June 2014 Madison Living by Madison Publications

June 2014

Orchids:

Patience, perseverance cultivate nature’s bold ﬂowers

Grifﬁn, Gregory merge households, memories in Heritage Plantation

Spirits Willing, Flesh… Healthy?

Madison Golf Center

Madison Mission Church spreads Good News of good health with Ready Set Move ﬁtness program.

celebrates a long history, plans a high-tech expansion

Walker gains kayak expertise, cultural perspective in Uganda

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MANAGEMENT Alan Brown President & Publisher EDITORIAL Jan Griffey Editor

15 features

Gregg Parker Staff Writer Sarah Brewer Photographer Jen Fouts-Detulleo Photographer

MARKETING Cora Cloud Marketing Consultant

Melanie McClure Marketing Consultant CUSTOMER SERVICE Tammy Overman Customer Service PRODUCTION Jamie Dawkins Design Amanda Porter Design Jonathan Wise Design Madison Living P.O. Box 859, Madison, AL 35758 Advertising Inquires 256.772.6677 Madison Living is published monthly by Madison Publications, LLC.

ARTS & CULTURE WALKER GAINS KAYAK EXPERTISE, CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE IN UGANDA ORCHIDS: PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE CULTIVATE NATURE’S BOLD FLOWERS IN THE BIZ MADISON GOLF CENTER CELEBRATES A LONG HISTORY, PLANS A HIGH-TECH EXPANSION

HEALTH SPIRITS WILLING, FLESH… HEALTHY?

SUMMER MEANS FUN IN POOLS: STAY SAFE EDUCATION

MADISON GRADUATES LARGEST, BRIGHTEST SENIOR CLASS

OUT AND ABOUT

home 10

HOME GRIFFIN, GREGORY MERGE HOUSEHOLDS, MEMORIES IN HERITAGE PLANTATION

Madison Living 3

ARTS & CULTURE

Uganda Walker in

ABOVE: On Martin Branch in Madison, Jacob Walker takes a leisurely ride in his kayak. RIGHT: Kayaking is as challenging and as intense as you want it to be, Jacob Walker said.

4 Madison Living

Walker gains kayak expertise, cultural perspective in Uganda WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO AND CONTRIBUTED

gandan children taught 16-year-old Jacob Walker a life lesson about gratitude while he trained in freestyle kayaking. For four weeks in early 2014, Walker pursued kayak training in Uganda for upcoming summer competitions in Colorado and Idaho. Last summer, he placed sixth among junior men in the National Kayak Freestyle Championship. Walker’s quest was to kayak “one of the world’s best rivers, the White Nile, before another dam is built and floods the rapids.” He also wanted to witness

a different way of life and help those villagers. Walker and his coach Stephen Wright joined other kayakers to tentcamp on The Hairy Lemon, an island in the middle of the Nile. This site is about four hours from Uganda’s capital, Kampala. “Many ex-patriots spend their vacation time there, not just kayakers,” Walker said. “The sport of freestyle kayaking is the perfect combination of a roller coaster and water,” Walker said. “It just makes me happy inside. Kayaking is as challenging and as intense as you want it to be.”

Madison Living 5

Children from the nearby village were eager to help Jacob Walker and other kayakers during their stay on The Hairy Lemon.

His kayak peers “are some of the most amazing, friendly people you can imagine.” Passion for the sport is one of Walker’s strengths but ironically exposes a weakness. “It leaves little time for my body to keep up with how much I want to paddle,” he said. Although Uganda’s official language is English, the locals speak amongst themselves in Lugandan in at least eight different dialects, depending on which side of the river. “They call all white people ‘Mzungu,’” Walker said. Malaria poses a huge problem for children and pregnant women. “We spent time educating the villages on ways to prevent malaria and why mosquito nets are important,” Walker said. He sold nets for $3 each, which a local earns in about 1.5 days. An hour from camp, he helped a clinic in Jinja find malnourished children and transport them to a health center that explains a balanced diet. Sometimes, families have enough food but don’t eat healthy amounts of a variety of foods. The river kayakers fascinated the local children. “Kids loved to carry our gear and boats and to help hold a tow rope,” Walker said. However, village elders have asked visitors to stop paying children, allowing only 50 cents maximum daily. “It was throwing off the balance of families.

