Co-mingling, raised rates for dumping, changed dump hours. The way Lopezians get rid of their trash has changed a lot in the past year. These are changes that some in the community are beginning to question, and furthermore, are asking you to question them too.

This ambient concern that the people of Lopez are being excluded from the decision- making process surrounding the Solid Waste Transfer Station, has given rise to a new discussion forum: “Take Back the Dump.”

“Education and getting our voices heard,” says Sarah Rabel and Ed Kilduff, identifying the vision of the group. “The county has to make decisions, I get that, but we [Lopez] need to be involved,”.

Together with a few other concerned “Take Back the Dump” community members, Rabel and Kilduff ran the first forum meeting earlier in the month.

“It was packed,” says Rabel, describing how the disgruntlement over dump issues broke down social boundaries. “Someone came up to me and said they had never seen such an amazing cross section of people,” she adds, describing the diverse range of liberal, conservative, old, young and more, who came to voice their opinions.

This mixing of people and voices is exactly what “Take Back the Dump” is about. Although Rabel, Kilduff and a few others are responsible for the name and the meeting, they say that the forum is not about them leading or dictating to the community. Far from having the monopoly over opinion, they want only to

provide an environment for discussion.

“If someone else wanted to start holding meetings that would be great,” says Rabel. However so far it is “Take Back the Dump” that is producing the most varied and thoughtful discussion yet.

At the meeting, for example, 19 questions concerning dump issues were distributed and discussed. These questions arose from members of the public who had previously attended a County Council meeting and found the answers lacking. Kilduff, who is a member of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, is fully aware of how complex the dump politics and administration can seem to the ordinary person. He was responsible for noting the questions, distributing them and ensuring they were addressed at the forum. “We have to educate ourselves” says Rabel, feeling herself to represent the “layman” to Kilduff’s more in depth knowledge of dump administration.

Over all the forum advocates participation. “Lopezians are not participating in their own meetings,” says Kilduff. He says he understands the pit falls of feeling as though the contribution of the ordinary person is useless against government. However this, he says, is “self perpetuating,” and Lopezians need to understand that as a small community, voices can be louder, and efforts more influential. The forum is encouraging people to come to the meetings and get involved, go to County Council meetings and above all, consider your voice an important part of the community’s future.

For more information and to keep up with developments and notices, check out the “Take Back the Dump” blog at:www.takebackthedump.blogspot.com