The dinner table
The age-old tradition of gathering around the dinner table is about so much more than eating. Sitting together without any distractions and having real conversations is something that we all could use a little more in our lives. Page 5A
MADISON - Madison City Board of Education members got a sneak peek last week at the progress of Journey Middle School, which is nearing completion. Madison school board members and Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols took a brief walk-through of the building on Wednesday, led by reps from the construction management team of Volkhert.
“I am happy to report completion is near and plans are being made for the opening this fall,” Nichols stated.
School officials got some additional good news on its progress: the estimated final tab for the 170,000 square foot building, athletic fields/facilities and other features is on track to be about $47 million - approximately $7 million under budget.
Also accompanying the entourage were members of Journey’s administrative team: Principal Treva Stewart with assistant principals Gerald Franks and Tabitha Odom. Journey Middle School will be the Journey Jaguars and serve students who have been rezoned from both the Discovery and Liberty middle school districts.
MADISON – In his recent “Sittin
With the Supe” podcast, Dr. Ed Nichols, Superintendent of Madison City Schools, welcomed Barney, the facility dog that works at Madison Elementary School.
Speaking for Barney were his primary handler, Stefanie Cook, Counselor at Madison elementary; Beth Woodard, Barney’s secondary counselor and
MADISON - A petition to bring Madison’s city manager issue to the city’s voters was resubmitted Monday after the initial petition was rejected by Madison County Probate Judge Frank Barger.
On Jan. 4, Madison Forward, a citizens group pushing for a special election on whether to change the city’s government structure from having a strong elected mayor to an appointed city manager, submitted the petition to Judge Barger with approximately 900 signatures. Dr. Terri Johnson, who serves as the group’s co-chair, said the petition was rejected without prejudice because some signatures were illegible, several names were of citizens who did not live within the city limits or were not registered to vote.
The city manager system has been under consideration since Madison Mayor Finley appointed a Madison Governance Transition Committee in August of 2021 to investigate the fitness of the system for Madison. The committee produced results in January of 2022, unanimously in favor of the city manager system.
The proposed change would place a council-appointed city manager in charge of the city’s daily operations and departments.
Ultimately the decision lies with Madison voters who must approve the transition. Madison Forward, who is in favor of
Gifted Specialist at Madison elementary; and Stephanie Allen, MCS District Mental Health Services Coordinator.
Named after a “Mayberry” character, Barney Fife is a friendly, black Labrador Retriever that supports students’ mental well-being.
Cook transitioned from teacher to counselor in 2015. That year, Cook and Woodard attended a counselor conference and visited a workshop, “Animals in a Therapeutic Role.”
See BARNEY Page 8A
Barney takes a break during a festival day at Madison Elementary School. Barney is ‘on staff’ as a facility dog at Madison elementary.
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Petition Continued from page 1A
the change, has been collecting signatures since last July to submit the petition calling for a public vote.
Submitting the petition to the Probate courts in Madison and Limestone counties is the next step towards having a special election scheduled, which could come as soon as this spring.
“When we submitted the original petition, we soon received preliminary information that about 150 names would have to be disqualified. That left us 28 names short to meet the required threshold,” Johnson stated. “Within a quick two days, we submitted another 40 plus signatures with the request to add them to those already submitted.”
Johnson said Judge Barger consulted with other legal advisors to see if the new signatures could be added to the previous ones, or if we would have to resubmit. “After several days of consideration, the Judge decided out of an abundance of caution that to avoid any possibility of a legal challenge later, it would be best to dismiss our petition with the option to allow us to resubmit all of the signatures together.”
Madison Forward was also advised to submit the signatures simultaneously to the Probate Judge in Limestone County. “We had been under the impression that Judge Barger would send the petitions to the Limestone County judge after he finished processing them, but we have
been told now that we need to do it ourselves,” Johnson explained.
Another citizens’ group, calling themselves MC Watchdogs had filed a lawsuit objecting to the initial petition in part because it was not filed in Limestone County when the Madison County submission was made.
Currently, the city of Madison operates with a mayor-council form of government, with seven voting district representatives and mayoral recommendations with no vote.
If the change is approved, it would require redistricting Madison into six districts, with a voting mayor elected at large.
The mayor would mostly represent the city in public events and in meetings with neighboring cities. Currently, the mayor is elected and oversees municipal departments and functions, with a heavy hand in deciding the overall direction for the city.
The proposed change would place a council-appointed city manager in charge of the city’s daily operations and departments, who answers to the city council. The mayor would be the “face of the city” and serve as the city council president.
“Based on the city’s committee reports, and the response to this petition drive, we feel confident that the citizens of Madison are favorable toward a vote on the issue, and are likely to vote in favor of this change once they have learned more about it,” Johnson added.
MADISON - Last week, Madison Mayor Paul Finley, the Madison City Council, Executive Director of Madison Visionary Partners Melanie Thornton, and Executive Director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce Michelle Epling took hammers to the former Three Springs facility off of Browns Ferry Road to mark the beginning of construction on the new Madison Community Center.
The community center project has already been a multi-year process beginning in 2020 when Mayor Finley initially expressed interest in purchasing the property and outfitting it as a new senior center at his state of the city of address. The city purchased the property later that year.
Just one year prior, in 2019, the Madison City Council revoked the Three Springs facility’s business license after a string of escapes and a homicide were tied to the juveniles living at the facility. The pandemic set the city’s plans back, but the city council put them back on track in December of 2022 when they approved a proposal by Turner Construction for a community center on the property.
Community leaders believe the community center will be a huge asset to Madison residents.
Mayor Paul Finley is especially excited to transform what some saw as a negative piece of the city into a
Community Leaders took first swing at wall for new community center last Tuesday.
lasting, fun-filled, and enriching establishment.
“Breaking the walls that had such an unfortunate past history and changing the tide of this facility to positively impact and support our residents is a great win for our City! The community center marks a maturation of Madison and will serve as an asset for all ages for decades to come,” Finley commented.
Michelle Epling is looking forward to the enhancements the facility will bring to Madison’s business community, “Our small business community will greatly benefit from the center with additional meeting spaces. This is an exciting and important
milestone for our community, and the Madison Chamber of Commerce is happy to see plans come to fruition!”
“The community center will enhance the social infrastructure of Madison as we continue to grow a vibrant, connected and healthy city,” Melanie Thornton added. “Public spaces, like the community center, help define a city’s economic vitality and quality of life, which is why MVP is excited to be leading the fundraising effort.”
Thornton’s Madison Visionary Partners organization is playing an essential role in funding the $11 mil-
MADISON – Children at all elementary campuses in Madison City Schools soon will have revamped, safer playground areas.
The only caveat is Midtown Elementary School, the newest campus in MCS, that had its up-to-date, contemporary playground included during construction. “The other playgrounds will be equivalent to Midtown,” MCS Chief Operations Officer John Jones said.
The playground project has a $2.6-million price tag, which includes removal of dated equipment, site preparation and new playground pieces.
