Personal Injury Attorneyin Knightsville, SC.

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.

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Jason Tucker reports that business is booming at the boîte known as La Cuisine du Chevalier, or La Chev, by the locals. The 40-seat restaurant, which translates to “the knight’s kitchen,” garnered rave reviews by online contributors when it opened in November at the former soup restaurant called Ladles in the Shoppes of Summerville.

It only recently held a grand opening celebration.

Tucker, who has lived in Summerville for the past 16 years, is no stranger to the restaurant business.

“My background is extremely diverse and it started back when I was 15-years’ old scooping ice cream in Central Pennsylvania,” he said.

Related content: Charleston rooftop bar, restaurant to renovate, rebrand

Over the years, Tucker has worked in numerous restaurants, from chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, Cracker Barrel and the Hilton, to groups like Charleston Hospitality and more. After bartending his way through college in Virginia, the hard-working transplant accepted a management position from his employer, which took him to Summerville, where he has been ever since.

The father of two boys is also the operating partner at Wine & Tapas in Summerville and was buoyed by the popularity of the business. This inspired him to open a new restaurant, this time with a French flair.

“They call the area the French Quarter, but it lacked a French-themed restaurant, which never made sense to me, especially with the growth we are seeing in this area,” he said.

Tucker said that La Chev was designed to evoke the feeling of walking down the Champs-Élysées.

“It’s a cute café that’s quaint and all about the food and wine,” he said.

It doesn’t hurt that Tucker worked in the wine distribution business and is well-versed on what’s exceptional. He said that his goal is to bring people in by rivaling the quality that a customer would get in downtown Charleston.

“It’s all about the ingredients and there’s a lot of precision and thought that goes into each of our dishes,” he said, adding that chef de cuisine Jonathan DuPriest, who grew up in Knightsville, is Johnson and Wales-trained.

When it comes to dishes, Tucker said that the most popular lunch items that they serve are the French Dip and the shrimp and grits.

“A lot of people judge the quality of the restaurant by their shrimp and grits,” he said.

As for dinner, Tucker offers quite a few specials, ranging from steak dishes, to surf and turf, scallops, crabcakes, and salmon.

“Everyone says that it’s the best salmon served in the Atlantic Coastal area,” Tucker said.

For now, La Chev is taking reservations, except for the bar and outside area, so last-minute plans to dine can be accommodated if guests don’t mind sitting in either area.

Tucker also recently announced that they will be open on Sundays for brunch.

“We’re currently working on the menu which we will implement sometime around the end of July,” he said.

Kurry Seymour was a Ladles customer who was wowed by his first visit.

“This place brings a refreshing vibe to the Knightsville area and I am impressed by the décor, which was converted into a very fine, but very cozy dining experience,” he said.

Reviews like this are music to Tucker’s ears.

“I never thought I’d be in a situation where I’d be running two separate restaurants, but I love the feeling one gets when someone is happy with an experience. Making moments special is the best feeling in the world and having the opportunity to have someone really love what you’re doing, well, it doesn’t get any better than that,” he said, with a smile.

Stefanie Kalina-Metzger is a contributing writer for SC Biz News.

Dorchester County is continuing with its plans for a large-scale rezoning effort to stop the over-building of additional apartment complexes and townhomes.

At a County Council meeting Monday, members voted and approved the rezoning of dozens of parcels of land from multi-family residential to mostly single-family. Under single-family zoning, property owners aren’t allowed to build apartments or townhomes.

Knightsville LLC is a property owner with plans for building townhomes that was exempt from the rezoning ordinance after filing a complaint in county court. County officials say there have also been some additional complaints from residents about the rezoning.

“The complaint from Knightsville LLC held more significance because of the level of investment involved,” said Kiera Reinertsen, the county planning and zoning director.

In 2004, the county’s zoning ordinance was amended and led to an increase in approvals of multi-family zoning.

After hearing complaints about traffic, infrastructure and flooding during the organizing of its 2018 Comprehensive Plan, the county announced mass rezoning plans for multi-family spaces.

According to officials, most of the property owners under the rezoning project already live within single-family spaces. The project will help bring property owners who have spaces for commercial use into compliance. Using a property for commercial use is not permitted in a single-family residential district.

The project will also help balance population densities and available county infrastructure.

Some of the multi-family areas highlighted for rezoning include property southeast of Ladson Road toward North Charleston and between Ladson Road and Central Avenue in Knightsville.

In April, Knightsville LLC filed a complaint in the county court over proposed rezoning. The owner had purchased three parcels of land off of Central Avenue in Knightsville with the goal of building townhomes.

In the complaint, the owner alleged that the rezoning plans undermined and violated their investment-backed expectations and denied them the right to pursue a planned development project.

During the Monday meeting, attorney Ellis Lesemann spoke on behalf of Knightsville LLC. He said they paid just under $1.1 million for the land in 2019. He also argued that there is enough infrastructure in place to develop the project.

“They’ve been incurring permit fees, legal fees, engineering, doing a wetlands delineation and going through other types of carrying costs to bring that project forward,” he said.

Lesemann said his client learned about the rezoning plans for their property in February. After a Monday executive session, the council agreed to exclude property under Knightsville LLC from its rezoning ordinance.

“We were pleased to be able to resolve the matter with the county,” Lesemann said.

Future approval of multi-family zoning will be based on the county’s available infrastructure and future land use.

The area above Central Avenue in Knightsville is next on the county’s list of mass rezoning. The county’s planning commission is scheduled to meet on Oct. 8 to review proposed rezonings.

A County Council public hearing is expected to follow on a later date. Officials say property owners impacted by the rezoning should’ve already been notified.

Many owners have likely received a flier on their property notifying them about the rezoning.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- Several local organizations are proving it's not just the season to give thanks, but to give what they can to others.

