Mattress storein Summerville, SC

A Summerville family lost their home on Christmas Eve morning to a fire investigators blame on overloaded wiring from space heaters.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - This time of year is often spent with family and friends gathered around in living rooms and staying warm, but for Kayla Ulery’s family, the holidays looked very different.

The Ulerys lost their home in a mobile home fire on Christmas Eve morning and the flames even damaged part of the home next door.

The fire was caused by overloaded wiring from space heaters, Pine Ridge Fire investigators said.

“I’ve said it a million times,” Ulery said. “It’s literally like watching your life go up in flames.”

Ulery says her mom’s friend woke her son up and carried him out of the house, while the rest of the family followed. Unfortunately, their dog did not survive. The home had been in the Ulery family for at least 40 years and was once owned by her late grandmother.

“Even though it’s most important that we’re okay, you know, that’s the hardest thing to come to terms with is that last piece we have of her isn’t here anymore,” Ulery said.

Ulery says she was able to save a few things from her room, but most of everything is gone. Since the fire, the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots and members of the community have brought them countless donations.

“It did definitely change the way, you know, our Christmas would’ve been,” Ulery said. “But I am not thankful for the fire, but I am thankful for the way people have been supportive and helpful.”

She says her kids are resilient and even though there’s sadness, they are doing OK.

“My son asks me today, he says, ‘Mom, how are you doing’ and I was like, you know, ‘I’m fine, baby. What do you mean?’” Ulery said. “And he’s like, ‘No, how do you really feel?’ I told him, ‘You know, Mommy’s scared. Mommy’s nervous.’ But you know, together, with love, we can get through it.”

Ulery says she’s currently house-shopping with different family members while they try to find a new place to live. She says their support has made this process easier.

“They’re helping remind me like, ‘Hey, you got this,’” Ulery said. “‘You’re going to be fine. You’re going to be okay. You’re great for your kids.’ So, I’m just so thankful.”

Ulery’s aunt says that Kayla is looking for other families that have lost their homes in fires so that she can give back to them just like the community did for her.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

A woman with intellectual disabilities in the care of the state is now recovering after she was hit by a car, late at night on a Summerville road.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - A woman with intellectual disabilities in the care of the state is now recovering after she was hit by a car, late at night on a Summerville road.

Now, her family is asking how that was even possible in the first place.

It was sometime between 12:30 and 12:42 a.m. on Oct. 16 when a car hit Mary Williams who was walking along Miles Jamison Road.

Williams, a 42-year-old, has intellectual disabilities and a depressive disorder.

She is a longtime resident, or consumer as they’re referred to, of the Coastal Regional Center, one of five state-run facilities for adults with disabilities run by the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs.

P.J. Perea, a spokesman for DDSN, said Williams was able to leave the facility around midnight. A Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office report states dispatch was not called until 12:24 a.m. regarding a consumer that was “walking along the roadway.”

By the time the authorities arrived on the scene, it was already too late.

She was found in bad shape, with fractures in her spine, hips, arms and face requiring multiple surgeries. She was on a ventilator, and her family says she almost didn’t make it.

Williams’ aunt and guardian Ruby Jones didn’t realize how bad it was until she saw her in the hospital.

“That was a difficult moment,” Jones said. “I was hurt, I was disappointed. Surprised would not have been a term that I would have used for what was going on. I was angry.”

The family is thanking God she’s alive and recovering, but she still remains bedridden, unable to do even the smallest task.

“We figured with her being in the Coastal Center. She would have been safe. She would have been protected and this situation should have never happened,” Williams’s cousin, Nicole Nick, said.

Williams was hit about a half-mile from the main entrance and several blocks down the road near Alwyn Boulevard. Ironically, that’s the entrance to the subdivision Nick lives in.

She thinks of her cousin and that night, every time she drives home.

“I was trying to understand, how something like that could have occurred,” Jones said.

When Live 5 Investigates asked to interview an administrator of the department, a spokesman declined. When asked why, they said it was “due to the nature of the incident [the department] felt it best to release a statement rather than conduct an interview.”