Great Southern Recreation in Murfreesboro, Tenn. won the bid for procurement of playground equipment and installation of the ‘play stations.’ Representatives from Great Southern talked
to principals and parents at each school in determining the playground needs for each campus. The company also requested the enrollment at each school to help in its calculations.
Currently, crews are working at Horizon and Rainbow. Workers are slightly behind schedule because of the arctic-cold weather in December 2022 and incessant rain during January. In addition, crews are waiting for delivery of additional equipment to the sites.
“Rainbow is getting the gravel base installed now. Probably about one-half is covered in gravel. When workers finish at Horizon, they will go to Rainbow.” The project is “an overall investment to all schools,” Jones said.
Elementary schools with larger populations will have a playground with more space. Schools with a larger share of children in special education, including
Now you know
There’s gold! - Turns out, there’s quite a bit of gold on—or, really, in—our planet: 99 percent of the precious metal can be found in the Earth’s core. There is enough to coat the entire surface of the Earth in 1.5 feet of gold.
Since February is officially the month of love, I’ve decided to put this on paper. Just to be safe, I’ve covered my bases by having my wife sign a notarized document giving me permission to write this story. So, if I come up missing, or you drive by my house and see all of my stuff in a pile by the mailbox, you will know that she chose not to abide by our legal agreement. I’m going to tell you about my first kiss. This wasn’t a good night kiss from mommy, or a peck on your cheek from your Aunt Eileen; I’m talking about a real face to face, lip to lip, kiss from a girl my own age. People may forget their spouse’s birthday, anniversaries, or the last four digits of their Social Security number, but they never forget their first kiss.
Some of the details of mine are a bit fuzzy; that’s what time will do. However, many of the events that day are still clear in my mind, so it obviously had a big impact on me.
For a 12-year-old boy, there’s no better place for a first kiss than the woods.
That’s where it happened for me. There was a big rope swing in a forest not too far from my house where kids would gather regularly. On this particular day, Marcia was therea cute, sweet girl in my 6th grade class. Marcia was already 13, and had a couple of boyfriends, so she was several exits past me on
Joe Hobbythe make-out highway.
I don’t remember how or why we ended up alone in a clearing above the path. Maybe it was coincidence, maybe she planned it, but for whatever reason, Marcia decided it was time to administer a teachable moment to a naive student.
Once she pulled me towards her, I was:
a) surprised
b) scared to death
c) excited
d) all of the above
The correct answer of course, is d).
Initially, I had no idea this was going to happen.
Marcia was cute, popular, and as I was about to learn, quite worldly. I thought she was out of my league. When I realized what was about to occur, a jolt of fear shot thru me. “What if I do it wrong?”, I thought.
“What if I turn my head the wrong way? I haven’t brushed my teeth!” From what I’ve heard from some of my friends (both male and female), this is a pretty common reaction.
I was stunned when the lesson actually began. Our lips met, and it felt like an electric shock went all the
See HOBBY Page 8A
The age-old tradition of gathering around the dinner table is about so much more than eating. Sitting together without any distractions and having real conversations is something that we all could use a little more in our lives.
I don’t know about you, but I can remember the times we would spend with family around a long dining table filled with the best Southern cooking you could ever imagine. The smell would greet you at the door, as would my family — with a wonderful warm embrace, of course.
The conversations, the laughs, the smiles, the siblings kicking each other under the table, and the one rather firm debate were guaranteed. Time would seem to stand still and nothing else mattered. Everything outside of those moments could wait.
This tradition is not honored by many anymore. But I was remind-
ed of how important eating family dinner together really is the other day when my 22-year-old son made a comment at lunch. “Its not about about what’s on the table or what table we are at,” he said, “it matters that we are here sitting together as a family.” Wow! I was amazed—and thrilled!
I know that lives are busy and sometimes it is not possible to sit and dine together for every meal, but setting aside time to do this when possible is vitally important. Putting away our phones and any outside distractions and just focusing on each other and sharing the moment is not only a time of bonding, but a time of healing and helping each other.
We are faced with daily decisions and deadlines. Many things need to be done, whether at home or work. But the time we spend sitting and talking at dinner is time that we can completely take ourselves away from those distractions and really focus on each other.
The world would love for us to continue living the monotonous, mundane life of a robot, never looking up to see what is really going on around us. God, however blessed us with a beautiful world to explore and enjoy. He blessed us with family and friends and gives us time every day to enjoy those things.
The benefits of gathering together and actually listening to each other can bring so much more joy — more joy than a stranger’s social media feed that probably isn’t as awesome as you think it is.
Take a moment to enjoy real life, the life you have been blessed with. Learn to step away from the outside world and into the lives of your family and friends. Our families need this, our friends need this, and our world definitely needs this.
Time is precious and short. Break bread together and enjoy all the blessings and little moments that can’t be replaced.
For more from Alabama 1819 News, go to 1819news.com.
From t he moment you enter M ad i son Cro ssi ngs, it w i l l b ecome cle a r t h at ou r goa l i s to i n st i l l pu r p o se a nd love i n ou r sen ior s t h roug h ou r sp ec i a l i zed prog r a m s a nd ser v ice s We w i l l exceed t he exp ec t at ion s of ord i n a r y p er son a l c a re, a nd t re at ou r sen ior s a s a b eloved fa m i ly memb er.
By ERIN COGGINS news@themadisonrecord.com
MADISON - The Madison Methodist Women will host their inaugural Gifts of Grace Marketplace on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the church in Historic Downtown Madison.
The event, open from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., will feature local vendors offering items for spring gift-giving and decorating.
“We have a variety of vendors from across the area, including soap and candle makers, talented woodworkers, crafters in fabric, pottery, mosaics and more,” president of the Madison Methodist Women, Carol Moats said. “Homemade baked good and beautiful plants will also be available.”
Visitors can also treat themselves to lunch in the Charity Café, featur-
ing homemade soups and bakery items prepared by church members.
“Visitors can expect to do some shopping and sit for a leisurely lunch during a shopping break,” Moats said. “There will also be an opportunity to purchase tickets to win prizes from our participating vendors.”
Proceeds from vendor fees, the café and raffle items, will benefit Madison Methodist Women’s missions which include various local non-profits.
“The missions we support include 305 Eighth Street, Owens House and Lincoln Academy,” Moats said. “We also fund our children’s youth and preschool ministries at our church.”
For more information on the Madison Methodist Marketplace, contact Carol Moats at gogcoordinator@gmail.com
These are just a sample of some of items that will be on sale Feb. 18 at the inaugural Gifts of Grace Marketplace.
is happening now and in the future of Madison. The meeting will be at the Hogan Family YMCA in Madison (130 Park Square Lane) with social time starting at 9:30 a.m. and the program beginning promptly at 10:00 a.m.
The Master Gardeners of North Alabama are presenting a free gardening series to beginning gardeners and to newcomers in our North Alabama area. The classes will be every Tuesday in February starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Madison Public Library and should last less than two hours. The presenters will be Alabama Extensions Agents and Master Gardeners. If you need assistance or good information on gardening in this area, this is for you.
All current residents, friends and neighbors are always welcome. The club offer informative programs monthly ad a variety of outside activities that may interest you. For further information please contact Martha Heard at 256-772-9721.