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6 Madison Living

Children were skipping school to work and making more money in one day than their parents made in two weeks,” Walker said. Photographs also amazed the youngsters. “They couldn’t believe their eyes,” he said. Without cameras or mirrors, they had never seen a clear reflection of themselves. Along with kayaking, Walker liked playing disc golf, stargazing at night and slacklining, similar to tightrope walking but on a lower, more buoyant line. “My favorite memories are listening to the kids call me ‘Mzungu’ and trading my clothes to the children for sweet bananas,” he said. “The — Jacob Walker cool thing is they would trade with me, but, if my shirt or shorts didn’t fit, they found a friend to give them to.” They “shared what they had with smiles on their faces ... when they have so little. It’s amazing how happy they are with their lives. They aren’t greedy or bitter. They have so little from our perspective but,

“They have

so little from our perspective but, to them, everything is fine.”

Ugandan children are excited to help Jacob Walker with transporting his kayak.

While transporting his kayak to the White Nile River, Jacob Walker rests on a trail in Uganda.

Madison Living 7

Jacob Walker leans into a turn while keeping control of the water craft.

to them, everything is fine,” Walker said. At home, Walker trains on rivers across the Southeast, including the Chattahoochee in Auburn, Rock Island, Ocoee in Tennessee, Nantahala in North Carolina — even the Ottawa in Ontario, Canada.

8 Madison Living

Walker is a home-school senior with Lifegate Christian Academy. His parents are James and Carol Walker. Jacob’s sisters are Kathryn, Sarah, Emily and Samantha in eighth, sixth, fourth and second grade, respectively. The Walkers attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Madison Living 9

HOME

Their home reflects the facade of Tom Griﬃn’s family farm home, Pleasant Vale, in Danville, Kentucky.

Griffin, Gregory merge households, memories in

Heritage Plantation An African violet, teardrop candleholders and a china serving set catch the sunlight by this window.

Jody Griﬃn, at left, with her dog Emma Grace and Edyie Gregory and Lucy Lou sit under a persimmon tree in their backyard.

WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH BREWER

The girl statues have headwear that matches the season. Edyie brought her ‘girl’ from Virginia to join the girl that Jody owned.

dyie Gregory and Jody Griffin have defied the odds. Throughout life, these sisters remain best friends and now share a home in Heritage Plantation. Their only squabbles involved “a little dispute over boyfriends early on,” Edyie said. Growing up in Danville, Kentucky, they all attended the University of Kentucky and remain loyal UK fans. Jody and Tom Griffin moved to Alabama 35 years ago and started their business, Griffin Appraisals. They retired in 2003 when Tom turned 75. Their daughter-in-law Julie Griffin manages the business today. Tom and Jody were married 53 years, before his death about two years ago. The Griffin sons are Ken of Evansville, Indiana; Rob of Madison; and Bill of Colorado Springs, Colorado. “We have eight grandsons, one granddaughter and two greatgranddaughters,” Jody said. The Griffins chose Heritage Plantation for a home on a lake. “Our Realtor and friend Pat Glenn (we share grandchildren) told us a new subdivision with lake lots was being developed,” Jody said. “We chose our lot from the plat and built our home in 1998.”

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An intricately carved wall clock oversees one corner of the Gregory’s suite.

12 Madison Living

Their two-story brick home uses federal architecture to replicate the facade of Tom’s family farm home, Pleasant Vale, in Danville. The traditional home features many antiques, mostly family pieces from the Sims (their maiden name) and Griffin families. In the foyer, an antique sideboard greets guests. A prism lamp generates conversational questions. A hall mirror of cherry extends nine feet. The living room has lady and gentleman chairs in cherry. The dining room is furnished entirely with antiques, including a teacart. An extension of the kitchen, their sunroom has a grandfather’s clock, Edyie and Jody’s childhood photographs framed in gold leaf and mahogany desk with north wind chair. Married 48 years, David and Edyie Gregory pursued “a lifetime of military service” both stateside and in Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and Heidelberg and Stuttgart, Germany. For his Pentagon assignment, they lived in Virginia until David’s death in 2007. In 2012, Jody convinced her sister to move to Madison. Edyie had a three-day estate sale, giving dibs to daughter Cheryl Gregory of Alexandria, Virginia and Dave Gregory Jr. of Elizabeth, Colorado. “I began my ultimate journey with great excitement,” Edyie said. “No looking back for this

Their mother’s twin beds and grandmother’s hobnail cranberry light are in Edyie’s guest bedroom.

