pizzeria Uno in Lexington just put out a Living Social deal. This is a chain that has shuttered locations across the country recently. (I know of at least three locations in Pennsylvania and Maryland within the last year.) Being this is an established business, the Living Social deal indicates to me that this location might be struggling as well.

    I remember the first time I ate at a Pizzeria Uno. They only served Pizza then and I thought it was really good pizza. Ever since they added entrees to their menu, however, I think the quality of their food has gone downhill. I also think they are a bit expensive for being a pizza chain.

    Anyway, I think it might be worth watching this one to see what happens.

    James

    9 Sep 14 at 7:49 am

  510. Does anyone recall a restaurant on Two Notch Road in the '90s called Tomato Rumba? I do not believe they were open more than a year or two. I am thinking it was located near Chili's.

    Terry

    9 Sep 14 at 3:48 pm

  511. Here ya go: http://columbiaclosings.com/wordpress/?p=331

    badger

    9 Sep 14 at 5:22 pm

  512. @James - I saw that deal for Lexington Uno and thought the same thing. I used to like eating there, but I stopped after they got multiple low DHEC scores. It was reported on WLTX several times, so I'm sure that didn't help their business.

    TahoeChic

    10 Sep 14 at 7:01 pm

  513. Well, this Uno used to be open until 11pm every night, which was nice as I could actually get over there. Then they changed it to be like every place else so it's 10 during the week and 11 on Friday and Saturday. That's Sign #1.

    ted

    11 Sep 14 at 1:03 am

  514. Tavern on Greene (2002 Greene Street) has closed.

    Midnight Rambler

    11 Sep 14 at 7:36 am

  515. @ted - There's an article in The State today about Capitol Places rehabing a historical building at 1321 Lady Street as apartments. The story lists a few businesses that have previously been in this location. I think it would make an interesting closing post as the building is decades old.

    http://www.thestate.com/2014/09/10/3673083_columbias-capitol-places-to-expand.html?rh=1

    Justin

    11 Sep 14 at 8:54 am

  516. I saw an article in the State the other day that said that Captain D's is going to open some 10 new stores in Columbia over the next few years. I hope the first one in in Irmo. I'm tired of having to drive all the way to Dutch Square to get me some fish and chips.....:^)

    Homer

    15 Sep 14 at 1:07 am

  517. Was told this weekend by several salespersons that Belks in Dutch Square will close by Dec 31st. Apparently the mall operators want more rent. So sad........

    skysguy

    15 Sep 14 at 6:29 am

  518. For so long, I had a harder time than most of the other folks here seeing how Dutch Square isn't as strong as it used to be (most likely because I'm too young to remember Dutch Square's pre-Columbiana days). If it winds up being true that Phillips Edison's rental rates are going up where Belk can't afford it and they close up shop, not even I can deny that Dutch Square Mall is likely on a downhill trajectory that could very well result in the whole mall closing...especially if the Belk space remains vacant for quite a while...

    Andrew

    15 Sep 14 at 10:53 am

  519. Dutch Square Mall has been on the decline for a long time even since the late 1980's. Gangs and other un-desirables have taken over that area all the way down to the intersection of Broad River and St. Andrews Rd where BI-LO is still. DS's heyday was from 1970 though maybe the mid 1980's or maybe the 90's, but not even the bright paint and remodeling could save the old Mall. Malls are a thing of the past and strip Malls are making a comeback again.. I'm surprised that Columbia Mall hasn't hit rock bottom yet. Dutch Square is an Am-Was Mall. Once Belk's is gone...why bother to even go there anymore?

    CayceKid

    15 Sep 14 at 3:10 pm

  520. I've only lived here for seven years or so and the first time I set foot in Dutch Square (which was, incidentally, also the last) I knew I was standing inside a mall that was not dying, but dead, and it just didn't know it yet.

    Jason

    15 Sep 14 at 3:17 pm

  521. Homer - Where've you been? I also eat a Captain D's from time to time but have found the one on my side of town has changed, and what I mean by changed is, I like the 3 piece Fried Fish Dinner but now the fish has so much breading on it I don't like it. When I pull the breading off, the pieces of fish inside are no larger than a store bought fish stick.
    I sent captain D's an e-mail expressing my concerns this past weekend but have not heard back.
    Back in the 70's and 80's I ate at Chappy's Fish and Chips quite often until I saw the fish they used.

    Rick

    15 Sep 14 at 4:04 pm

  522. I agree.DSM is dead....it just doesn't know it. That entire area is dead as the Latin Language (unless you can go back in time to the ancient days of Rome).

    CayceKid

    15 Sep 14 at 4:15 pm

  523. It makes no sense if the owners want more rent. Sure the price of living has gone up, but Malls are on the decline and Strip Malls are making their way back yet again.

    CayceKid

    15 Sep 14 at 4:21 pm

  524. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. If accurate, then they are trying to raise the price for something that is in high supply and low demand (space at Dutch Square). It would seem that Belk would have the stronger negotiating position...

    OTOH, if you look at the third floor of that store, you have to wonder how commited they are to the location anyway. Total ghost town..

    ted

    15 Sep 14 at 5:42 pm

  525. Didn't at one time when the Mall was new, didn't it have one or several of those " You Are Here" Maps in various places in case you got lost in the Mall ? I cant remember all the stores that were there originally, but the ONLY place left I think is The Rogue Hairstyling Barbershop. I'm surprised they're still there.

    CayceKid

    15 Sep 14 at 5:48 pm

  526. Belk has confirmed that location is closing at the end of the year. With them expanding their floorspace at Columbiana, I wonder if they'd have stayed at Dutch Square even if the rent was lowered. Four locations for one department store in a city this size is too many anyway.

    Jason

    15 Sep 14 at 6:40 pm

  527. @Rick - hasn't been much for me to comment on the past week. I agree that the quality of Captain D's is not what it used to be. The article in The State said that the new restaurants will be a little more upscale with a wider menu than what they have now. Guess we'll wait and see.

    Homer

    15 Sep 14 at 10:58 pm

  528. @CayceKid - nice to see you back. Now if we can figure out what happened to tonkatoy.....

    Homer

    15 Sep 14 at 10:59 pm

  529. @justin - when PMSC first broke away from Seibels Bruce (before moving to Blythewood) the data center was located at 1515 Lady and (I think) most of the programming staff was housed in 1321 Lady. If this is the building then it was in terrible shape back in the 80's, It will definitely have to be gutted to the frame to convert it to anything of use.

    Homer

    15 Sep 14 at 11:22 pm

  530. With Belks closing...I think DS Mall is about over and done with, but even with what few places are left on the outside of the Mall, I'm not going to be surprised if they tear it down. But then again, the old Kmart building on Ft. Jackson Blvd is still there after 50+ years.

    CayceKid

    15 Sep 14 at 11:22 pm

  531. not that I would remember when it first opened. (hahaha)

    CayceKid

    15 Sep 14 at 11:23 pm

  532. J. Gumbo's is closed. Brown paper on the windows. I really hate to hear this. The food was always good and the service friendly. Yea, the portions went down as the prices went up, but that is unfortunately the standard once a place gets up and running. I will miss eating there.

    jonathan

    16 Sep 14 at 5:59 am

  533. Kwagga's, on Two Notch, may not be around much longer, at least in its current incarnation. The South African owners are looking for a buyer. It was formerly the Puddling Duck and KTee's. For some reason, this location has failed to maintain itself. Red Fraley was a big Wednesday night draw. The owners didn't see fit to keep him around. The dart league has moved to CW's, formerly Carolina Wings, on Clemson Rd. . The league virtually supported the bar with 3 to 4 night a week tournaments.

    Joelc

    16 Sep 14 at 10:25 am

  534. I know Red Fraley. I haven't seen him in a while though.

    CayceKid

    16 Sep 14 at 10:49 pm

  535. Is Sharky's in Five Points now Latitude 22?

    Midnight Rambler

    17 Sep 14 at 8:14 am

  536. Monterrey on Parklane Road is closed! Drove by the other day and saw that the whole corner of what was once home to Sounds Familiar, Monterrey and other stores were all closed!

    Never liked them as the weren't as good as the San Jose' Restaurant's in the area esp. Eric's San Jose on Garner's Ferry but did stop by to grab a quick lunch every now and then!

    Pat Lewis

    18 Sep 14 at 2:20 pm

  537. Pat - Back in the mid to late 90's I would go in and grab lunch once in a while also, so they must have been there for some time. I do not remember the food being great or bad, maybe just so so. Probably the reason I have not gone back since I changed jobs in 1999 when I worked in the industrial park at the corner of 555 and Parklane.
    I live off Garners Ferry Road and have eaten at Eric's, but I do not find their food to be as good as other people, it must be me because they are always packed and everyone that eats there raves about them. I think San Jose's in Blythewood is better.
    I really want to try Real Mexico on Bush River Road and Cecilia's Mexican restaurant on St. Andrews but GEEZ,
    I'm just so busy and get off work so late, and on the weekends there always seems to be something that needs doing around the house and the fact that Bush River and St. Andrews are like on the other side of the world for me, I just never go.
    I thought life was suppose to get easier the older I got.
    Even Taco Cid, which I went to often, moved further away from me.

    Rick

    18 Sep 14 at 4:00 pm

  538. Where is a guy out Garners Ferry suppose to get a decent Mexican meal with out having to go to Mexico?
    Certainly not Taco Bell. Maybe I'll give Eric's another try.

    Rick

    18 Sep 14 at 4:03 pm

  539. @Rick - I've never tried the restaurants you mentioned that are on my side of town either. Like you, when I have time away from work I have too much crap to do around the house that I don't feel like trekking out for dinner.

    I did have a craving for something kind of Tex-Mex the other weekend and I threw something together that turned out pretty danged good. It was a cross between a chili and a soup/stew. Everything was off the shelf from Kroger. So, as well as I can remember, here goes...

    1/2 bag pre-cooked and seasoned fajita chicken pieces
    1/4 lb bacon, diced
    1 cup bell pepper, chopped
    1 cup onion, chopped
    1 can green chili sauce
    1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
    1 can white beans, undrained
    1 tbsp garlic, minced
    1 can chicken broth
    Salt
    Pepper
    Cumin
    Chili Powder
    Dried parsley

    In a soup pot, cook bacon until rendered.
    Add garlic, onions and bell pepper.
    Cook over low heat until tender.
    Add chili sauce, chopped chiles, beans and chicken broth.
    Season with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and parsley to taste.
    Simmer for about 30 minutes.
    If too thick, add a bit of water.
    Add chicken and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

    I ate mine over cooked, white rice.

    Homer

    19 Sep 14 at 1:13 am

  540. Monterrey's and the Riverside Inn next door on Knox Abbott will be closed and torn down to make way for apartments.

    Too bad. The old Tremont Inn is pretty cool mid-century modern architecture.

    tonkatoy

    19 Sep 14 at 6:40 am

  541. More than likely the University of South Carolina needed it for more student housing...I wish someone would buy and raze the Econo Lodge at St. Andrews & Jamil Road across from the CHEF'STORE and do something with it...

    Andrew

    19 Sep 14 at 10:19 am

  542. University of South Carolina might as well change their name to the University that Swallowed Columbia at this rate.

    Jason

    19 Sep 14 at 1:43 pm

  543. I agree...everytime you turn around, USC is buying up all the property they can get their hands on, then the tear down everything old, and build all these new condo's and parking garages for the thousands of USC kiddies and their 80,000.00 dollar cars their rich parents by them. There should be a book written about USC and how they do things, and call it " The University that ate Columbia South Carolina", or better yet : "Something Wicked This Way Comes: The USC Story".

    CayceKid

    19 Sep 14 at 6:35 pm

  544. I think that by the time USC runs out of property to buy, then they'll go after ALL the buildings downtown and turn them all into condo's. That way Columbia will be nothing but one big Campus for USC. I don't know what they would do with the homeless population though.

    CayceKid

    19 Sep 14 at 6:37 pm

  545. @tonkatoy - welcome back!!!!!!!!!

    Homer

    19 Sep 14 at 8:21 pm

  546. You see homeless people, USC sees future adjunct professors.

    Jason

    21 Sep 14 at 7:48 am

  547. When did Arizona's in VaS become JP's Four Corners? The menu, decor, pricing, and food are all the same so it really seems like just a name change.

    Jason

    21 Sep 14 at 7:51 am

  548. @Cayce Kid- You mean "Something Wrecking This Way Comes?"

    Tom

    21 Sep 14 at 8:58 am

  549. Seriously, what is happening to Columbia reminds me a little bit of Savannah where Savannah College of Arts and Design (SCAD) has all but taken over the downtown area.

    Tom

    21 Sep 14 at 8:59 am

  550. @ Ted - The follow on operation to Mac's on Main and CW's at 1710 Main Street has closed. The restaurant is now empty and for lease.

    Justin

    22 Sep 14 at 9:42 am

  551. Schiano's on Forest Drive just closed! I drive by this restaurant just about every day and noticed that it was not open at 11:00 one day and then the next day I noticed they weren't open at 5:00pm the dinner time for most people!

    I stopped and walked up to the building and saw it was empty! And all the furniture and food service equipment was also gone!

    It had been an ABC Store for many many years before!

    Pat Lewis

    23 Sep 14 at 11:11 am

  552. @Pat Lewis -- Schiano's? Are you sure? It appears to be in normal operation to me.

    ted

    23 Sep 14 at 5:18 pm

  553. Once again, USC has struck the "hammer of destruction" in Columbia. They took over the property across from WIS TV and torn down the old Town Theater building that had been there for over 40 yrs. Not sure if that that building or buildings had been there much longer or not, but USC will build their NEW Law School building there. WELL...aint THAT grand! Now we can all sleep better knowing that. Give it time, USC will take over and swallow up the entire downtown area yet.

    CayceKid

    23 Sep 14 at 5:29 pm

  554. Actually, I'm just waiting for the day USC wants to take over the entire Fair Grounds area also since they have the other 95% of the property around that area anyhow. Give it time and USC will pay to tear down the buildings and build NEW and improved student housing, condo's and other important things that matter to the little USC kiddies. Young people have NO appreciation of what was and is still historical about Columbia, nor its' history. No one cares anymore. Charleston is the only smart city in this state when it comes to historical houses and buildings.

    CayceKid

    23 Sep 14 at 5:41 pm

  555. Hmm. Does USC pay property tax, or are those lots off the rolls now?

    ted

    23 Sep 14 at 5:44 pm

  556. I would expect that USC would want the land the fairgrounds currently occupies for something football-related due to its close proximity to Williams-Brice Stadium (like they did with the Farmer's Market) before they'd go after it for student housing. I just wish they'd do better with their commuting student parking availability (that used to be the biggest frustration when I went there)...

    I do enjoy watching South Carolina football (but my interest in sports aside from that has weaned in recent years) but I have found myself questioning in recent weeks if it's worth it to build a stadium complex like Williams-Brice when it is only used ≈5-7 Saturdays out of the year...plus to fly the team to an away game, teams wind up chartering an aircraft the size of a Boeing 737, 757 or A320 at a cost of $10-15K per hour...on the other hand, many NCAA FBS schools wouldn't be as known nationally as they are if it wasn't for their football programs...

    Andrew

    23 Sep 14 at 6:09 pm

  557. Oh and BTW, @CayceKid, The theater demolition you spoke to (was actually the home of Workshop Theater, not Town) has been in the works for years. I went to several plays there with an academic support group I was involved with during my time at Midlands Tech (this was in the 2007-09 timeframe) and they were working on a capital campaign to get the funds to relocate at the time because "The Univeristy of South Carolina (our landlord) is needing us to move for a new law school" (something to that effect). Workshop Theater is now located on Elmwood on the road to Elmwood Cemetery.

    I went to USC for 2½ years and during that time there were 3 Daily Gamecock articles over as many days talking about the structural issues the current law school building was having...and concern for that if they didn't do something, it'd cheapen the value of the juris doctorate degrees they were awarding (among other issues)...it made me think that if it's that bad, will they raze it or overhaul it once the law school moves out. One of the biggest issues is that it had frequent problems with a leaky roof (and perhaps it became a case of "you can only patch a hole so many times before something bigger needs to be done")...

    Andrew

    23 Sep 14 at 6:42 pm

  558. USC has money coming out its A$$ and then some. The more the Football team wins, the more money USC's "Fat Cats" get. It's all about the money and LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. USC will do what they want too as long as the money flows from the rich kids parents. All USC did was take what they didn't tear down of the old Carolina Stadium, and they added on to it and it's what you see now. USC will continue to take over property bit by bit til every inch of Columbia is part of its campus. WIS-TV better watch it too, or they'll be part of history when USC occupies that building also. USC is good I'm sure in certain aspects, but they're getting too big too fast. Columbia is a College Party Town more and more. You have to be very careful when you drive in that area, because there's thousands of USC kiddies walkin' around with their cell phones, I-Phones and things not paying attention to the on coming traffic.

    CayceKid

    23 Sep 14 at 8:24 pm

  559. I think too that "State Fairs" are becoming a thing of the past more and more. You have Six Flags, Carowinds and other parks to go to all year 'round. The State Fair was originally about Farmers showing off their produce and Live Stock, Chickens and other things. Rides came along I guess in the 1930's or 1940's? We had two State Fairs originally. One was for the White people, and the other was for the Blacks. Only in 1969 did the State de-segregate and that's when it became one State Fair that you see now. I'm glad though they've changed things to where they don't allow gangs, or trouble makers on the grounds, or offensive shirts or whatever. It's about time. But as said, give it time and USC will take over those grounds yet, or it will become the NEW SOUTH CAROLINA USC STATE FAIR AND GAMECOCK REVIEW.

    CayceKid

    23 Sep 14 at 8:30 pm

  560. Carolina Stadium (Ray Tanner Field) now houses SC's baseball team and was built to replace Sarge Frye Field...several years ago my dad explained to one of his cousins that it made no sense how this University could build the facility they did in Carolina Stadium and have inadequate parking...I still don't understand how they managed to replace two parking lots around the Coliseum...one for the Darla Moore School of business and the other for some type of athletic dorm...I honestly felt that about the only use the Carolina Coliseum got was for High School graduations for several years (which are spread out over a period of like 2-3 weeks out of the year at best but now it's being overhauled to make for new basketball practice courts, something needed to make them more competitive among their SEC counterparts). I almost wonder how USC is compared to some of their peer institutions on this stuff...

    Before she died my grandmother got to where she saw the University of South Carolina as a place that "liked to spend the money" (not 100% sure how she worded it but it was to that effect).

    I hate to say this, but the way things are going, events like the SC State fair are going to wind up being too expensive for the average family (I'm almost of that mindset of professional sports and museums as well) to afford...

    Andrew

    23 Sep 14 at 9:12 pm

  561. I think the State Fair is a LOT cheaper than Six Flags and Carowinds. What does it cost to get into those places now? 100.00? 150.00? or more like 75.00? I used to complain about paying 19.95 to get into Six Flags in Atlanta. The State Fair cant charge too much more, because those that are too cheap to spend money wont spend it on the Fair. The land that USC bought I think that had Hardees on it across from the Old Gibbs VW, was torn down and now there's nothing there. Does anyone other than me remember the "OK" Used Car lot that used to sit on that corner in the 50's to 70's? I think "OK Used Cars" was the name of it, but not sure.

    CayceKid

    23 Sep 14 at 9:50 pm

  562. I've never been to 6 Flags or Carowinds...I'm not big on amusement park rides...In order for me to consider going I'd need folks from outside the family to go with (that's how I am with the SC State Fair as well)...

    I remember the Hardee's at Blossom & Assembly closing down and finally being demolished (mid-late 90s). I wish The Darla Moore school of business had gone there as opposed to removing a parking lot adjacent to the Carolina Coliseum. If I had the money, I'd want it to go a parking facility for people with any student permit...I can't take credit for writing this but I can relate to this twitter writeup on it...

    Andrew

    23 Sep 14 at 10:32 pm

  563. I used to have the very same problem in the 80's when I was at USC trying to find somewhere to park behind the Coliseum, but would have to drive around for 20 mins. or more on more than one occasion. I hated that area then, and it's much worse 27 years later. With Six Flags and other places, I prefere going with other people too other than my Dad and Mom or brother. I like those that like to ride roller coasters and other fast tall rides. It's more fun. I wouldn't and don't trust ANY ride at the State Fair though since the last time the Double Ferris Wheel was there in the early 90's or very late 80's. It swayed back and forth too much for me that high in the air and the chairs almost tilted all the way back a few times. NOT FUN!

    CayceKid

    23 Sep 14 at 11:12 pm

  564. When I was 14, in 1971, a friend of mines Father worked the gate at the Sate Fair that carnies used. The week before the fair opened, and all the rides were being assembled, my friend and I would go up there at night and walk around while his Dad worked the gate. We got to see a lot of things that would make one afraid to get on any of the rides, like the guys that were putting the rides together, they all had a bottle in their back pocket and kept drinking throughout the night while putting the rides up.

    Rick

    23 Sep 14 at 11:41 pm

  565. Did you hear about the ride operator at the Fair last year that got "squished" when he went to fix some problem with the ride I think. He went behind the ride and didn't see it coming back down, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. OOPS! Lesson learned...ALWAYS pay attention to your surroundings..especially if you're a ride operator or rider.

    CayceKid

    24 Sep 14 at 5:19 pm

  566. @Rick & CK - I have never, since becoming an adult, gotten on any of those rides at the fair. I was standing around the large roller coaster several years ago and noticed that just as the cars came around the top turn one of the supports would start swaying. We ain't talking a couple of inches either!! We're talking a good half a foot!! All I could say to myself is, "That ain't right." I started picturing the roller coaster scene from the Final Destination movie. I would never trust a ride that gets set up and torn down dozens of times a year by a bunch of drunken sots. BTW, CK, how much you wanna bet the operator that got squished was drunk at the time??

    Homer

    24 Sep 14 at 11:07 pm

  567. Since we're all on a roll about USC, did anyone see in the Free Times today that they won the bid for the 300 acres down around Olympia and the river that the mining company was trying to get its hands on. Wonder what they will build in that flood plain??

    I am a firm believer, if anything happened to USC and Fort Jackson, Columbia would die!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Homer

    24 Sep 14 at 11:13 pm

  568. I have been to my share of USC football games in the past but I will never go to one again. To most conferences, including the SEC, football is a huge business. It's more about the prestige and income than the sport. College football has turned into nothing more than the NFL minors. I remember back in the 80's I could get great seats at Williams-Brice for $20 bucks. And I have no respect for these dumbass people that pay thousands of dollars each year to the Gamecock Club, IPTAY or what have you just to get a sticker to put on the rear window or a reserved parking space. These are the people that have either never had to do an honest days work in their lives or have made their money off of the backs of their employees. I always keep a copy of Columbia Metropolitan magazine in my bathroom in case I run low on toilet paper!!

    Homer

    24 Sep 14 at 11:30 pm

  569. One more comment before I put away the soapbox and vodka for the evening. Concerning USC's no smoking policy. If I am using a public sidewalk or street that happens to be running through the campus, can I smoke? Or does USC think they own those as well? The main reason I ask, is that we have a work related function in November that will be held at the Koger Center. We have already been told that no one can smoke on the property surrounding the building as it is owned by USC. I'm planning on taking my butt up to the sidewalk on Assembly for a smoke break and I'll be damned if some little 'gamecop' is going to tell me I have to put it out because I'm on USC property. Last time I checked sidewalks and roads were either maintained by the city or the DOT, NOT USC!!!!

    Homer

    24 Sep 14 at 11:37 pm

  570. My understanding of jurisdictions is that while USC police do have statewide jurisdiction, collisions (and other issues) on the streets themselves are worked by City of Columbia police as they are city streets...

    Homer has also stimulated a thought within me that a football game is almost as expensive as a mini-vacation to attend and I doubt I'll go to one anytime soon because I don't have anyone to enjoy them with...I did go to several when I was at USC though as a student...

    I enjoyed a few fair rides when I was in Elementary School but I got to where they were more than I could handle and I'm not keen on riding any of them at the fair the last couple of times I've been. The last time I went to the fair the biggest thing I enjoyed was the Krispy Kreme doghnut burger...

    I think big businesses are in control of just about everything we have in this country and I feel like much of our progress is being inhibited by the influence they have on the lawmaking process...

    Andrew

    25 Sep 14 at 12:17 am

  571. @Andrew - the food is what I miss from the fair. When I used to go I would always have a couple of corn dogs, a sausage sandwich with peppers & onions, an funnel cake and a lemonade. I never tried to tackle one of the huge smoked turkey legs but they did look good!!

    Homer

    25 Sep 14 at 12:55 am

  572. I remember Columbia before USC took over everything and everything was torn down on Main Street and Downtown WAS downtown. Unless USC has signs everywhere saying you cant smoke, then they have no right to tell anyone what to do regardless of who they think they are. Just because they're "King of the Hill" at this time, doesn't mean that 10 years from now they will be. What's gonna happen when Spurrier retires from Football? Will USC return to its former self where they don't win many games at all? Time will tell.

    CayceKid

    25 Sep 14 at 1:01 am

  573. Oh..and I've always called the USC Cops and 5 Points Cops (back in the 70's) "Jr. Space Cadets". Most cops are villains...sly villains.

    CayceKid

    25 Sep 14 at 1:03 am

  574. CayceKid - I was just thinking about a Cop I knew back in the 80's. I had a 1976 Corvette for sale and he called me wanting to come look at it. After he arrived at my house, with his 10 year old son in tow, he wanted to take it for a test drive and to a mechanic friend of his. He was gone about two hours and when he returned he said he did not want it because his mechanic buddy told him the T-Tops leaked, which THEY DID NOT. I found out later his 10 year old son liked Corvettes and wanted to ride in one.
    He could have just told me that instead of putting on a big production. As you said... Sly, and that's being nice.

    Rick

    25 Sep 14 at 3:20 am

  575. Homer - I'm not about to go after one of those turkey legs either. What I miss most about the fair is when they sold beer. We would walk around have a few cold ones, play some games etc.
    Then it got to the point where some of the younger crowd, and some older ones too, were getting sloppy drunk and ruined it for the rest of us.

    Rick

    25 Sep 14 at 5:11 am

  576. Have you heard that the old Kmart building on FT. Jackson Blvd is going to have Marshalls, Michaels, Petsmart and a few other retailers in it. I didn't know that old building was that big on the inside, but I guess it is. I'm surprised they didn't tear it all down and start all over again. Speaking of Cops here in Columbia, most cops are really jerk-offs and overstep their bounds because they think they can get away with things just because they hide behind a badge. I couldn't care less personally. Anyhow speaking about the Fair, seems to be where it's trying to become more "family friendly" again to attract more people...but still, the way those rides are put together, I don't trust most of them. The only safe things to do other than the games, is maybe the Glass House, Haunted House rides and a few more. Or if you wanna be safe, just walk through the old "Steel Building" and the Canty Building and look around. I miss all the free stuff they used to give away back in the 60's.

    CayceKid

    25 Sep 14 at 9:16 am

  577. What was the name of the old Mercury/Cougar car dealership in 5-Points in the 60's through I guess the late 70's? Who ran and owned it, and what became of them? And what year did Marion Burnside Plymouth close on Garners Ferry? I remember these places, but it's been a long time. I'm 56 years old and senile now.

    CayceKid

    25 Sep 14 at 9:31 am

  578. KCkID - "Peanut" Wilson Lincoln Mercury.
    And since there has been some chatter about The State fair here recently allow me to say, I was at the State fair in 1971 and Peanut had some of his cars displayed in the "Cantey" Building (I believe it was called), there was one car that "Blew me away", it was called a Pantera, mid engine, 351 Clevland engine, Italian designed and only sold at "Your Lincoln Mercury Dealer."
    And if the car didn't blow me away, the price did.
    $10,000.00 ten thousand bucks.
    For a 14 year old kid that "Loved anything on wheels" with a engine plus horsepower, I was floored.
    Ten thousand bucks might as well have been ten million bucks.
    Looking back, if someone had 10 grand, bought one and sat on it, well geez.

    Rick

    25 Sep 14 at 10:10 am

  579. Speaking of car shows, there was one at the Coliseum I think back in 1971 where I saw some pretty far-out cars and paint jobs. Nascar's Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborogh were there also signing autographs too. I got both of them to sing a couple things for me. It was something else for a 13 year old kid to see for sure.

    CayceKid

    25 Sep 14 at 10:54 am

  580. Speaking of things of the past.. how many are old enough to remember the little Sinclair Gas Station on the corner of Assembly and Blossom St. back in the early to mid 60's?

    CayceKid

    25 Sep 14 at 10:56 am

  581. How do I post pictures on here of what was here in Columbia if I have some that I don't think others have seen before?

    CayceKid

    25 Sep 14 at 12:32 pm

  582. I don't think you can. Only Ted can. You can post a link to pictures, but not the actual image. I would guess that that's an option that Ted has turned off--and considering some of the spam he gets, it's probably a good idea. You can email it to him, though, and he can then post if he wants to.

    badger

    25 Sep 14 at 4:00 pm

  583. @cayceKid -- you need someplace to host your image file and then you can use the HTML "img" tag in a comment to pull it in. It should be possible to do it from flickr or some other photo host.

    ted

    25 Sep 14 at 11:20 pm

  584. @ted - I'm going to have to try the IMG tag. I've always posted links from my photobucket account. Are there any moderation issues like there are with links?

    Homer

    26 Sep 14 at 12:10 am

  585. @caycekid - Sinclair was the company that used the dinosaur as a logo, right? When I was a kid we had a thermometer that hung outside the kitchen window that had the dinosaur and I think it was for Sinclair.

    Homer

    26 Sep 14 at 12:13 am

  586. I read more about the $3million, 300 acre purchase USC made down around Olympia today. They are talking about putting practice fields and some kind of intramural setup down there. Come on people, it's a flood plain. Every time the Congaree decides to overflow what's this place going to look like?? WTF??

    Homer

    26 Sep 14 at 12:20 am

  587. My Dad an I used to go to every car show that was held at the fairgrounds. I was there to look at the hot rods and he was there to look at the antique rides. I learned a lot about old vehicles from him. His first car was a Model A and he loved to explain to me how every little thing worked on one. Good memories!

    Homer

    26 Sep 14 at 12:24 am

  588. @Rick and all of the other twisted souls on here - this has nothing to do with any of the topics on here, but my WTF comment made me think of something that you might get a kick out of. I was watching Patton on TCM tonight and one of the fender flags/placards, whatever you want to call them, on his vehicle had WTF stenciled on it. I almost spit out my drink!! I can only imagine the him driving into an encampment and all of the soldiers going "It's Patton, WTF?". I wonder what it was an acronym for in WWII?

    Homer

    26 Sep 14 at 12:34 am

  589. @Homer,

    I'm not entirely sure. I know that comments with more than two actual links "href" tags get put in the moderation queue and I have to approve them manually, I'm not sure about img.

    Give it a shot. Try to keep it <= 600 pixels wide.

    If you do "view source" on this comment you should see the HTML code for these two examples:

    Image Only:

    Image link that clicks through to full size:

    ted

    26 Sep 14 at 12:52 am

  590. Homer - Your comment 26 Sep 14 @ 12:34 am, thanks for the compliment. I enjoy being a twisted soul in my old age. Really, thanks, I'm not being sarcastic. You know as well as I do, with age we become more comfortable with who we are.
    Just like so many in their younger years, we might worry too much about what other people may think, causing us to be someone were were not. It's a great feeling to be ourselves and really not give a sh!t what others think, isn't it?

    Rick

    26 Sep 14 at 8:39 am

  591. The old Riverside Inn on Knox Abbott just across the Blossom Street bridge has closed and is in the early stages of demolition. Soon to join it will be the Monterrey Mexican restaurant next door as the land has been sold to developers that are building non-student oriented apartments on the site.

    John

    26 Sep 14 at 9:29 am

  592. I think the Monterrey started off as Sambo's originally, then Denny's. I'm waiting for the old Tremont Motel to be the next thing USC will buy up and tear down and then rename the Blossom St. Bridge " The USC Gamecock Cockaboose Expressway Memorial Williams-Brice Bridge".

    CayceKid

    26 Sep 14 at 12:29 pm

  593. As one of the younger readers of this blog I find myself wondering where the Tremont Motel CayceKid asks about was...

    Andrew

    26 Sep 14 at 3:05 pm

  594. That was the previous incarnation of the Riverside Inn to us old fogeys.

    badger

    26 Sep 14 at 7:04 pm

  595. My mom got a cocktail at Monterrey's the other night and inquired about the aforementioned. They will be closing in 2-3 weeks and moving to Parkland Plaza across the street.

    Beth

    26 Sep 14 at 9:05 pm

  596. When Parkland Plaza WAS Parkland Plaza in the 60's, other than Colonial Grocery, and the Grant Store, what was the name of the Pharmacy that used to be there? I don't remember what else was there though due to that's been nearly 50 years ago and I was around 6 years old, and it all looked the same to me.

    CayceKid

    26 Sep 14 at 9:30 pm

  597. Parkland Pharmancy

    skysguy

    26 Sep 14 at 9:39 pm

  598. I understand that they had Parkland Pharmacy that was there for many years but then the owners decided to retire in 1995...a typical case of a senior adult just deciding it was time (from what I've heard in talking with different senior adults the way I have, you know it when it's time) and it sold out to Revco...then in 1997 Revco sold out to CVS...CVS occupied their spot until 2009 when they built on the site of the former Cinderella HoJo (Howard Johnson's).

    The aforementioned got me to thinking about a longing Gerald Celete had for a day where pharmacies that are locally owned start opening up as opposed to the chains like CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc. as that will allow people to prosper again...akin to how there used to be 'stationery stores' in lieu of a Staples....

    Then in 2013 Jewlery Warehouse moved from their longtime location on Platt Springs Road into their spot...Garnet & Black Traditions also established themselves in a former Hi-Lites next door.

    Andrew

    26 Sep 14 at 9:46 pm

  599. Don't forget Howard's department store (an offshoot of Belk's) and the bowling alley (is it still there?).

    Homer

    26 Sep 14 at 11:20 pm

  600. I stayed at the Riverside Inn once when I was managing a stage for the Three Rivers Music festival one year. Man, what a dive. All that was missing were the ho's but they were probably over at whatever the old Ho-Jo's was at the time.

    Homer

    26 Sep 14 at 11:25 pm

  601. A cousin was staying there while attending some meetings at USC recently and said she just didn't feel safe and had to re-locate.

    ted

    26 Sep 14 at 11:43 pm

  602. I'm sure the old Tremont Motel was a decent one back in the 50's or early mid 1960's before things changed. I know Tri- City was right good back then, and you also had Putt-Putt over there, Love Chevrolet, Lums, A&P, McDonalds, and then up from there was/is Kmart. I know there was a record store in Tri-City near Zesto's, but that would have been back in 1966 or 1967. The Ho-Jo Restaurant was a good place to go to back then too, plus Swain's was still in the area.

    CayceKid

    27 Sep 14 at 12:01 am

  603. Does anyone other than me remember or sort of remember some kind of ice cream or hamburger joint that was to the left side of A&P back in the early or mid 60's? I can vaguely remember the place, but don't remember the name of it now.

    CayceKid

    27 Sep 14 at 12:05 am

  604. Which A&P? There was a Deli to the left of the Trenholm Plaza one at one time. And Edisto ice-cream across from it.

    ted

    27 Sep 14 at 1:08 am

  605. Riverside was terrible when I stayed there. The more I think about it, I think it was 2006. It was the last year for 3 Rivers. My stage was on the Blossom St. bridge so I wanted to find a place close by and cheap. When I got there the carpet was wet. God knows what they had to shampoo it for, but I have a pretty good idea. I found several beer bottle caps scattered around the room. Believe me, I checked the bed out thoroughly before climbing into it. I didn't really feel unsafe, but like I said, this was '06. A lot can change in 8 years.

    Homer

    27 Sep 14 at 2:01 am

  606. @Rick, Amen brother!! I wasted too many years trying to fit in with what was considered 'cool' for the time period. Now, I just don't give a d@mn. If you don't like me for who I am or how I look, then to hell with you!!

    To quote Popeye again - "I yam what I yam and tha's all what I yam".

    Homer

    27 Sep 14 at 2:06 am

  607. The A&P I'm referring to is the one that used to be over in Cayce. It was/is Jo-Anns? now I think. This time period would have been around 1963-64.

    CayceKid

    27 Sep 14 at 9:24 am

  608. @Homer. I agree with you 100%. I'm too old to worry about what others think or say about me, just because my last name is Bazemore and my dad taught at Irmo.

    CayceKid

    27 Sep 14 at 9:36 am

  609. For what it is worth I hate to see the old Tremont go because it is a unique example of 50s-60s architecture. Plus I love the way it was landscaped with all the trees there. It is a shame that it was allow to go downhill.

    Tom

    27 Sep 14 at 1:01 pm

  610. Despite being a good 3 decades younger than Homer, Rick and CayceKid (something I accept with a 'play the cards you're dealt' type of attitude)...I've managed to adapt an approach of I am who I am and that's all I know how to be...somehow, I managed to (despite this philosophy) be the 'kid everyone knew' in High School...it still boggles my mind as to how that happened...

    Andrew

    27 Sep 14 at 1:02 pm

  611. @Homer, yeah, that's the kind of thing she was talking about, and women (rightfully I think) tend to evaluate that as "unsafe neighboorhood" were we might just say "gross".

    ted

    27 Sep 14 at 1:41 pm

  612. I'm also a History "nerd". I like Columbia history on what was and what few things are still around that haven't been torn down in the past 50 years. Anyone else into Columbia history? It would be nice to find someone on here that likes to go "exploring" around Columbia and take pics. of the old things that are still around.

    CayceKid

    27 Sep 14 at 5:04 pm

  613. and by "OLD" things..I don't mean people my age.

    CayceKid

    27 Sep 14 at 5:05 pm

  614. @ CayceKid - I am a doctoral student in the History Department at USC. ABD (All But Dissertation) status. Teaching History of Science and Technology.

    A few of my colleagues work for the Historic Columbia Foundation and the Historic Houses. Many of them are working with SC History Advocates to save city landmarks from demolition such as the Palmetto Compress Warehouse. Others are working on the SC State Hospital Project.

    James

    27 Sep 14 at 10:54 pm

  615. Also @ CayceKid - There is an old Sinclair Gas Station in Lexington at the corner of West Main Street and Park Road across from the new Cook Out. It is currently operated as a used car lot called Auto Station, but it still has the Sinclair dinosaur logo on the sign.

    James

    27 Sep 14 at 11:02 pm

  616. Like CayceKid, I'm into the history of Columbia as well. I only wish that I had the time to go to the library and do research on the old architecture that is (or was) in the Vista, Main St., 5 Points and W. Cola/Cayce. I've probably got some photos in a box somewhere that would be interesting. I used to keep my camera in the trunk of the car back in the day.

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 12:45 am

  617. @James - I would love to have that Sinclair sign. They would probably want an arm and a leg for it considering what those old signs can bring in.

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 12:46 am

  618. Attention: this is a test to see if I can use the IMG tag to post a picture as Ted stated. Remember this is only a test....

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 12:52 am

  619. @ted - tried the IMG tag and it didn't work. Any ideas? I don't think the dimensions were too big, but maybe they were.

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 12:54 am

  620. Was Sinclair the station that would put a styrofoam ball on the car antenna as advertisement? I remember the attendant unscrewing the antenna cap and sticking this ball in its place. The twist was that this screwed up the AM reception, in fact the only reception that we had in the early 60's. The chaps who replaced them didn't understand that they dissipated static at speed.

    About the fair rides. Does the state regulate the safety of the rides? I remember 40 to 50 years ago hearing about rides losing safety pins and injuring or killing riders. It seemed that a season wouldn't pass without someone getting killed there.

    Joelc

    28 Sep 14 at 12:58 am

  621. I've seen that old Sinclair gas station a lot of times when going through Lexington. It looks to be from the 1940's or even the 1930's. What ever became of the Phillips '66 gas stations? what year did they disappear? Or even the SOC gas stations?

    CayceKid

    28 Sep 14 at 1:00 am

  622. On the rides at the State Fair. I don't trust them at all. Back in the late 60's I think, a ride called the "Flying Coaster" fell apart and either killed or injured some people riding it. It would go around a steel track on a single wheel on the bottom, go up a ramp and jump in the air. There were 6 or so "coasters" on the ride, but one day, it jumped the ramp and kept on going. They didn't have that ride the following year.

    CayceKid

    28 Sep 14 at 1:05 am

  623. I don't miss that old wobbly Double Ferris Wheel either. One year though, they had TWO of those things side by side. NEVER AGAIN will I ride something like that. I'll go to Six Flags or Carowinds, but not on the rides at the State Fair.

    CayceKid

    28 Sep 14 at 1:08 am

  624. Speaking of historical things that Columbia has stupidly torn down in the past, at least Charleston has saved most of theirs over the years..not all, but still more that Columbia has saved. I wont mention a certain "Mayor" that during his period that MOST of the buildings downtown were demolished or changed their outside looks to where you don't know what they used to be. And the MOST stupid thing was to take SIX lanes from main street and narrow it to what it is now with those ridiculous monster sized medians in the road. It's like tryin' to drive an 18 wheeler down a hall way.

    CayceKid

    28 Sep 14 at 1:12 am

  625. @CayceKid - man, I wish my Dad were still around. He could answer all kinds of questions about old stuff - especially on the Lexington County side of the river.....

    @Joelc - the state is supposed to inspect the rides before the fair opens and periodically while it's here. But, we all know how state agencies function around here.

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 1:13 am

  626. @CayceKid - remember those huge towering street lights that used to be in the median down Main St.

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 1:16 am

  627. @Homer,

    I don't see any IMG tag in that comment anywhere.

    ted

    28 Sep 14 at 1:28 am

  628. @ted - it disappeared totally. I cut the tag from the Photobucket page. Maybe I should have coded it myself without all of the extraneous junk that Photobucket appends to it. I'll try again tomorrow and see if I can get it to work.

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 1:30 am

  629. @ted - here's the text of the IMG that I copied from Photobucket (asterisks replace the tag delimiters). Do you see anything wrong with it?

    I downloaded the image to Paint Shop and the dimensions are 500x444.

    *img src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o249/cartman2112_1958/belkchristmas_zps2f55791e.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo belkchristmas_zps2f55791e.jpg"/*

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 1:45 am

  630. The streetscaping for Main Street was done by a Greek cityscape consultant. I don't recall his name, but he went by one name only, and it started with an X.

    Here' an obit of the person who designed the Main Street lights. Since they were already in place by the time I moved to Columbia, I'm not able to appreciate the dislike for them.
    http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/26/theater/abe-feder-master-of-lighting-in-all-its-forms-dies-at-87.html

    badger

    28 Sep 14 at 8:34 am

  631. BTW, I was referring to the original streetscaping that reduced main street to two lanes, not the one from about 10 years ago.

    badger

    28 Sep 14 at 11:22 am

  632. The tall hideous lights that were put downtown from what I remember were bought at a bargain price, and to supposedly to help with "crime" being less. All it did was block the view of main street and that's when the lanes were reduced from 6 down to 4? and then the sidewalks were expanded outward and that took care of two lanes which leaves the ones you see now. I think Bob Coble had something to do with that, or maybe the Columbia City Council? or someone of that affect. Anyhow, regardless of who's idea it was, it was a stupid one. And the trees downtown blocking more views aren't the first time this has happened. If you look at old pics. of Columbia from the early 1900's, there were trees downtown, but the road was wider than it is now. With these tall buildings, downtown cant get ANY sunlight. It's always in the shade, and like a wind tunnel. But then again...what else did you expect? Dutch Square killed off downtown shopping and Columbia Mall finished what was left of it.

    CayceKid

    28 Sep 14 at 11:47 am

  633. As the saying goes, " If it aint broke, don't fix it". But those in charge of Columbia do what they do without anykind of brains thinking they're improving things. There's nothing wrong with the way things were and looked downtown. I don't know what to think about it now, and it's become obsolete.

    CayceKid

    28 Sep 14 at 11:50 am

  634. @ted - I'm going to try posting an image from a site that I maintain for a friend using the IMG tag. No extraneous crap, just a basic IMG tag. Here goes...

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 11:28 pm

  635. @ted - nothing.... I'll have to look back at your post....

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 11:29 pm

  636. @ted - I looked in the page source and the IMG tag didn't show up. Do me a favor and try to post this image....

    *img src="http://www.ryanspirit.com/autumn3.jpg"*

    once again where the asterisks replace the HTML delimiters.

    Here's what shows up from my post in view source...

    *li id="comment-1902277" class=""*

    *div class="commentText"*
    *p*@ted - I'm going to try posting an image from a site that I maintain for a friend using the IMG tag. No extraneous crap, just a basic IMG tag. Here goes...*/p*
    */div*

    *div class="commentAuthor"*
    *p**strong*Homer*/strong**/p*
    *p**small*28 Sep 14 at *a href="#comment-1902277"*11:28 pm*/a* */small**/p*
    */div*
    *div class="clear"**/div*
    */li*

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 11:49 pm

  637. @Joelc - the only styrofoam antenna toppers I recall were Union 76 gas stations and Hardee's that used to throw a 'happy star' logo in the sack with your meal.

    Homer

    28 Sep 14 at 11:57 pm

  638. @Tom - I have an affinity to old motels for, if nothing more, than nostalgia's sake. Vacations, when I was a kid, consisted partly of finding the cheapest motel that was close to the attractions we wanted to visit. Like you said about the Tremont/Riverside, most were nicely landscaped, furnished efficiently and offered enough amenities to keep you comfortable for your stay. I remember that the first thing I would look for after we got a room was the Gideon Bible that was in, seems like, every motel in America. It's a shame that the ones that are left have been taken over by prostitutes, drug dealers, one night stands and the like. Like I've said on here before, if the room doors open to the outside, I'm not staying there.

    Homer

    29 Sep 14 at 12:09 am

  639. @CayceKid - referring to you "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comment. I only venture downtown when I absolutely have to. Last year when I was going through all of the probate stuff with my Dad's passing I found myself down there more than probably the last 10 years.

    Main St. is pretty, but not functional. The last time I was down there was just at the time all the homeless were lined up at the Oliver mission for supper. I actually had a chance to sit on a bench and enjoy a chicken sandwich from Drake's in peace.

    One of these days, I want to venture up to Greenville and see what all the hubbub is about the way they have revitalized their downtown area. The last time I was up there was about 20 years ago and, even then, they had Columbia beat.

    The biggest problem in Columbia is that Benjamin and hit council cronies can't keep their noses out of things that they have no business in.