Golf tournament planned to help Next Step Farms
Next Step Farms Golf Tournament will be hosting a golf tournament at Huntsville Country Club Course on Monday, March 13 with lunch at 11 and a shotgun start by 12:30. Next Step Farms is an adult special needs day program for individuals with cognitive disabilities. This tournament offers an opportunity to learn more about the program, and enjoy an afternoon of fun, fellowship and good-natured competition. Register at www.nextstepfarms.org.
The Jackson Center
6001 Moquin Dr. NW Huntsville, AL
A night for fashion, friends and fundraising will fill the evening at “ROUGE – A Go Red Event,” sponsored by the Central North Alabama Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. ROUGE will open at 6 p.m. and continue to 10 p.m. on Feb. 11 at The Jackson Center, 6001 Moquin Drive NW in Huntsville. Appropriate attire will be ‘red cocktail.’ The fashion show features community leaders as models and heart health advocates. For information visit cnaadst.org.
Huntsville Symphony at the Garden
February 10
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Huntsville Botanical Garden
Please join us for ROUGE, an unforgettable, entertaining, and inspiring Go Red event featuring a Red Dress Fashion Show with our own community leaders and professionals modeling for the cause. Be ready to be inspired and celebrate your new commitment to a better way of life.
4747 Bob Wallace Avenue
hsvbg.org
ROUGE will also feature a silent auction, music, and dancing.
Join The Huntsville Botanical Gardens as members of the Huntsville Symphony Or chestra in conjunction with their Music in the City program to delight guests with beautiful music in the Garden Atrium.
Guaranteed to be an exquisite night of fashion, food, and fun so get your tickets now.
Dangerously in Love Mystery Dinner
Friday, Feb. 10
Instaspace Studio, Harvest
All proceeds benefit the American Heart Association and the programs of Central North Alabama Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
“Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind”
Theatre Huntsville
February 11- 18 (7-9 p.m.)
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
www.THTix.com
Having opened in 1988 and still playing to day as the longest-running show in Chicago history, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind is an ensemble experiment in present ing “30 Plays in 60 Minutes.” Each two-min utes or less play is performed in random or der with an interactive audience. An onstage 60-minute timer keeps everyone honest. It’s like a new show every night. This event is recommended for adults only.
In this interactive experience, the audience teams together in groups to determine who dunit. Some lucky audience members will be chosen to act alongside the show’s actors and play the roles of staff members, mobster and entertainers of The Blue Melody. Audi ences are encouraged to join in the fun by dressing up in their best wedding attire for a night of fun, dancing, cheers and cake. Seat ing will be tables of six.
Attire: Red Cocktail
Call or text (256) 274-1517 for more infor-
Huntsville Symphony at Lowe Mill
February 10
1-2 p.m.
Lowe Mill A&E
Musicians from Huntsville Symphony Orchestra will be performing for the public in the First Floor Main Gallery at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment.
Jim Parker’s Songwriters Series
February 10 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Von Braun Center
700 Monroe Street
www.jimparkermusic.com
Experience phenomenal music and the stories behind them from the songwriters themselves.
Conversation with Mozart
February 11 at 7:30 p.m.
VBC Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
www.hso.org
Composer Petér Eötvös created his Dialog mit Mozart in 2014; throughout the piece, he engages in a dialectic exploration of tunes by his renowned predecessor. Violinist Tai Murray takes the stage to perform Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.3 in a program crowned by Schubert’s Symphony No. 4, the “Tragic,” composed at age nineteen but unheard until decades later.
Visit www.cnaadst.org/services-5 to purchase tickets
Highly Suspect
February 11 at 8 p.m.
VBC Mars Music Hall
www.vonbrauncenter.com
Highly Suspect at the Mars Music Hall with special guest Dead Poet Society.
Mosaic of Love by Huntsville Master Chorale
Saturday, Feb. 11 at 4 p.m.
Stone Event Center 2620 Clinton Avenue West Huntsville www.hsvmasterchorale.org.
A unique concert featuring choral arrangements of pop songs, from Motown, Chicago, The Beatles, Billy Joel and more.
way to my toes. Then whoa! She began doing something that was totally unexpected. I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but it was nothing like anyone had ever done to me before. I hadn’t even talked about this kind of thing with my buddies. Not surprisingly, Marcia was cool and con-
Continued from page 5A lion undertaking. Thornton said that MVP will pull from their corporate and private partners to support the costs of construction.
fident. I went along with her as best I could, not knowing whether to bite, cough, or gag. Within a couple of seconds, it was over. Maybe I pulled back because I was still scared. She gave me a warm smile as I stood there trying to process what happened. It was like Yoda had just taught young Skywalker a valuable life lesson. “Kiss you, I did.”, she could have said. We
Continued from page 3A
returned to the swing, where for the next thirty minutes my heart pounded so hard that I thought my chest might burst. Marcia had forever changed my life.
I saw Marcia several years ago when she came to see me perform at The Comedy Club. It was a grand reunion. We hugged and laughed, especially when I said, “It’s so good to see the first girl I ever kissed.”
Barney
The community center will certainly have something for everyone. The over 30,000 square foot facility will house the Madison Senior Center along with a gaming room,
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cafeteria, garden area, 7 multi-purpose rooms, 2 ceramics rooms, a sewing room, an art room, a music room, a special needs room, and more. The adjacent 30 acres will be utilized to construct an outdoor gym, walking trail and disc golf course. The facility will incorporate other outdoor areas as a courtyard and a perform-
ing arts stage.
Demolition on the current building commences February 1. The plans for the new facility, drawn up by Nola VanPuersem architects, will keep the exterior walls and roof of the existing building while completely gutting and renovating the interior. Construction is expected to be finished by Aug. 2024.
I don’t think her husband minded. I’ll paraphrase Jay Leno, who when asked how it felt to be on the Tonight Show for the first time, said, “it’s like the first time you ever kissed someone. It happened fast, and you weren’t very good at it, but you knew you wanted to do it again.”
Perfect analogy, Jay. And you never forget it.
Continued from page 1A
The session opened Cook’s interest. She asked herself, “What if he had an animal in the workplace?” Allen liked the concept of a support animal for students and helped by talking to Frances McGowan with Service Dogs of Alabama and Jamie Golliver, Madison Elementary Principal.
At eight weeks old, Barney went to Florida Prisons and learned basic commands from prisoners. Barney also completed advanced training. “COVID-19 put a 1.5-year delay on everything, and Barney’s training stopped,” Cook said. Barney finally arrived in Madison in 2022.
A facility dog is very different from a service dog. “A facility dog can work all day to give comfort and to quiet anxiety and stress, but Barney does get a break from 11 a.m. to noon. A therapy dog can only work about three or four hours,” Cook said.
As secondary handler, Woodard functions like a grandparent. “I’m a second person in the building with training and commands. When Stephanie is out, Barney still comes to ‘work,’” Woodard said.
Allen said mental health concerns and other social skills have changed in recent years. “Lots of research has shown ben-
I’ve just had a terrible realization: my oldest granddaughter will be twelve next year. And just the thought of her first kiss makes my heart pound so hard it feels like that my chest is gonna burst - again.
