March 24, 2022

"On Saturday morning, 140 disc-golfers were playing at Veteran's Park, over 50 Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ volunteers were working to keep our community clean, and hundreds of people from across the Shoals were at the Rotary STAR Play opening celebration. Our friendships, fellowship, and citizens' determination to make a difference make our community truly special. I am honored and humbled to be a citizen of Florence."

-Mayor Andrew Betterton

Thank You To The Many People & Organizations That Made Rotary STAR Park A Reality!

Florence Rotary Club, Greater Shoals Rotary Club, Committee Co-chairs Trish Lewis and Bill Armstrong, Former Park and Recreation Director Tina Kitchens, Florence Park and Recreation Department, Acme Brick, B.H. Craig Construction, Carbine Construction, Garnet Electric, Green Valley Nursery, H&N Construction, Johnson Contractors, Mid-South Rental, Ready Mix USA, SRM, United Site Services, WPI, Shoals Electric (Donation), SBS Electric (Donation), Smith General Contractors, CREATE Architects, United Rentals, Renegade Fencing, Bama Concrete, and to all that sponsored or assisted in making the Rotary STAR Park come to life.

North Florence looks better this morning, thanks to over 50 volunteers from Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ. Volunteers picked up 41 bags of litter, a tv, a tire, cardboard, and other trash. Amazing!

The Cleanup will run through April. If you or your group would like to participate, click the link to register. Florence Solid Waste will provide the supplies and pick up your collected litter!

For many years, the North Alabama State Fair occurred like clockwork in Florence for an exciting week in late September. The Fairgrounds were located on the north side of Chisholm Road where the Farmers Market and other structures exist today. The Fair began on a Sunday afternoon with the arrival of big trucks hauling disassembled rides, some for children and others such as the Ferris Wheel, the Tilt-a-Whirl and a rather tame Roller Coaster for teenagers and adults. Other trucks brought tents neatly folded and packed for easy assembly, while still others brought large animals. Many people in Florence would gather on the Fairgrounds that Sunday afternoon to watch in awe as the space came to life, with supervisors barking orders and workers moving frantically to get everything ready for the big opening the next day, Monday. While all of this was in progress, local people were unloading their own livestock, home-canned goods, artwork, fresh-baked cakes and pies and other handmade items to enter into competitions. Eventually, the magic of the midway was ready to receive the throng of visitors who would play the many games of chance or succumb to the alluring words of the barker to “step right in to this tent” to see the world’s smallest adult or the two-headed snake or whatever. The live acts in the grandstand would feature tight-wire walkers, trapeze artists and other exotic performers – all accompanied by a lady playing an organ with built-in amplification. On Friday, local schools were dismissed around 11:00 a.m. and students flocked to the Fair because admission was specially priced for them at a whopping ten cents! The week ended much too quickly on Saturday night and, by mid-afternoon on Sunday, everything had been moved away from the Fairgrounds as quickly as it had come.

--Billy Warren, City Historian

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