The beautiful dining room table in cherry reflects the multi-tiered crystal chandelier.

Madison Living 13

A splendid peacock boasts its dramatic plumage, one of Edyie’s collections.

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lady.” Before moving to Madison, Edyie found a contractor to remodel two upstairs rooms and bath. She renovated the space that Tom and Jody had used for Griffin Appraisals’ office into a suite measuring 25 by 20 feet that overlooks the lake. Edyie furnished her suite with a definite Asian flair, using accessories collected during military life. She added “a smattering of German Gustaf Regulator clocks, hand-blown crystal in a lighted corner cabinet and items from Viet Nam and China.” Edyie’s guest bedroom has her mother’s twin cherry beds and her grandmother’s hobnail cranberry light. “In a treasure hunt in Stuttgart, I found the most beautiful marble-top commode and two marbled tables ... free for the taking.” After gutting the bathroom, she installed heated flooring, a Travertine-tiled shower with eight jets and rain showerhead. “It, too, is Asian in motif with stunning black Chinese wallpaper. I could live in that shower with soft music and a glass of wine,” Edyie said. Whimsical statuary with two girls on a bench oversees the driveway. “Edyie brought her ‘girl’ from Virginia to join mine,” Jody said. The girls’ accessories change with the seasons -- knit hats for winter, bonnets for spring. The sisters learned to appreciate plants’ and trees’ beauty from their father, Malcolm Sims, a garden center and landscape business owner. Edyie and Jody call their love of gardening “playing in the dirt.” Leaving behind her Virginian garden, Edyie now struggles with the challenge of Alabama clay. The sisters tend an herb garden with rosemary, lemon thyme, basil and oregano, among others. “So my best friend and I continue this journey of life in Alabama with great anticipation and love of friends and family,” Edyie said.

Orchids:

ARTS & CULTURE

Patience, perseverance cultivate natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bold flowers WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO

Rich purple explodes on this Phalaenopsis orchid.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Many colors and varieties of orchids thrive in Edna Bryan’s greenhouse. Edna Bryan owns more than 1,200 orchids. Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum specimens are in this view. Edna Bryan built a greenhouse, 20 by 46 feet, for optimum growing conditions for her orchids.

16 Madison Living

ome are bright, others mottled and almost ominous. Tall and tiny. Single showstoppers or clustered beauty. Orchids are exotic, respected flowers that growers cherish. Deb Delmas of Huntsville, Heart of Dixie Orchid Society president, learned blooming tips for her deeppurple Miltionopsis Dark Star orchid at a 2003 meeting. Soon, the plant grew six influorescenses (flower clusters) with four blooms each, totaling 24 flowers. Delmas’ orchid won a blue ribbon at a Nashville show. “I was amazed to do something so wonderful. I was definitely hooked,” she said. Delmas started growing orchids in her kitchen, then the sunroom. In 2012, her husband Jeff and niece Haley Delmas built a greenhouse to house most of her collection. “I take many orchids outdoors for ‘Summer Camp,’ where they flourish,” Delmas said. “They get their energy to set

buds for next year’s blooms.” “Orchids are so diverse. I could spend a lifetime learning about the varieties,” Delmas said. She always keeps the plant’s name tag for online research for best growing conditions. Most flowers bloom from light and temperature changes. Delmas specializes in Vanda falcata orchids, documented since the 1600s and collected by Japanese Samurai for the head Shogun. The fancy of rich nobles, Vanda orchids were covered by a gold or silver net for protection. When viewing plants, admirers had to cover their mouths with thin paper. A relative gave Edna Bryan of Madison her first orchid. Today, she owns more than 1,200 of the prized specimens. To care for her orchids, Bryan built a greenhouse, 20 by 46 feet, for optimum growing conditions. Bryan monitors humidity, temperature and lighting. “I run fans all the time. I turn on heating and cooling, as needed,” she said.