Find more of my stories on my blog: mylifeasahobby.blogspot. com. Also, follow me on Facebook at: Joe Hobby Comedian- Writer.
efits of facility dogs. Facility dogs can increase safe learning environments and help children with behavior concerns. With only a few minutes in the building at Madison elementary, you can feel the difference,” Allen said.
Students have learned the boundaries for Barney. “Students in a line will give ‘thumb wags’ when they see Barney at a distance. No one broke line to pet him. Barney is helping with soft skills,” Allen said.
Paradise Animal Hospital has cared for Barney, who receives free medical service from a veterinarian. “Barney is their little celebrity,” Cook said.
“Stephanie has a schedule if teachers want time with Barney in the classroom. Some teachers had hesitation, but as the year went by, they see how he helps the kids,” Woodard said.
Barney’s personality relaxes people. During recent severe weather, some children were upset, but Barney came in and laid down to boost relaxation. “He gives comfort,” Cook said.
“Barney is a wonderful addition to the school,” Nichols said. “I think facility dogs will expand across the system. What Barney brings to the school is amazing.”
Continued from page 3A
Columbia, Mill Creek and Rainbow, will have more stations of specialized equipment, MCS Public Relations Manager John S. Peck said.
“I am certainly grateful to our school board for their support of this project,” MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said in a recent “District Update.”
Currently, most existing playgrounds have a surface of wood chips that are enclosed by a long, rubberized perimeter. All playgrounds will receive a new, safer surface. “For example, Midtown has a two-inch rubber base, spread under the turf. It feels natural (like artificial turf) when you walk on it,” Jones said.
“The likelihood of falls causing injuries is lower with the new foundations,
compared to the jagged edges of some wood chips in place now,” Jones said. Another benefit is improved drainage. No longer will students have muddy shoes after playing outside. “It can rain and -- only 15 minutes later -- the kids can go out to play,” Jones said. Currently, inclement, winter weather results in mud puddles and prohibits going outside, The new surfacing will allow students to enjoy more time outdoors. Playgrounds will be comparable -- not identical. For example, Columbia and Rainbow have larger populations and will have more playground space. In addition, some PTA groups have raised funds to install more shade cloths and benches.
MADISON - The names Ben Thomason and Isaac Pollard are making waves on the national level of high school track. The juniors at James Clemens recently finished first and second, respectively, at the Last Chance Indoor Track Meet at Birmingham’s CrosspLex in the State Pentathlon Championships.
For Thomason, who began
track and field in the eighth grade, he posted personal records in four events of the pentathlon event- 1,000m, 60m hurdles, long jump and shot put- in route to a win with a point total of 3,379. His performance put him in the state lead among Alabama in the indoor pentathlon and third in the United States this season.
“Winning the state was sort of unexpected for me because of the mile run event thinking it was going to be much tough-
er for me,” said the 5-foot-11, 171-pound Thomason who has a 3.5 grade point average in the classrooms at James Clemens.
“I stayed with Isaac a good part of the race and that helped me. As for the national ranking, it feels great as it showed all my hard work has paid off, but I do plan on getting better.”
Pollard posted 3,198 points to finish runner-up behind Thomason, and like his teammate, has been listed among
By STAFF REPORTS news@themadisonrecord.com
HUNTSVILLE - The University of Alabama in Huntsville men’s basketball team overcame a second-half push by Mississippi College to win 7166 on Saturday afternoon at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall in Gulf South Conference action. UAH improves to 19-6 (14-5 GSC), while MC slides to 12-12 (6-12 GSC).
Sophomore Chaney Johnson guided the Chargers to the victory over the Choctaws with a double-double on a team-high 27 points and 11 rebounds, as he went 8-for-14 from the field and 10-for-14 on free throws.
Johnson has posted 20 or more points on six occasions this season, as he collects his second double-double of the 2022-23 campaign.
Max Shulman generated a strong all-around performance with 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one block and one assist. Shulman also played a roster-leading 39 minutes in the victory.
Luke Burnett and Dane Harding rounded out the Chargers in double-figures with 10 points apiece in the win.
Jack Kostel helped gudie the Chargers on both sides of the floor with a team-high four assists and three steals, while
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MADISON – The Liberty Lionettes Dance Team impressed their peers, along with the judges, at the Bama Regional Competition in Hoover, an event affiliated with National Dance Alliance or NDA.
At the meet, dancers from numerous schools across the Southeast performed more than 70 routines.
The Lionettes competed in hip-hop and claimed second place; their pom routine delivered a first-place win.
Liberty Lionettes include seventh-grader Amiyah Cartwright and eighth-graders Gabby Cole, Charlotte Davidson, Captain Addison Hankins, Brielle Hicks, Ellie Sandritter and Lily Seay.
“Our hip-hop routine is a mix of songs by various artists. The girls do a flip stunt, headsprings, kip-up
scoring eight points as well.
UAH shot 42.3 percent (22-52) from the field and 30.0 percent on three-pointers (6-20), while limiting MC to 41.0 percent (25-61) on field
the nation’s best according to National Milesplit website USA Pentathlon ranking him No. 7. The 6-foot, 175-pound athlete
(or rising handspring) and aerial cartwheels,” Courtney Hooper Kelley said. Kelley coaches the Lionettes and teaches theatre and elective courses at Liberty.
“Our pom routine is a mix of songs by Britney Spears. The choreography contains pirouettes, jumps, leaps, turns and other tricks,” Kelley said.
The team hires a choreographer, Sarah Lash with Southern Sensations Dance Studio, to create their routines. “Sarah Lash teaches the routines to the girls. We practice the routines for months before we compete,” Kelley said.
Kelley is in her third year of coaching the Lionettes. “I love it so much. I started coaching during the 2020-2021 school year – the height of the pandemic. My administration and coworkers have been so supportive and helpful as I’ve learned how to coach,” she said.
Continued from page 1B
goals. The Chargers additionally held the edge over the Choctaws in points off turnovers (15-4) and fastbreak points (7-6).
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said he and Thomason piggy-back off each other’s strengths as both are very competitive. He added, “I’m excited Ben won the State Championship as he put in the work, and he deserved it.”
“Being ranked No. 7 in the United States is surreal as I don’t know to process the national recognition,” said Pollard of his listing on the national level. “I definitely feel blessed and made the most of my season and at times is difficult to see it’s worth it, but when you receive a national honor like this it proves it’s all worth it.”
The twosome placing first and second in the state has never happened by any school prior to their doing so at the indoor meet. Pollard won the 1000m (2:51.37) in a personal best fashion.
Thomason said, “Running with Isaac is the best thing ever as we’re always having fun, but we push each other to be better. I believe it’s good to have someone who pushes you and is trying to beat you.”
“I feel blessed to have Ben on the team and when he’s not around I feel
Growing up, Kelley was a dancer, so coaching brings back many great memories. “My team is full of some really amazing young ladies. They are incredibly driven and work very hard,” Kelley said.