    I think they finally have a police chief that could clean up that hot mess of a PD the they have had for way over a decade. But, no, even with the shutdown of the drug lab due to incompetence, the mayor and council still have try to pry into that issue which they should have nothing to do with.

    Columbia's leaders are so corrupt that it ain't even funny. Following right behind them are the mayor/council fiasco's in West Columbia and Chapin. Even though you don't hear about them Irmo is not much better.

    I won't even attempt to comment on Tricky Nikki and her shenanigans at the state level!!!

    Soap box under the bed once again!!!!

    Homer

    29 Sep 14 at 12:34 am

  640. @homer -- hmm. Apparently it works for me because I am 'administrator' but for other folks the IMG tag gets stripped out.

    Let me research this a little, maybe I can finesse it with a plugin.

    ted

    29 Sep 14 at 1:58 am

  641. Irmo Cops are just as corrupt as any of them. All small towns are speed traps that you always have to watch out for. Downtown Columbia has outlived its usefulness, and the dummies that run Columbia have ZERO clues as to how to do things. As the saying goes : Too many Chiefs, and not enough Indians. Turbeville is a speed trap also, and I really think it's worse than the one horse town of North. Winnsboro isn't much better. It's always best to leave well enough alone, but Columbia just cant do that. I don't trust "T-bone" Benji, I don't trust Tricky Nikki Haley, and I don't trust the Fuzz/Cops/Jr. Space Cadets that roam the streets of 5 points or downtown or USC.

    CayceKid

    29 Sep 14 at 3:47 pm

  642. Actually ETV did a special on Columbia I think back in 1966 or could have been 1964 that they still show every so-often, and even then...IT WAS BORING! Other than seeing how downtown used to be and look which is interesting, it shows a lot of construction things, and a couple riding on a motorcycle through some area of town, and it shows people around the downtown area, but as said.. IT'S BORING. OH, they do show the "Carolina Queen" that used to take people up and down main street back then. But still...it's BORING.

    CayceKid

    29 Sep 14 at 3:51 pm

  643. Former WIS-TV anchor Gene Upright is the narrator of that special.

    CayceKid

    29 Sep 14 at 3:52 pm

  644. Homer got me to thinking how the stretch of Main Street between Laurel and Gervais doesn't have the best traffic flow it seems...don't get me wrong I see the need for the parking but I don't see current two-lane flow as the most efficient way of doing things...not only that, the traffic signal at Main & Gervais could stand an overhaul...the Gervais onto Main Street turn signals are designed in a manner that creates (IMO) an inefficient traffic flow where while the left turn onto Main Street signal is on, the traffic headed straight on Gervais (on the same side of that intersection) still has the red light and the same is true with the right turn on the opposite side of the intersection) and I'd love to see that overhauled.

    I've gotten a speed trap vibe about Elgin...several people (before WLTX's comments went to Facebook) left me with that feeling about South Congaree...I have a couple of friends that feel that way about Chapin. That being said I think we often under-appreciate what police do because I know they do so many things on a daily basis that I don't have the emotional capacity for...

    I generally speaking tend to have a favorable opinion of Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) but now find myself contemplating that public office positions tend to attract people that aren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the box. There has been science since the spring of 2003 to prove politicians lie. I wish I knew how to go about it, but I wish we had better systems in place for we the people to demand better accountability of our elected officials...

    Andrew

    29 Sep 14 at 4:34 pm

  645. What's up with WIS TV? I don't see many (if any) cars parked around the front of the place nearly as much as I used to. Is it still in full operational mode? or have they cut back on staff and personnel ? And how WOLO can fit all of what they have into that small space where they are now I'll never know.

    CayceKid

    29 Sep 14 at 5:23 pm

  646. WIS has had constant personnel changes since Raycom took over...my understanding is the higher ups in Raycom lead to the departure of David Stanton and Ben Hoover...I've concluded (esp. since Ben Hoover left) that until WISTV can divorce themselves from Raycom Media that these problems will continue...I'm not as familiar with the WOLO situation except they had a period of time where their broadcasts were done out of Charlotte after vacating their Shakespeare Road studio...

    I wish I knew how, but somehow we need to put the local back in local TV news and radio stations...make it where they are locally owned and not by some company in another state...keyword in local radio being local...

    Andrew

    29 Sep 14 at 6:08 pm

  647. Rolling back FCC rules on local market media ownership would do that pretty much overnight, but it's nearly impossible for that to happen given the size of the companies (or rather, their checkbooks) that would have to scale back their operations.

    Jason

    29 Sep 14 at 7:41 pm

  648. Well, I am having trouble finding what I am looking for in Columbia, so I will post here and see if anyone has any suggestions.

    My 12th Anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks and I cannot find a DECENT restaurant that is open on Sundays other than Harper's and Solstice Kitchen. I'd like to have a third option. We will be celebrating as a family, so a kid's menu is also needed. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Places like Cola's and Ristorante Divino weren't open on Sunday and Blue Marlin and Motor Supply Company didn't have a kid's menu that I could find.

    Thanks.

    James

    29 Sep 14 at 10:31 pm

  649. Speaking of our local politicians, and the US Government politicians as well. The majority of the people voted for them, what does that tell you about the majority?
    I sure didn't vote for the ones that are in office now, but maybe the ones in there now could be the lesser of the two evils.
    If that is true, something needs to change.
    In most cases it seems like whoever has the most $$$ is able to convince the general public to vote for them. I say everyone should get the exact same amount of money to use for advertising etc. when running for office, then lets see what happens.

    Rick

    29 Sep 14 at 11:34 pm

  650. If it makes you feel better, the majority didn't vote for any of them. The majority of the people who bothered to vote did, so there may yet be hope for the hearts and minds of the majority. Just wish there was a way to get them out of their houses one Tuesday a year.

    Jason

    30 Sep 14 at 6:25 am

  651. And James, I got nothing. No kids, so we've never really had to consider a kid's menu when we go out.

    Jason

    30 Sep 14 at 6:31 am

  652. Jason - I considered the possibility that many did not bother to vote due to one candidate being as corrupt as the next so "What's the Point", why should we waste our time?
    This could have well been the thought process for many, as I have considered this same question previously myself.

    It's a damn shame there is not a worthy candidate for miles around. We have become the land of the offended and the home of the afraid. It was bound to catch up with us.
    The majority has become to languid.
    This is due to the people that have too much time on their hands, LIKE THE ONES NOT WORKING FOR A LIVING, they just wear us down, by placing blame, while we are to tired to fight back because we are working our ass off, and they live off the government, AKA, mine and your tax dollars.
    SOB's

    Rick

    30 Sep 14 at 7:14 am

  653. I just have one more thing to say. I'm around the 30% tax bracket, I have worked hard to take care of my family the way I do, and for what? My reprisentatives, police, roads and insurance coverage is not worth a damn. Garbage service and school taxs cost way to much for the service recieved.
    I even pay to much for the zoo, Midlands Tech and public library which is out of touch, for what? What am I getting out of it all? Nothing, that justifies the cost. It's all about the people that do not have anything, and spreading the wealth.
    I grew up as poor as the next. I worked where ever I could to make a legal dollar. It is not my fault. KMA.

    Rick

    30 Sep 14 at 7:29 am

  654. Midlands Tech was a good thing for me (I went there for 3½ years) and still feel like it one of the best decisions I made.

    One of my neighbors told me several years ago that he felt the roads here "left a lot to be desired." I further have an aunt that felt that the money being used to establish a new baseball team here would have been better used to improve the roadways...I admittedly don't have very many ideas as to how but I think it was absurd to have the 'no left turn' at Assembly and Greene Streets and also the Gervais onto Harden (direction opposite of Five Points) has the same prohibition for reasons beyond me...in addition, I think the intersection of Main & Gervais needs to be reworked...When Assembly was being streetscaped, I felt like that money would have been better used widening Hard Scrabble as I have sensed the need from my Northeast Richland outings...

    I'm really liking an idea Andy Rooney had to establish a position in the presidential cabinet that does literally nothing but reduce government waste...

    Andrew

    30 Sep 14 at 12:06 pm

  655. Crocker Dentistry at 2441 Mineral Springs Road is apparently no more. Their sign at the corner of 378 and Mineral Springs in Lexington says they are now all Smiles dentistry. It seems there are a lot of "All Smiles Dentristy" around the country, but the logo on the sign did not resemble any of the logos I saw online while trying to find out if this was a larger corporate entity. It is hard to say whether this is just a name change or if Crocker sold out and is now loosely under a parent company.

    James

    30 Sep 14 at 2:49 pm

  656. I've heard rumors that both locations of BikeStreet USA are closing and selling all of their inventory in the store. These were formerly Harrell's and Bike to Nature before they were acquired by this Florida chain a couple years ago. Apparently all are closing, including locations in the upstate.

    Aaron

    30 Sep 14 at 8:48 pm

  657. Living in Lexington-Richland district 5, I have always had to put up with the exorbitant school taxes that are placed upon the public. This has always pissed me off to no end. It seems that the money being pumped into the school system is hardly ever used to further education of the students.

    It's all about building bigger and fancier campuses. Look at the new auditorium going up at Irmo High. Looks like a friggin' mini Koger Center. And now I hear that Chapin High wants one now. I'm surprised that the football stands haven't been replaced by a mini Willims-Brice. After all, it's been there sine the 70's.

    Every summer the re-landscape all the school grounds. WHY?

    Irmo Elementary recently completed building a new complex behind the original 1930's school (which would have been demolished years ago if it weren't for public cries to save it for historical purposes (same thing should have been done for the old Columbia High). The thing that kills me is that in order for the to build the new complex they demolished the one that was just built in the 90's. Now that's your tax dollars hard at work!!

    The poor teachers have to buy their own supplies while they are handing out i-Pads like candy to a bunch of hellions that probably break or lose half of them during the school year.

    Bottom line is, the biggest waste of money are the people on the school board who promote and allow the wasteful spending to continue. All while the quality of education and discipline continues to decline every year.

    Homer

    30 Sep 14 at 11:10 pm

  658. Oh, one more thing, I don't think that senior citizens should have to pay any property taxes, especially to schools. Also anyone that has no kids in school should pay at least a reduced amount of taxes going to the schools. This is just pissing money into the wind!!!

    Homer

    30 Sep 14 at 11:13 pm

  659. And before I put it to bed, I'm probably gonna piss some people off here. How about the more kids you have in school the more you pay? But then again, there would be a loophole in the tax laws for all the welfare mothers that are spitting out babies every year for a bigger check and everyone else would still be footing the bill for them.

    Homer

    30 Sep 14 at 11:21 pm

  660. I feel like every company needs to do pay their frontline employees better and school districts are the same way with the teachers...Someone on a WLTX comment suggested that these districts consolidate/eliminate positions that "pass papers all day." The amount of paperwork many of them require is producing is creating a higher burnout rate among teachers...

    I graduated from Irmo about 8 years ago and I almost feel as if I'd have a hard time recognizing the place just since I graduated so I can only imagine what Homer must be thinking about it all...I know Irmo has wanted an auditorium/fine arts building like that since at least 2000...

    I've heard that discipline has also gone downhill just since I graduated and that is one thing I don't miss about my high school days...this is also a big reason why teachers get to the point of 'had enough' a lot quicker than they used to...

    Despite my youth, I'm kinda glad I got through high school before smartphones came along...they serve a purpose (don't get me wrong) but I worry about the loneliness that the dependency on all the screens produces in the 30 and under crowd...I've come across a tweet entitled "most important school supplies" with a picture of an iPhone/iPad charger. Quite a few were excited about school starting so they can have an iPad once again from what I can gather as well...

    Andrew

    30 Sep 14 at 11:47 pm

  661. I guess I should count my blessings, but as one can see,
    I can become very unhappy when other people are spending my money on something I disagree with and I feel helpless when it comes to doing anything about it.
    I work to much to demonstrate, boycott or go to council meetings to voice my opinion, which would probably just be a big waste of time anyway.

    Rick

    1 Oct 14 at 12:20 am

  662. I have usually always agreed with most of what Homer has posted, but I'll have to say he's gone off the deep end now and is coming across as a grumpy old coot, someone to be pitied and "ignored". (Not ignored in a bad way, but as in "just let him say what he wants, you know his mind's not what it use to be") To say people who don't have kids or people whose children have completed their education shouldn't have to pay taxes to support the local school is as silly as saying only senior citizens ( whatever that means; over 50,65, 70, retired from the work force) should have to pay money into Social Security/Medicare, or more accurately only those actually receiving money from the SS Administration should have to pay into it, and those who draw more should have to pay more in. Silly!

    Sorry about the political soapbox, Ted. I'm finished. I enjoy your blog, especially since I don't live in Columbia anymore.

    JBL

    1 Oct 14 at 6:06 pm

  663. I knew I'd get someone's goat....hahaha

    Homer

    1 Oct 14 at 8:01 pm

  664. If you truly don't have anything to add to the discussion and your only purpose in life is to "get someone's goat", that is pretty sad. Anyway, maybe you should try not paying your Lex/Rich District 5 taxes this year, see how that works out for ya. And let us know how your goat is getting along every time you drive past that nice new auditorium at Irmo High and that nice new complex at Irmo Elem, and see all that nice new landscaping everywhere. hahaha indeed. God bless the little children, in spite of the bitter old goats.

    But back to Ted's mission, does anyone know what ever happened to the people who opened the German restaurant in the old Sticky Fingers and then later by the Post Office? Did they leave town, will they give it another try anywhere else?

    JBL

    1 Oct 14 at 10:00 pm

  665. JBL I recommend you read the Huller's Irmo page as one of the links on that pages shows a link to the Facebook page explaining what lead them to wind up closing it...

    Andrew

    1 Oct 14 at 10:17 pm

  666. Thanks Andrew. I couldn't remember the name to find it alphabetically.

    JBL

    1 Oct 14 at 10:28 pm

  667. The old Columbia HS was torn down because First Baptist wanted the property to build their NEW "Crystal Cathedral" type building, so everything old behind the original First Baptist was torn down, and across the street too to build that ridiculous parking garage where no one knows what the HELL they're doing or how to deal with large crowds. Irmo High quit being Irmo High after the 1970's. I graduated Irmo in 1977 and the W.C Hawkins Stadium was new. I think it was finished in 1974. Irmo High is getting TOO big for its britches. And while on this subject, I think the most stupid thing is to build YET another Baseball Stadium that's not going to attract didley squirt regardless. I don't know why people keep thinkin Columbia is Charlotte NC or Atlanta Ga. Columbia will never be more than it is or was.

    CayceKid

    1 Oct 14 at 11:24 pm

  668. @JBL - Not that I am bitter, although I am very cynical. I'm just sick and tired of seeing my money and ESPECIALLY my elderly Mom's money being squandered away. And yes, I do believe that the elderly should be entitled to free health care and no taxes at ALL. They have busted their a$$es working all their lives and they deserve a break. Children, as well, should have free health care. Just because the parents can't afford insurance doesn't mean they should suffer the consequences. I know this makes me sound like a bit of a Socialist, but so be it. I possess beliefs of every political wing you can name be it , Democrat, Republican, Socialist or Libertarian.

    OK, time for me to hop on CayceKid's comment!!!

    Homer

    1 Oct 14 at 11:54 pm

  669. My understanding is that the old Columbia HS, despite being on the historic register was a building that needed so many repairs and that factored into why it was torn down...

    Irmo High is still Irmo High but it isn't the same Irmo High as the one that CayceKid (or I for that matter) attended...despite graduating in 2006 I feel as if there are a growing number of elements to it I wouldn't recognize so I can only imagine how CayceKid feels towards it...

    Andrew

    1 Oct 14 at 11:57 pm

  670. @CayceKid - the thing that is probably ticking everyone at Irmo High off is that they have used up all of the property they have access to and the only direction they have to go is up unless they start building on property allotted for parking. Maybe there's some law on the books where they can foreclose via imminent domain the housing development behind the school all for the sake of 'higher education'. If they can find one you know they would use it.

    Speaking of your 'Crystal Cathedral', have you seen the Riverland Hills Baptist Church complex on Lake Murray Blvd. This thing puts most high schools to shame. Baseball fields, tracks, gym, no doubt an auditorium and a sanctuary that, from the size of it, I can only imagine what it looks like on the inside. And all of this was built with hard earned money from a members that are head over heels in debt putting kids through school, and more than likely trying to 'Keep up with the Jones' making sure they have a fancier house or nicer cars than anyone else while the church rakes in all of this money and sits on its tax sheltered kiester. This is what turned me off with organized religion years ago.

    What they need to do in Columbia is revoke the tax sheltered status of the property owners downtown that is raking in tons of money. The city would have more money than they knew what to do with. But, then again, they'd find some way to waste it....

    Glad you're back on here!!

    Homer

    2 Oct 14 at 12:22 am

  671. @Andrew - picture this. When I started school in 1963 all 12 grades were housed in the original Irmo Elementary building. The high school wasn't completed until '64 or '65. The original middle school (where Crossroads is) wasn't completed until I started the 7th grade. By then, the elementary school had portables everywhere on would fit and they had turned the gym into 4 classrooms and a common area by using rolling partitions. When I got to high school they were in the process of building the football stands, the cafeteria, additional classrooms and the gymatorium behind the original buildings. If I recall, the cafeteria didn't open until the I was in the 10th or 11th grade. But by then we all had our licenses and were sneaking off the grounds for lunch.

    As a side note, there was a time when there were not enough students at Irmo or Chapin to make a regulation football or basketball team so the two schools combined forces to make one team. How times have changed!!!

    Homer

    2 Oct 14 at 12:34 am

  672. I have a hard time seeing how NewSpring has prospered (neither has my mom)...

    They had this article speaking to how passionate they are about money and I was turned off by it...

    My Lutheran upbringing has me leaning towards the traditional worship (organ, hymns, etc.) and have a hard time with the contemporary style NewSpring uses despite the fact that they worship more than most Lutheran Churches I'm familiar with...

    Andrew

    2 Oct 14 at 12:39 am

  673. BTW, I couldn't remember how Ted posted the WARQ (93.5) thread so, anyway, I just saw the latest Arbitron ratings and their ratings have dropped since going to Hot AC (whatever the hell that is). Fox 102.3, however, went up almost the same amount. Just goes to show you that rock n rollers will get a fix one way or another, even if the music is 20 or 30 years old.

    And it should make a statement about the sorriness of Columbia radio when Steve-FM is voted the best in the city. Sad state of affairs!!!!

    Homer

    2 Oct 14 at 12:42 am

  674. Homer has wondering how WOMG 98.5 has faired since the geniuses at Cumulus Media decided to switch from oldies to country...I liked many if their hits despite being younger than them but I enjoy B106.7 and have since shortly after I started driving solo...that aside there's no doubt in my mind that they alienated many of their listeners in the process (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if CayceKid was one of them)

    Andrew

    2 Oct 14 at 12:52 am

  675. @Andrew - speaking of non-traditional religion. I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office a couple of weeks ago and they had the 700 Club (or whatever Pat Robertson's latest scam is) on the TV. They were reading letters from from viewers. One was from a person that had an huge goiter in their neck. The doctors were all trying to figure out how to remove it safely without doing any damage to surrounding tissues. They sent a message to Pat to pray for them and lo and behold the goiter was gone the morning after. Give me a break!!!! I almost broke out laughing in the middle of a crowded room.....

    Homer

    2 Oct 14 at 12:59 am

  676. @ Homer-I have a better one. I was once listening to a gospel radio station that was the only thing on in the middle of no where in Florida wher a preacher read a letter from a woman who claimed her husband came home drunk every night, chased her around the house and then beat her. His suggestion?

    Buy running shoes! (I am not making this up!)

    Tom

    2 Oct 14 at 5:25 am

  677. Tom - My suggestion, Buy a Colt.
    And I'm not talking about a horse.

    How about this one?
    Buy a Colt 45. And I'm not talking about a beer.

    Rick

    2 Oct 14 at 6:24 am

  678. There is an article and picture on the front page of the State Newspapers Metro section today showing workers cleaning up debris from the banks of Gills Creek near the old Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard. It states this cleanup is the beginning of the work being done to build the new 98,000 -square-foot shopping center at the site. I used to fish in that creek baqck in the 70's and it was a mess then, so I'm happy to see it being cleaned up.
    The article also says work has begun to remove asbestos from the old Kmart building. I would have bet money on that, as old as the building is, it would have asbestos in it somewhere. I drove by yesterday and saw a sign that said "Marshalls Coming Soon", but we already knew that.

    Rick

    2 Oct 14 at 6:37 am

  679. Homer, STEVE FM has a digital side channel that rocks out pretty good.

    Terry

    2 Oct 14 at 9:51 am

  680. @Homer. You and I must have started at the original Middle School in 1971. I started in the 7th grade fresh out of Heathwood Hall at that time and went the entire time until '77. When my Dad started teaching out in Lexington 5 (as it's called now), Irmo and Chapin, Dutch Fork and Seven Oaks, there was NO band program at all to speak of. My Dad had to combine the Irmo AND Chapin bands to have enough to march in the parades and things back in 1958. Irmo and Chapin combined bands went their separate ways in 1964 when the new school (the current Irmo HS building) opened. What was the original Gym at the High School was converted into the NEW and improved Cafeteria for us I think in 1975. The Stadium was still being built around the existing old field and that was in 1973. I didn't start school until 1964 due to being born in late November of 1958, so I had to go to pre-school for a year, then started kindergarden the following year at the original Heathwood Hall school. My dad can tell you pretty much about what was around when he started teaching out in the Irmo/Chapin Dutchfork area back then of which a lot I'm too young to remember. And speaking of Churches of "today", the ONLY Church that hasn't changed it's looks or size I know of in over 50 years, it Cayce Methodist Church. I attended Sunday School there back in the early to late 60's and sometimes went to what was called " Big Peoples Church". My Dad and Mom sang in the Choir at that time also until we moved to Whitehall. But Cayce Methodist is the only one around that hasn't become pretentious or too big for its britches, and it's not all about the MONEY and Rich everyone is unlike most Churches now like First Baptist downtown. It's all about MONEY MONEY MONEY, and how rich you are and how much you contribute to their Church. And don't get me started on Wendell Estep.. or other areas of that Church. I'm not one to judge, but they sure as HELL have judged me and look at me as someone that doenst know what they're talking about since I'm not rich or don't have any political ties. I'm surprised that my Dad along with Jerry Simms still have anything to do with them since they ARE the only true musicians there.

    CayceKid

    2 Oct 14 at 2:41 pm

  681. Does anyone recall the restaurant that was located where Harper's in Five Points is now located? I believe that it was a 1980s franchise burger joint owned (in part) by former SF 49er Dwight Clark.

    Tony

    2 Oct 14 at 3:42 pm

  682. CayceKid - You mentioned you lived in Whitehall.
    I know it's a long shot but did you know a family whose last name was Reading, maybe Reeding?
    This would have been in the early to mid 70's up until the mid 80's.

    Rick

    2 Oct 14 at 3:46 pm

  683. @CayceKid - In reference to Rick's question, wasn't there a Tracy Reading that went to IHS with us?

    Homer

    2 Oct 14 at 5:36 pm

  684. @Rick.. We lived on Massingale Rd, and with Whitehall being really BIG at that time even in 1968, It's hard to say, but right off hand that name doesn't sound familiar... I knew most people that lived on Massingale Rd, Nottingham, Tram and a couple of others that are near there. Robert Degnan, Billy Harr, Les Smith, Monte Simmons, Wayne Eargle are just a few I remember, but that was in the 70's.

    CayceKid

    2 Oct 14 at 5:37 pm

  685. @CayceKid - I graduated in '76 so I remember everything you mention about the construction that we endured during that period. Like you, I grew up in a small church that believed more in the people than their pocketbooks.

    Homer

    2 Oct 14 at 5:40 pm

  686. @Homer...I may have asked before, but were you in the band? or did you play football? My Roommate David Bellamy graduated in 1975, plus both of us still have the Irmo Annual's
    from that time...which is sort of scary to look at now, and how "grown up" we thought we were.

    CayceKid

    2 Oct 14 at 6:36 pm

  687. @CayceKid - I was in neither. By the time I got to high school I was ready to do nothing more that what I had to to get out. By 3:00 I didn't want to do anything but get the hell away from there. Sort of like I feel at work at 5:00.

    Homer

    2 Oct 14 at 10:42 pm

  688. Homer - Tracy is exactly why I asked about the Readings.
    I did not want to mention her name until I got a reply from CayceKid.
    She had reddish blond hair.
    I cared for her deeply and thought she was the most beautiful and funny girl I had ever met.
    She and I dated in 1976 and 1977.
    I was only 19 when we first started dating. I believe she was 18 or 19, she had already graduated from Irmo.
    I lived on the other side of town and met her at work.
    At the time I was the youngest Manager Burger King in Columbia had ever employed.
    I met Tracy at The Burger King where we both worked across from Dutch Square. We were not supposed to date according to BK's rules. I was her Manager, fraternization was not allowed. We never got caught but, I know her parents were not real crazy about the idea.
    Her parents were very nice people, I was young, did not know how to act around them, and I know they were concerned that Tracy was dating me, a 19 year old kid, long hair, her manager at Burger King, Driving a Convertible Corvette,
    I would have felt the same way.

    I have so many great memories of when Tracy and I were together, like the time we took her little MGB to Maggie Valley for the weekend, that was a lot of fun.
    We enjoyed going to drive in movies and out to dinner.
    She was a great girl.
    I regret Tracy and I did not last, but I married a wonderful girl anyway and we have been together now for 36 years. I think about Tracy often and wonder where she is and what she is doing. The last I heard anything about her, I read in the paper when she got married. I believe it said to a guy that was the district Manager for Waffle House, that was probably around 1978 or 1979.
    Wouldn't it be great if we could talk to some of the people we cared about in the past and have lost touch with?
    Just to see how they are doing.

    Rick

    2 Oct 14 at 11:32 pm

  689. @Rick - I only knew Tracy by name. I can't remember if she graduated a year ahead of me or with me. I know CK was a year behind me.

    About the only time I see anyone that I went to school with is if I break down and go to a reunion. I have only gone to three since graduation. The 5 year was a blast. We had it on the lake and we were all still young enough that we could still party full blast with no regrets. I remember nothing of the 15th. I was drug there by a friend of mine so I got tanked before we even got there. I helped a bit with the planning of the 30th, lined up advertising and did a website for it. But I was not impressed with the way it turned out. I had rented a limo for the night and a friend of mine at work was able to get SEVERAL sleeves of various minibottles for free (no questions) and my closest friends that showed up spent the night drinking with me and my date for free out of the trunk of the limo instead of the crappy cash bar they had inside. Now the big 40 is coming up in '16 and I could care less about going.

    There are a bunch of people I graduated with that are on Facebook, but I'm not into the whole social media thing at all. I have a Facebook account that I rarely sign onto unless someone sends me something. I have a Twitter account that I have never used. And don't even ask me about things like Instagram and Pinterest. I would much rather talk to the people I cared about face to face rather than some IM or Skype conversation.

    Homer

    3 Oct 14 at 12:04 am

  690. Homer - Ditto. I don't even have a Facebook account and would not know how to use it if I did, my wife does. Maybe I should try and see if I might locate some old friends.

    Rick

    3 Oct 14 at 12:17 am

  691. The talk about school reminded me of something. I found a couple of books, one on auto mechanics and a bio of Richard Petty, in the attic a while back that were from the high school library. I checked them out a couple of weeks before the end of the senior year and just never took them back. Since the district is always complaining about a lack of money I wonder if the $1400+ in late fees on these books would help them out???

    Homer

    3 Oct 14 at 12:20 am

  692. Homer - Anyway thanks for remembering,
    just knowing someone else that knew Tracy, or as in your case remembered her name, means a lot to me.
    It was so long ago, sometimes I think it was a dream.

    Rick

    3 Oct 14 at 12:24 am

  693. If you can locate one friend on Facebook it will start blowing up pretty quickly. However they do it, you will start receiving friend requests from people that they befriended that may remember you as well. It snowballed pretty quickly for me. Unfortunately, most of the people that I got requests or notifications from I didn't give a rip about in school.

    Homer

    3 Oct 14 at 12:27 am

  694. Homer - If you've got the spare cash...
    Speaking of books, would you have an old annual with Tracy's picture?
    If so maybe you could shoot her picture to my home e-mail.
    I would enjoy seeing if I remember the way she looked correctly.

    Rick

    3 Oct 14 at 12:31 am

  695. I think fondly of the many high school friends I had...I sat through 7 consecutive graduations to watch them all graduate...but graduation rearing its ugly head meant I was lead in a different direction than them all and still struggle with loneliness as a result...I've been hesitant to get on Facebook and wonder if it'd be worth it...I wish I could connect face-to-face, not pixel-to-pixel though...

    Andrew

    3 Oct 14 at 12:36 am

  696. I lost my senior yearbook a long time ago. I have the other three somewhere in the attic. Next time I'm up there I'll look for you.

    Homer

    3 Oct 14 at 12:36 am

  697. No hurry, Thanks.

    Rick

    3 Oct 14 at 12:44 am

  698. Got it written on a post-it note, Rick.

    Homer

    3 Oct 14 at 12:45 am

  699. @Andrew - obviously you had a much larger social circle that I had in school. I fit in equally well with the nerds and the miscreants, but not most of the 'popular' kids.

    Homer

    3 Oct 14 at 12:48 am

  700. Most (not all) of the people that went to Irmo, had the reputation of being snotty stuck up rich kids with an attitude the size of South Carolina. If you didn't fit in with them or the "in crowd", they had nothing to do with you. And in my case, being the Band Directors Kid or Mr. Bazemore's kid, that right there put me in the category of not being accepted by most, but I did make some ok friends at that time, but most of the older ones (17-18) hated me and thought I was some kind of re-tard and had no musical talent at all. Not that I could care what others think about me now and really dont have the time to think about it. Last year, I went to my first IRMO HIGH reunion in over 30 years, and it was a mistake. It was ALL the classes from 1970-1977. The people that were snotty then are still snotty and stuck up. They haven't changed a bit in 35+ years and are as ugly as sin. I will never attend another High School Reunion of the 70's for the rest of my time on this earth. I hated Irmo in the 70's and I cant stand and detest it even more-so now.

    CayceKid

    3 Oct 14 at 9:30 am

  701. CK is wound up this morning.

    Terry

    3 Oct 14 at 9:49 am

  702. Some things just strike a nerve. I have never been, and will never go to one of my high school reunions.
    Anybody I hung out with when I was in school, I've stayed in touch with anyway. I don't care to see the rest.

    I'd like to see Tracy but, we did not go to school together.

    Rick

    3 Oct 14 at 10:06 am

  703. My 10th is a couple years away...I think I'd enjoy going but how it goes down depends on who makes it...they could do a combined classes reunion of several years around mine (i.e. 2004-09) and it'd still likely have appeal to me.

    My mom got to where she hated the booze hers had and that's one reason why she most likely won't go to any of hers but she thinks I'll go to all of mine...

    Andrew

    3 Oct 14 at 10:42 am

  704. By my senior year at Irmo, I was tired of the whole thing and all the teachers there. It was time to move on..which I did, but there are those that just cant move on with their lives and get over it, and those are the ones with mental issues. Plus some of these girls that thought they were hot stuff in 1977 or earlier, really need to see just how ugly they've gotten. It's more than enough to turn ANY guy gay.

    CayceKid

    3 Oct 14 at 12:12 pm

  705. I never got to the point of had enough with high school (though I can think of several friends that told me they did) but I did reach that point with college because it seemed harder to make friends for me and now I struggle with the feasibility of finding a young adult group to be involved with...

    Andrew

    3 Oct 14 at 1:24 pm

  706. Speaking of College...USC seems to have trillions of people everytime I drive past there along Blossom. I mean they are EVERY where just walkin' around chitter chattin' on their cell phones, I-Phones and things. You have to watch for them walking right out in front of you because they're not paying any attention to where they're walking. And as far as young adult groups to be involved with...I tried it, didn't like it, and so I'm pretty much a loner that doesn't socialize much at all unless there's someone or a few others that are into the same things I am such as Columbia History, or music, etc..

    CayceKid

    3 Oct 14 at 2:41 pm

  707. I haven't been to any of mine - and I changed high schools late in my senior year, so I've really had two reunions two skip each time - but I don't really feel the need to go. One, they're hundreds of miles away, but two, thanks to Facebook I'm in touch with who I want to be in touch with, and oddly enough it's not the same people that were in my circle of friends then.

    My twenty-years will be coming up in a couple of years, and I just don't have much of a desire to go spend an alcohol-free evening (it's a dry county) with a bunch of people who never left their hick town and pretty much turned into their parents.

    Jason

    3 Oct 14 at 2:43 pm

  708. All I can say is that I'm an American History Nerd, Classic TV shows nerd, 60's music nerd/collector, Laurel and Hardy, Marx Brothers, Ritz Brothers and W.C Fields and most of the earlier Abbott and Costello movies fan.I always look for others to hang around with that like these types of things too.

    CayceKid

    3 Oct 14 at 2:46 pm

  709. @Jason.. the Irmo High Reunion I went to last year for the last time was a drunk-fest. All that went to Irmo (most but not all) were and are drunks..always have to have drink in their hands, loud, rude, obnoxious, ugly and boring to tears. I'm the opposite..I don't drink, smoke, do drugs. So to most people I'm boring...but that's ok with me. As Popeye says..I am what I am and that's all what I am. I travel to the beat of a different drum, and to also quote Mama Cass Elliot, I make My own kind of music.

    CayceKid

    3 Oct 14 at 2:52 pm

  710. I can think of folks that graduated the year after me that would be inclined to be drunk types and some of them I look back on and think that it's perhaps just as well that I'm not around them anymore since graduation reared its ugly head...I don't drink, can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke so if that crowd showed up at my HS reunion, I wouldn't last long...

    Andrew

    3 Oct 14 at 3:52 pm

  711. I think I must be the only person who went to a high school in a neighboring county) in which the reunions were organized by the average Joes (and Janes)--and it was the cool/popular kids and their hangers-on who gave the reunions a pass.

    badger

    3 Oct 14 at 5:53 pm

  712. I don't plan on going to anymore high school functions for the rest of my life. Time has moved on..and I haven't seen many of those from 1977 at all. I used to see some of them at the West Columbia Walmart when I started there in 2000, but haven't seen any of them since 2009...and that's no loss.

    CayceKid

    3 Oct 14 at 10:40 pm

  713. Don's was the first bar that lasted in 5-Points, I opened it May 12th, 1964 in order to finish at Carolina. I never intended to stay there the almost 20 years that I did, but the darn place took off and I had to stay there though four additions to the original bar that involve three different street addresses. I went though many ruminations in the later years to get back to a normal life as when you have a young family and a spouse you love the bar business is not condusive to that environment. I opened the Beverage store next to Don's - later Performance Van's of America, where I converted several hundred Van's for local car/truck dealers, it lasted until the Arab Oil Embargo in the 70's. I put the bar up for sale and had a sale for many $$$$$$.$$, but my Dad needed a job and I gave him my majority interests in the bar to him. God blessed me with all I learned building all the bars (The Other Place on Rosewood Drive as well) that a friend of mine and a former Don's bartender got me a job with Daniel's Construction and for a few years traveled from job to job across this land eventually winding up at International Paper in Georgetown, SC and the City of N Myrtle beach for 18 years as Building Official and then Barefoot Landing and finally Burroughs & Chapin where I oversaw new construction projects until my retirement 6 years ago. We have enjoyed life here at the beach, but in Nov will be moving to Georgia to be close to family as we are in our mid 70's now.... Bottom line- there is hope for all those closed up places in 5-Points, it sure is a shame what has happened to my home town city of Columbia and that it appears that after dark in town center and 5-Points it's not a safe place to be.... Come on City official's get your City back to a safe place for USC students and others to frequent places like Don's and others in the 60's, 70's...

    Don Ray

    4 Oct 14 at 5:48 am

  714. I agree with Don Ray.. Columbia was a much better place in the early to mid 60's when you didn't have to really worry about anykind of trouble makers, or trouble making blacks or homeless people. Most people back then (the older crowd) were much more friendly and courteous and people in general were helpful towards one another. But then the late 60's came along, and the civil rights came along and everything changed..and not for the better I might add. Now you have what you have in the downtown area AND 5 Points. I know things don't stay the same, but still it could be a lot better if people weren't so self absorbed in their daily lives and paid attention to things.

    CayceKid

    4 Oct 14 at 11:44 am

  715. Don Ray - You must have been moving out of 5-Points about the time I went in, I was at the corner of Harden and Devine.
    I leased an old Gulf gas station across from Yesterdays and opened a Car Stereo Store, my lease was omly good for six months at a time because the property was for sale, but at $450.00 a month, in the heart of 5-Points, I took a chance. You may remember it. I was only there until January 1984 when the property was sold and eventually became Harpers Restaurant..
    It was fortunate that I was able to aquire a lease on a building at the corner of Two Notch and Beltline and continue. Reading your recent comments reinforces issues I have been dealing with over the past few months, thinking about days gone by and causing a somewhat mild depression and regrets.
    As I reminise about my younger years, I have been feeling sad lately. I'm 57 and I believe you, as am I, are well aware of how fast time goes by.
    It is so sad that as we get older, we realize how we could have made lives better for others as well as ourselves.
    It is almost funny now, thinking back when I was young, lacking lifes experiences, how some of the decisions I made were so wrong, but so obvious now.

    Rick

    4 Oct 14 at 5:49 pm

  716. As Bob Dylan and The Byrds sang about in 1965 " For The Times they are a changin'"... and not for the better I might ad. Or better yet.. the protest song " Where have all the flowers gone".. Anyone else remember the Hippie Hang-out called " THE UFO"?? I remember it, but don't remember when it closed.

    CayceKid

    4 Oct 14 at 10:43 pm

  717. KCkid - I know, lot's of people have similar feelings as I'm having, I've known many. It's just that it's kind of hard to appriciate what others are talking about until it finally "Hits Home".
    Don Ray mentioned that he is in his mid 70's now and it sounds as if he has faired well, as have I to a degree, I just have to keep telling myself "It ain't over yet", at 57 I've still got plenty of time to make good.
    I just that wish I could go back in time now and again.
    As far as the UFO is concerned, I've never heard of it, tell us a little more.
    And attention Ted, I've noticed latley that when ever I post a comment, the time stamp is one hour earlier than the actual time I posted. For example I'm posting this one at 2:05am.

    Rick

    5 Oct 14 at 1:05 am

  718. Okay, it's early in the morning, I can not sleep, no one to talk to, so you guys are my audience.
    Who likes deviled eggs? I enjoy making them now and again.
    Usually when I'm getting ready to watch USC Foootball.
    I made some earlier tonight after reading an article that said "If you enjoy Deviled Eggs, you will love this" It went on to say to make deviled eggs as you normally would but, put a green stuffed olive in before adding the Uh... deviled part.
    I used Jalapeno stuffed olives I got at Ollie's for a buck 29 a jar.
    Who ever came up with that had a GREAT idea, I just ate one and it was "Slammin", that dude must come up with recipes the same way I do, add a little high octane Tequlia and go baby go.

    Rick

    5 Oct 14 at 1:22 am

  719. @Rick and KC - the older I get the more I have realized that I am starting to sounds like my parents. When I was younger, they would always tell me how much easier it was 'back in the day'. Now I'm starting to tell the 'kids' I work with the same thing. And I know, that they just stare at me in disbelief (like I did with my folks) wondering "how did you live like that".

    Things were a lot simpler back in the 60's and early 70's. There were so fewer rules, regulations and laws that you had to mind. To perform any task that, back then, was a direct line from point A to point B is now a maze of paths between A and Z.

    Putting money in the bank was an investment, not a battle to make sure that service charges don't eat away at whatever assets you place in an account. When you bought a product, the manufacturer stood behind it. When you bought insurance, you knew you were covered. Now all the companies do is try to find and loopholes in order to renege on their claims that they made to you.

    When you got a job you were 'personnel' not a 'human resource'. That one term lowers the human equation of an employee to that of a Bic pen. Oh well, we've gotten everything we can out of the pen (or employee). Let's just toss it away and get a new one. One term that retail loves to use that I hate is 'associate'. It makes it sound like they have some kind of say-so in the operation of the company when, in reality, they are just peons at the bottom of the food chain that are trying to survive.

    Homer

    5 Oct 14 at 1:41 am

  720. @Rick - I applaud the entrepreneurial spirit that you posses what having owned several businesses in the past. I recall a comment you made a while back about joining the 'Corporate America' workforce to get you 401k built up for retirement and hating every minute of it. I will be the first to say , "Amen to that, brother". I find it becoming harder and harder every day just to drag my butt out of bed just to face 8 hours or more of political BS and ass covering just so I can, hopefully, retire with a decent income.

    Homer

    5 Oct 14 at 1:48 am

  721. Just to show you how things have broken down over the years....

    I read an article in the Free Times about the whole VA hospital fiasco going on. They had a 'town hall meeting' in Columbia so veterans could air their complaints about the VA and Dorn hospital.

    There was a gulf war veteran that spoke up with his dilemma. He works at the nursing home next door to Providence Hospital (I think it is or was Manor Care). He started having chest pains while at work and they summoned the paramedics. The EMT told him that they were going to take him next door to Providence since that was where Dorn would send him anyway. He ended up having a triple bypass and when he filed a claim with the VA they refused payment because he didn't go to Dorn first.

    If that ain't total BS I don't know what is. The man has risked his life while serving in that powder keg sh!thole over there but could have just have easily died on a trip between hospitals just because of bureaucratic BS. But like I said in the previous post, service providers will look for any out they can to keep lining their pockets with the green.

    Homer

    5 Oct 14 at 2:11 am

  722. Homer - I'm still hating every minute.

    Rick

    5 Oct 14 at 2:39 am

  723. @Rick - I just saw your post about deviled eggs. They are one of my favorites next to potato salad and mac n cheese. I've got a recipe that I am going to try out one day. It may sound disgusting but it has POTTED MEAT in it. Here it is.....

    Potted Meat Deviled Eggs

    Ingredients
    6 hard cooked eggs (cut in half)
    1 (3oz) can potted meat
    1 tsp yellow mustard
    1 tbsp mayonnaise
    1 tbsp prepared horseradish
    1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
    1/4 tsp garlic powder
    Parsley flakes
    Paprika

    Directions
    Remove yolks from eggs.
    Mash yolks; blend in remaining ingredients except paprika.
    Fill egg halves with yolk mixture.
    Sprinkle with paprika.
    Place in refrigerator and chill.

    Homer

    5 Oct 14 at 2:45 am

  724. Homer - I'll give that recipe a try. I've always said potted meat is no worse than balogna, in terms of ingredients.
    Maybe consider trying Underwoods Deviled Ham, thats potted meat isn't it? I'm not sure, I make sanwiches out of UDH quite often. UDH has a long shelf life and whenever it's on sale I'll stock up.

    Rick

    5 Oct 14 at 6:55 am

  725. Anyone old enough to remember when people worked retail in the early to mid 60's and back, when they were a lot more classy and actually knew what they were selling? Everything changed by the late 60's though, and now you see what's around. Try finding that kind of service at Walmart now. No one has a clue to where anything is, or how to help people anymore. The UFO was the local Hippie hangout/underground anti-establishment place to go for those that didn't fit within the "norm" and didn't trust anyone over 30. I think it closed due to it was attracting trouble makers and I can remember protests of somekind going on there during the Vietnam War era. It was just down a little from where the original Manifest Record store was before they moved to Boozer Shopping Center in the old Key Wholesales building. I think the UFO closed in the early 70's. Columbia though was NEVER a hippie haven or the protest center of the US...because no one paid any attention to them to speak of. I'm too young to remember all that back then, because I was only interested in kids stuff/toys and what the newest Cartoon was on Saturday's like " HR Pufnstuf" and other shows.

    CayceKid

    5 Oct 14 at 10:43 am

  726. What Homer and Rick speak to has fueled a fair amount of skepticism towards my future...

    I think too many companies are willing to sacrifice ethics in the name of the almighty dollar and I believe that one day, it will catch up to the executives responsible in some way, shape or form...

    Homer's veteran story reminds me of a guy I encountered while in line at a post office last Christmas where a guy who is a veteran had a hard time getting VA benefit approval and one of the other ladies in line felt it was way unnecessary and that it should be "stamp, approved." I wish I could get into the heads of these VA officials and ask them "WTF are you thinking treating these veterans like this??!"

    I have periodically indulged my nostalgic side in 90s cartoons on YouTube that I remember from watching those shows and there have been quite a few people on those comments that (like me) remember them and some even say something to the effect of 'I wish TV was more like this and not the trash kids have today.'

    Earlier this weekend, I found a forum about cities that used to have airline service but don't anymore and it turns out that there are 658 cities that used to have airline service on 'commuter' airlines of past that don't have it anymore...though a few of them are cases where airline service moved to a nearby airport or a couple of communities wound up consolidating for the better of those communities...and in the last 15-20 years, airlines are turning to contract vendors to fly some of the smaller/midsize ones where you book on the major airline but a crew/aircraft from a contract vendor operates the flight on behalf of the airline (even though the aircraft is painted in the branding of the airline)...

    I'm too young to know about life in the 60s but I am glad that most places now prohibit smoking indoors due to sensitives I have to the smell thereof...part of me wishes we had more face-to-face as opposed to pixel-to-pixel contact but at the same time the methodologies in terms of day-to-day life would liable to be too low-tech for my tastes...