Her inventory includes the most popular species of orchids —Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Paphiopedilum, Psychopsis and Bulbophyllum. “I do not have a favorite. They’re all beautiful,” Bryan said. Bryan admits orchids are tricky to grow “if you don’t know the culture they prefer. If you learn how they grow in nature, they’re easy as any other plant.” A Paphiopedilum, or Lady’s Slipper, probably was her most beautiful flower. A distinctive species, ‘paphs’ have waxy blooms in deep colors lasting weeks, sometimes months. Since 1994, Bob and Marion Fallon of Madison have amassed about 2,000 orchids. They bought their first orchid at a Heart of Dixie Orchid Society show. “I was attracted by their many different colors, shapes, sizes and fragrances,” he said. The Fallons’ orchids live in their two greenhouses year-round, except a few outside for summer. Several fans and louvers constantly circulate air. An automatic misting system waters bare-root varieties. They primarily grow Paphiopedilum, Bulbophyllum, Cattleya and Vanda varieties. Bob Fallon’s favorites are Cattleyas, the ‘corsage orchid’ with large, showy blooms, and the unique Bulbophyllums. The largest genus, Bulbophyllums

Madison Living 17

Vanda and Cattleya orchids hang in terra cotta pots along a wall in the Fallon greenhouse.

Cattleya orchids are one of Bob Fallonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite varieties.

18 Madison Living

Since 1994, Bob and Marion Fallon of Madison have amassed about 2,000 orchids.

range from single blossoms to clusters in a myriad of shapes, some resembling jellyfish with dangling tentacles or a miniature UFO. Marion Fallon prefers Paphiopedilums (Lady Slippers), some indigenous to Alabama. “Like most plants, orchids grow best under conditions close to their native environment. Different species like different amounts of sun, water and temperature,” Bob said. “Fortunately, many orchids will grow between 60 and 95 degrees with various amounts of shade. Major pests for orchids are aphids, mealy bugs, scale and fungus. “Ants can also be a problem,” Fallon said. A Cattleya ranks as Fallon’s overall favorite specimen “with blue, pink and white markings in the flowers.” However, other orchids in “the bright whites, the reds, the blues and the yellows are all very close.” Heart of Dixie Orchid Society meets monthly on the third Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Huntsville Botanical Garden. Membership is not required to attend. “The group is more than willing to help new growers with their orchid problems and show them how to repot their plants,” Fallon said. For more information, call Diane Campen at 256-864-9470.

The common name for a Paphiopedilum orchid is Lady Slipper.

Madison Living 19

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Celebrating 12 Years

In Business Supporting Our Local Customers

IN THE BIZ

Mad ison

Golf Center

celebrates a long history, plans a high-tech expansion WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH BREWER

22 Madison Living

Madison Golf Center Co-owner Jimmy Taylor shows off his swing.

ennie Gibson will happily confess to hearing the swoosh and crack of golf clubs hitting golf balls on the driving range in her sleep. “All the time,” she laughed, “That, and the ball dispenser. We have an elevator that drops the balls in the dispenser. It goes ‘thring, thring, thring.’ I’ll never forget it.” As co-owner of the Madison Golf Center, Gibson insists she relishes the sounds of a family enterprise that has been a Madison institution on the south side of I-565 for a quarter century. “When we built the place in 1990, it was a dirt field that used to be a cotton field,” she recalled. “In Madison then, there was nothing. It’s changed quite a bit.” Today, the center reports a vast membership, more than 5,300 of its range cards in circulation. And while its business has been slightly dinged by a still-soft economy, it sees a steady stream of golfers from as far as Scottsboro and Oneonta, reported Jenny Gibson’s brother, golf pro and co-owner Jimmy Taylor. “I’ve got a wide variety of clients and students,” said Taylor. “I’ve got kids ranging from age five to people that are in retirement.” Taylor, too, said the sounds of the strokes are his constant companions. “I hear it when I’m not here,” he admitted. “But it’s a good thing. The sound of the ball dispenser means we’re busy and the sound of the swings means I’m teaching.” As the operators moved into their busiest season during the summer months, they reserved special enthusiasm for Father’s Day, a time when indulging dad often means more golf, said Gibson. “It’s a big day for us,” she said. “We get a lot of kids and wives who get their husbands and fathers range cards. The pro shop does quite a bit of business around Father’s Day also.” Not that dads don’t dominate the range already. Basket of balls rests on the table at Madison Golf Center.