“I just try to push them to improve and be the best versions of themselves. Unlike other sports, we don’t have much of an off season,” Kelley said. “We’ll compete at nationals in March, then choose next year’s team in April, and the season starts all over again.”
In addition, all of the Lionettes dance at a studio. “As their coach, I’m proud of their and their parents’ dedication and sacrifice,” Kelley said.
In other activities, the Lionettes dance on the sidelines and at halftime for football, basketball halftimes, Veterans Day ceremony, pep rallies, faculty/student basketball game and sixth-grade orientation.
UAH looks ahead to the final game of the three-game homestand on Wednesday (today) with a visit from West Georgia. Tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.
lost,” said Pollard. “Having someone to push me makes me a better athlete and Ben is certainly a positive factor for me.”
Both student-athletes give many thanks to their coaches at James Clemens who have provided hours of coaching to allow each athlete to excel to the best of their ability, though both indicated they want more success and to become better competitors.
Pollard would like to possibly participate in track while attending college looking to attend either Mississippi State or Auburn to earn a degree in nuclear engineering. He thinks of his future beyond college of working on Naval aircraft carriers or in the medical technology field. Thomason is also looking at college, but has set a goal to become an Olympian and said, “Knowing I’m third in the country is great, but getting better is what drives me. I do suffer from what they call ‘jumper’s knee’ suffering some pain during my events and will visit a doctor after the season is complete. I’m using a pre-wrap on my knees
and pain reliever when needed.”
Thomason played baseball, basketball and gymnastics as a youth athlete and got into track and field after hearing about the sport from his friends. He liked seeing the events that he watched during the TV coverage of the Olympics so he gave the sport a good effort starting in the eighth grade. His favorite event is the long jump where he has posted a personal best of 21-feet, five inches in the indoor competition and a 21,8 in outdoor track action.
For Pollard, a former soccer and football player, he gives credit to his mother who suggested he try running track as an eighth grader as she saw his potential of being a fast runner. He began in the jumping events and running the 400-meter event. He soon took up participating in the pentathlon while in his freshman year of high school and has progressed in a marvelous way. “I like the variety and the good challenge of the sport,” said Pollard.
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BIRMINGHAM - Bob Jones High
finished among the top 10 teams in both boys and girls at the 2023 AHSAA Indoor Track State Meet held in Birmingham. Individually, Sparkman High came away with the lone state title within the four local schools competing.
Hoover High claimed team state titles in a clean sweep among both boys and girls divisions. The final team standings included: Boys1. Hoover 134, 7. James Clemens 33, 8. Bob Jones 22, 10. Sparkman 20; Girls- 1. Hoover 111.50, 8. Bob Jones 22, 13. Sparkman 15, 18. James Clemens 3.
Overall, Bob Jones picked up one silver medal and three third place medallions while James Clemens claimed two runner-up medals and Sparkman took home one medal from the competition in the form of a gold medal.
Sparkman’s Bobby Gray stood
on the gold medal-winning spot on the podium by winning the shot put competition in Class 7A. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior Senator not only won a state title, but set a new school record with a winning throw of 52-feet, 10-inches. Gray
MADISON - A high school wrestling program relishes the solid feeder program, which supplies new athletes to the program on a yearly basis.
At James Clemens High, those feedings arrive from Liberty Middle School and in the just completed middle school season the squad experienced its best finish in program history.
James Clemens head coach Kevin Pecor has looked for someone to step up and assist in making the middle school program excel and prosper in advance of making the move to the Jets’ varsity program. Pecor received his wish when retired Colonel Dave Baxter came to
the rescue and accepted the duties as volunteer coach for the younger Jets’ wrestlers. On Oct. 17, 2023, after 36 years in military service, Baxter retired and immediately hit the mats with the wrestling team.
“It was my transition period from retirement and I decided to make the move as I’ve always been selfless in nature and I wanted to help,” said Baxter, 57. “I know the overall program at James Clemens needed some help in building the foundation youth wrestlers to make for a solid foundation.
Matt Witte, a retired Marine, was coaching, but his travel schedule kept him away from the middle school program. He has been phenomenal and
Sparkman senior Bobby Gray stands at the gold medal spot on the podium at the AHSAA Indoor Track State Meet after winning the shot put competition with a throw of 52-feet, 10-inches.
has qualified for the state indoor and outdoor meets since he was a freshman. He’s being recruited by several colleges as he carries a 3.6 grade point average and has scored a 25 on his ACT. He’s a
The James Clemens/Liberty Middle School wrestling program was led by volunteer coach Dave Baxter, front row-far right, who is a retired Colonel and graciously took on the responsibilities of guiding the 20-member team.
BREWER- MADISON ACADEMY SIGNS - Wide receiver and defensive back Mario Brewer of Madison Academy utilized National Signing Day to sign a scholarship with Birmingham Southern a NCAA Division 3 program. A team captain for both the Madison Academy football and soccer teams, Brewer was selected First Team All-Region in football and All-State Honorable Mention in soccer. The 5-foot-7, 130-pounder helped the Mustangs score 47 points and allow just 18 points per game in the Mustangs’ 2022 football season that included a 9-3 record and a second round playoff appearance. The son of Mario Sr. and Angel Brewer was named Homecoming King in his senior year and made the Principal’s Honor Roll.
the power of helping an
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -
The University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team continued its season-opening tour of the Sunshine State with a pair of wins at Barry by scores of 5-2 and 10-4 on Saturday afternoon in nonconference action. UAH improves to 3-1, while BU slides to 2-2.
UAH was set to finish its Sunshine State trip on Sunday at Palm Beach Atlantic, but that game was rained out. They will begin a weekend series this Friday at Albertville’s Sand Mountain Park starting at noon. They will return to Charger Park on Feb. 15 to take on North Georgia at 1 p.m.
UAH 5, BU 2
The Chargers came from behind to win the first game of the doubleheader with four runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to propel the squad to the 5-2 win.
Kaylee Vaught drove in a team-high two runs in a 1-for-3 performance at the plate, as he highlighted a two-run top of the sixth with her first home run of the season. Vaught now has 17 home runs in her career.
Lawren Hayes and Maddie Cartron each had two base hits and one RBI to help UAH to the victory, as UAH compiled seven base hits as a team. One of Hayes base hits went for a
double, and she now has a team-high two extra-base hits in 2023.
Katie Bracken had a stellar pitching performance, twirling a complete game with 10 strikeouts and one earned run allowed.
Bracken improves to 1-0 with her first career win at UAH.
UAH 10, BU 4
UAH powered its way to the 10-4 victory with a pair of three-run innings in the contest to complete the doubleheader sweep at Barry.
Hayes excelled out of the lead-off spot in game two on Saturday, as she went a perfect 5-for-5 with four runs and one RBI. One of Hayes’ four base hits went for a triple in the top of the third.
Caitlyn Bryson collected three base hits in four atbats to rate second on the squad, with both Kinley Adams and Vaught also notching multi-hit performances with two hits apiece.
Adams additionally tied for the team lead in RBI with two, as Maddie Cartron also fdrove in two runs in the second game.