For Charleston lawyer and state representative Marvin Pendarvis, this story is a personal one. His big sister, Janae Pendarvis lives at the facility, too.

He tells us she’s been able to escape twice this year.

“Janae could as very well been the young lady that was hit by a car,” he said. “There was one incident where she had gotten so far down Miles Jamison road that a couple saw her, she was in a gown, and it was clear that she was lost... she needed to be driven back.”

An email to management from a former administrator obtained by Live 5 Investigates accuses staff of failing to intervene when another consumer has a “meltdown.”

She asks if staff can work to prevent her from leaving the building in the future, as the resident making it to the road is “becoming an everyday situation” and she worries about this consumer’s safety.

Dozens of pages obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request detail the ongoing problems with staff at the facility, though some were completely redacted, the department citing “privacy” as the reason.

One incident details an altercation between staff and a consumer in January 2022, where the consumer reportedly pushed, grabbed and pulled their hair and eventually put a staff member “in a chokehold.”

Management formally scolded one staff member who stood aggressively with “balled up fists” at the consumer, and another staff member left the campus during this fight for “personal business.”

Both were given a one-day suspension.

Another employee was suspended for one day for “failure to report an allegation of abuse” for an unknown incident.

“My mom has expressed these same concerns time and time and time again. We always talk about, they seem to be understaffed [and] the staff that they do have, they don’t seem to be equipped to handle the patients that are there,” Pendarvis said.

Over the Summer, SLED charged three former workers with “abuse of a vulnerable adult.”

Jones says her niece was the victim in that case, having been informed by SLED via phone.

“Of course, she always said things but because of her illness, sometimes they were kind of overlooked because... it’s not always accurate,” Jones said.

The agency reports surveillance video showed them hitting and kicking her, one watching it all happen. Williams reportedly received “minor injuries” at the time.

“I had no idea,” Jones said. “I really feel kind of hurt that she was not better protected.”

For these families, their hands are tied. Jones is unable to provide the full-time care that her niece requires access to. It’s a similar story for Pendarvis.

“The reality is there aren’t many facilities that are able to handle people with special needs and disabilities to the degree that my sister has them,” Pendarvis said.

Live 5 Investigates has previously reported concerns from staff members about understaffing, long shifts and little pay.

A year-long state audit of the department has been completed, at state Senator Katrina Shealy’s request.

She points out this is step one to finding a solution, for the hundreds of vulnerable people and their families who rely on the state.

“You can’t fix something if you don’t know what the problems are,” Sen. Shealy said.

It’s not scheduled to be published until early next year.

“The goal is to correct the problems, streamline the problems and make the agency more accountable,” she added.

As for Williams, her aunt now visits nearly every day, sometimes three times a day, to help bathe and feed her at the nursing home she’s recovering at.

Though where she will now call home is uncertain, her family is sure of one thing, she won’t be returning to the state’s care.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the confidence that she will be safe at Coastal,” Jones said.

If you have a story or a tip you’d like for us to investigate, you can call our tip line 843-402-5678 or email us at tips@live5news.com.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster, Lieutenant Governor Pamela S. Evette, and First Lady Peggy McMaster's schedules for the week of December 5 will include the following:

Monday, December 5 at 11:00 AM: Gov. McMaster will attend the SC Port Harbor Deepening Celebration event, Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park, Cooper River Room, 99 Harry M. Hallman Jr. Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Monday, December 5 at 2:30 PM: Gov. McMaster will join Adjutant General Van McCarty and the South Carolina National Guard’s Survivor Outreach Services in recognizing “A Tree for the Fallen” for South Carolina’s fallen service members and their families, Governor’s Office, State House, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Monday, December 5 at 5:30 PM: Gov. McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster will host the annual Governor's Mansion Christmas Open House, Governor's Mansion, 800 Richland Street, Columbia, S.C. Note: The governor will hold media availability at 5:20 PM. Members of the media wishing to participate in the media avail should arrive at the Richland Street mall gate by 5:15 PM to go through security.

Tuesday, December 6 at 10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster will attend an Economic Development Announcement, Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, 201 South Dargan Street, Florence, S.C.

