Newsletter
Mayor Andy Betterton
May 5, 2023
Florence Kiwanis Club Receives Commendation For 100 Years of Service!
Tuesday evening, Mayor Betterton had the honor of presenting the Kiwanis Club of Florence with a Commendation celebrating their 100th Anniversary!
The Florence Kiwanis Club was established on December 18, 1922, by a group of local business leaders at the Reeder Hotel. The original club motto was "We Build." Many of the club's early projects, such as parks, involved building community assets for children and families. The club motto later changed to "Serving the Children of the World," which remains today. The Florence Kiwanis Club is best known for the Annual Pancake Day fundraiser for children's programs in the Shoals. The club has hosted Pancake Day for 71 consecutive years, raising over $30,000 annually. Kiwanis utilizes funds from Pancake Day to provide college scholarships for local students and support non-profits impacting the lives of children in our community. Since 2002, they have given $894,199.00 back to our local community.
Pictured back row - Keith Underwood, Tom Wissert, Kyle Mangum. Front row - Sylvester White, Moshiu Knox, Jim Engelthaler, Mayor, Sam Mashburn
Happy 100th Birthday, Kiwanis Club of Florence!
First Fridays presented by Bank Independent Kicks-Off Tonight at 5:30 pm!
Thanks to the First Fridays presenting sponsor Bank Independent for making the 2023 season possible.
Exciting happenings and additions this year include:
- New “Farmers Market Zone“ sponsored by ALFA Insurance
- Food Truck Zone hosted by Scratchwood Candles
- The “Big River Broadcasting MainStage,” sponsored by TNT Fireworks and Crunch Fitness-Florence
- Musicians at the BigRiver Broadcasting MainStage sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottling and MSNHA
- More local makers-market vendors than ever before
- Exciting Kidzone
- much, much more!!!
State-of-the-Art Outdoor Fitness Court® In Martin Park Is OPEN!
On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Andrew Betterton, Florence City Council Members, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, North Alabama Medical Center, and Florence City School, along with Bill Jordan, Director of the Florence Parks & Recreation, hosted the official grand opening of the State-of-the-Art Outdoor Fitness Court. The fitness court is located in Martin Park, Behind Royal Avenue Recreation Center at 420 N Royal Ave, Florence, AL 35630
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and the National Fitness Campaign developed the Fitness Court to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities around the state. The Fitness Court outdoor gym allows people aged 14 and over to use their body weight to complete a workout using seven exercise stations. Workouts are created for people of all abilities and are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users may download the free Fitness Court App, which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally-supported wellness experience.
Signup To Receive The District 4 Newsletter
District 4 Council Representative Michelle Eubanks is initiating an e-newsletter with updates and items pertaining to residents in District 4.
Please share your email address with her at meubanks@florenceal.org to get on the list today.
The first e-newsletter is linked below.
National Day of Prayer
Thursday, local area pastors and leaders gathered at noon in Wilson Park for a time of prayer and worship for our community and country.
WORKMEN ON THE WILSON DAM
The first image accompanying this week’s column shows a huge number of men arriving from Muscle Shoals in the front of Milner’s Drug Store in the 100 block of North Court Street during the construction of Wilson Dam, which was begun in 1918 (the year that also saw the end of World War I) and completed seven years later in 1925. It was – and still is – considered to be an architectural marvel. The second image is an early photograph of the dam after its construction was completed. During that seven-year period, Florence – and other cities in the Shoals – saw a great influx of people coming to work and live locally. Why? Because there were simply not enough workers already in place to accomplish such a massive undertaking. Additionally, the Spanish flu was raging, causing much sickness and, yes, many deaths. In spite of all of the obstacles, the ambitious project continued to its successful conclusion – which was marked by a joyous celebration, of course. Thus was put in place the second of three “game changers” that transformed Florence into a thriving city – the first being the move of LaGrange College to Florence in 1855 and the third being the advent of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933.
--Billy Warren, City Historian (brwarren@florenceal.org)
Art Center/Museums 217 E Tuscaloosa St Florence
Full Time - $67,555.82 Annually
Street Department 201 Railroad Avenue Florence
Part Time - $13.00 Hourly
Park and Recreation 2830 Darby Drive Florence
Part Time - $13.00 Hourly
Park and Recreation 2830 Darby Drive Florence
Part Time - $13.00 Hourly
NEXT COUNCIL MEETING
The Mayor and Council members will hold the next council meeting on
May 2, 2023
4:00 pm Work Session
5:00 pm Council Meeting
A little funny..
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Connect with Us!
Email: abetterton@florenceal.org
Website: florenceal.org
Location: 110 West College Street, Florence, AL, USA
Phone: (256)760-6400