Newsletter
Mayor Andy Betterton
April 15 , 2021
Discolored Water? The Annual Hydrant Flow is Happening Now
The Florence Fire Department has started annual flow testing on fire hydrants. All hydrants in Florence will be tested over the next two weeks. During this time, you may experience discolored water. The water is harmless and will clear after you flush your lines.
However, when the water is discolored due to potential staining, do not wash clothing. If your clothes are in a wash cycle, do not dry. Allow clothes washed in stained water to remain wet until the water is clear. When your water runs clear, rewash the clothing.
We apologize for any inconvenience. If you experience any problems, please call the Florence Gas & Water 24/7 dispatch number at 256-760-6490 or Florence Fire & Rescue at 256-760-6475
City of Florence Awarded ADECA Grant for $828,300
The Department of Planning & Community Development is honored to announce an $828,300 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). Funded by the CARES Act, sub-recipients Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama, Safeplace, Inc., and the Salvation Army of the Shoals will prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing emergency shelter, homeless prevention programs, and rapid re-housing assistance to victims of domestic violence and their children, other homeless persons, and persons at risk of homelessness within the Homeless Care Council of NW AL service area.
Extraordinary Women of Florence-Lauderdale County: Part Two
By Lee Freeman, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, Local History-Genealogy Dept.
Miss Maud McKnight Lindsay (1874-1941). Miss Maud Lindsay was one of the most beloved and respected educators in Florence. On September 3, 1898, the Florence Free Kindergarten Club, whose aim was “to promote in every way possible the welfare of the children of Florence” and “to maintain a free Kindergarten in East Florence,” was founded by Florence educator Miss Lulie Jones (1858-1923) in the home of her sister Mrs. John R. Price on Wood Avenue and a board of directors founded. The board soon founded the "Florence Free Kindergarten," the first in the state.
Continue reading about Miss Maud Lindsay and other extraordinary women below.
THANK YOU to Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful, TVA, and all the Volunteers
It was a successful, dirty weekend on the Tennessee River with volunteers and partner Living Lands and Waters! Volunteers showed up, ready to make a difference! They knocked out three coves that were covered in litter and left them looking good as new!
"Volunteers removed thousands of pounds of liter from the Tennessee River!" - Kathleen Gibi
Shoals Nonprofit Center Workshop
Featuring: Dr. Andrea Hunt
Wednesday, April 14 – 12:00pm (Zoom)
While some organizations have a history of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we saw these efforts increase in the last year both locally and across the nation in response to the ongoing calls for justice. We will discuss how to assess your organizational policies and practices, ways to develop action plans, steps for implementing change, and tools for evaluation. Registration Here
The 2021 Virtual Shoals Storytelling Festival
May 21-31, 2021
Virtual Tickets $20
For 2021, the Festival will move online as a completely virtual event, with all of its stories, music, documentaries, and interviews available on-demand to ticket holders from May 21st through May 31st. We hope to bring the Festival back to the Shoals Theatre in 2022, and we hope you’ll join us there May 20-21, 2022. As you plan ahead, check out our venue at www.theshoalstheatre.org
Business Digital Marketing Workshop
Walking Tours of Historic Florence
Residents will have an opportunity to “Take a Walk on the Historic Side” by participating in the annual Walking Tours of Historic Florence. The tours begin at 10:00 a.m., are free to the public, and will last approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. More Information...
April 17: Walking Tours of Historic Florence - Forks of Cypress Plantation Site & Cemetery
April 24: Walking Tours of Historic Florence - North Court & Seminary Street
For more information, call the Tourism Office at 256-740-4141.
Shoals Archaeological Stewardship Virtual Speaker Series: Lindsay Bilyeu
The Florence Indian Mound Museum, in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, is sponsoring a virtual speaker series as a part of an effort to raise awareness about looting in the Shoals area. Lindsay Bilyeu will present on the history of the Choctaw Nation and the importance of historic preservation. Ms. Bilyeu’s presentation can be viewed at the following link on Friday, April 16th at 12 pm: tva.com/thousandeyes
THE CYPRESS LAND COMPANY
It is rather commonly known that the great city of Florence came into being in 1818 as a for-profit venture because of the farsightedness of the seven men who comprised the Cypress Land Company. But who were these men? How much land did they purchase? What was the total cost of the land? Who subdivided the land into lots so they could be purchased by individual buyers? Did the company show a profit for its investment? Fortunately, written records exist that reveal the answer to each of these questions. The seven men were: Thomas Bibb, John Childress, John Coffee, James Jackson, John McKinley, Dabney Morris and Leroy Pope. The company purchased 5,515.77 acres at a land sale in Huntsville, Alabama, in March, 1818, at a cost of approximately $85,000. John Coffee, Hunter Peel and Ferdinand Sannoner were charged with the responsibility of subdividing the acreage into lots in preparation for public and private land sales which began in July, 1818, and continued until 1823. The return on the company's investment of $85,000 was approximately $355,000. Rather remarkable for a town literally carved from a wilderness on the frontier! And 203 years later, it's the thriving, dynamic city so revered by its citizenry.
-- Billy Warren, City Historian
NEXT COUNCIL MEETING
The Mayor and Council members will hold the next council meeting on
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
4:00 p.m. Work Session
5:00 p.m. Council Meeting
City Auditorium
103 South Pine Street
A little funny
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- Send your information to rmansell@florenceal.org or call Rachel Koonce with questions at 256-760-6494.
Connect with Us!
Email: abetterton@florenceal.org
Website: florenceal.org
Location: 110 West College Street, Florence, AL, USA
Phone: (256)760-6400