Tuesday, December 6 at 2:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will attend South Carolina OSHA's 50th Anniversary event, Denny Auditorium, State Fire Academy, 141 Monticello Trail, Columbia, S.C.

Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster and Lt. Gov. Evette will attend the Nephron Nitrile Grand Opening Event, Nephron Nitrile, 4777 12th Street Extension, West Columbia, S.C.

Wednesday, December 7 at 2:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will host a Memorandum of Understanding Signing with the United Kingdom, State House, first floor, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Saturday, December 10 at 10:30 AM: Lt. Gov. Evette will participate in the Greater Travelers Rest Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Christmas Parade, Wells Fargo Bank 5 Hawkins Road, Travelers Rest, S.C.

Gov. Henry McMaster’s Weekly Schedule: November 28, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Gov. Henry McMaster’s schedule for the week of November 28, 2022, included:

Monday, November 28

10:40 AM: Agency call.

10:42 AM: Agency call.

11:01 AM: Agency call.

11:21 AM: Agency call.

Tuesday, November 29

Gov. McMaster was in the Office of the Governor for office hours, State House, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

11:00 AM: Agency meeting.

11:45 AM: Gov. McMaster presented the Order of the Palmetto to Steve Hamm, Governor’s Office, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

1:30 PM: Policy meeting.

2:00 PM: Policy meeting.

3:00 PM: Policy meeting.

Wednesday, November 30

5:28 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina Senate.

Thursday, December 1

10:11 AM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

11:00 AM: Gov. McMaster attended the groundbreaking expansion event at KION North America, 2550 West 5th North Street, Summerville, S.C.

Friday, December 2

6:15 PM: Gov. McMaster attended the SPINX Company’s 50th anniversary celebration event and presented the Order of the Palmetto to Stewart Spinks, Fluor Field, 945 S. Main Street, Greenville, S.C.

Boys basketball

Olentangy Berlin 54, Centennial 22

DeSales 52, Westerville Central 51

Watterson 50, Hartley 40

Westerville Central 61, DeSales 52

New Albany 72, Canal Winchester 52

Hilliard Davidson 61, Hilliard Darby 47

Marysville 47, Fairbanks 42

Westerville North 68, Chillicothe 24

Covington (Ky.) Catholic 76, Pickerington Central 62

Teays Valley 53, Upper Arlington 43

Hilliard Bradley 47, Urbana 38

Jonathan Alder 66, Bloom-Carroll 61

Circleville 56, Westfall 54

Fairfield Union 55, Sheridan 45

Grove City Christian 67, East Knox 38

Portsmouth Notre Dame 71, Fisher Catholic 45

Utica 57, Tree of Life 43

Licking Valley 73, Philo 58

Johnstown 48, West Muskingum 33

Newark Cath. 36, Tuscarawas Cent. Cath. 28

Danville 62, Granville Christian 43

Northmor 69, Clear Fork 63, 2OT

Miami Trace 61, London 48

Greeneview 55, Madison Plains 32

Yellow Springs 49, West Jefferson 47

New Hope Christian 56, Athens 41

Marion Harding 77, Kenton 65

Lexington 66, Mount Vernon 55

Vanlue 69, Ridgedale 55

Girls basketball

Ready 67, Centennial 29

Fairfield Christian 53, South 49

Harvest Prep 41, DeSales 39

Mechanicsburg 55, Hartley 33

Bexley 56, Olentangy Berlin 47

Granville 51, Worthington Kilbourne 25

Reynoldsburg 77, Greer (S.C.) Riverside 59

Lake Highland, Fla. 66, Pickerington Central 56

Summerville (S.C.) Cane Bay 53, Lancaster 42

Liberty Union 43, Buckeye Valley 41

Chillicothe Southeastern 60, Logan Elm 56

Unioto 44, Bloom-Carroll 34

Ports. Notre Dame 59, Fisher Cath. 43

West Muskingum 53, Licking Valley 23

Newark Catholic 54, Waterford 48

North Union 42, Jonathan Alder 36

Willard 60, East Knox 49

Fairbanks 38, Oregon Clay 18

Hockey

Olentangy Liberty 5, St. Charles 1

Olentangy Berlin 11, Thomas Worthington 2

Boys wrestling

Skyline Bowling Invitational

AT GALLIPOLIS GALLIA

Top team scores: Westfall 234.5, Huntington 200, Philo 189. Also: 21. Columbus Academy 54

