Hair Salon inKnightsville, SC

Growing up, Dr. Jason Solomon spent many of his Saturdays in the dentist office. Not because of any problems with his teeth — but because that was when his father worked, taking care of patients who were unable to come in during weekdays.

It’s been that way since 1979, when Dr. Frederick Solomon opened his one-man practice off Beauregard Road in Summerville, working six days a week to serve the dental needs of patients in the Summerville area.

And it’s that way now, when Solomon Family Dentistry has expanded to five locations with a sixth opening in 2020, still maintaining its commitment to weekend and after-hours appointments that started four decades ago.

“My childhood revolved around the dental office,” Dr. Jason Solomon says. “We didn’t take family vacations because my dad worked. He always answered the phone for emergencies — there were times I remember him coming home at 6 or 7 o’clock at night, and a patient would call, and he’d go back out there. That’s just the way he’s always practiced, and that’s all I’ve ever known about to treat a patient.”

Availablity and affordability was the credo by which Dr. Frederick Solomon opened his practice, and which the team of 14 dentists at Solomon Family Dentistry still works under today — including Dr. Jason Solomon, who followed in his father’s professional footsteps. Four offices are open six days a week, one is open seven. All offer evening appointments and after-hours on-call doctors, and the practice accepts over 300 types of insurance.

Family-owned and patient-focused

“Sometimes I think the motto in the dental community is to work less and charge higher fees, and we kind of have the opposite approach,” Dr. Jason Solomon says. “That's just the way that we've always done things. Corporate dentistry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade, but we’re still a family-owned practice, and we try to fight that by being available and providing the best dental care with the latest technology, and I think we’ve done that.”

That includes accepting virtually any type of dental insurance. Dr. Jason Solomon can recall one patient who was a retired worker from Alaska, whose insurance was through the union he had belonged to in the 49th state. Dr. Jason Solomon signed up to accept it, just as he’s done for hundreds of other types of insurance! Another trait that stems from the practice’s core value of being available to all who need their services is to take all insurances.

“Our motto has always been affordability and availability. That’s what we’ve kind of hung our hat on,” Dr. Jason Solomon says.

Toward that end, the practice also offers a membership program for patients without insurance called Solomon Savers, through which members receive two cleanings, x-rays and exams annually, and deep discounts on other services. Two locations are reserved solely for pediatric dentistry. And in 2020, the practice will open its sixth location — in Mount Pleasant, its first outside of the greater Summerville area.

“We’ve noticed patients traveling from Mount Pleasant to us,” Dr. Jason Solomon says. “We’ve started to get some patients from Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island. I think north Mount Pleasant is a growing area, similar to how the Summerville area is with Nexton and Cane Bay and Carnes Crossroads and Knightsville. I like the similarities between the two. Now, I think we’ll be able to reach more people with the services that we provide.”

Growth inspired by the past

Clearly, the Solomon approach has resonated with patients — over the last four years the practice has added 10 dentists, and over the past two years it’s added four new locations. And it’s all been guided by the twin tenants of availability and affordability set by Dr. Frederick Solomon, who’s still a fixture at the practice he started in 1979.

"My dad still works six days a week,” Dr. Jason Solomon says. “You don’t see a lot of dentists who work six days a week, and he’s been doing it for 40 years. He still works 50 to 60 clinical hours a week, so he’s here. That’s what helped inspire this growth—some of the young dentists who have joined are seeing someone who’s going to be 65 this year, and is still outworking them. That’s been a luxury that we have.”

Have a dental issue that needs addressing, or need to make an appointment for a cleaning and exam? Solomon Family Dentistry has five locations throughout Sangaree, Knightsville and Carnes Crossroads, all of them with weekend and evening hours. For more information, call (843) 871-0842, use their online form to request an appointment, or visit their website at SolomonDentistry.com.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - A new fire station is coming to the town of Summerville, making it the town’s sixth station.

Summerville Fire Department Chief Richard Waring says the new station will be built on Miles Jamison Road, right next to the Coastal Center. He says right now, they’re finishing up site work for the new station, and they hope to finish by December. The plan is for them to start clearing land by Jan. 1, Waring said.

There is not an address assigned to the site yet, but Waring says it will be located between the traffic circle and the Coastal Center on Miles Jameson Road. It would be on the same side of the road as the Coastal Center.

Waring says Fire Station 6 is going to improve their efficiency, especially as Summerville continues to grow.

“Just looking at the response times and what not for the area that this station’s going to serve,” Waring said. “Neighborhoods such as Summerville Place, the Lakes of Summerville, and those neighborhoods that are in town, it’ll improve our response time to those areas, and that’s what we were looking to do.”

