Lynn Hicks has donated a beautiful wood and glass curio cabinet owned by Peter Knoller and his Christmas Star Award to the City of Johnsonville in memory of her step-father.
Knoller, a native of Great Britain, was an integral part of the Johnsonville community since relocating here with Wellman Industries, Inc. in the 1950s. He married Lynn’s mother, Becky, over 40 years ago and they resided on Fairway Drive.
In 2017, the City of Johnsonville awarded him the Christmas Star Award for his many contributions including serving for 53 years on the Johnsonville Library Board and representing Johnsonville on the Florence County Planning Commission.
Peter Knoller was an avid supporter of community events such as the Artisan Outpost, the Heritage Festival at the River, the Johnsonville Christmas Parade, Police/Fire/Rescue squad fundraisers, as well as area church activities.
The curio eventually will be housed in the new pro shop at the Johnsonville municipal golf course.
The City of Johnsonville has installed rubber mulch in the playground area of the City Park located on Hampton Avenue. Enclosed in a hard plastic border, the ground cover is made from never-used, surplus floor tiles that have been recycled into mulch.
The mulch is the latest in a series of park improvements that are funded substantially by grants from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
“The City would like to thank Senator Hugh Leatherman and the other member of the Florence County Legislative Delegation for securing the funding to make this project possible,” said Johnsonville Mayor Johnny Hanna.
“We are excited to be able to make the park experience more enjoyable and safe for our citizens,” said Councilman Frankie Poston. “We have more improvements planned for the coming year,” he added.
Frankie Poston chairs the Parks/Streets/Recreation/Beautification/Revitalization/Downtown Development Committee. Gary Arthurs and Scott Wells also serve on the committee.
The statue of Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion that stands near the entrance to Odell Venters Landing is now complete with a black granite plaque giving the historical significance of the site near Lynches River.
Erected in 2013, the bronze statue was sculpted by Florence artist Alex Palkovich and sits atop a 12-foot tall base. Several historical organizations and private donors created a fund to pay for the statue. There was not enough money left in the fund to pay for the plaque included in the original design. In 2020, the City of Johnsonville made a request for $500 in Accommodations Tax funding from Florence County so the granite plaque could be added to complete the statue.
Odell Venters Landing is located just North of Johnsonville on Highway 41/51. The City of Johnsonville owns the property on Lynches River which is on the site of the former Witherspoon’s Ferry.
Click the headline to see the inscription on the plaque
