Newsletter
Mayor Andy Betterton
APRIL 21, 2023
MEET MAVIS! Visit The Shoals Launches New Bus Tours ✨🚌
Introducing Mavis, the new tour bus! She'll be taking visitors and locals alike for an up close and personal view of the history and music that defines The Shoals!!
Beginning next week, you can book online from our website or right at the Florence-Lauderdale Visitor Center!
During the Council Meeting, Council Member Michelle Eubanks had the honor of presenting a commendation to Lauren Vance, Miss UNA!
Lauren Vance, as part of her role as the newly crowned Miss University of North Alabama, has developed and adopted “The Two-Hour Challenge” with the goal of encouraging people to take a two-hour break from social media each day to invest in a productive and valuable use of time. Lauren developed this time frame from studies that show the average amount of time spent on social media sites is two hours per day. Lauren strives to bring awareness to the fact that there are plenty of valuable ways one can choose to spend their time, rather than on the screen.
Lauren hopes to persuade individuals, specifically young people, to find value in living instead of what social media says about them. Through her initiative, she has spoken to over 400 students in-person and encouraged more than 1,000 people to participate in “The Two-Hour Challenge.”
State-of-the-Art Outdoor Fitness Court® Coming to Martin Park
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Florence Parks and Recreation, North Alabama Medical Center, Florence City Schools, and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) are proud to announce a partnership to bring an outdoor Fitness Court® and digital wellness programming to Martin Park.
The Fitness Court, located at 420 N. Royal Ave. will open on Tuesday, May 2, at 3:00 pm
with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and launch event. Residents are invited to attend and try out the Fitness Court®.
This Fitness Court was developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and NFC to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities around the state. The Fitness Court is the world’s best outdoor gym that lets people use their body weight to complete a workout using seven exercise stations.
Workouts are created for people of all abilities aged 14+ 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.
The Florence Education Foundation's inaugural fundraising event, Putting Fore the Falcons, is this Saturday, April 22, at Forest Hills Elementary School from 10 am to 5 pm
Thank you, Better Business Bureau, for hosting a community shred day and collecting 10,838 lbs. of paper!
POPE’S TAVERN ARCHAEOLOGY CLUB: Blacksmithing Demonstration
The Pope’s Tavern Archaeology Club will host a blacksmithing demonstration on Sunday, April 30th, 2023, from 1:00 pm -3:00 pm at Pope’s Tavern Museum, 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL. The Pope’s Tavern Archaeology Club is an organization managed and supported by Pope’s Tavern Museum and dedicated to advancing archaeological education through community-based projects and public history while encouraging responsible and ethical practices of archaeology in the community. The club aims to be an organization where members can learn from each other through a common interest in the community’s past, through hands-on archaeology opportunities, public history projects, workshops, field trips, and discussions. Members under 12 must be accompanied by an adult during club meetings and activities.
The Junior League of The Shoals Outdoor Learning Center at the Children's Museum of the Shoals is officially OPEN!! 🎉
Please, Do Tell!!
The twelfth annual Shoals Storytelling Festival is set for Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20, at the beautiful Shoals Theatre in historic downtown Florence, Alabama.
Top storytellers such as Bil Lepp, Bill Harley, Dolores Hydock, Josh Goforth, and Sheila Arnold are the headliners, along with these musicians and speakers: Sean Dietrich, Walt Aldridge, and Alabama Music Hall of Fame honorees, Three on a String. Visit shoalsstorytelling.com for additional information.
Tickets are available online at: theshoalstheatre.org/events. Admission for the entire three days is $70.00, including over 25 hours of great entertainment. Individual tickets are $20.00 (Thursday evening) or $50.00 (Friday or Saturday, 9:00 am – 9:00 pm).
The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area and the Alabama State Council on the Arts support the Shoals Storytelling Festival.
Travel With The Club
Thank you, Chapel Church, for hosting an Adopt a Block event Sunday at Cypress Pointe!
Skin by Mags
New Business: 410 S. Pine Street
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089950383860
Skin by Mags is located downtown at Bloom Studios on Pine Street. Facial services offered include dermaplaning, lash lift + tint, facials and more.
Quad Cities Pediatrics
New Business: 2530 Florence Blvd.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071201325499
https://www.quadcitiespediatrics.com/
Quad Cities Pediatrics is excited to announce that they have opened a satellite clinic at 2530 Florence Blvd Suite D. The space is shared with Kid's First Pediatric Urgent Care. QCP will see patients during the day, and Kid's First will continue to provide excellent after-hours care for your children. To schedule an appointment, call 256-826-1800.
Brows by Britney
New Business: 410 S. Pine Street
https://www.facebook.com/browsbybritney
Brows By Britney is located downtown at Bloom Studios on Pine Street. Services offered include microblading, micro shading, waxing and more.
Rise Above Pediatric Physical Therapy
New Business: 158 Ana Dr., Ste. C
256-285-9885
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090923473457
Rise Above Pediatric Physical Therapy is now taking appointments. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 256-285-9885.
THE KIRKMAN SISTERS: SUSAN AND ELIZABETH
Local historians owe a huge debt of gratitude to early residents of Florence who were thoughtful enough to record the happenings of their day and – in some instances at least – to add their own commentary. Such is the case of the Kirkman sisters, Elizabeth and Susan. Elizabeth would later marry Emmet O’Neal, who would become the Governor of Alabama. Susan, who studied at Harvard University, would establish the Susan Kirkman Vaughn Museum, which was housed in Bibb Graves Hall on the campus of Florence State Teachers College (now the University of North Alabama). These two bright, educated ladies recorded their early impressions of Florence in a joint memoir entitled Scattered Recollections published by the Birmingham Printing Company. (See the attached image of the book’s cover.) Here’s a brief excerpt written by Susan: “In 1872 when Lizzie [Elizabeth] and I came to live in Florence, it was a village of 1300 people. Everybody lived in their old homes, with large flower gardens and vegetable gardens taking up half a block. Everybody had chickens and cows, and some had horses. No streets were paved, and only a few sidewalks were paved. I can remember the putting of the first street lights on Court Street. They were large coal oil lamps.” And many more intriguing details are included in the sisters’ well-written chronicles. Today, the only visual reminder of the Kirkman family is a street in east Florence which bears their name.
--Billy Warren, City Historian
Director of Arts & Museums New
- Art Center/Museums 217 E Tuscaloosa St Florence
- Full Time - $67,555.82 Annually
- Park and Recreation 2830 Darby Drive Florence
- Part Time - $13.78 Hourly
- Gas Department 650 Rickwood Road Florence
- Part Time - $13.00 Hourly
Laborer Recycling Part Time New
- Recycle 1200 Terrace Street Florence
- Part Time - $13.00 Hourly
- Park and Recreation 2830 Darby Drive Florence
- Part Time - $13.00 Hourly
Maintenance Worker Park and Recreation Part Time New
- Park and Recreation 2830 Darby Drive Florence
- Part Time - $13.00 Hourly
- Park and Recreation 2830 Darby Drive Florence
- Part Time - $13.00 Hourly
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 will be distributed at the end of April and will contain items related to FEMA relief, how to get help paying for your home internet service, and other updates relevant to residents and business owners.
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..
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!
Email: abetterton@florenceal.org
Website: florenceal.org
Location: 110 West College Street, Florence, AL, USA
Phone: (256)760-6400