Newsletter

Mayor Andy Betterton

February 15, 2023

The New Entrance To The Florence Sportsplex Is Underway!

Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services Received A New Van!

Big picture

TREE CITY USA

Big picture
City of Florence Has Been Named A Tree City, USA For 36 Consecutive Years!

City of Florence Has Been Named A Tree City, USA For 36 Consecutive Years!

The Florence Tree Commission and Mayor Andrew Betterton are honored to announce that the City of Florence has been designated as a “Tree City USA” for the 36th consecutive year by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Earning this distinction was a City-wide effort by the Florence Street, Electricity, Parks & Recreation Departments, Florence Housing Authority, the Mayor and City Council, Florence Tree Commission, and Urban Forestry team.


You are invited to join in the celebration Thursday, February 23, at 10 am at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library. In celebration of Arbor Day, the Florence Tree Commission will give away 100 white dogwood trees to the first hundred residents and host a student poster contest.


Plans are underway for the 2023 Arbor Day commemorative tree planting. Donations in honor or memory of a loved one can be made to the Florence Tree Commission in the Mayor’s office (102 S Court St Florence AL 35630) or electronically by PayPal or Venmo: @Flotreecomm. For more information contact the Florence Tree Commission at FloTreeComm@Florenceal.org.

City of Florence Has Been Named A Tree City, USA For 36 Consecutive Years!
Big picture
Big picture
Big picture
New Exhibit of Regional Landscapes at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts

New Exhibit of Regional Landscapes at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts

Places: Paintings by Conor O’Brien


Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts will be showing an exhibition of recent landscape paintings by Huntsville artist Conor O’Brien from February 10 through March 10, 2023. The artist will present a painting demonstration on Sunday, February 19th from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. O’Brien is best known for his paintings about natural and man-made landscapes using traditional oil painting materials and techniques.

The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts is free and open to the public Monday - Friday from 9-4 and on Sundays from 1-4. The art center is located at 217 E. Tuscaloosa St. Florence, AL and can be reached by calling 256-760-6379.

New Exhibit of Regional Landscapes at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
Big picture
Big picture

SO, WHAT’S WITH UP WITH THIS PICTURE?


Look closely at the image that accompanies this week’s “Florence, Then and Now” column. It’s a vintage black-and-white photograph that appears on one side of a postcard published – as were so many others over a period of years – by Joseph Milner, owner of Milner’s Drug Store which was located in the 100 block of North Court Street. As is easily noted, the photograph depicts the west side (looking south) of the 200 block of North Court Street. Most of the buildings in the photograph look exactly the same today. But two things are a bit odd, at least to anyone interested in local history: (1) There is only a scattering of people to be seen in the photograph. Was everyone evacuated somehow to help the viewer focus intently on the architecture of the buildings? Was everyone busily shopping inside the stores? (2) Every single parking space is taken by a vehicle (and the vehicles are practically identical). Were people in Florence asked to be in town on a certain day and time (but asked to remain inside their automobiles) so the city could appear busy? Did the owner of a local car dealership lend the cars for a “posed” photograph? The mystery will probably never be solved, but one thing is certain: Because of Mr. Joseph Milner, everyone interested in the history of Florence has access to a photograph – and many others as well – which clearly records a portion of downtown Florence at a moment in time.


--Billy Warren, City Historian (brwarren@florenceal.org)

Big picture
Big picture
Big picture
Picture

Congratulations to Honor Home Loans on their Shoals Chamber ribbon cutting! Honor Home Loans is located at 220 West Tennessee Street in Suite 111 in downtown Florence. For more details about Honor Home Loans, check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MortgageWithHonor.

Picture
Big picture
Big picture
STEWART SPRING: The Story of a Lost Community

STEWART SPRING: The Story of a Lost Community

Please join Florence Arts and Museums and community members coordinated by Ms. Anita Smith Cobb for a presentation on the history of the Stewart Spring neighborhood on Sunday, February 26th from 2-4pm at the Burrell Slater Community Education Center, 610 West College Street. A group of African American citizens who formerly resided in Stewart Spring have collaborated with the city of Florence Arts and Museums to record the history of this black community which no longer exists. Interviews, photographs, newspaper clippings, art and memories tell the story of the neighborhood, which is compiled into two 40-minute video presentations. The afternoon will include both videos, a short intermission, light refreshments, and a question-and-answer session.

This program is sponsored by the City of Florence Department of Arts and Museums and is free to the public. Call 256-760-6379 for more information.
STEWART SPRING: The Story of a Lost Community
Big picture
Big picture
Truck Driver New
Solid Waste 29485 County Road 14 Florence
Full Time - $34,403.65 Annually


Beverage Cart Worker Part Time New

Park and Recreation 2830 Darby Drive Florence
Part Time - $7.25 Hourly

Laborer Recycling Part Time New

Recycle 1200 Terrace Street Florence
Part Time - $13.00 Hourly

Laborer Street Part Time New

Street Department 201 Railroad Avenue Florence
Part Time - $13.00 Hourly

Big picture
Big picture
NEXT COUNCIL MEETING

NEXT COUNCIL MEETING

The Mayor and Council members will hold the next council meeting on

February 21, 2023

4:00 p.m. Work Session

5:00 p.m. Council Meeting

City Auditorium

103 South Pine Street

NEXT COUNCIL MEETING
Big picture

A little funny...

Big picture
Big picture

How to Submit Your Event, News, or Announcement:


  • Public and community events or announcements can be submitted by attaching an email, Word document, PDF, or JPG file suitable for viewing on the web. Include graphics in JPG or PNG if possible.
  • Along with your information, include your name, phone number, event name, location, date and time, and a brief description.
  • IMPORTANT: Please submit your information no later than Tuesday of each week (preferably sooner). Submissions after the deadline will be added to the next week's publication. The newsletter is posted on Thursday afternoon.
  • Send your information to rmansell@florenceal.org or call Rachel Koonce with questions at 256-760-6494.
Connect with Us!

Connect with Us!

Email: abetterton@florenceal.org
Website: florenceal.org
Location: 110 West College Street, Florence, AL, USA
Phone: (256)760-6400

Connect with Us!