THURSDAY, DEC. 29

Boys basketball

Reynoldsburg 96, Walnut Ridge 59

Cin. Finneytown 58, West 48

Grove City 53, Worthington Kilbourne 38

Watkins Memorial 53, Dublin Scioto 51

Olentangy Orange 50, Newark 45

Pickerington North 70, Whitehall 48

Heath 45, Lancaster 39

Pickerington Central 87, Punta Gorda (Fla.) Charlotte 62

Dover 55, Olentangy 53, 4OT

Olentangy Liberty 62, Fayetteville, Ark. 58

Olentangy Berlin 52, Delaware 45

Hebron (Ky.) Conner 66, Dublin Jerome 57

Grandview 64, Centerburg 43

Tiffin Columbian 45, Bexley 44

Harvest Prep 81, Tiffin Calvert 45

Zane Trace 63, Amanda-Clearcreek 34

Patriot Academy 53, Rosecrans 45

Liberty Union 46, Licking Valley 43

McConnelsville Morgan 71, Lakewood 35

KIPP 52, Rockford Parkway 47

Bellefontaine 65, North Union 33

Girls basketball

Canal Winchester 45, New Albany 38

Upper Arlington 61, Dublin Scioto 20

Olentangy Orange 61, Licking Heights 43

Teays Valley 60, Worthington Kilbourne 21

Austintown Fitch 41, Hilliard Davidson 31

Reynoldsburg 58, Ashley Ridge, S.C. 40

North East Bushrangers, Australia 70, Central Crossing 52

Harpeth Hall, Tenn. 53, Lancaster 43

Amanda-Clearcreek 47, Johnstown 39

Circleville 53, Westfall 31

Tree of Life 55, Danville 51

Centerburg 48, Northridge 45

Mount Gilead 54, Elgin 24

Greeneview 39, Madison Plains 29

Miami Trace 58, London 44

Fairbanks 49, Huron 32

Mount Vernon 46, Ashland 37

Hockey

Watterson 5, DeSales 3

Dublin Coffman 10, Springboro 4

Dublin Jerome 2, Perrysburg 1

Bowling Green 3, New Albany 1

Gates Mills Gilmour 4, Upper Arlington 1

Team Indiana 6, Upper Arlington 3

Boys wrestling

Watterson Invitational

Watterson 200, Pickerington North 199, Bloom-Carroll 134, Westerville South 93, Hamilton Township 78, Briggs 72.5, Urbana 70, Buckeye Valley 65, West 64.5, Whetstone 55, Marion-Franklin 51.5, Madison Plains 41, Reynoldsburg 39, South Charleston Southeastern 36, Walnut Ridge 35.5, Fairbanks 17

Marion Harding Classic

Lakewood St. Edward 252.5, Lancaster 198, Central Crossing 155, St. Marys Memorial 146, Liberty Center 144.5, Hilliard Davidson 136, Highland 131.5, Plymouth 112, Centerburg 105, Dublin Scioto 103, Reynoldsburg 85.5, Upper Sandusky 79, Sullivan Black River 71, Bexley 70, Marion Harding 64.5, North Union 63, Rossford 61, Canal Winchester and Thomas Worthington 59, Northridge 56, Buckeye Valley 55, Lima Shawnee 51, Lima Senior 42, Ashland Mapleton 30.5, Northmor 27, Cardington 18, Groveport and Licking Heights 15, Mount Gilead 10, Delaware Christian 6, Galion and Mifflin 4

