I have been unable to reach anyone at Waste Industries, so if you’re living in Summerville and have any informatinon, please leave a comment.

Many cities have built high-occupancy vehicle lanes that allow carpoolers to use special lanes on the far left. This is a great incentive that encourages ride-sharing, and one that may work well here in the Lowcountry. Any way we can keep cars off the roads, and get others thinking about their own driving habits, is a positive step towards a more sustainable future.

SCDOT is wondering what you think about HOV lanes, and have opened a public survey to find out. Please take the survey before they close it on October 22nd, or visit their website for more information. Public meetins are also being held on the issue, so it’s not to late to get involved.

It is the mission of the recently formed nonprofit organization Fields To Families to reduce that waste by coordinating distribution of surplus produce from local gardens and farms to local soup kitchens, shelters, and other agencies who feed the hungry. More than 5,000 lbs. of fresh produce has been distributed just this year!

Visit local farmers markets to drop off surplus produce from your garden or stop by to learn more about how you can support Fields To Families:

• Charleston Farmers Market; Marion Square, downtown; Saturdays – 8 am to 2 pm
  *Fields To Families representatives will be at the Master Gardeners’ booth from 12 to 1:30 pm
• Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market; Old Moultrie Middle School, Coleman Blvd.; Tuesdays – 3 pm to dusk
  *Fields To Families representatives will be available from 6 pm to dusk
• Summerville Farmers Market; Dody Street (near town center); Saturdays – 8 am to 1 pm
  *Fields To Families representatives will be available from 12 to 1 pm

Produce from the public is welcome at any of the markets and may be left at the Master Gardeners’ table or at the Fields to Families table at anytime. (Leave your name and number with the donation.)

For more information, call 843.881.6798 or email fieldstofamillies@bellsouth.net.

The Go Green candidates faired pretty well, although we didn’t run the table. In District 4, Mike Dawson was reelected and in District 6, our challenger Bob Jackson beat out two-term incumbent Chris Sieber. Unfortunately, our choice in District 2, Diane Frankenberger, lost a close contest to controversial incumbent Ricky Waring. The winner was decided by only 69 votes.

The results are good news for those of us who care about accountability and transparency in government as we retained Mike Dawson and gained Bob Jackson. The people have spoken and progress is being made.

Mike Dawson is one of the few current council members who acts with our best interests in mind, not those of real estate developers. He’s up for reelection in District 4 and deserves to stay. In District 2, Diane Frankenberger is a first-time candidate running against long-time council member and custom homebuilder Ricky Waring. Bob Jackson is another first-time candidate in the mix running against Chris Seiber in District 6. Both Frankenberger and Jackson have displayed a willingness to make Summerville’s town council a more responsible group who acts consistently with the best interests of the community in mind.

Many of the candidates will be on hand tonight, May 2nd, at the Perkins on Trolley Rd to meet voters and answer questions. The meeting starts at 7p.m. So get involved, make a difference and vote! If you plan to vote, you must be a registered voter living in a district that is contested in this election and you must bring proof of residency. Also, each district has a different polling place, which is not your normal voting spot so make sure you know where to vote before heading out on May 8th. Here’s a current list of council members along with contact information. I’m sure you can contact any of them for further information about where to vote in your district. This is important to the future of Summerville… spread the word!