Mayor Steve Dukes presented the 2018 Christmas Star Award to the Johnsonville Festival Committee at the January 8 meeting.  Each year, the ten-member committee organizes the Heritage Festival at the River and the Johnsonville Christmas Parade.

Ron Douglas, Marlene Rollins and Lorraine Hanna were present to accept the award.  Other Festival Committee members are: Kem Poston, Joan Lentz, Shannon Tippett, Lucy Godwin, Tammy Stewart, Melinda Howard, and Teresa Humphries.

“The City wants to officially recognize the members of the Festival Committee for their hard work and dedication to the success of these two events in Johnsonville,” commented Johnsonville Mayor Steve Dukes.  “They work tirelessly for little recognition and this is our chance to say ‘Thank you’ and let them know the City appreciates their efforts,” Dukes added.

Johnsonville Police Chief Ron Douglas said, “We don't have a chairman.  I sometimes act as the spokesperson but we are a leaderless group who just work together to make it happen.”

Both events were hampered by rain in 2018, but were carried out on schedule by the Festival Committee.  The Heritage Festival at the River was held May 18 and 19 at Odell Venters Landing on Lynches River and the Christmas Parade was held Saturday, December 1 on Broadway Street in Johnsonville.

The City of Johnsonville presents the Christmas Star Award annually to recognize a local citizen or organization for outstanding service to the community.  Previous recipients are: Randolph Willis (2008), Mildred Hughes (2009), Eugenia Cossaboom (2010), Fearless Dunahoe (2011), Carl Skinner (2012), Dale Strickland (2013), Jackie Stasney (2014), Johnsonville First Baptist Church (2015), Edie Cain (2016), and Peter Knoller (2017).