Southern Hills Community Bank Invitational

AT GREENFIELD MCCLAIN

Top team scores: Circleville 329.5, McClain 145, New Lexington 138

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28

Boys basketball

Lancaster 55, West 38

Whetstone 57, Central Crossing 38

Columbus Academy 48, Briggs 46

Day. Ponitz 69, Linden 57

Watterson 54, Johnstown 41

DeSales 62, River Valley 54

St. Charles 51, Hebron (Ky.) Conner 49

Westerville Central 46, Westerville South 43

Big Walnut 77, Genoa Christian 35

Olentangy Orange 69, Madison 21

Olentangy 55, Perry 51

Dublin Coffman 72, Wadsworth 56

Olentangy Liberty 81, E. Forsyth, Ga. 37

Westerville North 61, Casstown Miami East 58

Winter Haven, Fla. 64, Pickerington Central 47

Newark 75, Barberton 46

Grandview 58, Rockford Parkway 53

Circleville 69, Athens 56

Gallipolis Gallia 36, Fairfield Union 34

Millersport 73, Liberty Christian 45

Delaware Christian 47, Fisher Catholic 38

Mansfield Christian 75, Horizon Science 69

Fairfield Christian 54, Shekinah Christian 39

Northside Christian 71, Berne Union 38

Centerburg 60, KIPP 59

Heath 55, Cin. Finneytown 49

Patriot Academy 57, Strasburg-Franklin 51

Clear Fork 67, Fredericktown 61

Westfall 61, New Hope Christian 58

London 47, Greeneview 40

Miami Trace 69, Madison Plains 57

Elgin 54, East Knox 39

Marion Harding 65, Upper Sandusky 53

Ridgemont 74, Mount Gilead 73

Girls basketball

DeSales 53, Westerville North 45

Watterson 39, Bexley 32

Hartley 42, Beloit W. Branch 39

Thomas Worthington 54, Dublin Scioto 38

Newark 59, Worthington Kilbourne 30

Dublin Coffman 62, Gahanna 52

Hilliard Darby 53, Pickerington North 49

Upper Arlington 50, Harvest Prep 48

Teays Valley 52, Big Walnut 35

Hilliard Davidson 49, Warren Howland 44

Marysville 51, Cin. Mount Notre Dame 42

Rutgers Prep, N.J. 52, Pickerington Central 47

Reynoldsburg 76, Greenbrier E., W.Va. 33

Hilliard Bradley 56, Wapakoneta 39

Olentangy Liberty 56, Berea 30

Lancaster 51, Radnor, Pa. 41

Liberty Union 65, Heath 52

Sheridan 52, Fairfield Union 32

Berne Union 52, Bidwell River Valley 25

Waterford 58, Fisher Catholic 44

John Glenn 49, Licking Valley 24

Tri-Village 65, Jonathan Alder 25

Pleasant 52, Bellefontaine 33

Hockey

Olentangy 5, Worthington Kilbourne 4

Dublin Jerome 3, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 0

Perrysburg 8, New Albany 1

Findlay 6, Dublin Jerome 2

Dayton 2, Upper Arlington 0

Boys wrestling

West Jefferson Invitational

Grove City 237.5, Gahanna 197.5, Cadiz Harrison Central 180, Logan Elm 174.5, Westerville Central 155, Triad 134, Sycamore Mohawk 129, Marysville 109, West Jefferson 102, Worthington Kilbourne 98, Amanda-Clearcreek 88.5, Nelsonville-York 73.5, London 69.5, Ready 59.5, Mechanicsburg 59, Greenfield McClain 58, Olentangy Orange 40

GMVWA Holiday Tournament

AT VANDALIA BUTLER

Top team scores: Graham 283.5, Springboro 216, Xenia Legacy Christian 189. Also; 5. Jonathan Alder 139; 26. Big Walnut 64; 27. Delaware 6329. Hilliard Bradley 62; 48. Dublin Jerome 35.5

Ceramic Holiday Tournament

AT CROOKSVILLE

Crooksville 223, Liberty Union 216, Waterford 181, Zanesville 144.5, Heath 124.5

Girls wrestling

Watkins Tournament

Harrison 211.5, Greeneview 147, Marysville 111.5, Alliance 101, West Union 98, Watterson 93, West Chester Lakota West 91, Westerville North 86.5, Hamilton Township 85, North Bend Taylor 76, Washington C.H. 74, Mogadore 67.5, Teays Valley 65, Fairfield 57, Sandusky 47, DeSales 46.5, Gahanna 45, Casstown Miami East 41, Jackson 39.5, River Valley and Heath 36, New Lexington 33.5, Doylestown Chippewa 32, Simon Kenton, Ky. 32, Watkins Memorial and Waverly 29, Licking Heights, Logan, Highland and Tri-Valley 28, Madison Plains 25, Central Crossing and Canal Winchester 23, Big Walnut and Mount Vernon 19, Licking Valley 18, Latham Western 17, Bellefontaine 15, Westerville South 14, Pickerington North 10, Bexley 7

