Springdale, SC (Paul Kirby) – There’s nothing like a grill with some sort of meat on it and the delicious smelling smoke drifting through the air to draw a crowd. Start handing out some of the delicious delicacies off that grill for free and you will certainly make instant friends. That’s just what several Springdale Town Council members, accompanied by some police officers and volunteers, did Tuesday evening at Forestbrook Apartments in the town.
Councilmembers Justin Ricard and Viki Fecas set up Ricard’s tow-behind grill in the parking area of the apartment complex, and in short order, the smell in the air was magnificent. Ricard is well-known for his skills on the grill and has bar-b-qued his way to fame across the town, county, and state. He’s even perfected his own brand of bar-b-que sauce called Bear Branch, named after a creek that runs through a portion of the town of Springdale where he and his family have lived for years. If it can be grilled, he’s grilled it and just seeing him set up his custom-made cooker will draw a crowd long before the first fire is lit.
Fecas is just an all-around good person who genuinely cares about the community she serves. Like all of Springdale’s council and employees, she’s more than willing to step outside of what would be considered the general day-to-day duties of governing a small town to help strengthen community relationships. That’s why she’s willing to join in with Ricard, the police officers, and others to do things like Tuesday’s cookout. It helps them get to know more of the residents of the town and forge stronger relationships. Together the two, joined by the Sharpe family and several volunteers and town staff members, served food and spent time meeting the residents of the complex.
In a statement over their social media pages, the town announced that they will be moving the event around the town in an effort to spend time with the residents that make up Springdale. They advised everyone to keep an eye out and their noses pointed into the wind to see when they will bring the grill to their neighborhood.