Madison Living 23

Dalton Wise, 8, of Madison, practices golf with his dad at Madison Golf Center.

24 Madison Living

“Most Saturday and Sunday afternoons we see dads with kids quite a bit, and dads trying to coach their kids,” she chuckled. “Every dad wants his kid to be the next Tiger Woods or something. It’s cute to watch.” And as the summer months approached, the facility closed in on a major new move… indoors. The Golf Center’s brand new training building is to offer more teaching space and, most notably, a golf simulator with a 16-foot video screen for virtual golf rounds on more than 100 different golf courses. Any time, rain or shine. “If it’s raining outside, you can come here and play 18 holes,” said Taylor. “But it’s also a good teaching utility. It’s got lasers and launch monitors that show you how far your ball travels. It tells you everything you need to know about your swing.” “People are excited,” Gibson said. “Customers keep asking about the new building. We’ve developed a new website and we’re trying to get information out so we can get some exposure on it.”

Although, for exposure, she granted it’s hard to top the high profile appearance of the golf center itself, in plain sight of the busy interstate, especially at night when its bright lights illuminate the driving range. The lights are so bright they’ve had to be redirected to prevent conflicts with nearby airfields. The lights have proven to be an irresistible, if not inexpensive billboard for the facility. “People drive up all the time and want to know about the place,” she said. Gibson recounted one such encounter. “I was laying sod in the tee box,” she said, “and a guy drove up in a Cadillac, looked around and he just started laughing. He said ‘I’ve never heard of something so stupid in all my life. You’ll never make money on this!’ And he walked back to his car and drove off.” That was as the golf center was under construction 24 years ago. Gibson tells the story with relish today. Charles Molineaux is an anchor and investigative reporter with WAFF 48 News.

HEALTH

Spirits Willing, Fleshâ&#x20AC;Ś Healthy? Madison Mission Church spreads Good News of good health with Ready Set Move fitness program.

WRITTEN BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEN FOUTS-DETULLEO Madison Living 25

s church communities the world over seek to help those who can’t find enough to eat, what is a congregation to do for those who may eat too much? Perhaps dangerously too much? “It’s like we’re evangelizing,” said Tanzy Chandler, founder of the “Ready Set Move” program, now in its second year at the Madison Mission Church. “We value our health message which talks about clean eating and regular exercise.” It’s a message church members decided needed to be spread in an era of epidemic obesity and one over which one church volunteer, herself a doctor, raised alarms. “This was a burden on her heart, worrying about people,” Chandler explained. “And I’m a physical therapist. I know the importance of keeping your body strong to prevent injury and to reduce the chance of obesity in our communities.” The church’s answer was a 5:30 Sunday evening weekly initiative of fitness training and counseling. Ready Set Move’s fitness

26 Madison Living

offerings included a group exercise class, Zumba, circuit training and a dance regimen dubbed “Core Commotion.” “It was a really good workout,” said Susan Donais of Madison, who became a regular Sunday visitor as she incorporated the program into her own efforts at slimming down. “There were people of all different ages and all different health levels and you got a good workout no matter what level you were at.” But this program focused on offering not just the stuff of any gym membership but also solutions for contemporary barriers to fitness. Cost for one. “It’s absolutely free,” Chandler exclaimed. The Ready Set Move corps of trainers and counselors was made up of Madison Mission volunteers, many of them certified fitness instructors, and welcomed participants without charge. “It’s a community outreach service,” said Chander. “Our goal is really to meet the needs of the community.” Child care remained an issue, too, so the church set up child care during the

Surrounded by some of the gear Madison Missionary Church uses for its Saturday services, Natalie Alexander dances up a rousing routine to stir her exercise class.

Instructor Natalie Alexander takes to the stage to take the congregation through a pulse-pumping workout.