The Chargers were also adept on the base paths against the Bucs, posting seven steals as a team led by Hayes and Bryson with two each.
Megan Shurtz started on the mound for UAH, turning in 3.0 innings with two runs allowed for a no-decision.
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brings way more experience than I have. I joined in and our team had its best finish in the program’s history.”
Baxter was Chief of Staff for the Space and Missile Defense Command after arriving in Madison in 2019 arriving to the Tennessee Valley from Fort Sill in Oklahoma. He and his wife of 28 years, Melissa, who helps with the wrestling boost-
MADISON – Two age groups now can register to participate in Alabama American Legion Baseball and play for teams affiliated with Madison American Legion, Post 229.
“It’s that time of the year where the crack (ping) of the bat and smack of the baseball hitting leather is heard all around town. Again this year, Madison American Legion, Post 229 is fielding teams to play American Legion Baseball,” Bobby E. Lee Jr. said. Lee serves as Post 229’s point of contact for baseball.
To register, visit Alabama American Legion Baseball’s website, alabamaamericanlegionbaseball.com, and register for the Madison team.
Madison American Legion is fielding teams in the Varsity division (high school age) and the 19U division (for recent high school graduates and students in the first year of college). “Last year, the
Varsity team finished third in the state,” Lee said.
A competitive, not-for-profit league, American Legion Baseball is primarily comprised of high school ball players that want to compete after the season ends for school baseball. However, unlike travel and showcase baseball, all coaches with American Legion baseball are vetted by a criminal background check, Lee said
“American Legion registered teams come with liability and supplemental medical insurance, along with access to free, robust software to track player rosters, pitcher pitch counts, team wins and losses,” Lee said. “We work with teams to develop their play schedules against other area American Legion teams.”
American Legion baseball costs a fraction of the expense to play summer travel baseball, Lee said. The cost for last year’s teams was less than $400 per player. “Our focus is basic civics, sportsmanship and Americanism, while playing our
national game,” Lee said. “We’re reinforcing respect to our flag, rights and privilege as a citizen in this great nation and respect for those that pay the price of freedom.”
Before each game, team staff plays the “National Anthem” and encourage Legionnaires and other veterans to attend and wear Legion or service caps and talk to players and parents to encourage them to be responsible citizens, Lee said.
American Legion Baseball is one of the most tradition-rich amateur athletic leagues with a lengthy history, Lee said. The league strives to provide a good mix of flexible schedules and good competition. Teams play regular season and tournament games within Alabama. Birmingham was the longest trip that the Madison team took in 2021-2022. The Varsity division season ends with the state tournament. The 19U team can continue into regional and American Legion World Series. For more information, visit alabamaamericanlegionbaseball.com.
er club, have two children. Faith, 23, an athletic trainer for the Auburn University women’s basketball team, and Bryce, 17, who is a junior at James Clemens and wrestles for the Jets in the 132-pound division. Bryce had surgery on his right shoulder in July, has missed his entire junior season and has helped coach the middle school athletes whenever possible.
“Having Bryce helping out has helped us re-learn each other and I’m having a good time,” added Baxter, a former baseball player and wrestler who wrestled intermural at West Point for two years upon his enlistment in the U.S. Army in 1983 and later graduated from West Point in 1991.
The move from the military to the civilian life was perfect for Baxter who liked the transition from the military to an environment of many not responding to commands. He has taken the time necessary to try and find out what motivated the young
student-athletes. From his own experiences, he knows how the sport of wrestling teaches the value set needed to be successful in life as the sport builds the foundation of perseverance and attitude needed to be successful.
“I believe our athletes grew up and hungered for the guidance and the competition,” said Baxter.
The 20-member squad responded in a very positive way to Baxter and Witte as many were raw to the sport, but eager to learn. As any wrestler quickly finds out upon joining a wrestling team, the middle school
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year-round track and field athlete participating in AAU and Summer League competitions.
Gray’s winning mark was just ahead of runner-up Jaylen Drake of James Clemens who finished with a throw of 5105.50.
The remaining medal-winning results included: silver medals- boys 4x800, James Clemens (John Luke Stovall, Luke Alverson, Cole Robinson, Dylan Dryer) 8:06.32, girls
student-athletes were surprised at the physical demand and intense conditioning required to be a good wrestler. Each had to understand the balance and center of gravity the sport requires and the complicated wrestling knowledge it takes to win.
“We focused on basic moves and coached like building blocks,” said Baxter. “I’m a hands-on coach and I try to learn the athletes as they learn me. I offer more encouragement and positive reinforcement and use the tone and inflection of my voice to get a point across
high jump, Kaitlyn Ford, Bob Jones, 5-04; bronze medals- girls 400m, Alivia Urrutia, Bob Jones, 59.53, girls pole vault, Sydney Truesdail, Bob Jones, 1006, boys 4x200, Bob Jones, (Rhys Dorsey, Jordan Morrison, Elijah Wells, Jordan Urrutia), 1:30.96.
The performance of the 4x800 medal winning relay team from James Clemens qualified the Jets for the Scholastic Indoor National Championships.
to them. I’m not a yeller, but I am loud. As I’m calling out commands, I project my voice.”
Baxter expressed his gratitude to both Pecor and Witte for their willingness to allow him to join in the world of high school wrestling. Each of them has seen the progression of the talent and attitude of the young wrestlers in the program and Baxter would love nothing more than return next year so he can make the commands to young wrestlers and see them respond in a positive way in the first steps in the rest of their lives.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Tuesday, February 14, is the Day of Love. It is a time when many people have gifts for loved ones. Valentine’s Day is often considered a romantic holiday, but some people also use it as an opportunity to tell their friends and other family members how much they mean to them. School children often bring small cards to hand out to all their classmates on Valentine’s Day. A homemade card is one of the best gifts that you can give someone you love. Valentine’s Day was named in honor of Saint Valentine, a Catholic priest who believed in love and marriage. Hearts and the colors red and pink often symbolize the holiday. Red roses are the most popular flower given on this day, as well as heart-shaped boxes full of small chocolate candies. Another notable Valentine’s Day treat is Conversation Candies. These small candy hearts have different sayings on them that have changed over the years to fit the times. Greeting cards are perhaps the most common gift given to the one you love or even to friends. Many people plan special meals on this day to spend special time together. Who would you celebrate on Valentine’s Day?
Using the heart symbols shown below, complete the puzzle. You are to have one of each of the four symbols in each vertical and horizontal row, as well as only one of each of the symbols in each of the four bold box areas. You can draw them or write in your choice.
By BECKY MILLER God’s Lemonade Stand
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
- Philippians 4:8
Have you ever felt left out, hurt, envious, or like you were playing second fiddle? Normally it occurs when your mind is on the flesh, not the spirit. When the mind screams out “you deserve this” then your mind goes off on its’ rampage conjuring up scenarios that can wreak havoc and wreck relationships if not held at bay.
Maybe you think you have this licked then you discovered you were left
out of something or get hurt by an apparent snub that may not be a snub at all. Get your mind settled on the things above and don’t let your thoughts go crazy.
