Mayor’s Remarks

July 4^th –1^st celebrated in Southport in 1795.  Though this 225^th celebration was unique, SOUTHPORT STILL CELEBRATED. Not as in previous years, but in a virtual celebration that brought together members of our community to share their memories of past July 4^th’s as well as moments of patriotism including a city wide reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, the reciting of the Declaration of Independence, the raising of the flag, and the singing of the National Anthem. I want to thank all those who participated in this public endeavor and I especially want to thank festival co-chairs Trisha Howarth and Randy Jones, and the entire Fourth of July Committee, and my sincere thanks to Lisa Anderson, who as videographer, made this celebration an Emmy Award winning event. If you have not viewed the celebration, you still have an opportunity to do so on the NC Fourth of July website.  My gratitude to the Southport Fire Department for hanging streamers and placing flags on our main street utility poles and to Public Works for hanging bunting on city buildings.  My thanks to the Southport Police Department for their presence in keeping the town safe. To the Lions Club for their annual display of flags that line our streets. City of Southport Beautification volunteers for their work days prior to the holiday, Southport Garden Club for the beautiful flower boxes adorned with flags, thank you.  And my thanks to the citizens and businesses who so patriotically displayed their red, white, and blue.

A virtual celebration was certainly different, but we were given time to be with our family and we used this time in part to reflect on what makes July 4^th so special as a holiday and to reflect and embrace what makes our country the greatest nation on earth and what makes Southport one of the greatest cities in which to live.