Madison Living 27

program for participants’ kids, aged 2 and up. And then there’s motivation. “People will give testimony over how God has given them the strength to improve,” said Chandler. The program’s Facebook page contains extensive inspirational messages, health tips, exhortations and Bible quotes. “One of our class members has lupus and has a hard time getting out of bed,” Chandler continued. “But she never misses a workout and we love to talk about how God has given her the strength to overcome her challenges and the strength she has gotten by being part of this group of people.” A pitch for the program became a regular exhortation for church members and friends alike. “On Sunday we have kids’ activities in the daytime and encourage people to come to the evening fitness program,” Chandler continued. Donais adds her own stunning testimonial, a loss of 102 pounds over the past year and a half, in part with the help

28 Madison Living

of Ready Set Move. “It was motivating and a new challenge,” she said. “Everybody was just having a great time. I met a lot of new people. It was fun.” The sessions also carry lessons and cross promotion for the church and its other initiatives. “We always encourage people to get involved in any of our other programs,” Chandler added. “We have a women’s ministry, men’s ministry, children’s ministry. We take prayer requests and we read a scripture to encourage people and motivate them, not only in their fitness journeys but also in their personal journeys.” The Ready Set Move program ran from January through March and organizers planned to start it up again by the second week of July. It helps people to become better versions of themselves,” Chandler said. Charles Molineaux is an anchor and investigative reporter with WAFF 48 News.

Pushing up fitness levels. “This is our way of spreading the health message to others and introducing people to a body of people who may be a support group for others,” said class organizer Tanzy Chandler

Summer means fun in pools: Stay safe Summer may not officially begin for many folks until they’ve taken that first dip in the cool, sparkling water of a community or backyard swimming pool. With a new outdoor pool and sprayground open this summer, the Hogan Family YMCA shares water safety tips to help keep children and adults safe and confident as they enjoy water recreation this summer. “Swimming is a fun and enjoyable activity for children and adults alike, and it’s an easy way to stay physically active and improve strength, flexibility and stamina,” said Ginger Upshaw, the Hogan Y’s new Aquatics Director. The Hogan Family YMCA encourages parents to take an active role in their child’s safety. Following are safety tips to practice when in and around the water: • Only swim when and where there is a lifeguard on duty, and never swim alone. • Adults should constantly and actively watch their children and never leave them unattended near the water. • Inexperienced or non-swimmers should

Will Ross, 6, is the young man enjoying the water slide under the watchful eye of YMCA lifeguard Taylor Connor. (Contributed)

wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. • Parents or guardians of young children should be within an arm’s reach. • Children and adults should not engage in breath-holding activities. As part of the Y’s commitment to strengthening community through youth

development and healthy living, Hogan Family YMCA offers swim lessons for all ages from infants to adults. Additionally, the Y offers Swim Team, Masters Swim Class, Dream Olympics and water exercise that teach water safety skills and give all the chance to explore the many health benefits of swimming. Rising second-graders in Madison City Schools have SPLASH to look forward to this school year. Every third grade student in Madison receives free water safety and basic swim instruction as part of the SPLASH program, part of the Y’s commitment to social responsibility. The Y also makes financial assistance available to pay for swim lessons to those who qualify, because as a nonprofit, the Y turns no one away from programs and membership because they can’t afford to pay. “The Y encourages all children and adults to learn how to swim. It’s never too late,” Upshaw said. “Basic swimming skills and water safety practices save lives every day.”

Madison Living 29

Madison graduates largest, brightest senior class

EDUCATION

Summer has come again, which academies. We take our responsibility means we have bid farewell to another of preparing them very seriously. senior class. This year’s seniors did exceptionally Just recently, Madison City Schools well on their ACT tests. Twenty held commencement for Bob Jones percent scored 30 or above, with an and James Clemens high schools. overall average ACT score of 23. This was our largest senior class ever Madison City Schools produced Dr. Dee as a school district. In just 16 years, more National Merit Finalists (a total Fowler Madison’s senior class grew from 333 of 24 among Bob Jones and James in 1998-99 to approximately 829 this Clemens high schools) than any other year. school district in Alabama regardless of size. The board and I remain optimistic about More than half our graduates were armed the future with young ladies and young with scholarships when they walked across men like this poised to become tomorrow’s the stage to receive their diploma. Guidance leaders. counselors at both schools report heavy Approximately 70 percent of our graduates courting of our students by some of the matriculate to a four-year university and finest colleges in the country: Dartmouth, 20 percent to a two-year college. The rest Brown, Cornell, Duke, Stanford, University will pursue career opportunities, hopefully of Pennsylvania, West Point, to name a few. aided by one of our outstanding career tech Our high school principals are equally

proud of the performance of these kids. James Clemens Principal Dr. Brian Clayton said: “We have an outstanding group of seniors that are leaders in the school. They have exemplified themselves in academics, arts, and athletics. We will surpass our scholarship monies from the year before by several hundred percent. This group also has 6 National Merit Finalists. We are very proud of this group. They represent James Clemens High School well.” Bob Jones Principal Robby Parker said: ”I couldn’t be more proud of the Class of 2014. They have excelled in academics, the arts and athletics. I love every one of them and they will be truly missed. They will be Patriots now, forever and always.”