Several community volunteer groups will be offering free Thanksgiving meals Thursday.

Summerville

Alex's Restaurant (120 East 5th North St.) will be serving a free Thanksgiving meal from 11 a.m. until the food is gone.

"Please bring your family & friends for friendly conversation, dinner, coffee or tea and even dessert," their Facebook post reads. "Alex's and Staff will be providing a turkey and ham plus a few extras. If you are able please bring with you a side dish or a dessert to complement our buffet line. Call or come by anytime so we can get you on our list. This will ensure we have enough for everyone."

Click here for more information.

Knightsville UMC will be serving a Community Thanksgiving Dinner from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving in the Knightsville UMC Family Life Center.

"We will be serving Turkey, Dressing and all the fixin's in celebration and thanks to the Knightsville and greater Summerville communities."

Contact their church office for more info: 843-875-2113.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Summerville will be hosting a "Potluck in the Park" at Mall Park, in front of the TTC Palmer Campus. A Thanksgiving meal will be served. Click here for more information. To learn more about the Potluck in the Park movement, visit their Facebook page here.

Goose Creek

Harbour Lake Baptist Church will be serving a Thanksgiving lunch from noon until 2 p.m. They're located on Red Bank Road in Goose Creek. Children's Fun Activities starts At 10 a.m.

Click here for more information.

Charleston

One80 Place serves lunch every day from 11:30 until 12:30 and Thanksgiving day is no different. Click here to see how you can help.

Also downtown, Without Walls Ministry will be serving a Thanksgiving Day lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. They're located at 633 King Street but the tent will be set up at Lee and Meeting streets. Click here for more information and find out how you can help.

The Third Annual Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck will be held Thursday at the KKBE Social Hall (90 Hasell St) at 4 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a vegan dish (no meat, dairy, eggs, or honey) that would feed 8-12 people. Click here for more information.

Georgetown

According to South Strand News, Aunny's Restaurant in Georgetown (926 Front St.) will offer a free Thanksgiving Day meal for the community from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aunny's is accepting donations and volunteers. For more information, call the restaurant at 843-461-4750.

The new Zaxby’s in Knightsville is now open for business as of June 18. Zaxby’s is located at 1625 Central Avenue. A post on the eatery’s Facebook page stated opening hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Zaxby’s is a fast food restaurant chain known for chicken wings, chicken fingers, sandwiches and salads.

Chad Edens bought Insty-Prints last year and the business has just finished its transition to the franchise’s flagship brand of Allegra. Allegra is a full-service marketing and communications company based in Summerville. The business is located at 320 Old Trolley Road and can be reached at 843-376-4478, hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more at https://www.allegramarketingprint.com/locations/summerville-sc/services/.

JJ’s Bakery – formerly Bubbie’s Bakery in downtown Summerville – is under new management. Judy Saffa, the new owner, hosted a grand opening on June 16. The bakery is located at 110A S. Cedar Street and is well-known for its cupcakes, cakes and cookies. The bakery can be reached at 843-419-6140.

Perkins Restaurant and Bakery is slated for a June 19 reopening, following a kitchen fire that shut down business for 10 days (as of June 18). Perkins is located at 1700 Old Trolley Road and is owned by Dowm Hawley. Hawley said the restaurant threw a parking lot party fundraiser June 6 that was supported by hundreds of customers to raise money, along with food donations, from the community to help support the hourly employees that had to miss work. “The outpouring from the community has been something from a Hallmark movie and has humbled and elated my spirit and faith in our tight knit community,” she said in an e-mail. View the restaurant’s menu at http://www.perkinsrestaurants.com/menu/ .

Rainbow Child Care Center is opening the doors to its brand-new school, located at 2464 N. Main St. This will be Rainbow’s second location in Summerville. The new nearly 11,000 square foot center serves children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age. Families seeking more information about the new or existing Rainbow Child Care Center or interested in touring the new facility are invited to visit rainbowccc.com/Summerville2 or call 1-800-90-LEARN.

Carnes Crossroads has expanded its recreational options. Five workout stations were placed along the trail loop in the St. James Park neighborhood in May. The stations include 14 pieces of equipment that can be used for 40 different impact exercise. Hurdles, pull-up bars, a dip station and monkey bars provide several resources for exercise in the Goose Creek neighborhood.

Beckstone Apartments, formerly known as Comet Creek, officially opened in Summerville June 15. The complex is located at 100 Comet Creek Lane in the Summerville area and features 264 one-and two-bedroom residences.

The complex contains plenty amenities that include a 24-hour fitness center, yoga studio, sun porch with flat screen televisions, and a resort-style pool with a tanning ledge and gas grills. A sand volleyball court and a pet park provide outdoor recreation.

“We’re super excited to a part of Summerville,” said Ashley Mizzell, marketing manager with RE Carroll. “This area is developing so rapidly. It’s such a hot, fast-moving market. It’s booming. It’s crazy. It’s exciting to see all the growth.”

TRIO, a Mount Pleasant-based marketing communications agency, will provide free advertising and marketing services to local nonprofits on Oct. 25. Through its 24-hour CreateAthon initiative, TRIO will dedicate free marketing services to organizations in need. TRIO will be accepting applications from Monday, June 18 - Friday, Aug. 17. Applicants are asked to submit a 60-second video on why their organization should be selected.

If you know of a new business venture, contact reporter Rickey Ciapha Dennis Jr at rdennis@berkeleyind.com.

“There are so many wonderful nonprofits in our area who need marketing help.” says Jenny Dennis, TRIO’s chief operating officer. “Unfortunately, a lot of these organizations struggle with having enough funding to invest in their marketing support. That’s where CreateAthon can help.”