    Andrew

    5 Oct 14 at 12:40 pm

  727. Andrew speaking of changes and major differences from, lets just say the mid 70's until now.
    I choose the mid 70's as a starting point because that is when I was in my teens and that is as far back as memory serves me best.
    Whether good or bad, my comparisons are the way I feel.
    Then and now....
    Auto 2 and 4 ply tires not so good. Now Radials better.
    Auto repair parts, mostly at the Dealership. Now everywhere.
    We would not wear seatbelts. Now would not ride without.
    Asbestos. Now not so good.
    Boy Scouts were great. Now seems like kids do not care.
    Gas/service stations, great. Now Convenience Stores for fuel.
    Gas 0.45 cents a gallon. Now over 3 bucks.
    McDonalds great service, decent food . Now Both suck.
    Unplugged, got news at 7:00p. Now in our face 24/7.
    Communication snail mail or telephone. Now much better.
    Lead/mercury teeth fillings. Now not so poisonous.
    Shopping at Christmas was great, Sears and Roebuck. Now Wal-mart and Amazon.
    Saturday morning cartoons great. Now stupid Japanese junk and 24/7 networks.
    Drive in theaters and theaters on Main street great. Now HBO, Netfix, Multiplexs, etc. It ain't the same.
    Asking for a date in person or on the phone, respectable. Now e-mail, dating sites, social media. Lost the romance.
    Hitch hiking fun. Now get murdered.
    Kids played outdoors in neighborhoods morning 'til dark, rode our bikes everywhere. Now video games, dangerous to ride bikes, just dangerous to be outside.
    Guns for hunting. Now guns for gangsta's.
    Sock hops. Rave parties.
    Smoke a doobie. Smoke a blunt.
    Legal immigrants. Illegal immigrants.
    Respected our elders. Now respect power and money.
    Marriage with children. Now no marriage just breeders.
    Insurance agents who cared & decent rates. Now Obama Care.
    Service after the sale. Now register on line.
    Fight for your dog. Now Dog fighting.
    Not enough information. To much information.
    STD's. Now AID's.
    Mononucleosis. Now Ebola.
    Recyclable pop bottles. Now plastic no one recycles.
    Oceans at beach fine for swimming. Now Bacteria alerts.
    Beach Houses. Condos and mega hotels.
    Swimming holes. Polluted holes.
    Caught fish safe to eat. Caught fish not safe to eat.
    Respecting Teachers. Not respecting Teachers.
    Honorable Teachers. Teachers having sex with students.
    Varga Girls. Hustler magazine.

    But then again there are a lot of good things. Computers are faster. Information is much quicker to access. This can be a good thing or a bad thing like, the idiots that go on line to learn how to make a bomb or cook crack. Or the rag heads that have access to Americas info and where might be a place to attack.
    Cell Phones, I have a love/hate opinion on this. It is VERY nice that my family can contact each other in case of an emergency but they suck when a driver cuts you off on I-77 because they were "On the phone".

    Okay, as you may be able to tell I could go on forever, please add your thoughts on then and now. But speaking of phones,
    A women walks into her kitchen to see her husband stalking around with a fly swatter, what are you doing? I'm hunting flies. Kill any? Yep 3 males and 2 females. How do you know they were male or female?
    3 were on a beer can and 2 were on the phone.

    Rick

    5 Oct 14 at 5:12 pm

  728. Strangest of all, yesterday was the first Saturday morning in almost 60 years without a single Saturday morning cartoon on any of the broadcast networks.

    I think a lot of the differences between now and then are mostly of perception. If the world seems like a more frightening, more dangerous place, it's because we have access to more information, more news, and media who are more concerned with ratings than facts and have found that fear keeps more eyeballs that information.

    But at the same time, technology has powered forward more and faster in the past forty years than at any other time in history, and social mores never had an opportunity to evolve to keep up with one change before the next leap forward took its place.

    I like the aspects of it that have made the world a smaller place, how easy it can be to learn about and even "meet" people outside of the bubble each of us lives in. I'm not fond of how it's now easier to "meet" someone halfway around the world than one across the room, or how common it is at a restaurant for everyone at a table to be looking down at their phones rather than engaging with the people they came with. I feel like that'll get better over time, though, as we learn to live with these little electric miracles we all have in our pockets.

    Jason

    5 Oct 14 at 6:41 pm

  729. I remember $20 being enough to fill up my mom's station wagon back in the 90s...

    I do my share of plastic recycling and while I think there are plenty of people that are, I do think there is too much disposable stuff nowadays...

    Most computer, tablet or smartphone stuff is obsolete within 3-5 years...the joke on some of it is that it's already outdated the minute it comes out of the box...

    My parents had one refrigerator for 33 years but nowadays (from what I've heard) the life expectancy for appliances is ≈10-15 years.

    I have an iPhone 3G and now they've just released the iPhone 6 and frankly, I ain't in any hurry to replace it because it still does what I need it to (which is an atypical attitude for a smartphone owner)...

    I enjoy the capabilities that the screens have and appreciate the ability to enter numbers into Excel and have it calculate it quicker and easier than using a ledger would but sometimes I feel like it's making people lonelier because of a tendency to always be separated by a screen of some sort...

    One of the biggest things I miss from my childhood that we can't do now is being in the gate area at an airport without a boarding pass...

    I don't miss dealing with dial-up internet or having film developed though...

    Times change, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse and this tech stuff is bringing out a full spectrum of thoughts, especially to those that grew up without it...

    Andrew

    5 Oct 14 at 6:46 pm

  730. Movies - Now it's all about Cops, killing, Monsters, Drugs, Space travel, partying, Gays, Racial tensions, invidelity, kids without homes or parents, Airplane crashes, Bullying, Rich kids, diversity, Gangs, People losing their jobs, Death, How bad the world will be in the future, etc, etc.
    If you want to watch a good movie, check out The Sand Lot.

    Rick

    5 Oct 14 at 6:48 pm

  731. CayceKid- I grew up across the street from a family named Bazemore. This was in Forest Acres. The mother's name was Betty, daughter's name was Kim. Any relation?

    Cam

    5 Oct 14 at 6:56 pm

  732. I just spent some time in the midwest off the grid except for an old flip phone and it was truly relaxing. No checking on stock data, no mother henning my fantasy baseball and football teams, no e-mail and no checking up on you guys. I didn't know until I got back that some fools were caught gaining access to the White House. On consecutive days no less.

    Ignorance is bliss and I plan to unplug way more often the remainder of my life.

    Terry

    5 Oct 14 at 8:38 pm

  733. @Cam... Betty, Paul (deceased), Tony, Bobby and Kim all my cousins. Betty is my Dad's sister-in-law and Paul was his older brother. Their kids all my 1st cousins. I'm the oldest of the Bazemore cousins. And for all that wanna know, I'm Del Bazemore.

    CayceKid

    5 Oct 14 at 8:52 pm

  734. @Cam.. Paul was my Uncle, and Betty is my aunt.

    CayceKid

    5 Oct 14 at 8:53 pm

  735. CayceKid- Very cool. It is indeed a small world. Kim babysat me when I was a child. The Bazemores were all good people. The house they lived in actually burned down a while back. Last time I went by there, the lot was still empty.

    Cam

    5 Oct 14 at 10:57 pm

  736. My Aunt Betty moved directly behind where the house was on the opposite street from Fox Hall Dr. Kim and Bobby both are on Facebook. Kim's last name now is McManus. I haven't seen any of the Bazemore cousins in a long time. Betty's house burned down several years back due to an accidental fire, and so she decided not to rebuild on the same property. She was lucky to get out of the house in time before it went up in flames.

    CayceKid

    5 Oct 14 at 11:48 pm

  737. I've been reading about the recent embarrassment of the last USC football game yesterday, and it never ceases to amaze me just how many die-hard USC fans there are, and how a LOT of them that call themselves "faithful supporters" can very quickly turn on them. I personally don't expect more than what USC is..nothing more, nothing less, but come on..it's Columbia and just WHOME were you expecting to see? The Dallas Cowboys? I'm sorry..but if Spurrier cant do anything with this football team, then who can? Sure, he's built it into what it is now, and put USC on the map and that's helped USC to buy half of downtown and tear down all the rest, but all good things come to an end...and it's here now. So always remember to and keep saying to yourself over and over " It's Columbia, It's Columbia, It's Columbia". And that's my "Sports Commentary".

    CayceKid

    5 Oct 14 at 11:58 pm

  738. South Carolina competes in the SEC in an era where it seems as if the playing field has been leveled...the SC football record book has been rewritten on Spurrier's watch...South Carolina used to be seen a 'gimme' game but there is no such thing in SEC football anymore...I felt the wheels for that being set in motion during the Lou Holtz era...

    Be that as it may, I think people get way too emotionally invested in sports. I'm having a harder time enjoying sports because I don't have anyone to enjoy them with and plus it's hard for me to be excited about a group of people that I wouldn't know from Adam...

    Andrew

    6 Oct 14 at 12:16 am

  739. I'm the same way. I have NEVER been a sports fan of anykind really. I like to bowl, but don't like to watch it on tv. I'm just that kind of person that as a kid, everyone (adult) would watch the pro teams on New Years day or whenever in the 60's, and I wanted to watch cartoons or something else, so I think that effected me a lot. USC games used to be fun to go to in the late 60's or early 70's at the original stadium way before USC got to be what it is now. But as I've gotten older, it's just not interesting to me, and I'm NOT a die-hard USC fan by any stretch of the imagination. I just don't get people of this State that have to live, breathe and obsess about USC 24/7 . USC is just an average (maybe) at best Football team regardless of who they get to coach them.

    CayceKid

    6 Oct 14 at 9:26 am

  740. Great site! I believe the restaurant buffet Ichiban near the Garners Ferry Wal Mart is now closed for good!

    (Hoping for a great restaurant on this side of town!)

    Trevin

    6 Oct 14 at 3:00 pm

  741. @Rick, I've adjusted the timezone -- hopefully that will help.

    ted

    6 Oct 14 at 11:38 pm

  742. @Rick, yes we have a house on Pawleys (not going to be more specific than that :-) where we spent many a summer week "free ranging".

    There is still an arcade in Garden City, I played me some Galaga there a year or two ago.

    ted

    6 Oct 14 at 11:42 pm

  743. @Ted, I've been to Pawleys many times but only stayed/vacationed there once.
    It was in 1970, I went with my next door neighbors.
    I'm going to try and tell you where the house was/is located that we stayed in.
    After on Pawleys turn right, go past the Pelican Inn as far as you can drive taking the last road to the right towards the inlet and it was the last house on the left.
    The reason I tell you this is because at the time, the person that owned that house, was the author of a book called "Ghost of the Coast".
    The book told the story of the Gray Man, Alice's Grave, etc.
    I have been to Alice's Grave several times over the years but will not walk around it backwards, we were always there at dusk and that old graveyard is SPOOKY.
    In 1970, at 13 years old, when I stayed in the old house on Pawleys, my neighbors had fun trying to scare us with stories about the Gray Man. Well it worked on me, I could not sleep at night. And then one night it started to storm.
    I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

    Rick

    7 Oct 14 at 1:56 am

  744. @Caycekid, I sure hope no South Carolina fans have turned on their team. There is just a lot of disappointment. Teams ebb and flow. Auburn won the National Championship in 2010, went 8-5 in 2011, 3-9 in 2012, and came back in 2013/2014. As Spurrier said, "It is what it is."

    I will say this, if Clemson does not beat South Carolina this year, it will never happen. Seriously, in 15 years, South Carolina will have a 20 game winning streak. The way Clemson is playing now, they are certainly a different team than when they played Georgia. South Carolina, not so much different than when they played A&M.

    jonathan

    7 Oct 14 at 11:13 am

  745. CayceKid-regarding your comment about retail. You must remember that until the 1980s, most retail stores in Columbia were locally or regionally owned where employees were treated like family by the owners.

    Today there are very few local retail stores left. Furthermore, the big chains that control retail now generally don't care one bit for their employees and treat them as such often for minimum wage. This is one big reason by customer service sucks-employees are not given any incentive or reason to try to do better. (And contrary to what the companies say, they really don't care either all they want is the all mighty$$$$$)

    I will now step off my soapbox.

    Tom

    7 Oct 14 at 1:05 pm

  746. @Tom. That's why I left Walmart after just under 10 years with them. Walmart, Target and other Corporate owned businesses of today don't give a rat's ass about anything or anyone. It's all about the $$$$$ I just don't care to do customer service based things anymore eventhough I have my own videography business, but it's different than having to work for someone else. The last years I remember retail being ok was when I started in 1982 at Service Mdse on Broad River Rd. After that, everything started to change..and not for the better. I don't miss retail at all.

    CayceKid

    7 Oct 14 at 2:13 pm

  747. Don't get me wrong...I can be very professional when talking to potential clients such as brides or whatever, but in truth, it's all "façade" or "front". I do what I do because I don't have the patience for dealing with the general public anymore as I did in my younger naïve days. I've become cynical and have much less tolerance of things.

    CayceKid

    7 Oct 14 at 2:17 pm

  748. and now you know the REST............of the story.

    CayceKid

    7 Oct 14 at 2:18 pm

  749. I do agree it's about the almighty dollar...stores are starting to be open on Thanksgiving Day (which my mom's eldest sister loathes) because they've decided the extra sales are more important than allowing people the chance to enjoy Thanksgiving with family (though working those extra hours might be worth it to those that don't have family or they have a strained relationship with them). I furthermore feel like too many companies are willing to compromise ethics in the name of the almighty dollar and I have to believe that one day, it will catch up to the executives responsible for such decisions...

    I do enjoy watching South Caorlina football but I believe too many people get too worked up over football games outcomes...the playing field in the SEC has been leveled in recent years. I agree with jonathan about teams ebbing and flowing because that's the nature of SEC football these days. People have too short memories on some of this stuff..South Carolina 15 years ago had the nation's longest losing streak, now they're a force to be reckoned with in the SEC...that's something people need to remember...

    Another thing is that there are too many armchair coaches and referees...I went to a USC Upstate vs. Mercer women's soccer game in October 2007 to see a couple of friends I had that were playing for USC Upstate at the time and was astounded by the amount of armchair referees there were in the crowd.

    Andrew

    7 Oct 14 at 4:21 pm

  750. Just remember...it's Columbia and always WILL be Columbia. Take it for what it's worth. USC is USC and they'll always be what they are...nothing more, nothing less. And without OFFENDING anyone on here because I am NOT politically correct, nor do I care to be, USC football has TOO many Chiefs and not enough Indians, and it shows as has been proven for the last several games that have been lost.

    CayceKid

    7 Oct 14 at 11:02 pm

  751. I've heard that, as bad as Columbia is with Gamecock Faithful, I've heard that Baton Rouge is even moreso with LSU faithful...

    Andrew

    8 Oct 14 at 12:21 am

  752. Firefly Toys and Games in Lexington has moved. It appears from their Facebook page they moved around the first of September. They used to be at 5060 Sunset Blvd between Sam's Beverage and Marty Rae's Furniture. They are now at 657 Saint Andrews Road near the US Foods Chef Store.

    Firefly Toys and Games is known for its role playing tournaments (Dungeons and Dragons, Pokemon, etc.) and it seems their new location is much larger.

    James

    8 Oct 14 at 12:55 am

  753. Did any one else get up early to watch the eclipse this morning?

    Terry

    8 Oct 14 at 8:09 am

  754. Terry - I was up all night working. I'll continue to be working from 10:00p to 7:30a until our 3rd shift Supervisor, which I am covering for, gets back from training on 11-8-14.

    I started checking the eclipse out at 5:10a when the top left part of the moon started going dark. I continued to check it out every 20 minutes or so until it was a full blood moon.
    Actually I expected it to be a little more copper colored than it turned out to be. What I thougt was better than the total blood moon, was how BRIGHT the moon was 30 minutes before it started.
    At that time the moon was brighter than I have ever seen it before. It looked like a 100 watt light bulb.
    How often does a blood moon occur, someone said every 150 years, I don't know, but it was kinda cool.

    Rick

    8 Oct 14 at 9:31 am

  755. The next "Blood Moon" will be in April of next year.

    CayceKid

    8 Oct 14 at 11:43 am

  756. I was taking one of my sons to the bus stop at 6:30 when we both saw it.

    Sidney

    8 Oct 14 at 2:41 pm

  757. There is a Hispanic grocery near 4996-5000 Sunset Blvd (Google Maps address) that has closed. Not exactly sure when it closed, but it appears to be slated for demolition within the next week or so to become part of Lexington's "Sandhills-like" retail development. They started clearing the land for the development in September. This business sits at the very corner of the proposed development. The sign is hard to read, so it is possible that the business has been closed for a while. Google Maps image is from August 2011 showing the business in operation.

    James

    8 Oct 14 at 4:00 pm

  758. A closer look at the Google Maps image indicates the Hispanic grocery was La Villa Supermarket and although the Google Maps image says 4996-5000 Sunset Blvd, the actual address appears to be 4866 Sunset Blvd.

    James

    8 Oct 14 at 4:06 pm

  759. CayceKid - Blood Moon next April? My supposedly knowledgeable co-worker seems to be off by a few days.

    But, he is the same one that tried to tell me the female Cardinal bird was the bright red one. The dull brown one was the male. I 'shoulda known.

    Rick

    8 Oct 14 at 6:52 pm

  760. @Rick. All male birds have the brighter colors. There are some that are hard to tell though..like Cockatiels and African Gray Parrots to name a couple. Actually I may have heard wrong, but I think there's another blood moon tonight too. It's rare thing for twice, but they usually just the one time every 6 months or so. Anyone going to the State Fair this year? How much is it to get it now?

    CayceKid

    8 Oct 14 at 7:03 pm

  761. meant to say.. how much is it to get into the Fair now? 50.00?

    CayceKid

    8 Oct 14 at 7:05 pm

  762. CayceKid I just checked and it turns out the admisison prices for adults 6-54 is $10 general admission but for those 55 and over it's $7...don't hold your breaht for me to go as I think I'd need people outside the family to go with for it to be an enjoyable experience...

    Andrew

    8 Oct 14 at 8:11 pm

  763. At least I can get in for 7.00 if I decide to go. But since I don't trust the rides and how they're put together anymore, all I'll do is walk around and look at things and get some of the more traditional foods there. Of course the "glass house" and a few more non-ride type things may be ok still.

    CayceKid

    8 Oct 14 at 9:20 pm

  764. @Rick - is this the same co-worker that gave you the Japanese quote from several months back that had the f-bomb imbedded in it??

    Homer

    9 Oct 14 at 12:32 am

  765. Once again I'll wait for Ted to post his fair pictures like every year. That's as close as I will get this year.

    I was thinking about going to see ZZ Top until they had to cancel because of Dusty Hill's injury.

    Homer

    9 Oct 14 at 12:36 am

  766. @Homer - Different co-worker. And to bad about ZZ Top, I've seen them in concert four times. I want my 23 year old Son to see them at least once but haven't been able to catch them anywhere lately. Looking for Ted Nugent also, can't find him on tour. Last time I saw both ZZ and Ted they headlined together about 10 years ago at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte. 7 bucks for a beer.

    Rick

    9 Oct 14 at 12:54 am

  767. I saw ZZ Top and Ted one time back in their heydays (Fandango and Free For All era). Some of the best shows I have ever seen. And I have to throw in Kiss' Destroyer tour as well. Somewhere in the attic are the ticket stubs in a cigar box. Great seats for around $7.50......

    Homer

    9 Oct 14 at 1:28 am

  768. I've still got a bunch of concert t-shirts from the 70's in a box as well. Not that my fat ass will EVER fit into them again. I weighed something like 165 back then.

    Homer

    9 Oct 14 at 1:32 am

  769. Homer - In the 1972 to 74 time frame I worked at the Carolina Coliseum in different capacities as a part time job in addition to my regular job.
    I worked in the Concession Stands sometimes but mostly walked around inside the venue selling "COKES" get your ice cold coke. I was only 15 when I started.
    I got to see dozens of Bands back then. Alice Cooper, Barry White, Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers, Deep Purple, Foghat, Sly and the Family Stone, Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd,
    Uriah Heep, Man the list just goes on and on.

    Rick

    9 Oct 14 at 2:51 am

  770. Disregard my earlier post on the La Villa Supermarket closing. The building was demolished today, so there won't be anything to take a picture of.

    James

    9 Oct 14 at 1:56 pm

  771. I'm glad to see the "Taboo" bookstore close. Everything has its place to satisfy whomever patronizes places like that, but this one was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you wanna have an adult bookstore, then have it off the main road somewhere with signs saying where it is. That way, no on is offended about it. Relocate it up the road past or near Walmart or towards McEntire AFB or there abouts.. but NOT near upscale businesses. So that way, people can " Get their kicks on Route 66" so to speak, but not on Garners Ferry/Devine.

    CayceKid

    9 Oct 14 at 2:48 pm

  772. Since Columbia cant decide on the Blvd. called " Ft. Jackson" or "Jackson Blvd"...we'll just call it " Ft. Jackson-Jackson Blvd". That way it covers all of it until someone can decide what to name it.

    CayceKid

    9 Oct 14 at 2:53 pm

  773. TV News today, segments on the State Fair. Same old stuff.
    The fair is so much the same that news reporters focus more on if the weather is conducive for a night out, rather than what's new or different at the fair.
    If you've gone once, you've gone a hundred times.
    Maybe the weather is a little better or worse this year.

    Sample of conversations you will hear at work tomorrow.

    Employee 1: I went to the fair last night.
    Employee 2: Oh yea, how was it?
    Employee 1: The weather was great.
    Employee 2: It'll be in the 80's Saturday, maybe I'll go then.

    Rick

    9 Oct 14 at 6:12 pm

  774. Now that you say it Rick, I've noticed that there is a tendency for news stations to send their meteorologists out there and I that's why it is like that...

    Andrew

    9 Oct 14 at 9:12 pm

  775. The State Fair or all State Fairs I think are becoming a thing of the past, since Six Flags, Carowinds and other places have come along in the past 50 years. Sure it's cheaper to get in at the fair, but it's boring after about 30-60 mins. or so later.

    CayceKid

    9 Oct 14 at 10:18 pm

  776. ...Unless you can find someone or others that are fun to hang around with that scream and holler on the rides. Now THAT'S entertainment. And that's usually people outside your family to go with to the fair with.

    CayceKid

    9 Oct 14 at 10:22 pm

  777. I think I said "with" too many times after I read what I posted.

    CayceKid

    9 Oct 14 at 10:23 pm

  778. CayceKid - Two "Withs" is completely acceptable in my book of etiquette. What drives me nuts are the people that say
    "And UH", "You know" and "Like".

    I went to the Fair and uh, it was you know, like awesome.

    Well I had to take a crap, and uh, you know, it was like, sticking out above the water line.
    Sorry, It just gets on my nerves even when I do it.

    Rick

    9 Oct 14 at 11:22 pm

  779. Rick...I agree 100%. I cant stand people that don't have a least SOME grasps of the English Language and talk like some ding-bat brainless dopes. And ya know...it's like uh, awesome man, far-out and super groovy.

    CayceKid

    10 Oct 14 at 10:02 am

  780. hahahahahahahahahaha! Too early in the morning.

    CayceKid

    10 Oct 14 at 10:03 am

  781. Speaking of Far-Out and Super Groovy... what ever happened to the local artist Blue Sky?

    CayceKid

    10 Oct 14 at 10:04 am

  782. KC
    The last I heard he moved to California to Uh, you know, like be with the more in crowd of artist.
    But seriously, I'm going to try and find out for sure, now that you mentioned it.

    Rick

    10 Oct 14 at 11:41 am

  783. yes..inquring minds wanna know.

    CayceKid

    10 Oct 14 at 11:52 am

  784. I saw him about six months ago at an event in the Vista. I don't recall exactly what the event was called, but it was like a spring version of "Vista Lights." He was at Motor Supply, where some of his paintings were on display. But I don't know what his permanent residence is, but his facebook says he's living in Columbia now.

    badger

    10 Oct 14 at 2:55 pm

  785. Heard on the radio yesterday that Animal Supply House at 1680 Lake Murray Blvd in Irmo was closing. Their website, http://www.animalsupplyhouse.com, loads a blank white page and comments on their Facebook page page indicate they are having a liquidation sale.

    James

    10 Oct 14 at 9:12 pm

  786. I also drove by the City Market Arts and Antiques on Gervais in the Vista today and noticed a sign on their building that the mall was closing. A second smaller sign indicated they were renovating, so this may be a temporary closing.

    James

    10 Oct 14 at 9:27 pm

  787. Hmmm...As I recall, Animal Supply House had a store at East Pointe Plaza (7501 Garners Ferry Road) at one point and it had a Contract Postal Unit in there as well (not sure how it made sense given its close proximity to the Leesburg branch at Garners Ferry Plaza (Garners Ferry & Greenlawn))...so I checked Phillips Edison's site plan of the site and it appears as if the Animal Supply House there is no more as well...

    Andrew

    10 Oct 14 at 9:28 pm

  788. There is supposed to be an Animal Supply House in Lexington somewhere according to the comments on their Facebook page. I have lived in Lexington for 3 years now and have not seen it.

    James

    10 Oct 14 at 10:44 pm

  789. I have a recollection (now that James mentions it) of one being on US Highway 1 near the recently closed Wild Hare but I can't remember with 100% certainty but a simple web search reveals there is one near Lexington High School...

    Andrew

    10 Oct 14 at 11:54 pm

  790. I noticed this afternoon that something is going on with Hemingway's in the Irmo Kroger shopping center. Down the strip, in the corner between the Chinese restaurant and the pet supply store there is a new Hemingway's marquee on the building.

    A few weeks ago my Mom was talking to the manager of Kroger and he told her that they would love to get hold of the floor space of Hemingway's to expand the grocery store. I guess we'll just have to see.

    Homer

    11 Oct 14 at 3:23 am

  791. Cayce Kid, you said to relocate Taboo up the road past Walmart or towards McEntire AFB so no one is offended by it. Now I am offended. We are an area made up of horse farms and churches and hard working every day people on Garners Ferry and do not want XXX stores from the city invading our turf.
    Having said that, I am not really offended but wanted to get your attention.

    Terry

    11 Oct 14 at 8:29 am

  792. The Hemmingways move Homer hinted at has been in the works lately has been in the works in recent weeks from what others have said...utilizing the Hemmibgways space will give Irmo's Kroger the space needed to be up to standards of Sparkleberry Square's...

    Andrew

    11 Oct 14 at 11:19 am

  793. Same goes here too Terry...this is a family oriented place with Churches, Businesses and other things. We don't want it here either. There's plenty of empty to defunct land and other places it can be easily moved to. We don't want trash like this here in the City Limit. Two Notch Rd is a good place also to have a place like this. All I'm saying is just to move it. It doesn't belong here on this side of town. I couldn't care less actually where it moves or where the guy moves it, just as long as it's not here on Garners Ferry. I just LOVE starting arguments and debates on here.. it's what I live for!

    CayceKid

    11 Oct 14 at 3:56 pm

  794. I'm not gonna argue about this anymore, or even reply to anymore remarks made towards me. Have a nice day!

    CayceKid

    11 Oct 14 at 3:58 pm

  795. How about move Taboo it to some place like Ray Lever's BBQ Hut (nothing else will ever go there) or the old Whale's Tail (nothing seems to stay there). They are both off the beaten path (especially Ray Lever's). As a coincidence, both original businesses were owned by different Lever's.

    Homer

    12 Oct 14 at 3:18 am

  796. Well, since Hemingway's is moving I might be losing my last outpost in Irmo where I can actually sit at a bar and have a cigarette with my drink. Maybe they can use the loophole that says only new businesses HAVE to be smoke free.

    Homer

    12 Oct 14 at 3:21 am

  797. Homer - It's a bit of a road trip but, come to my house and we can all smoke.

    Rick

    12 Oct 14 at 3:25 am

  798. Rick - that's a road trip for sure, my friend. You being out Garners Ferry way and me in Irmo.

    I was out your way last weekend. I had to work for a couple of hours and decided to take a cruise out to to the fairgrounds to see the progress with the rides and such. Took 77 to Jackson, down Garners Ferry To Pineview (flipped a bird at the 93.5/Fox 102 building for killing off the old WARQ), over to Bluff and back into town. Stopped by Cromer's and bought a huge bag of boiled peanuts and some popcorn.

    Do I recall correctly on one of your old posts that you live in a house that was owned by one of the Burnsides (Marion, maybe)? My cousin married into the Burnside family from out there (Jack and Zell). They owned a farm out there and made a mint off of selling/leasing chunks of it to commercial developers.

    Homer

    12 Oct 14 at 4:06 am

  799. What the city of Columbia and Richland County ought to do is just create a Red Light District. Have all the strip clubs, Taboo type shops, ect. all in one area and restrict them from anywhere else in the county or city limits. You already have an Entertainment district, The Vista. You have your College Hangout, 5 Points. Why not a Red Light District? Keep it all in one area.

    Sidney

    12 Oct 14 at 10:15 am

  800. @Sidney - Interesting thought. It could work. Police could focus on that area and round up all the riff raff, cause thats were they would be.

    Rick

    12 Oct 14 at 11:37 am

  801. If I remember correctly, when I was in Baltimore back in 1992, they had a RLD. And I THINK, it was on the same street as all the bars and clubs. Except the RLD was all on one end of the street. But like I said, I THINK thats how it was there. So they could basically do that either in the Vista or in 5 Points. Just have one section for all those types of businesses. 5 Points would be ideal now since they have a bigger police presence and all the new cameras.

    I mean seriously, why spread everything out all over the county and have our police force going from one end of the county to the other. It's bad enough they did that with the Section 8 residents. Now instead of crime being high in one area, it's pretty much high EVERYWHERE.

    Sidney

    12 Oct 14 at 1:22 pm

  802. Noticed he other day that there was a large commercial real estate sign in front of Northwood Baptist Church at 5236 Sunset Blvd. When I drove by after church today, the parking lot was completely empty with no signs of there having been a service today. The church's Facebook page and website are still up, but neither seem to have been updated recently.

    James

    12 Oct 14 at 7:23 pm

  803. Northwood Baptist Church established a separate campus at what was originally White Knoll Baptist Church on Kitti Wake Drive that they call their West campus.

    It's mind boggling to me how they were able to convince the powers to be to have a traffic signal installed on 378 in front of their main entrance to their church...I can't think about any other large church around that was successful in such an endeavor.

    I also think it's a possibility that they may want to sell land in front of the church to have something along the lines of a bank or eating place on an outparcel.

    BTW I checked the sermon podcast page and it indicated that the last sermon posted was October 5...

    Andrew

    12 Oct 14 at 9:56 pm

  804. Andrew,

    The commercial real estate sign is positioned in such a way that it does not block the view of the church. With your comment of the sermon being posted on October 5, I wonder now if the real estate sign might be advertising the lot next to the church and not the church itself.

    James

    13 Oct 14 at 1:52 pm

  805. James, that is a possibility I didn't think of...I think the greatest appeal in that situation would be someone for whom the close proximity to I-20 would be a good selling point (i.e. eating places and/or gas stations that can advertise themselves on I-20 and be close enough for it to be easy for travelers to get back to I-20)...

    Andrew

    13 Oct 14 at 2:54 pm

  806. The sign for Dixie Tool Distributors (auto parts warehouse) at 2018 Sunset Blvd. has been removed from the building and the exterior of the building has been freshly painted brown (not much of an improvement - it's an old building). I usually see a couple of cars parked there on my way to campus everyday, but haven't seen any for a few days. I always wondered how much business this place did for having such a large building and only two cars (employees). Their website (http://dixietoolautoparts.com/) is still active and has a really cool image ("about us" link) of the business from 1958 when it was an Esso Service Station. With the recent development in this area and the number of commercial real estate signs, it would not surprise me if this company has moved or closed.

    James

    13 Oct 14 at 10:06 pm

  807. Monterrey Mexican restaurant on Knox Abbot has closed. It will be torn down along with the Riverside Inn to make room for new apartments.

    James

    14 Oct 14 at 10:52 pm

  808. Monterrey is moving into the Zeus Pizza storefront in Parkland Plaza.

    ted

    14 Oct 14 at 11:37 pm

  809. New Apartments? Don't tell me....USC strikes again? They're taking over everything else, so why not Knox Abbot Dr. If not now, I'm sure they'll think of somehow and someway to get it all.

    CayceKid

    15 Oct 14 at 2:23 pm

  810. The Cockpit, on Berryhill Lane, is apparently no more. It was the Village Tavern in a former life. A parking lot shooting and a murder in the bar apparently forced Lexington County to revoke its operating license. This is becoming the reality of thug life in Columbia.

    Joelc

    17 Oct 14 at 3:26 am

  811. Some of the worst areas in Columbia is the Benedict/Allen University campuses and 5 points because they all seem to drift down that way. Then there's Dutch Square Mall itself which is bad, then there's Columbia Mall.. All this is due to Gangs and other trouble makers that have taken over the places that at one time were relatively safe in the late 60's to early 70's. And don't get me started about downtown Columbia and how it is now.

    CayceKid

    17 Oct 14 at 10:40 am

  812. CBL has recently lost ownership of Columbia Place Mall and now Spinoso Real Estate Group has taken ownership (per the Wiki place on that mall). They bill themselves as a company experienced in providing mixed use retail properties but no matter what type of experience they'll try to harness, their toughest opponent is the fact that it doesn't have a strong community reputation anymore.

    Dutch Square, once Belk closes, faces (at best) a dicey future. Dutch Square's crowd isn't as dicey as Columbia Place Mall's IMO but it is much thinner.

    As someone who hates bars because of the noise, Five Points isn't of much use for me except for Cookout. I have occasionally shopped in the Office Depot though and have shipped from the Five Points PO (though those are obviously day tasks).

    My late grandmother refused to patronize the neighborhood around Benedict, Allen and Celia Saxon and I'm consequently hesitant to do any dining or shopping in that neighborhood.

    Andrew

    17 Oct 14 at 6:04 pm

  813. Malls are a thing of the past ( 60's and 70's) but Columbiana is one of the very few exceptions in that area. Strip Malls seem to be on there way back once again such as Target at WoodHill Mall. I stay away from the North Main Street area and the other areas going towards where the old Zayre store once was.

    CayceKid

    17 Oct 14 at 10:33 pm

  814. Looks like the Cycle Center on Two Notch in the Polo Road Shopping Center where there is a Bi-Lo and a storage place in the same strip has closed! Went to get our daugher's bike serviced so she would be able to ride it on campus up at AU and the place is shut down!

    Hate the idea of having to drive down to Five Points as parking is a nightmare and packed on the weekends! And this Saturday is no exception as it is a USC Home Game!

    And we had purchased her bike at the Cycle Center a couple of years ago up at the store on Two Notch Rd!!!

    Patricia Lewis

    18 Oct 14 at 12:10 pm

  815. @Ted - An interesting, historic closing that I don't think you've done before would be the old fire station complex in the Vista that now sits abandoned. It is at the corner of Park and Senate, kind of across the street from Flying Saucer.

    Justin

    20 Oct 14 at 3:27 pm

  816. I partway did that here

    ted

    21 Oct 14 at 1:17 am

  817. Ah, thanks Ted. I hadn't seen that one.

    Justin

    21 Oct 14 at 10:32 am

  818. Was there ever a Montgomery Ward department store here (if so, where)??

    Last night I was listening to Eddy Grant's Electric Avenue and someone mentioned on the comments of that page a recollection of that store with a section of electrical stuff called "Electric Avenue" and how that song brought back memories of that portion of it and I found myself wondering if any of the regulars that have been around longer than me have any memories of it...

    Andrew

    21 Oct 14 at 1:03 pm

  819. In reference to the Cockpit/Village Tavern comment, I find it reflective of the way things are going downhill in the St. Andrew's area. If you look at how long the Village Tavern was in business with no skirmishes bad enough to make the county shut them down versus the amount of time the Cockpit was around. Well, it just goes to show you....

    Homer

    22 Oct 14 at 1:05 am

  820. @Andrew - I want to say that Montgomery Ward once had a presence in Columbia, but for the life of me, I can't remember to what extent. This might be a question to pose to my Mom.

    Homer

    22 Oct 14 at 1:07 am

  821. @CayceKid - unless that strip mall is Boozer Shopping Center....lol. I went to Manifest a couple of weeks ago and noticed how empty it was. Not surprised in the least considering the area, but it was a 'one stop' place to shop back in the pre and hay day eras of Dutch Square. I remember when it was anchored by the old Winn-Dixie and Key Wholesalers with all kinds of shops in between.....

    Homer

    22 Oct 14 at 1:11 am

  822. @Andrew-I remember there was a small Montgomery Ward on Main Street, north of Jefferson square in a small brick building that I want to say was the original home of Manifest.

    MW killed itself by not doing a large expansion after WWII and just sat and watch as Sears and JC Penny's moved into suburbia.

    Tom

    22 Oct 14 at 10:12 am

  823. Help!! What was the name of the original nightclub located inside the Sheraton Hotel on Bush River Road??? My old brain can't seem to remember. Thanks!

    Susan

    22 Oct 14 at 11:45 am

  824. Are you thinking of Saints or a nightclub in the Sheraton after that?

    Midnight Rambler

    22 Oct 14 at 2:00 pm

  825. I happened to notice on my way to the West Columbia Walmart that the old Bells Hamburger building had been torn down and is gone completely after 50+ years of being there. When was it torn down? Also, the old Tremont Motel is being torn down now also. Did USC take THAT area over too?

    CayceKid

    22 Oct 14 at 3:04 pm

  826. I think I saw it mentioned that the Tremont/Riverside motel and the Monterey's next door were being demolished for apartments that weren't student-themed which surprised me...

    I'm having a hard time placing the Bell's Hamburger building that CayceKid references...ditto for the former Zayre's mentioned earlier.

    Andrew

    22 Oct 14 at 4:11 pm

  827. Was Adams in the Sherataon? There were two that I always get confused, Adams and Mallards. One was on Bush River, and the other on Two Notch.

    badger

    22 Oct 14 at 5:28 pm

  828. Bells was on Meeting St? Or somewhere over there..it used to be a used car lot in recent times or junk yard or something like that. I always thought it was Genes Hamburgers and don't remember it being Bells...but it was near What A Burger and Ed's Drive Through or In..just up the road from these places. The old Zayre building is/was up the road from Benedict College on Harden. I think it closed in the 70's? All the familiar landmarks I remember from a LONG time ago are all being torn down now..and soon I wont remember what was where.

    CayceKid

    22 Oct 14 at 6:31 pm

  829. Bells

    ted

    23 Oct 14 at 12:08 am

  830. @badger - Wasn't Mallard's at the Sheraton NE on Two Notch?

    Adam's used to be at the Holiday Inn NE on Two Notch. It turned into Pawley's later, I think....

    Back in the 80's a bunch of us from work used to go to Adam's for happy hour on Wednesday's to clean house with their trivia games. We had all of the games memorized. There was one night we won a couple of blocks of tickets to the old Comedy House,several albums and enough champagne and other free drinks that most of us called in sick the next day......

    Those were the days.....lol

    Homer

    23 Oct 14 at 2:55 am

  831. Mallards was in the Ramada on Two Notch. And I think Night Lites was in the Embassy on Greystone.

    Sidney

    23 Oct 14 at 6:43 am

  832. The way things have changed, and what's been torn down and being torn down, I don't remember what was where anymore when driving around. And even after seeing some pictures of what was and where, I still don't remember them for some reason.

    CayceKid

    23 Oct 14 at 12:38 pm

  833. Sears announced that it was closing at least 46 Kmart stores, 30 Sears department stores and 31 Sears Auto Centers some before the end of the year.

    I won't be surprised if Columbia Mall makes the list.

    Tom

    23 Oct 14 at 6:28 pm

  834. Now THAT'S a lot of stores..I'm waiting for them to close the Dentsville Kmart AND the old Cayce Kmart too. Columbia Mall is no loss since it isn't at all what it used to be.

    CayceKid

    23 Oct 14 at 7:26 pm

  835. How would any one like to be working at one of the Sears stores, and come into work just before the Holiday Season and be told.."Sorry, but you have no job here anymore...Merry Christmas!" ...now THAT'S a kick in the head huh?

    CayceKid

    23 Oct 14 at 7:28 pm

  836. I haven't seen it for myself but others who have been in the Sears at Columbia Place Mall in recent months have indicated that portions were blocked off with curtains...meaning that there is a likely possibility that it's not long for the world.

    The list is still being finalized from what I've read but I was also reading that people that work with stock indexes like S&P were downgrading the ratings of Sears Holdings, Inc. and even suggesting that Sears won't have it in them to last past the end of 2016.

    I remember Service Merchandise reducing their floorspace by removing shelving and having it where the shelves only occupied approximately 25% of the space it used to during the last few years it was in existence. Plus they had an exit that used to be usable that wound up being redone as an alarmed emergency exit. Not only that, I recall the parking lot had ZERO paint on it and I didn't have the greatest of feelings towards the condition of the asphalt at the time, either.

    I remember Homer saying that they could "close the Dentsville Kmart anytime they please" as the Seven Oaks liquidation was getting underway. IMO The Seven Oaks Shopping Center Kmart was the only one (to me) that didn't look dated/dingy in some form or fashion...while I would hate to see more vacant buildings, I honestly feel like Kmart isn't a company to place long-term best on as to their existence...

    Andrew

    23 Oct 14 at 10:03 pm

  837. As you can see here when the Two Notch Ramada closed, the lounge was McKenna's. I recall it being Pawley's when I was in high school, and at which time it had backgammon boards.

    ted

    24 Oct 14 at 12:26 am

  838. My memory of Montgomery Ward's is that if you were heading down Main Street towards the Capitol, it would be on your left somewhere in the Jefferson Square area.

    I also think it wasn't a full "department store", but was very small and more of a catalog outlet location.

    ted

    24 Oct 14 at 12:28 am

  839. Well, it would be nice if everything stays in business and nobody has to be let go, but if something has to close, I think it would make more sense to move the Cola Mall Sears to the Dentsville K-Mart. They don't need any more space than that building has with their current hollowing out, and their fate would not be tied to a dying mall.

    ted

    24 Oct 14 at 12:33 am

  840. I don't think that would ever materialize. I think Sears would explore a smaller space than a typical Kmart (based on what I've seen them do in Lugoff, Lexington and Sumter).

    Should Sears leave Columbia Place Mall, the only anchors left would be Burlington Coat Factory and Macy's. I almost feel that Macy's is too good for Columbia Place Mall. I had hoped that they'd move into the former Sears at Columbiana but then Belk announced their plans to expand into about half the old Sears. I wonder who will wind up in the other half...

    If Columbia Place Mall finally 100% closes I think it'd be more likely for Burlington Coat Factory to move into the Kmart (this of course is under the presumption that said Kmart bites the dust by then).

    Andrew

    24 Oct 14 at 12:49 am

  841. The Two Notch Ramada housed Pawley's even when it was still a Holiday Inn, if memory serves me correctly. Adam's was there before Pawley's back in the 80's.

    Homer

    24 Oct 14 at 1:26 am

  842. I knew that Montgomery Ward never had a full blown store in Columbia but I couldn't remember where it was located. Thanks for the info.

    Homer

    24 Oct 14 at 1:33 am

  843. When I said Mallards was in the Ramada, I meant the Ramada (at Two Notch and Grampian Hills Rd) when it was across from Denny's before they turned it into Holiday Inn. Remember, Holiday Inn and Ramada pretty much switched properties back in the early 2000's, which I thought was pretty odd.

    Sidney

    24 Oct 14 at 1:34 am

  844. In reference to the Sears/Kmart thread - I don't know if I mentioned this on here or if I was telling someone about it. About a month ago I went to the Dentsville Kmart and it was horrible. Half of the lights were turned off and it was downright dark in the store. Many of the shelves and clothing racks had been spaced further apart to give the appearance of floor space usage but many of them were sparsely stocked, especially in the clothing departments. I think this one will be on the chopping block as well as Sears in Columbia Mall (yes, I said, Columbia Mall).....:^)

    Homer

    24 Oct 14 at 1:38 am

  845. Sidney - yeah, I remember Mallards at the Grampian Hills location. I went there a few times but was never impressed by it. I don't think that I ever went to the old Holiday Inn after it switched to Ramada.

    Homer

    24 Oct 14 at 1:41 am

  846. Ted, I just say your McKenna's reference. Now that I think about it, Adam's and Pawley's were both there when it was still Holiday Inn. I think it switched to McKenna's when Ramada took over. Or, maybe I'm still confused....lol

    Homer

    24 Oct 14 at 1:46 am

  847. Homer I'm an oddball in that I've utilized the Columbia Place name although I wasn't impressed with it when it changed in 2002...apparently 12 years isn't enough to convince longtime residents that it isn't to be known as Columbia Mall anymore...

    Andrew

    24 Oct 14 at 2:12 am

  848. Well now that's gonna other me, too, that I can't remember the name of the club in the hotel on Bush River.

    badger

    24 Oct 14 at 7:17 am

  849. Earlier this summer Sears was advertising available franchises for their Home Town Stores in The State newspaper. You can be a proud owner for a little over $100,000.

    http://www.ownasearsstore.com/retail-franchise-store-concepts.php

    Terry

    24 Oct 14 at 10:27 am

  850. Even if I had that kind of money I wouldn't want to sink it into a franchise like that but the fact that it takes that type of money is likely killing the entrepreneurial spirit that the USA is supposed to be about which is troubling.

    Andrew

    24 Oct 14 at 11:01 am

  851. @Terry- If Sears did nothing but sold their Craftsman tools, Kenmore appliances (which still have good reputations) they might, just might be able to survive.

    Tom

    24 Oct 14 at 4:21 pm

  852. Sears should build a smaller store over at Harbison if they wanna stick around for a while longer..not at Columbiana Mall, but somewhere over in that area would be good maybe? Kmarts are a 60's things or maybe through the early 70's thing where everyone went to before the large Malls came around. I think Kmart is going the way of the old grocery stores of A&P, Colonial and Winn-Dixie..just a thing of the past.

    CayceKid

    24 Oct 14 at 4:34 pm

  853. I mean if Kate Smith or Martha Stewart cant save Kmart..then no one can. Now THAT'S SAD ISNT IT ???

    CayceKid

    24 Oct 14 at 4:35 pm

  854. Ooops not Kate Smith..she's dead, I meant Kate Jackson? or one of those "Charlies Angels"..

    CayceKid

    24 Oct 14 at 4:37 pm

  855. I'm senile and I know it..and I'm ok with it.

    CayceKid

    24 Oct 14 at 4:38 pm

  856. I've researched regional malls and shopping centers for the last 15 years and here's my current predictions for all.

    Columbia Place Mall - Spinoso will continue to lease the mall and based on prospects should be successful with filling many of the vacant spaces. If you guys remember the article back in July mentioning Moonbeam Capital? Well these guys are serious about turning malls back into destinations again (i.e. Moonbeam's Burlington Center Mall, Shoppingtown Mall.) Don't worry about Columbia Place, unless something happens to Macy's or Moonbeam that property will boom again after they reposition it.

    Columbiana Centre - The mall is almost fully occupied and will continue to have growth with the coming of more retailers that enter the market.

    Dutch Square Center has a strong management firm behind them that was aware of Belk leaving long before it was made public. This mall will replace Belk and a great portion of the mall with offices and will update the tenant mix to include new restaurants after a renovation.

    Richland Mall - is up for sale in case you guys didn't know it. It's listed on loopnet without any additional information. It's really sad what's happened to Belk, but as of right now it will continue to limp along unless the current owner forecloses on the loan. Maybe then we'll see someone redevelop that property, but don't expect a mall.