Waring says the closest Summerville fire station to this area is on Trolley Road in the Oakbrook community. While that station averages about a seven to 10 minute response time to the area, Waring says the new Fire Station 6 will get them down to a less than five minute response time.

Waring says Summerville Fire is working with Dorchester County on the land agreement for the new station. While it is in town limits, he says they are going to be able to serve some areas in unincorporated Dorchester County as well.

Waring says they’ve renovated two existing stations over the last few years, but the last new station in town was Fire Station 5 in Knightsville. That was built back in 2014.

“Well, it’s just, it’s exciting,” Waring said. “Anytime you add a new fire station facility, it’s great for the department because it gives us a sense of pride for a new facility, and it’s also a better service we’ll be able to provide for our citizens, so we’re excited for that.”

Waring says Fire Station 6 will have the same features as the other stations in town, like work out equipment, diesel exhaust systems, and safety features on the building.

Fire Station 6 will have one fire engine and 12 firemen based out of it.

Waring says they are hiring for new members and those interested can apply on the town of Summerville’s website.

Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.

With Halloween coming up, pumpkins are starting to pop up outside every grocery store and big-box chain in the Lowcountry.

While it may be more convenient to snag a pumpkin during your weekly supermarket sweep, there is something nostalgic about traipsing through the dirt + vines and picking out the perfect jack-o-lantern.

Aside from having hundreds of gourds to choose from, many pumpkin patches have other festive features like corn mazes, apple cider, hayrides, and haunted houses.

So where can you get the full pumpkin patch experience? Keep scrolling for 8 local pumpkin patches open this season.

Charleston

Dreaming Farms 1540 Camp Rd., James Island Open daily Come out for corn stalks, marigolds, heirloom pumpkins, and ornamental peppers. Live music on the weekends from 12-4 p.m.

Pumpkin Patch at John Wesley United Methodist Church 626 Savannah Hwy., West Ashley Open daily through Oct. 31 Buy a pumpkin + support youth missions at the church.

Mt. Pleasant

The Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch Located across from 2330 N. Hwy. 17 Open through Oct. 31 Open weekends in October Admission: $12 Pick your own pumpkin + pay by the pound. Enjoy a giant slide, petting zoo, hayrides, and giant corn maze. Hibben United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch 690 Coleman Ave., Mt. Pleasant Open through Oct. 31 Open daily Proceeds from pumpkin sales benefit Hibben UMC outreach programs.

Summerville

The Pumpkin Patch at Mistletoe Lane 3408 Mistletoe Ln., Summerville Open through Oct. 30 Open daily Pumpkins, and hay bales, and mums, oh my.

Pumpkin Patch at Knightsville United Methodist Church 1505 Central Ave., Summerville Open through Oct. 30 Open daily Pick out pumpkins in all shapes and sizes.

Pumpkin Junction850 E. Butternut Rd., Summerville Open Sat., Oct. 30 9 a.m.-3p.m. Enjoy hayrides, food trucks, talent shows, costume contests, and live music.

Moncks Corner

West Farm Corn Maze 2641 Cooper Store Rd., Moncks Corner Open through Oct. 31 Open Wednesday-Sunday In addition to picking pumpkins, walk through a 0.4 mile or a 2.9-mile corn maze, take a hayride, or try the apple slingshot (3 tries for $2).

Disclaimer: Before heading out to these pumpkin patches, we recommend contacting them to make sure they are still fully stocked + operating. Some locations may close once the pumpkins are gone.

Here is a scenario: You are in pain from swelling in your jaw, mouth, or face. You call your dentist, but it’s the weekend. What do you do?

You head to the Solomon Family Dentistry office in Sangaree or Mt. Pleasant, where an oral surgeon awaits, even on Saturday and Sunday. And don’t worry about how you will pay because Solomon Family Dentistry accepts more than 300 insurance plans, including yours.

"If you have pain, we’ll see you the same day – even if you’re not an existing customer," says Dr. Jason Solomon, the son of the founder, Dr. Fred Solomon, and now a partner in the practice.

Your dentist doesn’t offer that service. In fact, no dentist in the Lowcountry offers that service.

Even if you don’t need an oral surgeon, Solomon is the most accessible dental practice in the area. Their six offices are all open Monday through Saturday and each one accepts walk-ins. Because they accept basically every insurance you could have, they’re in-network for you (even if you are a walk-in).

Indeed, there are only six days every year – the major holidays – when Solomon Family Dentistry does not have an office open. During the other 359 days (360 on a leap year), patients are encouraged to come on in!

