Newsletter
Mayor Andy Betterton
October 13, 2022
2022 State of the City Event
Thank you to all that attended and participated in the 2022 State of the City that was held at the University of North Alabama Wendell-Gunn Commons Building last Thursday. We are optimistic about the future of Florence. Event photos are below and see news coverage at the Times Daily.
The Club On Cypress Disc Golf Course Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting:
Noon, October 21, 2022
Mayor Andrew Betterton, Florence City Council Members, Singing River Disc Golf Club, and InZone Disc Golf, along with Bill Jordan, Director of the Florence Parks & Recreation, invite you to join them for the official grand opening of The Club On Cypress Disc Golf Course. We are excited about the completion of our newest disc golf course that gives our community even more ways to enjoy our beautiful city!
WHAT: Grand Opening of the new The Club On Cypress Disc Golf Course
WHEN: Friday, October 21, at 12 noon
WHERE: The Club On Cypress Disc Golf Course, 450 Country Club Drive
First Friday's Pumpkin Drop Was A SMASHING Success! 🎃
PINK ALABAMA IN WILSON PARK
2022 Shoals Scholar Dollar's Dragon Boat Race
Congratulations to this year’s Dragon Boat winners:
3rd Place - North American Lighting
2nd Place - Shoals Mountain Bike Club
1st Place - Smokin' on the Blvd.
Mark your calendar for Dragon Boat Festival next year on October 14, 2023!!!
The Tangled Tale of Hats and Hair
at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
What’s under your hat? The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts is pleased to present The Tangled Tale of Hats and Hair that begins October 21st and continues through December 27th.
Our hats and hair speak about our culture and our histories. They illustrate protest and rebellion, mourning and loss, celebration, and happiness. They protect us, defend us, announce us. They communicate who we want to be; they speak to where we are from. Our hats and hair signal our interests, our fashion sense, and who we are.
Take a stroll through history and consider the many meanings of hats and hair. The items and images in this exhibit are personal stories of self-expression that connect us with the past. Explore the styles, accessories, and products that Shoals residents have used to express themselves over several hundred years. From bone hair pins used by Native Americans to Victorian hair extensions; from military headwear to straw boaters and bonnets; and from pompadours to purple hair, imagine the perspective of the people beneath the hats and hair.
Special thanks to Dr. Cheryl Price of the University of North Alabama and her Victorian Literature class for their assistance in identifying objects in this collection. 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 at 256-760-6379.
Kids & Adults Of All Ages Are Invited To The Witches Ride Parade!
Merry Market
A new event, Merry Market, is quickly approaching, and we want to make sure you have all the details you need to support local businesses!
Merry Market is on Saturday, December 3, at Singin' River Brewing Company from 11 am-6 pm, with a special event ticket from 11 am - 2 pm.
The 2022 Merry Market will benefit the Children's Museum of the Shoals, United Way of Northwest Alabama, and Shoals Scholar Dollars!
Merry Market booths are available NOW, and spaces are limited! Please call 256-764-4661 for vendor information, and check out the event page below for more details!
Twirling Studio - Mini Camp
Art Expressions: Shoals Artists Guild Member Exhibition
at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts is pleased to present “Art Expressions”, an exhibition of the latest works by the Shoals Artists Guild members from October 14th through November 14th. An opening reception will be held on Sunday, October 16th from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend this community-inspired event and enjoy the opportunity to meet the talented members of our Shoals Artists Guild.
The purpose of this artistic group is to foster an interest in sketching and painting in the Quad- Cities and surrounding areas. The members organize field trips to places of artistic interest to sketch or paint, as well as offer monthly art demonstrations to their group. Currently, they meet every third Friday of each month. For more information, contact the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts.
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 at 256-760-6379.
THE J.W. POWELL FAMILY HOME
Mr. J.W. Powell came to Florence as a teacher of Mathematics at Coffee High School. He worked his way through the ranks, first as a teacher, then as the principal of Coffee High, and, for more than 25 years, as the Superintendent of Florence City Schools. In 1934, he asked Mr. Lloyd Maffett to design the house at 708 Kendrick Street for him and his family that is depicted in the attachment to this week’s column. Though Mr. Maffett was an engineer by training, he also possessed excellent architectural design skills. (Several examples of his architectural work exist locally.) The J.W. Powell family home sits prominently at the crest of the hill on Kendrick Street. The property borders Hermitage Drive and extends all the way down to Royal Avenue, making the grounds quite large for an in-town setting. It was convenient for Mr. Powell to walk the couple of blocks to his office inside the former Coffee High School building which was located where the UNA tennis courts now exist on Hermitage Drive. The current owners of the Powell family home have proudly restored this charming cottage-style house to its mid-1930’s appearance, giving new life to one of Florence’s architectural gems.
--Billy Warren, City Historian
New Business: The Lava Room
September Business Report
$13.81 Hourly
Recreation Program Assistant Part Time
$13.00 HourlyNEXT COUNCIL MEETING
The Mayor and Council members will hold the next council meeting on
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
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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- 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!
Email: abetterton@florenceal.org
Website: florenceal.org
Location: 110 West College Street, Florence, AL, USA
Phone: (256)760-6400