We had a great meeting about roads last week at Town Hall.  Thanks again to Rep. Chip Huggins, Rep. Nathan Ballentine and Sen. Ronnie Cromer for organizing it and thanks to Wrenn Barrett and Jeff McNesby with Lexington County and Jennifer Necker and Robert Dickinson with SCDOT for updating us with road projects that impact our area. I also appreciate all the citizens who came out and council members Robbie Frick and Mike Clonts for being on hand, too. We have created a page on our website (http://chapinsc.com/258/Roads-Updates) where you can watch the video and see the slides presented with more information.

I attended the Regional Mayors meeting last Thursday in Camden. Mayor Scully shared how the City of Camden has invested in upgrading its branding. The town is also hosting events that create a sense of community and attracts residents and visitors.  The city is working closely with Kershaw County to promote tourism and recreational opportunities. The mayors also discussed establishing a priority list of concerns for municipalities to address with our members of the General Assembly in preparation for the upcoming legislative session. It’s important that we work together to address these matters as a region and to put collective pressure on our legislators to stop the unfunded mandates they pass along to local governments to manage.

I have a new-found appreciation for what our police officers experience when they pull someone over for driving under the influence.  In our third installment of the Citizens Academy, they showed us videos of traffic stops and identified certain characteristics of someone who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, South Carolina ranks among the highest in the nation for deaths attributable to impaired driving. It is important to remind all citizens that they don’t need to drink and drive for everyone’s safety.

The Chapin Police are hosting a Fall Night Out on Wednesday, October 26 from 5 – 8 pm on Clark and Beaufort Streets. A number of the town’s public safety and law enforcement partners will be on hand with displays and information as well as fun activities for children and youth, food and entertainment. The goal is to create greater awareness of resources to keep citizens and property owners safe and build community among residents of all ages and backgrounds.  We hope you will come out and join us.

Congratulations to Chapin We Care, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last week. I enjoyed attending a dinner at Lake Murray Presbyterian Church on Friday evening where volunteers were honored for their continued service to the organization. It was a great turn out, and you could feel the passion the people have for helping We Care and more specifically We Care’s clients. I continue to be grateful for our caring and generous community members. Thanks to everyone who works to make a difference in people’s lives, especially those who find themselves in need.

I hope to see many of you this Friday as we head to Rolls with Holes for Coffee with the Mayor. It’s your chance to sit down and tell me about your ideas for our town. And I’m buying the coffee so what’s not to like?  Each time we have held this I have met new citizens that have really positive things to say about Chapin. I look forward to seeing and hearing from you!