To live a life of peace this area of a settled mind must be foremost in the fruit of the spirit. Don’t allow the enemy to rob you of peace by getting you stirred up and hurt like a little child. Get settled in your mind and spirit so that jealousy will not control you. Let it go.
PRAYER: Forever your word is settled in heaven and I want to let your peace permeate my very being. Help me recognize when I am starting to stray into enemy territory and tell Satan he cannot steal my contentment and peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God’s Lemonade Stand is written by former Madison resident Becky Miller. Her daily devotions appear on Facebook or at godslemonadestand.blogspot.com.
On Sunday mornings, I worship in a warm, cozy sanctuary. I lift my frequently-offkey voice in songs of praise. I sing words that tell of chains being gone, of freedom, of God making a way, of His blessings. I sometimes raise my hands, though am more prone to do it at home. I wear bright colors of my choosing.
Two weeks ago, Lee Rust of Forever Freedom Ministries had the opportunity to return to KCIW (KY Correctional Institute for Women) in Louisville.
It was her first visit back since COVID (2020). I had the privilege of joining her. For many months, her prayer and heart’s desire had been to break through the restrictions to be able to meet inmates there to study God’s Word. Finally, finally, the fulness of time arrived. We were so excited neither of us slept the night before. I kept singing, “This is the day that the Lord has made.” And it was!
Women in khaki uniforms came with big smiles and Bibles to hear a long-awaited word. They filled the small chapel, listened attentively, sang with all their hearts, and lifted their hands heavenward. They sang of chains being gone, of being free, of God making a way, of His blessings. Prison is not like jail. While many we see at the county jail are still in denial, the women of KCIW have been tried and found guilty. Some will serve years as a consequence of their crimes. Many of them will never ever be released. Yet, they praised the Lord. Lee, a KBC MSC Missionary, has her story of how God drew her to prison ministry in 2000. I have
my own, which began in 2006. It was not what I expected. Isn’t that just how God works? I only checked it out because I didn’t want to be swallowed by a whale/fish like Jonah.
Teaching Bible studies at a prison wasn’t even on my radar. That’s typically where God works best: out of our comfort zone. He partnered me with Tanya Parker, a young mother of three little girls. (She didn’t want to be swallowed by a whale, either.) We had no prison experience and had never taught adults. Our focus had been children at church. But…God lit a passion in our hearts to serve women who were incarcerated-women often forgotten by society. Our team began to grow. After the women’s prison closed, God opened the door for us to serve at our county jail.
God calls us to serve others and make His Name known. Not ours, but His. Are you serving? Are you telling others about Jesus? All throughout the Bible, He used ordinary people to tell His story, stretching them out of their comfort zone. Fishermen, farmers, shepherds, and sellers of purple became men and women on mission, telling everyone they knew about the life changing, way-making God in heaven. He can still do that today! If we’re willing. Is there an unreached people group that needs you?
I love going on mission trips. Sometimes that’s out of the country; sometimes it’s across the street.
One of the songs we sang at KCIW was “Chain breaker,” by Zack Williams: “If you’ve got pain, He’s a pain taker; If you feel lost, He’s a way maker; If you need freedom or saving; He’s a prison-shaking Savior; If you’ve got chains, He’s a chain breaker.” I will never sing it the same again.
MADISON - For several generations, many Madison residents when visiting the shops on Main Street have wondered about the name “DANIEL S. BRANDON” inscribed in large print on a stone or concrete insert over the doorway at the entrance to the shop at 112 Main Street. The inscription gives his name as the builder of the store structure. I myself have for years noticed the insert, but I never took the time to research the person’s history in the area until last year when I was contacted about the inscribed name by Donna Costellano, the Executive Director of the Huntsville Historical Foundation. She had been seeking to discover more about D. S. Brandon and when he built the structure. All I knew at the time when Donna inquired was that the inscrption was there and that I had photographed it long ago. However, I also was aware that at the time I had not done any research of the name, nor had I noticed any historical citizens of Madison as having that surname in the census and land records of past years.
To advertise in The Madison Record, call Donna Counts at 256-714-7152
After a few minutes of research, I found Daniel listed as a “colored” resident of Huntsville in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He and his wife, Ellen Scruggs Brandon, were shown in the census of 1920 as age 53 for Daniel and age 52 for Ellen. They were married in 1886, possibly having first met in 1880 at the Rust Institute on Franklin Street founded for the education of Black teachers, where Daniel had been selected as the school’s secretary, serving with William Hooper Councill, who was the school’s corresponding secretary at the time. Further research showed that they lived a family history of accomplishments that were truly amazing for their lifetimes, considering the restrictions of the “Jim Crow” era in the South. Daniel Brandon was listed in census records as among many brickmasons and contractors in the “brickyard” area of Huntsville. Daniel remained listed in Huntsville City Directories as a contractor for the rest of his life. The brickyard was located between the old railroad tracks of the Southern Railroad (formerly the Memphis & Charleston Railroad that ran east-west from 1854) and the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad that ran north-south in this area from the early 1900s until around the 1950s. However, despite the name, the NC&StL RR never reached to St. Louis across the Mississippi River. Both railroad companies had depots or passenger stations in the immediate area of the brickyard. Those separated tracks were very close together in the area that now is occupied by the VBC complex, which then was the southern end of Pulaski Pike. This was also the area that in the early 1800s had been the location of the first brewery in the state, run by the Badlum brothers.
Daniel and Ellen with their four children (and Daniel’s father Henderson) resided for their lifetimes on Pulaski Pike, near today’s Clinton Avenue. In fact, Daniel’s address was given in the Huntsville City Dirctories as 410 Pulaski Pike until the 1924-1925 issue, when the address was listed as 411 Pulaski Pike. He did not move from one house to another across the street.
It was just a change of the city’s numbering system for streets all over the town, implemented in 1923. Apparently, everyone needed to change their personal letterheads or stationery to keep mail deliveries coming to the correct houses
and businesses. Of course, in those days the addresses did not matter so much, because the mail carriers knew everyone by name along their routes. The Brandon family was also associated with the Lakeside Methodist Church, which was a focal point for early Black female suffragists, and Ellen was one of the most famous in the area. She and Daniel were both well educated, and Ellen was active in many civil affairs, including founding the Sisters of Charity to help the poor. Ellen also became a teacher at the school that later was named for William Hooper Councill of Alabama A&M fame as founder of the university and its first President. Ellen additionally chaired a campaign to register Black citizens of Huntsville as members in the Red Cross. She is included on a historical marker in the Councill Memorial Park at the site of the school on St. Clair Avenue by the public library. That marker commemorates the lives of the first six Black women to vote in the county in 1920. More about Ellen’s accomplishments can be seen in displays at the Harrison Brothers Hardware store in Huntsville, beginning on February 24 at 10 a.m. and scheduled to run into September of this year. There is never a charge for visiting the exhibits there, and all are welcome.