TUESDAY, DEC. 27

Boys basketball

Briggs 83, Westland 71

Liberty Twp. Lakota East 62, Walnut Ridge 54

Gates Mills Gilmour 80, Eastmoor Academy 63

Springfield 43, Linden 39

Independence 50, Tol. Maumee Valley 42

Hartley 73, Hamilton Township 44

Wadsworth 59, St. Charles 51

Ready 70, Dayton Northridge 38

Upper Arlington 51, Groveport 50

Delaware 64, Mount Vernon 56

Hebron (Ky.) Conner 66, Dublin Coffman 65

Olentangy Liberty 46, Rogers (Ark.) Heritage 31

Pickerington Central 77, Valdosta, Ga. 61

Hilliard Bradley 46, Tri-Valley 24

Columbus Academy 56, Day. Stivers 48

Berne Union 47, Delaware Christian 45

Fairfield Christian 52, Northside Christian 42

Liberty Christian 68, Fisher Catholic 63

Millersport 59, Shekinah Christian 46

Day. Chaminade Julienne 60, Harvest Prep 56

Danville 59, Tree of Life 57

Mansfield Christian 56, Cardington 50

Highland 47, Horizon Science 46

Northridge 54, Chillicothe 47

Urbana 44, Jonathan Alder 33

Galion 63, Northmor 58

Girls basketball

Fort Loramie 69, Walnut Ridge 9

Cabell Midland, W.Va. 41, Hartley 35

Franklin Hts. 49, Groveport 46

Central Crossing 60, Grove City Christian 18

Olentangy Liberty 61, Norton 45

Circleville 52, Huntington 20

Amanda-Clearcreek 57, Zane Trace 12

Pleasant 56, Cardington 27

Northridge 53, Elgin 38

Philo 42, Johnstown 25

Clear Fork 61, Fredericktown 29

Miami Trace 63, Madison Plains 28

London 46, Greeneview 32

Hockey

New Albany 10, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 3

Bowling Green 2, Dublin Jerome 0

Findlay 6, New Albany 2

Girls wrestling

Lady Longhorn Holiday Tournament

AT ROCKY RIVER LUTHERAN WEST

Top team scores: Olentangy Orange 332, Lutheran West 131, Alliance 130. Also: 25. Columbus Academy 21.

Boys bowling

Marysville 2,481, Mechanicsburg 2,463.

Girls bowling

Mechanicsburg 2,543, Marysville 2,235

On August 16, well-known local businessman, Richard Miler, stepped out in front of the process to announce his candidacy for Mayor of the Town of Summerville. Elections for that office will take place in November of 2023. Voters elect a mayor on a non-partisan ticket.

“I made the announcement this far in advance because the last time I ran, I did not announce my candidacy until late and I was behind the game at the get-go,” said Miler. “Lots of people, including my wife, said if you’re going to do this, be proactive. It’s always wise to seek prudent counsel from others.”

Miler lost his first bid for mayor twelve years ago to former Mayor Bill Collins.

Miler is owner and president of Miler Properties, which also operates under the name Miler Property Management. The real estate sector business has been in operation for close to 40 years and generates an estimated $3.6 million in annual revenue. The company, located on Old Trolley Road, typically employs 12 people.

A Summerville native son, Miler graduated from Summerville High School before completing studies at The Citadel in 1978. His background includes mortgage banking, teaching and coaching, and retail management. Miler has served as a board member on numerous organizations. He and his family are actively involved in the community.