Oral surgery isn’t the only specialty Solomon offers. Pediatric dentists practice next door to their Carnes Crossing and Knightsville locations six days a week, so you can bring your kids in for a checkup while you have yours next door. The pediatric dentists offer nitrous oxide and IV sedation to comfort children who are apprehensive by injections.

What do patients think about Solomon Family Dentistry’s amazing availability and affordability? For the fifth straight year, Solomon has been named a Charleston Choice winner for Best General Dentistry in the Lowcountry by the readers of The Post and Courier. In addition, for the straight second year, Solomon Kids Pediatric Dentistry has won the award for Best Pediatric Dentist.

It turns out that when you provide quality treatment to people with an affordable price and flexible hours, they like it!

Besides the 300+ insurance plans accepted by Solomon, they also offer a membership plan for those without insurance called Solomon Savers. For a small monthly fee, patients under the Solomon Savers program receive two free cleanings and exams, including x-rays, at no extra charge. Solomon accepts Medicaid and CHIP for families that can’t afford to pay.

Solomon Family Dentistry also employs cutting-edge technology, offering same-day crowns, root canals, and extractions. With crowns, there’s no need to walk around with a temporary crown for a couple of weeks before returning for a permanent crown.

"We feel like everybody should be offered quality treatment at an affordable price and with flexible hours, which is our motto," says Dr. Solomon, a West Ashley native and graduate of Middleton High School and the College of Charleston.

It’s true: Nobody does it quite like Solomon Family Dentistry.

Interested in learning more about Solomon Family Dentistry, or visiting one of their six area locations? Call (843) 871-0842, or use their online form to request an appointment. To learn all about Solomon Dentistry’s offerings, visit their website at SolomonDentistry.com.

By Casey L. Taylor, JD

Tucked away near Summerville, SC – the place known as “Flowertown, USA” – is a sanctuary dedicated to gibbons (small apes). It’s a jungle-like wonderland that has lifesaving at the core of its mission.

The International Primate Protection League (IPPL) sanctuary is a secret to many locals. It is situated on over 40 acres of land surrounded by lush woods. Neighbors are lucky enough to hear the songs and great calls of these interesting primates throughout the day and night.

The sanctuary is home to 36 gibbons, the smallest of the apes, who have been rescued or retired from laboratories, deplorable “roadside” attractions, or the pet trade. IPPL provides lifetime care to these incredible endangered species and works to educate the community on the plight of gibbons in the wild.

The gibbon residents at the sanctuary have indoor night houses that are hurricane-grade, expansive outdoor habitats, and aerial walkways that give them the choice to safely move about their designated areas as they wish. It is important to the organization that each sanctuary resident is given as much freedom of choice as possible in a captive environment, while keeping them safe. Despite most residents having a rough start to their lives, they thrive at IPPL. They even have some residents nearing the age of 60!

International Outreach

IPPL is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the world’s remaining primates, great and small. For the last 45 years, IPPL has made a global impact by securing an export ban on primates from Thailand (saving thousands and thousands of lives) and working with over 20 reputable primate rescue and rehabilitation centers in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.

IPPL not only supports their efforts to care for native primates who have been rescued and are in need of rehabilitation or lifetime care, but also to thwart poachers and illegal wildlife traffickers, as well as educate local villages and communities on how they can help be part of the solution in preserving native populations of primates.

Small Team, Big Impact

With a small but mighty team of animal caregivers, maintenance technicians, office staff, and dog nannies, IPPL provides compassionate lifetime care for every resident, which includes nutritious and delicious fresh produce three times a day for the gibbons, as well as veterinary care and enrichment — to stimulate those intelligent minds of theirs!

Forms of enrichment vary from food puzzles that the gibbon must figure out in order to get their healthy treats, to special time with their favorite caregiver. Bubble-blowing is a big hit with some of the gibbons. Tong, who was one of the first four original residents at the sanctuary, loves a good foot rub — what girl doesn’t?

Absolutely nothing beats a life in the wild, but for these residents that is sadly not a reality. The team at IPPL feels that the least they can do is make the rest of these individuals’ lives the happiest and healthiest they can be. From residents used in invasive human vaccination studies and locomotion tests, to those kept in less-than-favorable conditions, IPPL’s sanctuary is a safe and loving place for them to thrive and to live as gibbons should.

Casey L. Taylor, JD is the Executive Director of IPPL.

MORE ABOUT IPPL

The sanctuary is not open to the public as an attraction, but it holds educational events in the community and offers options to visit during special times. Sign up to receive their e-newsletters on their website (www.ippl.org) and be the first to know about opportunities and events.