    Village at Sandhill is struggling to hold onto it's market simply because of the owners financial problems and the fact there are several different firms leasing space and from what I can see. These people are not communicating and Sandhills is starting to show it's age.

    Killans Crossing - Don't count on it impacting anytime soon.

    Mallguy

    24 Oct 14 at 10:58 pm

  857. This area over here where I live off Garners Ferry is the busiest I've seen since the 60's when A&W Drive-In was still around and the Drive-In Theater along with the original Hardees and McDonalds, plus the old Carolina Skating Rink. From Rosewood/Devine all the way up to Walmart is much better than it used to be, and Woohill Mall is still doing very well with Target and the places around it. I still think Malls are a thing of the past and strip malls are the "in thing" once again. Malls are too big and too much trouble to get around in. Columbiana Mall is one of the very few exceptions and still does very well for its age. I don't see that area suffering anytime soon. And as for the Old Ft. Jackson Kmart building, with the new businesses moving into the place when it's redone, I think will help the area quite a bit actually. Too bad I-Hop didn't stay around long enough to see things pick up again.

    CayceKid

    25 Oct 14 at 12:13 am

  858. If anyone remembers and is old enough to remember, from the 1920's through the 1960's, Downtown Columbia WAS the place to go..there was nowhere else to go and do things. Richland Mall when new was a "Community Mall" for Forrest Acres and was too far out of the way for most people to go to. Then in 1970 Dutch Square Mall was the "new' thing to do, and downtown became more and more obsolete, then Columbia Mall came along and pretty much finished downtown off..and 5 points suffered too along with Sears. But after the mid to late 1980's, the Malls started to get old and strip malls were the newer things by the late 70's and that's when Richway/Gold Circle/Target came along and they did well for a long time. Richland Malls biggest mistake was tearing the old one down and building that "Fashion Mall" why? I don't know..Columbia is NOT the Fashion Captiol of the South and never has been..so that's was pointless to do and now you see what's happened to it over the years. It went from bad to worse and now hardly anyone every goes there except for Belks in the old JB White's store. But then again, it's Columbia and Columbia does what Columbia does best, and that's not knowing what to do or how to do things anymore. Seems that Columbia was much more "hip" in the 60's than it is now.

    CayceKid

    25 Oct 14 at 12:20 am

  859. As I passed by Richland Mall today, I was thinking that maybe they should turn it into an entertainment complex complete with restaurants, bars, clubs, bowling alley, comedy club, etc. There are not too many national chain restaurants in that area anymore. They could get TGI Fridays back. And bring others like Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, Joe's Crab Shack, Dave and Busters, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Outback, O'Charley's. Upstairs could be 21 and up at night with all the bars and night clubs located up there and have ID check at the escalators, elevators and outside doors. Plus, they already have a theater.

    If I had the money, I always wanted to do a comedy club bar and grill. Instead of watching sports, i would have comedy movies, tv clips, stand up clips, etc playing on the TV's. I would also have an area where comedy acts would perform on stage. Also have an amateur night. I mean who wouldn't want to go somewhere and get drunk and laugh all night? And on the weekends during the day, we could have kids birthday parties with clowns and stuff to make the kids laugh and have a good time.

    But since I don't have the money to see this through, anyone of you can have my idea and run with it. Good luck!

    Sidney

    26 Oct 14 at 12:00 am

  860. About Sandhills. Kahn should allow more of a nightlife there also. Who in the Summit likes to travel to the Vista to have fun? Not me! it takes me 35 mins to get to the Vista from the Summit. When Bar Louies was open in Sandhills, I was always 5 mins from the party and 5 mins to safely take my drunk ass home. He could fill up that whole side between Wild Wing Cafe and Academy Sports with bars and clubs.

    Someone told me the reason the Vista stays busy is because of the USC students. That's true to some degree. But the 30, 40, 50 something crowd is from all over Columbia. So, if Kahn opened up a nightlife in Sandhills, he could have the Northeast population staying away from the Vista and patronizing his center. Think about it, he could have the people from the Northeast, Blythewood, Elgin, Pontiac, Camden, Winnsboro, etc. There are enough drunks and party people in this area to sustain a good crowd weekend after weekend.

    Oh and to add to my Richland Mall post, a Wet Willies would be nice in there as well as Sandhills.

    Sidney

    26 Oct 14 at 12:09 am

  861. I noticed today that it appears they are razing the restaurant attached to the Clarion Hotel on Gervais. Don't know if they're going to rebuild it or what.

    badger

    26 Oct 14 at 7:27 pm

  862. Saw two closings on Huger Street today that I didn't see in the Alphabetical listing. Both appear to actually be moves.

    The first was the building formerly occupied by Frenzy. I couldn't see and address, but it was just south of Gervais on the east side of the street. Frenzy is a custom T-Shirt shop and they are now on Rosewood.

    The second was Columbia Flag and Banner. They recently moved from 790 Huger Street to 633 Meeting Street. According to their website the move occurred October 18th.

    Also, since I noticed a second James commenting here, I will start posting comments with my last initial.

    James R

    26 Oct 14 at 9:26 pm

  863. Charles Newton's Tae Kwon Do Plus in the Sesqui Center has a "Now Leasing" sign on the space. The business' website is still active on Angelfire, however there are indications that the site is no longer being maintained. Lots of "undefined" fields in the webpage. In various places on the page it gives the address as 9577 Two Notch Road and 9557 Two Notch Road.

    James R

    26 Oct 14 at 9:46 pm

  864. The McRib is back a t McDonald's for a limited time (at least in Irmo and St. Andrews)!! One of the only reasons I have to go there. Bought two tonight with an order of fries and they were just as porky, sloppy good as they have always been. I used the fries to mop up the extra sauce! If anyone is addicted to these things like I am, I can supply a copycat recipe!!

    Homer

    27 Oct 14 at 2:43 am

  865. I don't understand why the golden arches have the McRib as a seasonal item...but then again I'm not a rib guy so I'm not likely to eat one...I know the McRib's fans are out there (but they come from folks besides my family)...

    Andrew

    27 Oct 14 at 1:49 pm

  866. This is a link to a list of Sears store closings. http://investcorrectly.com/20141016/sears-kmart-2014-closure-list/
    It doesn't look good for Sears Holding Company. They had their stock downgraded and are projected to run out of cash in 2015. They may not even have the money to close stores. The same is projected for Radio Shack. They are literally broke.

    Joelc

    28 Oct 14 at 12:36 am

  867. On the other hand, if that is accurate, it looks like no (further) closings in Columbia.

    ted

    28 Oct 14 at 1:03 am

  868. At least not yet...Sears is already out of Columbiana and they'll be leaving Aiken mall if they haven't already...Kmart will be closing stores in Mt. Pleasant & West Ashley within the Charleston MSA as well as two others in the Myrtle Beach area as well.

    So Columbia Place Mall holds on to its Sears for now and Dentsville, Camden, Orangeburg, Sumter, Lexington and West Columbia maintain their Kmarts...Lugoff, Lexington and Sumter have smaller what I believe to be 'Sears Hometown' stores as well...

    Andrew

    28 Oct 14 at 1:48 am

  869. I heard that when the leases run out on the Dentsville and maybe the West Columbia Kmart's they will be candidates for closing as well.

    Homer

    28 Oct 14 at 2:06 am

  870. @Andrew - the reasoning, from what I have heard, is that Mickey D's brings back the McRib once or twice a year to try to kick sales up a notch due to the cult following of the sandwich and to try to bring more people into the fold. I'll admit, I love it and I don't know why!! It's just a slab of processed pork slathered in BBQ sauce on a toasted hoagie roll with dill pickles and onions, but damn it's good!!

    Homer

    28 Oct 14 at 2:13 am

  871. Radio Shack has gone the way of the Dinosaur..its time is over and done with.

    CayceKid

    28 Oct 14 at 2:30 pm

  872. If the McRib were on the menu year-round then no one would have a chance to remember just how terribly awful it actually tastes. It relies pretty heavily on the nostalgia effect, the idea that we remember things as being better than they actually were.

    They do the same thing with the Shamrock Shake, which is of course just toothpaste blended into a milkshake that is then tinted green.

    Jason

    28 Oct 14 at 4:48 pm

  873. well as long as it fights gingivitis that's all that matters...and they use the "Crest" mint flavor toothpaste.

    CayceKid

    28 Oct 14 at 6:36 pm

  874. @Jason -- heh! You may find a bit of this appropriate..

    ted

    28 Oct 14 at 7:01 pm

  875. The McRib has a definite love-hate relationship. All I can say is that I tried Burger King's knock off earlier this year and it did suck!!!!!!!

    Homer

    28 Oct 14 at 11:39 pm

  876. I love the McRib. If you buy the value meal, you can get a second McRib for $1.49. Got it and dinner for the kids from Mickey D's last night.

    Sidney

    29 Oct 14 at 7:15 am

  877. The ONLY places left where you can get" good old grease clog your heart up all the way food" is Edna's, Rosewood Dairy Bar, and maybe the only original looking (sort of) Zesto's on Forrest Drive. All the other places changed too much or closed. Too bad What A Burger tore the old place down..that's when it changed how things were done. McRib's didn't do much of anything for me..and it's something M.C. Donalds can do without.

    CayceKid

    29 Oct 14 at 9:54 pm

  878. I agree with CayceKid on the McRib. Absolute waste of money in my mind. Not sure why anyone would actually enjoy eating it (sorry Sidney).

    What drives me nuts with McDonald's (and the reason I don't eat there) is that everything tastes the same. McDonald's could serve Chinese stir-fry or Italian lasagna in a blind taste test and you would still know that it came from McDonald's.

    James R

    30 Oct 14 at 12:43 am

  879. I haven't had a McDonald's burger in years, but they now make a darn fine cup of coffee. Certainly better than Starbucks!

    ted

    30 Oct 14 at 12:49 am

  880. I enjoy the " BK Lounge" more than McDonalds. I miss Dairy Queen the most. But with McDonalds, it's like : Yes...I'd like some McFries with that McHamber and a McMilk Shake or a McCoke, and oh yes..where is the McBath Room located.? It all gets on my nerves.

    CayceKid

    30 Oct 14 at 1:47 am

  881. Ted - McDonald's does indeed make a good cup of Joe.
    I believe lately McD's is trying to be everything to everybody. The only item on their menu that I purchase besides their coffee is the Filet-O-Fish, and at the price McD's charges for that sandwich, it is obvious they are very proud of it.

    Rick

    30 Oct 14 at 9:24 am

  882. I'm surprised McDonalds hasn't come up with their own brand of Donuts to sell since everyone else NON KRISPY KREME sells them now. They can call them "McDonuts". Then again, you have Dunkin Donuts that sells coffee and things NON related to Donuts. Even KK sells weird non donut items on their menu now. Why cant there be just a DONUT store that sells ONLY that? and nothing else like it used to be. There are plenty of other places that can sell the other stuff.

    CayceKid

    30 Oct 14 at 11:03 am

  883. Have you heard that a few Walmarts will be opening Dental Offices inside their stores. There will be an express lane for people with 12 teeth or less! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

    CayceKid

    30 Oct 14 at 7:03 pm

  884. The thing that worries me about dental clinics opening up in Walmart is will they put dentists with their own offices out of business. I'm fortunate to have a dentist I like with his own office in Irmo but I worry that over time, dental clinics inside Walmart and places like Aspen Dental will put dentists like the one I go to out of business.

    The other thing I see is that places have their main specialty that they are known for but they do branch out to other items outside that speciality and some work out better than others...case in point:

    CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid are best known for being pharmacies/drugstores. They've branched out to sell cards, food and photo lab services. They also have stationery supplies.

    Grocery stores (mainly Bi-Lo, Publix, Kroger) that used to be only for groceries have branched out to sell health and beauty items (my late grandmother told me of a time where you had to go to the drugstore for that type of stuff). Plus some sell stationery type of stuff. Food Lion and Piggly Wiggly don't have the pharmacies that the others do (as a rule) but they have some health and beauty stuff.

    McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and Hardee's are best known for their burgers but they have branched out to chicken (Burger King it's chicken tenders, Wendy's has nuggets and McDonald's has McNuggets (which I recently tried and they tasted one part insipid and other part like pancakes) and plus Wendy's now has Salads and Chili). Hardee's has started offering tenders of their own as well.

    Target is branching out to include different grocery items and Walmart seems to be experimenting with different things as well...I've heard that Sam Walton used to pride himself in having stores that were full of Made in USA products (but I'm too young to remember Walmart before Sam Walton died) and I wish someone would step up and develop a store with that type of vision to it...I've found myself willing to pay a few bucks more for a Made in USA product on a few occasions...

    Andrew

    30 Oct 14 at 10:02 pm

  885. The days of ALL USA Made merchandise has gone out with the "crusades". Everything is made in China now, and it's very cheap stuff too. Sam Walton came to Columbia a couple of times to check his "Sams Club" stores. I never spoke to him, but remember seeing him at the one on Beltline where the old drive-in used to be. I'm just waiting for Walmart to actually put a Dental Office in some of their stores. I wouldn't trust them for anything...just like their "Automotive" Dept.

    CayceKid

    30 Oct 14 at 11:15 pm

  886. Wal-mart is the death of America. They have put so many mom and pop operations out of business that it is downright criminal in my mind. Mom and pop businesses were the heart of the American economy for much of its history, despite the large name corporations.We need to return to the locally owned businesses. I love the shop local campaigns at Christmas time.

    James R

    31 Oct 14 at 12:55 am

  887. I agree 110%. Things have changed, some for the better, but a lot not for the better. It's just how things are now. The days of the small or smaller stores and businesses are "gone with the wind". I wonder how many young people on here ( 40 and younger) would even know what a "rotary" phone is? or how things were before computers and cell phones.?

    CayceKid

    31 Oct 14 at 2:45 pm

  888. I'm in the younger than 40 crowd and while I know what a rotary phone looks like I can't get the hang of one the times I've tried.

    I do remember having a cell phone that was several inches thick back in the 90s. The battery portion of it was thicker than most phones of today. I did make it through high school before smartphones came out and part of me is kinda glad about that. I have an iPhone 3 and I'm a rarity among smartphone owners in that I'm not in any rush to upgrade it anytime soon.

    I don't miss dialup internet but I have a hard time imaging a life 100% without computers. Believe it or not, I have two electric typewriters I use as I have mailing labels I address that a typewriter works better than a word processor.

    Things I do miss from the 90s/early 2000s (too young to remember further back):

    - being able to walk into an airport gate area without a boarding pass
    - Revco
    - Phar-Mor
    - $20 being enough to fill up the car's gas tank
    - station wagon with rear facing seats (remember sitting in the back with one of my best friends in these type of seats on my birthday one year)

    Things I don't miss:

    - dialup internet
    - 35mm cameras

    I also hate to see the number of airlines fade off into the sunset that have in recent years...such as:

    - Comair
    - World Airways
    - ATA
    - Continental (merged into United)
    - Northwest (merged into Delta)
    - AirTran (soon to be merged into Southwest)
    - US Airways (soon to merge into American)
    - Independence Air (this one ranks at the top of the list...there is a YouTube video called "Independence Air final flight" that is emotional for me to watch)
    - USA 3000
    - Pace Airways
    - Midwest

    Andrew

    31 Oct 14 at 4:37 pm

  889. I don't miss dial up internet at all. But before personal computers were ever thought of..they were the size you see on the TV Show "Lost In Space". People were lucky to have a "COLOR" TV, while a lot of us still had black and white TV's until the mid to late 60's. Rotary phones were a pain to have to dial, especially if there were a bunch of 9's or 0's. I remember when gas was under .50 cents a gallon and Hardee's was NEW as was Burger King. I think the first one opened in 1965 that's still there on Two Notch/Beltline. Does anyone remember Burger Chef ?

    CayceKid

    31 Oct 14 at 6:30 pm

  890. @ Andrew - I thought US Air merged with United a few years ago. They are now merging with American?

    James R

    1 Nov 14 at 10:34 am

  891. @James R United and US Airways were planning to merge at one point (ca. 2000) but then that deal fell through and United wound up going after Continental and US Airways is now merging with American...

    Andrew

    1 Nov 14 at 10:40 am

  892. @ CayceKid - I remember Burger Chef (and Jeff). Not necessarily the ones here in Columbia, but we had them in Indianapolis as well. The paperboard meal trays with punch outs for your burger, fries, and coke - those were so much fun. I remember when Hardee's bought them out in the early 1980s ('81 maybe.)

    James R

    1 Nov 14 at 10:53 am

  893. Snow on November 1st? Do I see a posting on the early closing of Fall 2014 in the future?

    James R

    1 Nov 14 at 10:55 am

  894. I hope with this snow we had today and the coldest weather so far this year, I hope this isn't an indication of what's to come when December and January get here. But everyone knows how South Carolina and Columbia especially freaks out at the first snow flake they see and then it's like everyone heads for Walmart and buys up all the bread and milk. Why? I don't know...but seems to be a "Columbia thing".

    CayceKid

    1 Nov 14 at 9:28 pm

  895. @ CayceKid - Having lived in several cities before Columbia, freaking out at the first sign of snow is not a "Columbia thing." It's the same in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, etc., etc., etc.

    When we lived in Morgantown, WV a co-worker told me that the date of the first snow was supposed to equal the number of snows for that winter. It snowed on November 1st, so we should get exactly 1 snow all winter and today would be it.

    IMHO, I have never found there to be any truth in it.

    James R

    1 Nov 14 at 10:02 pm

  896. I happened to be at the Columbiana Mall today. Has anyone mentioned that the Subway in the food court has closed. Apparently they are opening a new restaurant called Calypso.

    James R

    1 Nov 14 at 10:04 pm

  897. Columbia has always freaked out with snow..even in the '73 ice storm. People always panic when snow happens. I have no problem with it, but these crazy Columbians cant drive in regular weather conditions let alone in icy conditions. I just stay home and don't go anywhere..and I can always walk to where I need to go if I had to.

    CayceKid

    2 Nov 14 at 1:56 am

  898. Did anyone watch that embarrassing USC Football game tonight? Can we just skip the rest of this Football Season and go straight into USC Baseball Season instead?

    CayceKid

    2 Nov 14 at 1:57 am

  899. @James R - For a few years Hardee's would bring back things like the Big Chef from the from the Burger Chef Menu. I think that this was before they hooked up with Carl Jr's and revamped the menu. If memory serves me there was a Burger Chef on Broad River Rd. close to Dutch Square and Boozer Shopping Center.

    Homer

    3 Nov 14 at 1:49 am

  900. @CayceKid - Amen to that - only one more chance to pull a win out of the schedule and that will bring another embarrassing season to a close.

    Homer

    3 Nov 14 at 1:53 am

  901. It's funny that when something goes out of business without any fanfare how easy it is to not notice even when it is so obvious.

    The Pope Davis Tire at Taylor & Two Notch Rd (by Providence) used to be Bundrick's Tire and Automotive. Before Pope Davis bought it, this was the best place to take a car to get it fixed. The best that I can recall is that Mr Bundrick was retiring and Pope Davis bought the business even though they had another location at Taylor & Pickens.

    Soon after the purchase, I noted that the amount of traffic at the business seemed to decline, but they still had tires in the windows. Fast forward to last week, when I noticed at 9:00 am that there were no cars in the lot and nothing in the windows. I just looked at Pope Davis's web site and there is no mention of this location. But there signage still exists in front of the bldg.

    Also, I heard that Monkey Joe's in Lexington is closed as of today.

    Matt

    3 Nov 14 at 2:53 am

  902. US Air and American merged last November. I had stock in US Air (LCC). It is now American Airlines Group (AAL). All my stocks converted over to AAL stock. And let me tell you, it's a great stock to have!! I have almost doubled my money since the merger.

    Sidney

    3 Nov 14 at 6:54 am

  903. It appears Prestige Appliance on 378 in Lexington (across from Target and Best Buy) is out of business. This morning I noticed a temporary banner on their location advertising "Columbia Express Travel."

    James R

    3 Nov 14 at 11:39 am

  904. @James R. Prestige Appliance is opening a new store at I-26 and Piney Grove Rd. May just be a relocation.

    Tom

    3 Nov 14 at 4:13 pm

  905. Does anyone know why the old Bells Hamburger building was torn down? too run down? eye sore? I miss the old Ed's Drive -In/Through that used to be up the street from there.

    CayceKid

    3 Nov 14 at 4:45 pm

  906. I did a little further checking and it appears that the current trio of midlands Kmart locations will remain open as well as the Sears at Columbia Place Mall. Be that as it may, Kmart at 1403 N Kings Hwy. in Myrtle Beach will be closing in early December. While it is the only one in South Carolina to close, it is one of approximately 110 stores nationwide that Sears Holdings, Inc. plans on closing right in the midst of the Christmas Holiday shopping season. Given that Ted occasionally posts a Grand Strand area closing on here I wouldn't be surprised if the aforementioned Kmart winds up featuring here.

    Andrew

    3 Nov 14 at 5:02 pm

  907. Columbia Place mall has a new owner. These people mean business based on what they spend on other sites. There's a support group on facebook supporting it's revitalization. Perhaps I could mention some improvements they could make if they are willing to spend the money.

    Mallguy

    3 Nov 14 at 6:49 pm

  908. @Tom - where on I-26 & Piney Grover is Prestige going to locate? And existing space or a new building?

    Homer

    3 Nov 14 at 8:10 pm

  909. So Prestige Appliance's pages shows and address of 3905 Fernandina Road.

    This shows a building behind Sportman's Warehouse that (per Google Maps) housed Southeastern Stone & The Fireplace Shop. They have recently vacated this spot (not sure if they've closed completely or just relocated). This is the building the Prestige Appliance is moving into.

    Andrew

    3 Nov 14 at 9:33 pm

  910. Thanks Tom and Andrew on the update for Prestige Appliance.

    James R

    3 Nov 14 at 9:46 pm

  911. Sidney, good for you. Transports seem to be thriving and hopefully this trend will continue for some time.

    CayceKid, before the season started I read that the defense would have a different alignment. Bad move.

    Terry

    4 Nov 14 at 4:02 am

  912. After last night, I think we might be able to add the SC Democratic Party to the list.

    Tom

    5 Nov 14 at 7:07 am

  913. @Tom What list?

    CayceKid

    5 Nov 14 at 11:31 am

  914. I think Tom is thinking that the overwhelming Republican victory in South Carolina over the course of last night's election means that the SC Democratic party should go to the closing list...

    I think that as long as James Enos Clyburn can maintain his congressional seat they won't close up shop 100% but I think I'd like to see political parties go the way of the dinosaurs...

    Andrew

    5 Nov 14 at 12:53 pm

  915. That's funny! Me too. Someone on the WIS-TV Website said something about Nikki Haley winning again, said It was the worst day in South Carolina history. Then I replied to that comment, and said " WELL...you don't like it here, then move, there's nothing keeping you here". I'm sure that really set them off, but I don't care actually. I tolerate SC because I was born here in Columbia...but I see a lot, and I DO mean a LOT of idiots in Columbia that don't know their rear ends from a hole in the ground.

    CayceKid

    5 Nov 14 at 3:35 pm

  916. @Andrew - one thing's for sure, Jim Clyburn has nothing to worry about until gerrymandering redraws his district so that it will no longer be predominantly black. Then he may have to switch to the Republican Party to keep his seat.

    Why not, seems that over the past 10 or 15 years politicians have started jumping to which ever party is the most popular at the time. And that leads back to your comment about the entire party system needing to go away.

    Homer

    5 Nov 14 at 11:58 pm

  917. Homer: More about the McRib

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/102151044

    Terry

    6 Nov 14 at 1:25 am

  918. @Terry - thanks for the link.

    I'll be at the top of the list on dissing MickeyD's until it comes down to the Egg McMuffin, their fries and the McRib.

    I have a video of Todd Wilbur's copycat version of this sandwich and as soon as I can transcribe it, I will post it here.

    I have tried his copycat of the Big Mac (sans the middle bun) and it tasted just like the real thing (except there was actually enough meat that you could taste on it).

    I also tried his Chick-Fil-A and it was close, but I think the difference was that I didn't prep correctly and didn't have a deep fryer. But it was good, none the less.

    He recently posted his copycat of Wendy's chili and I am going to give that a shot. My favorite thing from there is a large order of fries topped with chili and cheese sauce.

    Homer

    6 Nov 14 at 2:07 am

  919. Rode by the old Kmart building on Ft. Jackson Blvd, and they've really starting tearing it apart to overhaul it for the new businesses that'll be moving in there in the near future. I'm surprised that old building was structurally sound enough after 51 years to take all what's going on. I hope it'll look completely different when it's all said and done. I'm surprised the other buildings in the same lot haven't been reused for something yet.

    CayceKid

    6 Nov 14 at 10:15 am

  920. Ted the Subway out Garners Ferry ( next to the Hotspot ) has closed

    Gary

    8 Nov 14 at 3:39 pm

  921. Rode by the old former Kmart Building on Ft. Jack Blvd, and it's REALLY been gutted..pretty much just a shell of a building now. They tore down the old Kmart Automotive bay area on the side of the building. I'm curious how much different it's going to look when it's all done with.

    CayceKid

    10 Nov 14 at 1:58 pm

  922. meant to say FT. JACKSON BLVD...not Ft. Jack. I hate typing!

    CayceKid

    10 Nov 14 at 2:01 pm

  923. I got to thinking earlier about whether or not Ted keeps statistics on the various areas of town and the number of postings he has done in each area. It would be interesting to see how well our perception of different areas and match up with the reality of those areas.

    It would also be interesting to see what the statistics could tell us about the trends in Columbia and how those are shaping the history of the city. Not just trends in areas, but also trends in the types of businesses that are closing shop.

    If this is posted somewhere already, please let me know.

    James R

    10 Nov 14 at 11:54 pm

  924. No, I don't keep any stats, though I swear it seems like I'm always driving out to Lexington. Perhaps I notice that just because it's so far.

    You can get some sort of idea by looking at the "tag cloud" in the right colum of the screen. Larger tags have more postings. Of course I didn't start using tags at all until a couple of years after I started, so older postings are not properly tagged unless I have had some occasion to revisit them.

    ted

    11 Nov 14 at 1:15 am

  925. I'm a historian, so the trends interest me in what they tell us about change over time.

    James R

    11 Nov 14 at 6:06 pm

  926. Just since I discovered this blog in late 2009, there have been places that featured here that are already history. I already look at some pics and realize how it's an era in time gone by.

    Kmart closing their Dutch Square location in November 2009 was how I discovered this blog. Now it hosts NewSpring church and the thing of it is, looking at the pics of it I already see it as history...and there are plenty of other posts here that I'm starting to see in that light.

    Several of the other folks here (Rick, Homer, CayceKid) that are older than me have opened my eyes to places gone by that are older than me and there have been occasions where it's made life easier to connect with other folks that are longtime residents older than me but at the same time it can be challenging when they talk about places that were gone by the time I came along and I am too young to remember it the way they did...

    Andrew

    11 Nov 14 at 11:19 pm

  927. There you go, I just shot about four bucks your way.

    Rick

    12 Nov 14 at 2:47 am

  928. @ Andrew.. at least you have an interest in what was around at one time be it 50 years ago, or in the past several years that's no longer here. I have MUCH younger brother that has ZERO interest in what was.. with him, it's all about what is. He has no interest in Columbia history or the houses and buildings that were. I guess I'm the " History Nerd" in my family...but that's ok with me.

    CayceKid

    12 Nov 14 at 1:34 pm

  929. Anyone know anything about Arby's on Knox Abbott/Charleston Highway? They have a bunch of signs saying temporarily closed.

    MrBill

    12 Nov 14 at 1:37 pm

  930. don't get me wrong..I remember a few things that were, but there's just as many places I don't remember in recent times or what was where. Does anyone remember what used to be on the corner of Knox Abbot and ? where KK donuts sits before it was built? I have no clue to what was there..anyone?

    CayceKid

    12 Nov 14 at 1:39 pm

  931. ^Gas station on all four corners.

    tonkatoy

    12 Nov 14 at 2:05 pm

  932. thanks..now that you mention it, I think I remember the one across the street at an angle from it..but don't remember the others for some reason...

    CayceKid

    12 Nov 14 at 2:31 pm

  933. Kredit Kars on Augusta Highway in front of the Barnyard has an empty lot and a "for lease" sign on the building. It appears they may have moved out to the other side of Lexington on US1 towards Leesville and Batesburg.

    James R

    12 Nov 14 at 11:00 pm

  934. @ Andrew - my comment about statistics and historical trends was really about how interesting it would be to have a way to look deeper into the trends and see what history we can find. The surface history of buildings closing is nice, but I think we would be surprised by what the trends tell us. I understand this blog started with the economic downturn around 2008, so what can we surmise about how the downturn has impacted society?

    For instance, I noticed that the "pizza" and "Mexican" tags are highlighted under the tags, but no other restaurants are. Why are pizza and Mexican restaurants closing disproportionately to other restaurants? I can take a stab at why the Mexican restaurants are - ethnic minorities are generally hit harder with an economic crisis, but why pizza?

    Why are clothing stores closing disproportionately to furniture stores? In my experience, furniture becomes a luxury in an economic downturn leading to more furniture stores closing, but the trend in Columbia seems to indicate otherwise. Does the higher closing of clothing stores indicate a shift the demographics of the city?

    I just think we might be surprised by how our perception matches up with reality if we take a closer look at the closings. That's all. We could learn a lot by looking at the trends over time. Ted has provided an excellent resource for analysis. Perhaps that's a project for when I am done with my doctoral program.

    James R

    12 Nov 14 at 11:41 pm

  935. Sometimes I wish I could take my current Nikon CoolPix L820 and time travel back into times of past discussed here, take some pics and see what type of memories and discussions they'd conjure up...

    Andrew

    12 Nov 14 at 11:52 pm

  936. @James R & Andrew

    James - I have always been interested in the history of old buildings especially in 5 Points and the Vista. What were these buildings that now house all of the restaurants and bars in these areas? Not just the obvious, train stations/depots, well known warehouses and such, but the obscure places where you can see the age but not be able to put 2 and 2 together to determine what the building may have been used for in the past.

    Andrew - somewhere I have a box full of 35mm pictures I took with my old Minolta XG-9 back in the late 70's and early 80's. If I can ever find them I am certain I have some interesting photos from back then. I was a photographing fool back then.

    Homer

    13 Nov 14 at 1:23 am

  937. I believe a major reason for store closings is that owners go in under-funded to start with. The Small Business Administration will tell you that you have to allow 18 momths for a 'break even' period, which means you have to support the business until sufficient revenue comes your way (positive cash flow).
    When I see a business open up with hand painted advertising on their windows and exterior signs it is just about a sure bet they will not survive.
    As James stated about clothing stores closing often this seems to be from a stand point that a lot of these stores are operated more as hobbies than based on successful business practices. Maybe the owners lose interest and cut there losses or they lose everything. Going out of business sales and liquidation cannot be fun.

    Terry

    13 Nov 14 at 2:12 pm

  938. I have a LOT of old original Postcards of Columbia from the early 1900's through maybe the early 60's or so, and even seeing what was where, I still don't remember them for some reason. Some I DO remember, but there's just as many I don't remember. I guess I didn't pay much attention to them back when they were still around. Wish I had a better memory though, but as time goes by, I'm gettin' more and more senile.

    CayceKid

    13 Nov 14 at 5:01 pm

  939. Sometimes I can look at a building and figure out based on the overall apperance of the building.

    I remember encountering an O'Rielly Auto Parts store in Augusta that looked like a former Rite Aid/Eckerd in July 2011.

    On Parklane Road there is a dry cleaner that looks like it was a former KFC despite the fact that I don't remember the KFC being there.

    In July 2012 I encountered a Surplus Warehouse that there was no doubt a former Circuit City that had an appearance similar to the former Circuit City at 1950 Bush River Road. The maroon colored entrance was painted blue but other than that, there was no doubt in my mind that the building once housed Circuit City.

    KJ's Market IGA opened in the old Food Lion at 543 St. Andrews Road and if it weren't for the IGA branded merchandise, I swear it'd be a Food Lion still as they have kept most of the Food Lion decor.

    University Motor Company took over a former McDonald's at Assembly and Rosewood somewhere between 1998 and 2003 and they didn't do much to the exterior except paint the roof of the building.

    I remember encountering the Lexington County Administration Building in Lexington that opened in the former Kroger and there was no way I could doubt that it was former Kroger although Kroger closed before I was familiar with that stretch of Lexington. Ditto for the Kimbrell's Furniture that took over the former Kroger in West Columbia.

    Carolina Pottery is in a former Lowe's on US#1 in West Columbia and the exterior looks very much like I remember Lowe's stores looking like back in the 90s.

    Display Center kept most of the Piggly Wiggly facade when they moved to 655 St. Andrews Road but then the CHEF'STORE came along and resulted in much of that being overhauled.

    In Durham, NC there is a former Kmart that is subdivided between Surplus Warehouse and Harbor Freight Tools but still has approximately 50,000 square feet available in the middle (making me wonder if something along those lines will become of the former Seven Oaks Shopping Center Kmart).

    Andrew

    13 Nov 14 at 6:19 pm

  940. It's going to be interesting to see what's done with the old Kmart building on Ft. Jackson Blvd when it's all done with the new businesses that'll be in there. It's a big mess right now, but I'm sure it'll be very "upscale" compared to what it was in the past 10 years over here. Now if someone would build a multiplex theater somewhere over here then it would be better.

    CayceKid

    14 Nov 14 at 12:56 am

  941. The theaters at Richland Mall and Forest Dr. are only a 5-10 minute drive from the old K Mart area so I doubt a new chain would be willing to open in the area. Your thoughts?

    Terry

    14 Nov 14 at 1:37 am

  942. @ Andrew - Have you seen the Verizon store in Red Bank? It looks fairly new, but it has a drive up window and reminds me of a Jack in the Box restaurant.

    Does anyone know if that building is a repurposed / second use?

    James R

    14 Nov 14 at 1:53 am

  943. The Theaters at Richland Mall are very out of date and antiquated. I remember when they first opened , and they were pretty nice then, but they show their age, and no one goes there much anymore. RM needs to be torn down and redone or something..it really IS falling apart and a good 90% of the place is empty, and half the lights in that parking garage are burnt out and haven't been replaces in quite some time. I do a lot of videoing for The Columbia Childrens Theater there, and notice these kind of things everytime I'm there.

    CayceKid

    14 Nov 14 at 10:27 am

  944. Kar Kare was, at one time, a drive in restaurant. Inside they had the little juke boxes at all the booths. During the late 1950's we would go there for the foot long hot dogs, but my parents preferred Drake's across the street. I don't remember the name of this restaurant but I know they were still there at least until 1965 as my sister's boy friend loved the foot long hot dogs.

    Gary melton

    14 Nov 14 at 11:19 am

  945. @Gary Melton-- From what I've read on here, the intersection of Forest Drive and Millwood/Two Notch was vibrant at one time (with Drake's and the drive-in you speak of). Was this before the projects (Gonzalez Gardens) were put there? I lived in Forest Acres for years, starting in the late 70's. All I remember of that intersection is that it is run down and sketchy. Does anyone know what was there before the projects? Maybe regular houses like the ones around Gonzales Gardens?

    Cam

    14 Nov 14 at 11:41 am

  946. Well, after a quick search, I answered one of my questions. Apparently, Gonzales (I spelled it wrong originally, I am assuming the name came from the founder of The State Newspaper somehow) Gardens were built in 1941. For anyone older than me, were the projects simply affordable housing at one time? Now they are a drug and violence infested blight on the area.

    Cam

    14 Nov 14 at 11:50 am

  947. Seems Monkey Joe's in Lexington 'has no bananas' anymore. I just noticed today they were closed. Maybe it has something to do with the development just across 12 Mile Creek. I think Goodwill is setting up shop there. Or maybe it was the bed bug scare. Either way, it's a shame because construction is booming along Sunset Blvd. in that area.

    John R

    14 Nov 14 at 3:17 pm

  948. Cam,

    No, the projects were always basically slum housing. This was all part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs in the early 1940s. There were originally several project apartments in Columbia: Hendley Homes on Rosewood Drive, Saxon Homes on Harden Street, Allen-Benedict Court on Harden Street, and Gonzales Gardens on Forest Drive. The others were torn down circa 1999 for new development. Allen-Benedict and Gonzales are the only ones remaining.

    59 Ford Wheelman

    14 Nov 14 at 5:13 pm

  949. Since they tore down Hendley Homes and Saxon Homes, crime has spread throughout the whole city and county. And when they eventually tear down Allen-Benedict and Gonzales Gardens, crime will go up again all over the city and county. Columbia should have centralized all the low-income and Section8 housing. Keep the crime in one section of town.

    Sidney

    15 Nov 14 at 2:38 am

  950. The area that is most low income/trouble makers/crime and other non desirables is the entire area of Benedict-Allen Universities and up through where Providence Hospital is. When they tore down all the old section 8 apts, they scattered all of them into other parts of downtown. Actually, Hendley Homes used to be a fairly decent place to live in the mid to late 50's, but then blacks and others started to take over that entire area and it got to be a place to avoid all together. That area is a lot better now, but still has it's problems.

    CayceKid

    15 Nov 14 at 11:17 am

  951. I think people have a NIMBY attitude towards Section 8 housing that will make establishing an area for them difficult...I also think whatever grocery stores are established in an area that section 8 is established will have to be careful not to sink themselves into unprofitability. As was discussed when the Columbia Food Fresh market in Celia Saxon closed about 2 years ago, shoplifting being a tolerated behavior in these neighborhoods causes a grocer's small profit margin to literally walk out the door and they can't afford to keep operating in that type of environment.

    Andrew

    15 Nov 14 at 11:38 am

  952. BTW, in response to James's inquiry about the Verizon store in Red Bank, it was originally to be a Dunkin Donuts. For some reason the building got built but it never opened. Then Verizon opened their store there and it's been there since. Then another one opened at 1135 South Lake Drive (I think it was another eating place (memory is hazy as to which but I think it is a former Sub Station II) that has been there since...

    Andrew

    15 Nov 14 at 2:03 pm

  953. The city is supposed to screen section 8 applicants for criminal histories. But apparently it does not do a good job at it. Lake Carolina is full of section 8 residents and is now full of crime. The same is happening to Friarsgate and Harbison. I feel that subsidized housing needs to be maintained in housing projects but ones with good security and living conditions.

    Joelc

    15 Nov 14 at 2:58 pm

  954. With regard to the Dunkin Donuts never having opened, possibly it was related to the Main St. DD never having opened. Here's an article about one of the local franchisees that ended up going bust: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090706/FREE/907069969

    badger

    15 Nov 14 at 3:57 pm

  955. Now that badger mentioned it and I checked, I concluded that the Main street location referenced as well as the Red Bank location James asked about were affected in such a manner that they never opened. A third location on Widlewood Center Drive (off of Clemson Road near I-20) was caught in the same mess but eventually opened up (presumably under a different franchisee)

    Of the aforementioned trio the Red Bank location is the only one that doesn't have a post here (if you'd like to see the posts, consult the Alphabetical Closings link).

    Andrew

    15 Nov 14 at 8:33 pm

  956. Whatever became of "Mr. Donut"? I thought it was MUCH better than Dunkin after KK donuts of course.

    CayceKid

    15 Nov 14 at 10:08 pm

  957. @CayceKid - Mr. Donut was bought out by Dunkin' and has fled the US and is now headquartered in Japan. They are now the number one donut chain in Japan. Most of the Mr. Donut's in the US changed over to Dunkin.

    Homer

    16 Nov 14 at 2:30 am

  958. Two perfect examples of grocery stores affected by Section 8 were the Food Lion (now IGA) on St. Andrews Rd. and the Kroger (now Rose's) at St. Andrews and I-26. I heard so many stories about people being mugged in the parking lots and so much loss due to shoplifting that it was not feasible to keep the stores in operation any longer. I wonder how the Bi-Lo in Widewater Square stays in business. I will guarantee that most of their customers are Section 8 folks from the low income apartment complexes that are scattered around there.

    Homer

    16 Nov 14 at 2:38 am

  959. @Joelc - I totally agree with your assessment of the Section 8 situation in Friarsgate. You can drive down any street and think to yourself, there's one, that's not, there's one, etc. The same can be said for the old Whitehall extension off of Piney Grove Rd. It's almost like a checkerboard of Section 8's in there.

    Homer

    16 Nov 14 at 2:43 am

  960. @CayceKid - trying to catch up on here, been more or less out of commission for the past week. Saw your comment on the old postcards. I've downloaded a bunch of them from archive web sites (either USC or Richland County Library). Like you, some bring back memories and some I just can't recall. Here's one from the past, do you remember back in the 60's the horse watering fountain/trough that used to be in the median on Assembly St.? I can't remember the cross street; I'll have to ask my Mom if she remembers it.

    Homer

    16 Nov 14 at 2:57 am

  961. Ted, what kind of a Columbia Closings car is on the road today after the accident?

    Terry

    16 Nov 14 at 8:00 am

  962. @ Homer. I remember very well the old Horse/small animal water fountain on Assembly back in the 60's. We used to go downtown all the time back then, and as a kid I remember some of the places, but don't remember all of them. I have a LOT of old Columbia postcards though and some were written to friends and family of the person sending them. Some have old stamps and PO stamped dates too from then. My oldest one is from around 1900 to 1902 era. I keep them archival sleeves made for them. It's a good look into Columbia's past.

    CayceKid

    16 Nov 14 at 10:39 am

  963. One of the postcards on/about Columbia that I don't have, is one that shows a "Chain Gang" from the early 1900's or maybe the 1920's that has the caption " Good Road Builders".
    And I'm sure they were.. I remember seeing Chain Gangs back in the mid 60's still before things changed.

    CayceKid

    16 Nov 14 at 10:42 am

  964. Obit in today's (Nov. 16, 2014) State paper for Merlin Jones.
    He owned a nightclub where Platinum Plus is now. Anyone ever "climb the hill" at Merlin's?

    Midnight Rambler

    16 Nov 14 at 4:06 pm

  965. @CayceKid - I think there may have still been a grocery store on Assembly around the place where the trough was.

    Even though a lot of the department stores on Main St. were owned by Jewish families, my folks told me that a lot of the stores along Assembly were owned by Jewish families as well.

    I also recall talking to an older black man years ago at the old Three Rivers Music Festival that told me that when he was a kid there was an area around the Washington/Park St. area that was sort of like the 'Main St.' for blacks during segregation. If I recall correctly he told me that the building where Kelly's Pub is once housed a barber shop and an attorney's office.

    Homer

    17 Nov 14 at 12:00 am

  966. @Midnight Rambler - I went to Merlin's a few times, but only if someone else was driving. Way to far out in the boonies to risk making it back to Irmo without getting caught. As I recall it was a pretty nice club. Not too redneck but not a place I would hang out at all of the time. The band usually played a mix of country and classic rock and they had some pretty good pool tables and some cheap beer.

    Homer

    17 Nov 14 at 12:06 am

  967. Technesis at 536 Meeting St in West Columbia has closed.
    This was the followup operation to Microprice around 2010.
    The owner sold the customers to another IT company out of Charlotte and closed the doors.

    Frank

    17 Nov 14 at 12:44 am

  968. Looks like the Spring Valley Wendy's on Two Notch Rd closed up. All the signage is gone.

    Sidney

    17 Nov 14 at 9:33 am

  969. @ Homer. I know there used to be a Barbershop behind the old Belks store in the 60's through not so long ago before Belks was torn down. Does anyone remember when there used to be an air-raid siren downtown that went off everyday at 12:00? It scared the $#@!!! out of me as a kid everytime I heard it thinking we were going to be bombed.

    CayceKid

    17 Nov 14 at 4:56 pm

  970. @CayceKid - don't remember the barber shop but I do remember that air raid siren. I'd be downtown shopping with the folks on Saturday and when it went off I knew it was time for lunch! Usually at the one of the dime store counters or the Fountain Room at Tapp's. I also remember all of the fallout shelter signs situated on any building that had a basement.

    Homer

    18 Nov 14 at 2:00 am

  971. @Terry -- I'm currently tooling around in a 91 Corolla though I still am looking into salvage on the Camry..

    ted

    19 Nov 14 at 12:28 am

  972. Saw today the Gamecock Stop/Mrs. Monograph/Boykin Spaniel store on Rosewood Drive has closed. Not sure if they relocated. But going by today I saw the for rent signs in the windows and the store was empty.

    MB

    19 Nov 14 at 8:26 pm

  973. Not a closing, but a change of ownership:

    According to The Star Reporter, The Pig on Devine Street (formerly a corporate-owned store) was purchased recently by a couple of long-time employees (and maybe some other partners?).

    badger

    20 Nov 14 at 1:45 pm

  974. Recently Piggly Wiggly ran radio ads speaking to changes they are undergoing...for some reason all I could think about it was how those changes seemed as if they were closing a bunch of them...in the last 2 yeas we've seen the following Piggly Wiggly locations close up shop:

    - 7451 Garners Ferry Road
    - Cayce Crossing
    - Magnolia Pointe
    - Mills Corner in Lexington (across from Barnyard Flea Market)

    * all of the aforementioned have featured here and can be found on the Alphabetical Closings list. *

    In addition, Piggly Wiggly Locations at US 378 in Lexington (near Lake Murray Baptist Church) in Lake Murray Shopping Center and Forest Park (4711 Forest Drive) have become Bi-Lo. In addition there is a Piggly Wiggly on US 76 in Prosperity that I'm familiar with that is now a Bi-Lo as well.

    This summer Piggly Wiggly's Jedburg warehouse liquidated and it took less than 2 days for everything to sell out...

    Someone commented on the Irmo Piggly Wiggly page that Piggly Wiggly is a dying grocery chain based on experience as someone who used to work at the Piggly Wiggly in Red Bank and that is a thought that has lingered with me ever since...

    Andrew

    20 Nov 14 at 4:39 pm

  975. I still see Piggly Wiggly trucks on I-20 from time to time and I just have to wonder, where the heck are they going....

    Homer

    21 Nov 14 at 1:48 am

  976. The Pig on Devine St. used to be a nice store. I had a friend that used to live on Jackson Blvd. and she favored that store over the Bi-Lo at Jackson.

    Homer

    21 Nov 14 at 1:52 am

  977. Ted - lately you have really taken you site to a higher level. As I am trying to build my site, I'm impressed with what you have done.