Prior to 1901 and after the Civil War, Black men could vote, but the women could not. In fact, after 1901, most Black men were disenfrachised by the voting requirements set into the revised Alabama State Constitution in that year. It required residency, property ownership, and literacy, plus the payment of $1.50 in poll tax. However, in the years before 1901, Ellen’s husband Daniel was twice elected to serve as a member of the Huntsville Board of Aldermen. This occurred in in 1880 and 1891, when he was serving with fellow Aldermen of Huntsville who had extensive connections to the town of Madison. Some of these were Dr. Alfred Moore (who owned property in Madison and was a physician here for a time), Luke Matthews (namesake of Matthew’s cave near Gate 9 of today’s Redstone Arsenal), and J. D. Humphrey. Daniel’s reputation as a good builder-constructor of several of the prominent structures in Huntsville was well-established before he was contacted by the Humphrey Brothers in Madison. He was likely trained in his trade by initially working with other notable Huntsville builders and architects of his generation, but he was also raised undoubtedly with values and skills given especially by his enterprising father, Henderson Brandon. Henderson Brandon was a stonemason, according to census records and Huntsville City Directories of the period. Additionally, Henderson owned a store and gristmill, and he had other trades in addition
to being a stonemason. Daniel obviouly grew up with a focus on the brickmason trade, and for a few years he was part of a large number of people who worked in the Huntsville brickyard to make the bricks and to install them as needed at various sites. The clay was probably brought to the brickyard site by rail and then fired in kilns at that location to produce the bricks for construction projects. By 1911 the Huntsville City Directory showed Daniel’s occupation as a contractor, which was the same occupation shown for him in all subsequent dircctories to 1936. He and his wife Ellen were shown in the 1940 directory with no occupation and still living at 411 Pulaski. The 1943 directory had no entry for Daniel, but Ellen was still at 411 Pulaski with Samuel S. Brandon, probably a son or grandson.
Transportation by rail for the raw materials and the finished bricks is no doubt why the Huntsville brickyard was located between the two sets of railroad tracks. From that location they could easily and rapidly import the raw materials as needed and then ship the required heavy loads of bricks to wherever the new construction site rquired them. This was obviously the need for the new store to be constructed in 1919 at 112 Main Street in Madison beside the railroad tracks. The Humphrey Brothers Store started around 1900 in Madison with a sale of the lot with an old wooden store building on it to William Binford Humphrey, who lived on 23 Front Street. The sale included a stipulation that any store erected there would not operate as a drugstore. That stipulation as made to preclude any competition with the lot’s previous owner in his own drugstore business at 200 Main Street. Binford Humphrey took his brother James Hermon Humphrey as a partner in his store. Hermon had previously been working in the general merchandise store of George Washington Wise. They initially named their store as “W. B. Humphrey & Brother”, but later the business was named “Humphrey Brothers” when the new brick structure was erected. It had started operation in the old wooden frame building, but after a few years they moved it to the south end of the lot and contracted with Daniel Brandon to erect a new brick building. That was considered to be more in keeping with the storefronts along Main Street. Hermon died in 1925, and his oldest son, Arthur, became an active partner with Binford. When Binford died in 1944, the store became the sole owner of the business and he operated it until he retired in 1975. In fact, my now-deceased friend Percy Brooks Keel (a 34-year rural mail carrier in the Madison and Triana area), who was commonly called “Tootsie” or “Toots” always referred to the store as “Mr. Arthur’s store”. Percy (born in Gurley in 1924) lived in Madison from 1938 until his passing in 2010. Now the old brick store building, after many other businesses were operated in it, has been exensively remodeled, especially inside, by Walt Anderson to become a new business with a historical theme and ambiance. It still stands with the prominet external insert to let Madison shoppers and visitors wonder who might “D. S. Brandon” have been in Madison.
As a footnote, there were indications of a possible continuing connection of Daniel and the Brandon family with Madison into more recent years. The census of 1940 in Madison shows a Daniel Brandon at age 24 (born in Alabama) work-
MADISON – A team without experience in the field devoted their energy to fast-track their skills, and the students’ commitment at Mill Creek Elementary School led to commendation in competition.
Mill Creek Robo-Crew entered the FIRST LEGO League or FLL Qualifier. The Society of Women Engineers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville sponsored the qualifier on Jan. 21.
“There were 18 teams competing. Not all were school teams; some were neighborhood teams,” sponsor Sharon Harris said. A National Board Certified Educator, Harris works as Gifted Specialist at Mill Creek. Mill Creek Robo-Crew includes fourth- and fifth-graders Rylan Aungst, Davansh Goyal, Adeline Huang, J. R. Kassama, Norah Khammar, Sam Kim, Aaron Machado, London Redmon, Eileen Su and Julius Whitehorn.
“The students were very excited with their performance,” Harris said. “All are first-time robotics team members and have learned a lot.”
“Students build and program a LEGO Spike robot to complete missions on a field of play, which is different every year and tied to the year’s theme,”
Harris said. “At competition, they get three 2.5-minute runs and keep their highest score.”
“This year’s theme, “Superpowered,” was focused on renewable energy sources. The problem our team researched and found an innovative solution for was icing of wind turbine blades, which was part of the cause of power outages in the Texas winter storm of 2022,” Harris said.
The competition’s third area, core values, focuses on teamwork and ‘gracious professionalism.’
At UAH, Mill Creek Robo-Crew won the Breakthrough Award, which “celebrates a team that made significant progress in their confidence and capability in both the Robot Game and Innovation Project and is a shining example of excellent Core Values,” Harris said. “They demonstrate that they understand what they discover is more important than what they win.”
In addition, Mill Creek Robo-Crew earned a berth in the 2023 Alabama FLL State Tournament in Fort Payne. Organizers expect 25 teams to compete.
“They’re really excited and looking forward to participating in the state tournament,” Harris said.
“Students won’t take tests for a living -- they’ll have to be
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ing as a “cotton sampler” in cotton warehouse. His wife in 1940 was Anna Mae Brandon, age 25, also born in Alabama, and they had a daugh-
ter named Carrie Mae at age 2 in their household. That household was listed beside the record and location for Woody Latham Collier Cain (on
problem-solvers, not only on the job but in all areas of their lives. FLL encourages teams to consult with professionals and experts in the field and share their problem solution with both professionals and the community as possible users,” Harris said.
“The FLL innovation project is problem-based learning at its
Arnett Street, the house of James Henry Cain at 18 Arnett Street). Beside the Cain listing was another for James E. Williams of 19 Church Street. This
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best.”
At a tournament, students work in two pairs, one at each end of the board, to set and run the robot to complete as many missions and earn as many points as possible in 2.5 minutes.
Harris and Kim Barnes work as faculty sponsors and led the
indicates that the Brandon residence was along today’s Buttermilk Alley between Arnett Street and Front Street. Additionally, in the 1950s it is
innovation project. Will Elliott is their parent coach for robots. “Robotics and coding are becoming more and more a part of our lives, so they are important skills for these kids’ futures. Someday, some of them may have jobs in the robotics field that don’t even exist yet,” Harris said.
known from photos that Percy and Helen Keel made at their home (located at 209 Mill Road, on the west side of the new portion of the City Cem-
etery) they had visits to their house by a Black lady named Emma Brandon, so apparently the Brandon family still has Madison connections.