Dr. Dee Fowler is Superintendent of Education for Madison City Schools

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30 Madison Living

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JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER FUN! Madison Living 31

Dublin Park Easter Egg Hunt Madison children enjoy tradition of hunting eggs in Dublin Park. 1. Giselle Chang gets her photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny 2. Zoe and Brittni Zaurzaur 3. Crimson Leigh Tate 4. Lexi Evans with Maile Wallace 5. Emma Gadomski, Adriana Gadomski and Piper Swain model easter fashions 6. Lady Kassamm and Deedra Mack with kids Nyima Kassam Arianna Mack

7. Michael Lee with golden egg 8. Radi Saxena 9. Addisyn Langford heads out to hunt eggs in full team regalia 10. Madison Mayor Troy Trulock directs egg hunters in Dublin Park before countdown to egg hunt

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX

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11. Starr Burch 12. Reagan Schoenfeld 13. Jason, Ryan, Christina and Emily Moran 14. Vicky Glydwell with Chase Hill 15. Doug and Weston Platt

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Madison Living 33

Madison Farmers Market

Mild weather, new larger grounds bring out big crowds to Madison Farmers Market. 1. Beekeeper Dale Rohe of Rohe Bee Ranch 2. Todd and Allison Rowland from Free Hearts Farm 3. Faith Todd Calais Eledui with Piper & Leaf locally produced gourmet tea 4. Stephanie Mast reveals springtime blossoms were in full bloom at the first 2014 Madison Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market 5. Margaret and Mark Mazikowski reported brisk sales from their Moo-Shine Dairy

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX

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6. Karen Blackwell of Front Porch Coffee with her grandson Wyatt Ellis 7. Abby and Jason Martin 8. Carrie Coan 9. Members of the Log Cabin String band (from left) Lou Beasley, Sara Burcham, Terry Burcham, and Jon Blakely 10. Lisa Leblanc and Chelsea Howard

Madison Living 35

March for Babies March of Dimes at Bridge Street Town Centre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 12, 2014. 1. Lisa Grice, Beverly Toney, Pam Lanier, Carolyn Griffin, Kimberly Essex and Tammy Baker 2. Christina Woods 3. Justin Gosnell, Andrew Bastien, Katie Carpenter and Suzanne Wells 4. Antoinette Fowlkes, Ieisha Waterman, Heidi Rudolph and Aisha Brewster

5. Ed, David and Ben Pendergrass; Joey and Kelly Runnels and John Robinson

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT CROOMES

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6. Donny, Michelle and Landry Claire Shaw 7. Wilbert Brown and David Points Jr. 8. Katherine Allison, Tobi Mingione, Taylor Key and Taylor Yeazitzis 9. Sara and Kathleen Barnes

10. Melissa Brennan, Cassie Adams and Vanessa Irizarry

Madison Living 37

Police Carnival

Madison Police Foundation hosted its fourth annual spring carnival, which raises funds to support police officers and their families, as well we supporting defense classes and Kids Camp summer programs. 1. Lasonia Kingston and Ainaya Kingston 2. Michael and Michelle Staggs 3. Lee Castleberry and Cristy Threatt 4. Savannah, Bailey and Brandi Gatlin with Makenleigh Crafts 5. Payton, Matti and Michael Malsick

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MOLINEAUX

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Moving your business in the right direction. You know where you’d like your business to go. But you may not know the next steps to take. BB&T is here to support businesses of all sizes by sharing the financial knowledge we’ve gained over more than 140 years. BB&T’s flexible options are tailored to your needs, your goals and your vision. So you have what you need to move your business forward. Let’s get started today. BBT.com

Kristen Strickland Market Leader & Small Business Consultant 8441 Hwy 72 Madison AL 35758 O: 256-690-5590 C: 256-960-1267 KStrickland@BBandT.com

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