Newsletter
Mayor Andy Betterton
May 7, 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
On Monday, May 3, Alabama Department of Public Health Area Health Officer Dr. Karen Landers, Florence-Lauderdale EMA Director George Grabryan, Mayor Betterton, and public officials held a news conference to address vaccine hesitancy and provided an update on COVID-19. See Mayor Betterton's comments addressing vaccine hesitancy below or view the entire News Conference.

Florence Spring Cleanup: A HUGE Success!
Florence residents are amazing! When Covid threatened to interrupt plans for Citywide Cleanup, we changed plans to include contactless supplies for individuals and groups who wanted to choose an area to clean. The results have been incredible! So far, we have had over 330 volunteers from all over Florence and Lauderdale County (and we still have several upcoming cleanups!). The pictures of smiling faces from area churches, businesses, schools, government entities, and individual volunteers show our residents' love for our area. Watching the litter disappear is both exciting and encouraging. Thank you so much for making Florence beautiful for all!

Happy National Travel and Tourism Week, May 2-8, 2021
In honor of National Travel and Tourism Week, we want to recognize the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism team and celebrate travel. The Power of Travel inspires and educates us while significantly impacting our communities through spending, tax revenues, quality of life, and jobs!

Chloe’s Fund – Massive Yard/Estate Sale!
Over the past few months, our dedicated Chloe's Fund Volunteers have (safely) been culling through estates, yard sales, and donations. We have received beautiful donated items from generous individuals. The quantity (and quality) of the items in this sale is unprecedented.
Please consider visiting us early! All proceeds from the sale go directly into Chloe's Fund – a nonprofit organization assisting with the Shelter animals' medical needs.
Friday, May 21 & Saturday, May 22 from 7 am until 2 pm at the Florence Lauderdale Animal Services building located at 3240 Roberson Road in Florence.

Message From Florence-Lauderdale Public Library
The Friends Bookstore is accepting donations on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am-2:00 pm, but there is a 20 item. For more information...



The Artsy & Coffee Place
1520 Florence Blvd.
https://www.facebook.com/theartsyplaceflorence
The Artsy & Coffee Place opened its second location in Florence on April 14, 2021. The DIY studio offers customers a place to paint as they enjoy a great cup of coffee and pastry. Mayor Andy Betterton and Business Development Coordinator Melissa Bevis had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Morgan Ouellette, and presenting a certificate commending her for creating five jobs with her new location.


THE 1852 MAP OF FLORENCE
Signor Ferdinand Sannoner lived with his family on Market Street (now Wood Avenue) across from the Public Walk (now Wilson Park) from the time of Florence's founding in 1818 until 1858, when he moved to Memphis, Tennessee. As most people know, Sannoner, John Coffee, and Hunter Peel worked together to survey and "layout" the City of Florence. Unfortunately, the map of the city which resulted from their work no longer exists. In 1852, though, City officials commissioned Sannoner to recreate the 1818 map, and, according to records on file, he was paid the grand sum of $25.00 for the new map -- which still exists 169 years later! It is very large -- approximately five feet by five feet. In 1989 the map was copied, with the copy reduced to a more manageable size for distribution purposes. For years now, it has been duplicated over and over and distributed at historic walking tours and in workshops for educators, historians, tourists, architects, etc. Therefore, a huge debt of gratitude is due to Signor Ferdinand Sannoner for using his considerable skills to recreate such a critically important document.
--Billy Warren, City Historian


Happy Mother's Day!

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Background Photo by Johnny Raper
