Hello residents, tourists, and potentially the spirits of Princeport. I am Mayor Charlie Barnes. And I understand your fears. I understand your anger with our final decision to put Sparkys to rest. To gently put out the embers of a tragic fire.

See, this town has changed. We have changed. It’s been a long time since any of us have stopped in for a hotdog and some fireworks to shoot off on the Fourth of July at our favorite rest stop.

Change takes as much as it gives. It takes our memories, our friends, sometimes ourselves away from what we know. Away from joy, and comfort of knowing your surroundings, neighbors, and your place.

But, it gives beautiful things. We stand to build a brighter future for Princeport, for its people. We stand to build a business that can foster new job growth, to allow more families to find comfort, a welcome change to allow the children of the future, to have places they remember fondly too.

And in your fight for a town you love, you’ve found each other. Your passion will not be forgotten, and this place is still your home if you allow it to be. That is why, as your mayor, I urge you to keep active, to make the past and the present can coexist with our future.

Which is why, I am commemorating Sparkys and the late Chris Butane, in case he’s listening *laugh* with a memorial bench on our beloved town square, so that all can remember what its like, to find joy in Princeport South Carolina. So that this flame can light a brighter future.

Thank you for your time.