“My family has been in this town for a long time,” said Miler. “My great grandfather, Dan Miler, was the first mayor of Summerville. My great, great grandfather, Edward Hutchinson, was the first attendant (the title in use before the term mayor was established). Hutchinson Square was named after him.”

Miler referred to the desire to be involved in public service as the footprint of his family. “It’s a passion that lives in your blood. The mayor is not a retirement job. You have to do it from the heart.”

Miler sees his role as a cheerleader to bring a positive vibe to the Town, working with a dynamic staff and town merchants, whom he calls the ‘heart of our town.’ “Everybody wants to make Summerville work; not just Downtown and Hutchinson Square. It’s growing like a weed,” he said, citing Nexton and Summers Corner.

There are a number of goals and issues that are top-of-mind for Miler:

• Prudent annexation to grow tax revenue without burdening the taxpayer and property owners - “We all pay property taxes regardless of our home, but that money is not nearly enough to fund the town coffers to pay for safety and other necessities or increase opportunities like parks and bicycle paths – that base comes from the commercial side. People think if they are annexed, their taxes are going up but that’s not always the case. There are so many doughnut holes in our current annexation. The Town can’t annex any whole entity; it’s one property at a time and they skip over each other like a jigsaw puzzle. There’s never been a game plan, a vision. As an example, there are seven subdivisions on Trolley Road — some are in the Town of Summerville; some are not.”

• “I am a strong, 100% supporter of the one-cent tax.” The 1% Transportation Sales and Use Sales Tax has been in effect for the past fifteen years and is scheduled to expire this year. This November, voters have a chance to renew it for up to fifteen years and generate up to $735 million to further investments in roads, streets, bridges and other transportation-related facilities as well as drainage facilities and mass transit systems. “That’s a lot of money to help with lots of projects.”

• “I’d like to see Summerville increase the downtown shopping district. It’s pretty and quaint, but it can grow — with shops, restaurants, a winery — there are so many people coming in to that district. It has to be safe, always, for little kids, carriages and strollers and bicycles. Lighting is important, and beautification.” Miler hopes to partner with the Flowertown Garden Club for beautification. “I have a real passion for that cause.” “What we don’t need is another real estate or lawyer’s office that shuts up at 5 p.m. and everybody goes home.”

• Parking in the Town’s parking deck should remain free, according to Miler. “It was built on the promise of free parking. I am interested in opportunities for parking relief. New businesses and restaurants are coming in and there are complaints that there’s no parking. People don’t want to go to an area and be bussed into town; they want to park.”

• “Traffic issues never really go away in a small town,” said Miler, with respect to ongoing issues. It’s an ongoing challenge but I’m thinking about what we can do now to improve quality of life.” “Plus, I would rather have those problems than live in an area that has no traffic problems, but where nothing is going on. When you have traffic problems, you have a good problem. People want to live there, work there.” Still, Miler says that as a mayor of a small town, he would vote to raise the gas tax to improve the roads and support user taxes such as toll roads coming in from other states.

• Affordable housing also has Miler’s attention. “My prayer is that there is a role for a mayor. There is a housing crisis and rents are incredibly high; the resale market has gone up. There is no such thing as affordable housing right now.” The problem will only be solved with a lot of people coming to the table to create solutions, getting developers on board, according to Miler. “It’s got to be without creating a stigma like affordable housing is a bad word. It’s not a bad word.”

Successful business is about establishing a staff that you work well with, selling or developing a product to sell to repeat clients and then doing what everybody has to do — embodying a trust that everyone can appreciate, according to Miler. “We’ve done that for 36 years. I see my business as a housing ministry. People buy or sell for different reasons: downsizing, growing, splintered by hardship — I’ve seen it all and it increases empathy.”

“Our business is people serving other people. I would take that approach whatever business I was in — taking care of people and being consistent. I think this perfectly prepares me to be mayor — to serve people from all walks of life, sexes, races, creeds, religions and ages.”

“My mission is to find out what can we do to help each other grow and support each other. If I am mayor, my policy is open door,” said Miler. “I believe in total transparency. You can call me anytime. It doesn’t fatigue me, it energizes me.”

No other individual has announced candidacy for Town of Summerville mayor thus far. Formal filing does not occur until spring.