    Rick

    21 Nov 14 at 2:12 am

  978. Or I should say, I have a greater appreciation for what you have accomplished.

    Rick

    21 Nov 14 at 2:22 am

  979. @ Homer - The Piggly Wiggly on South Lake Drive / SC Hwy 6 in Lexington is still open (or was as of a couple of weeks ago). It sits just south of I-20, so possibly the trucks are coming and going to that location.

    James R

    21 Nov 14 at 3:57 am

  980. The Red Bank Piggly Wiggly James referenced is one of several possibilities...there is sill a location on North Main Street and plus Camden still has their Piggly Wiggly. Other possibilities I'm aware of are Sumter, Orangeburg, Neeses and Manning. They still have locations but not as many locations as they used to (as evidenced by the numerous Piggly Wiggly listings in the Alphabetical Closings page).

    Andrew

    21 Nov 14 at 8:22 pm

  981. The Rita's at Harbison has closed. Leasing sign in the window. I guess they didn't survive the renovation to the shopping center that made it difficult to get to the store.

    Bob

    22 Nov 14 at 10:01 am

  982. @Ted - Carolina Imports at 705 Gervais St is closing that location and moving to the Trestle Building at 2965 Main St. Today is their last day in the Gervais St location.

    Justin

    23 Nov 14 at 1:23 pm

  983. @Ted - Also, the window tinting business at the corner of Main St and Confederate St appears to be closed as the building is now up for lease. The building looks like it used to be a service station of some kind.

    Justin

    23 Nov 14 at 1:28 pm

  984. OK it's not a closing... but the tire place on Hwy 1 near I-20 has for years said "Bimbo Jones is here!"

    WhoTF is Bimbo Jones? My wife and I have wondered for years. My creative mind says it's a guy who is quite skilled at changing tires.. I just don't know why he's had his name up on the signage since they opened.

    Brian

    24 Nov 14 at 11:09 am

  985. @ Brian - Interesting because the tire place on US 378 near I-26 and Lexington Hospital has said the same thing for at least the last three years.

    James R

    24 Nov 14 at 11:03 pm

  986. The Bimbo Jones thing is, as best as I can recall, related to the fact that Bimbo has/had quite the loyal following in Lexington as a mechanic and when he (and this is what I can't remember exactly) either sold or left one business and went to another, they wanted to make sure his loyal customers followed him.

    Joe

    25 Nov 14 at 11:03 am

  987. Speaking of things not around anymore, whatever happened to the old Phillips '66 Gas Stations? did they just disappear? or were they bought out by someone else? I know that towards Sumter/Shaw AFB, there is a "Pure Gas" Station which I'm surprised to see. Don't know if it's the same as the old ones were, but still, very odd to see this.

    CayceKid

    25 Nov 14 at 7:21 pm

  988. In recent years, what used to be 76 branded gas is now mostly Shell (I see it at most Circle K locations). Now it's Shell. I have enjoyed riding through their car washes though.

    I've seen 76 gas cards as a prize on the wheel while watching Wheel of Fortune over the course of the intervening years and leading me to wonder (hypothetically speaking) where I thought, "if I won one, I don't know which stations I could go to in order to take advantage of it."

    A quick web search yields that 76 is owned by Phillips 66. It also revealed no 76 gas stations within a 50 mile radius of Columbia.

    Andrew

    25 Nov 14 at 8:32 pm

  989. I thought too that "Gulf" Gas was supposed to be making a comeback here in Columbia or SC in general, but haven't seen any as of yet. Any ideas? I wonder what became of Texaco Gas stations too?

    CayceKid

    26 Nov 14 at 12:20 am

  990. There is a Gulf off of I-95 somewhere below I-26. I stopped there last year. I believe it is on the west side of the Interstate.

    There is currently a Gulf billboard on an Interstate in the Columbia area though I forget just where.

    ted

    26 Nov 14 at 1:12 am

  991. Does anyone remember the little ice cream shop that used to sit at the corner of 378 and North Lake Drive, kind of where that KFC/Long John Silvers combo is now? I think it might have been a restaurant on one side and ice cream on the other.

    One of my earliest memories of living in SC (i moved here when i was 6) is going to get ice cream there and sitting at the intersection in the center of Irmo counting the cars of a long train that was going by.

    IrmoJeff

    26 Nov 14 at 6:54 am

  992. Ted - I'm gonna post this again just in case it got lost in all the posts above.

    Spring Valley Wendy's on Two Notch closed up.

    Sidney

    26 Nov 14 at 7:46 am

  993. @ Irmo Jeff: The ice cream/ fast food place was Old Partners. Tasty.

    Midnight Rambler

    26 Nov 14 at 9:33 am

  994. Thanks Midnight Rambler. Its weird, although i have distinct memories of going there quite often, the name doesnt ring a bell at all with me. I guess 6 year olds dont care what the name of a place is, as long as it has blueberry cheesecake ice cream :)

    IrmoJeff

    26 Nov 14 at 4:24 pm

  995. @ Bob - Interesting on the Rita's at Harbison. I am a member of Rita's rewards program and the e-mail I just received yesterday said the Rita's at Harbison was closed for the season. That indicates to me they are going to re-open, but if there is a leasing sign in the window, I wonder if they are moving. A good location might be old Bruester's Ice Cream location on Columbiana. Just a thought. I guess we will see what happens in the spring.

    James R

    26 Nov 14 at 8:45 pm

  996. Rita's no longer shows up on the Harbison Court siteplan per DDR...

    Andrew

    26 Nov 14 at 10:04 pm

  997. For those old enough ( like me) that remember the Edisto Ice Cream outdoor building near the corner of North Main and Beltline, WHAT was the name of the place? and how long was it there before they closed and it was torn down?

    CayceKid

    28 Nov 14 at 8:20 pm

  998. @Ted - If you make it over that way, the Dunn Electric building at 2238 Sumter St would make a good closing post. I've already been interested in the history of that stretch of Sumter street. There's a lot of cool, small industrial buildings on that section that probably have a lot of history to them.

    Justin

    1 Dec 14 at 9:28 pm

  999. I do not know when Dunn Electric closed but they certainly had a good, long run in town. Along with all the commercial business accounts they also wired and serviced a good portion of the time and temperature signs you used to see at bank locations everywhere.

    Terry

    1 Dec 14 at 9:53 pm

  1000. @ James R - Yeah, I got the same email. I think they might have put that out as a nice way of saying "We're renovating!" Because other Rita's locales also close for the season as well....then, something else happened due to the renovations outside (Looking at you DDR....) then they ended up having to close. It's a shame, my husband's from New Jersey originally (we're actually spending Christmas up here right now) and he LOVES Rita's.

    I love the idea of them moving into the old Bruster's location, sounds really nice actually.

    ReneeLouvier

    2 Dec 14 at 12:19 pm

  1001. I saw today that the Zorba's Express at Kennerly Crossing has new signage....apparently its called Pizzaria Opa now. According to their Facebook page, its the same people, just a rebranding i guess.

    IrmoJeff

    2 Dec 14 at 4:57 pm

  1002. Irmo Jeff,

    I ate at that place today and was not impressed. I was going to get pizza for lunch but found out they did not pizza by the slice and I cannot eat a whole pie on my own. The pizza menu was very small and on the back of the menu. I ended up getting burger and fries. I did not like it. The burger was over cooked and dry. I just was not impressed with anything on the lunch menu. Maybe other things are better than what I got. A couple of guys near me got a a large pizza and it looked really good.

    William

    2 Dec 14 at 5:49 pm

  1003. This is about the fourth time in the last five years a club, all under different names has been shut down via license being yanked at the very same location:

    http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/01/3846923_vista-nightclub-said-to-be-a-danger.html?rh=1

    Redneck from Cayce

    2 Dec 14 at 8:03 pm

  1004. @ ReneeLouvier - I don't have any actual knowledge of Rita's taking over the old Bruester's location, I just mentioned it was a possibility based on the e-mail saying they were only closed for the season. Your explanation is probably more on target with what transpired.

    James R

    2 Dec 14 at 9:47 pm

  1005. Lucky 13 was the latest incarnation of a primarily black night club in the Vista. Sadly, these clubs attract gang bangers who ultimately lead to its demise. It used to be Have a Nice Day Cafe back in the early days of the Vista. I frequented the place when I in town from Wisconsin. It closed and stayed vacant for a seemingly long time before it reopened as a black club. Every incarnation of it has lead to shootings in the area. The last straw with Lucky 13 was the shooting in the parking lot adjacent to the Art Bar several weeks ago. Heck, the night before, some idiot fired off a volley of shots outside of the club. This has to end. The Vista is too important of an area to Columbia to allow brazen idiots to control its future. A lot of people are moving into the downtown area and need a sense of security. I hope that this doesn't turn into a race relations issue. Think about it, if Uncle Louie's was drawing the wrong crowd and shootings on Park St. were becoming an issue, the bar would lose its business license as would any other business in the district.

    Joelc

    3 Dec 14 at 1:54 am

  1006. Kwagga is closing down on December 15th. It is a nice little place to drink and throw darts. Plus the food is pretty good. Hopefully someone will buy it and open another venue there.

    Joelc

    3 Dec 14 at 6:59 pm

  1007. @Joelc - I totally agree with you. Once in a while, I like to go to Kelly's and then to the Art Bar to catch a band on Saturday nights and I would walk down the other side of Park to avoid passing by this place.

    Several years ago, this place used to be a dance club. I had a friend that would drag me down there as a 'bodyguard' to keep a$$holes from hitting on her. She loved to dance and I have two left feet so she bought all my drinks while I sat at the bar watching her stuff. If someone got too 'frisky' with her I became 'big brother' to ward off all of the pricks.

    Homer

    5 Dec 14 at 2:30 am

  1008. @JoelC - never heard of Kwagga. Where is/was i t at?

    Homer

    5 Dec 14 at 2:32 am

  1009. It's the former Puddlin' Duck and K-Tees, off Two Notch Road.

    badger

    5 Dec 14 at 8:54 am

  1010. I talked to the owner of Kwagga. He is breaching his lease and allowing the landlord to keep the contents of the establishment. He wasn't drawing enough business to keep the place afloat, according to him. I think that it is very difficult to successfully run a restaurant unless you own the building and are located in a hot part of town. Even then success is not guaranteed. Liquor taxes alone make breaking even hard. The former owner of a St. Andrews bar told me that illegal gambling was the only thing that kept his place going for a few years.

    Joelc

    5 Dec 14 at 11:19 am

  1011. @william

    Yeah hamburgers are not in Zorba's wheelhouse. Their pizza is one of my favorites for pizza in Columbia. Their greek salads are pretty awesome. Off the lunch menu the beef tips and greek potatoes are always solid. I'll give the new version of this restaurant a try eventually.

    Is there any place in Columbia that serves pizza by the slice? I honestly dont think ive ever eaten at a place that did. Or at least i didnt know they did.

    IrmoJeff

    6 Dec 14 at 9:12 am

  1012. Zorba's Express is where the crew from The Parthenon went. The pizza is great; I just wish it were closer.

    The Pizza Joint on Forest Drive has pizza by the slice. I believe Schiano's on Forest does as well.

    ted

    6 Dec 14 at 2:14 pm

  1013. Villa Pizza at Columbiana Centere sells Pizza by the slice (they're in the former Sbarro at the food court).

    Another one that does pizza by the slice is Fazoli's. I typically get 2 slices of their peperoni pizza with a drink and their breadsticks the times I eat there.

    I have an aunt in her 80s that sometimes gets by the slice pizza at the grocery store (not sure which) from what she's told me.

    Maybe someday I'll make it to Pizzaria Opa...

    Andrew

    6 Dec 14 at 2:27 pm

  1014. The best pizza by the slice is at Whole Foods, in my opinion.

    Justin

    7 Dec 14 at 10:13 am

  1015. I don't know why I didn't think of Whole Foods Market as I had two slices of their pizza when they opened on October 25, 2012 at Cross Hill Market (and did the same thing on the one year anniversary in fact)...thanks to Justin for reminding me of that one...

    Andrew

    7 Dec 14 at 3:49 pm

  1016. Did you see the news on WISTV about Dr. Curtiss Daughtry? He abruptly closed up his 2 orthodontic offices. My son got his braces there. It's on Two Notch in the big shopping center next to Sesqui up in the back corner.

    Sidney

    10 Dec 14 at 3:50 pm

  1017. http://m.wistv.com/wistv/db_331935/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=OuUDJHsG

    Sidney

    10 Dec 14 at 3:51 pm

  1018. I remember Daughtry running commercials on local TV with the "me too" line encouraging people to get a perfect smile with him. I didn't go to him myself so I don't know what happened but I know it's been a good number of years since such ads ran on TV.

    Andy Rooney didn't want to go to a doctor, funeral home or hospital that advertised.

    I worry that places like Apsen Dental will run dentists (and perhaps orthodontists even) like the dentist I go to out of business and I'd hate to see the day that dentists go the way of the chain format...I guess I'm in a fortunate few that feels comfortable and likes the dentist I go to.

    Andrew

    10 Dec 14 at 5:24 pm

  1019. It looks like the latin restaurant in the Vista, Mojitos, must have closed. It was closed for repairs but I've noticed that there is a leasing sign on the building now.

    Junior

    10 Dec 14 at 11:45 pm

  1020. Tremont/Riverside Inn's office has been torn down.

    tonkatoy

    11 Dec 14 at 7:39 am

  1021. Alibaba's smoke shop on 378 closed. I drive by it every day.. the VW microbus was parked in front for several weeks, and a sign written in pen was on the door.. I could never read it from the road other than the word Irmo...

    well, after maybe 2-3 months of being "closed".... but the lights on and a sign in the door... the place is now vacant.

    Brian

    11 Dec 14 at 7:28 pm

  1022. Oops - didn't mean to be posting on Shoney's thread. Sorry Ted. Anyway, @ Homer. There is even a Pet Photo Day (usually Sunday) with Santa at Dutch Square. Sooooo - if your kids are too old for santa, take your mutt! And don't forget your camera and/or smartphone.

    Beth

    15 Dec 14 at 7:59 am

  1023. Nothing says Christmas quite like a photo of a dog hiking his leg on Santa's boot.

    Terry

    15 Dec 14 at 8:52 am

  1024. Columbia Place Mall also had days where you could get a picture of a pet with Santa...I remember you had to come through a certain entrance and while I could be wrong, it's possible that it was a one day gig...I just know that the cat I had growing up had passed away by the time it came along and even if he were still around, I doubt we'd take him because he hated riding in the Pet Taxi he'd go in (he'd meow nonstop) and plus I don't think it'd be the type of setting he'd be excited about...

    Andrew

    15 Dec 14 at 12:05 pm

  1025. I was at Big Lots on Augusta Hwy today and noticed Thomas & Howard's Discount Center had closed. By the looks of it, it has been closed for a while. Signage indicates this was a food service (possibly wholesale) company.

    James R

    15 Dec 14 at 4:58 pm

  1026. Atop #1 Antique Mall at 4668 Augusta Road has closed temporarily pending their move to St. Andrews according to the sign out front. They are supposed to reopen in 2015. The sign did not give a new address other than stating St. Andrews.

    James R

    15 Dec 14 at 5:02 pm

  1027. One of the new constructions on HWY 378 in Lexington near the former Monkey Joe's has a sign advertising it will be a Goodwill Store. Does anyone know if this will be a new store or if the one next to Kmart on Main Street in Lexington is moving? Given all we have heard about the closing of Kmart, it would not surprise me if the Goodwill moved.

    James R

    15 Dec 14 at 5:13 pm

  1028. I can think of several possibilities but I'm currently unaware of any signs of where they're planning to move...

    Andrew

    15 Dec 14 at 5:23 pm

  1029. @Beth & Terry - I don't have any kids or dogs and I can only imagine what Santa would look like after my two cats got done with him!!!! They would wash his beard just before shredding it all to hell and then cover him with hacked up hairballs. I would have to do a video for that!!!

    Homer

    16 Dec 14 at 2:16 am

  1030. Mead & Hunt, an equipment rental business in Lexington, is temporarily closed due to an early morning fire.

    James R

    16 Dec 14 at 9:56 am

  1031. Slight correction to the Mead & Hunt closing. They are not the equipment rental business as previous mentioned. That is a couple of doors down from Mead & Hunt on Main Street in Lexington. Mead & Hunt is an Architectural and Engineering Firm.

    The corporate website shows two Lexington, SC addresses. It was 322 W. Main Street that caught fire. They also have an office in Myrtle Beach as well as several other states.

    Based on the extensive damage and the fact they already have a second office in Lexington, I suspect they will move rather than try to rebuild this office. If they did that, it would make sense to me to consolidate both Lexington offices.

    James R

    17 Dec 14 at 1:40 am

  1032. Speaking of fires, apparently the vacant BP station across from Kmart in Lexington caught fire the other day. It is believed to be arson. I thought I saw post here regarding the BP closing, but I can't seem to find it now. The land had been sold, but I don't recall what was supposed to be going in the space.

    James R

    17 Dec 14 at 1:48 am

  1033. Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 22:06:31 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment: Thousand Island Dressing.
    If this is your dressing of choice, stop buying the junk at the grocery store.
    Thousand island is nothing more than mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet relish, salt and pepper.
    Your everyday "Kraft" thousand island is mostly ketchup.
    Kraft and other major brands mix two parts ketchup to one part mayonnaise. The recipe should be the other way around, two parts mayo to one part ketchup. Ketchup is a lot cheaper than mayo, so you get the drift. If your brand is bright orange, guess what. Read the label, is tomato paste the first ingredient?

    I personally do not like thousand island on my salads but I do use thousand island when I make my own version of Andy's Deli or a Groucho's Sandwich of roast beef, turkey, Swiss cheese and bacon bits. I believe Andy's call it a Captains Special and Groucho's calls it an STP with formula one sauce, Their sauce is nothing more than a high quality thousand island dressing made with two parts mayo and one part ketchup.
    Make your own, one cup mayo, 1/2 cup ketchup, sweet relish, salt and pepper to taste. You'll be glad you did.

    Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 05:54:27 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: Heck, sometimes I'll slap some Thousand Island on my hamburger in lieu of the other condiments.

    Ken's Honey Mustard goes great with chicken tenders.

    For tossed salads, I prefer Ranch or Chunky Blue Cheese. I do love the old Green Goddess dressing when you can find it. I think Kraft is the only manufacturer.

    I used to get a spinach, red onion, mushroom and tomato salad at the cafeteria at work that was awesome with Russian or Catalina.

    Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 06:10:42 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: A friend of mine told me that there was a fire at the old Whitehall TV Repair store on Bush River Rd. sometime around Christmas. I haven't had a chance to go by and check it out. Anyone hear anything about this?

    Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 13:13:18 +0000
    Author: johnbom

    Comment: Just saw signs for the closing of Chapin Furniture -- inventory sale $2,000,000. Anyone else see these?

    Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:15:46 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment: @Ted - Spork Cafe, the follow on business in the Village Gourmet location on Colonial Life Blvd, has closed. According to their facebook page, they closed the last day of February 2014.

    Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 16:37:26 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: Regarding Chapin Furniture, I've encountered a forum in recent weeks that Publix has a store planned at the site of where Chapin Furniture currently sits in a development that is to be called Chapin Crossing. Plus the owners (who you may remember used to have radio ads, "Gladys, tell them about the furniture") are in their late 70s which makes me wonder if they're about ready to retire perhaps. Something else I read made me wonder if Chapin Furniture will be building close to Chapin's I-26 exit. I found on the history page on chapinfurniture.com that when this couple moved to Lake Murray they bought what was a former Red & White grocery store and renovated it into what it is currently so now it appears as if it'll host a grocery store once again, except this time it's to be a Publix.

    I don't know about Whitehall TV except that I feel the need for that type of place is pretty much nonexistent...the days of taking a TV to have it repaired have faded off into the sunset and now it's just as much to replace the TV and send the old one off to be recycled (especially with municipalities having drives for this type of thing and now retailers have instituted programs of their own as well).

    I'm not a salad eater myself but my mom is and she'll always ask restaurants to put their salad dressing on the side as opposed to on the salad itself...

    Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:04:33 +0000
    Author: John Barrs

    Comment: I noticed yesterday that the Gilligan's in Lexington by the Regal Theater has now closed its doors.

    Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 23:02:50 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment: @Justin - Years ago when I first heard the word 'Spork", which was in reference to the spoon/fork combination that is so popular at some fast food restaurants today, I thought that was a pretty cool name.
    I question where the word "Dork" originated.
    Hmm.. how about "Pork" then again "Fork".
    Maybe an alien named Mork created it for someone named Mindy. When Cindy said her name, Mork misunderstood.
    I believe Mindy is short for Minndeapolis.
    Speaking of forks, I have been in manufacturing for 20 plus years, I started out as a fork lift driver, today, I can drive any forking thing around. Ta Daaa..

    Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 23:14:53 +0000
    Author: Mel

    Comment: City Market Antiques has closed. Carolina Imports has moved. Both were in the Vista. Ballantine Auction closed its antique mall on Augusta Hwy in West Cola.

    Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 00:32:50 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: I think Ballantine Auction company is operating in the old Fred's at St. Andrews shopping Center (736 St. Andrews Road) as I've noted on that page making me wonder if it's perhaps a relocation...I recall it being mentioned that an antique dealer was planning to relocate from West Columbia to somewhere on St. Andrews so perhaps that is what is going down here...

    Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 00:38:50 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: @Rick - remember this?

    Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 08:28:32 +0000
    Author: Terry

    Comment: Homer, seeing that Radio Shack book brought back a lot of memories. I used it to build my first set of ported stereo speakers around '71. My second attempt was better than the first and I later used their cubic air formula to build a large guitar speaker cabinet.
    I most likely never got so much for 95 cents as that RS book.

    Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:40:16 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment: @Rick - Nice :)

    Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 15:50:49 +0000
    Author: Mac

    Comment: Does anyone remember an old restaurant called "Chubs and Tubs" from 1965 that was in downtown Columbia, SC? If so, please leave some replies or other info about it. It was a "greasy spoon place" that served foot long hot dogs, french fries, beer and other types of food. It had pool tables in it, too. It was located on the corner of Main Street at Washington St. Now there's a nice attractive park in it's original location.

    Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:16:27 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment: @Justin - Thanks.

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 01:12:29 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: @Terry - I built several sets of bookshelf speakers using the information in this book. Just flipping through the pages brought back a lot of memories about how RS used to be.

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 01:40:19 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment: @Ted - Trout Distributing Co. at 3039 Main St. appears to be closed. This is a coin machine distributor in that old school strip mall almost under the train trestle near the park at the corner of Main and Sunset.

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 15:12:02 +0000
    Author: Mr.Hat

    Comment: I went to the Bruster's in NE Columbia next to the Carrabba's on Grace's Way last night and saw that they have closed.

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:03:38 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment: I think Bruster's was in a bad spot. They might have done better if they took over the Q'doba spot next to Chick-Fil-A on Two Notch.

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:14:51 +0000
    Author: Mr.Hat

    Comment: Sidney, I agree with you. I've always thought that Bruster's and Carrabba's were in bad spots being located off of the main road behind a shopping center. I guess that's why McAllister's recently moved from back there and onto Two Notch.

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:40:17 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: I don't think Grace's Way (behind Sparkelberry Square) caught on as much as whoever the pioneer behind it hoped it would...I remember it having a pizza place that came and went and now houses a daycare...

    I don't know about Bruster's but there is also a possibility that it's only seasonal as I've gathered that ice cream sales have a tendency to drop off during the winter months and will pick back up when spring rolls around so perhaps something like that will happen...

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:30:06 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment: @Ted - One more closing to report, the daycare at the corner of Main and River Drive looks to be closed and is for sale. I believe it actually has a Benton St address.

    Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2015 12:21:43 +0000
    Author: Robert S.

    Comment: Word has it that Garibaldi's in 5 Points is closed!

    Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2015 12:32:36 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment: The State reports that Robert's note above is correct; Garibaldi's has closed in Five Points.

    Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 03:24:53 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Saw today that Red's on Augusta at 4350 Augusta Road near the Barnyard has closed. All signage has been removed and a Russell & Jeffcoat Realty sign is on the building. Google Maps' image is from October 2014 and it shows a Cintas Uniform truck making a delivery, so the closing date would be sometime since October.

    Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 03:27:11 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Looking at the customer comments on Red's on Augusta's Facebook page, which is still active, indicates they closed sometime between November 20 and December 2.

    Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 03:38:30 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Additionally, the pawn shop near Lowe's and Applebee's at I-26 on Augusta Road has closed. It appears that the address is 2817 Augusta Road. Google maps has the place listed as Y B Broke Gold and Pawn

    Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2015 00:21:02 +0000
    Author: Mike R.

    Comment: The closing of Bentley's Beach House came without any notice. A buddy of mine ran a Karaoke Night there, and one afternoon he showed up and the place was empty.

    Also, the Burger King at the corner of Dutch Fork Road (US 76) and Dreher Shoals Road (SC 6) is closed as of last Monday. The location is supposed to become a Nathan's hot dogs place, and BK is going to reopen at the Peak Exit (I-26 and Broad River (US 176).

    Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2015 04:01:13 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Noticed today that the "For Sale or Lease" banners had been taken down from Bentley's Beach House (North Lake Drive / SC 6 near the dam in Lexington) and the neon signs were lit back up. Don't know if it is new ownership or if the old owners are back in business, but apparently Bentley's has been revived.

    Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2015 16:52:23 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: So today the sign in front of Bentley's Beach House says "Opening Soon Mari's Lake House" I guess the lit neon I saw yesterday was the new owners testing the signs to make sure they worked.

    Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2015 21:42:35 +0000
    Author: Mall Guy

    Comment: All Radio Shack stores in Columbia are closing with the exception of Radio Shack on Augusta Road in West Columbia.

    Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2015 18:06:15 +0000
    Author: Sarah Krenshaw

    URL: http://www.wholeearthharvest.com
    Comment: httpwww.wholeearthharvest.com is now open and ready to sell both fresh and dried mushrooms. They are a shiitake and maitake mushroom farm but also sells berries and fresh greens.

    Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2015 18:07:31 +0000
    Author: Sarah Krenshaw

    URL: http://www.wholeearthharvest.com
    Comment: Sorry... http://www.wholeearthharvest.com

    Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2015 22:46:08 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment: This has nothing to do with closings but, I received a summons for Jury Duty, Richland County.
    My instruction are, that I MUST COMPLETE the bottom portion of the Juror Summons, which Richland County calls the "Juror Response Form", and mail within three days.
    The problem I have with this is, I've got to spend my dime on a stamp. I do not send correspondence via snail mail. Now I've gotta go buy a stupid stamp from some where or else get arrested. WTF. "No Postage Necessary" Richland County, look it up. And Oh yea, thanks for the five bucks a day I'm going to get for my time and gas.

    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 01:05:22 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: Dang, the town of Irmo paid me more than that....lol

    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 01:15:31 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment: @Homer- I know, right?

    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 01:18:54 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: Several years ago I got a summons to appear in Lexington, was referred to several places on 3 floors before I found myself in the records office and informed it got cancelled and I got paid more than that...

    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 02:12:12 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment: Andrew and Homer- Speaking of Richland County and, if you will, the City of Columbia, did you see on the front page of the State Newspaper today, there is talk about moving the homeless transition shelter away form main street to Garners Ferry Road. The buzz is, possibly Cedar Terrace Shopping Center where the old "Fred's" store once was or, the old Jim Hudson / Marion Burnside Chrysler Plymouth Auto Dealership building. As if this side of town doesn't already have enough troubles. Geeze.
    I bought lottery tickets today.
    God, please let me win the lottery. I'll donate half to a good cause. Then I'll move the hell out of South Carolina.
    I know, I know.. just give me a chance/the money to move.

    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 02:26:10 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: @Rick - talk about your property values going down!!

    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 02:28:33 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: I don't need $500,000,000. I'd be happy with just enough to retire to about 10 acres in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a 20 foot fence and anti-drone equipment.

    Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 03:09:49 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: I envision the old Jim Hudson being overhauled to either a new hotel or restaurants for people to eat and then get back on the road (stemming from its close proximity to I-77)...my grandmother lived in Rosewood and wished more 'table service' restaurants were in that section of town...

    Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2015 02:15:49 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Furniture Barn on Lake Murray Drive in Irmo has signs up announcing both a "Store Closing" and a "Moving Sale". Anyone know which it is? If they are moving, any ideas on where?

    Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2015 05:53:10 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: Speaking of furniture, I heard on the radio that Chapin Furniture is going out of business as well.

    Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2015 06:44:32 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: Chapin Furniture is in the process of a $2,000,000 inventory liquidation...I think the owners are in their late 70s so perhaps they're retiring...

    Here's the kicker... they were settling down in Lake Murray following a military retirement as Joe (who co-owns the shop with his wife Gladys) had a military career and they bought and renovated a former Red & White grocery store to have a new furniture store...plans are already in the works to have a Publix at Chapin Crossing there...

    Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2015 07:32:45 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: I heard Chapin Furniture was "Going Out of Business" when I moved to Columbia 4 years ago. I think it may have been on this site that I read the store had advertised it was going out of business several times before only to retract it and continue operating. If I remember correctly, the commentary also stated how falsely advertising a "Going Out of Business" was against the law in SC.

    Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2015 21:13:32 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: Someone said that as Kmart #7410 (Seven Oaks Shopping Center) was closing that it felt that said store was closing for months, if not years and someone else felt the same about Chapin Furniture. If you click the "1 Jan 2012 to 31 December 2013" Have Your Say archive above you an scroll through and read the details. I did a little checking and found an article indicating they are planning to move closer to the interstate and bring Chpain their first escalator (but it will only go up). I think what they're trying to do is liquidate and get something for it than have to worry about relocating everything. Then sometime in 2016 Chapin Crossing will open on their original spot and it will be anchored by Publix.

    Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2015 19:29:52 +0000
    Author: Jenny

    Comment: I think both Yoghuts are closed. Rode by the one in the Adesso building near campus and all the chairs are piled up inside. Calls to both locations went to voice mail for some garbled name. The other one was next to Outback in Harbison.

    Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2015 19:29:52 +0000
    Author: Jenny

    Comment: I think both Yoghuts are closed. Rode by the one in the Adesso building near campus and all the chairs are piled up inside. Calls to both locations went to voice mail for some garbled name. The other one was next to Outback in Harbison.

    Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2015 14:55:20 +0000
    Author: MB

    Comment: I was going by the Yoghut on Blossom and Main yesterday and it was open for business. I'm guessing they have different hours in the wintertime.

    Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2015 05:23:17 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Gilligan's has been closed much longer than January 2015. It closed in June of last year. Beth first mentioned it in "Have Your Say" on June 22, 2014 and then a day later John R reported that the staff had been let go a week earlier. This would put the closing date about June 16, 2014.

    Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2015 00:01:29 +0000
    Author: Joelc

    Comment: Word has it that CW's has shut down. This was formerly Carolina Wings located at Hardscrabble and Clemson. They kept the old menu down to the Beyond Blistering wings, the one that you had to sign a waiver to eat. The place never seemed particularly busy and closed early during the week.

    Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2015 01:24:06 +0000
    Author: Jason

    Comment: Step 1) Restaurant fails
    Step 2) Re-launch restaurant with new name, everything else the same
    Step 3) What do you think?

    Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2015 03:55:53 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: As some of the other Carolina Wings locations shut down when the company filed for bankruptcy, someone here was doubtful about the Magnolia Pointe one lasting much longer...I never made it myself (an example of a Northeast Richland eatery I'd like to go to but need a group besides family to go as I'm not keen on eating at places like that solo) so perhaps whatever challenges they saw finally caught up to them...

    Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2015 14:07:59 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment: I didn't like going because the bartenders sucked!! They catered to or should I say talked too much with their regulars and/or friends. Their attitudes were not so friendly either. Gonna miss the terri-hot wings though.

    Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2015 14:08:29 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment: My last reply was in response to CW's on Hardscrabble.

    Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2015 15:43:15 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Saw a group on for a new pizza place called The Pompeii Oven. The description of the pizza (Neapolitan) and the address looked familiar. After doing some research, this is the old Noah's Antica Pizza at 7719 Saint Andrews in Irmo. We ate there once when it was Noah's and the food was really good. The issue seemed to be the obscure location on Saint Andrews (secluded / isolated off the road down towards the post office) and the lack of seating.

    It appears now that Noah's has changed their name to Pompeii Oven and continued there same practices of living off Groupon deals. (Jason's 3-step process posted above). Hope it works out, but I suspect that it will continue to struggle.

    Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2015 10:25:56 +0000
    Author: Terry

    Comment: It looks like it is time to charge up those camera batteries, Ted. The State Newspaper is reporting the Bojangles across from the USC football stadium and the Price Bananas building just down the road from it will be torn down.

    Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2015 17:29:42 +0000
    Author: palmettoconnection

    Comment: Why are all of the Bojangles closing in Columbia? It seems there are only two left. One on Two Knotch, and one on Garner's Ferry by the Whole Foods. Correct?

    Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2015 18:16:47 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: @palmettoconnection, go to the restaurant locator feature on bojangles.com, key in Columbia, SC and you'll find that there are plenty of Bojangle's around on top of the duet you asked about...even Chapin has a Bojangles in fact...

    Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2015 20:21:36 +0000
    Author: JMac

    Comment: Anyone know what's going on with M Fresh downtown?

    Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2015 16:25:44 +0000
    Author: Peter

    Comment: @palmettoconnections- bojangles on elmwood is still open. but shame their cajun fillet biscuits went way downhill. used to be best breakfast biscuit around. now chicken is paper thin and lost flavor. also price of chicken supreme combo increased too much. rather go to zaxbys even though the supremes are supreme.

    Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2015 19:12:14 +0000
    Author: VickieB63

    Comment: I loved reading these comments, brought back many great memories. How about the Tabbard Inn Bar and The Library Bar on Rosewood Drive? I used to go to the Tabbard Inn almost every single night in the late 70's early 80's - .10 cent draft on Tuesday nights....

    Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2015 20:07:22 +0000
    Author: Tomato

    Comment: http://www.colliers.com/p-usa1004682/?14bf0b0071d

    Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2015 17:27:28 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship at 4766-B Sunset Blvd. has moved. The signs on the door indicate they are now at 117 Park Road across from the DMV in Lexington. This is in the building with John's Artistic Iron Works and most likely is taking the place of the former M Salon. I don't know of any other space in that particular building.

    Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 17:07:25 +0000
    Author: Jason

    Comment: Looks like the Beef O'Bradys on Hard Scrabble is closed, since around the beginning of the year.

    Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2015 16:19:24 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment: Beef O'Brady's (Hardscrabble) had TERRIBLE service. Went there twice and it was awful.

    Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2015 20:43:29 +0000
    Author: Jason

    Comment: Only place in town I could get a competent Cuban sandwich, and even then I always had to tell them to leave off the lettuce (!) and tomatoes (!!!!). The franchise owners were from Tampa, they shoulda known better. But yes, the service was so consistently abysmal we started treating it like an adorable quirk.

    Weirdly, the place was always pretty full whenever we'd go. I didn't drive past the entrance to see if there was a sign indicating what the circumstances of the closing might have been, but I can't imagine it was because it wasn't getting enough business.

    Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2015 23:27:46 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment: Here's a good eats,
    Melt 1/4 cup of butter, NOT margarine, in a sauce pan, add 3 tablespoons of flour and 1 teaspoon salt, stir over medium heat until a rue is formed.
    Slowly add one and one half cups of whole milk and stir until thickened. I use a whisk to stir.
    Add one can of tuna drained, OR, I said OR, 1/4 cup of cooked sausage.
    Stir till heated.
    This is the same recipe Hardees uses for their sausage gravy biscuits.
    Poor over toast or canned butter milk biscuits.
    Mmm.. I like it better than Hardees.
    This is also what was served in the military known as "Shit on a Shingle" using dried beef. Dried beef is very good with the exception that dried beef in the "Jar" is very expensive.
    Give it a try and add whatever meat you like.
    I may try it with Spam one day.

    Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 05:25:01 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: @Rick, I like to add a lot of black pepper when I make my sausage gravy. Alas, I have never been able to make biscuits like you get in a restaurant (fast food or otherwise). My Grandmother made the best danged biscuits you would ever want to eat, but the recipe died with her.

    I made some SOS a few weeks ago with the expensive dried beef in a jar. It was good but for the price of the beef I only do it once in a blue moon. I even made it once with some of those little packs of Buddig corned beef and pastrami. It was different, but still pretty tasty.

    Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 05:42:15 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: OK EVERYONE - In honor of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day festivities I found a recipe for an adult milkshake. Here goes...

    For two servings:

    Ingredients
    3 1/2 cups of vanilla bean or chocolate ice cream
    1 large can of Guinness Stout, chilled
    Whipped cream
    Chocolate syrup

    Directions
    Put the ice cream and stout in a blender (chill the blender jar first). Blend until smooth and creamy.
    Pour into two frosted beer mugs.
    Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
    Enjoy.
    Make another batch.
    Enjoy some more.

    Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 14:06:09 +0000
    Author: Jason

    Comment: If you really don't care about living to see your 80s, just use sausage grease instead of butter in your gravy recipe. Tastes better than butter, which is not a phrase I think I use at any other time in my life.

    The secret to good biscuits is fresh White Lily self-rising flour. It is of the greatest importance that your flour be fresh, and that it be White Lily.
    Scoop up 500 grams into a bowl, and cut a whole stick of butter into it. While that's going on, preheat your baking stone (important for crispy bottoms) in a 500F oven, or 450F if you're using a convection oven. Add in enough buttermilk to where the dough ball pulls away from the side of the bowl, then add another splash and mix it in. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it for a minute, then roll it out to about half the thickness of what you want your biscuits to be. Cut them out and lay them on some parchment paper, each one touching its neighbor. Brush the tops with some buttermilk or melted butter if you really want them golden brown, then slide the parchment onto the hot baking stone, and bake for 13 minutes.

    Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 15:20:16 +0000
    Author: Patricia Lewis

    Comment: This might be a Lexington County closing I'm not sure!

    I drove over to Berryhill Road the other day for an interview at Kelly Services and noticed that the Columbia King Buffet was closed! It was always packed at both lunch and dinner when I would drive by to pick up the Interstate!

    Also, Qboda Mexican Grill at the Shoppes at Woodhill is now a Starbucks!

    Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 16:23:12 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: Patricia Lewis, the duet of closings you mentioned already featured here and you can find links to them via the Alphabetical Closings list (linked at the top)...

    Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 20:35:12 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Hess at Sunset and 12th Street is no more. Converted to a Speedway today.

    Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2015 04:24:05 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: Speedway bought out most if not all Hess stations in Columbia. the one on Harbison is in the process of covering up the Hess green inside the building.

    Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2015 20:57:24 +0000
    Author: Megan

    Comment: Mr. Hibachi in Lexington closed roughly 2 weeks ago.

    Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 22:28:17 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: So did Speedway buy out Hess completely or just the ones in the Columbia area?

    Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 22:41:33 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Ok, so I found this which seems to indicate Speedway bought out the entire Hess retail business which includes the Wilco stores.

    http://hessacquisition.speedway.com

    Greenville / Spartanburg will convert in October. Myrtle Beach and Florence will convert in November.

    I wonder what that means for the GodFather's Pizza and sandwich shops that were inside Hess because Speedway has their own brand of food. Speedway also has a rewards program that I don't think Hess ever did.

    Speedway is a subsidiary of Marathon.

    Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2015 01:16:40 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment: And many, if not most, of the Speedways were originally "Starvin' Marvin."

    Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2015 02:14:37 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: I do remember a jingle b+ We're on our way, The Convenience Stores of Speedway b+ but I will admit that I'll miss Hess as I had a soft spot for that brand.

    Leon Hess (the founder of the brand) chose the green coloring for it to represent cleanliness. He was also the owner of the NY Jets for years and brought out the greenness of that team color as well. He died in 1999.

    My dad recalled a time when Hess stations were always clean and some of the others weren't. Plus I found it to be one of the more cost-effective stations around.

    I have a (possibly wrong) recollection of one of the gas stations along Bush River & I-26 being a Speedway...

    Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2015 04:39:59 +0000
    Author: Tomato

    Comment: The Hess on Two Notch Road by Target and Best Buy has also converted into Speedway.

    Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2015 06:13:27 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: Dang - I guess I'll have to get my Hess trucks online now....

    Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2015 00:57:06 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: I had forgotten about "Starvin' Marvin".

    Anyway, a closer look at the link I provided says the Columbia area Hess Stations were to convert to Speedway in December of this year. They must be ahead of schedule.

    Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2015 02:40:54 +0000
    Author: Joelc

    Comment: Hess sold their retail and refinery businesses to Marathon Oil which owns Speedway.

    Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2015 16:25:00 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment: There's an interesting article on The State about the Palmetto Compress building be redeveloped into housing and retail. I didn't realize it had closed operations so recently (mentioned in the article as "several decades ago"). It's recent enough that some folks on this site may have memory of it. Might make an interesting closing post.

    Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2015 16:14:28 +0000
    Author: Bobby

    Comment: ANDREW ANDREW ANDREW
    Now that I have your attention. Can you use your methods of finding out everything about everything and answer this question for me.
    Lets say you're at the Food Lion on Broad River Road across from The Publix. And you make a right out of the Food Lion plaza as if you are going towards Harbison. You will see a lot of land cleared away on your right hand side going towards Harbison. My question..... what is the cleared land going to be? I asked a cashier at Food Lion and she told me apartments, however my first thought was Section 8 housing. So anything you can find out would be cool

    Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2015 06:16:38 +0000
    Author: Terry

    Comment: I do not recall what thread it was under but last month there was a lot of talk about late night horror shows of the past.

    This coming Saturday night at 10 PM Svengoolie will host the 1963 classic King Kong Vs. Godzilla on the Me-TV channel.

    Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2015 18:58:52 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: I have encountered this CityData forum about those apartments and have seen the sign as to what they are to be called but can't remember the names off the top of my head.

    I am not the best at being able to detect as to if these are section 8 or not...

    Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2015 22:41:43 +0000
    Author: MB

    Comment: Are there any ideas as to what is going on the corner of 378 and Hummingbird Drive in West Columbia - across from the Jiffy Lube? I did my homework on the development company and see they have built Family Dollars before and a Taco Bell.

    Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2015 00:54:31 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: When MB mentioned that the company handling the construction has built for Taco Bell and Family Dollar a possibility I thought of was that Family Dollar is looking to move out of Food Lion-anchored Westland Square as Family Dollar seems to be headed in that direction...as is Dollar General...

    Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2015 05:34:25 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: @Terry - TCM showed some real stinkers last night (Thursday). They were having a tribute to Bert I. Gordon (one of the sub-B grade horror flick producers/directors of the 50's and 60's). They showed Tormented, The Cyclops, Attack of The Puppet People and several others. They were all hysterically bad!! The dialog was as wooden as the acting and the special effects jut plain sucked!! Right up there with anything that Ed Wood every put out!!

    Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2015 07:48:54 +0000
    Author: Terry

    Comment: Sorry I missed that Homer. The older I get the more I appreciate what people were trying to accomplish with limited funds and technology in the film industry. Years ago some friends and I made some 'shorts' with an old Bell & Howell spring driven 8mm movie camera. Great fun and very low quality. The film reels are only 50' and last around 3 minutes.
    When you are watching old films you see all the parts that 'jump' and those were either edited sections or poor splices from tears in the original film. True fractured flickers.

    Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2015 05:35:30 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: @Terry - back in high school one of my friends was taking a class that required him to make a short 8mm film. We tried one based off of Star Trek that was filmed using his bedroom as the bridge. It was horrible! Then he made another sci-fi film that used model rockets and sock puppets for aliens. It was laughable as well. He found them in his attic not too long ago but, alas, he has no projector to view them on. Guess it's time for an eBay search!!

    About ten of us worked on a film project back in the 9th or 10th grade. We remade the Poseidon Adventure in the club house of an apartment complex. It was a lot of fun and totally hysterical when I think back on it. I remember that even though the ship was supposed to be upside down all of the window dressings and pictures on the walls were still normal. And the filming of the ship being hit by the rogue wave was done in the swimming pool with a little model ship while splashing water against it. If you would let go of the model it would sink to the bottom of the pool like a rock. So someone would have to roll it over and hold it upside down while filming. And, yes, there were a couple of shots where you could see the fingers....:^)

    Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2015 06:04:14 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: Several notes here...

    1. Hemingway's in the Kroger shopping center in Irmo has finalized their move further down the strip giving Kroger the chance to expand the grocery store (sorely needed). There is also work going on next the the Kroger liquor store (in an old dry cleaning business) for ANOTHER Chinese restaurant.

    2. Tim's Gas Depot on Woodrow St. in Irmo is in the final stages of moving to a new location on Broad River Rd.

    3. I have noticed a some activity at the old Bob Andrews auto repair on St. Andrews Rd. at the old K-mart shopping center. Not sure what is going on as the 'for sale' signage is still up.

    Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2015 17:36:44 +0000
    Author: jonathan

    Comment: @ Bobby, they are called Atlantic at Parkridge.

    http://columbiabusinessreport.mappsite.com/news.php?link=http://www.columbiabusinessreport.com/news/53036-developer-breaks-ground-on-irmo-apartment-complex?rss=0

    Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2015 19:03:30 +0000
    Author: Patricia Lewis

    Comment: I noticed that the Merle Norman store at East Forest Plaza next to Cardinal Newman School in the shopping center with BI-LO (Once a Piggly Wiggly) and the CVS(Once a Revco) was closed!

    The only store left is way over in Columbiana Mall on Bower Parkway.

    I can remember there being a Merle Norman at the old Richland Mall located between the Eckerd's Drug Store and Gerald's Shoe Repair! lol! Giving my age away here!

    Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 02:01:39 +0000
    Author: Redneck from Cayce

    Comment: I hadn't seen this yet, but Bubble Tea Cafe closed both of it's two locations in the past month or so. One was in Columbiana Station while the other was downtown off Pendleton St next to Tio's across from the state capital building and USC horseshoe. They weren't breaking even on profits anymore.

    Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 04:01:49 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: I never understood what the big whoop was with bubble tea in the first place. Never tried it and never had a desire to either.

    Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 13:40:10 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment: If you like Gummi Bears, and you like tea, you can satisfy both with one drink. If you don't care for Gummi Bears, or just the novelty of having them at the bottom of your tea, it's probably something to avoid. I did try it once just to say I did it, but I'm not much of a Gummi Bear fan. And they're not actually Gummi Bears, just the same consistency.

    Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2015 03:50:25 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Noticed today that South State Bank has taken over the old abandoned building at 1710 Gervais Street for its Support Services operations. That building had been vacant since I moved to Columbia about 4 years ago. I always thought the shape of the building was interesting with a drive going under each side of it. I did not realize Ted hadn't done a closing on building or I would have suggested it as a post. If you look at Google Maps Streetview, you can see the outline of the old sign which indicates the building used to house BB&T Insurance Services.

    Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 00:55:14 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: @ Patricia Lewis - The Merle Norman next to Bi-Lo on Columbia Avenue in Lexington is still open for business.

    Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 20:48:16 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment: @Ted - I have a city Directory from 1985 if that might ever help you with who was listed at a particular address back then.

    Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2015 00:57:48 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment: Does anyone know anything about a business called Sports Action next to Drakes Duck In on Main Street. The sign is still up but it's been out of business since before I've lived in Columbia. It looks like they are opening a Doctor's Care in this space so it will soon be rehabilitated.

    Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2015 17:25:12 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Comic Nirvana at 5135 C Sunset Boulevard (Lexington Pavilion strip mall in front of Best Buy, World Market, and PetsMart) has moved. They are now located at 3935 Sunset Blvd. behind the Waffle House at Sunset and I-20. The new address says it is West Columbia, but I'm not sure West Columbia extends to I-20. The new location to me is a bad one for a retail shop. The buildings in this area are mostly professional offices and I suspect the traffic flow will be much reduced from the high traffic area near Best Buy.

    Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2015 00:45:32 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment: Salon 425 in Lexington next to Bilo on Columbia Ave has closed. The sign has already been taken down but it was right next door to Bilo. Their Facebook page verifies they are indeed closed.

    Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2015 15:46:32 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: I suspect the Hardee's in front of Bi-Lo in Lexington (415 Columbia Avenue, Lexington) will be closing within the next couple of months. Apparently they are building a new Hardee's on West Main Street at the old BP gas station near the US 1 / US 378 split. I can't see Hardee's doing enough business to keep this location open once the new one is complete.

    Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2015 12:52:39 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment: I just noticed yesterday that the flag and banner store on Huger Street near Blossom has moved out to Meeting Street. I think the place is called Columbia Flag and Sign.

    Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2015 12:57:28 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment: Conway in the East Forest Plaza is closing.

    Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2015 11:28:20 +0000
    Author: Arthur

    Comment: Noticed yesterday the Pizza Hut on St. Andrew's Rd has closed. Up the big hill from I-26. Also to note its directly next door to a newly named Speedway. All of the Hess stations recently converted to Speedways.

    Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 07:20:51 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment: I saw on WIS news tonight that the 'Walk a mile in her shoes' charity benefit was moved to Richland Mall due to the weather. From the looks of the report on TV that was the most people that have been in that mall in 20 years.......

    Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2015 20:35:01 +0000
    Author: Tom

    Comment: McDonalds announced today it is closing 900 restaurants worldwide due to declining sales. No word on where they will be.

    Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 00:54:44 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment: That appears to be about a 2.6% reduction. They could be few and far between.

    Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 02:42:37 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment: That's the thing...I know the golden arches have sunk a pretty penny into renovating quite a few of their restaurants in the Columbia area in the last few years...plus my dad has told me that they're willing to pay more for a prime piece of property...

    In the last few years the following locations have received significant overhauls:

    - Clemson & Hard Scrabble Road
    - Platt Springs & Emmanuel Church Road
    - Clemson Road near I-20
    - Garners Ferry & Wildcat*
    - Assembly & Elmwood*
    - Broad River & Dutch Square Blvd.
    - US 1 near Oak Drive
    - Two Notch & Beltline Blvd.*

    * these were 100% torn down and rebuilt

    It wouldn't make sense to me to close those shortly after sinking a pretty penny into overhauling them. But then again, Food Lion #112 (543 St. Andrews Road) underwent a significant remodel in 2009 only to close in 2013 so who knows.

    There are a few others that haven't been touched in a while that would be liable to go but only time will tell. The main two that spring to me are in the 1300 block of Charleston Highway and Parkland Road in front of Columbia Place Mall. I also wonder about the viability of the one in the Walmart at 321 Killian Road as McDonald's just opened another one just across the Interstate.

    badger figured it's approximately a 2.6% reduction so it's entirely possible that Columbia's locations will go unscathed in this round. After all, there are plenty of cities throughout the world that the golden arches operate in.

    Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2015 06:00:43 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment: Drove home from campus today by way of US 1 and noticed an empty building around the 1600 block of Augusta Hwy. I did some research and found out it used to be Perkins Jewelry at 1516. I didn't see a post here, so I thought I would mention it. It looks like they might have moved to 1827 Platt Springs Road, according to the Yahoo listing. Google Maps Streetview is from November 2014 and it shows the "For Rent" sign in the door, so whoever the last occupant was, they moved out before then.

    Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2015 18:37:12 +0000
    Author: mike j

    Comment:
    Monterey on Knox Abbott will reopen in Parkland Plaza on April 27. Yippie!!!

    Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2015 15:35:47 +0000
    Author: Diane

    Comment:
    Anyone remember a restaurant that used to be in the Columbia Mall that had the best beef teriyaki? It was a two-story restaurant with a great salad bar. The beef teriyaki came in a metal dish and was served with snow pea pods. I craved that dish when I was pregnant many years ago. It kind of reminded me of a Ruby Tuesdays. Cannot remember the name of the place though.

    Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2015 17:22:52 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    The only 2 story restaurant I remember in the mall was Annabelle's.

    Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2015 11:59:37 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    When Columbia Mall first opened, the restaurant in the Annabelle's location was called "Tuesdays," without the "Ruby." Bu they weren't there that long. I assume it was part of a chain, but I it's hard to find any info, since any search brings up RT.

    Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:56:39 +0000
    Author: comforta

    Comment:
    What ever happened to the establishment called Phoenix Lounge (Formerly known as Exclusive Reggae Bar & Grill) off Broad River Road on Zimalcrest? Just curious since they had good Jamaican food. If they are closed anyone know why?

    Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2015 22:56:34 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    I have no idea about Phoenix Lounge, but looking at their youtube video and facebook page. . . I don't see that they were ever in any danger of making it long term. You'd think they'd have someone halfway literate to proofread the stuff they put out to the public. Yeesh!

    And speaking of Jeffers McGill, they have moved to Atlas Rd, in the old Griffin Pool and Spas location.

    Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2015 13:28:49 +0000
    Author: comforta

    Comment:
    Shame, I scared to watch the video. Thanks Badger!

    Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2015 13:29:07 +0000
    Author: comforta

    Comment:
    (oops) I'm

    Date: Fri, 1 May 2015 15:12:12 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    Ted, youm ight have seen this yourself, but with your tip, I Googled 'Tuesdays 1865' and found a reference to it in a blog post on Eastland Mall in Charlotte. From what I could tell, that Tuesdays later became an Annabelle's, too, so maybe it was just a rebranding of the Tuesdays chain. Possibly they were smaller than the up and coming Ruby Tuesday chain, and wanted to avoid confusion (and possible litigation).

    Date: Fri, 1 May 2015 18:46:44 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Not sure where exactly this is, but I saw a store closing sign for Jordan's Modern Bride and Groom yesterday. It was located at the Parklane Entrance to the Columbia Place Mall so maybe it is inside of the mall.

    Date: Mon, 4 May 2015 15:28:31 +0000
    Author: Tom

    Comment:
    The Bag Lady shop at the Village at Sandhills has gone out of business. Heard today that there is a new person in charge of the shopping center and that he is trying to figure out why the place is not doing so great.

    Date: Tue, 5 May 2015 18:44:32 +0000
    Author: mamarose

    Comment:
    Hooligans Ice Cream and Deli in Trenholm Plaza has closed its doors. Really sad day

    Date: Tue, 5 May 2015 19:41:08 +0000
    Author: palmettoconnection

    Comment:
    Was the Hooligan's closing planned, or a sudden thing?

    Date: Tue, 12 May 2015 10:51:53 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment:
    @ted - Qdobo in Five Points closed on Saturday, seemingly suddenly.

    Date: Wed, 13 May 2015 18:15:00 +0000
    Author: Allen Faster

    URL: http://www.columbiapropertysc.com
    Comment:
    Anyone of you know the best place for students? I have read a lot on http://columbiapropertysc.com/ .. what do you people say?

    Date: Sun, 10 May 2015 20:15:29 +0000
    Author: Melanie

    Comment:
    Hi- how can i subscribe to your blog? I do not see a way to do that. Thanks

    Date: Tue, 12 May 2015 14:23:44 +0000
    Author: Redneck from Cayce

    Comment:
    I heard it was bad mismanagement:

    http://www.wltx.com/story/news/2015/05/11/qdoba-closed-in-five-points/27154595/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5551707804d3015ffb000001&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

    Date: Sun, 17 May 2015 06:51:44 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    There's ANOTHER Oriental restaurant open in the Irmo Station (Kroger) shopping center. It's called something like Hunan Wok or something. I didn't really pay that much attention since there is already a Kobe Express in the same strip, Sun Ming (my favorite) at the top of the hill from the strip and Golden Dragon further down St. Andrews Rd. And this is on top of the ones in the Harbison Blvd. area and the ones heading out Broad river Rd. toward Ballentine.

    I love Oriental food but give me a break!

    If you go into 99% of these restaurants anywhere in Columbia and get one of the paper take home menus they are practically identical. There must be some place called the National Generic Oriental Menu Printing Company. Give us you restaurant name and address and we will put it on the one or two menu templates we have. Dang, wish I owned that company!!

    Date: Sun, 17 May 2015 21:05:17 +0000
    Author: Tomato

    Comment:
    Locker Room by Lids is now closed in Columbia Place Mall.

    Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 12:58:09 +0000
    Author: Miz Terry

    Comment:
    I noticed that the Harley Davidson name has been taken off of Thunder Tower. Any word on that?

    Date: Mon, 25 May 2015 13:35:08 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    DOTS Fashion in East Forest Plaza has signs of closing up.

    Date: Tue, 26 May 2015 06:57:15 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Andrew - I am curious. Are you a native to Irmo? The reason I ask is that you seem to know a lot about the properties and such in this area and I noticed that you referred to, I think it was, Grandmother Louise, in a past post. Are you related to the Younginers? I do know that one of the grandchildren of Furman and Louise is named Andrew. If so, my Dad served as a town councilman for several years when Furman was mayor. Let me know if I am mistaken.....

    Date: Tue, 26 May 2015 15:46:23 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Homer I'm an Irmo graduate and everything but I am of no relation to the Youngier family...my grandmother Louise I've spoken of lived in the Rosewood area.

    Date: Wed, 27 May 2015 03:31:27 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Andrew - that's cool, just wondering...

    Date: Fri, 29 May 2015 15:07:30 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    The Crowson-Stone plant on Shop Road has a 'for lease' sign available. They had just done a new paint job on the place.

    Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2015 12:16:33 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    Just saw in the paper that Charleston Cooks in Cross Hill Market is closing. http://www.thestate.com/news/business/article22946679.html

    Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2015 12:19:53 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment:
    Guys - The State is reporting that Charleston Cooks! next to Whole Foods is closing at the end of the month. That's too bad, nice store.

    Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2015 00:16:22 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    As Cross Hill Market and Charleston Cooks! part ways, I am able to announce that it appears as if the beginning of what is about to become either a new Applebee's or Columbia's second Panda Express location has begun (two steel studs have been laid) at Killian Crossing...

    Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2015 02:24:46 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    @Andrew The steel beams are for Panda Express. Applebee's is going in 1 or 2 lots over from there.

    Also, there is a new tenant for the Bruster's building on Sparkleberry. It's a frozen ice place but I forgot the name of it already.

    Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2015 02:25:50 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    And in case Ted didn't see my post a few weeks ago, Dot's Fashion in the Wal-Mart shopping center on Forest Drive is going out of business.

    Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2015 15:13:27 +0000
    Author: Matt

    Comment:
    JMAC mentioned this in March but I noticed yesterday that the MFresh on Washington St has removed all of it's signage.

    My sister-in-law works a block away and says that this has to do with an issue caused by the city shutting off the water to the old J-Gumbo's. When M-Fresh was hooked up to water, they shared the same shutoff with J-Gumbo. They ended up closing because they couldn't get their water turned back on.

    This seems a little far fetched, but this is what I was told.

    Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2015 16:41:27 +0000
    Author: John R

    Comment:
    Budget Auto Sales at 967 N. Lake Dr., in Lexington closed early this past week. I did not find a listing in the phonebook but it had been there since the widening of Hwy. 6. So, that's about 12 years.

    Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2015 05:16:56 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @ted - I sent an address correction to the emails I sent over the weekend about Tim's Gas Depot. I just wanted to make sure you saw it.

    Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2015 23:15:09 +0000
    Author: Greg

    Comment:
    Hey, I actually have an "opposite of Columbia Closings" tidbit.

    There's a What A Burger restaurant in West Columbia. And when you Google it, Google tells you that it's "Permanently Closed." Well, I ate there today (Mon June 8) and told the woman behind the counter about the Google mistake. She says they've known about it for a while but don't know how to fix it. Any suggestions of what they can do/who they can contact? Other than flying out to Google HQ, ha ha.

    Address: 804 Meeting St, West Columbia, SC 29169
    Phone:(803) 794-1929

    Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2015 04:52:29 +0000
    Author: Matt

    Comment:
    There is a down arrow next to "Permanently Closed" which will reveal the link to report an error with the listing.

    Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2015 05:34:24 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @ted - just wanted to make sure you got my emails concerning Tim's Gas Depot. I just wanted to make sure they didn't get shunted off to a spam bucket or deleted altogether since they were so large. First time I have tried to send something to closings at columbiaclosings dot com so I want to make sure I got it right.... Thanks!!

    Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2015 12:49:06 +0000
    Author: cheryl

    Comment:
    The Soho Office store around the corner from the bi-lo in the village at sandhill is closing June 23. The owner is retiring. All the assets are for sale. Also, the little flower shop up the road on 2notch just past the advance auto in Pontiac is closed. Apologies if anyone else has mentioned these.

    Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2015 20:35:04 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Family Christian Bookstore in Harbison next to Total Wine has a Store Closing Banner up. Says it is this store only.

    Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2015 16:10:28 +0000
    Author: Matt

    Comment:
    The old Colony House Furniture on Garners Ferry was demolished at some point in the past couple of weeks. I drove by last weekend and there was still an excavator, but no trace of the building.

    Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2015 23:52:13 +0000
    Author: mamarose

    Comment:
    Jack and Jill Sport clothing shop in Trenholm Plaza is closing

    Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2015 13:05:10 +0000
    Author: Matt

    Comment:
    Fabric 101 that was in the strip mall in Pontiac has moved to the intersection of Fontaine/Shakespeare/Two Notch.

    The automotive dealership that was inside this same bldg on Fontaine looks like it has closed. This was a dealership where all their inventory was stored inside a warehouse and only a few cars were moved outside during the day. I think they specialized in imports and luxury cars.

    Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2015 13:14:33 +0000
    Author: Matt

    Comment:
    I did some checking after I posted my comment above. The dealership was SC Cars (sccars.com). It closed in March 2013 after the death of the owner in a car wreck on 277.

    http://www.wistv.com/story/21583938/crash-closes-277-in-both-directions

    By everything I see online, this gentleman was a great businessman and not the typical used car dealer.

    Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:08:11 +0000
    Author: Steve

    Comment:
    2108, a neighborhood restaurant located at 2108 State street in Cayce has closed. This place had a good menu and some of the best burgers in Columbia.

    Word is that the owners failed to pay their taxes and the state really didn't appreciate that.

    Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:19:38 +0000
    Author: Matt

    Comment:
    My wife mentioned going to a place in 5 Pts that specialized in bacon. She didn't know the name though. I looked into it and figured that it must be Sizzle, since there is a strip of bacon on the ir sign. It is between Fast Eddie's Calzones and Pawley's. We went by yesterday and it looks closed. There is a lot of mail crammed in and through the door. The most recent comments on Yelp reinforce this.

    Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 00:49:30 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Noticed this evening that the Dog & Cat Groomer or Cedar Creek Pet Food Center at the corner of Piney Grove and St. Andrews appeared closed. What drew my attention to the place was the large banner advertising "We are still open" and all the writing on the windows to the same effect. However, the neon "open" sign was turned off (around 4:30 PM) and the parking lot was completely empty. Google says this place is "The Dog Wizard" and it is open until 6PM. The Dog Wizard is a dog obedience school according to the companies website. Neither phone number on the signs for the groomer or the pet food center matched the phone number for the Dog Wizard.

    Anyone know if this place is still in business? The building is kind of an eye sore.

    Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 04:32:22 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I've been getting mixed signals about that Cedar Creek building for a few months now...

    Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 03:44:24 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Matt - yes, Sizzle closed last month. They only made it about a year.

    Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 05:10:43 +0000
    Author: Chad

    Comment:
    How long has the mcdonalds on meeting street in west columbia been gone? or the pizza inn in triangle city? I know its been a long time. just curious.

    Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:32:52 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    I hate that I missed Sizzle, although looking at their menu, and not seeing cheese fries, it doesn't look like a place I would go back to. Although they did have this item that might have been worth rolling the dice:

    Red Neck Nachos

    Crispy Stone ground Corn tortilla chips smothered in pulled pork BBQ and pimento cheese they are slap your mama worthy

    Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 17:51:42 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I am too young to remember Meeting Street having the golden arches but I can recall 12th Street having a Pizza Inn and my dad and I having dinner somewhere in the 2001-03 timeframe...it closed abruptly somewhere in the 2003-06 timeframe and it was subsequently demolished and Advance Auto Parts sits on the land it once did...

    Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 18:54:17 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    McDonalds in Meeting Street closed in 1998. Pizza Inn in Triangle City in 2004.

    Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 20:04:49 +0000
    Author: Terry

    Comment:
    I ate at Sizzle while Christmas shopping in 5 points last year. The food was really good but the waiter never did come around to refill our drinks. There were about 3 other groups there mid-day and I was hoping they would make it lomger than they did.

    Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 00:56:55 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    For those of you with a yen for Pizza Inn, they do have one now at 581 Corley Mill Rd in Lexington...

    Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 05:33:45 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    I would have loved to try Sizzle. I love anything that has to do with bacon. I keep a bottle of bacon salt on my kitchen table. We had a pot luck at work a while back and one of my co-workers brought in maple bacon cupcakes and chocolate covered fried bacon. I thought I was in heaven!!!

    Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 05:43:46 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    I had no idea that Pizza Inn was trying to make a comeback. If I recall the pizzas were pretty good, although nothing out of the ordinary. I, for one, love a thin crust pizza. I'm not there to fill up on dough, I'm there for the toppings.

    Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 05:54:42 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    I've also wondered, why are 99% of the side orders at a pizza joint also bread related? I've already consumed enough bread from the crust without having a side order of stuffed bread sticks and some kind of cinnamon/sugar coated bread for dessert. To me, all a pizza needs is a good tossed salad to accompany it.

    Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:09:38 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment:
    @ted - The Free Times is reporting that Utopia Food & Spirits has closed suddenly on Rosewood Drive.

    Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 15:36:41 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I've given Homer's inqury some thought and I've concluded that breadsticks, cinnasticks, etc. are a staple at pizza places the same way fries are at a burger (and to a lesser extent chicken tender) place. I actually like breadsticks and enjoy my share of them (especially at Fazoli's).

    I can eat pizzas with thin crust but they aren't my favorite...usually if I go for a grocery store pizza I need something with the crust of DiGornio or Freschetta...not only that, I find myself eating pizza crust first typically...

    Homer sounds like my mom in the sentiment of, "all a pizza needs is a good tossed salad to accompany it."

    Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 18:25:27 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    Utopia's facebook page, although not actually saying it, does pretty much confirm it.

    Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 21:12:17 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    I believe I have mentioned it on this site before but I like pizza with toppings all the way to the side with little crust.
    A semi thick crust is okay but I do not like a pizza with a 1" crust after the toppings stop, this is to much bread for me.
    I like to say, if I want bread, I will go out and buy a loaf.

    Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 00:30:27 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    I saw the Pizza Inn on Corley Mill are the other day. I had to pull out an "in my day.." and tell my hubby about the one in West Columbia when I was a kid and how it was kind of a novel thing back then because they had a pizza buffet.

    Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:58:18 +0000
    Author: John Barrs

    Comment:
    I noticed just yesterday that the Church's Fried Chicken on Devine Street has closed up its shop.

    Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 18:01:45 +0000
    Author: mamarose

    Comment:
    Utopia may rise from the ashes - keeping my fingers crossed

    Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 21:00:15 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    If John Barrs comment about Church's Chicken on Devine Street closing is true, I'm happy about it.
    All I have to say besides that is, I hate Church's.
    Ha Haaa... GOOD.

    Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 03:37:30 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    I hope this is the first of many Church's to close. We need a Popeye's on the Irmo side of town!!!!

    Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 04:36:58 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Popeyes is actually one of my top preferences to open up on the site that the abandoned and burned out Tony's Party Shop currently sits...they have 4 other locations I've thoroughly enjoyed eating at...NAPA is moving into space between Tony's and Big Lots #5123 and that could open a door for something else (my wildest dream is currently Trader Joe's)...but the again, I could see it becoming a professional office of some sort the way most of the buildings along that stretch and side of the street currently are...

    Homer sounds like my mom with regard to wanting everything on the St. Andrews/Irmo area...

    I have never been to a Church's Chicken...my grandmother went to one once and said the chicken was very greasy and thanks to that review, I think I've been hesitant to set foot in one...

    ted

    17 Jan 15 at 10:06 pm

  1034. Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 05:37:22 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    A Captain D's or Long John Silver's would be a welcome addition as well....

    Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:10:29 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Captain D's actually used to be next door to Deno's in what now houses a TitleMax...

    Ever since I read about Captain D's planning to build new locations I for some reason envision ones opening on Killian Road and/or Lexington (perhaps even Red Bank).

    The only Long John Silver's we have is part of a KFC/Long John Silver's in Lexington...I like eating there the times I have but I don't eat seafood so I naturally gravitate towards the KFC side but I've heard one time I've been there that it isn't a 'full' Long John Silver's and supposedly the closest 'full' Long John Silver's is in Charlotte. Perhaps a few new ones will open again but only time will tell how it all shakes down...

    Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 19:59:01 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    I would love a Captain D's over here in Lexington. I occasionally get a craving for their fish, and I don't care for the Long John Silvers. Maybe because they don't feature all of the menu items for a normal Ling John's. It could also be because I can't stand the KFC. We have been there multiple times and they either don't have any of the grilled chicken ready or they say they don't have any at all. Last time we waited 15 minutes before they even told us they didn't have any chicken.

    Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 21:30:14 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    Mamas and the Tapas beside Flying Saucer has closed, but not sure exactly when.

    Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 22:15:30 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    There is a Captain D's about one mile from my house. Coupons come in the mail or newspaper about once a week.
    I like just about everything they have but 3 out of four visits I go with the three piece fish dinner.
    Some coupons that come in the mail are for the family pack, something like 10 pieces of fish, three sides, hushpuppies, it feeds the family for a fair price.

    I still miss Cedric's and Chappy's Fish and Chips.

    Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 22:26:06 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    @Rick - I used to love Chappy's when I was a kid! Wish we still had something like that around.

    Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2015 04:40:08 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Rick & TC - When Captain D's was on St. Andrews I would visit it anytime I had a craving for fish. Now the closest one is at Dutch Square and I've got to really be in a fish withdrawal to take the trip down there.

    When Chappy's used to be on Broad River Rd (restaurant row) at Dutch Square, it would be on my cruising night food rotation along with Arby's, Pizza Hut, good old Taco Cid and Rick's old BK.

    A restaurant like Harbor Inn Seafood would be a nice addition for my side of town as well as Rick's. TC is lucky to have one in Lexington. I'll go by the one on Two Notch once in a while on the way home from work but the food is half cold by the time I get home.

    Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2015 05:39:01 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Andrew - if anyone can dig around an answer this question, you can. Why is the Harbor Inn seafood restaurant in Lexington not associated with the rest of the chain? Is it an independent owner? Is it a 'break-away' from the others? The menu looks more 'up-scale' for the Lexington restaurant and that they have a beer and wine license. The menu, otherwise, is just about the same except a tad more expensive (less than $1.00) in some instances.

    Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2015 17:02:02 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Homer many restaurant chains have franchise arrangements...as I understand it (based on my memory from economics class my senior year of HS) it's designed so that you pay the brand (insert name of national restaurant chain here) a certain amount and the profits after that are yours.

    I don't know the details for certain as seafood isn't something I'm a big fan of (but thankfully for me many seafood restaurants offer a burger of chicken tenders that makes it where I can manage when I go with family/friends) but I think that it's because the one in Lexington has a different owner than the Two Notch one.

    Case in point: Columbia has 2 Beef O Brady's locations...Murray Landing in Irmo and 4561 Hard Scrabble Road in Northeast Richland...my mom is a former colleague of one of the owners of the one in Irmo but as has been noted here the one at 4561 Hard Scrabble Road had an ownership issue that resulted in the closure thereof...but what has happened is that one of the former servers has decided to buy the franchise and reopen it...you may remember that in 2001 most of Columbia's Burger Kings closed because of an issue with the franchisee they had at the time. Many of them came back in 2002/03 after Bob Brandi (owner of Pitt Stop Stores) decided that adding the franchise made sense for a several different reasons. He reopened most of them and has added a few Pitt Stop/Burger King locations as well during the intervening years.

    Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2015 17:04:04 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Though I would like to add that one restaurant that doesn't franchise anything is Cracker Barrel. All of their restaurants are company owned (corporate headquarters are in Lebanon, Tennessee)...I feel like with Cracker Barrel that once you've seen one, you've seen them all...

    Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2015 17:46:54 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Back to Harbor Inn, it appears that the Two Notch location is part of several other locations throughout the Carolinas but the Lexington has a separate website and everything (harborinnlexington.com) plus the logos, menu have different appearances (comparable menu with different aesthetics) leading me to believe that there is a difference in the corporate ownership...it may appear the same to the general public but the fine print in the corporate name will tell you that it's part of a different company...

    Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2015 03:33:33 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Andrew - That's what I figured about the different owners with Harbor Inn.

    I agree also with your take on Cracker Barrel. Being company owned, every one is a carbon copy of the other. They all have to be supplied by the home office, same recipes, same menus, same merchandise in the stores, etc.

    Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2015 03:38:12 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @TC - A shrimp Po' Boy sounds really good. I haven't had one in a long time. I also love a good oyster Po' Boy but with all of the money I have spent on dental repairs in the past year I'd probably bite down on a piece of shell or something on the first bite. I once had a catfish Po' Boy that was supposed to be a filet and ended up with a bone stuck in my gum. Worse than any dentist's needle you can imagine.

    Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2015 03:52:08 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    When Bob Brandi re-opened the Burger King's I was there on day one. I starved myself all day so I could down a Whopper, a Big Fish and a large order of fries and onion rings. I was like a junkie trying to get a fix.

    Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2015 19:54:53 +0000
    Author: mamarose

    Comment:
    Looks like American Burger in the Whole Food center has closed

    Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2015 06:28:07 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @anyone - here's a discussion we had a work today. Think about this - if you were to drink 6 sodas, 6 glasses of milk, 6 glasses of juice, or even six glasses of water back to back you would be sick as a dog. Then why can you drink six beers in a row and be still ready for more?

    Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2015 14:28:36 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    @Homer, when you say in a row, you mean like back to back over a period of time. Like drink one, get another, drink 2 get another, etc.? When I did drink (1 year sober on July 12th), I could drink 7 or 8 crown w/a splash of water back to back in about 3 hours and not get sick. And I was doing that EVERY night.

    Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2015 14:29:43 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    Never tried to drink 6 glasses of soda, milk or water back to back, how much fun would that be? lol

    Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2015 22:57:45 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Sidney - back to back as in finish one and immediately start another.....

    Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2015 02:36:47 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I feel as if you'd have to be a competitive eater type in order to handle that much volume...someone like Joey Chestnut (who has downed anywhere from 55-69 hot dogs in 10 minutes in the Nathan's hot dog eating contest)...

    Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2015 03:45:11 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    Oh - believe me, I have sat in a bar and drank over 12 beers back to back, although it was i my younger days.

    Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2015 13:33:05 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    Annas Linens East Forest Plaza going out of business.

    Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2015 21:39:15 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Andy and Homer - I understand what you are saying.
    I was once a competitive drinker, well maybe once is not the correct word, I still am. I've never thought about Homers question but it holds true. I would have to say the alcohol content must suppress the vomit sequence up to a certain point, then it's hurl city, which I have visited many times before.

    Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2015 08:23:02 +0000
    Author: kholler

    Comment:
    Anna's Linens is closing all of their stores.

    Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2015 04:40:31 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    From what I've read Anna's Linens has filed for bankruptcy and plans to liquidate all 252 stores per an Orange County Business Journal Article. Several other articles came up when I searched "Anna's linens liquidation" but this the OCBJ article was the only one I could find

    Columbia had 3 Anna's Linens locations:

    1) East Forest Plaza
    2) Harbison Court (former LifeWay)
    3) Noirthpointe Commons (former Ya Food)

    Harbison Court's location liquidated prior to the filing and has already featured here and everything (in fact it's already being overhauled to house Five Below)...it appears to me as if the other 2 are currently liquidating and I anticipate them featuring here in due course...

    Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2015 05:02:00 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I mispoke earlier...the OCBJ article I linked was the most up-to-date article I could have found...

    Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2015 20:04:29 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    Ted - What was the first post you ever did on Columbia Closings? Was it the Parthenon?

    Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2015 13:59:41 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    Ted - I see it now. I went to the archives 8 July and the first post up was The Parthenon, I did not think to scroll down to the bottom which indeed shows Al-Amir.

    Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2015 01:06:24 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    I accidentally posted this earlier on another post, but according to Google Mr. Hibachi at 5225 Sunset Blvd. in Lexington has closed. I haven't gotten to ride by there yet, as I just found out when I went to place an online order from there this evening and their online system was down. The website is still up though, and their Facebook page hasn't been updated recently. It has probably been maybe six months or so since we last ate there.

    Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2015 12:43:04 +0000
    Author: ED

    Comment:
    Hardee's in downtown Lexington has closed and will open in their new location next week. The new location is down West Main Street across from the Food Lion shopping center.

    Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2015 16:45:40 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    Looks like they are starting on the Rush's on Killian Rd. Land leveled off for the foundation. Going in next to Popeyes.

    Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:20:34 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment:
    Perhaps this has already been discussed here but there's an article in the State this morning referencing Cardinal Newman's impending departure from Forest Drive.

    Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:12:58 +0000
    Author: Jason

    Comment:
    Rush's is going next to the building with liquor store and the Sprint store, not Popeye's. On the county tax assessor's site Rush's is shown as the owner of that lot. The lot next to Popeye's where the grading is being done is listed as being owned by the same holding company that owns the lot the car dealerships right there are owned by.

    I do know there was some signage up until that grading began that indicated a liquor warehouse was planned for that area and the existing store (Sam's) is definitely not a warehouse, so perhaps that's what is going up?

    Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2015 22:30:04 +0000
    Author: Kc

    Comment:
    Any word on the close of my fav place -- 2108 State in Cayce? What is the scoop

    Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2015 10:25:21 +0000
    Author: Tom

    Comment:
    I drove by the old Howard Johnson's on Bush River Rd. last night and it looked like it was closed.

    Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2015 06:40:53 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    If the HO-jo is closed I wonder where all of the Bush River Rd. 'ladies of the evening' will go now? I was with a buddy of mine filling up his car at the gas station next door and those girls were on the balcony just hooping it up for anyone that would give a listen. Ten dollah, love you long time.

    Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2015 20:50:56 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    I'll politely disagree with Homer. The Bush River girls don't 'love you long time.' They get business done as soon as possible so that they can move on to the next john, eh, 'job.' So I've heard.

    Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2015 07:09:07 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @badger - I'll partially agree with your comment. But as long as you keep whipping out the cash they will 'love you long time'. So I've heard.

    BTW - the 'love you long time' quote is from one of the old Vietnam war movies, but I can't remember which one. Any help??

    Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2015 14:51:41 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    Classic scene from 'Full Metal Jacket:' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12tce-THLUE

    Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 01:36:57 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Went to the Regal Cinemas this evening in the Pavilion Shopping Center on North Lake Drive in Lexington and noticed the Marble Slab Creamery appeared closed. No signage on the building indicating as much, but the place inside was pretty much vacant of any equipment and furniture. Please accept my apologies if someone else has already mentioned this. I didn't see any related comments on "Have Your Say."

    Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 03:09:43 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @badger - how could I forget that??

    Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 11:08:39 +0000
    Author: kholler

    Comment:
    Marble Slab location is not listed on their website.

    Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 12:58:41 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment:
    The Marble Slab in the Vista is closed for remodeling too. Wonder if it will reopen....

    Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2015 12:15:29 +0000
    Author: scott w

    Comment:
    Ms. B's restaurant in West Columbia has closed due to an increase in rent apparently.

    Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2015 20:01:09 +0000
    Author: Matt

    Comment:
    The old AgFirst building at the corner of Hampton and Bull was being torn down this afternoon when I drove by. This is the building that had a mural of a farm on the side of it. I think it was a BlueSky mural, but I'm not sure.

    Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2015 16:34:38 +0000
    Author: Justin

    Comment:
    M Cafe on Sumter Street is being reported as closed by the Free Times.

    Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2015 16:59:15 +0000
    Author: ED

    Comment:
    Just heard that The Rogue Family Barber Services at Dutch Square is moving. They have been at that location for over 40 years. Probably the oldest remaining tenant at that mall.

    Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 01:27:31 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    Just heard that Red Robin is opening at Columbiana. I'm guessing it'll be in the old Spinnakers.

    Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 06:31:47 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @ED - I believe you are right. I think they are the oldest tenant still remaining in Dutch Square. I've always wondered how much longer they would stay there.

    Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 06:43:47 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @TC - I'd love to see Red Robin open up over here. If for nothing more than the bottomless steak fries!! I don't go for all of the crazy combos. A Red Tavern Double is fine by me....

    Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 06:51:52 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Justin - it looks like the Miyo's on Columbiana Dr. is ready to open. They may be waiting until the road construction is complete.

    Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2015 19:02:22 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Noticed two closings today. The first one is L2 Technologies in the Vista at 1219 Wayne Street behind Chipotle and next to the Backpacker Store. L2 Technologies was the only Apple Authorized repair shop in Columbia. The second is at 105 Reed Avenue in Lexington. I saw a "For Lease" sign up when I left the bank across the street and had to do some research on what this place was because it appeared to be some sort of medical office in a residential setting. Turns out it was Tao Rivers Massage.

    Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2015 18:42:11 +0000
    Author: Matt

    Comment:
    There is a new Apple repair shop on Taylor St beside the railroad tracks. This is where Cooperative Ministries used to be.

    Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2015 21:16:58 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    I think the two remaining Wild Hares have closed. The Bush River location is apparently now 'Half Time Cantina.' I think the Vista location is just closed. Also not sure about the Mediterranean Tea Room on Devine.

    Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2015 23:35:41 +0000
    Author: MB

    Comment:
    Tao Rivers massage in Lexington closed because it was busted a couple of months ago in for *illegal activities.*

    And the Mediterranean Tea Room it still open. They always have weird hours and close for a few weeks every summer for vacation.

    Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2015 03:50:30 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    Hmmm - wonder what the *illegal activities* were? I always thought these businesses were on the up and up (or maybe up and down)...

    Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2015 03:52:12 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    Not surprised about the Wild Hares considering all the 'troubles' that have followed that family around.

    Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2015 11:49:21 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    They have started on the Applebee's going in on Killian Rd. Plumbing pipes are sticking out of the leveled ground.

    Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2015 21:47:23 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I hope they get it fixed and reopened because I have enjoyed shopping that Staples!

    Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:33:16 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    folks it appears as Dutch Square continues to get lonelier and lonelier as Subway and The Giving Tree (which is a former Dressbarn) both have left said mall...not only that Claire's is gone without a trace as is CafC) and Scoop...meaning the only place to eat is a Chinese buffet or inside AMC theater...

    Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2015 09:35:20 +0000
    Author: Joe Shlabotnik

    Comment:
    Andrew, it is a shame the mall has withered away as it has. Last week I heard their radio spot about the tax free weekend and they still have that same familiar announcer that jingles "all roads lead to Dutch Square". A bold front for a dying act.

    Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2015 02:41:33 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I agree with Joe...I don't see it as much as most here do as I'm too young to remember Dutch Square's pre-Columbiana days but Belk's departure being one of 40 stores that have left since Walmart #4379 opened (some have come and gone) that have lead me to believe that Dutch Square needs new life but I wish I knew how to go about it.

    I've imagined the jingle Joe spoke of and it saying "all roads leads to [what's left of] Dutch Square."

    Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2015 04:17:04 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    For all intents and purposes, Dutch Square is dead. With The Rogue leaving they now have NO original tenant from the glory days. There is no store there that I have an interest in visiting. Most, if not all, are catering to the highly ethnic population that has taken over that area. I would not even go to the AMC theaters at night as I have heard of several car thefts that have occurred while people were inside. A few weeks ago I seem to remember a blood drive being held there. I thought to myself, 'Boy, that should bring in a pint or two'. All I am left with are the memories from my teens and early 20's when Dutch Square was the place to go.

    Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2015 20:56:58 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    Who came up with the name Dutch Square and why?

    Is/was the mall Dutch? Is it square?
    I find the names of some places, roads, towns, etc. interesting. Take for example Garners Ferry Road. Way back before a bridge was built over the Wateree River going to Sumter, the only way to cross the river was on a ferry owned by a guy named Garner. This was before the road had a name. People would refer to the road as Garners Ferry road.
    The road I live on was named after the 1st person to live on the road. McDonalds was named after a popular clown.
    Bojangles was named after a song. My car was named after a horse. My TV was named after a Japanese airplane. I'm glad my parents did not give me the nickname of what my Dad used to create me.

    Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2015 01:45:28 +0000
    Author: travis

    Comment:
    Dutch came from the German word "deutsch", which means "German" in German. That area was originally settled by German immigrants. Dutch Fork (where the Saluda and Broad rivers meet to form the Congaree) derives it's name from the same source.

    As far as the square part....I've got no clue.

    Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2015 20:03:45 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Just up the road from Dutch Square off Broad River Road on a street called Briargate Circle is a post office by the name of Dutch Fork that is based on the deutsch becoming Dutch as travis referenced. It's also how Dutch Fork got its name when that school opened in 1992...

    Some other interesting ones that spring to mind with regard to name origins:

    Delta Air Lines is named for the Delta in the Mississippi River (bear in mind their birthplace is Monroe, LA).

    David Dunbar Buick is the namesake for the Buick auto brand (I used to drive a Buick). Louis Chevrolet is the namesake for that brand as well. Henry Ford started that brand and it's till run by the same Ford family today.

    HP or Hewlett Packard was founded by William Redington Hewlett & Dave Packard who were Stanford University graduates and their first product was a 200 oscillator.

    Kmart has its origins in Kredge company (Kredge was rebranded Kmart)...

    WIS is meant to be an acronym for Wonderful Iodine State.
    WTCB (call letters for B106.7) is meant to be an acronym for We're the Carolina's Best.

    Examples of stores that actually have someone with that namesake that started the company: Kohl's, Lowe's, Harris Teeter (two guys with those two surnames combined on that one), Belk, JB White, Dillard's, ingles and Kroger.

    Dave Thomas's daughter Wendy is the namesake for the Ohio-based burger chain.

    Many airports are named for prominent public officials:

    Altanta's Hartsfield-Jackson is named for two former mayors, William B. Harsfield and Maynard Jackson

    Charlotte Douglas International Airport is naemd for former mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr.

    Chicago O'Hare was named for Edward Henry (Butch) O'Hare who was an aviator and war hero during World War II.

    Gen. Billy Mitchell is the namesake for Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport...Gen. Mitchell is regarded as the father of the USAF.

    Rep. Elisha David Standiford (R-KY) had the land that evolved into what is now the Louisville International Airport but SDF is the IATA code for it because of its origins as Staindford field.

    Columbia's Owens Field (CUB) is named for a former mayor and now Jim Hamilton who was a longitme manager so it's now Hamilton-Owens Airport.

    New York's LaGuardia is named for former mayor Fieroello LaGuardia who was instrumental in getting the facility built.

    General Edward Lawrence Logan who fought in the Spanish American War is the namesake for Boston's Logan International airport. Billings also has a Logan (called Billings Logan International) named for a former manager named Dick Logan.

    John Lovell is the namesake for Lovell field, the site of the current Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport as his foresight lead to that facility being built.

    Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2015 22:12:10 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Andrew- Glad you got into that and thanks for the comment. It was interesting to say the least.
    People, please keep in mind, I say things that are not true sometimes just to spark interest.
    Lets have fun here.

    Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2015 23:08:25 +0000
    Author: joelc

    Comment:
    The Wild Hare closings took me by surprise. I was chatting with a former server of the Hare last night at St. Andrews establishment. The Irmo location has a new venue. The Lincoln St. one may have an Irish theme restaurant/bar soon. According to the gossip, three family members owned the Wild Hare. It doesn't take much imagination to see how things could go wrong with that arrangement.

    Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 05:18:44 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Rick - not really speaking of nicknames, but before my Dad passed away he told me that he was very proud of me considering what a royal pain in the ass I was when I was young. Made me fell pretty dang good!!

    Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2015 19:01:50 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Potential closing in the near future?

    While browsing Facebook earlier, I came across a business for sale in the FB group "For Sale, Wanted, or Free in Irmo/Chapin". The business is Yoyo Yogurt on Augusta Highway near Wal-mart in West Columbia. Apparently the owner lives in Chapin and is tired of commuting. One of the comments on the post indicated the owner is not a very good businessman. This might explain why he is tired of commuting if he isn't making any money.

    Given the other closures of frozen yogurt businesses that have been featured here, I suspect this might turn out to have a similar fate.

    Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2015 00:55:36 +0000
    Author: Joe Shlabotnik

    Comment:
    The number of $5 to $10 sales required just to cover rental space and utilities is not there. I think because it is a simple business plan (no technology required) people are tempted to make it work.

    As James R mentioned, they close up left and right.

    Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2015 13:22:39 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Saw a news story circulating on Facebook this morning that ALL Chipotle stores would be closed by March 2016. This will affect the store in the Vista. Are there any other Chipotles in Columbia?

    Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2015 14:39:05 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    @ James R. It's not true. It's one of those fake stories floating around facebook. But to answer your question, there is another one on Forest Drive.

    http://m.snopes.com/chipotle-closing/

    Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2015 16:15:43 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Chipolte has the following locations:

    - Trenholm Plaza
    - Harbison Court
    - 619 Gervais Street

    Not only that they're supposed to be opening in the Shoppes at Woodhill before much longer.

    I myself have never eaten at Chipolte but had a classmate when I was in college that used a college having a Chipolte close to campus as part of a project we had to do...this was when we only had the one at Trenholm Plaza (don't think Harbison Court had theirs yet but can't remember for sure)...

    Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2015 04:34:26 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    DOH! Looks like I got duped. That's what I get for only reading the headlines and not actually opening the link to the story.

    Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2015 00:17:45 +0000
    Author: joelc

    Comment:
    According to CNN Money, Chipotle is poised to hire a lot of employess.

    http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/24/pf/jobs/chipotle-hiring-spree/index.html

    Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2015 00:24:22 +0000
    Author: joelc

    Comment:
    Sidney's link details a fake news generator that somehow can make fake news go viral. It is nasty but also amusing in how people grab headlines without following through with the article and assume it to be the gospel truth.

    Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2015 16:53:26 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Ted - I've tried twice to leave a comment on your post about shoe repair express but when I click "Submit" the comment won't stick. Wonder what's going on?

    Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2015 17:39:50 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    Ted - Thanks.

    Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2015 21:51:02 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    I noticed this afternoon that the Hallmark Shop as Seven Oaks Shopping Center is up for lease. The store still appears to be fully stocked so I'm not sure what is going on....

    Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2015 20:23:17 +0000
    Author: palmettoconnection

    Comment:
    My favorite part about this site is reading the memories that everyone has posted about their experience being a part of Columbia's past through working, or visiting a place. All these posts about about nail salons and shit holes closing are pretty irrelevant to people who actually visit this site. Just look at all of the current posts on the main page. Has anyone ever been to any of these places, or ever planned on going to any of these places.
    Manning couldn't support an Arby's if it tried. The food is too fresh, and not fried enough.
    Ted, Take this site to the next level. Dig deep into the past, and get historical on us.

    Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2015 14:24:24 +0000
    Author: palmettoconnection

    Comment:
    You do a great job Ted, and your blog is definitely appreciated.
    I'm just thinking outside the box. Maybe start a sister project to see how it goes. You have a treasure trove of modern pictures of landmarks from around the city and state. I am more or less suggesting that it would be really cool if you were able to find historical photos of the same locations throughout the decades. I am sure that you could get access to the state archives, USC archives, or other college archives around town.
    Here is an idea of what I am talking about from an Atlanta Blog. http://atlantatimemachine.com/misc/freeway_1964.htm
    This guy was in a bad cycling accident last year with head trauma and has not been able to add updates. He was actually run down intentionally by an road raging driver. He has a Facebook page as well that is updated by friends and family.

    Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2015 16:36:08 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    Hey Ted, if you want, I'm sure some of us on here can and will volunteer to at least get pictures for you. I'm in The Summit, so if there is anything you want me to get a picture of on this side of town, just let me know. I will be happy to do it for you and send them to you. I have a pretty flexible work schedule, so it won't be that hard for me to do it. Just let me know.

    Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2015 17:54:36 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Hardee's in Lexington on 378 has completed the move from in front of Bi-Lo at Village Square to a new spot near where 378 and US 1 spit at 1105 W Main Street. A While back The State reported that Captain D's was planning to build several upgraded restaurants (upgraded menu, aesthetics, etc.) around the midlands and the former Hardee's has been razed with plans for the first of those new Captain D's to be on that site...

    Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2015 00:03:07 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    @Palmettoconnection...thank you for posting about Greg from Atlanta Time Machine. I have been reading his page for several years and I check it periodically, but I had no idea what had happened to him! His site is wonderful and so well done, what a sad story about his injury, but such an inspirational recovery story!

    Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2015 06:05:29 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    I just had another old memory of the glory days of Dutch Square hit me in the back of the head like a 2x4. How many of you remember the Orange Julius??

    Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2015 18:19:58 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    i've always known that Orange Julius to be within Dairy Queen which has locations inside Columbiana Centre as well as in Red Bank...I could be wrong but I think there's a gas station with a Wendy's at Charleston Highway and I-26 that has a Dairy Queen as well...I don't know enough about DQ's product offerings to know where Orange Julius fits it but I know it fits in someway, somehow...

    Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2015 22:11:18 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    I don't recall exactly where it was located or what it looked like but it was located on the main corridor.

    Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2015 22:53:48 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    in the 70's there were several dairy queens in Columbia. I enjoyed their brazier burgers. The dairy queens in the midlands now are not the full fledged dairy queens of the past. What we have now are a half ass version selling only hot dogs and dairy products. You can't get a brazier burger in Columbia or surrounding area. Several years ago I inquired about a franchise and one would need to own property and have one million dollars liquid cash to open a dairy queen in this area.

    Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2015 02:31:04 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Rick - I ate a lot at the Dairy Queen when it was located on the corner of Ashland and St. Andrews Rd. After spending way too much money on Putt Putt and video games I'd walk across the street for burgers. Those braziers were awesome.

    Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2015 02:36:13 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @ted - I read an article about the DQ you are referring to. I think that it said that the franchise agreement was 50 or more years old. Headquarters keeps trying to renegotiate the agreement and the owners keep thumbing their noses at them. Like you said, they can pretty much serve anything that the customers want in addition to the DQ fare.

    Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2015 05:25:04 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @ted - it was a different article that the one you posted but I can't find the link to it now.....

    Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2015 15:49:16 +0000
    Author: palmettoconnection

    Comment:
    The Orange Julius in Columbia Mall was next to the arcade Aladdin's Castle where the current food court is now. It was a stand alone, and not a DQ combo. I would destroy an Orange Julius after destroying high scores on many a Saturday at Aladdin's.

    Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2015 19:26:13 +0000
    Author: portail

    URL: http://domohouse.ma
    Comment:
    je vous remercie beacoup.

    Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2015 16:01:21 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Larry- You made mention of a few memories under the Chippendolls post that I thought I would comment on here.
    You must be from the same area and time period as I am.

    @Andrew also made a comment about Sumter Highway.

    First of all I want to say that when I was growing up, we also called Garners Ferry Road the Sumter Highway.
    Back in the 60's, Marion Burnside Chrysler Plymouth had a radio commercial with a jingle that referred to their location as 7201 Sumter Highway, What I find interesting is, people I know who live in Sumter call it the Columbia Highway.

    As far as Larry's comments about Causey's Meat market, Rifkin's and 7-11.
    First of all 7-11 was at the corner of Leesburg and Greenlawn where most recently Family Pharmacy was for the last 20 years. It is now a convenience store called 7-UP.
    7-11 was the first place I ever bought an ICEE from.
    The convenience store at Patricia and Leesburg was Young's Food Store. I worked there, my first real job at 15 years old after delivering newspapers, the Columbia Record, for two years.
    There are still Young's Food Stores around and they are based out of Sumter ironically.

    Rifkin's was a type of general store on Leesburg across from Causey's Meat Market that sold just about everything. After Rifkin's closed a auto parts store opened there, Lou's Auto Parts. After that, a Gary Martin purchased the property and had a nightclub in that building called The Diamond Head Lounge. The building is for lease now but still owned by Martin.
    Causey's meat market was actually a general store like Rifkin's. Two brothers owned it, Ed and Elbert Causey. Ed and his wife ran the store and Elbert ran the Butcher Shop / Meat Market in the rear of the store. I am related to the Causey's, my sister married Ed's only son.
    Elbert and Ed are both deceased now as well as Mrs. Causey.
    Ed and Elbert sold the store and a man that worked at Boozer Lumber reopened the store under a different name that I can't remember at the moment.
    There is a used car lot in that location now next to a Shell station.

    Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2015 03:46:32 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @palmettoconnection - before I was old enough to drive my folks wouldn't let me buy an Orange Julius because they hears they were made with raw egg whites and that kind of freaked them out. When I 'became of age' you couldn't stop me from downing one while roaming the mall.

    Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2015 07:43:11 +0000
    Author: joelc

    Comment:
    Is Pandora's officially shutdown? This is the supposedly sushi restaurant located on Bush River Rd.. After discovering that the place serves alcohol, without a license, and has a cabaret of strippers, the place was ordered shut by SLED and the Sheriff's Department. The problem is that the place apparently refuses to die and continues operation, despite the 1000 dollar a day fine that the owner incurs. I find it amazing that the county and state don't seem to have the ability to shut an objectionable business down.

    Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2015 08:31:13 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @joelc - Is this where Heartbreakers used to be? I don't go down that stretch of Bush River unless I have to and was wondering if anything had moved in there.

    Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2015 11:52:09 +0000
    Author: joelc

    Comment:
    Heartbreakers was located at 800 Bush River. Pandora is at 826 Bush River. They were just a stone's throw or pistol shot away from the other. They had shots fired last weekend in their parking lot. McCary's had a shot fired outside their place the same night after an altercation between rival biker gangs. The Rebels and Red Devils may have been the gangs involved. This is a sleazy part of town.

    Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2015 19:39:14 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @joelc - very appropriate with the pistol shot comment, Was Pandora's in the old steak house that's been innumerable things over the years?

    Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2015 16:05:34 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    Just saw that Macy's announced they're closing 40 stores next year. I wonder if the Columbia Mall store will be on the list, and if so will that be the end of Columbia Mall? I've said before, I really wished that store would've moved to Columbiana when Sears closed. I like Macy's but not enough to go to Columbia Mall.

    Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2015 18:13:08 +0000
    Author: larry

    Comment:
    You are right it was youngs, 1 of my favorite stores was hazelwood market i believewas owned by mr stucky use to be a farm on hazelwood were there are new houses now.went to burnside elem,i remember a drivinvg range somewere around burnside school,and old patterson shack in the woods across from burnside.a scary old burndown house we use to dare people to go in and everyone would run thinking they saw or heard something.ha ha ha

    Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2015 19:57:29 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Someone mentioned hearing rumblings that people were trying to get Macy's to move to Richland Mall in the space that once had Dillard's & subsequently Blacklion. I'd like for that to go through as I think Richland Mall is a better fit for Macy's. I wish Columbiana had room for Macy's but it seems unlikely (unless they could build a 5th department store anchor around where JC Penney is).

    Columbia Place Mall underwent an ownership change recently to a firm called Spinoso which from what I've read has a track record of figuring out what to do with properties like Columbia Place Mall. I think the biggest opponent they face is the poor community reputation Columbia Place Mall has.

    Another issue is that Sears is one of the main anchors left. People have seen Sears as a retailer in decline for years and I remember when Sears left Columbiana several people felt that Sears would leave Columbia Place Mall first. I've been in the Columbia Place Mall Sears twice in the last year and have found the merchandise to be a little thin upstairs.

    Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2015 20:19:55 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    @Andrew- I'm really surprised that Sears is still open. I haven't really shopped at Sears that much in my adult life, but we went quite frequently when I was a kid. I haven't been to Columbia Place in several years now, and there wasn't much left last time I was there. I think you're right about the neighborhood being a big obstacle in the revitalization of the mall.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 03:43:13 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    Does anyone remember when Davison's department store was on Main St.? Davison's was a regional subsidiary of Macy's headquartered in Atlanta.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 04:59:14 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    The last time I was in the Columbia Mall Sears more of the second floor was curtained off that was stocked with merchandise. I don't even think you can access the elevator any more. So if you can't do escalators you are pretty much screwed unless you go out in the mall and take the stairs. After reading Ted's comment I can only think they are on their last leg.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:14:21 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Homer you spoke of feeling like more of the upstairs was curtained off vs. merchandised...I was in Richland Mall's Belk recently and the upstairs there wasn't far off from feeling that way...

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 10:50:03 +0000
    Author: TahoeChic

    Comment:
    @Homer- I remember Davison's. My grandma used to take me shopping for school clothes there and at Belk downtown when I was a kid. I seem to remember the Davison's changing to a Macy's briefly before it closed, but I may be mistaken. When I was a kid in the 80s Columbia Mall wasn't unsafe. My mom and I would go out there on the weekend, you'd see a lot of military personnel from Ft. Jackson, but there was nothing unsafe at all about the feel of the mall then. It's really sad the way the mall and the area around it have deterorated just in my lifetime. I definitely sounds like from what y'all have mentioned that the Sears is on the way out.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 13:52:46 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @TC - Everywhere in America was safer in the eighties, it seems there is a correlation with America becoming more violent, and computers and the internet.
    Can't say it's guns, we've always had guns.
    I believe the average person has too much information available.
    Information is a powerful entity that may be used for good or evil. Many people are using information from the web for evil.
    Too much information from the web is influencing people to do bad things. Too much information makes people who have little want what others have resulting in evil acts.

    I think the Aliens were a little premature in giving us this technology. I believe they finally decided that no time is going to be a good time so, just go ahead, give it to us and as resilient beings, we will adapt, with some growing pains of course.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 14:04:55 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @All - Take my last comment with a grain, just a hypothesis.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:10:33 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    @Rick - I agree. But would also add to your list, today's music. I grew up listening to rap music, pretty much can't stand it now, but it influences these kids and they don't even know it.

    My example is what I call "Rapper's Delight". I know most of you have heard that rap from 1979. Well, in the 90's the rappers started rapping about what they drink and smoke. Gin and juice, Alize, Cristal, Hypnotic, sizzurp, etc. And then on the smoking side chronic, blunts, purp, sticky icky just to name a few. All of these things I call Rapper's Delight because if it wasn't in the rap lyrics, most people wouldn't know about it.

    And then the Gangsta Rap. The violence in the lyrics, IMHO, causes these knuckleheads to go and do the same thing.

    There is also a website WorldStarHipHop DOT com that has videos of stupid crap that many people want to copy. Such as the Flash Mob Stealing, Knockout Game, and butt load of fights.

    So yeah, definitely technology and music has this world going to H3LL.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:21:33 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I've heard that we are actually not much worse than we were in generations of past and I've wondered if the advent of 24 hour news networks like CNN, Fox, MSNBC, etc. are altering perceptions.

    As for the technology (especially when it comes to people hating on the impact it's having on youth) I've heard that it's the latest chapter in a generations-old battle with people and the latest form of technology dating back to the civil war era when adults had similar feelings about kids being able to read...

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 18:35:07 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Andrew - The media does not help. In too many cases it only glorifies acts of violence and stupidity.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 19:37:16 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Rick I hear you...I recently caught an MTV2 show where people were doing all types of ridiculously stupid activities so that they had a disclaimer of, "don't try this at home and don't film yourself doing these types of things as we won't watch it." I remember wondering, "why are you airing it then?" I finally turned the TV off.

    As to what Sidney said about music, I think many of the rappers of today speak of behaviors that aren't ideal...plus many of them get in the news for behaviors that are questionable and that doesn't help, either. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of decent people in the music business but there are also plenty of artists that I won't touch with a 10" pole.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:57:23 +0000
    Author: Gary

    Comment:
    @Andrew and Sidney - As you may know I was in the car stereo business for many years. I owned, sold, serviced and installed booming stereo systems for years before any of the pricks who play their stupid rap music loud with F this and F that were even born.
    So with that said I think it's fair for me to say, it makes me sick every time I hear fricking rap music with the F word over and over again at stop lights.

    The artist who write and or create the music as well as those who listen to and play the music so loud, that all can hear, even young children in cars next to them, should be ashamed of themselves. It is not cool as these morons think, it is embarrassing to the human race.
    Anywhere I go in public, I hear these stupid people using slang and foul language.
    It is a known fact that people who cuss in almost every sentence, and speak in slang, have a poor vocabulary.
    Does advertising you're stupid in public make you cool?
    Only to others that are stupid and have a poor vocabulary.

    These people grow up, or should I say, age enough, to have kids. The parents are stupid so the kids turn out to be even more stupid, the stupid kids have kids and their kids turn out to be even more stupid than the grandparents.

    The cycle continues and we will eventually wind up with stupid Neanderthals that have technology such as the internet, rap music and the media to make them even more stupid because they will not use it to increase their intelligence but to for other self centered purposes.
    I do not see it getting any better.
    The cycle will continue to snowball and these people will get dumber from generation to generation.
    God help us.

    Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:59:37 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    Oops, my friend made a comment recently on this computer and I did not change the name from Gary to Rick.
    Last comment was from Rick.

    Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 02:11:10 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    @Andrew. I try to explain to people how most of the things happening today, like police shootings, celebrities getting caught up in messes, crazy weather patterns, wars in the Middle East, etc has been going on for DECADES. It's just that we now have 24 hour news and the Internet to see everything that is going on in the world immediately.

    I bet any amount of money in the world if it were not for reality TV and the Internet, Bruce Jenner would still be Bruce Jenner.

    Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 04:13:41 +0000
    Author: Joe Shlabotnik

    Comment:
    I believe technology has taken away some people's reasoning skills. The other day I was in a grocery store and a young lady, who I will call a Millenial, was weighing cucumbers on a scale in the produce section. The scale read roughly 2 pounds and the price listed was 69 cents/lb. What grabbed my attention was the fact she was using her i-phone to total up the cost.
    What say you, Andrew. I take it you are a Millenial? Do you see this happening?
    As a boomer I am concerned about the next generations not performing simple math equations on the fly.

    Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 05:55:48 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    The biggest thing I worry about with this technology is that it is causing a decline in face to face interactions. At some point we need to connect face to face as opposed to pixel to pixel.

    I find the calculating capabilities handy...I have a tip calculator and can even convert units with another app I have. I also have an Easter date app where I can look up Easter for any date until 5000.

    I struggle with being kinda glad I got through HS before smartphones but enjoying the purpose if serves for me now.

    Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 20:27:53 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    @ Joe Shlabotnik - I think the issue with the next generation performing mathematical equations on the fly isn't a product of technology, but rather a product of this new fangled common core math they are teaching. I am not sure what was wrong with the old method of teaching math, but this new method seems like it would be much harder to do in your head in a situation like you mentioned with the grocery store. Trying to do simple calculation in you head with that method will drive anyone to using a calculator.

    Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 23:47:20 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Speaking of all this technology, one of the places that sells much of this technology is Staples at 4464 Devine Street (which had been closed because of what someone here said was a bad electrical fire) and it is back in business!!

    Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 23:55:00 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    I dun no wut da problem is, I spoke juss a wall as eney one alse. whi yall dising on all use smart people!

    Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2015 04:00:43 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    One of my coworkers and I were chatting a couple of weeks ago. She is in her mid 30's and took a class in college that taught 20th century history by decade. It covered sociopolitical and technological/industrial aspects, as well as popular culture topics such as music and entertainment.

    She came to the decision that she would have loved to have grown up in the 70's. If it were not for political correctness I would have hugged her right in the office.

    Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2015 18:40:47 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Pixels and Pawns, a used video and vintage board game store next to The Tile Shop in the Total Wine Plaza at Harbison has closed.

    Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2015 22:05:03 +0000
    Author: Joe Shlabotnik

    Comment:
    No doubt about it Homer, the 70s rocked. And getting away with everything seemed easy.
    I have come to believe that Big Brother is not a government entity but a societal issue instead. Sure, there are numerous mounted cameras on street corners but most surveillance appears to come from individuals.
    Any other thoughts on this?

    Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2015 05:24:09 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Author=3A Homer =28IP=3A 184.34.6.237=2C adsl-184-34-6-237.cae.bellsouth.ne=
    t=29
    URL=3A
    Comment=3A
    I totally agree=2C Joe. I don=27t worry about the surveillance cameras and =
    such for the simple fact that I know am not doing anything wrong. What does=
    bug me is=2C like you said=2C individuals or groups that stick their noses=
    where they do not belong. Here are couple of my gripes...

    1.=29 People who use cell phones to play cop. Don=27t get me wrong=2C if yo=
    u see someone driving like they are impaired then I have no problem with ca=
    lling the cops to check the situation out. This is a danger to others. But=2C=
    I have a friend that was pulled over for a broken taillight and the cop to=
    ld him that someone had phoned it in. Another person I know was pulled for =
    a seat belt violation in the same way. My response to the people that calle=
    d these in=2C get off the damned phone before you cause an accident=21=21 I=
    =27ve had a car totaled because of someone with a phone glued to their ear=21=

    2.=29 Home Owners Associations. Here=27s to the guy in an article I read th=
    at won his battle with his HOA. He built his daughter a play set in the bac=
    k yard that was painted purple =28her favorite color=29. The HOA threatened=
    him with a huge fine and jail time for violating the =27color codes=27 of =
    the neighborhood. F--- them=21 I=27m sorry if my grass is over 1 1=2F4=22 h=
    igh. I didn=27t have time to cut it. I=27m sorry that I permanently mounted=
    my kid=27s basketball goal and that I can=27t hide it from your prying eye=
    s when you come driving by. I=27m sorry I left my garbage cart by the curb =
    after 7=3A00pm. I had to work late that day. I don=27t care if you have som=
    e ordinance stating that I can only put out white Christmas lights. Excuse =
    me=2C I=27ll put out whatever is to my liking=21 AND=2C this one actually h=
    appened to someone I work with. He was told that he couldn=27t park his loa=
    ded GMC Denali in the driveway while a neighbor a couple of doors down coul=
    d park his Escalade in the drive. Thank God=2C I do not live in a subdivisi=
    on where I have to pay someone to bitch about the way I keep MY house up.

    You can see all comments on this post here=3A
    http=3A=2F=2Fcolumbiaclosings.com=2Fwordpress=2F=3Fpage_id=3D10549=23commen=
    ts

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    To: tednolan@bellsouth.net
    Subject: [Columbia Closings] Comment: "Have Your Say"
    From: Homer
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    Comment:
    And, yes, Joe. The 70's did ROCK!! Give me a six pack, a couple of joints, a video arcade, the Dutch Square parking lot (loaded with members of the 'fairer' sex), my huge 8-track collection and my old '73 Dodge Dart Sport 340. With those, everything else just seemed to fall into place.

    Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2015 06:17:19 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    @Homer, I TOTALLY AGREE with the HOA issue. I live in the Summit and we can't have a shed in the backyard. I have 5 cars and none of them can fit in the garage because of my lawn equipment and miscellaneous junk. So my sons were parking their cars on the street. Well guess what? We can't park cars on the street!! I bought this house 7 years ago and it's my first house so I didn't know much about HOA. But if I would have known about this crap, I would NOT have bought a house here. Bad thing is, after I bought the house, the property values dropped. At this point today, I owe as much as it's worth. So selling and buying somewhere else is just not an option right now.

    Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2015 07:24:05 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Sidney - I hear you. I live on an 1 1/2 acres in the old part of Irmo along the railroad tracks. I wanted to build a couple of 12x24' buildings on my property. Lexington County had no problem and required no paperwork. But not the town, oh no! I get a two page form to complete asking questions about size, location, electrical and plumbing requirements for inspections and what the buildings would be used for. I was also required to supply a plat of the land showing the locations of the buildings.

    I found an old plat that my Dad had drawn up in 1964, scanned it, and drew two boxes on it (nowhere near where I planned to put the buildings). I told them that I live on a hill so I don't think I would have to worry about flooding. I told them there would be no electrical (BS, my uncle and I are going to wire them ourselves) so I don't need an inspector nosing around here. And better judgement kept me from telling them I was going to use one for a meth lab and the other for a prostitution ring.

    So, even when you are not in a subdivision, you still have to put up with a bunch of crap!!!!

    Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2015 00:35:21 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    Hey, Homer, I have a friend that doesn't really care about the lab building, but he might be interested in the other one.

    Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2015 02:39:08 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I've never been to Hilton Head but I've heard that they have design guidelines...I also understand that they have rules stating that signs aren't to be above a certain height (something I think Harbsion has as well).

    As neighborhoods like The Summit and Lake Carolina have been built, they work HOA requirements into them from the get go and they've figured out how to have more teeth to them. When Whitehall and Forest Acres were coming along, such wasn't the case.

    My brother saw advantages to how it made the houses look better kept when he lived in a neighborhood with covenants, restrictions and a HOA like Sidney has in The Summit but at the same time they got on him about having a compost pile at one point. They also required their mailboxes to have a certain type of expensive paint.

    I do think neighborhood HOAs need to learn to better pick their battles...

    Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2015 18:47:46 +0000
    Author: Jason

    Comment:
    Ted, I won't lie, putting that McDonald's in the Vista would be just about the tackiest thing McDonald's could have done. The Vista is a historic neighborhood, and throwing that neon atrocity right in the middle of it would have ruined that. I don't have any issue at all with commercial aesthetic enforcement. In fact, I really wish it were more widespread here. It makes an area feel a lot less disjointed when buildings coordinate with one another.

    Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2015 19:25:38 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I've encountered a Walmart in the Asheville area that the residents fought but the Walmart finally got built but with a brick design and it very likely is the only brick Walmart design around...

    Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 18:31:58 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    I noticed the other day when I was at Publix in Lexington that the Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt store had closed.

    I suspected this about a month or two ago when I saw it closed at 7PM on a summer evening, but the TV and neon "open" sign were still on, so it was hard to tell whether it was still in business or not. There is a sign in the window saying the place will re-open soon as a Brazilian Wax by Claudia.

    I know it has been discussed before, for as hot as Columbia gets, I am surprised at all of the frozen yogurt closings.

    Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 23:49:05 +0000
    Author: badger

    Comment:
    I noticed that the Vista Wild Hare is going to become "Moriarty's Irish Pub." No info on when they plan to open.

    ted

    27 Jun 15 at 5:37 am

  1035. Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2015 21:28:53 +0000
    Author: JBL

    Comment:
    Andrew. Really?!!!?
    " I also have an Easter date app where I can look up Easter for any date until 5000."
    But can you quote the actual formula that will tell you when Easter falls (if you know the vernal equinox for the year in question)?
    My Dad always said "you can't use a calculator unless you know how to do math", and I added "you can't use a GPS if you don't know where you are and where you are going."

    Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2015 03:13:25 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I've seen a couple of tables explaing that if you divide a given year by 19 then you get a decmal number that you can look on a table that determines when the full moon is...

    Easter falls as follows:

    First Sunday
    after the first full moon
    after the vernal equinox.

    The vernal equinox is usually March 20/21...

    The result of this structure is that Easter can fall as Early as March 22 (which we won't see until 2285) or April 25 (coming in 2038).

    Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2015 23:14:13 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    JBL - Calculator and GPS. Pretty cool.

    Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2015 03:38:39 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Folks we have a pivotal opportunity to try to overhaul one of the business interchanges in the midlands.

    For years, the corridor where I-26 & I-20 meet (as well as I-126) has been problematic in terms of how it handles traffic. It's to the point that people have called it 'malfunction junction' for at least 20 years.

    SCDOT is working to overhaul said interchange and has a study area covering I-126 coming out of downtown as well as I-26 up to Broad River Road and I-20 from the Broad River to the Saluda River...also included is the US 378 exit at I-26.

    It is being called the Carolina Crossroads project.

    Where we all can come in is this: I'm sure many have had ideas to overhaul the interchanges in the Carolina Crossroads study area...now is your chance: If you have any ideas buzzing through your head that you feel would be ideas to fix, hop over to http://www.scdotcarolinacrossroads.com and let them be known to the SCDOT people as they are compiling community ideas to see what is the best way to go about overhauling what is a busy interchange that sees 133K VPD.

    Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2015 06:31:34 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    I don't need an app to help me calculate a tip. I use the old fashioned method. If I get great service, you get a great tip. If I get crappy service, you get a crappy tip. End of story....

    Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2015 22:46:06 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Homer - An app to calculate tips. I don't need an app to figure 10, 15, 20 or even 25%, I can do that in my head.

    It seems the Generation Y crowd, also known as Millennials, do not have to, want to or need to, waste brain power on trivial stuff like calculating tips.

    When I first started working in the 70's and on into the late 80's, we were required to be able to count change back.
    In the 70's McDonalds, where I worked one of my first jobs, the cash registers di not calculate how much change was due when some one did not give the exact amount due. We had to count change back.

    For example if a order came to $2.75 and a customer gave us a 5 dollar bill, we would give them a quarter and say 3.00, then give a dollar bill and say 4.00 then another dollar bill and say 5.00. That's the way we did it.

    I was at a McDonalds not long ago when the registers were down and guess what. No one working the registers could count change back. The manager was having to help some cashiers with a calculator, while others stumbled their way through with a calculator. I saw one person try before the manager could get there and it was a joke.

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 02:16:30 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Rick - I remember those days. When I used to work at Winn Dixie back in the 70's you had to know how to make change, you had to individually price every item in the shore since scanners hadn't been invented at the time and taking inventory was a manual process done from from huge printouts in huge binders with nothing but a pencil and a scratch pad to do your calculations.

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 04:11:59 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I wonder with the way restaurants like McDonald's are with registers anymore how they function taking orders, etc. with the registers down...I genuinely don't know as I've never had an occasion where I've been at a place like that when a register went down...

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 15:26:01 +0000
    Author: Joe Shlabotnik

    Comment:
    McDonald's restaurants in the Chicagoland area will shortly take all inside orders on a touch screen menu tablet that you slide your debit/credit card thru to confirm your order. This is what the $15/ hour crowd has brought down on themselves.

    When the kinks of the system are worked out this form of transaction will spread throughout the chain and most likely other stores will pick up on it and there will be a lot fewer cashiers hired.

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 17:00:57 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Joe Shlabotnik - I don't know if I should laugh or cry.
    On the one hand I want to laugh because we should have seen it coming. Up the hourly wage and compensate by doing away with the jobs technology can handle. Have customers enter their own order on a touch screen, verify and swipe card. I would prefer to go to a MCD's that does it this way rather than have to interact with some sorry ass, rude cashier. Not that all of them are but I see it more times than not and I only go to MCD's once in a while.

    They already snuck the "Get your own ice and fountain drink" in on us, which I also prefer. Easier refills. But still, we are doing part of the cashiers job. Let's just go ahead and do the whole thing. When we buy gas at the pump we don't need a cashier. When we withdraw money from an ATM we don't need a bank teller. And if you NA, na na na, you don't need to DE, de de de . And that could save you 50 to 100 bucks by itself.

    On the other hand I want to cry because the people that are put out of work by having us do their job will more than likely get unemployment that you and I will ultimately pay for.
    So it will actually be more expensive to do the cashiers job, if not a more pleasant experience.

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 17:29:31 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Most eating places such as McDonald's deal with a high turnover rate as it is so this could be a solution to combat that...not only that, most major retailers contend with it as well so this is one prospective solution. Some I feel struggle to stay fully staffed (when Burger King was on US 76 in Ballentine I got an understaffed vibe about that one...

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 18:05:34 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I agree with Rick about the whole concept of what I call a self-serve beverage bar. I actually lean against Chick-fil-A because they have shied away from that. Wendy's I used to feel the same way about but some of them now have the Freestyle.

    Another thing that causes me to shy away from eating places is interior seating. Sonic is better but I still don't go there often because I hate them lacking interior seating. Part of me wishes Domino's, Papa John's and Little Caesars had more interior seating at their eating establishments.

    I think that gas station cashiers main purpose is to sell the snacks, soda, beer, etc. that convenience stores stock. From what I've read those generate a higher profit margin than the gasoline itself.

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 21:08:26 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    Just saw on the news where Pandora's on Bush River Rd. burned early this morning. Arson is suspected. Good start for the area.

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 21:27:10 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    WIS was reporting that Pandora's had been suspected in some suspicious activity. Consequently my hope is that once the investigation is complete that the building gets torn down soon and hopefully something better gets built in its place...an Indian restaurant called Punjabi Dhaba just up the street across from Walmart #4379 burned within the last couple of years and the building was razed shortly after the fire and the lot has been vacant ever since and so that is what I envision for Pandora's.

    Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2015 22:15:17 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Andrew - Oh yea.. A friend of mine that owns convenience stores told me the profit on a gallon of gas is seven cents AT Best, and it has been a long time since he has seen that.
    He has sold gas at a loss just to get people to come in the store and he more than makes up for the loss on Cigs, Sodas, Beer, even lottery sales makes him several thousand dollars a moth at each location.
    He told me when poker machines were legal that the profit from the machines paid ALL his overhead and profits from everything else were just that, PURE PROFIT.

    Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2015 04:53:01 +0000
    Author: Joe Shlabotnik

    Comment:
    Andrew, here is food for thought: Touch screens don't steal, take lunch breaks, sick leave or vacations.
    Of course it is only a matter of time until they get hacked.

    Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2015 01:09:52 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    Talking about the "self-service tablets" at the register. I was in line at the Walmart Auto Center waiting to get a oil change. I was second in line. The guy in front of me was talking about his car purchase with bad tires, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah. The whole time I was thinking, I wish I could just check myself in right now and when they get finished shooting the crap about nothing related to the Walmart Auto Center, all they would have to do is ask for my keys.

    I don't see why most places don't do this now. Think about it, if you order online and pick-up in store, you pretty much just did what I described except you did it at home.

    A little off subject here, I couldn't get my oil changed at the Walmart on Forest Drive because they will not do an oil change on luxury cars anymore. She said it's because those cars have "sensors" or some crap! But I found out from the Two Notch Walmart that the Forest Drive store has a new Service Manager and he does not want to deal with any lawsuits.

    One more thing about the oil change. If you have 2006 Lexus GS300 like I do, you have to bring your own oil filter. They do not carry the oil filter in stock.

    Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2015 01:44:10 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I avoid chain auto repair places...I find that many of them tend to talk you into unnecessary auto repairs. I'm fortunate to feel good about going to Discount Tire of Irmo as they are reasonable and feel comfortable that they don't talk you into unnecessary repairs.

    I'm not one to shop at Walmart very often (though I was happy to see the one at 1326 Bush River Road take shape because it meant new life for a piece of property that was vacant, ugly and abandoned for years)...

    The times I've been out in Northeast Richland I've noticed that Two Notch & Rivkin Blvd. is congestion-prone and I think that Walmart is a big contributing factor...

    Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2015 20:33:09 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Ted - Is there something wrong with the site or is it on my end. The comment box is not loading for your latest post.

    Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2015 20:38:45 +0000
    Author: palmettoconnection

    Comment:
    Here is a link to a WIS TV story about the revitalization of Decker Mall. http://www.wistv.com/story/30104729/out-with-the-old-in-with-a-new-decker-center

    Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2015 22:53:28 +0000
    Author: JohnBom

    Comment:
    What happened to Palmetto Renovations at 9153-D Two Notch Rd, Columbia? The street sign and roof line sign are down. They blanketed a significant number of billboards along Two Notch Road over the summer, and now they seem to have disappeared.

    Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2015 02:25:08 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    Not a closing or relocation, but a major renovation that might be of interest - the Sonic in Lexington has taken out its outdoor dining and will be removing B= of its ordering "stalls" in order to make way for indoor dining. While indoor dining has worked for Sonic in other locations, I find covering an outdoor location goes against the very concept of what Sonic is supposed to be.

    Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2015 02:51:31 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    Sonic has done something similar in their Red Bank location...I haven't been myself but I tend to shy away from Sonic as I prefer to go in and eat (and order inside). I wonder if any other Sonic locations will undergo anything similar and perhaps I might be more inclined to eat there...

    They've had interior seating from the get go at their Forest Drive location (former Hardee's) and another one on Charleston Highway in front of Cayce Crossing (not 100% sure what was in the building prior to that).

    Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2015 04:07:25 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    Here's another shout to to my favorite McDonald's; the one in Irmo @ the elementary school. I went by there this afternoon and ordered a Double Quarter Pounder without cheese. All over the order slips and the receipts was printed 'NO CHEESE'. What did they serve me? One with frickin' cheese. How hard is this people?? Hire some people that want or NEED a job and send these damned work release people back to making license plates (or whatever they do now). Should have know better that to go in the first place. Especially since my last fiasco where I had to count each order of nuggets to make sure they could count to 10. And the answer to that question is NO.

    Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:38:54 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I'm fortunate that I haven't had many issues with restaurants like McDonald's but the last couple of times I've been to KFC in Irmo that is within walking distance of the one Homer mentioned it seemed like the people were sluggish (I enjoyed my food once it came out but it seemed as if they were sluggish in the preparation thereof)...

    Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2015 20:19:38 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Andrew - Don't beat around the bush.
    Tell it like it is, THEY ARE SLOW.
    Almost every fast food place we go now in SC is not fast anymore because employees don't care.
    It is not a job to them, it is a social event.
    Attendance is mandatory, work is optional.

    Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 00:49:59 +0000
    Author: Sidney

    Comment:
    @Rick with one big exception, Chick-Fil-A. Always the BEST service on Two Notch and even the one on Decker! Fast, accurate and you can feel safe knowing your food wasn't handle by some dirty, nasty, piece of crap who doesn't care about the customers. If all the places were like Chick-Fil-A...

    Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 00:56:09 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Sidney - Amen brother. I get pretty good service at Rush's also. When I first started typing my previous comment I said
    "Every fast food place we go to" but had to change it to "Almost every" because there are placed like Chic-Fil-A and Rush's.

    Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 00:57:38 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    Last sentence, last comment "Places like Chic-Fil-A".

    Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 04:18:44 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Sidney and Rick - the root cause for the problems with most fast food joints is the quality of people they hire to man the counters and the kitchens. I can't really say whether the main problem lies on the shoulders of the franchise owners or the managers they hire, but it seems that the quality of service and product you receive are mostly delineated by corporation. Of the fast food joints I would categorize my favorites as...

    1. Chick-Fil-A - Excellent service and product. Courteous and knowledgeable staff. Spotless restaturants. Will customize anything.

    2. Rush's, Wendy's and Arby's - I can't really pick a favorite. They all have the same qualities as Chick-Fil-A. However, I appreciate the values of Chick-Fil-A and how they refuse to cave in to the corporate American norms.

    4. Burger King - The product is usually tasty even though the sandwiches look like someone sat on them. The variety is excellent but that can be a bad thing when it comes to quality. Orders are served correctly even though they are slow. The staff seems to have adequate knowledge of their product. Cleanliness adequate. Will customize anything and will usually get it right.

    5. Bojangles - Food is usually good but it's like playing roulette, you don't know until you get in there. Service is always slow, staff adequate, cleanliness adequate.

    5. Hardee's - I don't eat at Hardee's very much as most of their burgers make me want to have a heart attack just to look at them. But I will go once in a while for the chicken strips which are pretty good. Last time I was there the service was slow and terrible. The employees were running around and tripping over each other like chickens with their heads cut off. I don't know how they could get anything done. The cleanliness was terrible and, believe it or not, someone had put ashtrays on a couple of tables. I have eaten at Carl's Jr. when traveling out west and they are 100% better than Hardee's. I have also heard the Hardee's employs a lot of work release people as well.

    6. KFC - These people just don't care. Half the time I go in there they are out of something; even biscuits!! They'll be ready in about 20 minutes. Why should I have to wait 20 minutes for something that goes on every dish you serve? Heck, I've been in there before when they couldn't even put together a 10 piece bucket except with a few pieces of original, and a few of extra crispy. They don't even want to substitute a different piece (thigh for a leg) because 'that's not what goes in a bucket'. I can get better chicken from the Kroger or Bi-Lo deli than here.

    7. McDonalds - the place that started this string. Worst of the worst. Snail slow service. Don't ask for anything to be customized because they can't get the regular orders right to start with. Ignorant staff that can't even count to 10 for McNuggets (see my previous post). The Quarter Pounder 'without' cheese (see previous post) had been made so long that the ketchup and mustard had soaked into the top bun leaving it a slimy mess. The stores are clean though. Maybe that's all the employees are good for. I have a copycat recipe for McRib's and as soon as I get it perfected, I'll finally have no reason to set foot in one of these again.

    Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 05:15:57 +0000
    Author: Mike L.

    Comment:
    Andrew the Sonic on Charleston Highway is a new building. There was a pawn shop there that was torn down to build it. It was a very small place that we didn't think would hold a Sonic but they did fit it in. According to the owner they were the first in SC to have indoor dining. There are no stalls on the drive-thru side and the lane is very narrow and not much space for the customer that may have to wait for their order. I go to a Lot of Sonics and would rate most of them on par with Chic-fil-a and Rushes for service.

    Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 05:53:26 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @everyone - I just wanted to say that if it seems that I use this forum a lot for complaining, I am sorry. After I posted the comment about McDonald's last night I thought to myself that these people on here probably think I am just a bitter old man that hates everything and everyone. Far be that from the fact. I am, as many others do on here, venting my frustrations with the way things are today.

    On the one hand, there are the people that work in the service industry and retail business that just don't seem to give a damn about providing the services or obtaining the knowledge to perform their require services. Or just using common sense, which is a rare commodity today.

    One story comes to mind, I was at Home Depot and needed a 3 foot piece of wire to use for a ground to my portable generator. After tracking a sales 'associate' down he told me that he would have to find someone that was trained on the 'wire cutting machine'. The WHAT?? This is some contraption that has all different gauges of wire spools on a huge wheel. Well, you crank the wheel around until the wire you want is in front of you . Then you take the end of the wire and feed it through slot onto a crank wheel. Then you crank off the wire while a counter measures the feet off for you. WTF!!!!! This dude wandered off looking for someone, so I walked over to hardware, picked up a pair of wire cutters and a tape measure, cut my own wire off, tagged it with the part number and was walking to the checkouts before anyone even came back.

    On the flip side are the people that are in corporate management that have nothing better to do than read articles in business journals, think that an idea looks good, and try to implement it regardless of the final impact.

    Where I work, there has been one project using an outside vendor that has been going on for 5 years. To this day, it semi-sorta works. The company has spent millions on the project when we could have written a better one in-house for a lot less money in half the time. But, no, some slick marketing rep snowed management over in comes this piece of crap. Did upper management ask for any input before bringing it in? Yeah, to middle management that will say yes to anything. To the people that have to do the work? No, that's outside of your scope within project management. Then we spent weeks gathering all of the statistics concerning system performance, problems, etc. We present these to the 'powers that be' and all they want to know is why they are not in bar and pie charts!! Here's your coloring book and box of crayons. Make you own damned charts. And remember to keep it in the lines. No wonder the walls of my cubicle are lined with Dilbert comics!!!

    Bottom line is, being in the middle class sucks!! You have to take up the slack from both ends of the spectrum. I know it has always been this way but it seems to get worse and worse as time goes by.

    Good night all - (soapbox going under the bed)

    Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 17:53:03 +0000
    Author: Jason

    Comment:
    Fine, fine, I'll get off your lawn...

    Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2015 00:30:51 +0000
    Author: Joe Shlabotnik

    Comment:
    Homer could have starred in Gran Torino.

    Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2015 02:45:04 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Joe - Thanks. I always did like Eastwood. I'll have to put that film back on my watch list!! Do you remember the Michael Douglas flick 'Falling Down'. That was another good one....

    Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2015 10:31:35 +0000
    Author: Tom

    Comment:
    According to The State the Exxon station in 5 Points has been sold. What many here may not know is that there used to be 3 Esso/Exxon stations in the 5 Points area because the Saluda Gardens area (the hill on Saluda Ave.) was built as company housing by Esso.

    Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2015 13:59:14 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    The Exxon Station in Five Points sits on a prime piece of real estate. I'll bet I could retire off of what that property is worth.

    Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2015 17:49:30 +0000
    Author: palmettoconnection

    Comment:
    They should redevelop it as a restaurant/cafe utilizing the existing structure with the roll up doors like has been done here in Atlanta with old neighborhood gas stations. They have been a popular and well accepted concept. Or, maybe open something like the Esso Club in Clemson.

    Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2015 22:49:31 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    I think it would be funny if they opened another gas station.

    Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 03:07:45 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    One possibility I foresee is that the Exxon station will be rebranded as another major gas brand (Shell, BP, 76, etc.). I remember at Harden & Gervais it was once an Exxon but I remember it becoming a Shell. I also remember Circle K locations having 76 branded gas but now they're Shell.

    As an aside, Wheel of Fortune would give $1000 gift cards for 76 branded gas and I used to wonder how I'd use one if I were to win one since Columbia doesn't have any 76 gas stations anymore...

    Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 04:40:27 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    Maybe they can refurbish the building and turn it into a restaurant called 'The Gas Station'. They can specialize in southern, creole and tex/mex foods that are known for their 'natural gas' production. Lots of beans, peas and greens. Soups, stews and gumbos. But it may be a little too close to Yesterday's to make a go of it.

    Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 13:46:24 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Homer - Concerning your gas station idea, I'll pass.

    Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 20:29:55 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Rick - I can't believe that you are going to pass on my gas idea.

    Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 20:42:48 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Homer - I have passed gas ideas in the past. There was a time that I did not pass gas ideas but, as I get older I pass more gas ideas than I did in the past. I hope it does not leave a bad taste in any ones mouth that I had to pass.

    Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 23:00:46 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    In 2005, I sold my old house to the daughter of the man that owned that Exxon station on Forest Drive. I met him and her Mother at closing. Last name was Broome. The station was still open at the time.
    The daughters mother owns a children's clothing store on Two Notch Road that I believe is called Southern Children.
    If I remember correctly the Exxon and property sold for close to one million, 900 thousand plus.

    Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 23:20:30 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    Hmm... @Ted - I took a look at the link you just put up about Henry's on Devine and I noticed Henry's has a curved front window similar to a post you recently did on CJ's Handy Mart.
    Could it be the same oil company built both stations?

    Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2015 04:05:11 +0000
    Author: DP

    Comment:
    Haven't read all the posts....but has anyone mentioned the Mayfair Grill down the hill from USC in the mid 70's? It was a meat and 3 where some days the waitresses would fight and the pork chops were giant. Also my favorite Mexican restaurant on 2 Notch road..... El Menchaca. ...awesome authentic Mexican.

    Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2015 23:41:27 +0000
    Author: Frank Mancuso

    Comment:
    Westside Ice is relocating to 1001 Idlewild Blvd.

    Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2015 14:45:29 +0000
    Author: Joe Shlabotnik

    Comment:
    The flooding should offer a vast array of new items of what's not in Columbia anymore.

    Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2015 17:12:45 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    From the looks of the flooding around Ft. Jackson this should settle all of the controversy about Taboo....

    Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2015 19:16:50 +0000
    Author: Rick

    Comment:
    @Homer - That area at Gills Creek around Jackson Blvd. is just unbelievable.

    Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2015 02:30:24 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Rick - I never knew just how much area Gills Creek covered. I used to have a friend that live in the Hampton Hills condos so I am very familiar with the area

    Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2015 03:02:05 +0000
    Author: joelc

    Comment:
    I received word that the Two Notch KMART will be closing at year end. This is not entirely surprising given the condition of the Sears/Kmart holding company. The Sears at Columbia Mall could be next to go, making the mall an anchor short of deadmall status. Sears is second to none in appliances and tools. This is such a good selling point that it is a shame that they could not market themselves better and be successful.

    Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2015 04:16:17 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    It would be nice if Sears were to find some way to spin the appliance and power tool markets off to individual entities, even though I imagine most are built of assembly lines along with other older brand lines. Their lawn equipment, however, has become nothing more that another rebranded MTD clone that you can pick up at any Lowes or Home Depot.

    Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2015 04:24:19 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I've seen it coming...I've been in that Kmart a few times in the last year and it has seemed like they were skimping on lighting and one time one of the automatic doors were blocked off by store signage that made me wonder if perhaps they were skimping on certain 'cosmetic maintenance' items.

    Sears at Columbia Place Mall is thin upstairs. Portions of it are curtained off and one time I was in there it felt like they were already liquidating but signage had yet to be posted. Several here have consequently felt like that place is not long for the world. The elevator is accessible but it wouldn't surprise me to find out that it's original to the mall's 1977 construction...I remember when Sears left Columbiana several felt that Columbia Place Mall would be first to go.

    I could see a situation where Burlington Coat Factory moves out of Columbia Place Mall into the space Kmart is about to vacate and then Macy's moves to Richland Mall...Spinoso does have a track record of revitalizing properties like Columbia Place Mall but as I've said before, I feel that the less than stellar community perception of Columbia Place Mall is a gargantuan obstacle.

    Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2015 05:11:28 +0000
    Author: joelc

    Comment:
    Sadly, Columbia Mall is heading in the path of the former Eastland Mall in Charlotte. The loss of Sears and Macys will doom it unless the owners pull a rabbit from the hat. I don't see any future with it now. Nobody shops there anymore. Outside of Macys and Sears there is no reason to set foot on the property. It used to be a great place to shop or just to walk. Here is a good 2014 Bloomberg article describing the mall situation. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-07-02/goodbye-malls-of-america

    Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2015 08:02:04 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @Andrew - I haven't been in the Two Notch Kmart since around Xmas time last year and they had already turned off half the lights in the store. Like many, I was surprised that the Columbia Mall Sears and Two Notch Kmart outlived the Columbiana/St. Andrews Rd. stores.

    Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 06:44:36 +0000
    Author: srh

    Comment:
    Does anyone remember the trampoline center that was located on Forest Drive near the intersection with Trenholm Road? Bell's Hamburgers? And the A&W located across the street next to the (former ) Esso station on the corner? (Now 5 Guys) I believe the A&W was next to or replaced by the (former) Direct Gas Station.

    Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 23:25:09 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    This time last year Sears Holdings, Inc. was preparing to liquidate stores in the midst of the Christmas Holiday shopping season. The only SC store to liquidate was a Kmart at Inlet Square Mall in Myrtle Beach (I wouldn't put it past Ted to feature that one at some point given that he occasionally does stuff from that area). The thing of it is the fact that it was in the midst of the Christmas Holiday shopping season which lead some S&P indexes to downgrade their ratings.

    I felt like Seven Oaks Shopping Center's Kmart was the best kept of the ones we had and ever since I have been unable to deny the downward trajectory Kmart is on. Homer felt that they could close the Dentsville Kmart "anytime they please" as the Seven Oaks one was closing. Now the Dentsville one (it appears) is about to start liquidating and if you want Kmart, you'd have to make the journey to Lexington, West Columbia, Camden, Sumter or Orangeburg.

    Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:59:29 +0000
    Author: AW

    Comment:
    When I was stuck in post-flood traffic on Beltline--the Devine/Garners Ferry detour--I noticed that Sammi's on Beltline isn't there anymore and there is a Peruvian restaurant in its place. I have no idea when that location of Sammi's closed.

    Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 03:37:25 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    So I drove down US 1 in Lexington where the dam broke and the good news is Rhoten's Country Store was open. Apparently they were not hit as hard as what I had been told. The pictures I saw showed flooding right up to the building, but they must have escaped major damage somehow.

    Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 03:44:33 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    @ Homer - I had a Kenmore refrigerator that came with the house when I bought it. I had to have a service tech come out to look at it this past spring and was told that the Kenmore brand is simply a rebranded product. It used to be a rebrand of Whirlpool or Maytag which is why the brand was so good for so long, but when Sears fell into financial trouble, they switch vendors. Kenmore is now a rebranded LG product and of much lower quality. Based on this knowledge, it would not do Sears any good to spin off their appliance unit if you ask me. I suspect the Craftsman brand of tools is a similar case.

    Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 04:55:34 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @James R - I always thought that was the case with Sears and the appliances. It figures that the same should apply to the power tools as well. I have a table saw that dates back to the early 60's and a scroll saw that is probably mid 50's. Those things are bulletproof!!!

    Many people may not realize it, but Kmart has always contracted out some of their departments to other companies that simply 'leased' the space in the stores to hawk their wares. I worked in the shoe department at the Dutch Square Kmart back in the mid 70's. The shoe department was operated by Thom McAn just as they are today, but they didn't sell the brand back then as they do now. As far as I can remember, the automotive and sporting goods departments were also operated by other companies but I don't recall which ones. I'm sure that a lot of retail stores operate under the same concept, but since Kmart was my only experience in retail I can't attest to this.

    Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 04:58:51 +0000
    Author: Homer

    Comment:
    @James R - that's great to hear about Rhoten's. It's kind of hard to believe that they survived the bursting of the dam considering their location.

    Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 19:31:17 +0000
    Author: James R

    Comment:
    @ Homer - Yes, I remember when Thom McAn was a stand alone retail chain. My mom always shopped there for my shoes because I had flat feet and needed orthopedic inserts. The doctor recommended Thom McAn because of their quality, though I question their quality today being they are sold in Kmart and Sears exclusively.

    As for Kmart's automotive section. I seem to remember a relationship between Kmart and Guarantee Auto. Guarantee Auto had some stand alone stores. I believe they were bought out or sold off some of their stores in the late 1980s, but I don't remember by who. There is a chain in Texas called Guaranteed Auto Parts that may be the same company.

    Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2015 02:30:11 +0000
    Author: Gary

    Comment:
    Had a friend who worked in K Mart Auto in mid 70's. It was run by kmart. Later they sold it to Penske who closed all the locations.

    Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2015 02:53:57 +0000
    Author: Andrew

    Comment:
    I read somewhere that Penske had the auto service Contract to service cars at Kmart but pulled it when Kmart filed for bankruptcy in 2002.

    I remember Kmart having auto service bays for sale/lease at two or our locations but one of them has since shut down completely.

    I think I once had a pair of Thom McAnn dress shoes but I don't have them anymore.

    Kmart in general is on a decline...I had some hope for them when they were at Seven Oaks Shopping Center as that one (to me) was the best kept of the Kmart locations around but as that one has liquidated I've had a hard time seeing Kmart as anything except a company that likely in decline...the only one that is in decent shape of the 3 we have left is the one in Lexington and part of it is that they have a Nathan's Hot dog eating place that I've eaten at a couple of times.

    I know there was mention of the Dentsville Kmart closing soon but nothing official has come out just yet.

    ted

    17 Sep 15 at 9:28 pm

  1036. Noticed yesterday that the Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin Doughnuts at Boozer Shopping Center had been gutted. It appears they are remodeling the interior again.

    Tom

    29 Oct 15 at 12:56 pm

  1037. Ok Folks, The State has a report of plans for The Fresh Market to once again have a second store in Columbia, except this time it's in Northeast Richland...

    Andrew

    31 Oct 15 at 8:01 pm

  1038. Does anyone know of any closed restaurants that have yet to be reopened. Know some people that are looking to relocate and would like something that is already set up so they can keep their costs to a minimum.

    Thanks

    Mike

    6 Nov 15 at 1:04 am

  1039. Well, the old Key West on Bush, the old Al-Amir at Sandhill, D's on Sparkleberry, Olive Garden on Decker, Red Lobster / Jumbo Asian on Decker, Kota's on US-1, Gilligan's on North Lake and Hennessy's on Main all come to mind, as will a number of others after I hit send..

    ted

    6 Nov 15 at 1:51 am

  1040. Any idea of when the stores at Rosewood Crossing will open back up? Looks like both the new center have some very heavy damage from the flood unfortunately.

    Dustin

    6 Nov 15 at 9:10 am

  1041. Dustin - http://www.wistv.com/story/30348249/rosewood-crossing-stores-to-reopen-early-spring

    JB

    6 Nov 15 at 11:35 am

  1042. I found this article in The Free Times and thought I would share the link. (http://www.free-times.com/cover/1024-elmwood-110415) Nice research by the writer about a street corner most of us pass every day.

    John R

    6 Nov 15 at 4:22 pm

  1043. Mike, here are a few others that I'm aware of (in addition to the ones ted listed):

    - 806 St. Andrews has had a ludicrous amount of eating places come and go
    - Dutch Square has spots that once hosted Chick-fil-A, Subway, Café and Scoop, Burger Time and Piccadilly
    - Columbia Place Mall's Piccadilly remains vacant
    - Wendy's in the 600 block of St. Andrews Road (across from the end of Jamil Road)
    - Ms. B's on 378 near 12th Street
    - At 378 & I-26 in West Columbia there is a former Quincy's that was a Maruice's BBQ for a while...
    - High Pointe Centere in Irmo has a spot that was originally Little China
    - Waffle House locations at 4505 Broad River & 1805 Bush River Road are also available
    - at 6164 St. Andrews Road there is a building that originally had Little Mexico for years but several others subsequent to that never caught on
    - McAllister's Deli (119 Sparkelberry Lane)
    - Gilligan's (938 North Lake Drive, Lexington)
    - Wendy's (10002 Two Notch Road)
    - CW's Grill at Magnolia Points (Clemson & Hardscrabble)
    - Carolina Wings in Irmo & US 1 in West Columbia
    - two Taco Cid locations in West Columbia
    - Dano's Pizza at Rosewood Center
    - Wild Hare (5474 Augusta Rd, Lexington)

    Many of these do have listings here that can be found via the Alphabetical Closings list...

    Little Caesars at 6903 St. Andrews Road is getting ready to move down into a portion of the former Blockbuster Video...

    There was signage on the site of the former Kendall's Katering on St. Andrews Road that lead me to believe that perhaps that place might be available as well...

    Andrew

    6 Nov 15 at 10:54 pm

  1044. In the Classified ad's of the State Newspaper today under Estate Sales there is a ad that says,
    "After 60 years Moe Levy's Reliable Pawn Shop will be closing".
    It also stated "Everything must go! 30% to 60% off".
    1304 Assembly Street. 803-252-7386.

    Rick

    7 Nov 15 at 2:13 pm

  1045. I could be wrong but as I recall ted had a post on Moe Levy's that got lost in the recent database crash (I know he's working to restore them all so perhaps it'll reappear along with the others that are on the way back).

    Also, I think it might be worth noting that Columbia's second Panda Express location at Killian Crossing is now open.

    Andrew

    8 Nov 15 at 12:05 am

  1046. I stand corrected, Moe Levy's post has been up all along...

    Andrew

    8 Nov 15 at 12:57 am

  1047. It wasn't one of the lost ones (I am making some progress on those), but it wasn't in the Alphabetical index either, so it might as well have been lost. I fixed that..

    It doesn't deal with the pawn shop though. I took some pictures of it at the time that I have on file somewhere, but it wasn't closing then.

    ted

    8 Nov 15 at 1:03 am

  1048. Was there any reference to how long they would be open? I would love to go there and check out the merchandise that they have.

    Homer

    8 Nov 15 at 1:42 am

  1049. The Blue Ginger on hardscrabble appears to have closed/changed hands. The sign now says bricktown bistro/ raw bar. guess they have been open for over a month according to their facebook page. Apologies if someone mentioned this earlier.

    cheryl

    9 Nov 15 at 2:24 pm

  1050. @Homer - There was no reference to how long they would be open. I did Google the pawn shop and a couple of reviews were not nice. Reviews stated "Do not go there, they will rip you off".
    I needed a quick loan one time and pawned an AR-15 at Peoples Pawn Shop just a few doors down from Moe Levy's Pawn Shop, I did not get there the day the interest on the pawn was due but, got there the very next morning when they opened, they told me they already sold my gun. Hell, they must have sold it after they closed the day my payment was due. I didn't believe it. It should have at least been out "For Sale", not already gone.
    I'll never pawn again if it's something I want back.

    Rick

    9 Nov 15 at 6:27 pm

  1051. There was an article in The State today about Levy's Pawn Shop closing. They will be closing at the end of January according to the article.

    There was also an advertisement for the Two Notch Road Kmart closing. Same as all of the previous ones. 70% off on jewelry, 20% off everything else.

    Homer

    11 Nov 15 at 11:43 pm

  1052. This is for the what is it worth category...The Rogue Hair Salon at Dutch Square is closed. Anyone out there have any further info?

    George

    13 Nov 15 at 1:28 pm

  1053. A correction The Rogue Hair Salon did not close. It just moved from Dutch Square to The Colonial Health Blvd across the street.

    George

    13 Nov 15 at 1:43 pm

  1054. Not sure if this has been reported or not. Henry's on Sparkleberry is closed right now due to the flood a few weeks ago. Also, word is, the owner may not have the money to open back up.

    Sidney

    15 Nov 15 at 1:51 am

  1055. I have yet to find any news articles concerning plans to close Kmart #4319 (7325 Two Notch Road) despite several search attempts to find one.

    Tonight I found myself on Kmart.com's store locator and found that said store has been delisted from that site.

    This means that our remaining Kmart options are in West Columbia, Cayce, Lexington, Sumter, Camden and Orangeburg once this one liquidates...

    Andrew

    15 Nov 15 at 11:19 pm

  1056. @Sidney, are you sure you mean Henry's and not D's? As far as I can tell Henry's at Sparkleberry Crossing is open and operating as of 15 November.

    ted

    16 Nov 15 at 1:16 am

  1057. @Andrew -- I went by K-Mart on Saturday and took some pictures. I'll probably get a closing posted on it sometime this week.

    As of then, it was not too picked over, so there were actually desirable items to buy, though I'm sure the discounts will get steeper as that changes.

    ted

    16 Nov 15 at 1:18 am

  1058. @Andrew - I haven't seen any 'official' notification of the closing of the Two Notch Kmart except for the ad in The State last week. But if the way it has looked the last couple of times (as noted elsewhere on here) I have gone there, it was only a matter of time.

    @ted - did you get any pictures inside?

    Homer

    16 Nov 15 at 2:54 am

  1059. I was talking to a guy at Buffalo Wild Wings and he said Henry's was closed and out of business due to flooding. I guess that's what I get for listening to people I just met at the bar. I apologize.

    Sidney

    17 Nov 15 at 3:33 am

  1060. The annual McRib watch is on again at McDonald's. My Mom told me today that the Ballentine location has it on the signage. Has anyone else heard anything about any other locations that are offering my one true reason to go to MickyD's?

    Homer

    19 Nov 15 at 2:35 am

  1061. It is tough to operate a business in SC due to the very high business taxes here. We have the highest business property tax in the nation. This is due to the disastrous Bill 388 that was passed in 2006 that eliminated school operating expenses from homeowner property taxes. The state raised the sales tax by 1 percent to offset the loss in revenue. This was insufficient and became glaringly so in the recession of 2008. The counties turned to business owners and non-tangible property owners to make up the difference. This likely violates the state constitution and a push is underway to repeal the act. I would like to see the playing field leveled to better encourage fair business and a more equitable taxation system than the mess that we have now.

    joelc

    20 Nov 15 at 3:38 am

  1062. Mari's Lake House on South Lake Drive, the successor operation to The Dam Bar and Grill and more recently Bentley's Beach House, has closed.

    badger

    21 Nov 15 at 6:28 am

  1063. Domino's has recently completed a move into the former Pizza Hut at 621 St. Andrews Road...that Pizza Hut did feature here but the posting of it has yet to make it back after a recent database crash after the flood...

    Andrew

    22 Nov 15 at 1:09 pm

  1064. When did Marshall's close at Columbia Place mall? I went to the Cola Macy's today for the first time in like a year and noticed it was closed up.

    Dustin

    24 Nov 15 at 6:12 pm

  1065. Marshall's moved off of Parklane Road when they moved into Rosewood Crossing in late August.

    It unfortunately got flooded out during the October flooding and it'll likely be sometime in the February/March timeframe before it can reopen.

    My heart broke for Rosewood Crossing when the events were unfolding.

    Andrew

    24 Nov 15 at 6:48 pm

  1066. Ah thanks I knew they had opened briefly but I didn't realize they had closed their Parklane store upon the move.

    It really is a shame it's going be a minute before they can reopen. On the bright side for the PetSmart they did rescue all the cats that were there for an weekend long adoption event but its still sad those businesses are still closed and their employees either not working or working at other locations(my roommate had it bad that week as both that Staples was closed(again!) and the other Staples he frequents for extra hours on Decker was closed.

    Dustin

    24 Nov 15 at 6:59 pm

  1067. Celebrity Cuts and Styles on Hardscrabble is closed up. I saw a sign on the door as I was driving by. It's in the same plaza as Beef O'Brady's.

    Interesting side note. The former owner also owned a seafood spot in the Piggly Wiggly shopping center down the street on Hardscrabble. He was killed a few years back on Rice Creek Terrace Dr. Also, one of the barbers in that shop, killed a woman on Alpine Rd. a few years back as well. You may have remembered the woman was found in a church parking lot on Alpine. She was strangled then burned.

    Sidney

    24 Nov 15 at 7:18 pm

  1068. Nothing to do with closings, I just need to vent.
    I went to Arby's last night and got sandwiches for the family.
    Woke up at 5:00am this morning and started thinking, how much did that cost me last night, I can't remember and I did not have the receipt.
    So I logged onto my bank account and found Arby's charged the correct amount but... I noticed $2715.00 drawn from my checking account in six different transactions from LA California from ATM's and CVS pharmacies.
    WTF. Some how someone got my debit card number and PIN and hit me hard, SON OF A BI***.
    I called the number on the back of my debit card and cancelled it at 5:30am.
    I went to the bank and signed fraud paperwork and they will send it to their fraud dept.
    They said if proven I had nothing to do with it I should get my money back in a month or so. That sucks. I must have been skimmed at a restaurant or something.
    The charges at CVS were all the same, $595.95 for each transaction. I mean what the hell can you but 5 times at the same CVS in one hour for that much? The lady at the bank said probably gift cards. She said when scammers can get or make a card that works they generally know that it may not work the next day because the bank will notice unusual activity or the owner of the card will and cancel it. By purchasing gift cards as fast as they can then toss the debit card they can use the gift cards and not be tracked.
    Word to the wise.

    Rick

    25 Nov 15 at 4:57 pm

  1069. That person standing behind you in line texting on their phone may actually be taking a photo of your card. Be sure to always cover your cards just like in poker.

    Joe Shlabotnik

    25 Nov 15 at 5:55 pm

  1070. @Joe - I am very aware of that. I am sure to block even if someone does not have their phone out.
    I check for skimmers at all ATM's and any gas stations.
    I screwed up and ordered something off Amazon that may have had something to do with it.
    I also let the card out of my sight a Ruby Tuesdays a couple of weeks ago.

    Rick

    25 Nov 15 at 6:03 pm

  1071. One of my recent concerns has been is that most sit down restaurants (too numerous to list) tend to place your card in something, walk back to the register to run the card and it's out of sight of the owner and that makes me think that card is vulnerable to less than stellar people.

    Andrew

    25 Nov 15 at 10:51 pm

  1072. I do not use my debit card unless it is an emergency or I absolutely have to. I put all of my transactions on my Chase credit card. Over the last 20 years I have had my account breached twice and Chase was exceptional in the handling of my situation. Both times, within 24-48 hours, my old card was cancelled, the charges were refunded to my account and I had a new card in hand.

    Homer

    25 Nov 15 at 11:53 pm

  1073. Vendors are being hit left and right nowadays. It literally could have been anywhere that your card info was lifted. Hilton and Starwood hotels both announced in the past couple of weeks that they found POS-targeting malware on their systems. There's almost no way to tell what was taken, how many people were affected, or how long it's really been going on. It's fairly difficult to even detect in the first place. Now I just sort of assume that anytime I physically swipe a card, it's possibly getting skimmed one way or another, and that info is likely for sale within hours for an insultingly low amount of money alongside millions of others.

    Posting links seems to be a little touchy here, but do a Google News search for ModPOS if you're curious.

    Jason

    27 Nov 15 at 2:17 pm

  1074. My son works as an IT guy at his job. He said he has heard of some device that can steal your info while your credit card is in your pocket. He also said wallets that protect against this type of activity are for sale now.
    Wow, you mean someone can just walk up behind you and steal info while your credit card is in your pocket?
    I guess the new "Chip" technology is what that's all about.

    Rick

    27 Nov 15 at 5:08 pm

  1075. Not exactly, on both counts (IT guy here as well). The effective range on those pocket scanners is pretty small, and they only work on cards that have RFID technology built in. So if you have one of those cards, somebody's going to have to get their device within about six inches of your wallet to be able to read anything. That's not impossible, but it's unlikely just because it's a lot of effort when the thief doesn't know who's carrying one of the vulnerable cards, and also due to the security features on these cards making them useful for at most a single transaction. Oversimplifying here, but it's as if the last four digits of the card number change after each transaction, so if you use your card before they can make a counterfeit copy, what they stole is useless. If you don't, then they get a single use out of it before the number changes and their copy is worthless. And the "shield" wallets don't really work that well anyway, from what I hear.

    The chip tech is utterly useless in the POS malware I posted about, though: you have to enter your PIN into the credit card terminal after inserting your card, so the malware authors still get what they need. The only real protection the chip-and-PIN tech offers is in the event you lose or have your physical card stolen. We're gonna be bartering for goods and services with goats again before long, I tell ya.

    Jason

    27 Nov 15 at 6:40 pm

  1076. YES! The bank put all the money back into my checking account yesterday.
    I feel much better. And that was fast too.
    I just alerted the bank Wednesday.
    Thursday was Thanksgiving, and the money is back in my account on Friday, I'm happy with that.
    Now just have to wait for my new debit card to arrive.
    I do not think I will use it as much as I did in the past though.
    It was just so easy to log onto my bank account and see immediately what was drawn. It is just a little more difficult to track online when using a credit card, log on and view pending transactions that sometimes do not show up for a day or so.

    Rick

    28 Nov 15 at 1:18 pm

  1077. It is amazing how some companies wait so long to post your transactions with your credit card company. You would think that they would want to receive their payment ASAP but sometimes I have seen charges to my Chase account take up to a week before they are posted. Maybe they wait until they have enough backlogged charges that they may not to have to pay as much of a processing charge for the transactions.

    Homer

    29 Nov 15 at 4:12 am

  1078. Target opened at 6:00p Thanksgiving day. We went shopping and I used a credit card. I have logged onto my credit card account everyday since to see when the transaction would show up. It finally showed today as "pending".
    Four days after I used the card.
    So that's what I was talking about. When I logged on my available credit showed higher than what it actually was.
    I guess that's why they say "Your available balance may be lower than what is shown".
    That's why I liked the debit card. I could log on and see exactly how much I had in the bank opposed to keeping track of how much credit I have left on my credit card if I'm out shopping or using it again within several days.
    Not a big problem but if I don't stay on top of it I could go over my credit limit and we all know what happens then, the card company is all to happy to charge a fee for going over.

    Rick

    30 Nov 15 at 1:30 pm

  1079. Why is there not any since sept?

    matt

    1 Dec 15 at 1:33 am

  1080. Matt, Matt, Matt....

    Rick

    1 Dec 15 at 10:06 am

  1081. Smoke BBQ in Blythewood

    CH Smoot

    5 Dec 15 at 12:34 pm

  1082. https://www.facebook.com/SMOKE-Southern-Barbecue-Revival-184044993658/

    CH Smoot

    5 Dec 15 at 12:35 pm

  1083. Rosewood Florist closed. Allegedly ran out of money.

    Frank

    12 Dec 15 at 4:44 pm

  1084. Looks as though Thermo-King on Shop Road Extension may have closed.

    Rick

    13 Dec 15 at 4:34 pm

  1085. Maybe thermo king just moved

    Rick

    13 Dec 15 at 6:41 pm

  1086. May the force be with you and
    a merry Christmas to everyone.
    I have really enjoyed this site over the years.

    Joe Shlabotnik

    13 Dec 15 at 7:41 pm

  1087. A couple of closings / moves in Lexington:

    1. El Paso Mexican Restaurant has moved from its old location at 108 Scarborough Lane to the old Reflections Banquet Hall. Reflections closed earlier this year. A new Mexican restaurant, El Jimador is slated to go into the space El Paso moved out of. El Paso's new location (Reflections old location) is 1937 Augusta Highway.

    2. Gold's Gym at 619 N. Lake Drive in Lexington has closed. It may be simply a name change as the new gym, muvFitness is already operating.

    3. Lexington Contract Builders (LCB) is no more. It appears they have rebranded themselves as Epic Homes. Epic's application with the SC Secretary of State was August 10, 2015. The registered agent appears to be the wife of the owner / builder of LCB. This name change might also be linking the local contractor with a franchise as I saw an Epic Homes listed in Charlotte. Several weeks ago the LCB sign announced the coming of a new logo and then just this past week, the new sign for Epic was put up. Seems like much more than a new logo. LCB was listed at 703 N. Lake Drive in Lexington. Epic Homes is listed as 340 Carola Lane, which may be the owner's residence.

    James R

    14 Dec 15 at 12:17 pm

  1088. I went on muvsc.com and it appears that they're the ones that bought out Gold's Gym and have taken over all 5 Gold's locations (Forest Acres, Killian Road, Columbiana Point, Sandhills and Lexington). I remember encountering an article in The State and everything but couldn't remember who it sold out to.

    müv has signage on the former Goody's in Westside Plaza on US#1 in West Columbia (2307 Augusta Road) in the form of a tarp that leads me to believe that perhaps they're planning to move there soon as well (I've noted as such on that page and if I can figure anything else out I'll advise accordingly).

    Andrew

    14 Dec 15 at 2:23 pm

  1089. A disturbance in the force there is.

    Yoda

    14 Dec 15 at 4:14 pm

  1090. My wife was told by a friend that Costco has broken ground on their Columbia location. Apparently, it will be behind Green's Beverage near Piney Grove. Glad to see the 4 year old rumor of Costco coming to Columbia are finally coming true. It will be nice to not have to drive to Augusta, Charleston, or Greenville.

    Is this why they put in the roundabout / traffic circle on Piney Grove?

    James R

    14 Dec 15 at 9:43 pm

  1091. If Costco is a hit, then that area of Piney Grove Rd. as well as the new traffic circle will not be able to handle the additional traffic especially since most of Piney Grove is still a two lane road. And taking into consideration how a lot of people drive then that traffic circle will be the home of constant accidents.

    IMO, there are three roads in the St.Andrews/Irmo area that need to be considered for widening (along with whatever they plan for malfunction junction).

    1. Pine Grove Rd. from St. Andrews Rd. to, at least, I-26, possible all the way to Broad River Rd.
    2. Bush River Rd. from St. Andrews Rd. to I-20.
    3. Lake Murray Blvd. from Broad River Rd. to I-26.

    Not sure how feasible 1 & 2 are considering the proximity of houses to the roads. Adding another 36 feet for 2 traffic + a turning lane would put sidewalks right at the front doors of some of these homes.

    Homer

    14 Dec 15 at 11:42 pm

  1092. @Yoda - the only disturbance in the force I have noticed is because I ate baked beans and Brussels sprouts for supper.

    Homer

    14 Dec 15 at 11:44 pm

  1093. Has anyone heard anything about the Delhi Palace restaurant on St. Andrews Rd.? I noticed this evening that there were no lights on in the building.

    Homer

    14 Dec 15 at 11:46 pm

  1094. I don't understand the rationale for the roundabout at Piney Grove & Piney Woods as one point I considered that intersection a candidate for a traffic signal.

    Here's my take on the widening Homer proposes:

    1) Piney Grove Road: the stretch from St. Andrews (collapses just past Garmony) to Shadowbrook Drive has many houses close to the road and it would make widening it problematic. I do know a stretch of it got the 3 lane treatment when the Kinley Creek bridge was replaced and I foresee a scenario where the stretch (especially on the Garmony side) going 3 lanes but the house lots are too small to consider 5 lanes.

    2) Bush River between Market Pointe Mall and St. Andrews Center (former Clusters of Whitehall): I actually remember this being up for widening back in the mid-late 90s but the residents of that stretch of Bush River raised enough cane that those plans were shelved. I consequently feel that as long as that stretch is mostly residential it'll be difficult to attempt to widen.

    3) Lake Murray from Parkridge to Broad River: this stretch definitely makes sense, especially as apartments (among other things) build up. In such a scenario the intersection of Broad River & Lake Murray would need to be reconfigured as it is a 'Y' intersection that people are discouraging. If it ever happens I could see Riverland Hills pushing for a traffic signal along that stretch (much like Northside Baptist did along 378 when they built their new church).

    One stretch that can't get widened fast enough IMO is Hard Scrabble Road. As of 2005 it handled double the traffic it's designed for yet plans to widen it are still a few years off. I've found it scary at times to navigate. Why The Summit and Lake Carolina were built without much thought to the impact of Hard Scrabble is beyond me. Clemson & Hard Scrabble and Two Notch & Rivkin are (in my experience) the two most congestion-prone intersections in Northeast Richland. I also could foresee the area of Farrow Road from Hard Scrabble to Killian/Clemson needing widening. The plan I saw would be to do the stretch from Farrow to Kelly Mill (Kelly Mill is currently a 4-way stop and such intersection would be signalized which needs to happen). Farrow & Longtown now has a traffic signal which doesn't surprise me as I definitely saw the need for one there.

    Another thing that is in the works is this: SCDOT is working on a plan to overhaul the 26/20 interchange (which they're calling Carolina Crossroads as it extends to quite a few of the surrounding interchanges) that has had the nickname of malfunction junction for at least 20 years. You can learn more on what they're doing at scdotcarolinacrossroads.com. They've encouraged public input and I went to both the meetings they've had and sensed a genuine sense of interest and appreciation on the part of the committee for all the ideas people had. The plan is to enter a final EIS/record of decision in July 2018.

    Andrew

    15 Dec 15 at 11:08 am

  1095. @Andrew

    Oh man do I agree with you about Hardscrabble Rd. I live in The Summit and have to put up with this traffic every day!! I know once they do widen it, it should alleviate some of the traffic coming out of The Summit at Clemson Rd. at 8:00am when I am taking my son to school at North Springs Elementary. I had the timeline when all the widening projects were supposed to take place but I can't find it anymore. But then again, the flood came through and pushed a lot of those dates back.

    I know 4 of the items that were first on the list (and this is from the penny tax increase). A modification to the intersection in the middle of The Summit at the traffic light. A right turn lane is going in on Summit Ridge Dr. turning right onto Summit Parkway. This will allow 2 lanes to turn left instead of just one currently.

    Number 2 was the a modification to the intersection at Rhame Rd/Clemson Rd/North Springs Rd. Can't remember exactly what this one was going to be about. But I would love to see a dedicated right turn lane onto Rhame Rd from Clemson. And also one on the other side from Clemson Rd to North Springs Rd.

    Number 3 was at the intersection at Risdon and North Springs. I think that is just going to have a right lane to go around the traffic that's turning onto Risdon. Although, I THINK there will also be a traffic light installed.

    And the 4th is the widening of Clemson Rd between Sparkleberry and Two Notch. IMHO I thought it was a waste of money to repave that part of Clemson Rd when they knew they were going to widen it anyway. The part they didn't repave needed it more than the part they did repave. And If they HAD TO SPEND the money, instead of repaving, they should have made a longer access lane to go around the traffic turning left onto Earth Rd.

    With the Fresh Market going in on Two Notch Rd across from Sandhills, and Sam's going in behind the Plex in Sandhills, traffic is just going to be unbearable.

    Pontiac, get ready. There's no more land on Two Notch Rd on the Sandhills side of Clemson Rd. But plenty of untouched land just past Clemson Rd.

    One more thing, when I look at the Earth View on google maps, I just don's see how they can do ANYTHING to Malfunction Junction. But of course, I am not an architect or designer.

    Sidney

    15 Dec 15 at 12:54 pm

  1096. http://www.richlandonline.com/Government/TransportationPenny/AdditionalResources.aspx

    http://www.wistv.com/story/30752705/council-chair-on-penny-tax-allegations-clarification-needed-from-dor

    Sidney

    15 Dec 15 at 1:11 pm

  1097. http://www.richlandpenny.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Approved-Project-Ranking-List-intersections.pdf

    Sidney

    15 Dec 15 at 1:19 pm

  1098. The richlandpenny.com site has some good stuff on roads that are going to be repaved, widened, etc. as well as some intersections that are to be overhauled....

    Andrew

    16 Dec 15 at 2:55 pm

  1099. @Sidney - re: Malfunction Junction, there's just no way to improve that without buying back, or invoking eminent domain on, a WHOLE lot of property. There's so many businesses that butt right up next to interstate all through that corridor where new ramps are going to have to go, whatever design is eventually chosen.

    Also, if you think Clemson/Killian at 77 is delightful now, a Costco and Cabela's are slated for Killian's Crossing according to a sales flyer one of the commercial real estate agencies has out there. So we've got that traffic to look forward to.

    Jason

    16 Dec 15 at 3:11 pm

  1100. I do agree that one of the problems with the Carolina Crossroads area is that the landlocked nature of the interchanges without room to expand and that's part of the equation that folks are looking at...

    The need is there but the biggest challenge I foresee is figuring out how to reroute the frontage roads with minimal impact on the businesses, apartments, etc. along those roads.

    I think the biggest way to minimize congestion is to institute some type of system where as opposed to everyone's work day ending at 5:00, some end at 4:00, 4:30, etc. and spread it out in the 4-5:30 range so not everyone is on the road at the same time.

    Andrew

    16 Dec 15 at 4:46 pm

  1101. We just need to build a road over the roads already there.
    The lower road or interstate goes north to south and the upper goes vice versa.
    All that's required then are entrance and exit ramps at an area far past the malfunction part.

    Rick

    16 Dec 15 at 5:05 pm

  1102. @Andrew. The end of day time is already into play. Most State employees Work from 8:00 - 4:30. And some employees with flex time work 7:00am - 3:30pm.

    I thought about roads over roads also but I think that would cost way too much.

    I thought a while back they were talking about North-West Corridor connecting I-26 to I-77 from somewhere in the Irmo-Chapin area to the Blythewood-Winnsboro area. Most of that area is very sparsely populated. I can see that working out very well. But a project like that would take years (maybe even decades) to build. But it would relieve probably half of the traffic going through Malfunction Junction.

    Sidney

    16 Dec 15 at 8:53 pm

  1103. I wish there was an edit button on this board.

    That was supposed to say North-West to North-East Corridor.

    Sidney

    16 Dec 15 at 8:57 pm

  1104. Sidney at the Carolina Crossroads public input meetings I went to people were recommending bypasses going in several different directions like the one you recommended.

    The whole rationale for calling it the Carolina Crossroads project was that it was a big connecting point for different people coming to/from different parts of the state (one to another) utilizing this interchange. Someone indicated a dream of the interchange being known as the Carolina Crossroads interchange but I don't see that having much staying power vs. the 20+ year old nickname of malfunction junction.

    I agree with you that roads on top of one another would likely be too cost prohibitive. It sounds like something on the scale of the Big Dig Boston did and it ran into a variety of problems along the way...

    Andrew

    16 Dec 15 at 11:01 pm

  1105. The only possible answer I see for Malfunction Junction is to use flyovers wherever possible.

    Flyovers do eat up a lot of acreage but considering most of the trashy rundown businesses around the I-20/I26/I-126 area, they could all be leveled in my book.

    The problem is that there are just too many heavily traveled roads in such a small area. I don't really know what the solution will be. Columbia is way too small of a city to use double-decker highways like major cities do, especially with the no-driving fools we have on the roads already.

    Honestly, I don't know why the traffic has gotten so bad in just the last couple of years.The population growth surely doesn't seem to be keeping up with the amount of vehicles on the road.

    Homer

    16 Dec 15 at 11:40 pm

  1106. Here's the pdf I was looking at a couple of months ago that I said I couldn't find a few posts back. This pdf has a timeline of the Penny Tax Projects.

    http://www.richlandpenny.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015-11-November-Monthly-Progress-Report1.pdf

    Interestingly, the Clemson Rd widening won't be complete until 2020!! And the Hardscrabble Rd widening will be bid on next year. Meaning that won't be done until about 2021 or 2022.

    Sidney

    17 Dec 15 at 8:27 am

  1107. I wish there was a way to expedite the construction process because the need is already there. Hard Scrabble was handling double the traffic it was designed for as of 2005 and yet it will still be at least 5+ years before the solution is finally in place. I've also seen a proposal (which I support btw) to establish an interchange at Hard Scrabble and I-77. Another one I have a recollection of encountering that I support is I-20 and Mineral Springs Road.

    I do agree that it'll be tricky to have the space for flyovers (which this interchange needs) but the problem with bulldozing business like Homer proposes is that you open yourselves up to a can of worms with lawsuits, etc. which is costly and time consuming (though if a business is vacant for an extended period it doesn't seem as likely (to me at least)) These are all issues the Carolina Crossroads committee is looking at. One interchange I saw in a forum that I recommended the committee explore is I-40 & I-25 in Albuquerque.

    One project that I think is worth pondering and exploring what design you like best is Clemson & Sparkleberry as they have plans for either a simple two left turn lane overhaul on Clemson Road or a diverging intersection.

    Andrew

    17 Dec 15 at 3:24 pm

  1108. If anyone has ever come upon the I-20/I-35 interchange in Dallas they will see numerous flyovers stacked and criss-crossing each other, and it works. It is a marvel of engineering.

    I have also seen in another city, can't remember which one, where there is a dedicated lane at each interchange that will allow a driver, if he/she has missed a previous exit, to exit and loop around to another on-ramp that merges with the left lane in the opposite direction. This way they do not have to negotiate their way through the interchange just to get back on in the other directions. I thought that a very novel approach.

    Homer

    17 Dec 15 at 11:40 pm

  1109. Homer: You are referring to the high five interchange in Dallas.

    joelc

    20 Dec 15 at 4:05 pm

  1110. I did pull it up on the map but haven't traveled through it myself (same goes with the 40/25 interchange I referenced earlier) but there's a 35E and a 35W interchange (I-35 splits into East/West as it traverses the Metroplex) and both the 20/35E and 20/35W interchanges and they both strike me as possibilities though the 35W interchange looks much more complicated. the E is on the Dallas side adn the W is on the Ft. Worth side. I was looking at 20 along that stretch and several interchanges between the two look like deigns that would be unfamiliar to us that strike me as possibilities but you run into issues of land availability...

    Andrew

    21 Dec 15 at 12:07 am

  1111. I wonder how long, if ever, it would take drivers around here to get used to exiting from and entering to the left lane of an interstate even if it were in order to alleviate traffic congestion?

    Homer

    21 Dec 15 at 1:16 am

  1112. @joelc - I may have been in error about my Dallas comment. The interchange I may be thinking about is the 35 - Bush tollway. I haven't been to Dallas for about 10 years so the memory is kinda fuzzy....

    Homer

    21 Dec 15 at 1:18 am

  1113. Homer: I was in north Dallas 7 to 8 years ago on an extended work contact. Yes, the high five seemed like a world wonder to this SC boy. At 12 stories in height, the navigation of it was scary. The marvel of Dallas is how it can compress so much boredom into a city. Outside of the many shopping malls, there is nothing to do there. My biggest challenge, when I arrived there, was finding a wet part of town that sold beer. I literally rode across he city to find wet parts of town. I ended up staying in Addison since they had no beer restrictions. Places like Richardson were bone dry when I was there.

    joelc

    21 Dec 15 at 2:38 am

  1114. @joelc - I've got a story for you about finding a bottle of vodka down there. My hotel was in a dry county and I was pretty much surrounded by places that could sell beer and wine but not the hard stuff. The bartender gave me directions to thw closest liquor store, so I hopped in the car and took off down some two lane state road that had nothing but cow pastures and an occasion farm house on either side. It seemed like it went for miles. All of a sudden I came upon a crossroads that happened to be the county line. Just across the line was a huge liquor store just sitting on the corner. And I thought SC was messed up!!

    As far as boredom goes, the last time I was there they had one of their weekend music festivals going on (sort of like Three Rivers used to be) so at least that gave me something to do.

    I have a friend that lives there and she agrees that it is a boring place. All she does is work, buy groceries and plot the closest routes to get alcohol.

    Homer

    22 Dec 15 at 12:35 am

  1115. I've pondered Homer's question as to how long it'd take people to get accustomed to a left lane exit sign and I think it'd take a bunch of doing (I know for me personally it'd be liable to take several years) as well as much advanced signage. If 26/20 ever gets a left lane, the signage would need to be planted on both sides of each interchange immediately prior to the interchange (i.e. on 26 it'd need to go before both Bush River and St. Andrews) and same for I-20 in relation to the Broad River & Bush River exits on either side of the interchange. Be that as it may, it may be necessary to explore left-hand exit lanes due to the space constraints 26 & 20 face to build the flyovers needed but they're rarely found anywhere I've been.

    I recall one of the proposals someone had at one of the Carolina Crossroads input meetings was to have more advance notice of the interchange so in some form or fashion they'll likely be needed anyway.

    Andrew

    22 Dec 15 at 4:19 pm

  1116. The lower unemployment rate, low gas prices and JT's KIA = More traffic on our roads.
    Have any of you seen all the cars for sale at JT's Kia off I-77?
    He must have a thousand cars on his lot and in the two or three acres next to his dealership.

    Rick

    22 Dec 15 at 6:07 pm

  1117. I would love to have a new Challenger SRT but I would not buy one from JT. That man is the reincarnation of Ken Hyatt. How many of you remember him? But even if I bought one in Camden or Newberry, I'd still have to get it serviced at wither his dealership or Galeana, and I haven't heard many good things about them.

    Homer

    23 Dec 15 at 12:16 am

  1118. Homer I looked and you should consider Addy Dodge as they have the same capabilities as JT's dealerships do...but then again, I've been told that car dealerships (in general) don't do anyone any favors on car maintenance bills though I've (so far) had good experience with Love Chevrolet on the maintenance on our family's Equinox.

    Andrew

    23 Dec 15 at 8:51 pm

  1119. Sorry Andrew - Addy Dodge in Lexington is no more. And Mike Addy's on 378 was bought out by JT. My Dad dealt with Addy Dodge for years and always got great service from them. They were one of the last dealerships that was small enough to give a crap about their customers. I used to take my Chevy there because they would still service without any questions. They already knew me and were more than happy to take care of whatever I brought in.

    Homer

    24 Dec 15 at 12:13 am

  1120. Merry Christmas to everyone!!!!

    Homer

    25 Dec 15 at 2:38 am

  1121. I bought my Challenger slightly used off a Chevy lot just because I didn't want to set foot one on any of JT's lots and Galeana left such a bad taste in my mouth. I don't go to the dealership for service at all though so once the sale's done I guess it doesn't much matter where I bought it.

    Jason

    25 Dec 15 at 7:34 pm

  1122. Ho Ho Ho. Merry Christmas.

    Nick

    25 Dec 15 at 8:03 pm

  1123. I co-signed for my son at JT's Kia a few months ago. I told the Sales Manager that I didn't want the extended warranty. When I went to sign the papers instead of the line saying "Financing $10,295" It said "Financing $14xxx.xx. I asked him why it was almost $5000 more. He said because you get the bumper to bumper warranty. I said, I told you I didn't want it. So he did some scribbling on a paper then said, how about 2200 for the warranty. I looked at him straight in the eyes and said, I DON'T WANT THE WARRANTY! He snatched up the papers and was walking out the door saying, then I don't think we will be able to sell you the car. He came back like 5 minutes later, didn't say a word and started printing the paperwork again. This time, he added Gap Insurance for like $495.00. I said, dude, you just told me that All South automatically gives Gap Insurance for FREE!! Why are you charging me? He finally took that off and I signed the papers saying that I was financing $10,295.

    The reason why I didn't want the warranty is because Kia gives a 10 year/ 100,000 mile warranty for free even if it's a used Kia. The car only had 52,000 miles on it.

    Sidney

    25 Dec 15 at 10:29 pm

  1124. @Sidney - that's the problem with most car dealerships. Either the salesman tried to push you into additional things you don't need or try to sneak additional charges onto the bill of sale just to boost their commission or management forces them to do the same in order to keep their jobs.

    The most pleasant experience I ever had was dealing with Carmax when I bought my Corvette. The one I wanted was in Charlotte so they drove it down free of charge since it was so close.

    The salesman quoted me the no-haggle price which I had no problem with since it was well within the Kelly Blue Book ranges. Actually it was a bit lower than comparable vehicles advertised at local dealerships.

    I was the first to mention an extended warranty and was told that the car qualified for one of three and it was my choice as to which one, if any, I wanted. No mention of my down payment was made until the final price was settled on. The down payment was deducted from sale price and the paperwork was drawn up.

    No pressure, no hassle, no problems.....

    Homer

    26 Dec 15 at 2:00 am

  1125. Oh, I forgot to mention, they charge $400 to go and get it from Lexington.

    Sidney

    26 Dec 15 at 10:31 pm

  1126. You gotta be sh@ttin me!!!!

    Homer

    26 Dec 15 at 11:50 pm

  1127. Helloto? Anyone out there?

    Rick

    28 Dec 15 at 6:44 pm

  1128. Hello Rick!

    Sidney

    28 Dec 15 at 8:16 pm

  1129. Yo Rick, What's up??

    Homer

    28 Dec 15 at 11:48 pm

  1130. Hey guys. I've logged on a couple of times since Christmas and noticed there has not been any activity since Homers last comment on the 26th so, just thought I'd check in.
    I hope all had a Merry Christmas, that's right, MERRY CHRISTMAS.

    Rick

    29 Dec 15 at 10:39 am

  1131. Somehow I hit submit before I was finished with my last comment so here is the rest.
    MERRY CHRISTMAS, none of that Happy Holiday, politically correct crap.
    I am a US citizen, an American.
    The first amendment of the Bill of Rights states that I may practice free exercise of religion and speech.
    If any politically correct asshole doesn't like it, I refer you to the 2nd amendment.

    My son came back to town from Alabama for the Christmas holiday. We all had a great Christmas. It was a little rough on my Wife, her mother passed just two weeks ago unexpectedly.
    Other than that friends and family converged at my house. Plenty of food and good times.

    My home phone service went out late Christmas eve and was not restored until yesterday but we all have cell phones so no big deal. I rather enjoyed the home phone not ringing.
    It seems like something always happens on the weekends or holidays when we are unable to get regular service.

    Phone goes out, TWC was no help. My sewer backed up late one Sunday afternoon, try getting a plumber on Sunday, better be ready to take out a small loan to pay for it.
    Air conditioner breaks, no help on the weekends.
    My dog had an emergency and we had to take him to the animal emergency clinic instead of our regular vet, cost ten times as much. A part breaks on the car that can only be found at the dealership, something always along those lines.

    Anyway, I've been on vacation since Tuesday of last week and do not go back until January 4th, just felt like checking in.
    And one more thing,
    the guy named Nick that put up the Ho Ho Ho comment on Christmas day, could that have been St. Nick?
    Happy New Year.

    Rick

    29 Dec 15 at 11:10 am

  1132. Happy new year to everyone.
    I would to tell the tale of two sandwich shops. The first is Panera Bread off Garners Ferry. My wife and I always stop in there annually while Christmas shopping. I ordered my customary chicken salad sandwich because they pile them high. But this time the chicken salad was spread so thin it could have been measured by micrometer.

    Two days later I was at the Honey Baked Ham store off Harbison and ordered their club sandwich. It was stacked layers thick and was built like a sandwich should be. Both sandwiches cost the same.

    HBH----10
    PB--------0

    Slam dunk!

    Joe Shlabotnik

    29 Dec 15 at 6:04 pm

  1133. @Joe- The Wife and I went to Panera Bread a few weeks ago and got the soup and sandwich deal. 1/2 sandwich and bowl of soup. My wife said its a good deal so I went.
    Jesus, a half sandwich and bowl of soup for two was almost $30.00 bucks. Sheet, it wasn't THAT good for 30 bucks.
    I could have gone to the grocery store and eaten better.

    Rick

    29 Dec 15 at 7:41 pm

  1134. The times I've been to Panera Bread it seems expensive for what you get and sometimes I feel like the only person that doesn't understand the hype around them.

    Andrew

    29 Dec 15 at 11:19 pm

  1135. I paid $2.99 for a tub of Ruth's chicken salad, $.99 for a head of lettuce, $1.39 for a loaf of bread and $1.99 for a can of Marie Callendar's Fiesta chicken chili with beans.

    Four sandwiches and two servings of soup for a little over $7.00. That's why I eat at home.

    Homer

    29 Dec 15 at 11:24 pm

  1136. Rick - sounds like you had one heck of a season. Sorry to hear of your wife's loss.

    Seems like death has been hanging around too close lately. In the past two weeks one of my friends lost her husband (her Dad also passed around Xmas 2012), one of my old Sunday school teachers, one of my Dad's friends that used to visit him all of the time before he passed and my best friend's aunt just today.

    Then I see where Lemmy from Motorhead died. Just sayin....

    Other than that, Christmas was a pretty quiet affair around here. Hoping the same for New Years....

    Homer

    29 Dec 15 at 11:38 pm

  1137. We did get an unexpected Christmas present. One of my Dad's first cousins, down in Charleston, died about three years ago, around the same time he did, without a will. The estate was finally settled about two weeks ago and we got a check for around $16,000 as our part of the inheritance. Considering that neither myself or my Mom had ever met her or even knew she existed, it was a pleasant surprise to say the least!!

    Homer

    29 Dec 15 at 11:44 pm

  1138. And when I say 1/2 a sandwich at Panera Bread I'm not talking about something the size of a 1/2 sub, the 1/2 sandwich is the size of regular sandwich bread.

    Yoda

    30 Dec 15 at 5:11 am

  1139. Note: The 'Nick' that gave the 'Ho Ho Ho' on Christmas Day was not St. Nick/Santa, but Nick 'Tha Playah Daddy' Washington, who was marketing some of his personnel rentals.

    badger60

    30 Dec 15 at 9:57 am

  1140. Appears Yoda has eaten at Panera Bread and got the same sandwich I did.

    Rick

    30 Dec 15 at 12:58 pm

  1141. I wonder how much the Carnegie Deli in NYC charges for these? Now these are sandwiches!!

    TURKEY

    CORNED BEEF

    Fingers crossed that the links work......

    Homer

    31 Dec 15 at 2:45 am

  1142. Who the hell let this nutcase out of the loony bin??

    Homer

    21 Sep 16 at 5:39 pm

  1143. I guess Ted didn't waste any time putting her back.....

    Homer

    21 Sep 16 at 8:07 pm

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