Lake City area projects receive funding

Anyone who has spent much time in the National Bean Market Museum during two of the four seasons of the year, has wished for either heat during the winter or air conditioning during the summer. Florence County Council took the first steps toward making that wish a reality this past Thursday night by present-ing $400,000 to the National Bean Market Museum Board of Trustees member Marion Lowder and Lorraine Moore. Moore gracefully accepted the donation on behalf of her late husband, Gene Moore who devoted his retirement years to turning the place he spent childhood summer days selling produce at the bean market into a museum for the community. 
Museum Director, Sherri Moore, said the money will be used to do some repair work on a center section of the building’s roof, the installation of geothermal heating and air conditioners and other needed up-grades.
The only downside to the project is that the building will be closed most of 2009, but Sherri Moore said museum officials are looking for a nearby space to occupy during that time and that planned events will still take place but with a slight change in venue.
Florence County Council Chariman K.G. “Rusty” Smith said he was “delighted” to make the announce-ment, explaining that he, like the rest of council has suffered through three or four meetings in the building during the hottest part of the year.
Smith called the museum a “wonderful tourist attraction in the area,” and said he looks forward to meeting in the building after the renovations are completed.
Sen. John Yancey McGill said council’s repeated efforts to have County Council meetings in Lake City shows their dedication to all the citizens of Florence County.
McGill and Rep. Lester Branham proceeded to present $150,000 to South Lynches Fire Department Chief Sam Brockington to be used for additional paving at the department’s regional training facility in the Lake City Industrial Park on U.S. Highway 52 just south of Lake City.
Brockington said the training center is a cooperative effort and is being used on a daily basis to insure fire fighters have the proper fire fighting and safety training to serve the citizens of this area of the county.